Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule - August 2022

Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule – August 2022
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S. No Topics Page No
1. Im portant Days 03
2. Im portant Banking and Economy News 13
3. Im portant State News 97
4. Im portant National News 141
5. Im portant International News 186
6. Im portant MOU’s and Agreement News 204
7. Im portant Mergers and Acquisitions News 219
8. Im portant Appointments and Resignation News 235
9. Im portant Awards and Honours News 276
10. Im portant Defence News 285
11. Im portant Summit & Conference News 304
12. Im portant Schemes News 305
13. Im portant Science and Technology News 311
14. Im portant Environment News 329
15. Im portant Apps and Services News 329
16. Im portant Rankings and Indices News 330
17. Im portant Books and Authors 336
18. Im portant Sports News 344
19. Im portant Obituaries 375
IM PORTANT DAYS
1-7 August - World Breastfeeding Week
• World Breastfeeding Week or WBW is observed from August 1 to 7 every year.
• It was first started in 1992 to promote the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and the
baby.
• World Breastfeeding Week's annual themes include healthcare systems, women and work,
community support, ecology, economy, science, education, and human rights.
• Since 2016, World Breastfeeding Week is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs).
• In 2018, a World Health Assembly resolution endorsed WBW as an important breastfeeding
promotion strategy.
Theme:
• World Breastfeeding Week theme for 2022 is "Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support".
• The theme is aimed at encouraging breastfeeding as it is a very important thing and plays a very
important role in the early development of a baby.
U.S. Coast Guard Day- August 4 th:
• Every year, August 4 is celebrated as U.S. Coast Guard Day, commemorating the military
organization for its valor and discipline.
• Since 1790, the U.S. Coast Guard has kept the nation’s waterways safe, playing a critical role in
national security.
• The day honors the establishment of the U.S. Coast Guard and the courageous work of the
service members of the Coast Guard.
History
• The United States Coast Guard was established on 4 August 1790 by Treasury Secretary
Alexander Hamilton and was later on known as the Revenue Marine.
• Let us tell you that Alexander Hamilton authorized the construction of ten vessels which are
known as Revenue Service cutters.
• They were intended to enforce the earliest United States tariff laws.
Hiroshima Day- August 6
• Hiroshima Day is observed every year on August 6 to promote peace politics and raise
awareness of the effects of the bomb attack on Hiroshima.
• Hiroshima city was attacked by an atomic weapon that killed thousands of lives instantly on
August 6, 1945.
• Today is the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city.
• It was the first city to be attacked by a nuclear bomb.
History:
• In 1945, the United Nations deployed a nuclear bomb on the city of Hiroshima.
• This wiped out 39 percent of the civilians in the city.
• The US created two atomic bombs named ‘The Little Boy dropped in the city of Hiroshima and
‘The Fat Man in the city of Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 respectively.
National Handloom Day- August 7, 2022
• In India, National Handloom Day is observed annually on August 7 to promote wearing
clothing manufactured by hand by indigenous tribes.
• Events are planned all around the country this year as well to increase public understanding
and the contribution of citizens to the socioeconomic development of handloom weavers.
History
• The handloom sector played an important role during the Swadeshi Movement, which was
launched as part of the Indian independence movement, on August 7, 1905.
• The movement was started to curb dependency on foreign goods and to boost domestic
production.
• The movement started the production of khadi in almost every household.
• When “at the stroke of the midnight hour” India got independence, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
unfurled the Indian flag made of khadi at Princess Park near India Gate.
• National Handloom Day is celebrated on August 7 as it was the same day the Swadeshi
Movement was birthed.
• The government of India, on August 7, 2015, inaugurated and celebrated National Handloom
Day for the first time in Chennai.
The Quit India Movement Day – August 8
• Every year on 8 August, the anniversary of the Quit India Movement is marked and observed by
paying tribute to freedom fighters who without a doubt laid their lives for the country and its
people.
• The Quit India Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi on 8 August 1942 at the Bombay
session of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC).
• Also known as the Bharat Chhodo Andolan, this movement was a mass civil disobedience that
took place in the country.
• During the launch of the movement, the father of the nation delivered a speech amid a 'do or die
situation.
• He demanded that the British must leave India immediately or face dire consequences.
• As a part of this movement, a call for mass agitation was followed by violence that took over the
country after which Indian National Congress leaders were arrested.
• The main reason for the Quit India Movement to begin was that the Britishers were planning to
drag the country into World War II without consent to fight on behalf of the United Kingdom (UK).
• During that time, more than 87,000 Indian soldiers were martyred in World War II including
people from Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Nagasaki Day- August 9
• Nagasaki Day is observed every year on August 9 to promote peace politics and raise awareness of the
effects of the bomb attack on Nagasaki.

• The historical nuclear attack took place in the year 1945 with an atomic bomb on August 6 in the city of
Hiroshima and later on August 9 in Nagasaki.
• Nagasaki city was attacked by atomic weapons that killed thousands of life instantly.
• It is the 77th annive
• rsary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city.

• It is the second city after Hiroshima to be attacked by a nuclear bomb.
History:
• In 1945, the United Nations deployed a nuclear bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• This wiped out 39 percent of the civilians in the city.
• The US created two atomic bombs named ‘The Little Boy dropped in the city of Nagasaki and ‘The Fat
Man in the city of Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 respectively.
International Day of World's Indigenous People- August 9

• The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is observed on 9 August each year to raise
awareness and protect the rights of the world's indigenous population.

• This event also recognizes the achievements and contributions that indigenous people make to improve
world issues such as environmental protection.
• In India, the indigenous population is also known as the Scheduled Tribes.

• The United Nations passed a resolution on December 23, 1994, to celebrate August 9 as the day.
• The day marked the first m eeting in 1982 of the UN Working Group on indigenous populations.
• The UN General Assembly also declared 1995-2004 as the International Decade of the World’s
Indigenous Peoples.
• It declared the decade 2005-2015 as the Second International Decade.
World Biofuel Day
• World Biofuel Day is commemorated on 10 August every year to raise awareness about the use
of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels.
• Any fuel that is derived from biomass, like plants, agricultural wastes, crops, algae, or animal
wastes, is known as biofuel.
History:
• August 10 is observed as World Biofuel Day in honor of Sir Rudolf Diesel, inventor of the diesel
engine.
• It was just one day before, on August 9 in 1893 that Sir Diesel, first successfully operated the
mechanical engine with peanut oil.
• With this, he was able to predict the possibility of vegetable oil replacing fossil fuels as a feasible
source of energy in the next century.
• To commemorate this achievement, the date was chosen to observe World Biofuel Day.
World Lion Day- August 10
• World Lion Day is celebrated annually on August 10 each year, with an emphasis to raise
awareness and gather support for their declining population and conservation.
• Currently, they are listed as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.
• The Asiatic Lion is one of the five big cats that are found in India, the other four being the Royal
Bengal Tiger, Indian Leopard, Clouded leopard, and Snow Leopard.
History:
• In 2013, co-founders of Dereck and Beverly Joubert the Big Cat Initiative, and National
Geographic made a partnership to create World Lion Day.
• The lion is also known as Panthera leo and is considered the king of the jungle, being the largest
species on earth.
• There has been a decline in 80 percent of the population of lions in the past 100 years.
• This is the major reason for the observance of the day to protect these wild cats in their natural
habitat.
• This also works on the safety measures of the lion communities.
International Youth Day- August 12
• August 12 marks the annual celebration of International Youth Day as an awareness day,
designated by the United Nations (UN).
• The first Youth Day was observed in 1999 after the UN General Assembly (UNGA) passed a
resolution accepting the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers
Responsible for Youth in Lisbon.

History:
• In 1998, the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth issued a resolution
designating August 12 as International Youth Day.
• It was held by the Portuguese government in conjunction with the UN (Lisbon, 8-12 August
1998).
• The United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 64/134 in December 2009 proclaiming
the year commencing 12 August 2010 as the International Year of Youth.
• To mark the event, the day calls upon governments, civil society, individuals, and communities
worldwide to support activities at local and international levels.

World Elephant Day- August 12
• World Elephant Day is celebrated every year on August 12.
• Initiated by the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael
Clark in 2011, the first international Elephant Day was celebrated on August 12, 2012.
• World Elephant Day was launched to highlight the difficulty of Asian and African elephants,
which face many threats like poaching, habitat loss, conflict with humans, and being mistreated
in captivity.
• The main aim of World Elephant Day is to make people aware of better treatment of captive
elephants and against their illegal poaching and trade for ivory.
History
• The first-ever International Elephant Day was observed on August 12, 2012.
• Since then, it has been a day set aside each year to emphasize the need of protecting and
preserving animals.
• The Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and the filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark
created World Elephant Day in 2011.
• The launch date was set for August 12, 2012.
Left-handers Day-13 August:
• Every year on August 13, the world celebrates International Left-Handers Day to recognize the
distinctiveness and distinctions of left-handers and to spread awareness of the benefits and
drawbacks of having a left hand in a world that is largely right-handed.
• According to a 2019 Oxford University study, left-handers are likely to have stronger linguistic
abilities than their right-handed counterparts.
HISTORY:
• The founder of Lefthanders International Inc., Dean R. Campbell, commemorated the day for the
first time in 1976.
• Additionally, the Lefthanders International Club was established in 1990 to promote left-
handedness and communicate with businesses about the creation of products for left-handed
people.
• The Club established International Lefthanders Day in 1992 to raise awareness of the "benefits
and drawbacks of being left-handed."
World Humanitarian Day- August 19:
• World Humanitarian Day is commemorated every year on 19 August to pay tribute to
humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work, and to honor all aid and
health workers who continue, despite the odds, to provide life-saving support and protection to
people most in need.
History:
• The chief of Iraq's humanitarian organization was among the 22 brutally killed when a bomb
exploded at the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, on August 19, 2003.
• The UN General Assembly designated this day as World Humanitarian Day in 2009 to honor the
bombing.
World Photography Day- August 19:
• World Photography Day is observed on August 19 each year.
• The annual celebration pays tribute to the art of photography and also encourages those who
are passionate about it to come together and share their work.
History
• The inception of this day dates back to 1837 when Frenchmen Joseph Nicephore Niepce and
Louis Daguerre invented the ‘daguerreotype’ which was the world’s first-ever photographic
process.
• Two years later on January 9, 1939, the daguerreotype was officially endorsed by the French
Academy of Sciences.
• Seven months later on August 19, 1839, the French government is believed to have purchased
the patent for the device.
• They declared the invention of the daguerreotype as a gift to the world making it freely available
to all and the day began to be marked as World Photography Day later on.
• Photography has since then been evolving with developments and advancements in technology.
• The first durable color photograph was captured in 1861 while the first digital photograph was
created in 1957, two decades earlier than the invention of the digital camera.
World Senior Citizen's Day- August 21
• World Senior Citizen Day is observed on August 21.
• It's an effort by the young to acknowledge the problems that our elders face due to their age and
raise awareness about those issues.
• The day also recognizes their contributions to the world's advancement as leaders,
professionals, and entrepreneurs.
HISTORY
• On December 14, 1990, the first World Senior Citizens’ Day was proclaimed by the General
Assembly of the United Nations.
• However, the first celebration was marked on October 1, 1991.
• Ideally, it was former President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan who officially
founded World Senior Citizens’ Day.
International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and Abolition- August 23
• August 23 is marked as the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its
Abolition.
• During the imperialist regimes run by the colonial powers of Europe, the slave trade was a cruel
yet common practice.
HISTORY
• The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is
commemorated on August 23 because of a significant event that took place surrounding this
date.
• Santo Domingo, which is modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic, was an erstwhile
colonial settlement of France in the eighteenth century.
• The days of August 22 and August 23, 1791, saw the start of the uprising that would play a vital
role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade led by the European colonial powers.
• The uprising inspired the Haitian Revolution which was led by the Black and mixed-race people
against the colonial rulers.

World Water Week- 23 August to 1 September
• World Water Week 2022 will take place from August 23 to September 1 .
• Since 1991, the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) has hosted World Water Week to
address global water issues and related international development concerns.
• The theme of the 2022 World Water Week is: “Seeing the unseen: The value of water”, which
helps us view water in new and fascinating ways.
• World Water Week is a community of changemakers working together to find answers to the
world's most pressing water-related issues.
• The Week also serves as a gathering space to expedite progress toward the SDGs and other
international activities.
• This year's World Water Week is a significant step toward the UN Water Conference in 2023.
Women's Equality Day- August 26
• Women's Equality Day is celebrated in the United States on August 26 every year, to mark the
day when the Amendment giving women the right to vote was adopted.
• On the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment, the National Organisation
for Women (NOW) organized a nationwide ‘strike for equality. Following the strike,
Congresswoman Bella Abzug also known as Batteling Bella introduced a resolution to designate
August 26 as Women’s Equality Day.
• It was first celebrated in 1973, after Congress approved H.J. Res. 52, which stated, "the
President is authorized and requested to proclaim commemoration of that day in 1920 on which
the women in America were first guaranteed the right to vote".
National Sports Day- 29th August
• The 29th of August is celebrated as National Sports Day in India each year.
• The inaugural National Sports Day was observed on August 29, 2012, the birthday of India's
renowned hockey player, Major Dhyan Chand.
• The day is utilized as a platform to introduce several sports initiatives as well as to plan several
sporting events and seminars to raise awareness of the value of physical activity and sports i n
everyday life.
History:
• In various regions of India, National Sports Day is also known as Rashtriya Khel Divas.
• The National Stadium of Delhi was renamed Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi in 1979 as a
mark of respect for Major Dhyan Chand following his passing.
• To promote the spirit of sportsmanship and the message of diverse sports, it was stated in 2012
that a day must be observed as National Sports Day.
• Major Dhayan Chand was once again honored for this on the anniversary of his birth, and the
29th of August was declared National Sports Day in India.
National Small Industry Day- 30 August
• The National Small Industry Day is observed in India on August 30 every year to encourage and
promote small industries for their potential for overall growth as well as the chances they have
been given to expand throughout the year.
• The purpose of industry day is to support the establishment of new industries and give balanced
growth to the state's current small, medium, and large-scale businesses.
HISTORY
• On August 30, 2000, the Ministry of Small-Scale Industries (SSI) introduced a comprehensive
set of policies for the SSI sector.
• Small businesses in India are significantly supported by this strategy.
• After that, the Ministry decided to declare August 30 to be "SSI Day."
• On August 30, 2001, the Ministry hosted an SSI Convention for SSI Entrepreneurs in New Delhi,
along with a ceremony to give National Awards.
IMPORTANT BANKING & ECONOMY NEWS

BOB Financial Solutions launches mobile app ‘bob card’
• BOB Financial Solutions Limited has launched its credit card servicing mobile application, ‘bob
card’.
Aim :
• To help customers with a one-stop solution to manage their Bank of Baroda credit card services.
• The app has been designed in collaboration with IBM.
About ‘bob card’ :
• bob card is a smart digital platform that offers a battery-saver dark-themed interface along with
secured access with face ID, fingerprint lock & PIN, and a smart eye feature to ensure that card
details of the customers remain private.
• It will help customers manage their card usage limit, redeem reward points instantly, convert
high-value transactions into smart EMIs and pay credit card bills on time.
• Customers can download the app from the App Store (iOS users)/ Google Play Store (Android
users), and start using it after linking it with their registered mobile number.
• The app is powered by intelligent workflows at the backend to deliver an engaging & secure user
experience for the customers."
About BOB Financial Solutions Ltd :
• Founded: 29 September 1994
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO : Shailendra Singh
• BOB Financial Solutions is a non-banking financial company (NBFC) that is wholly owned by the
Bank of Baroda (BoB).
RBI temporarily allows merchants & payment aggregators to save customer card credentials
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has temporarily permitted merchants or their payment
aggregators (PAs) involved in the settlement of transactions where cardholders decide to enter
the card details manually to save the Card-on-File (CoF) data for a maximum period of
“Transaction Date + 4 days” or till the settlement date, whichever is earlier.
• This data shall be used only for the settlement of such transactions and must be purged.
• Now, the card issuer and the card network are allowed the aforementioned dispensation
• For carried out other post-transaction activities, acquiring banks can continue to store CoF data
(customer card credentials) until January 31, 2023
• The RBI emphasized that there shall be no change in the effective date of implementation of the
requirements relating to “Restriction on Storage of Actual Card Data (CoF) – all entities, except
card issuers and card networks, shall purge the CoF data before October 1, 2022.
• With effect from October 1, 2022, no entity in the card transaction/payment chain, other than the
card issuers and/or card networks, shall store CoF data, and any such data stored previously
shall be purged.
About RBI :
• Established: 1 April 1935
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar
RBI imposes restrictions on 3 Urban cooperative banks
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed several restrictions, including on the withdrawal of
funds, on three Urban cooperative banks (UCBs) namely
1. Jaiprakash Narayan Nagari Sahakari Bank, Basmatnagar, Maharashtra
2. The Karmala Urban Co-operative Bank, Solapur, Maharashtra
3. Durga Co-operative Urban Bank, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
• The restrictions imposed on the three banks under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 the
Reserve Bank would remain in force for 6 months and are subject to review.
• As part of the restrictions, these UCBs cannot grant loans, make any investment, incur any
liability including borrowal of funds and acceptance of fresh deposits, or disburse or dispose of
properties or assets.
Key Highlights :
• With the imposition of restrictions on Jaiprakash Narayan Nagari Sahakari Bank, Basmatnagar,
depositors will not be able to withdraw funds from their accounts.
• Depositors of The Karmala Urban Co-operative Bank, Solapur, can only withdraw up to Rs
10,000 from their accounts.
• The RBI has also imposed restrictions on customers of Durga Co-operative Urban Bank,
Vijayawada can withdraw up to Rs 1.5 lakh from their deposits.
• The banks will continue to undertake banking business with restrictions till their financial position
improves.
Recent News :
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended a four-tier regulatory framework for urban
cooperative banks (UCBs) based on the size of deposits and their area of operations.
About UCBs :
• The term Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) is not formally defined but refers to primary
cooperative banks located in urban and semi-urban areas.
• Until 1996, these banks were allowed to lend money only for non-agricultural purposes.
• These banks were traditionally centered on communities and local workgroups as they
essentially lent to small borrowers and businesses.

WhatsApp launched a user-safety campaign through a m usic video titled 'Scam Se Bacho':
• Messaging app WhatsApp launched a user-safety campaign through a music video titled ‘Scam
Se Bacho’, in line with its focus on communicating its core safety principles to payments on
WhatsApp to help keep users safe while making digital payments.
• Payments on WhatsApp allow users to send and receive money from their contacts via Unified
Payment Interface (UPI) as easily as a WhatsApp message.
• The ‘Scam Se Bacho’ music video is a parody rendition of the popular song, ‘ Dekh Ke Chalo’,
wherein the lyrics demonstrate real-life situations in which individuals could be susceptible to
scams and reinforce the message of staying safe and exercising caution while making digital
payments.
The fiscal deficit reached 21% during the April-June quarter:
• The Centre’s fiscal deficit reached 21% during the April-June quarter of the current fiscal.
• The fiscal deficit stood at 18 percent during the corresponding period of last fiscal.
• However, The fiscal deficit is not likely to breach the Budget Estimate of 6.4 percent.
• Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj said the government would stick to its projected target of Budget
FY 2023.
• As per Ind-Ra, the fiscal deficit in F Y23 will be in the range of 6.2-6.4 percent of GDP.
• According to Controller General of Accounts (CGA) data, the center received around ₹5.96-lakh
crore and incurred an expenditure of ₹9.47-lakh crore during three months.
• This resulted in a fiscal deficit of over ₹3.51-lakh crore.
• A fiscal deficit is a difference between expenditure and income.
SEBI Postpones Implementation of MF Holder N omination Rules to October 1
• Capital market regulator Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has postponed the
implementation of new rules on the nomination for mutual fund investors till October 1, 2022.
• The new rules of providing an option for mutual fund investors to submit details of nomination or
opt-out of it were to come into force on August 1, 2022.
• Based on the representation received from AMFI, it has been decided that investors subscribing
to mutual fund units after October 1, 2022, will have a choice to submit the nomination form or
the declaration form for opting out of the nomination physical or online as per the choice of the
unitholders.
• In the case of the physical option, the forms will carry the wet signature of all the unitholders.
• In the case of the online option, instead of wet signatures of all the unitholders, AMCs shall
validate the forms using the e-Sign facility or through two-factor authentication.
SEBI penalizes BSE for its subsidiary buying stake in Indus Water without prior a pproval
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) imposed a penalty of Rs 3 lakh on BSE Ltd
for indirectly engaging in works that were unrelated to its activities as a stock exchange without
the regulator's approval.
• The order came after SEBI examined investments made by BSE Ltd to ascertain whether the
firm had engaged in activities that were not related to its activity as a stock exchange without the
approval of Sebi as of March 2021.
• SEBI found that BIL, a separate legal entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of BSE Ltd, had
acquired an 8 percent stake in Indus Water Institute Ltd.
• For the violation of not seeking prior approval, the regulator has imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh on
the exchange.
• In October 2020, Sebi imposed Rs 6 crore penalty on NSE for picking up stakes in six entities,
including CAMS and Power Exchange India Ltd, without obtaining the SEBI’s approval.
About SEBI :
• Established: on 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30
January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
• Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
• SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership
of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
Union Bank of India sets up “RACE” goal for 2022
• The Union Bank of India (UBI) has set “RACE” as the goal for the year.
• RACE stands for
• Grow RAM (retail, agriculture, and MSME) loans,
• Improve Asset quality,
• Increase CASA (current account, savings account deposits)
• Increase Earnings
Aim :
• To make UBI bank among the top three largest Public Sector Banks (PSB) in the next couple of
years.
About UBI :
• Founded: 11 November 1919
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO : A Manimekhalai (First women chief of UBI)
SEBI lays rules for automated deactivation of trading, demat accounts in case of inadequate KYC
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) released a framework
for automated deactivation of trading and demat accounts of investors in case of inadequate
Know Your Client (KYC) details.
• The framework will come into effect on August 31, 2022.
Aim :
• To ensure the client furnishes accurate or updated details of address and ensure that KYC
details are correct
• Under the rules, market infrastructure institutions (MIIs) stock exchanges, except commodity
derivatives exchanges, and depositories will have to physically serve Show Cause Notice (SCN)
or order issued by the regulator to the concerned entity.
• The MIIs will have to forward the signed acknowledgment of its receipt by the concerned
addressee or its authorized representative to the regulator within 30 days from the date of
receipt of such instructions from the SEBI.
GST revenue collected in July 2022 is ₹1,48,995 crore:
• The gross GST revenue collected in July 2022 is ₹1,48,995 crore of which CGST is ₹ 25,751
crore.
• The revenues for July 2022 are 28% higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year
of ₹ 1,16,393 crore.
• For five months in a row now, the monthly GST revenues have been more than ₹ 1.4 lakh core,
showing a steady increase every month.
• The growth in GST revenue till July 2022 over the same period last year is 35% and displays a
very high buoyancy.
Union Bank of India launches Union Prerna 2.0 - EmpowerHim
• Union Bank of India launched an Industry-first, dedicated, men-focused Committee
'EmpowerHim' as part of its flagship HR initiative 'Prerna'.
• It was launched by A Manimekhalai, MD, and CEO, Union Bank of India.
Aim :
• To promote the employees' career trajectory and improve diversity in the Bank by picking out
and resolving individual as well as common existing challenges.
• This Committee will complement the women-focused; EmpowerHer Committee launched by the
Bank earlier in July 2022.
Objective :
• To understand local problems, highlight the importance of gender equity, and focus on
sensitization at work.
About Union Prerna :
• Union Prerna is the Human Resources (HR) Transformation initiative of UBI.
Aim :
• To improve productivity through digitization of processes, employee-centric interventions, and a
learning revolution within the Banking space.
About EmpowerHim:
• A first in the Industry, "EmpowerHim" is Union Bank's career-focused Committee aimed at
tackling all issues at the grass-root level.
Aim :
• To provide a comfortable platform for everyone to freely express their concerns and needs,
counsel employees, encourage active participation in leadership roles and improve Business
performance and individual productivity.
About UBI :
• Founded: 11 November 1919;
• MD & CEO : A Manimekhalai
Infosys Finacle gets inducted into IFSCA's Regulatory Sandbox framework
• Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infosys has been
inducted into International Financial Services Centres Authority's (IFSCA) Regulatory Sandbox
framework to pilot its blockchain-based trade finance solution.
• In the first phase, six leading banks Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, HSBC, ICICI Bank, RBL Bank,
and State Bank of India are collaborating with Infosys Finacle in the regulatory sandbox.
• This collaboration will lead to comprehensive testing of the blockchain-based Buyers Credit
solution, for short-term credit in foreign currency for import payments and trade finance
transactions.
• This will serve as a precursor to the solution being available as a SaaS-based offering for all
banks servicing clients from GIFT City.
About Finacle Trade Connect :
• Finacle Trade Connect helps banks, corporates, and various trade partners, such as shipping
companies, insurers, and customs agencies, connect directly on a unified distributed network
enabling inter-organization automation of trade finance processes.
• Apart from Buyer's Credit, the solution offers capabilities across Letter of Credit, Open Account
for Trade, Bill Collection, Bill Exchange, C2C Transactions for Trade, B2C Transactions for
Trade, PO Financing, Invoice Financing, Bank Guarantee, and Factoring.
• The new platform will speed-up transaction times from weeks to hours and drive significant cost
savings.
• It will also enable trade expansion to drive economic growth.
About Infosys finacle :
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka
GOI Announces Sale of Four Dated Securities for a Notified Amount of Rs 33,000 crore
• The Government of India (GOI) has announced the sale (re-issue) of four dated securities for a
notified amount of ₹33,000 crores.
• The auctions will be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India, on August 05, 2022.
Four Securities :
1. 6.69% Government Security 2024 for a notified amount of Rs 4,000 Crore (nominal) through
price based auction using a uniform price method
price-based auction using a uniform price method
price-based auction using a uniform price method
price-based auction using multiple price method.
• GoI will have the option to retain an additional subscription up to Rs 2,000 Crore against each of
the 4 securities.
• As per the Scheme for Non-Competitive Bidding Facility in the Auction of Government
Securities, Up to 5% of the notified amount of the sale of the securities will be allotted to eligible
individuals and institutions.
PNB Gets RBI Approval to Invest ₹500 cr in PNB Housing Finance Rights Issue
• Punjab National Bank (PNB) announced that the Reserve Bank of India had allowed it to invest
₹500 crores in the upcoming ₹2,500 crore rights issue of PNB Housing Finance Limited
(PNBHFL).
• Following the rights issue, the shareholding of Punjab National Bank (PNB) as a promoter of the
company would come down from the current level of 32.57% to below 30%.
• In the post rights issue, the holding of the bank would come down below 30 percent but would
be higher than 26 percent so that the bank retains promoter status.
• The rights issue process is expected to conclude by December 2022 or latest in the March
quarter.
• The PNB proposes to raise ₹12,000 crores from Tier I (5,500) and Tier II bonds (6,500).
About PNB :
• Founded: 19 May 1894 (Commenced Operations April 12, 1895)
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• MD & CEO : Atul Kumar Goel
• Tagline: The name you can bank upon
About PNB Housing Finance Ltd :
• MD & CEO : Hardayal Prasad
SVC Bank Partners with SIDBI for Empowering MSMEs
• SVC Co-operative Bank Ltd. (SVC Bank), one of India’s leading co-operative banks, and Small
Industries Development Bank in India (SIDBI), the country’s apex financial institution for micro,
small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), entered into a partnership through an Agreement.
• The agreement was signed by Ashish Singhal, MD, SVC Bank, and Sanjeev Gupta, General
Manager, SIDBI in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• SVC Bank is the first urban cooperative bank to enter into a refinancing partnership with SIDBI.
• The partnership signed will allow SVC Bank to tap into SIDBI’s refinance facility.
Recent News :
• Recently SIDBI has decided to extend refinance assistance to eligible scheduled Urban Co-
operative Banks (UCBs) and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).
• In January 2021, SIDBI announced sanctioning of Rs 650 crore in financial assistance to two
small finance banks AU Small Finance Bank and Jana Small Finance Bank from the Special
Liquidity Facility of Rs 16,000 crore sanctioned to it by the Reserve Bank of India
About SIDBI :
• Founded: 2 April 1990
• Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
• Chairman & MD : Sivasubramanian Ramann
• SIDBI provides refinance to primary lending institutions such as banks including small finance
banks, non-banking finance companies, and microfinance institutions which in turn provide credit
to MSMEs.
• It is also engaged in direct financing of small businesses through long-term loans, working-
capital facilities, etc.
About SVC Bank :
• Founded: 1906
• Chairman: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Chairman: Durgesh S Chandavarkar
• MD: Ashish Singhal
• The Shamrao Vithal Co-op. Bank Ltd. (SVC Bank) known as SVC Cooperative Bank Limited, is
a scheduled bank in India.
RBI’s Financial Inclusion Index for March 2022 rises to 56.4
• The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) in March 2022 increased
to 56.4 indicating that growth has been witnessed across all parameters.
• The FI-index in March 2021 was 53.9.
About RBI’s Financial Inclusion Index :
• RBI will release the FI-Index in July month every year.
• There is no base year for this Index.
• It was conceptualized as a comprehensive index incorporating details of banking, investments,
insurance, postal as well as the pension sector in consultation with the government and
respective sectoral regulators.
• The value of the FI-Index will range from 0 to 100.
• Where 0 denotes complete financial exclusion while 100 denotes full financial inclusion.
Parameters of FI-Index:
• The FI-Index comprises three parameters, namely
1. Access (35%)
2. Usage (45%)
3. Quality (20%) with each of these consists of various dimensions, which are computed based on
several indicators.
• In total there are 97 indicators.
• A unique feature of the FI-Index is the quality parameter, which captures the quality aspect of
financial inclusion as reflected by financial literacy, consumer protection, and inequalities and
deficiencies in services.
About RBI :
GST e-invoicing is mandatory for entities with Rs 10 cr turnover from Oct 1, 2022
• The goods and services tax (GST) e -invoicing will be mandatory for firms with a turnover of over
Rs 10 crore from October 1, 2022 down from the current threshold of Rs 20 crore to further plug
leakages and ensure better compliance.
Aim :
• To digitize a higher volume of transactions, transparency in sales reporting, reduce errors and
mismatches, automate data entry work, and improve compliance.
• The government plans to make GST e-invoicing mandatory for companies with a turnover of Rs
10 crore and then Rs 5 crore in the current financial year.
• The GST e-invoice system tracks business-to-business (B2B) transactions on the Invoice
Registration Portal (IRP), which facilitates the assessment and computation of input tax credit
(ITC).
• The e-invoice provides a standardized format that is machine-readable and can be electronically
authenticated on the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) and be further used on the
common GST portal.
About E-invoicing :
• E-invoicing (electronic billing) started in October 2020 and was made mandatory for entities with
a turnover of Rs 500 crore and above.
• This threshold was brought down to Rs 100 crore and later to Rs 50 crore in 2021 for business-
to-business (B2B) transactions.
The GST revenue for July 2022 will be the second highest ever, at Rs 1.49 lakh crore:
• In July, Goods and Services Tax collections increased by 28% to reach the second-highest level
ever at Rs 1.49 lakh crore on the back of economic recovery and steps taken to curb tax
evasion.
• The GST (Goods and Services Tax) collection for the same month a year earlier was Rs
1,16,393 crore.
• In April 2022, the GST, which was enacted in July 2017, reached a record high of Rs 1.68 lakh
crore.
• Since the commencement of the GST, the monthly GST collection has exceeded Rs 1.40 lakh
crore six times.
• Since March 2022, this has happened five times in a row.
• As compared to the same month last year, the income from domestic transactions, which
includes the import of services, was up 22% in July and the revenue from imported commodities
was up 48%.
• A total of Rs 1,48,995 crore in GST was collected in July, of which Rs 25,751 crore came from
the central government, Rs 32,807 crore from the states, and Rs 79,518 crore from the
integrated government (including Rs 41,420 crore on the import of commodities), and Rs 10,920
crore from cess (including Rs 995 crore collected on import of goods).
Federal Bank becomes the 1st Bank to list Payment Gateway on the new Tax platform
• Federal Bank has become India’s first bank to list its Payment Gateway platform on the TIN 2.0
platform of the Income Tax Department.
About Tax Information Network (TIN):
• With this, TIN 2.0 platform taxpayers will get one more payment option and now make their
payments with ease, using modes such as Credit/Debit Card, UPI, NEFT/RTGS, and Internet
Banking.
• Tax Information Network (TIN) is an initiative by the Income Tax Department of India (ITD) for
the collection, processing, monitoring, and accounting of direct taxes using information
technology.
• Also, TIN is a repository of nationwide tax-related information and has been established by
Protean eGov Technologies Limited on behalf of the IT Dept.
• The federal bank also received the government's approval for the collection of Direct Tax last
financial year and has been made effective since 1 July 2022.
Recent News :
• In July 2022 the Federal Bank partnered with the Central Board of direct taxes to assist
taxpayers in making their payments via the e-pay tax facility in the e-filing portal of the income
tax.
About Federal Bank :
• Headquarters: Aluva, Kochi, Kerala, India
• MD & CEO: Shyam Srinivasan
Karnataka Bank partners with Yubi for Co-lending with NBFCs
• Karnataka Bank has entered into an arrangement with Yubi (formerly known as CredAvenue Pvt
Ltd) for co-lending via the Yubi Co.Lend, India's co-lending platform.
Aim :
• To provide credit to the underserved sectors and accelerate financial inclusion in India.
• This collaboration will allow Karnataka bank to digitally onboard various Non-Banking Financial
Companies (NBFCs), lend significant amounts of money, and onboard a larger customer base
as a result of their better consumer outreach.
• The digital Co-lending platform would enable Karnataka Bank and our NBFC partners to
effortlessly integrate and lend to borrowers with a faster turnaround time.
About Karnataka Bank :
• Founded: 18 February 1924
• Headquarters: Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
• MD & CEO: Mahabaleshwara M. S
About Yubi (formerly known as CredAvenue Pvt Ltd) :
• Founded: 2020
• Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
• Founder and CEO: Gaurav Kumar
SEBI restructures the market data advisory committee to have 20 members
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has restructured its advisory committee on
market data that recommends policy measures for securities market data access and privacy.
• Currently, the market data advisory committee will have 20 members.
• Earlier, the committee had 21 members.
Key Highlights :
• The committee is chaired by S Sahoo, Professor at National Law University, Delhi, and former
chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).
• Under the new changes, NSE's former MD and CEO Vikram Limaye has been replaced by
newly appointed chief Ashishkumar Chauhan in the committee.
• Further, other members of the panel are Dr. C.K.G. Nair, P.S. Reddy, Arun Raste, Padmaja
Chunduru, Nehal Vora, Anuj Kumar, Sreekanth Nadella, Dr. Subrata Sarkar, Dhirendra Kumar,
Mahesh Vyas, Ranjit Pawar, Raman Uberoi, Nithin Kamath, Kiran Shetty, Suhas Tuljapurkar,
Amarjeet Singh, Prabhas Kumar Rath.
• The scope of the work of the committee includes identifying segment-wise data perimeters, data
needs, and gaps, and recommending data privacy and data access regulations applicable to
market data.
• It is responsible for recommending appropriate policy for access to securities market data.
• Also, the committee recommends standardization of data definitions; data identification logic
(usage of uniform codes for identifying and storing data - raw data and derived data), and data
validation techniques (single source of truth, validation).
IRDAI eases norms of bank bonds, InvITs/REITs
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has allowed insurers to
buy more perpetual bonds issued by banks and allowed them to participate in high-yield public
listings.
• The aggregate value of the AT1 (level one additional) bonds held in a particular bank, at any
time, will not exceed 10% of the total outstanding AT1 Bonds of that particular bank.
• AT1 bonds have no fixed maturities and are raised to shore up the capital base.
• These quasi-equity securities generate much higher returns than traditional bonds, as the risk is
also higher.
• The public holding in InvITs/REITs should not be less than 30 percent of the total outstanding
units of InvITs/REITs at the time of investment
• It states that no insurer shall invest more than 20 percent of the outstanding debt instruments in
any one invitation/REIT.
About IRDAI :
• Established: 1999
• Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana
• Chairperson: Debasish Panda
• IRDAI is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI, and is tasked
with regulating and licensing the insurance and reinsurance industries in India.
Karnataka Bank partners with Schwing Stetter India Pvt Ltd for financing construction equipment
• Karnataka Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SCHWING Stetter
India Pvt Ltd one of India's major construction equipment manufacturers for financing
construction equipment.
• The collaboration is expected to broaden the bank's Micro, Small, and Medium Sized
Enterprises (MSME) financing prospects.
• Under this collaboration, both partners will be able to provide consumers with customized
financial solutions.
• With this development, the bank will be designated as a financial partner and will be able to
meet the needs of its customers by providing competitively priced loans to purchase a vast
range of construction equipment.
About SCHWING Stetter India Pvt Ltd :
• Managing Director: V G Sakthi Kumar
• SCHWING Stetter India, a 100% subsidiary of the Schwing Group of companies GmbH was
incorporated in the year 1998.
InsuranceDekho partners with Future Generali to offer pet insurance
• Insurance start-up InsuranceDekho has partnered with Future Generali India Insurance
Company to offer dog health covers.
• The pet insurance policy as of now has a starting premium of about ₹324 annually.
• It offers comprehensive coverage for over 25 breeds of dogs, aged 6 months to 10 years.
• With this pet insurance plan, financial assistance is offered for expenses incurred by pet parents
towards hospitalization (including pre and post-hospitalization), treatment of terminal illness, and
surgery, subject to certain terms and conditions.
• It is estimated that pet insurance (including cattle) in India will witness an increase of at least 14
percent to achieve $490 million at the end of the year 2022.
• Globally, the pet insurance market is anticipated to reach USD 32.7 billion by 2030.
About InsuranceDekho :
• Founded: 2016
• Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana
• Co-Founder & CEO: Ankit Agrawal
Yubi Partners with U GRO Capital for co-lending and supply chain financing
• Yubi has agreed with U GRO Capital, a new generation Lending-as-a-Service (LaaS) business
that leverages technology to deliver last-mile credit to MSMEs with the financing of more than
INR 2000 crore by March 2023 in India.
Aim :
• To solve the financial challenges faced by MSMEs by building deep expertise in the sector
coupled with a data-centric, technology-enabled approach.
• The partnership will see the integration of Yubi Co.Lend and Yubi Flow with GRO–Xstream and
GRO–Line platforms, respectively.
• Through this partnership, U GRO Capital will be able to leverage Yubi’s full stack operating
system to seamlessly discover, go live and collaborate with multiple partners on Yubi’s platform.
• Through this alliance, U GRO Capital will gain access to Yubi Co.Lend’s vast network of Banks,
Financial Institutions, and Fintechs via a single API (Application Programming Interface)
integration to extend and accelerate credit to the underserved sectors.
About U GRO Capital :
• Founded: 1993
• Vice Chairman and Managing Director: Shachindra Nath
IndusInd Bank partners with Rupyy to offer loans for used cars
• IndusInd Bank has announced a strategic partnership with Rupyy, a new-age digital lending
platform offering 100% paperless loan processing for used cars.
• Rupyy is the fintech arm of the Jaipur-based Girnarsoft Pvt. Ltd., which houses brands including
CarDekho, BikeDekho, Zigwheels, and Powerdrift, among others.
• This partnership will enable users of ‘Rupyy’ to avail themselves of simplified documentation and
instant processing of vehicle loans from IndusInd Bank.
• Customers of the bank can now opt for flexible repayment options while transacting on ‘Rupyy’.
About IndusInd Bank :
• Founded: April 1994
• MD & CEO : Sumant Kathpalia
HDFC raises $1.1 billion social loan for financing affordable housing projects in India
• Mortgage lender HDFC Ltd has raised USD 1.1 billion (around Rs 8,700 crore) from a clutch of
investors under the 'Syndicated Social Loan Facility' at about a 3.3 percent rate for financing
housing projects in India.
• The loan has been priced 90 basis points over the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR).
• This is the largest social loan globally, the first external commercial borrowing (ECB) loan out of
India, and the largest ECB loan deal from a housing finance company/private NBFC in India.
• MUFG Bank Ltd is the Lead Social Loan Coordinator for this transaction along with being one of
the Mandated Lead Arrangers and Borrowers (MLAB).
• CTBC Bank, Co. Ltd, Mizuho Bank Ltd., State Bank of India, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking
Corporation are the other MLABs and Joint Social Loan Coordinators.
Recent News :
• In July 2022, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) increased the limit of ECBs under the automatic
route from $750 million to $1.5 billion in July 2022.
• HDFC has financed 9.5 million housing units and has a gross loan book of Rs 6.7 trillion, since
its inception in 1977.
About HDFC :
• Founded: 1977
• Chairman : Deepak Parekh
• Vice Chairman & CEO: Keki Mistry
• Managing Director: Renu Sud Karnad
Max Life Insurance launches ‘Smart Secure Easy Solution’
• Max Life Insurance Company Ltd. has launched Max Life Smart Secure Easy Solution, a
comprehensive three-in-one protection solution offering benefits of life, critical illness & disability,
and accidental cover.
About ‘Smart Secure Easy Solution’ :
• The solution is a combination of Max Life’s Smart Secure Plus Plan.
Aim:
• To provide financial protection in case of any uncertainties in life with an accidental cover option
and Max Life Critical Illness and Disability Health Rider, which offers an added layer of financial
protection in case of critical illnesses, total and permanent disability and provides extra coverage
against death due to accident.
• With this solution, Max Life also offers coverage against 64 listed critical illnesses, including 5
minor and 59 major illnesses, and covers total and permanent disability.
Key features of Max Life Smart Secure Easy Solution:
• Easy issuance and smooth onboarding with only video medical examination and relaxed
financial documentation.
• Return of premium option available wherein at maturity upon survival, the policyholder will be
paid back all the base premium.
About Max Life Insurance Company Ltd :
• Founded: 2000
• MD & CEO: Prashant Tripathy
• Max Life Insurance Company Limited is a life insurance company in India with a joint venture
(JV) between Max India Ltd and Axis Bank
HDFC receives in-principle approval from SEBI to change in control of HDFC AMC
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has granted in-
principle approval for a change in control of HDFC Asset Management Company (AMC), a
subsidiary of HDFC, and the asset management company of HDFC Mutual Fund, due to a
change in co-sponsor of HDFC Mutual Fund, on account of proposed amalgamation of HDFC
with and into HDFC Bank.
• It has already received no-objection/approval from stock exchanges and RBI.
• The change in control of the asset management company is part of HDFC's merger deal with
HDFC Bank.
• This is subject to the approval of the National Company Law Tribunal ("NCLT") under Sections
230-232 of the Companies Act.
• HDFC AMC is the investment manager of the schemes of HDFC Mutual Fund.
• Currently, HDFC and abrdn Investment Management Ltd (erstwhile Standard Life Investments
Ltd) are the sponsors of the fund house.
Recent News :
• In April 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development
Authority (PFRDA) approved the HDFC-HDFC Bank merger.
About HDFC :
• Founded: 1995
• MD & CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
About SEBI :
• It was established on 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30
January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
SEBI constitutes a 15-member FPI Advisory committee to attract foreign investment
• The market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted a 15-
member advisory committee, FPI (Foreign Portfolio Investment) Advisory Committee’ FAC.
Purpose :
• To ease ways for foreign investors to invest in the Indian markets by reviewing the existing
processes and recommending new ones.
• The FAC will be chaired by former Chief Economic Adviser Shri K. V. Subramanian, Former
Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India – Chairman, and consists of 14 other
members representing foreign banks, stock exchanges, depositories, and RBI.
14 other members :
1. Shri Harun R Khan, Deputy Governor (Retired), RBI
2. Shri R. Subramanian, Executive Director, RBI
3. Shri Madhav Kalyan, CEO, JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.
4. Shri Hitendra Dave, CEO, HSBC Bank Ltd.
5. Mr. Martin Graham, Managing Director, Global Public Policy Group of iShares (BlackRock).
6. Shri Bobby Parikh, Managing Partner, Bobby Parikh Associates
7. Shri Rushabh Maniar, Partner, AZB & Partners
8. Prof. (Dr) Nigam S. Nuggehalli, Registrar, National Law School of India University, Bengaluru
9. Shri Rajesh Gandhi, Partner, Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP
10. Shri Shashwat Alok, Assistant Professor, Indian School of Business
11. Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, National Stock Exchange of India Ltd.
12. Ms. Padmaja Chunduru, MD & CEO, National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL)
13. Shri Nehal Vora, Member, MD & CEO, Central Depository Services India Ltd. (CDSL)
14. Shri Vikram Kothari, Managing Director, National Securities Clearing Corporation Ltd. (NSCCL)
• The Committee will suggest ways to bring changes in the existing rules to attract investments
and enhance transparency by suggesting ways to amend the current rules.
• It will also give its recommendations on issues related to custodians

The government emphasizes a comprehensive approach to increasing exports:
• Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal emphasized the need for a "Whole
of Government" strategy to increase exports.
• Mr. Goyal reviewed the export situation of the nation while interacting with the Export Promotion
Councils (EPCs) and leaders of Industry groups in New Delhi.
• The "Whole of Government" strategy to increase exports would necessitate collaboration
between exporters, EPCs, governmental organizations, and Indian representatives overseas.
• The task is now ours and we must be prepared to compete internationally.
• The government is making every effort through a variety of initiatives to help Indian exporters
compete internationally.
• Enumerating initiatives taken, he highlighted that with Gati Shakti, the government is improving
connectivity and logistics.
• The government is also negotiating to sign more FTAs with important trade partners.
American Express launches Global Pay, a B2B payments solution
• American Express, a Small Business Card issuer in the U.S has launched a cross-border
payment solution Global Pay, that will let U.S. businesses make secure domestic and
international B2B (Business to Business) payments.
Key Highlights :
• Through this, business customers can send payments funded from their business bank account
to their suppliers in more than 40 countries across a range of currencies using a simple, mobile-
friendly platform.
• Eligible customers can also earn Membership Rewards points on their foreign exchange
payments.
• American Express Global Pay is available to eligible U.S. American Express Small Business
Card Members.
About American Express :
• Founded: March 18, 1850
• Headquarters: New York City, United States
• Chairman & CEO: Stephen J. Squeri
HDFC Bank Raises $300 Mn in NRE Deposits
• HDFC Bank raised $300 million in Non-Resident External (NRE) deposits, offering up to 50
basis points higher than the current rates.
• The Middle East drove the list of new NRI depositors, with the rest of Asia and Europe not far
behind.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed banks to accept FCNR (B) and NRE deposits from
the Indian diaspora without any interest rate caps.
• Such relaxations will be effective until October 31, 2022, and November 4, 2022, respectively.
• Further, the RBI also eased restrictions on external commercial borrowings to stem the outflow
of funds and relieve pressure on the rupee.
• NRE and FCNR deposits differ in the approved currency denominations of their respective
instruments, with the US dollar being the predominant unit of savings in the latter category.
About HDFC Bank :
• Founded: August 1994
• Chairman: Atanu Chakraborty
• CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
Dhanlaxmi Bank Limited ventures into Fintech services
• Dhanlaxmi Bank Limited has agreed with its first fintech partner, New Street Technologies
Private Limited, for Micro Lending, Operations Management, and Technology Services under
priority sector lending.
• New Street Technologies Pvt Ltd. will provide technical support to the Bank on Digital
onboarding and extend support as the business correspondent in the Microlending space to start
the operations in southern states of India and subsequently expand to more states.
• New Street Technologies Private Limited will augment the Bank to provide better customer
connectivity and financial inclusion along with leveraging technological advancements.
About Dhanlaxmi Bank Limited :
• Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala, India
• MD & CEO: J. K. Shivan
About New Street Technologies Private Limited :
• Founded: 2017
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
Indian Bank inks MoU with SRM University in AP to lend up to 50 crores for start-ups
• Indian Bank has collaborated with Hatchlab Research Centre, Technology Business
Incubator (TBI) of SRM University-Andhra Pradesh to launch ‘IND SpringBoard’, an initiative
for financing start-ups and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• The bank will extend loans of up to Rs 50 crore to start-ups incubated at SRM Hatchlab for
their working capital requirements or purchase of machinery and equipment.
• This collaboration is one of its kind in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
About Indian Bank :
• Founded: 15 August 1907
• MD & CEO: Shanti Lal Jain
Axis Bank Launches One-stop Cash Management Proposition
• Axis Bank becomes the first Indian bank to launch Axis Receivables Suite (ARS)-an innovative
Cash Management proposition.
• It simplifies Receivables reconciliation, accelerates cash flow, enhances the client experience,
and reduces the cost of doing business.
About ARS :
• ARS is an end-to-end proposition, along with a mobile app to automate the reconciliation of
receivables against sales invoices raised by clients.
• Using ARS, Axis Bank clients can customize and automate fully what has traditionally been a
very time-consuming, costly, manual, and error-prone activity.
• Clients also benefit from knowing their upcoming/pending payments which give them real-time
control over all their receivables.
About Axis Bank :
• Founded : 3 December 1993
• MD & CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry
• Axis Bank is the third largest private sector bank in India.
IDFC FIRST Bank partners LetsVenture to support startups
• IDFC FIRST Bank and India’s leading early-stage platform for investors and founders,
LetsVenture Technologies Pvt. Ltd has partnered to explore synergies and support the startup
ecosystem by offering curated products and solutions to startups, founders and investors.
• An MoU to work on areas of mutual interest was signed between IDFC FIRST Bank LetsVenture
Technologies at LetsVenture’s flagship event, ‘LetsIgnite’, for startups and founders in
Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The partnership makes IDFC FIRST Bank a preferred banker to all startups on LetsVenture’s
Scalix, a newly launched platform that supports the startup ecosystem through fundraising
solutions, knowledge series, and investor connect.
About IDFC FIRST Bank :
• Founded: October 2015
• Non-Exe. Chairman: Rajiv Lall
• MD & CEO : V. Vaidyanathan
• IDFC FIRST Bank was formed by the merger of erstwhile IDFC Bank, promoted by renowned
infrastructure financing institution IDFC Ltd. and leading technology NBFC, Capital First.
• The Bank’s special ‘Founder Success Program’ offers knowledge series, masterclasses, and
networking sessions to engage, groom and connect with startups and contribute to their success
story.
About LetsVenture Technologies Pvt. Ltd :
• Founded: 2013
• Co-founder & CEO: Shanti Mohan
• LetsVenture is backed by Accel, Chiratae Ventures, Nandan Nilekani, Ratan Tata, Rishad
Premji, Mohandas Pai, Sharad Sharma, and Anupam Mittal.
RBI prescribed norms for small finance banks to deal in forex
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that small finance banks which have completed two
years of operations and have a minimum net worth of Rs 500 crore can deal in foreign
exchange.
• To give more flexibility to SFBs to meet their customers’ foreign exchange business
requirements, it has been decided that all the scheduled SFBs, after completion of at least two
years of operations as Authorized Dealer Category-II, will be eligible for Authorized Dealer
Category-I license, subject to compliance with prescribed eligibility norms
Key Highlights :
• As a Category-I authorized supplier, the small finance financial institution shall be allowed to
deal in all different transactions in overseas trade like an invoice of trade, cheques, letters of
credit score, deposits, and so on.
• While as a Category-II Authorized supplier the financial institution is allowed to supply solely
cash altering services.
• Its Capital to Risk (weighted) Assets Ratio (CRAR) shouldn’t be lower than 15%.
• The internet NPAs of the financial institution mustn’t exceed 6%, throughout the earlier 4
quarters.
• It mustn’t have defaulted in the upkeep of CRR/ SLR throughout the earlier 2 years.
About RBI :
• Deputy governors Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar
RBI Allows IDBI Bank Bidders to Own More Than 40% Stake
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has permitted non-financial institutions and unregulated
entities to own more than 40 percent stake in IDBI Bank
• The Union government and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) look to sell a 51-74 percent stake in
the lender through the strategic divestment process.
• IDBI Bank has been categorized as a private lender for regulatory purposes by the RBI with
effect from Jan. 21, 2019, after Life Insurance Corp. acquired 51% of its total paid-up equity
share capital.
About IDBI Bank :
• Founded: 1 July 1964
• Chairman: M. R. Kumar
• MD & CEO: Rakesh Sharma
• The IDBI is a subsidiary of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).
Paytm partners with Piramal Finance to offer loans
• Paytm Payments Bank Limited has Partnered with Piramal Capital & Housing Finance to offer
merchant loans to small cities and towns across India.
• With this partnership, merchants will be able to avail of loans of up to Rs 10 lakh with a tenure of
6-24 months.
How merchants can avail of loans on the Paytm For Business App :
• Tap on the "Business Loan" icon on the Paytm for Business App home screen and enter the
desired loan amount
• Check details like loan amount, amount to be disbursed, total payable, daily installment, tenure
• Personal details like PAN, date of birth, and email address will be confirmed.
• After this, the credit score will be checked for loan eligibility and KYC details will be verified.
• Once the application is verified successfully, the loan amount will be disbursed instantly in the
selected bank account of the merchant.
About PPBL :
• Founded: 2015
• Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh
• CEO: Satish Kumar Gupta
About Piramal Capital & Housing Finance Limited :
• MD: Jairam Sridharan
• Piramal Capital and Housing Finance Limited were earlier known as Dewan Housing Finance
Corporation Ltd. (DHFL).
• It is a subsidiary of Piramal Enterprises Limited.
• DHFL is the second housing finance company to be established in India.
SBI formalizes policy to finance makers of lab-grown diamonds
• State Bank of India (SBI) is the first Indian lender to frame a policy to fund makers of lab-grown
diamonds which come across as replicas of natural diamond stones.
• These diamonds are priced at a 30-40% decrease from the pure (or, earth-mined) diamonds.
• To start with (SBI’s) Diamond Bourse department in Mumbai, Maharashtra Bandra Kurla
Complicated, and the Industrial department in Surat, Gujarat has been recognized for the
enterprise.
About SBI :
• Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara
HDFC Bank inks pact with TReDs platform M1xchange
• HDFC Bank has partnered with the Trade receivables discounting platform, M1xchange
promoted by Mynd Solutions Pvt Ltd to make a debut in the Trade receivables Discounting
System (TReDs) platform.
Aim :
• To provide more liquidity to small businesses at competitive interest rates.
About the Partnership :
• HDFC Bank will benefit from partnering with M1xchange with a shorter turn-around time and
lower administrative costs in booking additional new-to-bank (NTB) corporate buyer
relationships.
• TReDS system, regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), enables Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs) to auction their trade receivables online and borrow funds from financial
institution which offers loan at the lowest rate of interest.
• This partnership is expected to bring in more liquidity and enhance the adoption of TReDS
among a wider number of corporate customers and MSMEs.
About HDFC Bank :
About M1xchange :
• Founded: 2017
• MD & CEO: Sundeep Mohindru
• RBI approved Mynd Solutions in Dec 2015, to set up and operate TReDS under the Payment
and Settlement System (PSS) Act 2007.
SIDBI & ONDC ink MoU to accelerate E -Commerce for Small Industries
• Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a first-of-its-kind initiative to democratize the
country’s e-commerce ecosystem has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), for the coordination of capabilities of
establishments engaged in related actions.
Aim :
• To change the landscape of MSMEs by bringing them into the ONDC network and accelerating
their participation in e-commerce.
• The MoU was signed by Shri Sivasubramanian Ramann, CMD, SIDBI, and Shri T Koshy,
MD&CEO, ONDC.
• The association between ONDC and SIDBI will establish a programmatic approach for MSMEs
where sessions will be held first to educate them about ONDC, then masterclass sessions on
ONDC protocol and MVP definition, followed by incentivized accelerator programs and finishing
with participants and their ecosystems going live and being able to transact.
• Three partners being introduced to ONDC are Annapurna Finance Pvt. Ltd, Access Livelihoods
Group, and the women's co-operative ‘Looms of Ladakh’.
• SIDBI will also use its strong presence in the fintech ecosystem to explore e-commerce
embedded financing solutions.
About SIDBI :
• SIDBI is the apex regulatory body for the overall licensing and regulation of micro, small and
medium enterprise finance companies in India.
• It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
About ONDC :
• Founded: December 31, 2021
• CEO: Thampy Koshi
• It was established by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of GoI
under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to develop open e-commerce.
• The pilot phase was launched on 29 April 2022 in five cities; New Delhi, Bengaluru, Bhopal,
Shillong, and Coimbatore.

M icrosoft has become the first big tech company to join Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)
• ONDC (OPEN Network of digital commerce), which is developing a first-of-its-kind open network
for digital commerce, US tech giant Microsoft has onboarded its platform.
• Microsoft intends to introduce social e-commerce — a group buying experience — in the Indian
market.
• Microsoft, among the three largest tech companies, is the first in its league to announce
onboarding efforts with ONDC.
• This year, it plans to launch a shopping app for Indian consumers along with their social circle,
harnessing the ONDC network to discover the best pricing among retailers and sellers.
• ONDC was launched earlier this year by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT), to create an inclusive e-commerce market and enable all kinds of sellers and
buyers to leverage the digitization of commerce through its network.
Kotak Mahindra Bank launches lifestyle-focused corporate salary account
• Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited launched Kotak Crème, a lifestyle-focused corporate salary
account, offering an upgraded banking experience to new-age professionals working with
eminent corporations.
• Kotak Crème is being launched in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Its account will come with a host of privileges and rewards across lifestyle, travel, healthcare,
dining, skilling, and learning experiences.
Key Highlights :
• For a long time, the corporate salary account benefits used to include no minimum balance
commitments, zero transaction charges, and some access to other banking products with a
sustained relationship.
• Each salary account comes with preferential banking services, including a complimentary Zen
Credit Card.
• The account holder can avail of complimentary airport lounge access and also gift Privy League
privileges to their family members.
• It also offers subscriptions to top lifestyle brands offering Health & Wellness, Lifestyle,
Entertainment, Knowledge/Learning & Fitness experiences.
About Kotak Mahindra Bank :
• Founded: February 2003
• Chairnan, MD & CEO : Uday Kotak
Yes Bank & IBSFINtech tie up to provide enhanced digital services
• Yes Bank and IBSFINtech, the leading TreasuryTech Solution provider, have partnered to
explore untapped opportunities emerging out of the digitization of corporate finance.
• The partnership will empower the corporate treasury ecosystem with a robust decision-making
tool and automated workflows backed by seamless bank connectivity.
• The partnership provides next-gen technology solutions across Cash, Liquidity, Treasury, Risk,
Trade Finance, and Supply Chain Finance functions of c orporations.
• It will provide connectivity between a corporate’s ERP and a bank’s solutions.
• IBSFINtech’s TreasuryTech platform connects with YES BANK through APIs and provides real-
time cash visibility.
• It will yield paperless communication between the Bank and corporates across the function of
treasury and trade finance. From issuing fund transfers to forex transactions to completing trade
documentation, the entire process will be digitized and powered by the robust platform offered
by IBSFINtech.
• It is focused on co-creating and delivering deeply integrated treasury solutions via IBSFINtech’s
platform, to achieve complete digitization between corporates and banks.”
About Yes Bank :
• Founded: 2004
• MD & CEO: Prashant Kumar
• Tagline: Experience Our Expertise
About IBSFINtech :
• Founded: 2006
• Chairman: Shailesh V Haribhakti
• MD & CEO: Chandra Mohan Grover
Airtel Africa has signed a $125 million revolving credit facility with Citi:
• Telecommunications firm, Airtel Africa, has signed a $125 million revolving credit facility with Citi
through its branch offices/subsidiaries in sub-Saharan Africa.
• This is contained in a disclosure signed by Simon O’Hara, Group Company Secretary titled,
‘Airtel Africa’s First Sustainability-Linked Loan Facility.
• It stated that the facility is in line with the company’s strategy to raise debt in its local operating
companies and will include both local currency and US dollar-denominated debt.
• The telecoms firm operates in 14 countries in Africa, primarily in East, Central, and West Africa.
• Airtel Africa is majorly owned by the Indian communication services company, Bharti Airtel.
• The facility has a tenor up to September 2024 and will be used to support Airtel Africa’s
operations and investments in four of its subsidiaries.
RBI Cancels License of Pune's Rupee Co-operative Bank
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has canceled the license of Pune-based Rupee Co-operative
Bank Ltd as the lender does not have adequate capital and earning prospects following an order
from the Bombay High Court.
• The order shall come into effect after six weeks from August 11, 2022.
• Consequently, the bank will cease to carry on banking business, with effect from September 22,
2022.
RBI canceled the license of Rupee Co-operative Bank due to following reasons:
1. The bank does not have adequate capital and earning prospects. As such, it does not comply
with the provisions of Section 11(1) and Section 22 (3) (d) read with Section 56 of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949.
2. The bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Sections 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c),
22(3) (d), and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949
3. The continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the interests of its depositors
4. The bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full;
and
5. The public interest would be adversely affected if the bank is allowed to carry on its banking
business any further.
• On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of
his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of ₹5,00,000/ from Deposit Insurance and Credit
Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) subject to the provisions of the DICGC Act, 1961.
• As per the data submitted by the bank, more than 99% of the depositors are entitled to receive
the full amount of their deposits from DICGC.
• As of May 18, 2022, DICGC has already paid ₹700.44 crores of the total insured deposits under
the provisions of Section 18A of the DICGC Act, 1961 based on the willingness received from
the concerned depositors of the bank.
About DICGC :
• Established: 15 July 1978
• Chairman: M D Patra
• DICGC is a specialized division of the Reserve Bank of India which is under the jurisdiction of
the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
RBI issues strict norms for digital lending to cu rb malpractice
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a regulatory framework to make digital lending safe for
members of the public.
Aim :
• To curb rising malpractices in the digital lending ecosystem.
• The regulatory framework to support orderly growth of credit delivery through digital lending
methods while mitigating the regulatory concerns has been firmed up.
• The Reserve Bank’s regulatory framework is focused on the digital lending ecosystem of RBI’s
Regulated Entities (REs) and the LSPs engaged by them to extend various permissible credit
facilitation services.
The RBI classified digital lenders into three categories :
1. Entities regulated by the RBI and permitted to carry out lending business
2. Entities authorized to carry out a lending as per other statutory or regulatory provisions but not
regulated by the RBI
3. Entities lending outside the purview of any statutory or regulatory provisions.
Key Highlights :
• All loan disbursals and repayments are required to be executed only between the bank accounts
of the borrower and the RE without any pass-through/ pool account of the LSP or any third party
• Also, any fees, and charges, payable to LSPs in the credit intermediation process shall be paid
directly by RE and not by the borrower.
• A standardized Key Fact Statement (KFS) must be provided to the borrower before executing
the loan contract.
• This has been mandated to be followed by REs, their LSPs, and Digital Lending Apps (DLAs) of
REs, among others.
• If any complaint lodged by the borrower is not resolved by the RE within the stipulated period
(currently 30 days), he/she can complain to the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman
Scheme (RB-IOS).
• The RBI constituted a Working Group on ‘digital lending including lending through online
platforms and mobile applications (WGDL) on January 13, 2021.
About RBI :
Navi Mutual Fund launches India’s first manufacturing index fund
• Navi Mutual Fund has introduced the launch of its sixth fund for this year, the Navi Nifty India
Manufacturing Index Fund.
• This is India’s first open-ended index fund that will seek to replicate the Nifty India Manufacturing
Index, which tracks the performance of manufacturers among the top 300 companies in India.
Aim :
• To simplify investing in the Indian manufacturing sector.
• The companies in the index are selected from the combined universe of the Nifty 100, Nifty
Midcap 150, and Nifty Smallcap 50 index based on the 6-month average free-float market.
• The weight of each stock in the index is based on its free float market capitalization and is
reconstituted and rebalanced semi-annually along with Nifty Broad-based indices.
• The index also has a minimum weight of 20% for certain manufacturing sectors.
• The largest sectors in the Nifty India Manufacturing Index currently are automobile & auto
components, capital goods, healthcare, and metals & mining.
• The top 10 stocks including Sun Pharma, Reliance Industries, Tata Steel, Maruti Suzuki India,
Mahindra & Mahindra, and JSW Steel constitute about 37 percent of the index.
About Navi Mutual Fund :
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• Founders: Sachin Bansal and Ankit Agarwal
Airtel Africa signs up for a $125 million credit pact with Citi
• Airtel Africa has signed up for a USD 125 million revolving facilities from American banking
major Citi.
• The facility involves borrowing both local currencies and US dollars.
• The facility has a tenor up to September 2024 and will be used to support Airtel Africa's
operations and investments in four of its subsidiaries.
• It provides interest rate savings in exchange for achieving social impact milestones relating to
digital inclusion and gender diversity with a focus on rural areas and women.
• The deal was executed by Citi’s Indian unit, where Airtel Africa's parent Bharti Airtel is
headquartered.
• The credit facility will be extended through its branch offices or subsidiaries in sub-Saharan
Africa.
About Airtel Africa plc :
• Founded: 8 June 2010
• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• Airtel Africa plc is a multinational company that provides telecommunications and mobile money
services in 14 countries in Africa, primarily in East, Central, and West Africa.
Retail Inflation Eases To 6.71% In July:
• Retail inflation fell to 6.71 percent in July due to lower food costs, although it remained above
the Reserve Bank's comfort limit of 6% for the seventh consecutive month.
• With retail inflation remaining high despite a drop in prices of vegetables and edible oils, among
other commodities, in July, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may boost interest rates again in
September.
• Retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 7.01 percent in June and will be
5.59 percent in July 2021.
• From April through June of the current fiscal year, it was more than 7%.
• Food inflation in July was 6.75 percent, down from 7.75 percent in June, according to figures
provided by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
• Meanwhile, according to government statistics, India's manufacturing production, as measured
by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), fell to 12.3% in June from 19.6% in May.
• Since March 2020, when it contracted 18.7%, the coronavirus pandemic has dragged on
industrial productivity.
• In June 2022, the manufacturing sector's production increased by 12.5%.
• In June of this year, mining production jumped by 7.5%, while electricity generation increased by
16.4%.
Hindalco has entered into a commercial arrangement with Greenko Energies to set up a renewable
energy project:
• Aditya Birla Group’s Hindalco Industries Ltd has entered into a commercial arrangement with
Greenko Energies Pvt Ltd to set up a renewable energy project for the supply of 100 MW round-
the-clock carbon-free power to its smelter in Odisha.
• The arrangement involves the development of 375-400 MW of solar and wind capacity.
• The renewable energy project will be set up as a captive generation facility under a 25-year
offtake arrangement and will supply power to Hindalco’s Aditya Aluminium smelter in Odisha,
enabling a reduction of CO2 emissions by 680,000 tonnes annually.
• Aluminum smelting requires reliable and continuous power.
• According to Hindalco, the project will be one of the world’s first for the aluminum sector with
very high (over 85%) reliability from solar and wind power without dependence on grid electricity.
• Hindalco will also be the first aluminum company in India to use such RTC (round-the-clock)
carbon-free power for smelting.
RBI imposes a monetary penalty of Rs 2.33 crore on Hyderabad-based Spandana Sphoorty Financial
Limited, Hyderabad
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 2.33 crore on
Spandana Sphoorty Financial Limited, based in Hyderabad.
• The penalty has been imposed due to non-compliance with certain provisions of the ‘Non-
Banking Financial Company – Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking Company and Deposit
taking Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016”.
• This penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of
clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 58 G read with clause (aa) of sub-section (5) of section
58 B of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• This action is based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to
pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with
its customers.
Background :
• The statutory inspections of the company, an NBFC- MFI, were conducted by RBI regarding its
financial position as of March 31, 2019, and March 31, 2020.
• The Examination of the Risk Assessment Report, Inspection Reports, supervisory letters, and all
related correspondence revealed the company’s failure to adhere to the pricing of credit
guidelines for Non-Banking Financial Company- Micro Finance Institutions.
About RBI :
LIC has risen in standalone net profit to ₹682.89 crores:
• The Life Insurance Corporation of India has registered a whopping 23,127.21% rise in
standalone net profit to ₹682.89 crores for the quarter ending June 30, 2022, as per the financial
results released by the insurer.
• The insurer’s net premium income also improved to Rs 98,805.23 crore in the quarter under
review compared to Rs 82,375.61 crore in the last year’s quarter.
• As per the results, LIC’s total premium income climbed 20.35% to ₹98,351.76 crores in Q1FY23
compared to ₹81,721.41 crores during Q1 of last year.
• Life Insurance Corp. of India (LIC) made net purchases of shares worth more than ₹34,000
crores from the equities market in the fiscal first quarter, the country’s largest insurer, as it
announced a sharply higher net profit of ₹602.78 crores for the June quarter.
BYD India Signs MOU with HDFC Bank for dealer finance
• Build Your Dreams (BYD) India Private Limited, a subsidiary of the Warren Buffett -backed
world’s leading New Energy Vehicle manufacturer BYD, has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the HDFC Bank towards a stock financing solution to its pan India
dealer network.
• The strategic partnership will provide BYD’s dealers access to inventory finance for electric cars.
• HDFC Bank has committed to becoming carbon neutral by FY 2031-32.
• In January 2022, passenger vehicles in India saw 1% EV penetration.
About HDFC Bank Limited :
About BYD India Private Limited :
• Established: 06 March 2007
• Currently, BYD operates in four industries, including electronics, rail transit, new energy, and
auto.
Yes Bank partners with SellerApp to facilitate the adoption of ONDC
• Yes, Bank has partnered with SellerApp, a seller-centric intelligence platform, to encourage the
seller segment of its client base to adopt Open Network Digital Commerce (ONDC) and help
them expand their digital commerce footprint.
Aim :
• To promote open networks for the exchange of all kinds of goods and services over digital or
electronic networks.
• The partnership model will complement Technology-First A.R.T (Alliances, Relationship &
Technology) approach and this synergy will benefit customers with better data insights and
wider access to the market by moving from a platform-centric model to an open-network model.
About Yes Bank :
• Founded: 2004
About SellerApp :
• Founded: 2017
• Headquarters: Singapore
• Founders : Dilip Vamanan, Brij Purohit
About ONDC :
• MD & CEO: T Koshy
• ONDC is an Indian government strategic effort aiming at democratizing the whole digital
commerce environment.
• In the Indian e-commerce business, the network is also being established as a competitor to
Walmart-owned Flipkart and Amazon.
India's economy might reach USD 5 trillion by FY29 if GDP growth is around 9% for five years:
• According to former RBI Governor D Subbarao, India may reach a USD five trillion economies
by 2028–2029 assuming GDP growth is sustained at 9% annually for the following five years.
• Speaking on the subject of "India @75- Marching Towards USD 5 Trillion Economy" at the
Federation of Telangana Chamber of Commerce and Industry in honor of "75 Years of Indian
Independence."
• To reach its goal of a $5 trillion economy, India must overcome eight key barriers.
• The difficulties include boosting investment, growing agricultural production, enhancing health,
education, and employment outcomes, preserving macroeconomic stability, managing global
megatrends, and enhancing governance.
India To Start Supplying Petrol With 20% Ethanol from April 2023:
• To reduce its reliance on oil imports and address environmental concerns, India will begin
delivering gasoline containing 20% ethanol at some gas stations starting in April of next year.
• After that, supplies will be increased.
• Beginning in April 2023, some E20 gasoline (petrol combined with 20% ethanol) will be
accessible; the remainder will be made available by 2025.
• India has accelerated the goal of producing gasoline with 20% ethanol by five years to 2025
after exceeding the aim of providing gasoline blended with 10% ethanol (10% ethanol, 90%
petrol) earlier than expected in June of this year.
• The initial goal for adding 10% ethanol, made from sugarcane and other agricultural products to
gasoline was November 2022.
SBI launches its first dedicated branch for start-ups in Bengaluru
• State Bank of India (SBI) has launched its first branch dedicated to start-ups in Koramangala,
Bengaluru, and Karnataka.
Aim :
• To provide end-to-end financial and advisory services to startups.
• The branch launched by SBI Chairman Mr. Dinesh Khara is located in Koramangala, which
alongside neighboring HSR Layout and Indiranagar are the biggest start-up hubs in Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
• After Bengaluru, the next branch will be opening in Gurgaon, Haryana and the 3rd one will be in
Hyderabad, Telangana.
Key Highlights :
• It will leverage the large presence of the bank in the market by bringing synergy among all the
entities and various departments of the State Bank group to offer a one-stop solution to these
corporates and startups starting from the formation of the entity till Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)
& Follow on Public Offers (FPOs) of the companies.
• It would be provided to all the requirements of the private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC)
funds and the Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs)
• The SBI has also entered into MOUs with the Karnataka government’s initiatives like Karnataka
Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) and Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) to
support the entire startup ecosystem in Karnataka.
About SBI :
Axis Bank signs MOU with Food Corporation of India
• Axis Bank, India’s third largest private sector bank, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Food Corporation of India (FCI) to provide “Ultima Salary Package”, a best-in-class
salary account with exclusive benefits & features to all its employees.
• The signing ceremony was held at FCI Headquarters, New Delhi where FCI was represented by
Shri G. N Raju, GM HQ, and Axis Bank was represented by Shri Anil Agarwal, President,
Financial Institutions Group & Lt Col M.K Sharma, National Accounts Head.
About the MoU :
• With this MoU, the Bank has reinstated its commitment to offering holistic banking services to
the employees of the Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) sector.
Benefits of the MoU :
• Personal Accidental cover of up to Rs.20 lakhs
• Additional Education Grant up to Rs. 8 lakhs
• Total Permanent Disability Cover benefit up to Rs. 20 lakhs
• Permanent Partial disability cover of up to Rs.20 lakhs
• Air Accident cover of Rs. 1 Crore
• Free additional debit card for a family member
• 12 EMI waiver on Home loan
• 3 zero balance accounts for a family member
• Universal account number wherein all Axis Bank branches will function as a “Home branch”
About Axis Bank :
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, Indi
About FCI :
• Founded: 14 January 1965
• It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, GoI
formed by the enactment of the Food Corporation Act, 1964 by the Parliament of India.
RBI opens Bharat Bill Payment System for NRIs to pay bills
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Mr. Shaktikanta Das announced Bharat Bill Payment
System (BBPS) to facilitate inward gross payments for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to pay bills
in India.
• This move will enable non-resident Indians (NRIs) to pay any bill, like insurance, electricity, and
other utilities, on behalf of their families in India.
• The BBPS is an interoperable platform for standardized bill payments.
• This is being provided to ease of payment for many families, especially senior citizens who find it
difficult to make their payments and whose children reside abroad.
• Over 20,000 billers are part of the system, and more than 8 crore transactions are processed
every month.
• At present, BBPS is accessible only to Indian residents.
About BBPS :
• Founded: 2013
• BBPS is owned and operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• The payment modes options at BBPS are cash, cards (credit, debit & prepaid), IMPS, UPI,
AEPS, internet banking & UPI, and wallets.
About RBI :
The wholesale Price Index (WPI) declines to 13.93% in July:
• The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation rate in India reduced to 13.93% in July,
according to data released by the commerce ministry.
• From a record-breaking 16.63 percent in May to 15.18 percent in June, the WPI inflation rate
decreased.
• Inflation measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) was 11.57 percent in July 2021.
• The wholesale price index grew by double digits in July, making it the WPI's 16th month in a row
to grow by more than 10%.
• The Wholesale Price Index decreased in July due to a decline in food inflation, which was down
300 basis points from June to 9.41%. (WPI).
• Vegetables saw a notable monthly price decline of 12.7% among food items.
• Eggs, pork, and fish all had a 2.6 percent decline from June while the index for fruits fell by 3.0
percent.
• Overall, the food index fell 2.2 percent in July compared to June, accounting for 24 percent of
the WPI basket.
• The entire-commodity index of the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) therefore fell by 0.1 percent
from June.
Centre Approves Limit of ECLGS to 5 Lakh Crore:
• The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) limit was increased by Rs 50,000
crore to Rs 5 lakh crore with the approval of the Union Cabinet, with the additional sum being
reserved exclusively for businesses in the hospitality and associated industries.
• ECLGS is an ongoing scheme, and the additional sum of Rs. 50,000 crores will be made
available to firms in the hospitality and adjacent sectors till the plan's expiration date of March
31, 2023.
• The improvement is anticipated to give these industries' businesses the much-needed relief they
require by encouraging lending institutions to extend low-cost extra credit of up to Rs 50,000
crore, allowing them to satisfy their operational obligations and carry on with their operations.
• Up till August 5, loans under the ECLGS totaled roughly Rs. 3.67 billion crores.
Mirae Asset Mutual Fund launches 2 new fund offers (NFOs) on Electric & Autonomous Vehicles and
AI themes
• Mirae Asset Mutual Fund has launched 2 new funds - Mirae Asset Global Electric &
Autonomous Vehicles ETFs Fund of Fund (FoF) and Mirae Asset Global X Artificial Intelligence
and Technology ETF Fund of Fund.
• These are the first such funds based on companies involved in future technology to be launched
in India in the Mutual Fund Industry.
About Mirae Asset Global Electric & Autonomous Vehicles ETFs FoF :
• It is an open-ended fund of fund scheme investing in overseas equity Exchange Traded F unds
which are based on companies involved in the development of Electric & Autonomous Vehicles
and related technology, components, and materials.
About Mirae Asset Global X Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETF FoF :
• It is an open-ended fund of fund scheme investing in units of Global X AI & Technology ETF.
• GlobalX is a leading ETF provider headquartered in New York
• Global X ETFs is a member of Mirae Asset Financial Group.
Key Highlights :
• Both NFOs will be open for subscription on August 16, 2022, and close on August 30, 2022.
• Both the funds will be managed by Mr. Siddharth Srivastava, Head ETF Products, Mirae Asset
Investment Managers (India) Pvt Ltd.
• The minimum initial investment in the funds will be Rs 5,000 and multiples of Re 1 thereafter.
Note :
• CEO of Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Private Limited: Mr. Swarup Mohanty
Edelweiss MF to launch India’s first gold and silver fund
• The asset management company (AMC) Edelweiss Mutual Fund is scheduled to launch India’s
first scheme Edelweiss Gold and Silver Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) Fund of Fund (FoF) that
offers exposure to gold and silver via a single fund on 24 August 2022.
• The new fund offer for Edelweiss Gold and Silver ETF Fund of Fund (FoF) will close on 7 Sep
2022.
• The fund managers for the scheme are Bhavesh Jain and Bharat Lahoti.
• In September 2022, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed MF houses to
introduce silver exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the Indian market.
Note :
• Silver-based mutual funds were initially introduced in January 2022, while India's first gold fund,
Nippon India ETF Gold BeES, was released in March 2007.
• ICICI Prudential Silver ETF was the first silver-based fund in India.
About Edelweiss MF :
• MD & CEO: Radhika Gupta
NABARD Signs MoU With J&K Grameen Bank To Finance 700 JLGs In J&K & Ladakh
• The J&K Regional Office National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the promotion and financing of 700 Joint
Liability Groups (JLGs) in the conference hall of NABARD, J&K Regional Office.
The objective of the MoU :
• To enhance the flow of credit to tenant farmers/oral lessees/sharecroppers, SF/MF, etc & to
meet the credit requirements of the lower strata of the society by formation and credit linkage of
Joint Liability Groups (JLGs).
• On behalf of NABARD, General Manager, Sandeep Sharma, and J&K Grameen Bank,
Chairman, Sanjay Gupta, signed the MoU.
• The signing ceremony was presided over by Chief General Manager Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood.
About the MoU :
• Under this MoU, J&K Grameen Bank will form and finance 700 JLGs in J&K (UT) and Ladakh
(UT).
• NABARD will provide promotional grant support of Rs. 4000 per JLG to J&K Grameen Bank.
Recent News :
• Recently The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) recommended Mr. Mohammad
Mustafa as the Chairman of NABARD.
About NABARD :
• NABARD is an apex regulatory body for the overall regulation of regional rural banks and apex
cooperative banks in India.
BoB & Ujjivan SFB introduce new deposit products
• Bank of Baroda (BoB) has launched the ‘Baroda Tiranga Deposit Scheme’ – a special retail fixed
deposit product offering interest rates of 5.75% for 444 days and 6% for 555 days is open till
December 31, 2022.
• It is applicable on retail deposits of less than Rs 2 crore.
About the Scheme :
• Under the scheme, senior citizens will get an additional interest rate of 0.50%, while non-
refundable deposits will get 0.15% additional interest.
• Meanwhile, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has introduced two new tenors of retail fixed deposits
(below Rs 2 crore), 75 weeks (525 days) & 75 months, both with the highest rate of 7.50%.
• Ujjivan has increased the interest rate on 990 days (Platina) FD from 7.20% to 7.50%.
• It revised the additional rate for senior citizens from 0.50% to 0.75%.
• Under the Platina FD scheme, the customers can invest a minimum of ₹15 lakh to less than ₹2
crores.
About BoB :
• Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat, India
• MD & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha
• Tagline: India's International Bank
About Ujjivan SFB :
• MD & CEO: Ittira Davis
• Ujjivan SFB is licensed under Section 22 (1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to carry out
small finance bank business and received Scheduled Bank status from the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) in August 2017.
IOB launches special variant of debit card - IOB Rupay Select Card’
• The Chennai Head Quartered Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) Managing Director (MD) & Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) Shri. Partha Pratim Sengupta has launched a special variant of debit
card IOB Rupay Select Card that can be used for domestic and international payments.
• Executive Directors Shri. Ajay Kumar Srivastava and Ms. S Srimathy, CVO Shri. R
Balasubramanian was also presented.
About the IOB Rupay Select Card :
• The Card is designed to cater to HNI Customers with add-on freebies at Airport lounges, Gyms,
Spa Clubs, etc.
• 6 VIP Customers of the Bank were present at the function to receive the initial issue of the
Card.
About IOB :
• IOB is a major Indian nationalized bank under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
Paytm & Samsung collaborate to deploy smart PoS devices across India
• Paytm, a digital financial services company has partnered with Samsung stores across India to
enable smart payments and its loan service Paytm Post-paid through the deployment of point-of-
sale devices.
• The partnership will enable consumers purchasing Samsung devices laptops, smartphones,
television, smart watches, etc from any authorized store in India to pay through Paytm payment
instruments, including UPI, wallet, debit cards & credit cards buy now pay later scheme.
• Paytm through its postpaid or buy-now-pay-later service will provide a credit limit of up to Rs
60,000 per month.
• It will also give customers an option to avail of a personal loan of up to Rs 2 lakh.
About Paytm :
• Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
• CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• President : Amit Nayyar
• Paytm (an acronym for "pay through mobile") is an Indian digital payments and financial services
company.
ReNew Power raises $1 billion through ECB for battery-enabled project
• ReNew Power has raised a $1-billion project loan through external commercial borrowings
(ECB), collaborating with 12 international banks for the finance.
• It is the single largest project funding in Indian renewable energy.
About the Project :
• ReNew has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Solar Energy Corporation of
India (SECI) for this project, which will include wind and solar farms set up across Karnataka,
Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.
• The project will provide power to SECI at the rate of ₹2.90 per unit to begin with, which will
increase by 3% annually for 15 years.
• It will be deployed for its hybrid round-the-clock (RTC) battery-enabled project.
• The RTC project will supply power day and night and compete against the baseload of fossil -fuel
energy providers, such as coal.
Recent News :
• In April 2022, Mitsui & Co., Ltd partnered with ReNew for the RTC project where it took a 49%
stake.
About ReNew Power :
• Founded: January 19, 2011
• Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana, India
• Chairman & CEO : Sumant Sinha
• ReNew Power is India's largest renewable energy company by operational capacity.

Shiprocket becomes India’s 106th unicorn, raised $33.5 million:
• As the 106th unicorn in India, Shiprocket, a logistics technology platform backed by Zomato,
raised $33.5 million (about Rs 270 crore) in a financing round co-led by Temasek and Light rock
India.
• Shiprocket was valued at roughly $1.2 billion after receiving fresh funding.
• With over 66 million clients served annually, Shiprocket has tripled in size since its beginning in
2017.
• It would be able to expand the capability of its operating system and strengthen its fulfillment and
same-day delivery capabilities with the help of the extra money.
• In a larger D2C commerce-enabling segment, the Shiprocket arrangement would employ the
technology and resources of both companies to provide quick, efficient, hassle-free deliveries
from the nearby store or warehouse.

India’s Oil Demand Will Rise By 7.73% In 2022:
• The world's fastest rate of growth in 2022 will be seen in India, where demand for petroleum
products like gasoline and diesel would increase by 7.73 percent.
• After increasing by 0.8 million b/d annually in May, India's oil demand increased by a solid 0.7
million barrels per day (million b/d), or 16% year over year.
• The increasing economic activity momentum in India, which has been accompanied by a
loosening of COVID-19 limitations, supports the country's expanding oil demand.
• Russia (24 percent), Iraq (21 percent), and Saudi Arabia (15 percent) were the top three sources
of oil import for India.
• The Central Government's drop in excise duty on gasoline and diesel in June, along with the
postponed start of monsoon season, increased India's demand for oil and contributed to the
country's strong fuel demand.
RBI cancels license of Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) canceled the license of Deccan Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd,
Vijayapur, Karnataka due to inadequate capital and no earning prospects.
• The bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Sections 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c),
22(3) (d), and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• The bank is prohibited from conducting the business of ‘banking’ as defined in Section 5(b) read
with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 with immediate effect
• On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of
his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of ₹5,00,000 from Deposit Insurance and Credit
Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) subject to the provisions of DICGC Act, 1961.
• As per the data, more than 99% of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their
deposits from DICGC.
• As of August 06, 2022, DICGC has already paid ₹13.07 crore of the total insured deposits under
About RBI :
• Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar.
RBI imposes Rs 5 lakh penalty on fintech firm Obopay Mobile Technology India Private
Limited
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹5,93,000 on Obopay
Mobile Technology India Private Limited for non-compliance with certain provisions of the
Master Directions on Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) dated August 27, 2021, & the Know
Your Customer (KYC).
• The penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers vested in RBI under Section 30 of the
Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce
upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the entity with its customers.
Recent News :
• In July 2022, RBI imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1.68 crore on Ola Financial Services Pvt.
Ltd. for non-compliance with the banking regulator’s certain provisions and Know Your Customer
(KYC) guidelines.
SEBI issued Guidelines for overseas investment by AIFs / VCFs
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed new
guidelines for Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and Venture Capital Funds (VCFs) for
investing abroad, under which overseas investment firms won't need to have an Indian
connection.
About the new guidelines :
• Under the rules, AIFs can invest in securities of companies incorporated outside India.
• Besides, VCFs are allowed to make investments in off-shore venture capital undertaking, subject
to certain conditions.
• AIFs or VCFs will be allowed to invest in an overseas investee company, which is incorporated
in a country whose securities market regulator is a signatory to the International Organization of
Securities Commission's (IOSCO) Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding or a signatory to
the bilateral MoU with SEBI.
• AIFs or VCFs will not invest in an overseas investee company, which is incorporated in a country
identified by Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
• It will have to apply to Sebi for allocation of overseas investment limit in the format.
About SEBI :
• Established: January 30, 1992
• It is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of
ICG signs MoU with 8 banks including IDFC First
• For the welfare of its troops, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) signed MoUs with 8 banks to get
customized banking services for its personnel deployed across India.
• Along with the IDFC First bank, the MoU was signed with 7 other banks including ICICI, Axis,
HDFC, Yes Bank, and Punjab National Bank (PNB).
Aim :
• To get special salary accounts from the banks.
About ICG :
• Founded: 1 February 1977 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India.
• Director General: Virender Singh Pathania
• The Indian Coast Guard operates five regions & each region is headed by an officer of the rank
of Inspector-General.
Coast Guard regions Regional HQ Regional commander
Western Region (W) Mumbai, Maharashtra S Paramesh
Eastern Region (E) Chennai, Tamil Nadu Anand Prakash Badola
North-East Region (NE) Kolkata, West Bengal Maneesh V Pathak
Andaman & Nicobar Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands B Sharma
Region (A&N)
North-West Region (NW) Gandhinagar, Gujarat AK Harbola
Aegon Life Insurance launches #PlayForOurHeroes campaign
• To celebrate 75 years of India’s independence, Aegon Life Insurance Company (ALIC), digital
India’s life insurance company, has launched ‘#PlayForOurHeroes’.
• It is a digital campaign that uses a game called ‘The Game of Life on the company website to
spread awareness about the importance of life insurance.
• The company will be donating to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF).
• Aegon Life is urging people through this campaign to play and score points With the tagline,
‘The more you play, the more we donate.
About ALIC :
• Founded: 2008
• MD & CEO: Satishwar Balakrishnan
• It is a joint venture between Dutch Aegon N.V., a multinational insurance, pensions, and asset
management company, & The Times Group one of India’s largest media conglomerates.
Edelweiss to introduce India’s first gold and silver fund:
• In India, Edelweiss Mutual Fund (Edelweiss MF), an asset management company (AMC), will
launch the first program that offers exposure to both gold and silver through a single fund.
• The September 7 deadline for the Edelweiss Gold and Silver ETF Fund of Fund (FoF) by
Edelweiss MF new fund offer has been set.
• The Edelweiss MF scheme's fund managers are Bhavesh Jain and Bharat Lahoti.
• Silver-based mutual funds were first established in January of this year, while Nippon India ETF
Gold BeES, the first gold fund in India, was introduced in March 2007.
• The new approach from Edelweiss MF will be adjusted regularly to achieve equal exposure to
the two metals.
Ratan Tata has established Goodfellows, a senior-focused startup:
• Goodfellows is a company that provides companionship services for senior citizens, and it was
established by Ratan Tata, a pioneer in the sector.
• The platform received unspecified startup funding from Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata
Sons.
• Goodfellows completed a beta test during the previous six months, and the service is currently
offered in Mumbai.
• The following cities are Pune, Chennai, and Bangalore.
• The goal of the Goodfellows company is to establish enduring bonds between seniors and
recent graduates.
• Every service a grandchild might provide is available at Goodfellows.
Central Bank of India enters into co-lending partnership with Protium Finance & lncred Fin
• State-owned Central Bank of India, a Public Sector Bank (PSB) has entered into a co-lending
partnership with Protium Finance and lncred Financial Services Limited (IFSL) to offer loans to
Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) borrowers.
Key Highlights :
• Protium Finance will originate and process MSME proposals under the priority sector as per
jointly formulated credit parameters and eligibility criteria.
• The Central Bank of India will take into its books 80% of the MSME priority sector loans under
mutually agreed terms.
About Protium Finance Limited :
• Protium Finance Limited will service the loan account throughout the life cycle of the loan.
• Protium Finance has a branch network across 11 states and an AUM of 1,671 crores as of July
31, 2022, with a customer franchise at 1,08,447.
About Incred Financial Services :
• It will originate and process MSME loans under priority and take into its books 80% of such
loans.
• IFSL will service the loan account throughout the life cycle of the loan.
• With branches across 9 states, it offers consumer loans, education loans, and MSME lending.
About Central Bank of India :
• Founded: 21 December 1911
• MD & CEO : Matam Venkata Rao
• Tagline: Central to you since 1911
Indians remitted $6 bn in Q1FY23 under LRS scheme: RBI data
• As per the latest Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, the remittance by Indians under the
liberalized remittance scheme (LRS) increased 64.75% in the first quarter(Q1) of FY23 to over
$6.04 billion from $3.67 billion in Q1FY22.
• The amount remitted in Q1FY23 is even higher than that in Q4FY22, where outward remittance
under LRS was to the tune of $5.8 billion.
Outward remittance under the LRS scheme :
Month Q1FY23 ($million) Q1FY22 ($million) Q4FY22 ($million)
April 2023.7 1188.18 2018.31
May 2039.26 1250.24 1823.35
June 1984.68 1232.22 1968.77
Total 6047.64 3670.64 5810.43
About LRS :
• The scheme was introduced on February 4, 2004, with a limit of $25,000.
• The LRS limit has been revised in stages consistent with prevailing macro and micro economic
conditions
• It includes all resident individuals, including minors, who are allowed to freely remit up to
$250,000 per financial year for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a
combination of both.
• Under the LRS scheme, International travel contributed $2.92 billion of the $6.04 billion remitted
under LRS in Q1FY23, thus constituting almost 48% of the money remitted.
Key Highlights :
• As per data released by RBI in the August bulletin shows, In April 2022 about $2.02 billion was
remitted, followed by $2.03 billion in May 2022 & $1.98 billion in June 2022.
• Indian’s spent $856.43 million on international travel as Covid-19 restrictions around the world
slowed down international travel.
• Money remitted under the category “gift” constituted the third largest segment, with India’s
remitting around $770.66 million in Q1, as against $489.15 million in FY22.
• Overseas education constituted the fourth largest segment, with $738.42 million remitted in the
April – June quarter, against $1.16 billion in FY22.
• In FY21, under the scheme, India’s remittance was $12.68 billion, down 32.38% from FY20,
where remittances under LRS were $18.76 billion.
RBI imposes a penalty of ₹32 Lakh on Indian Bank & ₹82 lakh on Jupiter Capital
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 32 Lakh on the Indian
Bank, for failing to submit a Flash Report for fraud involving amounts of at least Rs. 5.00 crore to
the RBI as required by Section 47A(1)(c) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• Also, the RBI has imposed a penalty of ₹82 lakh on Bengaluru-based Jupiter Capital Private Ltd,
for breach of norms on submission of credit information.
• The provisions fall under directions issued by RBI under ‘Non-Banking Financial Company
Returns (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016’ and ‘Membership of Credit Information Companies
(CICs).
• Both actions are based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and are not intended to
pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the entities with
their customers.
About Indian Bank :
• Headquarters: Chennai, TamilNadu, India
SEBI joins RBI's Account Aggregator framework
• The market regulator Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has joined the Reserve Bank
of India’s (RBI’s) Account Aggregator framework, which will allow customers to share
information about their mutual fund and stock holdings with financial service providers.
• Also, it will give a boost to the Reserve Bank of India-regulated financial-data sharing system.
About the framework :
• Under the framework, Financial Information Providers (FIPs) in the securities market, like
depositories and asset management companies (AMCs) through their Registrar and Transfer
Agents or RTAs will provide financial information about securities markets to the customers and
consented Financial Information Users (FIUs) through any of the account aggregators registered
with the RBI.
About Account Aggregator :
• AA is a type of RBI-regulated entity (with a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)-AA
license) that helps an individual securely and digitally access and share information from one
financial institution they have an account with to any other regulated financial institution in the
AA network.
• The AA network would replace all these with a simple, mobile-based, simple, and safe digital
data access & sharing process.
Note :
• Recently, all the 12 public sector banks joined the aggregator ecosystem
About SEBI :
RBI directs loan recovery agents not to intimidate borrowers
• The Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) has issued fresh instructions barring recovery agents from
resorting to intimidation of borrowers as well as calling them before 8 am and after 7 pm.
• These instructions will apply to all commercial banks (including regional rural banks),
Cooperative Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), Asset Reconstruction
Companies (ARCs), and all Indian financial institutions except payments banks & Mutual fund
business.
• REs (regulated entities) shall strictly ensure that they or their agents do not resort to intimidation
or harassment of any kind, either verbal or physical, against any person in their debt collection
efforts
About RBI :
• Deputy Governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar
IRDAI set to roll out an upgraded version of IGMS as ‘Bima Bharosa’
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is set to roll out an
upgraded version of the Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS), a revamped grievance
redressal mechanism as Bima Bharosa.
Aim :
• To make complaint redressal more efficient with the option of customers filing their complaints in
13 regional languages.
About ‘Bima Bharosa’ :
• ‘Bima Bharosa’ will take care of customers’ needs in a more time-bound manner.
• SMSes will be sent to the complainant's registered mobile/e-mail ID after registration of the
complaint and upon attending by the insurance company
About IRDAI :
• IRDAI is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
• It is tasked with regulating and licensing the insurance and reinsurance industries in India.
Indians Remitted $6 Billion Q1 Of FY23:
• In the first quarter of FY23, outgoing transfers made a significant comeback under the Reserve
Bank of India's (RBI's) liberalized remittance scheme (LRS), as Indians increased their
expenditure on gifts, international vacations, and the upkeep of close relatives.
• According to the most recent figures for Q1-FY23 given by the RBI, the remittance by Indians
under the program increased by 64.75 percent, from $3.67 billion in Q1FY22 to over $6.04
billion.
• Even more, money was sent abroad in Q1FY23 than it was in Q4FY22 when $5.8 billion was
sent abroad under the LRS.
HDFC Bank opens first all-women branch in Kerala's Kozhikode
• Private sector bank major HDFC has opened its first all-women branch on Cherootty Road,
Kozhikode, north Kerala region.
Aim :
• To advance gender and diversity initiatives in the banking sector.
• The branch was inaugurated by city Corporation Mayor Beena Philip.
• HDFC Bank is driving diversity and inclusion within the organization with a special focus on
enhancing gender diversity.
• As of March 31, 2022, women constituted 21.7% of the workforce and the target is to increase it
to 25% by 2025.
Note :
• With this opening, there are a total of 245 bank branches in Kerala.
About HDFC Bank :
ADB to provide USD 96.3 mn loan to improve water supply & sanitation services in HP
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a USD 96.3-million
loan agreement to provide safe drinking water and improve water supply and sanitation services
in Himachal Pradesh.
Signatories :
• Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs
• Takeo Konishi, Country Director for ADB in India.
About the agreement :
• The ADB project will connect 75,800 households to the service, providing an uninterrupted water
supply to about 3,70,000 residents across 10 districts.
• The project is aligned with the objectives of the Government of India’s Jal Jeevan Mission which
aims to provide piped water to all rural households by 2024.
• It will upgrade water supply infrastructure and strengthen institutional capacity to ensure safe,
sustainable, and inclusive rural water supply and sanitation services.
• To improve water supply and sanitation services, the project aims to construct 48 groundwater
wells, 80 surface water intake facilities, 109 water treatment plants, 117 pumping stations, and
3,000 km of water distribution pipelines.
• A pilot fecal sludge management and sanitation program will also be implemented in Sirmaur
District, benefiting 250,000 residents.
• It will strengthen the capacity of the Jal Shakti Vibhag of the Government of Himachal Pradesh
and gram panchayat (local government) village water and sanitation committees.
About ADB :
• Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines
• President : Masatsugu Asakawa
• Membership: 68 countries
Muthoot Finance launches Milligram Gold point program for customers
• Muthoot Finance Limited has launched Milligram Reward Programme for its customers wherein
transactions with the company will be rewarded with a certain amount of milligram reward points.
• With this, Muthoot Finance Limited has emerged as the first gold loan Non-Banking Financial
Company (NBFC) to launch a new reward program.
Aim :
• To strengthen the relationship between customers and bring back the inactive customers.
Key Highlights :
• Customers can participate in this 2-year-long program wherein, for the first time in India, a
loyalty program will be run in 24-carat gold.
• Every customer referral transaction with the company will earn 20 mg of gold as well.
• Annually, ₹50 crores worth of gold (100 kg) is expected to be paid off through the program.
• It also offers a chance to their existing customers 20-milligram gold points per referral for
referring new customers to Muthoot Finance.
About Muthoot Finance Limited :
• Founded: 1939
• Headquarters: Kochi, Kerala, India
• MD: George Alexander Muthoot
• Muthoot Finance Ltd. is an Indian financial corporation and the largest gold loan NBFC in India.
HPCL starts its first cow dung-based compressed biogas project:
• The HPCL Compressed Biogas Project makes use of the industry's first waste-to-energy
portfolio, which utilizes 100 tonnes of dung per day to produce biogas that can be utilized as fuel
for vehicles.
• The HPCL Compressed Biogas Project project should be operational in a year.
• The GOBAR-Dhan strategy, which the Indian government unveiled in April 2018 as a part of the
Grameen Biodegradable Waste Management component of the Swachh Bharat Mission, serves
as the foundation for the HPCL Compressed Biogas Project effort.
• With the help of livestock and organic waste, the HPCL Compressed Biogas Project initiative
hopes to increase hygiene while generating income and energy.
In India, 7.3% of the Population Owned Digital Currency in 2021:
• According to the UN trade and development organization UNCTAD, 15 of the top 20 economies
in terms of the percentage of the population that owns cryptocurrencies are from developing
nations in 2021.
• Ukraine led the list with 12.7%, followed by Russia with 11.9%, Venezuela with 10.3%,
Singapore with 9.4%, Kenya with 8.5%, and the US with 8.5%. (8.3 percent).
• In 2021, 7.3% of the population in India owned digital currency, placing it seventh out of the top
20 economies in the world in terms of population ownership.
RBI becomes a net seller in June 2022 by selling 3.719 billion US dollar
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) emerged as the net seller of the United States (US) dollar in
June 2022 after selling 3.719 billion USD on a net basis.
• RBI purchased 18.96 billion USD in the spot market while selling 22.679 billion USD in June
2022.
• In June 2022, RBI was the net buyer of the American currency & it purchased 18.633 billion
USD on a net basis in the spot market.
• In May 2022, RBI was a buyer of the greenback with a net purchase of 2.001 billion USD &
during the month, RBI bought 10.143 billion USD and sold 8.142 billion USD.
• In FY22, RBI recorded a net purchase of 17.312 billion USD after buying 113.991 billion USD
and selling 96.679 billion USD in the spot market.
• Meanwhile, in the forward dollar market, RBI's outstanding net purchase in June this year stood
at 30.856 billion USD compared to 49.191 billion USD in May 2022.
• RBI stated that the drawdown in forex reserves was around $70 billion during the GFC which
came down to $17 billion during the Covid-19 outbreak.
About RBI :
• Deputy Governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar
KreditBee Partners With Cash-Free Payments To Offer 'Online Checkout Finance'
• KreditBee, one of India’s leading fintech platforms, has partnered with Cashfree Payments,
India’s leading payments and API banking solutions company, to offer customers an option to
convert their online purchases into Equated Monthly Installment (EMIs) for its non-credit card
holders.
• Through this partnership, KreditBee will leverage Cashfree Payments’ Payment Gateway to offer
cardless and convenient EMI options.
• The association will enhance KreditBee’s reach to underserved segments.
• Cashfree Payments’ merchants can offer this cardless EMI option to all eligible customers with
the KreditBee app.
• The checkout finance loans range from Rs 2,400 to Rs 2 lakhs with a tenure of 3-18 months.
About KreditBee :
• Co-founder & CEO : Madhusudan Ekambaram
Rajasthan accounted for the highest share in the cost of bank-sanctioned projects in FY22: RBI
• Rajasthan accounted for the highest share in the total cost of projects sanctioned by banks and
financial institutions in 2021-22, retaining the top place for two consecutive years.
• The share of the top five states Constitutes more than half 56.4% ie.
1. Rajasthan
2. Uttar Pradesh
3. Gujarat
4. Maharashtra
5. Tamil Nadu
• The share of these 5 states increased significantly from an average share of 40.7% during the
period between 2012-13 and 2019-20 to more than 50% during the last two years.
• The infrastructure sector continued to attract maximum capex projects, led by the 'power' and
'road and bridges' sectors.
About Rajasthan :
• Governor: Kalraj Mishra
• Chief minister: Ashok Gehlot
• Capital: Jaipur
Universal Sompo Gen Insurance partners with Repco Home Finance to insure home loans
• Non-life Insurer Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited has partnered with
Repco Home Finance Ltd to offer insurance against home loans.
Objective :
• To offer simple and value-added products to our customers and channel partners with the best
insurance solutions through seamless and innovative digitized initiatives.
About the partnership :
• The partnership will, additionally, disburse affordable insurance solutions from Universal Sompo
General Insurance like Group Credit Protection, Long-Term Fire, and Personal Accident policies
to Repco’s customers.
• It would see over 155 branches and 24 satellite centers of Repco Home Finance in Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Puducherry to offer customized
general insurance products to its customers.
About Universal Sompo General Insurance :
• Founded: 2007
• CEO: Sharad Mathur
About Repco Home Finance Limited :
• Founded: 2000
• CEO: K. Swaminathan
Edelweiss General Insurance partners with Health Ministry for Digital health IDs
• Edelweiss General Insurance has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(MoHFW) to help create digital health IDs Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission for all in India.
• The National Health Authority (NHA), is the apex body responsible for implementing this
program under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
• ABHA is a 14-digit number that helps users to share and access their health records digitally
with registered healthcare providers.
• The program will enable and empower the people of this country to access medical diagnosis,
treatment, and financing from verified healthcare providers and payers, seamlessly across India.
About Edelweiss General Insurance :
• Founded: 2017
• Executive director & CEO: Shanai Ghosh
PNB Launches Pre-Qualified Credit Card Facility & overdraft facility against FD
• Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched a new pre-qualified credit card along with an
overdraft facility of fixed deposit (FD).
• It has also introduced a new facility of overdraft against fixed deposit on PNB One in a few clicks
and a single OTP (one-time password).
• Customers with salary accounts will be able to access this service via PNB One mobile banking
app or by visiting the bank's website/Internet Banking Service (IBS).
• There is a 0.25% discount on the interest rate for using online services like PNB One.
• PNB will make this service available through the RuPay and VISA platforms.
About PNB :
• Founded: 19 May 1894
• Commenced Operations: April 12, 1895
• MD & CEO : Atul Kumar Goel
• Tagline: The name you can bank upon
RBI paper on payments poses questions, offers no answers
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a discussion paper on payment charges that has
dissatisfied the trade and analysts alike, because it raises several questions however it doesn't
provide options or take any stance on them, resulting in continued uncertainty.
• The paper refers to how some fee mechanisms cost customers whereas others don’t, and a few
indirect references to the dearth of justification of a free service.
• It has posed 40 questions on costs associated with digital fee modes and sought suggestions by
3 October 2022.
• The subjects embody actual time gross settlement (RTGS), fast fee service (IMPS), unified
payments interface (UPI), debit playing cards, and bank cards.
• Additionally, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the August 2022 issue of its monthly
Bulletin.
• The Bulletin includes the Monetary Policy Statement, 2022-23, Resolution of the Monetary
Policy Committee (MPC), 2 Speeches, six Articles, and Current Statistics.
• The 6 articles are:
1. State of the Economy
2. Privatization of Public Sector Banks: An Alternate Perspective
3. A Steady Ship in Choppy Waters: An Analysis of the NBFC Sector in Recent Times\
4. Real-Time Monitoring of the Indian Economy
5. Private Corporate Investment: Growth in 2021-22 and Outlook for 2022-23
6. Exchange Rate Volatility in Emerging Market Economies.
Despite a rise in GST revenues, state revenue growth is expected to drop to 9%:
• Even though impressive GST revenues would aid in the accretion, states' revenue growth will
only reach 7-9% in FY23, according to research.
• According to a survey by rating agency Crisil, which examined data from 17 states representing
90% of the total GS DP(Gross State Domestic Product) revenue growth had soared to 25% in
FY22 thanks to a lower base in the pandemic-affected FY21
• The Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections and devolutions from the Center, which together
account for up to 45% of the state’s revenue, are anticipated to exhibit strong double-digit growth
in FY23, boosting the revenue increase.
• The aggregate state GST revenues, which had already recovered by 29% in FY22, will be the
main driver of the revenue rise.
BASIX partners with Mastercard to digitize the rural ecosystem in Maharashtra
• BASIX Social Enterprise Group launched BASIX Farmers’ Market (BFM), an agritech platform,
in partnership with Mastercard.
Aim :
• To improve the lives of over 10 lac (one million) farmers, including the new cohort of 200 Farmer
Producer Organizations (FPO) being promoted under the SMART Project in partnership with the
Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission.
About BASIX Farmers’ Market (BFM) :
• The launch of BASIX Farmers’ Market is an extension of Mastercard Farm Pass, a rural and
agriculture digitization solution that serves more than 3.5 lakh farmers across 5 states in India, &
1 million farmers globally.
• It is a digital ecosystem platform that works offline to connect buyers, FPOs, and other
agriculture ecosystem players with farmers, and enable them to get the best value for their
produce.
• The platform serves as an opportunity for banks, financial institutions, FPOs, and NGOs to
create a white-labeled commercially sustainable agri-ecosystem by digitizing the value chains.
• BFM currently caters to farmers across the Nagpur, Akola, Bhuldana, Wardha, and Amravati
districts in Maharashtra and plans to further scale up across India to create a commercially
sustainable digital agriculture ecosystem.
• Sub K, a BASIX-promoted fintech company, is already leading the way in fintech innovations in
the financial inclusion space.
About BASIX :
• Group MD & CEO : Sattaiah Devarakonda
About Mastercard :
• Founded: November 3, 1966
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• President & CEO : Michael Miebach
RBI imposes restrictions on Thodupuzha Urban Co-operative Bank for 6 months
• In the exercise of powers vested in it under sub-section (1) of Section 35 A of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949, read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) has issued directions to Thodupuzha Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd, Kerala
for six months.
• The bank, without prior approval of RBI, cannot grant or renew any loans, make any
investments, or accept fresh deposits.
• No amount from the total balance across all savings bank or current accounts or any other
account of a depositor may be allowed to be withdrawn, but are allowed to set off loans against
deposits subject to the conditions.
• The issue of the above Directions by the RBI should not per se be construed as a cancellation of
a banking license by RBI.
• The bank will continue its banking business with restrictions till its financial position improves.
About RBI :
Tata Neu & HDFC Bank partner to launch two co-branded credit card variants
• India’s first super app of the Tata Group, Tata Neu and HDFC Bank partnered to launch co-
branded credit cards in two variants: Tata Neu Plus HDFC Bank Credit Card and Tata Neu
Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card.
• Each of the two variants of the card will be available on both RuPay and Visa networks.
Key Highlights :
• Customers will have a wide range of categories to choose from including grocery, travel,
electronics, fashion, health, and wellness
• The card will enable customers to earn rewards on all spends, both online and in-store in the
form of NeuCoins (1 NeuCoin = INR 1).
• Customers will be able to earn 2% NeuCoins with Tata Neu Plus HDFC Bank Credit Card, and
5% NeuCoins with Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card on all purchases on partner Tata
brands, both online and in-store.
• For domestic and international purchases outside of partner Tata brands, customers will earn
1% and 1.5% NeuCoins on the respective card variants.
• Combined with existing Tata Neu benefits of 5% NeuCoins, a customer will be able to earn a
total of 7% or 10% of the value of their spending on the Tata Neu app depending on the card
variant.
About HDFC Bank :
RBI lifts the business restrictions imposed on American Express Banking Corp
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lifted business restrictions imposed on American Express
Banking Corp (AEBC) citing satisfactory compliance demonstrated by the entity to RBI rules.
Background :
• In April 2021, RBI imposed restrictions on AEBC from onboarding new domestic customers onto
its card network from May 01, 2021, for non-compliance with the RBI circular dated April 6,
2018, on Storage of Payment System Data.
About AEBC :
• Interim CEO & COO : Sanjay Khanna
• AEBC is a Payment System Operators authorized to operate Card Networks in the country
under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (PSS Act)
SBI Topped in Market Share of Debit cards; HDFC Topped in Credit cards
• According to the data collated by PGA Labs, State Bank of India (SBI) remained the top player
with a 30% market share of debit cards as of June 2022, despite a 6% decline in year-on-year
(Y-o-Y) growth
• With an 8% market share, Bank of Baroda (BoB) secured 2nd place followed by Bank of India,
Canara Bank Union Bank, and Punjab National Bank (PNB) with 5% each.
• HDFC Bank and Axis Bank witnessed the highest YoY growth in the debit card segment with
19% and 18%, respectively
• HDFC Bank also topped the charts in the credit cards segment with a market share of 22%,
followed by SBI (18%), ICICI Bank (17%), Axis Bank (12%), RBL Bank (5%), and Kotak
Mahindra Bank (5%).
• The banking system added over 1.84 million credit cards in June 2022 taking the outstanding
credit cards in the system to 78.72 million.
• HDFC Bank added 386,487 cards in June 2022, followed by Kotak Mahindra Bank (262,942),
Axis Bank (228,933), ICICI Bank (190,490), and SBI Card (166,976).
• Elite credit cards like American Express and CITI are losing market share with a negative YoY
growth of -8% and -2, respectively.
• As per the PGA Data, the 2 banks collectively hold a market share of 5%.
BOB Financial Partners With The Indian Army To Launch A Co-Branded Contactless RuPay Credit
Card for Army Personnel
• BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda (BoB)
and the Indian Army has launched a co-branded RuPay credit card for the Indian Army
personnel, in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• The co-branded credit card will be equipped with contactless features and will be offered on the
RuPay platform.
About the co-branded RuPay credit card :
• Yoddha, the co-branded credit card has been curated like none other, offering best-in-class
features and benefits along with democratic choice, for the Indian Army personnel.
• The card will be offered Life Time Free (LTF) to all Indian Army personnel
• It comes with attractive welcome, activation, and spend-based gifts.
• The card will also offer complimentary domestic airport lounge access and golf games/lessons.
Features :
• Personal Accident insurance
• 1% Fuel Surcharge Waiver
• LTF Add-Ons
• EMI offers and periodic merchant offers through tie-ups done by BOB Financial as well as NPCI
will also be applicable
About BFSL :
• Founded: 1994
• MD & CEO : Mr. Shailendra Singh
About NPCI :
• Founded: 2008
• MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe
India Has Ample Forex Buffers to Tackle Cyclical Difficulty: S&P
• According to S&P Global Ratings, India has created protections against cyclical p roblems and
has enough foreign exchange reserves to resist pressure on credit quality.
• S&P Sovereign & International Public Finance Ratings Director Andrew Wood said the nation
has a robust external balance sheet and little external debt, making debt payments not too
costly.
• He was speaking at the India Credit Spotlight 2022 webinar.
• According to him, the rating agency does not anticipate that the challenges soon would
significantly affect India's credit status.
• After a 7.3 percent GDP growth this fiscal, the economic growth is expected to moderate to 6.5-
6.7 percent over the next fiscal year.
• Indian economy expanded 8.7 percent in the last fiscal (2021-22).
SIDBI Partners with Tata Power’s TPRMG to Support Green Entrepreneurs
• Tata Power’s wholly owned subsidiary TP Renewable Microgrid (TPRMG) has partnered with
the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to set up 1,000 green energy
enterprises across India under a joint innovative program to support rural entrepreneurs.
Aim :
• To empower rural entrepreneurs and promote sustainable entrepreneurship fashions throughout
India.
Key Highlights :
• The ‘Sustainable is Attainable’ program of Tata Power and the Empowering MSMEs campaign
of SIDBI, are the driving forces behind this partnership.
• The entrepreneurs shortlisted under the initiative will have to complete a capacity-building
activity organized by TPRMG to receive an impetus called Go REsponsive, ENterprise incentive
(GREENi) from SIDBI.
• The program intends to develop skills to enable low-carbon futures for rural entrepreneurs and
economies and to assist in the Ease of Doing Business in rural parts of India.
• Through its PRAYAAS scheme or partner institutions, SIDBI will also assist in credit linkages to
facilitate financing (loans) for setting up or expanding the businesses of rural entrepreneurs.
About TPRMG :
• Tata Power’s TPRMG operates a solar-based off-grid generating plant with an energy storage
system supplying power to remote areas of India.
• Tata Power is planning to roll out 10,000 Microgrids shortly.
• Already, it has installed more than 200 Microgrids, many of which are present in Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar.
• A pilot Microgrid program is also being tried out in Odisha.
About SIDBI :
• SIDBI is the apex regulatory body for overall licensing and regulation of micro, small and
About Tata Power :
• MD & CEO: Praveer Sinha
SBI to extend Indian Visa Centers for two more years in Bangladesh
• Bangladesh country head of operations Mr. Amit Kumar represented the State Bank of In dia
(SBI) & the Deputy High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Dr. Binoy George represented
the High Commission of India signed the agreement to would manage the Indian Visa
Application Center (IVAC) in Bangladesh for two more years at the functioning of the IVAC
center in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• The IVAC will also be starting a few additional services soon which include facilitation for online
form filling and submission of forms, slot booking, and launching of a mobile app.
• A priority lounge was also inaugurated at the IVAC center in Dhaka.
• Currently, SBI runs a total of 15 IVACs across Bangladesh.
• The IVAC center at the Jamuna Future Park in Dhaka was opened in 2018 & it is the largest
Indian visa application center.
• The first IVAC was started by SBI in 2005 in Dhaka.
About SBI :
RBI imposes ₹2.33 cr monetary penalty on Spandana Sphoorty Financial Limited, Hyderabad
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 2.33 crore on
Hyderabad-based Spandana Sphoorty Financial Ltd for non-compliance with the guidelines on
pricing loans for non-banking financial companies – microfinance institutions (NBFC-MFIs).
• This penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of
58 B of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• RBI has conducted statutory audits of the company, NBFC-MFI, about its financial position as on
March 31, 2019, and March 31, 2020.
About RBI :
HDFC ERGO launches India’s first Electric Vehicles Ecosystem – ‘All Things EV’
• HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited, a leading private sector general insurance
company, has launched 'All Things EV,' India’s first one-stop-solution portal for Electric Vehicles
(EV).
• In line with the Government of India’s push for Electric Mobility, this initiative caters to the needs
of existing and potential EV users.
Key Highlights :
• As a part of this initiative, the company has unveiled a dedicated platform for existing and
prospective EV ecosystem users www.allthingsev.i, which hosts end-to-end information on this
emerging sector.
• It will help existing users with information on charging stations, locations of charging stations
along a route for intercity commute, and content EV maintenance.
• The platform has a roadmap with features like slot booking at charging stations, roadside
assistance, RTO services & creation of an EV community.
About HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited :
• MD & CEO: Mr. Ritesh Kumar
• HDFC ERGO is a 51:49 joint venture firm between HDFC and ERGO International AG, one of
the insurance entities of the Munich Re Group in Germany.
RBI imposed monetary penalties on 8 banks cancels licenses of 2 NBFCs
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty on eight banks & non-banking
finance companies (NBFC).
• In addition to that, the RBI canceled the licenses of two non-banking finance companies
(NBFCs).
• The monetary penalty imposed on these banks ranges from ₹1 lakh to ₹2.3 crores.
List of 8 banks :
1. Chhattisgarh Rajya Sahakari Bank, Raipur
2. The Goa State Co-operative Bank, Panaji
3. Garha Co-operative Bank, Guna (M.P.)
4. The Yavatmal Urban Co-operative Bank, Yavatmal (Maharashtra)
5. Jila Sahakari Kendriya Bank, Chhindwara (M.P.)
6. Warud Urban Co-operative Bank, Warud (Maharashtra)
7. Indapur Urban Cooperative Bank, Indapur, Maharashtra
8. The Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank, Mehsana, Gujarat
2 NBFCs :
1. Alarming Finvest Private Limited, Delhi,
2. Achal Finance Limited, Karnataka
NMDFC signs MoU with ICICI Bank for development of banking software & app
• The National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ICICI Bank for the development of financial
accounting software and mobile application.
• The MoU provides for the development of financial accounting software for NMDFC and State
Channelizing Agencies (SCAs), loan accounting software for receiving and processing loan
applications, and accounting of repayments from beneficiaries.
• ICICI Bank will design, develop and deploy the application for NMDFC, provide source code and
executable database information among others
• The software will bring greater transparency and speed of transactions in the loaning and
accounting process of NMDFC as well as SCAs.
• This will also facilitate the submission of online applications by the targeted beneficiaries.
About NMDFC :
• Established: September 1994
• Chairman & Managing Director: Rakesh Sarwal
• It comes under the ministry of minority affairs.
Purpose :
• To provide concessional finance for self-employment and income generation activities to the
backward sections amongst the minority communities.
About ICICI Bank :
• Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat
• MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
IRDAI provides more flexibility to insurers, eases limits for commissions
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) provided insurers with
more flexibility in paying commissions by linking limits to the overall portfolio and company
management expenses.
• The maximum fee sanctioned for non-life merchandise has been pegged at 20% of the Gross
Written Premium (GWP) in India in that monetary 12 months.
Key Highlights :
• The insurers of commission and remuneration should be based on a board-approved policy
which will be reviewed every year.
• No commission shall be payable to insurance agents or the insurance intermediaries in the
direct business, and the insurers must grant discounts on the premium.
• For life companies, IRDAI has proposed to link commissions with expenses of management
(EoM).
About IRDAI :
• IRDAI is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI & is tasked with
regulating and licensing the insurance and reinsurance industries in India.
Bank credit growth increased to 14.2% in Q1FY23: RBI data
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the ‘Quarterly Statistics on Deposits and Credit of
Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) for June 2022’ showing a Bank credit growth accelerated
to 14.2% in the quarter ended June 2022 (Q1FY23) from 6% in Q1FY22.
• This data is collected from all scheduled commercial banks (SCBs), which include regional rural
banks (RRBs), small finance banks (SFBs), and payments banks (Pbs)
• In the quarter that ended March 2022, bank credit had expanded by 10.8%.
Key Highlights :
• Aggregate deposit growth (year-on-year) has remained in the range of 9.5 – 10.2% during the
last five quarters.
• Metropolitan branches continue to account for over half of the bank deposits and their share
increased marginally over the last year.
• The share of current account and savings account (CASA) deposits in total deposits has been
increasing over the last three years (42% in June 2020, 43.8% in June 2021, and 44.5% in June
2022).
• In June 2022, the credit-deposit (C-D) ratio stood at 73.5% at the all-India levels (70.5% a year
ago) and 86.2% for metropolitan branches of banks (84.3% a year ago).
About RBI :
Axis Bank & KMRL launches Kochi1 card campaign
• Axis Bank has decided to roll out campaigns along with the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) to
promote its Kochi1 card amongst metro commuters.
• This would help daily commuters save considerably more with discounted metro fares.
• It has announced offers for Kochi-1 smart card holders in connection with Onam.
• The cardholders also get lounge access and discounts on bus tickets.
• So far, 1.3 lakh Kochi1 cards have been issued by Axis Bank.
• The Axis Bank has partnered with Amazon Pay to provide discounts on recharges, utility, and bill
payments, making the Kochi1 Card the one-stop solution for all the needs of Kochiites.
• Also, Axis Bank’s flagship ‘Dining Delights’ offer has been extended to Kochi1 card holders,
through which they can avail discounts on food and beverage bills.
• Customers can also avail of dine-out deals with EazyDiner while using their Kochi1 card.
About Axis Bank :
About KMRL :
Google announced a program for 100,000 developers in India:
• An initiative to train 100,000 Indian engineers and researchers in cyber security has been
announced by IT juggernaut Google.
• The campaign will be a part of the company's Cyber Security Roadshow, which will visit many
locations in India and provide tools, lessons, and mentorship on security standards for creating
both consumer apps and corporate programs.
• The goal of the upskilling initiative is to upskill 100,000 lakh engineers in India.
• It will focus on two primary program areas: Android and Google Cloud.
• While the Android upskilling program will benefit developers producing consumer-facing apps,
the Google Cloud upskilling initiative will target commercial developers and security managers.
• Google's action follows calls from industry participants for improved upskilling standards among
developers in the nation.
M aruti Suzuki, a prominent automaker, has been in business in India for 40 years:
• Maruti Suzuki, India's leading manufacturer, has been in business for 40 years.
• The company's factories for producing electric car batteries in Hansalpur, Gujarat, and for
passenger vehicles in Kharkhoda, Haryana, were both opened on this occasion by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
• For the EV factories, Maruti Suzuki has chosen to invest 10,000 crores this time. Beginning in
2025, Maruti Suzuki might begin making electric cars in India.
• In 1981, Maruti Udyog Limited was founded in India.
• It belongs to the public sector. Suzuki, a Japanese carmaker, and Maruti began a joint venture in
1982.
• Maruti Suzuki has emerged as the most favored brand in the nation during the last 40 years.
Maruti Suzuki India's chairman is RC Bhargava.
About M aruti Suzuki India
• Managing Director and CEO: Hisashi Takeuchi
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
Reliance Industries Plans to Invest 3.5 Lakh Crore Rupees:
• At the company's 45th annual general meeting, Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing
director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), disclosed i nvestment plans worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore.
• Ambani stated in his speech that investment plans include Rs. 2,000,000 crores for the quick
rollout of 5G, Rs. 75,000 crores for the expansion of O2C capacities across value chains, and
Rs. 75,000 crores for the new energy business, all of which were previously announced.
• To maximize the integration of oil and chemicals and transform advantageous feedstock streams
into high-value chemicals and environmentally friendly materials, Ambani announced that RIL
will invest Rs 75,000 Crore over the next five years to expand capacities in both existing and
new value chains.
• Reliance is regarded as one of the top five PVC manufacturers worldwide.
• Plans are for the world-scale factories in Jamnagar and Dahej in India and th e UAE to treble the
current capacity.
• A multi-decade growth engine for O2C will be created at India's first and one of the largest
carbon fiber facilities, which will be developed in Hazira in stages.
India hands over USD 1 million to BIMSTEC Secretariat’s operational budget
• Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Education Shri Rajkumar Ranjan Singh
ceremonially handed over a cheque of USD 1 million for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-
Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Secretariat’s operational budget.
• The BIMSTEC Secretary General Mr. Tenzin Lekphell held discussions on rapidly taking forward
cooperation in specific areas led by India including counter-terrorism, disaster management,
maritime cooperation, and energy security.
• The visit of BIMSTEC Secretary-General Tenzin Lekphell was held at the invitation of Saurabh
Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs.

• He also participated in a public interactive session hosted by Research and Information Systems
for Developing Countries (RIS) titled “Rejuvenating Growth through partnerships-Role of
BIMSTEC” which was attended, inter alia, by Ambassadors of Thailand, Bhutan, and Myanmar
and senior diplomats of BIMSTEC diplomatic missions in New Delhi.
About BIMSTEC :
• Established: 6 June 1997
• Secretary General : Tenzin Lekphell
• Membership: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand
ICICI Bank Partners With NPCI To Launch RuPay Credit Cards
• ICICI Bank has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch a
range of credit cards on the payments network RuPay.
• The ICICI Bank RuPay Credit Card is available in the Coral variant of the ICICI Bank’s
Gemstone series, which will be followed by Rubyx and Sapphiro variants.
Benefits of the ‘ICICI Bank Coral RuPay Credit Card’:
• The Customers earn 2 reward points, for every Rs 100 spent on the card (except fuel)
• Earn 1 reward point, on every Rs 100 spent on utilities and insurance categories
• Get 2000 bonus reward points on spending Rs 2 lakh on the card in a year.
• Earn 1,000 bonus reward points each time Rs 1 lakh is spent on the card thereafter (with a
maximum of 10,000 reward points per year)
• Complimentary access to the domestic airport lounge and select railway lounges in India
• Exclusive discounts on movie ticket bookings on BookMyShow
• Personal accident insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh with 24×7 Concierge services
• Exclusive dining offers through ICICI Bank Culinary Treats Programme
• Waiver of fuel surcharge on fuel transactions
About ICICI Bank :
About NPCI :
• Founded: 2008
PGIM India Mutual Fund launches Money And Me website, an investor education and awareness
initiative
• PGIM India Mutual Fund has launched a new investor education and awareness website:
MoneyAndMe - https://moneyandme.pgimindiamf.com/.
About MoneyAndMe :
• The MoneyAndMe website contains exhaustive content on various aspects of personal finance
including household budgeting, protection, savings, and investing.
• PGIM's customer insights identified 6 separate personas when it comes to dealing with financial
challenges and planning, these include
1. Gen-Z Seekers and Dreamers (18-24 years)
2. Ambitious & Every-ready (25-30 years)
3. Begin & Soar (31-40 years)
4. Family First & Forever (41-50 years)
5. Seasoned & Secured (51-60 years)
6. Proud & Purposeful (61+ years).
• The website offers a host of content formats such as blogs, listicles, infographics, calculators,
FAQs, and glossary, etc
• The company also announced the launch of a consumer awareness campaign – 'Aapka
HappinessPlanned' to promote the MoneyAndMe Initiative.
About 'Aapka HappinessPlanned' :
• To promote the MoneyAndMe initiative, PGIM India Mutual Fund has rolled out its marketing
campaign 'Aapka Happiness Planned' with a film: https://youtu.be/0Bs4zFDZ0Y.
• The film shows a stand-up conveying the true meaning of happiness through a lyrical song.
• According to a study done by Princeton in 2010, happiness is influenced more by a sense of
purpose, habits, social connections, gratitude, and experiences.
About PGIM India Mutual Fund :
• CEO: Rakesh Menon
• It is a wholly-owned business of PGIM, the global investment management business of the US-
based Prudential Financial, Inc. (PFI).
• PGIM India Mutual Fund has a presence in 27 cities across India.
IM PORTANT STATE NEWS

Kerala govt to launch online cab service 'Kerala Savari'
• The Government of Kerala is set to launch its online taxi service called "Kerala Savari".
• The new service would be launched at a function to be held at Kanakakunnu Palace on the
beginning day of the Malayalam month of Chingam, which falls on August 17, 2022.
Aim :
• To ensure safe and dispute-free travel for the public at affordable rates prevailing in Kerala.
• The project will be implemented by the Motor Workers Welfare Board with the cooperation of the
Planning Board, Legal Metrology, Transport, IT, and Police Departments.
• Indian Telephone Industries, Palakkad, a public sector organization, provided technical
assistance for the project.
About Kerala Savari :
• The online taxi hiring service is being rolled out by the Kerala Labor Department linking the
existing auto-taxi networks in Kerala.
• Kerala Savari will charge only 8 percent service charge apart from the fixed rate in other parts of
the country.
• The app is designed with utmost care in security standards.
• It has a panic button system that can be pressed in case of a car accident or any other type of
danger.
About Kerala :
• Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
• Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
Arunachal Pradesh inks tripartite pact for school education transformation
• The Arunachal Pradesh government inked a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and an organization for a large-
scale transformation in school education.
• The agreement was signed on the second anniversary of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• The MoU is a three-year partnership (2022 – 25).
• The MoU was signed in presence of Niti Aayog Education Advisor Dr. Prem Singh, state
Education Commissioner Padmini Singla, ISSE state Project Director Pige Ligu, and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of ‘Reach to Teach Foundation, Ratna Viswanathan.
About the MoU :
• The MoU focuses on the enhancement of the learning outcome of students across 3,000 plus
government schools in the state thereby, by reaching out to over 2 lakh children.
• The school education transformation project is under NITI Aayog’s Development Support
Services for States (DSSS) initiative.
About Arunachal Pradesh :
• Governor: B. D. Mishra
• Chief Minister : Pema Khandu
• Capital: Itanagar
About NITI Aayog :
• Established: 1 January 2015
• CEO: Parameswaran Iyer
• Chairperson: Narendra Modi
• Vice Chairperson : Suman Bery
West Bengal to get 7 new districts, total district tally raised to 30
• Shri Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal decided to carve out 7 new districts out
of the existing 23 districts by redrawing their boundaries for better administration and
development.
• The 7 new districts are
1. Sunderban
2. Ichhamati
3. Ranaghat
4. Bishnupur
5. Jangipur
6. Behrampur
7. Basirhat.
• With these new 7 districts, the total number of districts in West Bengal has increased to 30.
• At present, Sundarban falls under South 24 paraganas, whereas Icchemati and Basirhat fall
under North 24 Parganas.
• Ranaghat under Nadia and Jangipur and Behrampur from Murshidabad district.
• Bankura will be divided to form the Bishnupur district.
About West Bengal :
• Governor: La. Ganesan
• Chief Minister: Mamata Banerjee
• Capital: Kolkata
Assam CM launches digital issuance of caste certificates for students - Mission Bhumiputra
• Assam Chief Minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma launched 'Mission Bhumiputra', a digital way to
issue digitized caste certificates to students.
• Also, the CM inaugurated a Bhumiputra Portal at a program held at Srimanta Sankardev
Kalakshetra which is being implemented by the departments of Tribal Affairs (Plain) and Social
Justice and Empowerment.
• The mission has been implemented to carry forward the government's mission of easy public
service to the public
• The certificates will be available in the Digi locker under the IT Act and digitally signed by the
respective Deputy Commissioners.
• Henceforth, the manual system of issuing caste certificates will be ceased.
• Eligible Class IX -XII students will now be able to download SC/ST/OBC certificates from
bhumiputra.assam.gov.in.
• From 2023, students from Class VIII can apply for caste certificates through this portal which will
also be lined with the CM's dashboard to enable the Chief Minister's Office to monitor the entire
process.
Process of Certification :
• The Deputy Commissioners will give the format of applications for the caste certificates to the
Headmasters of educational institutions from August 8, 2022.
• The headmasters will fill up the application formats for their onward submission to the Deputy
Commissioners who then forward the applications to the Boards of their respective caste or
tribe.
• The DC then will convene a meeting with the Boards to decide on the protocol for issuing caste
certificates to the students.
• If any doubt in the process crops up, the application may be sent for further verification.
About Assam :
• Governor : Jagdish Mukhi
• Chief Minister : Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Capital: Dispur
West Bengal govt inks MoU with Maharashtra to prevent migration & trafficking of women
• The West Bengal government has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the
Maharashtra government to prevent migration and trafficking of women since a lot of movement
of people takes place between the two states.
• On the occasion of World Day against Trafficking in Persons (July 30, 2022) West Bengal
Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Minister Dr. Shashi Panja attended the
state-level consultation on ‘Uses and Abuses of Technology’ organized by the WB government
and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
• West Bengal is vulnerable to trafficking for having a porous international border with
Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and other states.
• Besides, there is a vulnerability index in certain districts and certain pockets in the state.
• Since 2013, the state government’s primary focus has been on the prevention of trafficking along
with the rehabilitation of rescued girls and women.
• Bongaon sub-division of West Bengal and Jessore district of Bangladesh on the other side of the
border is a trafficking belt.
About West Bengal :
About Maharashtra :
• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Chief Minister : Eknath Shinde
• Capital: Mumbai
World's largest floating solar power plant to be built in Madhya Pradesh
• The World’s largest floating Solar Power Plant will be constructed in Omkareshwar Dam in the
Narmada river in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh.
Aim :
• To boost power generation capacity in the MP & address electricity problems in the central
region.
Note :
• With the new floating solar plant, Khandwa will become the only district in the MP to have all
three things including solar, hydel, and thermal with over 4,000MW power to be produced from a
single district
About the Solar Power Plant :
• The project is estimated to be worth over ₹3000 crores.
• It will generate 600 Megawatt power by 2022-23.
India's largest floating solar project :
• Earlier in July 2022, India's largest floating solar power project was made fully operational after
NTPC declared commercial operation of the final part capacity of 20 MW out of 100 MW
Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project at Ramagundam in Telangana.
• With the operationalization of the 100-MW Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, the total
commercial operation of floating solar capacity in the Southern Region rose to 217 MW.
About MP :
• Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel
• Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
• Capital: Bhopal
Urban animal rescue center set up in Guindy National Park, Chennai, TN
• Tamil Nadu Forest Department has set up the first of its kind Urban animal rescue center
located inside the Guindy National Park, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• As it is a part of the Guindy National Park, a veterinarian attached to it as well as foresters have
been working with the center.
• The rescue center has two big enclosures and three smaller ones for injured animals.
• Among the infrastructural improvements, the center also established a new post-mortem room.
• The Tamil Nadu government has recently announced that a remodel of the Guindy National
Park will be carried out at a cost of ₹20 crores.
About TN :
• Chief minister: M. K. Stalin
• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Capital: Chennai
UP govt plans to double farmers’ income under ‘Panchamrut Yojana’
• Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath launched the ‘Panchamrut Yojana’ which
will help to achieve the goal of doubling farmers’ income through the introduction of cost-
effective technical measures and promotion of co-cropping methods.
Goal :
• To scale back sugarcane manufacturing prices while raising productivity and land fertility by way
of 5 methods, together with a built-in trench technique for sugarcane sowing, ratoon
administration and trash mulching, drip irrigation, and co-cropping.
About the Scheme :
• The scheme has the combined objective of reducing costs through saving water and maximum
use of stubble and the leaves of sugarcane, saving use of fertilizers and pesticides.
• It promotes the cultivation of more than one crop for greater productivity and enhances the
income of farmers as well as controlling pollution as there will be no need to burn leaves in the
fields.
• Under this UP Govt would initially choose a total of 2028 farmers within the state forward of the
autumn season to develop model plots.
• The minimum area of this plot will be 0.5 hectares, while at least 15 plots each will be selected in
Sugarcane Development Councils of Central and Western Uttar Pradesh and 10 in Eastern Uttar
Pradesh.
• The Panchamrut scheme will also allow farmers to grow oilseeds, pulses, and vegetables along
with sugarcane as per market demand for additional income.
• The Government will ensure that the farmers get the right price for their produce.
• Also, the Government increased the sugarcane support price by Rs 350 in the last crushing
season in advance, which included Rs 340 for normal and Rs 335 for species declared
unsuitable.
About UP :
• Governor : Anandiben Patel
• Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Capital: Lucknow
Tripura govt inks MoU with NESAC for 21 projects
• The Tripura government has signed an MoU with the North Eastern Space Application Center
(NESAC), Shillong, for 21 projects including disaster management and resource mapping.
Signatories :
• NESAC Director, SP Agarwal, and Tripura’s Science, Technology, and Environment secretary
Pradip Kumar Chakravarty signed the MoU.
Key Highlights :
• The Center has already approved 20 of the 21 projects as part of the promotional and transfer of
technology to develop a capacity building as well as resource making.
• The 20 approved projects include resource mapping of agriculture, horticulture, forest, land
revenue, and disaster management.
• The resource mapping of Patta lands allocated under the Forest Dwellers Right Act.
• Early warning systems for earthquakes, floods, and landslides will be developed in the state in
collaboration with NESAC which will be beneficial as Tripura is a disaster-prone state.
• The Indian Space Resource Organization (ISRO) and North Eastern Council (NEC) will fund to
implement all the 21 projects within the next 3 years.
• An amount of Rs 4.30 crore has been sanctioned for disaster management as resource
mapping.
About Tripura :
• Governor : Satyadev Narayan Arya
• Chief Minister : Manik Saha
• Capital : Agartala
About NESAC :
• Established: 5 September 2000
• Headquarters: Umiam, Meghalaya, India
• Director: Dr. S. P. Aggarwal
Punjab Government signs pact for climate action
• The Punjab government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for becoming a
member of the global network called Under2 Coalition to address climate change.
• The MoU was signed by Manish Kumar, Director, Environment and Climate Change on behalf of
the government, and Divya Sharma, India Executive Director, Climate Group on behalf of
Under2 Coalition.
About the MoU :
• With this MoU, Punjab has become a member of the largest network of 221 states or provincial
governments of 43 countries committed to reducing CO2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
in line with the Paris Agreement, adopted at a UN climate change summit in Paris in 2015.
• The collaboration would help in harnessing the strategic knowledge and technical support for
undertaking comprehensive activities for combating climate change.
• The MoU will support Punjab's commitment to build a robust climate-resilient ecosystem and
convert the climate vulnerabilities into opportunities.
• India is among the high-risk countries as it ranked 7th in the Global Climate Risk Index 2021.
About Punjab :
• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
• Chief minister: Bhagwant Mann
• Capital: Chandigarh
Andhra Pradesh renames the newly created Konaseema district after BR Ambedkar
• The Andhra Pradesh cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shri YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
approved the renaming of Konaseema as Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseema district .
• The Konaseema district was carved out from East Godavari with Amalapuram as its
headquarters.
• It was one of the 13 districts created on April 4, taking the total number of districts in the state to
26.
• Also, the cabinet gave its nod to disburse Rs 6,594.60 crore under the Jagananna Amma Vodi
scheme on June 27, 2022.
• Among the total Amma Vodi scheme beneficiaries, 54% are BCs, 21% are SCs, 6% are STs
and 19% are OBCs.
• As many as 43,96,402 beneficiaries (mothers of school-going children), including 5,48,329 fresh
applicants, will receive the aid.
• A total of 82,31,502 children stand to benefit from the welfare scheme.
• Under the agreement with the Byju’s for education-technology, the cabinet approved the
distribution of tablets to 4.7 lakh Class 8 students.
• The government is taking measures to implement the CBSE syllabus in government schools by
2025.
• The Cabinet has decided to extend power subsidies to aqua farmers who have 10 acres of
land.
• Further, a Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) package of Rs 216.71 crore for those
displaced by the Vamsadhara Project was also approved.
About AP :
• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
• Chief minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
• Capital: Amaravati
Arunachal Pradesh’s Hollongi greenfield airport named 'Donyi Polo' Airport, Itanagar
• The Arunachal Pradesh government has approved the naming of the under-construction
Hollongi greenfield airport near Itanagar as “Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar” which will start
operations in August 15, 2022.
About the Airport :
• The proposed airport will be the first in Arunachal Pradesh with a runway of 2,300 meters,
making it ideal for operating Boeing 747s, one of the largest passenger aircraft.
• The airport is located nearly 15 km away from Itanagar.
• It has been built at Rs 645 crores under the Centre’s Capital Connectivity Scheme, which has
been designed to accommodate A-320 aircraft.
• Its terminal structure, which spans 4100 square meters, will be able to accommodate 200 people
during peak hours.
• This terminal will be an energy-efficient structure with a rainwater harvesting system and a long-
term landscape plan.
• The name of the airport, will symbolize the age-old tradition and rich cultural heritage of the tribal
state and also will reflect the people’s age-old indigenous reverence for the Sun (Donyi) and the
Moon (Polo).
Delhi launches ‘One Road – One Week’ initiative of NDMC
• Delhi Lieutenant Governor Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena launched the “One Road-One Week” initiative
of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
• The Delhi LG reportedly directed officials to complete the works of 15 road stretches under the
NDMC areas on priority.
• The event was also attended by NDMC Acting Chairman Ashwini Kumar, Vice Chairman Satish
Upadhyay, and member NDMC Kuljeet Singh Chahal among others.
About the Initiative :
• Under the initiative, the civic body will undertake repair and maintenance work along footpaths,
pavements, and central verges.
• The project would include repair of footpaths, whitewash, painting, beautification of railing, ramps,
kerbstones, central verge, maintenance of electrical poles, and removal of all types of
encroachment.
About NDMC :
• It is one of three local bodies in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the others being the
Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Cantonment Board.
About Delhi :
• Lt Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena
• Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal
• Capital: New Delhi
Assam & Mizoram sign joint statement on resolving the border dispute
• The Assam and Mizoram governments signed a joint statement after a ministerial-level
discussion in Aizawl in Mizoram to take forward the process of resolution of the boundary
dispute between the two states.
• Mizoram's delegation was led by state's Home Minister Lalchamliana, while Minister of
Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, and Veterinary Atul Bora led Assam's delegation.
• The next meeting between High-Level delegations of two states will take place at Guwahati in
October 2022 where issues and claims will be deliberated in detail.
Key Highlights :
• Both states have agreed to promote and maintain peace to prevent any untoward incident al ong
the borders.
• Also, the Deputy Commissioners of the bordering districts of both states shall meet at least once
in two months.
• Assam shares a 164.6 km long boundary with Mizoram and many conflicts have taken place in
the last few years.
• In August 2021, the representatives of both states held talks in Mizoram’s capital Aizawl and
they agreed to maintain peace and resolve the inter-state boundary dispute through dialogue.
• The governments of Assam and Meghalaya had come up with a draft resolution to resolve their
border disputes in 6 of the 12 “areas of difference” along the 884-km boundary.
• According to the proposed recommendations for the 36.79 square km of land, Assam will keep
18.51 square km and give the remaining 18.28 square km to Meghalaya.
About Assam :
• Capital: Dispur
About Mizoram :
• Governor :Kambhampati Hari Babu
• Chief minister: Zoramthanga
• Capital: Aizawl
NLCIL inks MoU with Assam Power Distribution to develop 1,000 MW solar power proj ects
• Public sector power generator NLC India Limited (NLCIL) has signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) to develop
1,000 MW solar power projects in Assam.
• The two firms have formed a Joint Venture (JV), in which APDCL will hold a 49 percent stake
and 51 percent will be with NLCI.
• The MoU was signed by K. Mohan Reddy, Director (Planning and Projects), NLCIL, and R
Kumar, Managing Director, APDCL in the presence of Union Minister of Coal, Mines and
Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma and
Chairman-cum-Managing Director, NLCIL Rakesh Kumar, in Dispur.
Key Highlights :
• NLCIL operationalizes mining along with a power generation capacity of 6,061 MW, including a
renewable energy capacity of 1421.06 MW with 1,370.06 MW of solar and 51 MW of wind-based
power generation.
• The establishment of this solar project will act as a stepping stone for NLCIL to achieve its
ambitious plans of having a capacity of around 17,171 MW, including 6,031 MW of renewable
energy, by 2030.
• The project will generate 1,500 million units and our target is to produce 35,000 million units in
25 years.
• NLCI also donated Rs 5 crore to Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the recent devastating flood in
Assam.
About NLCIL :
• Founded: 1956
• Chairman & Managing Director: Rakesh Kumar
• NLC India Limited (NLC) (formerly Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited) is a government-owned
fossil fuel miner and thermal power generator under the ownership of the Ministry of Coal, GoI.
• NLCIL is the first CPSE to cross 1 GW capacity in solar power generation and is also a member
of the International Solar Alliance.
J&K: LG Manoj Sinha inaugurates "UMEED Market Place" under AVSAR Scheme of AAI
• In Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha inaugurated "UMEED Market
Place" under the AVSAR (Airport as Venue for Skilled Artisans of the Region) Scheme of the
Airport Authority of India at Srinagar International airport.
• A similar Marketplace was also opened at Jammu Airport and both the outlets will exhibit
products of all 20 districts.
About AVSAR Scheme :
• The initiative will support local art and artisans of Self Help Groups of J&K Rural Livelihood
Mission, providing a platform to market local products directly to the customers.
• The products of Self Help Groups will get exposed to the national market, strengthen the local
artisan community and provide sufficient promotional avenues for their products.
• The marketplace at both the Airports will provide huge visibility to the members of SHGs and
promote their products to a wider spectrum, reaching out to the larger population.
• It will make rural handicraft products available at reasonable prices to the passengers.
• More than 5 lakh w omen will benefit every year from stalls & counters offered to them for 15
days on a rotational basis.
• It will also serve as a point for passengers to place bulk orders and request customized
demands for corporate gifts.
• Earlier, the Lt Governor unveiled a 20X20 ft LED Video wall at Srinagar Airport.
• The inauguration ceremony commenced with the display of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ theme on the
LED Video Wall commemorating 75 years of Independence.
About J&K :
• Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha
• Capital: Srinagar, Jammu
Kerala govt to launch a mobile app to curb GST evasion
• The Kerala government will launch a mobile app named Lucky Bill App to curb Goods and
Services Tax (GST) evasion.
• The app will be launched by Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan on August 16, 2022.
• The app expects to help in increasing tax collections as people will be encouraged to ask for bills
while purchasing goods and availing services.
• It will enable the state GST department to examine return filings with the help of bills uploaded
by people.
• It will also enable the state GST Department to examine the status of the tax return filings.
• The move also comes when the compensation from the Center to the Goods and Services Tax
(GST) has ceased with effect from July 1.
About Kerala :
• Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
• Capital : Thiruvananthapuram
Flipkart signs MoU with District Administration of Varanasi, Govt of UP under the Samarth program
• Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the District Administration of Varanasi, Government of Uttar Pradesh,
to enable national market access for artisans, weavers, and people with disabilities.
• The MoU was exchanged at an event in Varanasi in the presence of Shri. Bhanu Pratap Singh
Verma, Hon’ble Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India
between Shri Umesh Kumar Singh, Joint Commissioner, Department of Industries, Varanasi
Division and Shri. Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group.
• Through this partnership, iconic goods such as Banaras Sarees, Handmade Carpets, Zardoji
Craft, Metal Crafts, and Handmade Dari from the state will now be available to 400 million
customers on the Flipkart platform.
• The Flipkart Samarth program will offer training and time-bound incubation support, which will
help artisans, weavers, people with disabilities, and craftsmen grow their businesses through e-
commerce.
About Flipkart :
• Founded: 2007
• CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy
About UP :
• Governor: Anandiben Patel
• Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath
Haryana government launches the Cheerag program for EWS Students
• Haryana Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal Khattar launched the “Chief Minister Equal Education
Relief, Assistance, and Grant (Cheerag)” scheme.
• Under the scheme, the government will provide free education to Economically Weaker section
(EWS) students of Government schools in private schools.
About Cheerag Scheme :
• Under the Cheerag scheme, government school students whose parents have an annual verified
income of less than Rs 1.8 lakh can enroll in private schools from Class II to XII.
• The government will reimburse Rs 700 per student from Classes II to V, Rs 900 per student from
Classes VI to VIII, and Rs 1,100 per student from Classes IX to XII.
• Under this, 533 “budget” private schools mostly in villages and small towns applied to offer seats
to EWS students
• However, the authorities found only 381 schools eligible due to different technical reasons.
• These schools offered 24,987 seats for EWS students from government schools.
• However, only 1,665 students have preferred to opt for the scheme, which is just 6.66 percent of
the total offered seats.
• It replaced a similar scheme launched in 2007, by Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s government. The
scheme was launched by Rule 134 A of Haryana School Education Rules, 2003.
About Haryana :
• Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
• Chief minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
Govt of Odisha Signs Pact With National Institute of Ocean Technology For Protecting Coastline
• The Odisha government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National
Institute of Ocean Technology for the protection of its coasts.
Signatories :
• The MoU was signed between Water Resources Department Engineer in Chief B K Mishra and
Dr. G A Ramdass, Director, NIOT, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• Odisha govt is taking all possible measures for disaster mitigation and focusing on zero
casualties.
• The MoU will be a milestone in the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the coastal areas of
Odisha.
About the MoU :
• NIOT will provide technical guidance, design, and drawing of climate resilient coastal protection
measures.
• The inhabitants of six coastal districts of the state such as Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara,
Jagatsinghpur, Puri, and Ganjam will be benefitted.
• Odisha has a vast coastline of about 480 km and the coastal areas are exposed to natural
disasters. Cyclones cause high tidal surges with very high wind speed, resulting in loss of lives
and properties.
About NIOT :
• Established: November 1993
• Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Director : Dr. Gidugu Ananda Ramadass
• NIOT, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is a premier institute in India specializing in the field
of ocean engineering and coastline protection.
About Odisha :
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik
• Capital: Bhubaneswar
Meghalaya to host 2nd North East Olympic Games 2022
• Meghalaya will host the 2nd edition of the North East Olympic Games 2022, in Shillong which
will be held from October 30 to November 6, 2022.
• The 2022 edition of the Games will be special as Meghalaya is celebrating the 50th year of its
Statehood.
• Approximately 4000 participants (athletes, technical staff, and volunteers) are expected to
participate in the games.
• Athletes from all eight northeastern states Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura will be competing.
• The Games will feature 18 Olympic sports disciplines-archery, athletics, badminton, basketball,
boxing, football, judo, karate, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, wushu,
cycling, golf, weightlifting, and wrestling.
• The events will be held in 13 venues.
• The sports disciplines have been chosen based on the availability of infrastructure and as per
the advice of the Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA).
• The first edition of the North East Olympic Games was held in Manipur in 2018, with 12
disciplines.
About NEOA :
• President: Th Radheshyam
• Secretary-general: Abraham K Techi
About Meghalaya :
• Governor: Satya Pal Malik
• Chief minister: Conrad Sangma
• Capital: Shillong
Agathiyamalai became 5th elephant reserve in Tamil Nadu
• On the Occasion of World Elephant Day 2022 (Aug 12), Tamil Nadu Government has notified its
5th Elephant Reserve at Agathiyamalai in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu.
• The Reserve will be spread across 1,197.48 sq. km of land and will cover Kanyakumari and
Tirunelveli areas.
• With this India has 31 elephant reserves.
List of 4 Existing Elephant Reserves in TN :
1. Nilgiris-Eastern Ghat - Nilgiris, Erode, Dharmapuri District
2. Nilambur Silent Valley Coimbatore Elephant Reserve - in Coimbatore, Nilgiris Dt
3. Srivilliputhur Elephant Reserve - Theni, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli Dt
4. Anamalai - Parambikulam Elephant Reserve - Coimbatore, Dindigul Dt
• Designation of the area as a dedicated reserve forest will also provide connectivity of the
elephant migratory paths in the landscape through proper research and effective management.
Additional Info :
• The 30th Elephant Reserve was notified in Nagaland in 2018.
• According to the 2017 census, Karnataka has the highest number of elephants (6049) followed
by Assam (5719) & Kerala (3054).
First Tiranga Park set up in Gurugram
• Under the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan, the first Tiranga Park was set up in Gurugram, Haryana
by the district administration.
• The park was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, as the chief
guest.
• On this occasion, Deputy Commissioner Nishant Yadav along with Dr. Aishwarya Mahajan,
President of M3M Foundation was present.
• The park has been constructed with the support of the M3M Foundation at the Swatantrata
Senani Bhawan located at the Civil Lines, Gurugram.
• In the park, 75 national flags of 12-ft height have been installed on the 75th anniversary of
Independence.
• On behalf of the administration, every effort is being made at the administrative level to ensure
the participation of the general public in the district.
About M3M Foundation :
• Founded: 2019
• M3M Foundation is the philanthropic arm of M3M Group; working towards bringing equitable
development that helps in attaining a brighter India.
Asia’s largest CBG plant is operational in Punjab’s Sangrur
• Asia's largest Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant has been commissioned in the Sangrur district of
Punjab, in a step to generate clear and inexperienced power.
• The plant with a total capacity of 33.23 tons CBG per day had been commissioned at Bhuttal
Kalan village in Sangrur in April 2022.
• The plant supplies CBG to the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) outlet.
Key Highlights :
• The projects are anticipated to attract private investment totaling around Rs. 1200 crore and
create jobs for 8000 skilled and unskilled workers.
• Additionally, Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has allocated 42 additional CBG
projects, totaling 492.58 tonnes per day (TPD), based on paddy straw and other agricultural
waste.
• These initiatives will decrease greenhouse gas emissions while boosting the rural economy by
giving farmers extra money from agricultural waste.
• The two more plants with a total capacity of 14.25 tons CBG per day are likely to be completed
in 2022-23 & within the next three years, the remaining projects are expected to be
commissioned.
• All of these projects will consume around 16.5 lakh tons of paddy straw per annum to produce
492.58-ton CBG per day.
About PEDA :
• Chief Executive : Sumeet Jarangal
Rajasthan Govt approves MoU with SJVN for developing renewable energy projects
• The Rajasthan government has approved signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVN Ltd) for developing 10,000 MW renewable energy
projects.
• These projects/parks will usher in socio-economic development in the state and will open up
multiple direct and indirect employment opportunities.
• An investment of Rs 50,000 crore is estimated for developing these projects in the next 5 to 7
years.
• SJVN will establish the renewable energy projects on the land banks to be allocated by
Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Ltd.
• SJVN will be able to achieve the shared vision of 5000 MW by 2023, 25000 MW by 2030, and
50000 MW by 2040.
Note :
• Recently, Rajasthan was the first Indian state to achieve 10 GW of large-scale, cumulative solar
installations.
About SJVN Ltd :
• Founded: 1988
• Headquarters: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
• Chairman & Managing Director : Nand Lal Sharma
• It is an Indian public sector undertaking involved in hydroelectric power generation and
transmission
• It is a joint venture between the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh.
About Rajasthan :
• Chief Minister : Ashok Gehlot
• Capital: Jaipur
I-Day: Karnataka CM launches new schemes on sanitation, nutrition, farm labor, and soldiers’ welfare
• On the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, Karnataka Chief Minister Shri Basavaraj
Bommai has launched new schemes on sanitation, nutrition, and the well-being of farmers,
laborers, and brave soldiers.
Key Highlights :
• The “Raitha Vidya Nidhi '' for farmers’ children will be extended to landless agricultural laborers.
About Raitha Vidya Nidhi :
Aim :
• To promote education for farmers’ children.
• Under the scheme, a scholarship of Rs 439.95 crore has been distributed to 10.03 lakh children.
• Subsequently, the scheme was extended to weavers, fishermen, and yellow board taxi drivers’
children.
• To create a clean and hygienic environment in government schools and colleges, 100 percent
toilet coverage will be achieved in the state at Rs 250 crore.
• Also, a loan-cum-subsidy scheme up to Rs 50,000 will be launched to support potters,
blacksmiths, carpenters, sculptors, Bhajantri, basket weavers, Vishwakarmas, Madars, and
other artisans.
• Govt of Karnataka made a contribution of at least USD 1 trillion for empowering the state to
realize Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s transformation of India into a USD 5 trillion
economy.
About Karnataka :
• Governor: Thawarchand Gehlot
• Chief Minister : Basavaraj Bommai
• Capital: Bangalore
BRO to build first steel slag road on Arunachal Pradesh border
• In a first of its kind, the Border Road Organization (BRO) is planning to construct a pilot road
stretch on the Arunachal Pradesh border using steel slag.
Aim :
• To “convert waste to wealth” around one lakh tonne of processed steel slag aggregates have
been utilized here substituting the natural aggregates.
Key Highlights :
• The project has been initiated after the success of using 100% steel slag on a port connectivity
road in Gujarat, which has a longer life and is built at a low cost.
• This 1.2 km Hazira port connectivity stretch was a research and development (R&D) project
carried out by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research - Central Road Research Institute
(CSIR-CRRI) in collaboration with a major steel manufacturer and steel ministry.
• The project has entered the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records.
Note :
• India is the world’s 2nd largest steel-producing country after China & annually around 195 lakh
tonnes of steel slag is generated and this quantity is slated to increase to 600 lakh tonnes by
2030.
Other Projects :
• The National Highways Authority India (NHAI) will also use the steel slag for the construction of
a portion of the Mumbai-Goa highway.
• The Indian Railways has also sanctioned a major R&D project to CSIR-CRRI to explore the
possible utilization of steel slag aggregate as railway ballast for track construction and
maintenance.
About CSIR-CRRI :
• Location: New Delhi
• Director: Dr. Ranjana Aggarwal
• President: Prime Minister of India (Shri Narendra Modi)
About BRO :
• Established: 7 May 1960
• Director General: Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhary
MP's Mandla becomes India’s 1st fully 'functionally literate' district
• Madhya Pradesh’s tribal-dominated Mandla region has become the first fully “functionally
literate” district in India.
• The declaration was made by the state minister of food and civil supplies Shri Bisahulal Singh.
• Within two years, the entire district has become functionally literate, claiming that people were
able to write their names, count, and read.
• The district administration launched a campaign in 2020 to make the residents fully literate.
• For this purpose, the administration employed the education, and women and child development
departments along with social workers to educate the people.
• The literacy rate in Mandla was 68% as per a survey in 2011, while in 2020 it was pointed out
that over 2.25 lakh people were not literate in the district and most of them were tribals living in
the forest areas.
About MP :
• Capital: Bhopal
India's first electric double-decker bus launched in Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highway Shri Nitin Gadkari launched India’s first electric
double-decker bus named Switch EiV 22 at YB Center in south Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The electric bus was designed, developed, and manufactured in India by Switch Mobility, Ashok
Leyland’s electric vehicle arm.
• The bus will be run by the Mumbai civic transport body from September 2022.
• Two new electric buses, including the first air-conditioned double-decker bus in India, will join the
fleet of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST).
Key features of AC double-decker buses:
• App-based seat booking, live tracking, and payment on the BEST Chalo App
• A dedicated USB charging port for every passenger
• Adjustable footrest
• Express service with fewer stops during peak hours
• Monthly passes for regular passengers
• The Switch EiV22 has a 231kWh battery with a claimed range of up to 250km
• The double-decker has a lightweight aluminum body construction, which offers a higher
passenger-to-weight ratio and a competitive cost per km, per passenger.
• It can ferry nearly twice the number of seated passengers as a comparable single-decker bus
with just an 18% increase in kerb weight.
Note :
• The new electric double-decker bus Switch EiV 22 will be the world’s first semi-low floor, an air-
conditioned, electric double-decker with a wider door on the rear overhang and a rear staircase.
• CEO of Switch Mobility India: Mahesh Babu
About Maharashtra :
• Chief minister: Eknath Shinde
• Deputy Chief Minister : Devendra Fadanvis
• Capital: Mumbai
Jharkhand Becomes 1st State to Introduce Blockchain Technology for Seed Distribution
• The Directorate of Agriculture, Jharkhand & global blockchain technology company, SettleMint,
India jointly announced the launch of seed distribution to farmers based on blockchain
technology.
Aim :
• To reduce pilferage & get rid of spurious seeds that the farmers receive under various
government schemes including the seed exchange scheme.
• The platform provides information on a real-time basis to monitor activities like Large Area
Multipurpose Society (LAMPS)/ Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS) / Farmers Producers
Organization (FPO) wise seed distribution to farmers in different districts, quantity/variety of seed
being purchased by farmers, no. of times seed is being purchased by a farmer, etc.
• During the current Kharif season (June-Oct), the department has covered seed distribution of
cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and coarse cereals completely via blockchain technology.
• To date, more than 3 lakh farmers, 600 LAMPS/PACS/Private distributors, and 160 FPOs have
been registered on the platform.
Note :
• Jharkhand becomes the first in India to implement blockchain technology for Seed Distribution in
the agricultural sector.
• CEO of SettleMint India: Mr. Shahzad Fatmi
About Jharkhand :
• Governor: Ramesh Bais
• Chief Minister : Hemant Soren
• Capital: Ranchi
Goa becomes the 1st ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Certified State & Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu become
the 1st ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Certified UT in India
• Goa and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (D&NH and D&D) became the first ‘Har Ghar
Jal’ certified State & first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ Certified UT in India respectively.
• People from all the villages have declared their village as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ through a resolution
passed by Gram Sabha, certifying that all households in the villages have access to safe
drinking water through taps, ensuring that ‘No One is Left Out.
• All 2.63 lakh rural households of Goa & 85,156 of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have
access to potable water through tap connection.
• Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) or paani Samiti has been constituted in all the
378 villages of Goa and 96 villages of D&NH and D&D.
• VWSC is responsible for the operation, maintenance, and repair of water supply infrastructure
developed under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ program.
About Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) :
• JJM is a flagship program of the GoI which was announced by the visionary Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi on August 15, 2019.
Aim :
• To make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality, and
on a regular & long-term basis to every rural household of the country by 2024.
• The program is implemented by the GoI in partnership with States/UTs.
About Goa :
• Governor: P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
• Chief Minister : Pramod Sawant
• Capital : Panaji (Panjim)
• Airport: Goa International Airport (the international airport in Dabolim, Goa, India)
CPRI signed MoU with the Chhattisgarh govt to establish a regional testing laboratory
• The Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the Government of Chhattisgarh to set up Central India’s largest regional testing laboratory
in Raipur district, Chhattisgarh.
• The MoU was signed between Chhattisgarh energy department secretary Mr. Ankit Anand and
Additional Director of CPRI, Mr. BA Sawale, in the presence of Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh
Baghel.
About the Agreement :
• Under the agreement, the national-level testing unit will be established on an area of 10 acres in
sector-30 of Nava Raipur Atar Nagar which will have test facilities for transformers, energy
meters, transformer oil, and switch fuse units, and other electricity-related equipment.
About CPRI :
• It was re-organized into an autonomous Society in the year 1978 under the aegis of the Ministry
of Power, GoI.
About Chhattisgarh :
• Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
• Chief minister: Bhupesh Baghel
• Capital: Raipur
Solar capacity installations in India rose by 59 percent to a record 7.2 gigawatts:
• Solar capacity installations in the country rose by 59 percent to a record 7.2 gigawatts (GW)
during the first half of 2022, according to Mercom India Research.
• In January-June or H1 of 2021, the country had added 4.5 GW of solar capacity, the research
firm's 'Q2 2022 India Solar Market Update.
• The solar installations in April-June 2022 also increased by 59 percent to over 3.9 GW compared
to 2.4 GW installed in the second quarter of 2021.
• Cumulative large-scale solar PV installations in Rajasthan reached almost 13 GW as of June
2022, and the state accounted for almost 27 percent of the total installations in the country.
• In the first half of 2022, Rajasthan and Gujarat were the top states for large-scale solar,
accounting for 53 percent and 14 percent of installations, respectively, followed by Maharashtra
with 9 percent.
• A US-based Mercom Capital Group subsidiary, Mercom Communications India is a clean energy
research and communications firm with expertise in clean-tech markets.
The 10th National Conference of Women Police will begin in Shimla:
• In Himachal Pradesh, the 10th National Conference of Women Police will begin in Shimla.
• More than two hundred women police officers and employees across the country are
participating in this two-day National conference.
• The conference is being organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Bureau of Police
Research and Development (BPRD) in collaboration with Himachal Police.
• The main objective of this conference is to enhance the leadership potential of women police
officers and discuss their problems and challenges.
• State Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu said, at present, the strength of women in the
police force in Himachal is 13 percent and the women quota in the police has been increased to
25 percent.
Dr. Jitendra Singh launched India’s first Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus:
• Dr. Jitendra Singh launched India’s first truly indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus
developed by KPIT-CSIR in Pune.
• The Minister lauded the joint development efforts of KPIT and CSIR-NCL and pointed out that the
technology prowess of Indian scientists and engineers is no less than the best in the world and
also at much lower costs.
• Later, Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Bisphenol-A pilot plant in CSIR-NCL and said these
pilot plants have successfully demonstrated novel process technologies developed by NCL under
CSIR’s Covid-19 mission program and Bulk Chemicals mission program.
• Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an important feedstock for the production of epoxy resins, polycarbonate,
and other engineering plastics.
• The global market for Bisphenol-A is projected to reach 7.1 Million Tons by 2027, growing at a
CAGR of 2% over the analysis period 2020-2027.
India recorded another milestone – of 101462 villages declaring themselves as ODF:
• Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G), the flagship program of the Government of India
recorded another milestone – of 101462 villages declaring themselves as ODF (open defecation
free) Plus.
• These villages are sustaining their ODF status and have systems in place for managing solid
and/or liquid waste and they would continue on their sanitation journey as they work towards
making their villages cleaner, greener and healthier.
• Almost eight years ago, Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission from
the ramparts of the Red Fort, with a vision to make the country open defecation free as a tribute
to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary. Under his visionary leadership, the country
came together in the world’s largest behavior change campaign and achieved its aim, and on 2nd
October 2019.
• One lakh ODF Plus villages are no small achievement, given that the process of solid and liquid
waste management is technical, is relatively new to rural India, and is a second-generation issue.
• The top five performing states are Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal
Pradesh where a maximum number of villages have been declared as ODF Plus.
• The campaign reinforces the Government’s commitment to promoting hygiene and safe
sanitation and thereby improving the quality of life of its citizens and fulfilling our dream of a
Sampoorn, Swachh, and Swasth Bharat by 2024-25.
NSDC with Seva Bharti and Yuva Vikas Society launched the second phase of the Grameen Udyami
Project.
• To augment skill training in tribal communities for their inclusive and sustainable growth, National
Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in partnership with Seva Bharti and Yuva Vikas Society
launched the second phase of the Grameen Udyami Project.
• Under the initiative, the endeavor is to multiskill India’s youth and impart functional skills to them
for enabling livelihoods.
• Grameen Udyami is a unique multiskilling project, funded by NSDC that aims to train 450 tribal
students in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
• The project is being implemented in six states— Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.
• In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, the training of 157 candidates started in seven batches in May 2022
and approximately 133 candidates completed the training successfully on June 27th, 2022.
• The phase-II of the pilot project launched in Ranchi is being implemented by Yuva Vikas Society,
through Seva Bharti Kendra in Ranchi.
• NSDC under the aegis of MSDE has supported in setting up of labs and classrooms through
Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) in Seva Bharti Kendra Skill Development Center.
• Grameen Udyami Yojana is implemented under Sansadiya Parisankul Yojana.
L&T Commissions New Green Hydrogen Plant at Hazira in Gujarat
• Engineering major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) commissioned a new green hydrogen plant at Hazira
in Gujarat.
• The development comes five months after the company inked a joint venture with Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC) and ReNew Power for the production of green hydrogen.
• The plant was inaugurated by Mr. Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation
Limited.
• L&T and IOC had also inked a separate joint venture for the production of electrolyzers.
Key Highlights :
• The plant will produce 45 kg of green hydrogen daily, which will be used for captive consumption
in the company’s Hazira manufacturing complex.
• The green hydrogen plant is designed for an electrolyzer capacity of 800 kW comprising both
alkaline (380 kW) and polymer electrolyte membrane (420 kW) technologies.
• It will be powered by a rooftop solar plant of 990kW peak DC capacity and a 500kWh battery
energy storage system (BESS).
• As part of its ESG commitments, L&T has pledged to achieve water neutrality by 2035 and
carbon neutrality by 2040.
About L&T :
• Chairman : Anil Manibhai Naik
• MD & CEO : S. N. Subrahmanyan
About Gujarat :
• Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat
• Chief Minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel
• Capital: Gandhinagar
Centre to collaborate with Arunachal govt to develop ‘district good governance portal’
• The Central government has planned to collaborate with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh
to develop a “district good governance portal”.
Aim:
• To monitor the performance of each district of the state every month and help in benchmarking
performance.
• The plan is to help the state in upgrading the e-office version 5.6 to e-office version 7.0 in a
phased manner.
• Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced during the two-day Regional Conference on “Bringing
Citizens and Government Closer thr ough A dministr ative R eforms” at Ita n agar , A r unachal
Pradesh.
• The Conference organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances
(DARPG) comes after the National Conference on e-Governance held in Meghalaya i n A ugust
2019, when the “Shillong Declaration” on e-Governance was adopted.
• The conference discussed 5 technical sessions with reforms in governance; p ublic g rievances
redressal and e-Office in the North East states; good governance practices in the North Eastern
states; district good governance index and good governance practices.
• Further, the National Centre for Good Governance under the DARPG will organize mid -career
building programs in governance for 500 officers of the Arunachal Pradesh Administrative
Services over the next five years.
• Arunachal Pradesh has declared 2022-23 as the year of e-governance.
Punjab & Haryana agree to name Chandigarh international airport after Bhagat Singh
• Punjab and Haryana governments agreed to name the Chandigarh international airport after
freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
• The decision was taken during a meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Shri Bhagwant Mann
and Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Shri Dushyant Chautala.
• The collective contribution of both states and the Chandigarh Administration is involved in the
construction and modernization of the airport.
• In 2017, The Punjab government demanded that the airport should be named “Shaheed-e-Azam
Sardar Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali”.
• The Haryana government led by Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal Khattar had objected to using
Mohali, which falls in Punjab, in the airport’s name.
• Punjab had given 307 acres of land in Mohali for the airport.
• The Rs 485-crore airport project is a joint venture of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the
governments of Punjab and Haryana.
• Punjab and Haryana have 24.5% share each while the AAI has 51% share.
About Punjab :
• Governor : Banwarilal Purohit
• Chief Minister : Bhagwant Mann
About Haryana :
• Governor : Bandaru Dattatreya
• Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
Assam CM Launches 'Vidya Rath- School On Wheels' Project For economically weaker kids
• Assam Chief Minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched a project ‘Vidya Rath- School on
Wheels’ at a function held at the premises of Gauhati High Court in Assam.
Aim :
• To provide underprivileged children to access elementary education for 10 months.
• After 10 months, the children will be integrated into the conventional system of education.
• The stakeholders of Vidya Rath namely the Government of Assam, Assam State Legal Services
Authority, Guwahati High Court Legal Services Committee, District Legal Services Authority
Kamrup (Metro), Assam State Transport Corporation, Assam Sarba Siksha Mission, GMDA and
the various NGOs
• Under the project, students will be given free mid-day meals, uniforms, and textbooks.
About Assam :
• Capital: Dispur
Sikkim CM launches schemes for women’s welfare
• Sikkim Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang announced schemes for the welfare of women at
Bhaichung Stadium in Namchi, Sikkim.
• The program was held outside Paljor Stadium, Gangtok for the first time after Sikkim merged
with the Indian Union in 1975.
About the Schemes :
• Sikkim Aama Sashaktikaran Yojana (SASY) - Under Aama Yojana all unemployed mothers in
the state will receive Rs 20,000 annually which will be deposited in their bank accounts.
• Chief Ministers Vatsalya Yojana - Under this, an aid of Rs 3 lakh will be provided to childless
women for in vitro fertilization treatment.
• The financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh for IVF treatment will be given in two phases – Rs 1 lakh in
the 1st and Rs 2 lakh in the 2nd and last phase.
• Mukhya Mantri Swasthya Suvidha Yojana a health insurance for MR (Medical Representative)
/Adhoc /Contractual/Probationary Employees
• He announced year-long maternity leave for women employees of the state beginning in place
of the six-month leave which was the practice so far.
• He also launched the mobile village clinic program to provide accessible medical facilities to
people in remote areas in all six districts.
About Sikkim :
• Governor : Ganga Prasad
• Chief Minister : Prem Singh Tamang
• Capital : Gangtok
UP CM Yogi Adityanath launches 'Radio Jaighosh' to mark Kakori Train Action anniversary
• As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Yogi
Adityanath launched 'Radio Jaighosh' to mark the anniversary of Kakori Train Action.
Aim :
• To promote folk art, performing art, regional delicacies of Uttar Pradesh, and gallantry award
winners.
• UP’s Department of Culture is launching the community radio channel.
About 'Radio Jaighosh' :
• Radio Jaighosh will be available at 107.8 MHz and will broadcast programs from 6 a.m. to 10
p.m. daily from the newly renovated studio of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in Lucknow.
• Daily shows on the radio will include 'Parakram' that will revolve around gallant soldiers of the
pre and post-Independence era and unsung heroes, while 'Shaurya Nagar' will promote folktales
from all the 75 districts of the state.
About UP :
GoI grants GI Tag to Bihar’s Mithila Makhana
• The government has awarded a geographical indication (GI) tag to ‘Mithila Makhana’, from Bihar
in a bid to help farmers get the maximum price for their premium produce.
• Over 5 lakh farmers of the Mithila region of Bihar will be benefited from this decision.
• As per the certificate, GI has been registered in the name of Mithilanchal Makhana Utpadak
Sangh.
• This tag helps establish the assurance of quality and uniqueness of the
agricultural/natural/handicraft/industrial product, available in a particular region.
• Mithila Makhana is makhana (fox nuts) grown in the Mithila region of Bihar.
• This is the 5th product from Bihar which is awarded to GI tag including
1. Bhagalpur’s Jardalu Mango
2. Katarni Dhaan rice
3. Nawads’s Magahi Paan
4. Muzaffarpur’s Shahi Litchi
Note :
• As many as 400 products in India have been awarded the GI tags
• Karnataka has the maximum number of GI-tagged products in India
• Darjeeling tea was the first product to obtain a GI tag in October 2004.
About GI Tag :
• A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin
and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
• GI tags are not only limited to agricultural products, foods, wine, and spirit drinks but also extend
to handicrafts, specific manufacturing skills, and traditions.
List OF Newly Added GI Tags In 2022 :
GI Tags
Products Categories States/UTs
1. Kashmir Saffron Agriculture Jammu & Kashmir
2. Manipuri Black Rice Food Stuff Manipur
3. Kandhamal Haladi Agricultural Odisha
4. Rasagola Food Stuff Odisha
5. Kodaikanal Malai Poondu Agricultural Tamil Nadu
6. Pawndum Handicraft Mizoram
7. Ngotekherh Handicraft Mizoram
8. Hmaram Handicraft Mizoram
9. Palani Panchamirtham Food Stuff Tamil Nadu
10. Tawlhlohpuan Handicraft Mizoram
11. Mizo Puanchei Handicraft Mizoram
12. Gulbarga Tur Dal Agricultural Karnataka
13. Tirur Betel Leaf (Tirur Vettila) Agricultural Kerala
14. Khola Chilli Agricultural Goa
15. Idu Mishmi Textiles Handicraft Arunachal Pradesh
16. Dindigul Locks Manufactured Tamil Nadu
17. Kandangi Saree Handicraft Tamil Nadu
18. Srivilliputtur Palkova Food Stuff Tamil Nadu
19. Kaji Nemu Agricultural Assam
Uttar Pradesh govt sets to build India’s first education township
• First, the Government of Uttar Pradesh is set to build an education township that will be
developed on the idea of 'Single Entry, Multiple Exit'.
The focus of this township :
• It will be on high-end education, which will cater to students from not only the country but also
African, Latin American, and Central Asian countries.
• He had recently directed authorities to prepare a comprehensive action plan for setting up five
education townships in the state during a meeting with the representatives of consultancy firm
Deloitte India to explore ways to make Uttar Pradesh a $1 trillion economy.
Key Highlights :
• The private sector will play an important role in this education township.
• Besides, primary and secondary schools like Atal Residential Schools will be established.
• Universities and colleges will be established for undergraduate and postgraduate studies
wherein studies and research works related to management, technology, law, and medicine will
be carried out.
• It will feature skill development universities & many other coaching institutes like Abhyudaya will
be started in these education townships.
About UP :
Delhi CM Kejriwal launches ‘Mission to make India No 1
• Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Shri Arvind Kejriwal
launched a “mission to make India No. 1” at the Talkatora stadium, New Delhi, Delhi.
• He also proposed a five-point vision for good governance.
1. To provide free and quality education to every child
2. To provide free and best medical treatment along with free medicines and test facilities
3. To employ every youth
4. To provide equal rights and security to women
5. To ensure farmers get fair prices for their produce
About Delhi :
• Lt. Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena
Chhattisgarh to set up 300 rural industrial parks
• Chhattisgarh Government will set up 300 rural industrial parks in the state to create a source of
additional income for rural poor families
Aim :
• To strengthen the rural economy and make the “gauthan” (cattle shed) a center of livelihood.
• The project will be launched on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, 2022.
• The first such park in Chhattisgarh came up in Kulgaon, Kanker district, which has been named
Gandhi Gram.
• The district administration, along with women’s self-help groups, has developed the park.
• Chhattisgarh has set up 8,404 gauthans of the 10,624 sanctioned.
• Also, the state government has started procuring cow urine for Rs 4 a liter for making organic
fertilizers and pesticides.
• Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel
• Capital: Raipur
J&K becomes first to establish Atal Tinkering Labs in partnership with NITI Aayog
• The Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has become the first amongst
States/UTs to establish an Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) in partnership with the government think
tank National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.
• NITI Aayog will replicate the J&K model of Atal Tinkering Lab to the rest of India on a 50:50 cost-
sharing basis.
Aim :
• To encourage young minds in the field, and challenge students to become producers of products
themselves instead of consumers.
Key Highlights :
• To foster entrepreneurship and innovation, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog has established
over 10000 ATLs across India so far enabling over 3 Million students between Grade VI to
Grade XII acquire a problem-solving, tinkering, and innovative mindset.
• An MoU signed between AIM and J&K UT will provide rupees 10 lakh each to establish ATLs in
UT.
• One ATL cost Rs 20 Lakh provided by AIM.
• The AIM will establish more than 500 labs in J&K schools in the coming years to promote an
innovative and creative mindset among J&K students.
• It is planned to set up 250 ATL in the Jammu region & 250 in the Kashmir region to be
constructed under AIM.
Note :
• Atal Innovation Mission Director: Chintan Vaishnav
About J&K :
• Lt Governor : Manoj Sinha
About NITI Aayog
• Chairperson: Narendra Modi (Prime Minister of India)
• Vice Chairperson : Suman Bery
Goa to implement a 100% NEP in higher education from next academic year
• Goa Chief Minister Shri Pramod S awant announced that it will implement 100% of the syllabus
in higher education institutes along the lines of the National Education Policy (NEP) from the
next academic year
• The implementation of NEP from college to university level has already started.
• Also, Goa has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with around 35 industry
associations in the state who will work on skill development.
About Goa :
• Airport: Goa International Airport (Dabolim)
Tata Steel inks MoU with Punjab govt to set up steel plant in Ludhiana
• Tata Steel Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of
Punjab to establish a 0.75 million tonne per annum (MnTPA) l ong products steel mill using a
scrap-based electric arc furnace (EAF) steel plant in Ludhiana.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Shri Bhagwant Mann, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Punjab.
• This initiative to set up the greenfield facility at Kadiana Khurd, Hitech Valley, Ludhiana in
Punjab is part of Tata Steel’s commitment to investing in a circular economy and transitioning to
low-carbon steel making through the steel recycling route.
• It is a step aligned with the Company’s goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emission by 2045.
• The EAF-based steel plant would produce construction-grade steel rebar under the Company’s
flagship retail brand ‘Tata Tiscon’, which would enable Tata Steel to further augment its market
presence in the construction segment.
• In August 2021, Tata Steel commissioned its first Steel Recycling Plant of 0.5 MnTPA capacity
at Rohtak in Haryana.
About Tata Steel :
• CEO & MD: T. V. Narendran
About Punjab :
• Governor : Banwarilal Purohit
• Chief Minister : Bhagwant Mann
ISKCON to build the Temple of Vedic Planetarium world’s largest religious monument in West Bengal
• The world's largest religious monument, the Temple of Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur, West
Bengal, will join India's list of iconic buildings.
• The entire project is worth $100 million and the construction began in 2010 & it is expected to be
open in 2024.
• It will replace Cambodia’s 400-acre-large Angkor Wat temple complex.
• The extravagant temple will be the headquarters of the International Society of Krishna
Consciousness (ISKON).
• Its design is inspired by the Capitol building in the United States.
• The monument is bigger than the Taj Mahal in Agra and St Paul's Cathedral in Vatican City.
• It will also be among the tallest Hindu temples in the world.
About ISKON :
• Headquarters: Nadia, West Bengal, India
• Founder: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• The ISKCON, known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement or Hare Krishnas, is a Gaudiya
Vaishnava religious organization.
About West Bengal :
Maharashtra to get its first “Divyang Park’’ in Nagpur
• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), Government of India (GoI),
established the first “Divyang Park” for Divyangjan’ under the Assistance to Disabled Persons
(ADIP) Scheme of MoSJE at Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
• Also, GoI organized a ‘Samajik Adhikarita Shivir’ for the distribution of aids and assistive devices
to Divyangjan’ & Senior citizens under ADIP & ‘Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana’ (RVY Scheme).
• The Chief Guest of the function Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and
Highways inaugurated the distribution camp.
• A total of 241200 aids and assistive devices worth Rs. 3483.00 Lakh will be distributed free of
cost under the central Government Scheme to 27356 Senior Citizens and 7780 Divyangjan
beneficiaries.
About Divyang Park :
• Divyang Park will have different kinds of facilities for Divyangjans like a sensory garden, textile
Pathway touch and smell garden, skill training facility, rehabilitation facility, Sports &
infotainment, etc.
About MoSJE :
• Union Minister: Dr. Virendra Kumar
• Minister of State: Ramdas Athawale, Pratima Bhowmik, A. Narayanaswamy
About Maharashtra :
• Capital: Mumbai
UP govt to develop Kannauj as a perfume tourism destination
• The Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has decided to develop Kannauj as a perfume tourism
destination.
Aim :
• To take the ₹250 crore perfume business to ₹25,000 crores.
• The perfume park will be functional from 15th November 2022
• The decision was taken to emphasize the importance of the perfume industry in India.
• The government of Uttar Pradesh has also decided to organize an international perfume fair in
Kannuaj in December 2021.
• The first phase of the perfume park being set up in the district will be completed by November
15, 2022.
• It will give momentum to chief minister Shri Yogi Adityanath’s vision of making Uttar Pradesh a $
1 trillion economy.
• The perfume of Kannauj has international demands and it comes under the ‘One District, One
Product’ initiative.
• Technical institutes like the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant (CIMAP) will be
also roped in to promote perfume production.
About UP :
AP ink MoU with Parley for Oceans to save seas from pollution
• The Government of Andhra Pradesh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the United States (US)-based Parley for the Oceans, to clean the shores of the State and make
Andhra Pradesh plastic free by 2027.
• The MoU was signed by Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA&UD),
Audimulapu Suresh, MAUD Principal S ecretary, Y. Sri Lakshmi and Founder of “Parley for the
Oceans” Cyrill Gutsch.
• Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet (GASP) will be partnering with the project
Aim :
• To develop and implement improved sanitation and waste-management system;
• To deploy AIR (Avoid Intercept & Redesign) plastic stations in approximately 500 places
• To create 10 eco-innovation hubs
• To intercept plastic wastes along the coastline, drains, irrigation channels, and rivers.
Key Highlights :
• As part of the MoU, around ₹16,000 crore investment is expected for Andhra Pradesh in the
next 6 years.
• This apart, about 20,000 employment will be generated for the locals with a minimum of at
least ₹16,000 salaries per month.
• Parley for the Oceans will be setting up “Parley Super Hub”, preferably in Visakhapatnam,
where recycling and upcycling of plastic wastes will be done.
• The recycling unit will be set up in three stages in various capacities.
• The first stage may be ready in the next two years from now, which could process
1,10,000MT wastes.
• In the second and third stages, the capacity doubles up.
• Also, the government has introduced Clean Andhra Pradesh (CLAP) where around 4,097
garbage collecting vehicles were deployed.
• The program has increased the rural household garbage collection rate from 22% to 60 %
About AP :
• Governor : Biswabhusan Harichandan
• Chief Minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
Karnataka CM extended Vidyanidhi scheme for kids of agricultural laborers
• Karnataka Chief Minister Shri Basavaraj Bommai, announced that the State Cabinet meeting
has decided to extend the Vidyanidhi scheme to the children of agricultural laborers in
Ranebennur, Haveri, Karnataka.
• After laying foundation stones for new projects in Ranebennur Assembly Constituency, CM
informed that 4,000 Anganwadi centers are established specially to provide nutritious food for
the kids of agricultural laborers.
• Besides, a Rs 50,000 scheme has been formulated for rural artisans.
• The government has sanctioned a sericulture market to be established at Rs 30 crore.
About Vidyanidhi scheme (Raita Vidya Nidhi) :
• Vidyanidhi scheme is an education loan facility offered by the State Bank of India (SBI).
About Karnataka :
IM PORTANT NATIONAL NEWS

The Lok Sabha has passed the National Anti-Doping Bill:
• The Lok Sabha has passed the National Anti-Doping Bill that seeks to prohibit athletes, support
personnel, and other people from engaging in doping in sports.
• The bill provides a statutory framework for the functioning of the National Anti-Doping Agency
(NADA) and the National Dope Testing Laboratory in sports.
• The Bill also proposes to establish the National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports.
• The board will overtake the activities of NADA and issue directions to it.
• It will comprise a chairperson and two members, who will be appointed by the central
government.
• The National Dope Testing Laboratory will be deemed to be the principal dope testing
laboratory.
• The center may establish more National Dope Testing Laboratories as well.
• The bill will support the UNESCO international convention against doping in sports.
• The bill prohibits athletes, athlete support personnel, and other persons from getting involved in
any doping activities.

PM has launched the ministry of power’s flagship Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched the ministry of power’s flagship Revamped
Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
• The scheme is aimed at improving the operational efficiencies and financial sustainability of the
power distribution companies (discoms).
• The scheme, with an outlay of over Rs 3.03 trillion in five years to FY26, will enable discoms to
modernize and strengthen the distribution infrastructure and improve the reliability and quality of
supply of power to end consumers.
• It also aims to reduce the AT&C (aggregate technical and commercial) losses to pan-India levels
of 12-15% and the ACS-ARR (average cost of supply-average revenue realized) gap to zero by
2024-25.
• REC and PFC have been nominated as nodal agencies for the scheme.
• RDSS mandates the compulsory installation of smart meters across the country.
• The Centre has set an ambitious target of installing 250 million smart meters by 2025.
• With this new scheme coming into force, all other previous schemes such as Integrated Power
Development Scheme, Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, and Ujjwal Discom
Assurance Yojana (UDAY) would stand subsumed.
• During the program, the Prime Minister also dedicated and laid the foundation stone of various
green energy projects of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) worth over Rs 5,200
crore.
• The Prime Minister inaugurated the 100 Mega Watt-MW Ramagundam Floating Solar Project in
Telangana and the 92 MW Kayamkulam Floating Solar Project in Kerala.
• Besides, Mr. Modi also laid the foundation stone of the 735 Mega Watt Nokh Solar Project in
Rajasthan, the Green Hydrogen Mobility Project in Leh, and Kawas Green Hydrogen Blending
with Natural Gas project in Gujarat.
• On this occasion, Mr. Modi launched the national solar rooftop portal, enabling online tracking of
rooftop solar plants’ installation.

Two years of the launch of the National Education Policy 2020:
• To mark the completion of two years of the launch of N ational Education Policy 2020, the Union
Home Minister recently launched a slew of initiatives related to education and skill development.
• At the event, the home minister stated that the promotion of regional languages is essential to
unlocking the full potential of Indian talent.
• A NEP is a comprehensive framework to guide the development of education in the country.
• The first education policy came in 1968 on the recommendation of the Education Commission,
headed by D S Kothari.
• The second education policy came in 1986, which was replaced by the third education policy -
NEP 2020.
• The NEP 2020 was drafted based on the recommendations of a panel led by former ISRO chief
Kasturirangan.
• The policy aims to transform India's education system by 2040
• Overhauling the curriculum, easier Board exams, a reduction in the syllabus to retain core
essentials, and thrust on experiential learning and critical thinking.
• “5+3+3+4” design (instead of 10+2 structure), which corresponds to the age groups 3-8 years
(foundational stage), 8-11 (preparatory), 11-14 (middle) and 14-18 (secondary).
• The launched initiatives are given below:
• 75 Bharateeya games in schools: Bharateeya games will be introduced in schools through the
PT teachers.
• It will help in promoting traditional sports in schools.
• Kalashala initiative in 750 schools: It will promote and support local arts and introduce various
art forms to school children through lecture demonstrations by visiting artists.
• IKS-MIC program for technology demonstration: It will promote the development of products and
India’s traditional knowledge systems.
• Setting up of virtual labs: 750 virtual labs in science and mathematics, and 75 skilling e-labs will
be established.
• Public Consultation Survey for NCF: Public Consultation survey in 23 languages will be
conducted to seek input and suggestions for the development of the NCF.
• National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) : ECCE:
This is to prepare an initial cadre of high-quality Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
Teachers in Anganwadis.
• Vidya Amrit Portal: It is a Digital Project to scale up the micro-improvements taking place in
school education in different parts of the country.

Over the age of 17 can now apply in advance to be enrolled in the voters' list: ECI
• The Election Commission of India recently announced that those over the age of 17 can now
apply in advance to be enrolled in the voters' list.
• They do not have to wait until they reach the age of 18 on January 1 of each year.
• With this announcement, ECI has begun the process of incorporating the changes announced by
the govt recently regarding electoral reforms.
• Persons entitled to vote in an election are those who are registered as voters under the
provisions of the Indian Constitution and the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1950.
• As per the Indian Constitution (under Article 326), all Indian citizens above the age of 18 years
who have registered themselves as voters are eligible to vote.
• The new voters who complete 18 years on April 1, July 1, and October 1 of any given year, and
not just January 1, will be eligible for enrolling as voters.
• Earlier, the revision of electoral rolls was done on January 1st.
• The Representation of the People Act allowed voter registration for those who have attained the
age of 18 only once.
• Only those who have attained the age of 18 years as of January 1 of that year or before are
eligible to be enrolled in the voters’ list.

PM has addressed the first All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet in New Delhi:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the first All India District
Legal Services Authorities Meet in New Delhi.
• The National Legal Services Authority organized the first-ever national-level meeting of District
Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) at Vigyan Bhawan.
• The meeting considered the creation of an integrated process to bring about uniformity and
synchronization in DLSA.
• There are 676 District Legal Services Authorities throughout the country.
• A District Judge is the head of the DLSAs and acts as chairman of the authority.
• Various legal aid and awareness programs are implemented by the National Legal Services
Authority, through DLSA and State Legal Services Authorities.
• DLSAs also contribute to reducing the burden on the courts by regulating the Lok Adalats
conducted by NALSA.
Mr. Sarbanand Sonowal inaugurated the Chahabar Day conference in Mumbai:
• Union Shipping Minister Sarbanand Sonowal and Minister of State for Shipping Shripad Naik
inaugurated the Chabahar Day conference in Mumbai
• Representatives from Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and
Afghanistan took part in the conference.
• Chabahar port will be part of the International North-South Transport Corridor network
connecting India.
• Chabahar port will open new avenues for India and Eurasian countries and it is an important
pillar of India’s Indo-Pacific vision to connect Eurasia with the Indian Ocean Region.
• In May 2016, India and Iran signed a bilateral agreement in which India would refurbish one of
the berths at Shahid Beheshti port, and reconstruct a 600-meter-long container handling facility
at the port.
• In October 2017, India's first shipment of wheat to Afghanistan was sent through the Chabahar
Port.
• Chabahar Port: Chabahar is a port located on the coast of the Gulf of Oman.
• It consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantri and Shahid Beheshti.
• It is strategically important for India as it provides connectivity to Iran and Afghanistan bypassing
Pakistan.
• It is jointly developed by India, Iran, and Afghanistan.
GOI will release a special commemorative postage stamp in memory of Pingali Venkayya:
• The Central government will release a special commemorative postage stamp in memory of
Pingali Venkayya, the designer of the national flag.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will release the stamp at a program to be held in New Delhi
to mark the birth anniversary of the freedom fighter.
• Born near Machilipatnam on August 2, 1876, Pingali had designed many models of the national
flag.
• In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi approved a design during the Indian National Congress meeting in
Vijayawada.
• The Central government is organizing a 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign to mark 75 years of
independence.
• Tiranga yatra will be held in Delhi on August 3.
Union Culture Minister Shri G Kishan Reddy organized the Tiranga bike rally:
• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated a Har Ghar Tiranga Bike Rally by Members of
Parliament in Delhi from the iconic Red Fort.
• Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy organizes the Tiranga Bike Rally.
• A bike rally from Red Fort to Vijay Chowk was staged in honor of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's Har Ghar Tiranga program.
• Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal were also present.
About Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign:
• At the same time as we are honoring Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, our country is preparing for Har
Ghar Tiranga, a statewide initiative to honor our Tricolor.
• On the occasion of his birth anniversary, the prime minister paid respect to Pingali Venkayya,
the designer of the flag.
• The administration has scheduled a variety of festivities in anticipation of Independence Day.
• Between August 11 and August 13, BJP members will also perform "Prabhat pheri" at the booth
level while playing Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, Mahatma Gandhi's favorite devotional hymn,
or Vande Mataram, India's national anthem.
• The gathering would also observe Partition Horrors Remembrance Day on August 14.
Union Minister launches six national highway projects in Madhya Pradesh:
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari lay the foundation stone for
six National Highway projects totaling 119 kilometers and costing Rs. 2300 crore in Indore,
Madhya Pradesh.
• Shri Gadkari noted at the ceremony that the projects being unveiled will assist growth by
boosting connectivity in Indore and the state.
• The villages in the Indore-Harda segment will be better connected to Indore
• The State Government and NHAI signed a memorandum of understanding during this initiative
to build ropeways at 14 designated locations in Madhya Pradesh.
Government Withdraws Data Protection Bill,2021:
• To create a "comprehensive legal framework" for policing the online world, the government
withdrew the Personal Data Protection Bill 2021 from Parliament.
• This framework will include separate laws on data privacy, the internet ecosystem as a whole,
cybersecurity, telecom laws, and the use of non-personal data to foster innovation in the nation.
• The administration intends to submit the new legislation during the winter sessi on of Parliament,
according to sources in the IT Ministry.
• This comes after the Bill was in development for almost four years, during which time it
underwent several revisions, was subjected to a Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP)
assessment, and encountered opposition from a variety of parties, including tech corporations
and privacy campaigners.
About Data Protection Bill:
• It describes people's rights regarding their personal information and establishes the guidelines
for how personal data should be treated and maintained.
• The purpose of the bill was to create a national data protection authority to safeguard people's
online privacy.
• An expert group led by Justice B.N. Srikrishna originally authored the Bill in 2018. A draught of
the Bill was presented by the central government in the Lok Sabha in 2019; it was referred to the
Joint Parliamentary Committee in December 2021 and later brought into Parliament after six
extensions.
• A Data Protection Authority would be responsible for handling both personal and non-personal
data under the most recent iteration of the bill.
• The JCP carefully considered the 2019 Bill and put up 81 modifications and 12 proposals for a
thorough legal framework for the digital environment.
The Ministry of Textiles has approved Pashmina Wool Development Scheme:
• The Ministry of Textiles has approved Pashmina Wool Development Scheme under Integrated
Wool Development Programme (IWDP) with a budget allocation of Rs.29.25 Cr. for
implementation during FY from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• Provision has been made to provide financial assistance in form of a Revolving Fund for
procurement/marketing of pashmina wool in UT of Ladakh and UT of J&K.
• A project to set up a Dehairing plant along with ancillary machines at Leh, UT of Ladakh with the
project cost of Rs.19.75 Cr. has been sanctioned and out of it Rs.12.92 Cr. has been released.
• A provision has been made under the HRD component of IWDP regarding awareness and
training to wool growers including UT of Jammu & Kashmir as well as pashmina Nomads of UT
of Ladakh region
India has achieved an important milestone by recognizing more than 75,000 start -ups:
• India has achieved an important milestone by recognizing more than 75,000 start-ups.
• The last 10000 startups have been recognized in 156 days while the initial ten thousand startups
were recognized in 808 days.
• Recognizing more than 75 thousand start-ups is a milestone in the order of 75 years of
independence.
• Around 80 Startups getting recognized per day, which is the highest rate in the world.
• India has the 3rd largest ecosystem for startups.
• Around 7.46 lakh jobs have been created by the Indian startup ecosystem and 49% of startups
are from Tier II & Tier III cities.
• Out of the total recognized startups, 12% are from IT services, 9% are from Healthcare and Life
Sciences, 7% are from education and 5% are from professional and commercial services.
• The Government has supported the startups from funding to tax incentives.
• The government eased public procurement and regulation of taking part in international fests
and events.
India adds 10 new wetlands to the list: Ramsar sites
• India now has 64 Ramsar sites altogether after adding 10 wetlands to the list.
• The 10 additional sites consist of one (1) site each in Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and
Odisha, as well as six (6) locations in Tamil Nadu.
• The designation of these areas would aid in the management and protection of wetlands and the
efficient utilization of their resources.
• The Ramsar Convention was established in 1971 at Ramsar, Iran, and India is one of its
Contracting Parties.
• On February 1st, 1982, India signed it.
• 64 wetlands totaling 12,50,361 acres have been identified in India as Ramsar Sites of
International Importance as of the present date.
10 wetlands:
S.No Name of wetland Area State
1 Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary 72.04 Tamil Nadu
2 Satkosia Gorge 98196.72 Odisha
3 Nanda Lake 42.01 Goa
4 Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere 52671.88 Tamil Nadu
Reserve
5 Ranganathituu BS 517.70 Karnataka
6 Vembannur Wetland Complex 19.75 Tamil Nadu
7 Vellore Bird Sanctuary 77.19 Tamil Nadu
8 Sirpur wetland 161 Madhya Pradesh
9 Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary 40.35 Tamil Nadu
10 Udhayamarthandapuram Bird 43.77 Tamil Nadu
Sanctuary
Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 approved by Lok Sabha:
• The Lok Sabha passes the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021.
• Some species are currently protected under the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972, but the
proposed law would also put CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, into effect.
• However, the Bill still has to be approved by the Rajya Sabha.
• Development and the environment are accorded equal weight by the government.
• The number of protected areas in the nation has risen from 693 to 987 over the past eight years,
including 52 tiger reserves.
• According to Shri Bhupender Yadav, the Union Environment Minister, the government operates
under the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam principle and strives to improve both humankind and all
other animal species.
• The Act now includes six schedules for specifically protected animals (four), plants (one), and
vermin species (one).
• Small creatures that spread disease and contaminate food are referred to as vermin.
• In the proposed Bill, there are just four schedules overall because limiting the number of
schedules for animals with special protections to two (one for greater protection level)
• deletes the vermin species schedule, and adds a new schedule for specimens classified in the
CITES Appendices (scheduled specimens).
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurates “8 years of MyGov” event in New Delhi:

• Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and IT kicked off a daylong event to celebrate “8
Years of MyGov” in New Delhi.
• The event also witnessed the presence of dignitaries including CEO NITI Aayog Shri
Parameswaran Iyer, G20 Sherpa Shri Amitabh Kant, and Secretary of Capacity Building
Commission Shri Hemang Jani.
• The Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw also launched ‘Responsible AI for Youth 2022′.
• Responsible AI for Youth was created by the National E-Governance Division, Ministry of
Electronics & IT in collaboration with Intel India and with the support of the Ministry of Education.
• The Program will be open to all school students studying in classes 8-12 across India to foster a
deeper understanding of AI-tech and encourage youngsters to become human-centric
designers.
About MyGov:
• MyGov (mygov. in), the Government of India’s citizen engagement platform, was launched on
26th July 2014 by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has been built on the three pillars
of ‘Do’, ‘Discuss’ and ‘Disseminate’.
• Since then, MyGov has evolved as the one-stop destination for citizens to contribute their unique
skills toward nation-building.
• At the same time, MyGov has played a pivotal role in bridging the communication gap through
seamless dissemination of information in various creative formats and mediums such as videos,
infographics, podcasts, interactive dashboards, etc.
Centre forms task force to monitor monkeypox virus situation in the nation:
• The Centre has formed a task force in the wake of Monkeypox cases in India to monitor and
provide guidance to the government on the expansion of diagnostic facilities and to explore
vaccination for the infection in the country.
• The decision was taken during a meeting which was attended by Cabinet secretary, Union
Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Additional Secretary (PMO), and other senior officials.
• The team will be headed by Dr. VK P aul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, and members including
Secretary, Union Health Ministry, Pharma and Biotech
• India has reported four Monkeypox cases so far, three cases in Kerala and one in Delhi.
• A youth in Kerala presenting monkeypox-like symptoms died, following which state Health
Minister Veena George initiated a high-level inquiry.
Tata Steel to roll out 'First in India' seating system for Vande Bharat Express trains:
• Tata Group is planning to spend Rs 3,000 crore on R&D by FY26 and is set to roll out the 'First
in India' seating system for Vande Bharat Express trains from September 2022.
• The steel-to-salt conglomerate is also targeting to be among the top 5 technology firms in the
steel industry globally by 2030.
• Tata Steel's Composites division bagged a Rs 145 crore bulk order for seating systems of the
Vande Bharat express that includes the supply of complete seating systems for 22 train sets,
with 16 coaches in each train set.
• These are specially designed seats, which can rotate 180 degrees and have aircraft-style
passenger amenities.
• This is a first-in-India' kind of supply, which will be executed over 12 months starting September
2022, Debashish Bhattacharjee, Vice President, Technology & New Materials Business
• Vande Bharat Express, also known as Train 18, is the second fastest train in India, which
operates at a speed of 130 km/hr.
• The company is targeting to be among the 'Top 5 in technology in steel industry globally by
2030' and one of the key enablers for achieving technology leadership is a quick conversion of
ideas into pilot testing and commercialization
Union Minister of Environment launched the Indian Virtual Herbarium portal:
• Union Environment Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the country’s largest online
herbarium database, the ‘Indian Virtual Herbarium’ web portal.
• The portal (https://ivh.bsi.gov.in) has been developed by the Botanical Survey of India under the
framework of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and ‘Digital India’.
• The portal aims to provide complete information on herbarium specimens about the floral
diversity of India and other countries stored in the cabinet of the herbarium building through
online access.
• At present, the digital herbarium of the Botanical Survey of India has four categories –
Cryptogam type specimens, C ryptogams general specimens, Phanerogam type specimens, and
Phanerogams general specimens.
• It will also aid the research studies and provide valuable insight for global plant research.
About herbarium:
• A herbarium (Latin: hortus siccus) is a collection of plant samples with associated data
preserved for long-term study.
• These materials may include pressed and mounted plants, seeds, dry fruits, wood sections,
pollen, microscope slides, silica-stored materials, frozen DNA extractions, and fluid-preserved
flowers or fruits; all are generally referred to as herbarium specimens.
Ministry of Women and Child Development issues Guidelines of ‘Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan
2.0':
• Ministry of Women and Child Development has issued Operational Guidelines regarding the
implementation of ‘Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0'.
• The scheme has been approved by the Government of India for implementation during the 15th
Finance Commission period 202l-22 to 2025-26.
• Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is an Integrated Nutrition Support Programme.
• It seeks to address the challenges of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women,
and lactating mothers through a strategic shift in nutrition content and delivery and by the
creation of a convergent eco-system to develop and promote practices that nurture health, and
wellness, and immunity.
• Nutrition Support for POSHAN through Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) for children
of the age group of 06 months to 6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers (PWLM), and
Adolescent Girls in the age group of 14 to 18 years in Aspirational Districts and North Eastern
Region (NER)
• Early Childhood Care and Education [3 -6 years] and early stimulation for (0-3 years)
• Anganwadi Infrastructure includes modern, upgraded Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan
Abhiyaan
Government hikes sugarcane FRP by Rs 15/quintal for 2022-23 season:
• The Government announced the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar
season 2022-23 (October-September).
• The FRP of sugarcane has been fixed at Rs 305/quintal for a basic recovery rate of 10.25%.
• The decision of fixing the sugarcane FRP was taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• FRP of sugarcane for sugar season 2022-23 (October-September) has been fixed at Rs
305/quintal for a basic recovery rate of 10.25%.
• Besides, a premium of Rs 3.05/quintal will be provided for each 0.1% increase in recovery over
and above 10.25%.
• However, for every 0.1% decrease in recovery, the FRP will be reduced by Rs 3.05 per quintal.
• The FRP for sugar season 2022-23 is 5.1% higher than Rs 290 per quintal fixed for the sugar
season 2021-22. For the sugar season 2021-22, the government had fixed the FRP at Rs 290
per quintal linked to a basic recovery of 10% subject to a premium of Rs 2.90 per quintal for
each 0.1% increase of recovery over and above 10% and reduction in FRP at the same rate for
each 0.1% decrease in the recovery rate till 9.5%.
NSO develops three labor indicators and says 15% of 60+ e mployed people worked part-time:
• The National Statistical Office, the proportion of employed persons working part-time in the 46-
59 years age group at all India levels was more than 10% between 2017-20 while in the age
group above 60 years, the proportion of employed persons working part-time was more than
15%.
• As per the paper, the Employment Rate of Employed workers living in a household with no child
under the age of three years, rose to 61.2% in FY20 from 58.37% in FY18 in the 26-49 years
age group.
• The proportion of employed persons who are employed in the above 15 age group, has been
estimated at 1.91%, 2.17%, and 2.02%, respectively for 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20.
PM Chairs 7th NITI Aayog Governing Council Meet:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi attended the seventh NITI Aayog governing council meeting
at the Rashtrapati Bhavan's cultural center in New Delhi.
• Crop diversification, urban growth, and the execution of the National Education Policy (NEP)
were among the topics discussed by the council.
• Union ministers Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar, and chief minister of
Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam are attending the meeting
among others.
• Besides, all states’ chief ministers, except Telangana's, lawmakers, Lt. Governors of UTs, Ex-
Officio Members, the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Full-Time members of NITI Aayog, and
Union ministers as Special Invitees are also present at the meeting.
• Notably, this meeting marked the Governing Council's first in-person assembly since July 2019.
• Evolving a shared vision of national priorities and strategies with the active involvement of states
and union Territories the NITI Aayog Governing Council is a key forum for deliberations.
Govt has Launched the Mission Vatsalya Scheme:
• Since 2009–10, "Mission Vatsalya," formerly known as the Child Protection Services (CPS)
project, has been carried out by the Ministry of Women and Child Development for the welfare
and rehabilitation of children.
• The goal of Mission Vatsalya is to guarantee a healthy and happy childhood for every child in
India, provide opportunities for them to realize their full potential and support their sustained
flourishing in all spheres, and foster a sensitive, supportive, and coordinated ecosystem for
children's development, assist States/UTs in carrying out the Juvenile Justice Act 2015's
mandate and help the world's nations meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Components under Mission Vatsalya include improvement in the functioning of statutory bodies,
Strengthening service delivery structures; Upscale institutional care/services; Encouraging non-
institutional community-based care; emergency outreach services; Training, and capacity
building.
• All the States/UTs have signed the Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) with the Ministry for
implementation of the Scheme.
Government launches short-term course namely ‘Drone Service Technician’ in 126 ITIs:
• The Government has started a short-term course namely ‘Drone Service Technician’ in 126
Industrial Training Institutes.
• It has been started across 19 States for the session 2022-23.
• Six short-term skilling courses have been developed for manufacturing, assembly, repairing, and
maintenance of drones as well as to meet the requirement of skilled manpower in the drone
sector.
• The course comprises ground classes and practical training.
• According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, approval for establishing a remote pilot training
organization (RPTO) is granted as per Rule 39 of The Drone Rules, 2021.
Govt Ambitious: One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Completes 3 years:
• With Assam being the newest state to join the effort in June 2022, the program has now been
implemented nationwide.
• On August 9, 2019, four states hosted the debut of the ONORC, which has now been
operational for three years.
• The technology-driven ONORC scheme is being implemented by the Centre for the nationwide
portability of ration cards under the NFSA(National Food Security Act,2013).
• Currently, the initiative is recording an average of 3 crore portability transactions every month.
• About 77.88 crore portable transactions have occurred under the plan since its launch in August
2019.
• Nearly 80 crore eligible recipients are receiving 5 kilos of food grains per person each month
under the NFSA from the Center at a heavily subsidized rate of Rs 2-3 per kilogram.
• The Center is also giving an additional 5 kg of food grains per person each month to 80 crore
people "free of cost" to help the impoverished.
The government introduced the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2022, in the Lok-Sabha:
• A Bill to modify the Electricity Act to provide non-discriminatory open access to power suppliers'
distribution networks was submitted in Lok Sabha, prompting concerns from the Opposition, who
said it sought to take away certain powers from the state governments.
• When introducing the Bill, RK Singh requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to submit it to a
parliamentary standing committee for further consultations to resolve Opposition concerns.
• The Bill aims to allow for the privatization of power over communication lines.
• According to the Central Government, if the Bill is enacted in both Houses, customers would be
able to pick their electrical supplier, just as they can for telephone, mobile, and internet services.
• The Bill proposes to alter Section 42 of the Electricity Act to provide non-discriminatory open
access to a distribution licensee's distribution network.
New Delhi hosted the ITU’s Regional Standardization Forum:
• The International Telecommunication Union's Regional Standardization Forum for Asia and
Oceania was held in New Delhi, and Devusinh Chauhan, the state minister for communications,
spoke at the inaugural ceremony.
• The nation's telecommunications network, by Devusinh Chauhan, is the second biggest in the
world and provides the best rates.
• According to RSF, the market-friendly policies of the Union Government were responsible for the
nation’s telecommunications network growth.
• Chauhan emphasized that the three pillars of Ease of Doing Business, Ease of Living, and
Aatmanirbhar Bharat constitute the foundation of India’s telecommunications policy, which was
developed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direction.
• ITU is a specialized agency of the UN and was founded on May 17, 1865.
• Everything involving information and communication technology is under its control. Its original
name was "International Telegraph Union."
• In 1934, it received its current name.
• This is the oldest UN organization.
12th edition of Defence Expo to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat:
• The 12th edition of the Defense Expo, India's biggest exhibition on land, naval, and homeland
security systems, will take place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, according to the Ministry of Defense.
• The event will take place from October 18 through October 22, 2022.
• This edition's subject is "Path to Pride," which aims to inspire patriotic pride and motivate people
to contribute to nation-building by developing a strong domestic defense sector.
• Three business days will be included in the five-day event, followed by two public days.
• Active involvement and coordinated efforts at all levels will be required to hold live
demonstrations along the Sabarmati River Front on each of the five days showing the tools and
expertise of the armed forces, DPSUs, and industry.
• The exhibition is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve self-reliance
in defense and achieve an export of $5 billion by 2025.
Maharashtra Governor Inaugurates The 22nd ‘Bharat Rang Mahotsav’:
• The 22nd "Bharat Rang Mahotsav" was officially launched at Rabindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai
by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
• The Union Ministry of Culture and P.L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Akademi in the city are
working together to organize the five-day theatre festival as a homage to our liberation heroes.
• To honor our liberation soldiers, the National School of Drama is putting up "Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav - 22nd Bharat Rang Mahotsav, 2022 (Azadi Segment)".
• From July 16 to August 14, 2022, 30 plays will be presented as a part of the 22nd Bharat Rang
Mahotsav (Azadi Segment) in Delhi, Bhubaneshwar, Varanasi, Amritsar, Bengaluru, and
Mumbai.
PM to dedicate a 2G ethanol plant in Panipat to the nation:
• In Panipat, Haryana, the second generation (2G) ethanol plant —built at an estimated cost of Rs
900 crore—will be dedicated to the country by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi via video
conference.
• The dedication of the facility is only one of several actions the government has done over the
years to increase the nation's production and use of biofuels.
• This fits with the prime minister's ongoing efforts to change the energy industry so that it is more
accessible, economical, efficient, and sustainable.
• The initiative would open a new chapter in India's waste-to-wealth efforts by using around two
lakh tonnes of rice straw yearly to produce roughly three crore liters of ethanol annually.
• It is based on cutting-edge indigenous technology.

The Union Cabinet approved a treaty between India and Australia to promote the co -production of films:
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the signing of an
audio-visual co-production treaty between India and Australia with the view to promoting the co-
production of films.
• These are umbrella agreements under which private, quasi-government, or governmental
agencies enter contracts to produce films together.
• Audio-visual co-production treaties are enabling documents that facilitate the co-production of
films between two countries.
• India has, so far, signed one 1audio-visual co-production treaty with foreign countries.
• Australia has emerged as a preferred destination for the shooting of Indian films.
• India is fast emerging as a major content hub for filmmakers looking for new projects.
• In 2019, the ministry of information and broadcasting met a delegation from Bangladesh, for
agreements on movie co-production and content sharing.
• The meeting had focused on the making of a feature film on the life and works of Bangladeshi
politician and statesman Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to be directed by Shyam
Benegal, written by Atul Tiwari, and co-produced by both countries.

Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah recently e-launched the onboarding of cooperatives on the GeM
portal:
• Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah e-launched the onboarding of cooperatives on the
GeM portal.
• 589 cooperatives have been shortlisted as eligible for onboarding on Government e-Marketplace
(GeM) portal.
• With the e-launch, eligible cooperatives can place orders on the Government e-Marketplace
(GeM) portal.
• He urged all the co-operatives society to join Government e -Marketplace (GeM) with their
products.
• Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal said that a total of 2,80,000 crore rupees of
business has been done on the GeM portal in the previous six years.
• In June 2022, Cabinet expanded the mandate of Government e -Marketplace (GeM) to allow
cooperatives to procure goods and services through the GeM portal.
The Centre has decided to offer the use of Indigenous 5G Test Bed free of cost to the Government recognized
start-ups:
• The Centre has decided to offer the use of the Indigenous 5G Test Bed free of cost to the
Government recognized start-ups and MSMEs for the next six months up to January 2023.
• The decision has been taken to boost the 5G ecosystem within India and to achieve the
objectives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.
• The facility is available at a very nominal rate to all other stakeholders.
• Department of Telecommunications has urged all 5G stakeholders including industry, academia,
service providers, government bodies, and equipment manufacturers to utilize the 5G testbed
facilities and expertise to test and facilitate the speedy development and deployment of their
products in the network.
• Keeping in view India’s specific requirements and to take lead in 5G deployment, the
Department of Telecommunications has approved a financial grant for the multi-institute
collaborative project to set up the ‘Indigenous 5G Test Bed’ in India in March 2018 with a total
cost of 224 crore rupees.
“UMEED Market Place” launched by Mr. Manoj Sinha as part of the AVSAR Program:
• At the Srinagar International Airport in Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Mr. Manoj
Sinha unveiled the UMEED Market Place as a component of the Airport Authority of India's
AVSAR Scheme.
• UMEED Market Place, which is now available at both the Jammu Airport and the Jammu City
Center, will sell commodities from all 20 districts.
• At Srinagar's airport, the Lt. Governor earlier presented a 20x20-foot LED video wall.
• The stalls and counters that will be provided to them for 15 days on a rotating basis will help
more than five lakh women each year.
• It would be a venue where travelers could place large orders and make special requests for
business gifts.
• By providing them with a venue to market their products directly to customers, the UMEED
Market Place initiative will support the J&K Rural Livelihood Mission Self Help Groups' local
artisans and craftspeople.
• that there would be ample chances for product promotion in the UMEED Market Place, that the
products made by self-help organizations would be exposed to the national market, and that
they would benefit the neighborhood’s artisan community.
Center has shortlisted six merchant bankers:
• The Center has shortlisted six merchant bankers to assist the government in offloading its 29.5
percent residual stake in Hindustan Zinc in tranches.
• The merchant banks, which include ICICI Securities, SBI Capital Markets, HDFC Bank, IIFL
Securities, Axis Capital, and Citigroup Global Markets, will make presentations before an inter-
ministerial group.
• Post the presentations, the selected merchant bank would be notified.
• The selected investment bank would have to assist the government on the timing and modalities
of the divestment, conduct market surveys, hold domestic and international road shows to
generate interest among prospective investors, and seek regulatory approvals, among others.
• They will have to prepare a list of domestic and international investors to be approached by them
within seven days.
• The Center is looking to sell its stake through the offer for sale mechanism.
• The offer will have to be structured, keeping into consideration the provisions of the
shareholders’ agreement between the government and Vedanta group, signed in 2002, which
had led to prolonged litigation.
Cabinet has approved the continuation of PMAY-U - Housing for All Mission up to 31st December
2024:
• Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U)
- Housing for All Mission up to 31st December 2024.
• Under the scheme, financial assistance will be provided for the completion of already sanctioned
122.69 lakh houses till March 31, 2022.
• The scheme is one of the major flagship programs being implemented by the Central
Government to provide all-weather pucca houses to all eligible beneficiaries in the urban areas
of the country through States, Union Territories, and Central Nodal Agencies.
• The continuation of the scheme based on the request of States and UTs up to 31st December
2024 will help in the completion of already sanctioned houses under Beneficiary Led
Construction, Affordable Housing in Partnership, and In-situ Slum Redevelopment verticals.
• Central Assistance approved since 2015 is two lakh three thousand crore ru pees against 20
thousand crore rupees in 2004-2014.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban):
• It was launched on 25th June 2015.
• It is implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• The scheme is implemented through four verticals: Beneficiary Led Construction/Enhancement
(BLC), Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), In-situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR), and Credit
Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS).
Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched the indigenous vaccine Lumpi-ProVacInd:
• Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched the indigenous vaccine Lumpi-ProVacInd to protect
livestock from Lumpy Skin disease.
• The vaccine has been developed by the National Equine Research Center, Hisar (Haryana) in
collaboration with the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly).
• Describing this vaccine as a milestone for eradicating the Lumpy disease, Shri Tomar said that
livestock, along with human resources, is the biggest asset of our country, which we have a big
responsibility to preserve and prosper.
• He congratulated the scientists of the Equine Research Center and the Veterinary Research
Institute for developing the Lumpi disease vaccine. Ever since the disease came to India in
2019, research institutes have been engaged in developing the vaccine.
The government has implemented comprehensive rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of
begging under “SMILE”
• In the spirit of AzadikaAmritMahotsav, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment,
Government of India, has identified 75 Municipal Corporations to implement comprehensive
rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of begging under “SMILE: Support for Marginalised
Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” named as “SMILE-75 Initiative”.
• Under the SMILE-75 initiative, seventy-five (75) Municipal Corporations in collaboration with
NGOs and other stakeholders will cover several comprehensive welfare measures for persons
who are engaged in the act of begging with a focus extensively on rehabilitation, provision of
medical facilities, counseling, awareness, education, skill development, economic linkages and
convergence with other Government welfare programs, etc.
• The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has allocated a total budget of Rs.100 crore for
the SMILE project for the coming years till 2025-26.
• Through this project, the Ministry envisions developing a support mechanism for holistic
rehabilitation of those engaged in the act of begging and building an India where no person is
forced to beg to survive and fulfill their basic need.
• The objective of SMILE- 75 is to make our cities/towns and municipal areas begging-free and
make a strategy for comprehensive rehabilitation of the persons engaged in the act of begging
through the coordinated action of various stakeholders.
Cabinet has approved the ratification of a mendments to the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union
(UPU):
• The Cabinet has approved the ratification of amendments to the Constitution of the Universal
Postal Union (UPU) as contained in the Eleventh Additional Protocol to the Constitution.
• The amendments to the Constitution of UPU were signed during the 27th Congress of the
Universal Postal Union held at Abidjan.
• This decision of the cabinet will fulfill the obligations mentioned in Articles 25 and 30 of the UPU
Constitution.
• The amendments will ensure further legal clarity and stability to the Acts of the Union.
• Universal Postal Union (UPU) was established in 1874.
• It is the second oldest international organization in the world.
• It is the postal sector's primary forum for international cooperation.
Meghalaya host the 2nd edition of the North East Olympics:
• Meghalaya is all set to host the upcoming 2nd edition of the North East Olympics from October
the 30th to November the 6th in Shillong.
• A joint meeting of the North East Organising Committee, Meghalaya Department of Sports and
Youth Affairs, and the North East Olympic Association was held to finalize the list of sports
disciplines.
• The first edition of the Games was held in Manipur in 2018, with 12 disciplines.
• The edition of the Games will be special as Meghalaya is celebrating the 50th year of its
Statehood.
• In this edition, about 4,000 participants from eight North Eastern States will be competing in 18
disciplines at 13 venues spread across Shillong. Participants will be competing in disciplines,
such as archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, football, judo, karate, shooting,
swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, wushu, cycling (Mountain Bike), golf, weightlifting,
and wrestling.
Income taxpayers will not be eligible for the Atal Pension Yojana:
• Income taxpayers will not be eligible for the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), a universal social
security scheme, from 1 October.
• In case a subscriber of the scheme, who joined on or after 1 October 2022, is subsequently
found to have been an income-tax payer on or before the date of application, the APY account
shall be closed and the accumulated pension wealth to date would be given to the subscriber, as
per the order.
• Atal Pension Yojana was launched in 2015 to create a universal social security system for the
citizens, especially the poor, the underprivileged, and the workers in the unorganized sector.
• It is administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
• It is currently open to all bank account holders in the age group of 18 to 40 years and the
contributions differ, based on the pension amount chosen.
• Subscribers would receive a guaranteed minimum monthly pension at the age of 60.
The government has set a target of reducing import dependence on palm oil by 25 t o 30%:
• The government is aiming at reducing import dependence on palm oil by 25 to 30% through the
production of 2.8 million tonnes (MT) of oil by 2030 under the National Edible Oil Mission.
• Currently, around 0.35 million hectares (MH) are under palm plantation.
• Under the mission launched last year, an additional area of 0.65 MH will be brought into palm
plantations by 2025-26.
• India imports 56% of its edible oil requirement annually.
• The country imports around 8 MT of palm oil while the domestic production is around 0.5 MT.
• In August 2021, the national oil palm mission was launched with an investment of Rs 11,040
crore.
• Out of which the Centre’s share is Rs 8,844 crore, while the rest is contributed by the state
government for providing viability gap funding and financial assistance for planting material.
• Under the palm oil mission, the Tripura government signed an agreement with Patanjali Foods
Limited for palm oil plantations.
• Hyderabad-based 3F oil palm has planned to expand its palm plantation in Assam and
Arunachal Pradesh.
• Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala are the major oil palm growing states, which account
for 98% of the total production.

The M inistry of Social Justice has launched the SMILE-75 initiative:
• The Government of India's Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has identified 75
Municipal Corporations to implement comprehensive rehabilitation of people engaged in begging
under the "SMILE: Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise" initiative,
known as the "SMILE-75 Initiative."
• The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has allocated a total budget of Rs. 100 crore for
the SMILE project for the coming years till 2025-26.
• The Government of India has recognized the persistent problem of destitution and beggary and
developed a comprehensive scheme of SMILE that includes a sub-scheme of comprehensive
rehabilitation for persons engaged in begging that includes identification, rehabilitation, provision
of medical facilities, counseling, education, skill development for a decent job, and self-
employment/entrepreneurship.
Dr. Jitendra Singh has launched India’s first Saline Water Lantern:
• Dr. Jitendra Singh has launched India’s first Saline Water Lantern which uses seawater as the
electrolyte between specially designed electrodes to power the LED lamps.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh unveiled the first-of-its-kind lantern named “Roshni” during a visit to SAGAR
ANVESHIKA, a Coastal Research Vessel, operated and used by the National Institute of Ocean
Technology (NIOT), Chennai for coastal research.
• Saline Water Lantern will bring “Ease of Living” to the poor and needy, particularly the fishing
community living along the 7500 Kilometres long coastal line of India.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Saline Water Lantern will also boost and supplement Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s UJALA scheme launched in 2015 for the distribution of LED bulbs across the
country.
• Roshini Lamps along with Power Ministry’s schemes like Solar Study Lamps will be driving a
vibrant renewable energy program aimed at achieving energy security, energy access, and
reducing the carbon footprints of the national economy.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh also reviewed the progress of NIOT-developed Low-Temperature Thermal
Desalination (LTTD) technology for conversion of seawater to potable water, which has been
successfully demonstrated in Lakshadweep islands.
• He informed that three desalination plants based on the LTTD technology have been developed
and demonstrated at Kavaratti, Agati, and Minicoy Islands of the Union Territory of
Lakshadweep.
• The capacity of each of these LTTD plants is 1 Lakh liter of potable water per day.
• The cost of a desalination plant depends on some factors inter alia which include the technology
used and the location of the plant. The total cost of the six LTTD plants in Lakshadweep islands
is Rs. 187.75 cr.

To promote honey export, Government organizes a series of events, in collaboration with state govt and farmers:
• To harness the export potential of honey in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a
‘sweet revolution’ through the promotion of beekeeping and allied activities, the Government has
planned to organize a series of events across the country in collaboration with state
governments and farmers.
• One such event is scheduled to be organized by APEDA, Ministry of Commerce and Industry,
for the export promotion of honey.
• As a part of the government’s AtmaNirbhar Bharat initiative to boost honey production, the
government has approved an allocation of Rs 500 crore for the National Beekeeping and Honey
Mission (NBHM) for three years (2020-21 to 2022-23).
• In India, North East Region and Maharashtra are the major natural honey producing areas in the
country, and around 50 percent of the honey produced in India is consumed domestically, while
the rest is exported across the globe.
• As per the DGCIS, APEDA has achieved overall exports of USD 7.41 billion from April-June
2022 by registering a growth of 30.8 percent in terms of USD in comparison to the same period
the previous year.

Department of Expenditure has released an additional Rs.807 Crore as a one-time settlement for the SPMRM:
• The Department of Expenditure has released an additional ₹807 crore as a one-time settlement
for the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission (SPMRM) to pay for all the works that were
sanctioned before March 31.
• The department has refused to release any additional amount for work initiated after March 31,
as the scheme had been phased out as part of a rationalization of centrally sponsored schemes.
• The rural development ministry had sought Rs 1,200 crore under the scheme, citing increased
costs for projects where work sanction was done.
• The payment has been made only for projects where the groundwork had already been initiated
before March 31.
• The Centre has halved the number of centrally sponsored schemes to 65, with effect from April
1, 2022.
• According to the budget, 130 centrally sponsored schemes spanning all ministries have been
"rationalized/revamped" into 65 schemes.
• This excluded those schemes declared after April 1, 2020.
• The scheme was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) in 2016.
• The objective of the National Rurban Mission (NRuM) is to stimulate local economic
development, enhance basic services, and create well-planned Rurban clusters.
• Rurban clusters are identified across the country’s rural areas showing increasing signs of
urbanization.
Kolkata will host the 23rd edition of the India International Seafood Show:
• The Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) and the Marine Products Export
Development Authority (MPEDA) will collaborate to host the 23rd India International Seafood
Show (IISS) in Kolkata, the City of Joy.
• During 2021-22, India exported 13,69,264 tonnes of marine goods for US$ 7.76 billion, an all-
time high in terms of value, while shrimp output surpassed one million MT.
• With a multifaceted approach targeting capture fisheries and aquaculture, export turnover is
expected to reach US$ 15 billion over the next five years.
• MPEDA Chairman Dr. K.N. Raghavan announced that the biennial showpiece event in the
seafood sector, the biggest in the industry aimed at showcasing the export potential of India, will
be organized at the sprawling Biswa Bangala Mela Prangan in Kolkata.
The world's highest railway bridge, the Chenab Railway Bridge, has been inaugurated:
• The highest railway bridge in the world across the Chenab River was officially opened at its
golden junction.
• After the overarch deck on the tallest single-arch railway bridge over the River Chenab is
completed, Srinagar will be connected to the rest of India for the first time since independence.
• Compared to the Eiffel Tower, the bridge will be 35 meters taller.
• In addition to the Chenab Bridge, Afcons is constructing 16 other railway bridges for Konkan
Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) in the treacherous terrain of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project includes all of the bridges.
11 more Indian wetlands have got Ramsar recognition: Ramsar sites
• India has added 11 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites, bringing the total number of such
sites in the nation to 75, spanning an area of 13,26,677 hectares.
• In India's 75th year of independence, there are 75 Ramsar sites.
• Four additional Ramsar sites were named in Tamil Nadu, three in Odisha, two in Jammu and
Kashmir, and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar
Convention, also known as “The Convention on Wetlands”, an intergovernmental environmental
treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which came into force in 1975.
The 11 Indian wetlands:
✓ Tampara Lake in Odisha;
✓ Hirakud Reservoir in Odisha;
✓ Ansupa Lake in Odisha;
✓ Yashwant Sagar in Madhya Pradesh;
✓ Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu;
✓ Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex in Tamil Nadu;
✓ Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu;
✓ Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu;
✓ Thane Creek in Maharashtra;
✓ Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu and Kashmir;
✓ Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu and Kashmir.
The first Tiranga park has been set up in the Gurugram:
• Under the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan, the first Tiranga park has been set up in the Gurugram by
the district administration.
• This park has been constructed with the support of the M3M Foundation in the Swatantrata
Senani Bhawan located in Civil Lines, Gurugram.
• The park was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State, Rao Inderjit Singh, as the chief guest.
• On this occasion, Deputy Commissioner Nishant Yadav along with Dr. Aishwarya Mahajan,
President of M3M Foundation was present.
• In this, 75 national flags of 12-foot height have been installed on the 75th anniversary of
independence.
• With the inauguration of the park, the residents will be able to come to visit this Tiranga park.
• On behalf of the administration, every effort is being made at the administrative level to ensure
the participation of the general public in the district.
First 3D-printed human cornea developed in India:
• The first artificial cornea to be 3D printed in India was successfully implanted in a rabbit eye by
researchers in Hyderabad.
• Researchers from the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Indian Institute of Technology-
Hyderabad (IIT-H), and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have developed a
human cornea that is 3D printed using corneal tissue from a human donor.
• The product (3D-printed Human Cornea) was created locally with support from the government
and philanthropic organizations; it is entirely natural, free of synthetic ingredients, and safe for
patients to use.
• The 3D-printed human cornea study was funded by the Department of Biotechnology, and the
translational work required for patient clinical trials will be funded by the Sree Padmavathi
Venkateswara Foundation in Vijayawada.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs has removed 4.33 lakh companies from the Register of Companies:
• Ministry of Corporate Affairs has removed 4.33 lakh companies from the Register of Companies
in the last five years.
• 49, 921 companies were removed in 2021-22.
• The year 2017-18 (post demonetization) saw the removal of the maximum number of companies
at 2.26 lakh.
• In 2018-19, nearly 1.13 lakh companies were removed from the Register of Companies.
• Section 248 of the Companies Act, 2013 provides for the removal of the name of the company
from the Register of Companies in two conditions given below.
I. If the company is not carrying on any business or operation for a period of two
immediately preceding financial years and
II.If the company has not made any application within the said period for obtaining the status
of a Dormant Company under section 455 of the Act.
Centre Launches Paalan 1000 National campaign and Parenting App:
• Bharti Pravin Pawar, the Union Minister of State for Health, introduced the Parenting App and
the Paalan 1000 national campaign in Mumbai.
• To lower the child mortality rate and provide for infants throughout their first 1000 days after
birth, the Paalan 1000 National campaign and Parenting App were launched.
• The program was virtually launched by the Union Minister of State for Health.
• Bharti Pravin Pawar spoke at the launch event and noted that India has made tremendous
progress in lowering the child death rate since 2014, when it was 45 per 1000 live births, to 35
per 1000 live births in 2019.
PM has announced ‘Panch Pran’ goal for the next 25 years:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the country for the ninth time straight from the
Red Fort.
• Prime Minister Modi laid out his "Panch Pran Targets" (Five Resolves) to transform India into a
developed nation by the time it marks its 100th Independence Day in 25 years.
• The Panch Pran Goal was brought up by the prime minister.
• According to the Panch Pran, recognized Indian criteria include sanitation campaigns,
immunizations, electrical connections, the removal of open defecation, and the use of solar
energy.
• According to PM Modi, when the nation celebrates 100 years of independence in 2047, these
five resolutions (Panch Pran) will be important for a developed country.
• One of these five resolutions is the prime minister's vision of "Vishwaguru India" (Panch Pran).
• PM Modi wants to make India into the "Vishwaguru" as soon as the country celebrates 100
years of freedom.
India voluntary trust funds for the defense of human rights more than Rs 3 crore:
• The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in Geneva has announced that India has
contributed $400,000 (more than Rs 3 crore) to as many as four Voluntary Trust Funds.
• It continued by stating that the gift to the Voluntary Trust Funds was given to demonstrate India's
dedication to the promotion and defense of human rights on a worldwide scale as well as its
support for the UN Human Rights Council.
• India has given $400,000 to 4 Voluntary Trust Funds on Torture, Technical Cooperation,
and Implementation of UPR & LDCs/SIDS, demonstrating our dedication to the global promotion
& protection of human rights as well as our support for @UNHumanRights.
• The Voluntary Trust Funds donated by India are for torture victims, technical help, and financial
and technical support for the Universal Periodic Review's implementation.
• Additionally, India contributed volunteer technical assistance and voluntary trust funds to
encourage participation by least developed nations (LDCs).
• The four trust funds to which donations have been made in the council's activities are known as
Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Government unveils “Manthan” platform for better industry and R&D collaboration:
• The "Manthan" platform was announced by the Indian government to promote collaboration
between businesses and academic institutions in the implementation of innovations and
solutions with a social impact based on technology.
• The launch of Manthan, a platform that will hopefully support our efforts to foster industry
involvement in R&D, is also evidence of our dedication to the SDGs as set forth by the UN.
• The launch honors India's seventy-five years of independence and offers a chance to introduce
the national and international public to India's technological revolution.
• The Manthan platform will help scale up interactions among stakeholders, facilitate research and
innovation, and share challenges in various emerging technologies and scientific interventions,
including those that make a social impact.

NTPC Limited has achieved 69454 MW of group installed and commercial capacity:
• NTPC Limited, India’s largest integrated energy company achieved 69454 MW of group installed
and commercial capacity with the commissioning of 56 MW Kawas Solar PV Project at NTPC
Kawas, Gujarat
• NTPC is steadily lowering its carbon footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through
the installation of renewable energy projects in its existing stations as well as putting up green
field RE projects.
• The Company has planned 262 MW floating solar on over 1300 acres of its reservoir area by
installing over 9,50,000 PV modules at its various stations out of which 242 Mega Watt has been
commissioned.
• This includes the country’s largest floating solar of 100 MW at Ramagundam in Telangana, 92
MW at Kayamkulam in Kerala, and 25 MW each at Simhadri, Andhra Pradesh, and Kawas in
Gujarat.
The portal NIDAAN or the National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-offenders has been developed:
• First-of-its-kind database of arrested narcotics offenders has been made operational for use by
various central and state prosecution agencies tasked to enforce anti-drugs laws in the country.
• The portal--NIDAAN or the National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-offenders--has
been developed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
• It is part of the narcotics coordination mechanism (NCORD) portal that was launched by Union
Home Minister Shri Amit Shah in Chandigarh during the national conference on 'Drug trafficking
and national security.
• The NIDAAN platform sources its data from the ICJS (inter-operable criminal justice system) and
the e-Prisons (a cloud-based application) repository and it is planned to integrate it in the future
with the crime and criminal tracking network system or CCTNS.
• The ICJS, an initiative of the Supreme Court e-committee, was created to enable the seamless
transfer of data and information among different pillars of the criminal justice system.
• A distinct feature called 'criminal network' on the portal can also be accessed by agencies, as
part of which specific links of an accused to other crimes, linked police FIRs and those who
visited them in jail can also be accessed.
• The NIDAAN portal is a vertical envisaged under the NCORD and was mooted during a national
meeting on drug issues chaired by Home Minister Shah in December last year in Delhi.
The central government has raised the thresholds for prosecutions and arrests under the Customs Act:
• The government has raised the thresholds for prosecutions and arrests under the Customs Act
to ₹50 lakh from ₹20 lakh for smuggling and illegal imports of goods in baggage and ₹1 crore to
₹2 crores for cases involving commercial fraud.
• Customs duty refers to the tax imposed on goods when they are transported across international
borders.
• In simple terms, it is the tax that is levied on the import and export of goods.
• Customs duty in India is defined under the Customs Act, of 1962, and all matters related to its
fall under the Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC).
• However, these value-related thresholds will not apply for offenses relating to fake currency
notes, arms, ammunitions and explosives, antiques, art treasures, wildlife items, and
endangered species of flora and fauna.
‘Yamuna Par Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ organized by NMCG:
• The event "Yamuna Par Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" was organized at the water sports club in
New Delhi by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and the
Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation.
• The Yamuna Par Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav was presided over by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat,
the union minister for Jal Shakti.
• BSF personnel presented Shekhawat with a guard of honor on this occasion.
• He also raised the national flag, Tiranga, to mark the Yamuna Par Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the NMCG
and Sahakar Bharati to realize the vision of sustainable and viable economic development
through public participation, the establishment, and strengthening of local cooperatives, and
directing their cooperation towards achieving the mission of Arth-Ganga.
• Yamuna Par Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav ImAvatar, a tourism-related platform, was also
established to promote livelihood opportunities.
• The "Arth-Ganga" program can be promoted by the travel industry.
Shipping Ministry Proposes Amendment To 110-Year-Old Indian Ports Act:
• A draft to amend the Indian Ports Act, of 1908, has been made public by the Ministry of Ports,
Shipping, and Waterways.
• It aims to implement significant reforms in the sector by including minor ports in the national
framework, developing a new dispute-resolution procedure, and strengthening the maritime
state development council (MSDC).
• More than 110 years have passed since the Indian Ports Act of 1908.
• It has become essential that the Act be updated to take into account current frameworks, include
India's duties under international agreements, address new environmental concerns, and
support the consultative development of the ports industry in the interest of the country.
• The change to the Major Ports Authority Act, which was introduced last year and drew criticism
for the potential for a greater concentration of power in the hands of the central government—
which oversees 12 major ports in India—could, according to sector experts, suffer the same fate.
The government launched the Aqua Bazaar feature of the Matsya Setu App:
• Shri Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy presented
the "Aqua Bazar" online marketplace feature in the "MatsyaSetu" mobile app during the 9th
general body meeting of the National Fisheries Development Board.
• The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad, and the ICAR-Central Institute
of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar, utilized funds from the Pradhan Mantri
Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to develop the MatsyaSetu app.
• The Aqua Bazar online market will help fish farmers and other interested parties find the inputs
(such as fish seeds, feed, medicines, etc.) and services required for fish farming.
• On the Aqua Bazar market, farmers may also sell their table-size fish.
• All stakeholders involved in aquaculture are intended to be connected by the Aqua Bazar
marketplace.
17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023 to be held at Indore:
• The 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023 will take place in Indore in January of next year,
according to Arindam Bagchi, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Every year on January 9th, the celebration of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas honors the contribution of
the Indian diaspora to the advancement of India.
• It also honors Mahatma Gandhi's trip back to India from South Africa on January 9, 1915.
• The 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held during 21–23 January 2019 in Varanasi, India.
• The Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, was the guest of honor.
Indian Railways longest freight train: Super Vasuki
• The Super Vasuki, the Indian Railways' newest train, underwent a test run.
• The Indian Railways' South East Central Railway (SECR) zone runs the Super Vasuki.
• Vasuki and Trishul, two record-breaking long-distance freight trains, were run by the SECR last
year.
• The 2.8 km SheshNaag train came before them. Five cargo trains were combined into one unit
to create the Super Vasuki.
• The freight train has a length of 3.5 kilometers.
• The Super Vasuki carries enough coal to run a 3000 MW power plant for a whole day.
• The train took 11.20 hours to cover a distance of 267 km.
The country's first indigenous monkeypox test kit has been launched:
• The first RT-PCR kit for monkeypox illness testing to be created locally was in India.
• Ajay Kumar Sood, a principal scientific adviser to the center, revealed the kit, which was created
by Transasia Bio-Medicals.
• The package would assist in better managing the virus, which the WHO has classified as a
global public health emergency.
• While clinically less severe than smallpox, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis—a virus that spreads
from animals to people.
• The typical symptoms of monkeypox include fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes, and it can
cause a variety of medical issues.

India Sets Target to Raise Share of Natural Gas in Energy Mix to 15% by 2030:
• The government has announced it has set a target to raise the share of natural gas in the
energy mix to 15%, from 6.3% currently, in 2030.
• Several initiatives have been taken for the same, informed Rameswar Teli, Minister of State for
Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The initiatives include:
I. Expansion of National Gas Grid to about 33,500 Km from the current 21,715 Km.
II. Expansion of City Gas Distribution (CGD) network
III. Setting up of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals.
IV. Allocation of domestic gas to Compressed Natural Gas (Transport) / Piped Natural Gas
(Domestic) in no cut category.
V. Allowing marketing and pricing freedom to gas produced from high-pressure/high-temperature
areas, deep water & ultra-deepwater, and coal seams.
VI. Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiatives to promote Bio-
CNG.
Mr. Darshana Jardosh inaugurates Silk Mark Expo:
• Mr. Darshana Jardosh, the Union Minister of State for Textiles, formally inaugurated the Silk
Mark Expo in New Delhi.
• The Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, and the Silk Mark Organization of India together
conduct the Silk Mark Expo.
• The Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav has reached this milestone, according to the Union Minister of
State for Textile.
• To help India's textile industry grow, the Textile Ministry has introduced several initiatives,
including the Silk Mark Expo.
• The Silk Mark calls attention to the product's qualification requirements, which will eventually
increase customer confidence in both domestic and international markets.
• In addition to the stakeholders in the silk value chain, the Silk Mark Expo aspires to safeguard
the interests of all silk consumers.
65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference to be hosted by Canada:
• Amos Masondo, the head of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), and a distinguished
group of MPs will serve as the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference's (CPC) leaders.
• From August 22 to 26, 2022, Halifax, Canada will host the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary
Conference (CPC).
• Delegates from Commonwealth parliaments and legislatures can discuss changes to the
parliamentary system and global political concerns during the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary
Conference, which will be held this year.
Delegates:
• Winnie Ngwenya, a member of the Commonwealth Women’s Parliament
• Phoebe Noxolo Abraham
• Dikeledi Gladys Mahlangu
• Siviwe Gwarube, a member of the Democratic Alliance
Dr. Jitendra Singh approved an initial loan of Rs 1.15 crore for the StartUp with an alternative solution
to Single-Use Plastic:
• Union Minister of State (Independent Representative) for Science and Technology; Minister of
State (Independent Representative) for Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public
Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh approved an initial loan of
Rs 1.15 crore to M/s TGP Bioplastics for commercialization of ‘compostable’ plastics and
thereby reduce the use of single-use plastics (SUP).
• An MoU has been signed between the Technology Development Board, a statutory body of the
Ministry of Science and Technology, and M/s TGP Bioplastics Private Limited, Satara,
Maharashtra, for the production and commercialization of compostable plastics.
• Dr. Jitendra was informed that StartUp has come up with an alternative solution to Single Use
Plastic (SUP) with a prototype compostable plastic material that decomposes as compost in the
soil without affecting the environment.
• This unique project received seed funding from NIDHI Prayas (DST), Niti Aayog, and UNIDO for
prototype development.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur launched ‘Azadi Quest’ online games:
• Anurag Thakur, a Union Minister, has unveiled "Azadi Quest," a collection of online instructional
games themed on India's liberation movement and created in partnership with Zynga India.
• These games are an attempt to educate players through gaming and tap into the enormous
internet gaming industry.
• Information on underappreciated independence soldiers has been gathered by various
government agencies in India.
• Acquiring this knowledge interesting and participatory is the goal of "Azadi Quest."
• The games are available for Android and iOS devices in English and Hindi for the people of
India and will be available worldwide from September 2022.
PM Modi opened Amrita Hospital, the largest hospital in Asia, in Faridabad:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi formally opened the 2,600-bed Amrita hospital in Faridabad,
which is the largest hospital in Asia.
• It has cutting-edge technology, including a centrally situated, fully automated laboratory.
• The NCR region's healthcare infrastructure would be considerably improved by this Amrita
hospital in Faridabad.
• The Amrita hospital Faridabad complex would have a built-up area of 36 lakh square feet,
including a 14-floor tower containing the major medical services.
• On the roof of the Amrita hospital Faridabad complex, there is a helipad as well.
23rd Central Zonal Council meeting presided over by Amit Shah in Bhopal:
• The 23rd Central Zonal Council Meeting was presided over by Union Home Minister Amit Shah
in Bhopal.
• Both Pushkar Singh Dhami and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief ministers of Uttarakhand and
Madhya Pradesh, were present during the meeting.
• Due to the bad weather, both Bhupesh Baghel and Yogi Adityanath, the chief ministers of Uttar
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, took part remotely.
• Amit Shah laid the cornerstone for the National Forensic Science University campus in Bhopal.
Transgenders will be covered under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY:
• The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) will be expanded to
include transgender people, according to the Indian government
• To provide a comprehensive health package for transgender people under Ayushman Bharat-
PMJAY, the National Health Authority (NHA), a division of the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, have signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU).
• A transgender person must possess a transgender certificate issued by the National Portal for
Transgender Persons to be eligible for any healthcare benefits under this MoU between the
National Health Authority (NHA) and the Ministry of Social Justice & Employment (MoSJE).
• This agreement will apply to all transgender people nationwide. Per the recipient who identifies
as transgender, MoSJE would provide an Rs. 5 lakh insurance policy each year.
India to have 1.8 lakh Km of Highways & 1.2 lakh Km of Rail Lines by 2025:
• In 2025, India plans to build new trains and highways.
• According to a survey by Bank of America Securities India, the total length of all national roads
in India is predicted to be 1.8 lakh kilometers, while the total length of railway lines would be 1.2
lakh kilometers.
• In India, new national roads totaled 77,000 kilometers in 2015, up from 4000 kilometers
between 1950 and 2015.
• By 2025, highways are predicted to have expanded to 1.8 lakh kilometers, which is more than
twice their present length.
• Only 10,000 rail lines made up India's railway network in 1950; by 2015, there were 63,000 rail
lines.
• Making the railway network extend up to 1.2 lakh kilometers is the benchmark for 2025.
20th Edition of BioAsia 2023 scheduled for February 24-26:
• The Government of Telangana will host the 20th edition of BioAsia 2023, the major event of
BioAsia 2023 for life sciences and health tech, on February 24-26, 2023.
• Minister for Industries and Commerce KT Rama Rao launched the BioAsia 2023 logo and
theme, "Advancing for ONE: Shaping the Next Generation of Humanised Healthcare."
• To debate the multidisciplinary subjects of One Health, disruptive medical technology, and
universal healthcare accessibility and affordability, "Bio Asia 2023 will bring together
professionals in the life sciences and healthcare, academics, start-ups, regulators, and investors
on one stage," says Shakthi Nagappan, CEO of BioAsia and Director (Life Sciences),
Government of Telangana.
• More than 100 carefully selected health-tech entrepreneurs from across the world will be able to
demonstrate their ground-breaking solutions to pressing medical problems at the BioAsia 2023
event's start-up showcase.
PM Modi Inaugurates Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital in Mohali:
• A 300-bed Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Center have been inaugurated by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Mullanpur, Mohali, Chandigarh.
• The Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre were constructed for a total of more
than 660 crores by the Tata Memorial Centre, an aided institution run by the Union Department
of Atomic Energy.
• The Bhabha Cancer Hospital's opening ceremony also included the presence of Punjab's Chief
Minister, Bhagwant Mann.
• To assure the treatment of all cancer kinds in India, the hospital is outfitted with the most cutting-
edge facilities, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Mammography, Digital
Radiography, and Brachytherapy.
• Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, bone marrow transplants, and surgery are the cancer
treatments offered in this country.
EAC-PM to launch the India@100 roadmap:
• The Competitiveness Roadmap for India@100 will be unveiled in New Delhi by the Economic
Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).
• The EAC-India@100 PM's report acts as a road map for India's progress toward its centennial
year and will guide and inform the nation's route to a better income status by 2047.
• The EAC-PM suggests policy goals, concepts, and approaches in India@100 to advance India's
economy toward sustainability and resilience, founded on social development and shared
prosperity.
• In the presence of Sherpa G-20 Amitabh Kant, Member EAC-PM Sanjeev Sanyal, and Chairman
EAC-PM Dr. Bibek Debroy, the EAC-PM report (India@100) will be made public.
Karnataka will soon feature the country's first 3D-printed post office:
• The first 3D-printed post office in India is expected to open in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and it will
only cost around one-fourth as much as a conventional facility.
• Within the next month, the new post office building at Cambridge Layout in Halasuru, Bengaluru,
is anticipated to be finished utilizing 3D printing.
• The Post Office building is being built by Larsen & Toubro, the only business actively using 3D
printing in construction in India.
• The Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council of the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs and IIT-Madras have approved the three-story, new post office's 3D printing.
Centre Picks 75 Tribal Districts for TB Intervention Projects:
• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Central TB Division of the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare have now decided on 75 tribal districts where targeted interventions will be run over the
next few months to make them TB-free after having run an active case-finding campaign to
detect instances of TB among tribal populations over the past six months.
• This January, the Aashwasan Drive, which involved door-to-door screening in over 68,000
villages, launched a campaign to find TB patients throughout 174 tribal districts.
• The government intends to deploy two officials per district and three officials in each of the state
TB cells to oversee the execution of these planned interventions.
• The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided technical assistance
and Piramal Swasthya provided implementation support for the Tribal Affairs and Health
Ministries' Aashwasan Campaign.
• Compared to other demographic groups, tribal inhabitants are more susceptible to TB and other
respiratory ailments, according to Tribal Affairs Ministry Joint Secretary Naval Jit Kapoor.
One Nation One Fertilizer is implemented by GoI:
• One Nation One Fertilizer: To unify fertilizer brands across the country, the government issued
an order ordering all enterprises to promote their products under the brand name "Bharat".
• According to the One Nation One Fertilizer order, all fertilizer bags containing urea, di-
ammonium phosphate (DAP), muriate of potash (MOP), or NPK will bear the brand names
"Bharat Urea," "Bharat DAP," "Bharat MOP," and "Bharat NPK," regardless of the company that
manufactures them, whether in the public or private sector.
• One Nation One Fertilizer's plan has drawn criticism from the fertilizer industry, which claims it
would "destroy their brand value and market difference."
• As part of the One Nation One Fertilizer initiative, under which the Central Government yearly
subsidizes the fertilizer companies, the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janurvarak Pariyojana
(PMBJP) brand name and logo must be shown on the bags.
• One Nation One Fertilizer's move may harm the fertilizer market since branding not only
distinguish products but also help build a company's image among farmers.
Shri Bhupender Yadav took part in the “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” campaign:
• Shri Bhupender Yadav, a minister in the Union, took part in the "Swachh Sagar, Surakshit
Sagar" campaign in Puducherry to encourage environmental sustainability.
• The 75-day "Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar" campaign is a citizen-led initiative to improve
coastal and ocean health via group effort.
• The Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar campaign will come to an end on September 17, 2022, on
International Coastal Cleanup Day, which will commemorate the program's launch on July 5,
2022.
• The Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar campaign aims to target lifestyle and changes in behavior
that support environmental sustainability, through the Prime Minister's global initiative on the
"lifestyle for environment (LiFE) Movement," which calls for human-centric and collaborative
efforts to boost sustainable development.
• During the minister’s visit, Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry,
and Thiru N. Rangaswamy, the Chief Minister of Puducherry, were also present for the Swachh
Sagar, Surakshit Sagar campaign.
MoE hosted the Smart India Hackathon-2022:
• The Ministry of Education hosted the Smart India Hackathon-2022.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi engaged with the audience during the grand finale of the
Smart India Hackathon-2022 (SIH 2022).
• Through video conference, the prime minister addressed the pupils in attendance.
• The Smart India Hackathon (SIH) H ardware and the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) Software are
the two editions for 2022.
• The grand finales for hardware and software were set for August 25–29 and August 25–26,
respectively.
• In 2017, the inaugural Smart India Hackathon (SIH) was held.
• The Smart India Hackathon aims to promote a culture of product innovation and a problem-
solving attitude among students throughout the nation by providing them with a forum to address
some of the most significant challenges that we face every day.
NITI Aayog declared Haridwar as the best aspirational district in India:
• The holy city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand has been named the greatest aspirational district by the
NITI Aayog based on five criteria.
• Rakesh Ranjan, the director of NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts Program, publishes to the
district collector of Haridwar and the chief secretary of Uttarakhand to inform them that the
district has earned the right to an additional allocation of Rs 3 crore because it placed first in the
theme of basic infrastructure.
• Five essential criteria are used by the NITI Aayog-launched Aspirational District Programme to
assess each district's success.
• These measures evaluate the block's socioeconomic status.
✓ Health & Nutrition (30%)
✓ Education (30%)
✓ Agriculture & Water Resources (20%)
✓ Financial Inclusion & Skill Development (10%)
✓ Infrastructure (10%)
PM to inaugurate pedestrian-only ‘Atal Bridge’ on Sabarmati River:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally unveil the pedestrian-only "Atal Bridge" over the
Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• PM Modi is visiting for two days in his home state.
• Later, PM Modi went to the bridge on the spur of the moment.
• The Atal Bridge, according to a news release, connects the flower garden on the western end of
the riverfront to the future arts and cultural center on the eastern end.
• Atal Bridge has a central section that is 14 meters broad and almost 300 meters long.
• The 300-meter Atal Bridge was built by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and is named
after the late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• The Atal Bridge will connect the event space and floral garden on the river's western bank with
the proposed arts and cultural center on its eastern bank.
PM Jan Dhan Yojana completes 8 years, Financial Inclusion Program:
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has been in operation for eight years and has met all of its key
objectives.
• PM Jan Dhan Yojana is a major financial inclusion initiative announced by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on August 28, 2014.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the Jan Dhan Yojana in his first Independence Day
address following the 2014 election.
• In eight years, PM Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) has reached 462.5 million beneficiaries, with
deposits in these accounts expected to reach 1.73 trillion by August 10, 2022.
• PM Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is a National Mission financial inclusion program that aims to
bring comprehensive financial inclusion to all households in India.
The first earthquake memorial in India is dedicated by Shri Narendra Modi:
• At Bhuj in Gujarat, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated Smruti Van, the nation's first
earthquake monument.
• One-of-a-kind monument Smruti Van has the names of more than 12,000 persons who perished
in the catastrophic earthquake that rocked this area in January 2001.
• Visitors may feel earthquake vibrations that are like them thanks to the earthquake simulator.
• At the event were State BJP President C. R. Patil and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
• According to a Gujarat government source, the massive memorial is the nation's first of its kind
and spans 470 acres on Bhujio Hill, just outside of Bhuj.
• It honors the spirit of resiliency in the wake of the earthquake on January 26, 2001, which
claimed the lives of approximately 13,000 people and had its epicenter in Bhuj.
IM PORTANT INTERNATIONAL NEWS

WHO Declares Monkeypox as a Global Public Health Emergency of International Concern
• The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
• The decision was justified, with cases in more than 70 countries, most of which are non-
endemic, many with no clear epidemiological links and milder nonspecific clinical presentation.
About PHEIC :
• PHEIC is a formal declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) of an extraordinary
event that is determined to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international
spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response.
• Under the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR), states have a legal duty to respond
promptly to a PHEIC.
• The declaration is publicized by an IHR Emergency Committee (EC) of international experts.
• Between 2009 and 2022, there were 7 PHEIC declarations ie :
1. 2009 H1N1 (or swine flu) pandemic
2. 2014 polio declaration
3. 2013–2016 outbreak of Ebola in Western Africa
4. 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic
5. 2018–20 Kivu Ebola epidemic
6. Ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
7. Ongoing 2022 monkeypox outbreak.
• The recommendations are temporary and require reviews every three months
About WHO :
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Director General : Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
• Parent Organization: United Nations Economic and Social Council
UNGA declares access to a clean and healthy environment a universal human right
• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a historic resolution declaring access to
a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, a universal human right.
• The final vote tally was 161 in favor of the resolution, with 8 countries abstaining from the vote:
China, the Russian Federation, Belarus, Cambodia, Iran, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, and Ethiopia.
About the resolution :
• The resolution, based on a similar text adopted last year by the Human Rights Council , calls
upon States, international organizations, and business enterprises to scale up efforts to ensure a
healthy environment for all.
• It will help reduce environmental injustices, close protection gaps and empower people,
especially those that are in vulnerable situations, including environmental human rights
defenders, children, youth, women, and indigenous peoples
• One of the major results of the Stockholm conference was the creation of the United Nations
Environment Programme.
• In October 2021, the UN Human Rights Council recognized for the first time that having a clean,
healthy, and sustainable environment is a human right.
• The 1972 United Nations Conference on the environment in Stockholm was the first world
conference to make the environment a major issue.
• India has voted in favor of the resolution but dissociated itself from an operative paragraph of the
text.
About UNGA :
• President: Abdulla Shahid
• India's permanent ambassador to UN: Ruchira Kamboj
• UN Secretary-General : António Guterres
• The UNGA is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN).
Bihar college astronomy lab enters on UNESCO heritage list
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added a
106-year-old astronomical observatory at Langat Singh College in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur to its list
of important endangered heritage observatories of the world.
About astronomical observatory :
• The observatory was built in 1916 in the 123-year-old college, now affiliated with Bhim Rao
Ambedkar Bihar University.
• In 1946, the college also installed a planetarium, the first in India, and the college itself.
• The observatory and planetarium functioned satisfactorily up to early 1970 but started declining
gradually with time.
• National Commission for History of Science member and Delhi University’s former modern
history professor JN Sinha stated that his constant push to draw UNESCO’s attention towards
the observatory, the first of its kind in eastern India, finally bore fruit.
About UNESCO :
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Director-General: Audrey Azoulay
• Member States: 193
• UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN).
Aim :
• To promote world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts,
sciences, and culture
India among leaders in annual renewable energy investment: UN report
• According to a United Nations (UN) report, 84 percent of nearly $1 trillion of global investment in
energy transition technologies in 2021 was deployed in China, India, Japan, the US, and
Europe.
• The findings were presented in the third brief of the Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) on
Food, Energy, and Finance, which was released by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Rebeca
Grynspan.
About the report :
• The report mentions that $4 trillion-$6 trillion in annual investments will be required until 2030 to
ensure equitable renewable energy transition.
• Since 2017, annual global energy-related investments have been $2 trillion-$2.5 trillion.
• Moreover, these investments are concentrated in China, India, Japan, the US, and Europe.
• The report stresses the need to double down on renewable energy sources to achieve the net-
zero goal, tackle energy poverty, and boost and diversify the global energy mix.
• The report also mentions that the World Food Programme estimates that 345 million people will
be acutely food insecure in 2022 across 82 countries due to the lingering effects of Covid-19 and
the continuing Russian-Ukraine crisis & this will mean an increase of 47 million acutely hungry
people.
• It highlights the challenges & calls for a stable policy environment, providing long-term revenue
certainty and a transparent grant of permits.
About United Nations :
• Headquarters: New York City
• Membership: 193 member states
• The UN has six principal organs: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC), the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the
UN Secretariat.
Russia signs contract to supply Radio Equipments for 24 airports in India
• The Russian enterprise Scientific and Production Corporation “Radio technical Systems” (RTS)
of Russia has signed a large-scale contract with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the
supply of radio equipment.
• The Russian company will manufacture 34 sets of instrument landing systems (ILS)-734 for the
modernization of 24 airports in India.
• According to the contract, the first part of landing systems ILS-734 must be shipped before
November 2022 & the payments within the transaction will be carried out in national currencies.
• The ILS 734 by NPO “RTS” development was certified by the Interstate Aviation Committee.
• The ILS- 734 system allows for the landing of equipped aircraft with a runway visual range of a
minimum of 50 meters and a decision height of a minimum of 15 meters.
• The landing system is subject to increased requirements for the reliability and stability of the
output parameters of the equipment.
Additional Info :
• CEO of Radio technical Systems: Aleksandr Dolmatov
• Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of India: Denis Alipov
About Russia :
• President: Vladimir Putin
• Prime minister: Mikhail Mishustin
• Capital: Moscow
• Currency: Russian ruble
About AAI :
• Chairman: Sanjeev Kumar
• Around 137 airports, including 24 international airports come under the AAI.
India adopts joint statement on cooperation on global supply chains
• India has adopted the United States Joint Statement on Cooperation on Global Supply Chains
which was released by the USA Government & the 17 partner economies during the Virtual
2022 Supply Chain Ministerial Forum.
• The partner economies include Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands,
the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• For building collective long-term resilient supply chains based on international partnerships, all
the partner countries aimed to follow various global supply chain principles including
transparency, diversification, security, and sustainability.
Note :
• The Supply Chain Ministerial, hosted by Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Commerce
Raimondo, was held virtually on July 19-20, 2022.
Nepal approves India's hydropower board to study, and develop the West Seti project
• Nepal approved India's hydropower board to study and develop 1,200MW hydropower projects
in western Nepal.
About the West Seti project:
• The projects include 750MW West Seti Hydropower Project and 450MW Seti River (SR-6), a
total of 6 joint storage projects.
• The Nepal Investment Board (NIB), the government body entitled to approve foreign
investments, has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU0 with Indian developer
National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Pvt Ltd, a Government of India Enterprise, for
conducting a feasibility study of the joint development projects.
• The NHPC Limited under India’s Ministry of Power had submitted a proposal in May to develop
the West Seti Hydropower Project.
• The decision was made during the 52nd meeting of the Nepal Investment Board held in
Kathmandu chaired by Prime Minister Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba.
• The proposed dam site is located 82 km upstream of the confluence of the Seti and Karnali
rivers, forming part of the Ganges basin.
• The project sites are located at elevations ranging from 550 to 920 meters and are spread
across six districts.
• The estimated cost of the project, according to the Investment Board, is USD 2.4 billion.
• Also, the meeting decided to organize Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Forum 2022 in
September 2022 in Kathmandu for promoting investment in sustainable infrastructure
development in Nepal.
About Nepal :
• President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
• Prime minister: Sher Bahadur Deuba
• Capital: Kathmandu
• Currency: Nepalese rupee
International Solar Alliance floats tender for 1150 MW solar project in Cuba
• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) in partnership with the government of Cuba has floated a
tender for setting up an 1150 MW solar project in Cuba.
• State-owned NTPC is the project management consultant for ISA for setting up the project.
About the Project:
• The project is part of Cuba's plan to implement 2100 MW of solar projects, reducing the reliance
on expensive and polluting diesel generators and increasing its green energy portfolio.
• It also includes the building of 150 MW/150 MWh of storage to support grid reliability.
• It is the first in ISA's broader solar park program, which seeks to support developing markets in
structuring bankable, economic solar parks through technical support, transparent and
competitive tendering, and formulating effective project agreements like PPAs, and
implementation agreements.
• It is expected to follow the success of previous international projects, such as Solar Park and
Natural Gas IPPs.
• Request for qualification (RFQ) has been floated on behalf of UNE by NTPC for the selection of
an eligible list of participants.
• The selected participants will be called for the final stage of the tender, i.e., Request for Proposal
(RFP), where they will need to provide price bids and quantum of power capacity in MW.
About ISA :
• Established: 30 November 2015
• Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana, India
• Director General: Ajay Mathur
• Membership: 87 members of the UN
Objective :
• To work for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
• This initiative was first proposed by Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in a speech in
November 2015 at Wembley Stadium.
About Cuba :
• Prime Minister : Manuel Marrero Cruz
• Capital : Havana
• Currency : Cuban peso
Singapore grants National Monument Status to Padang, where Netaji’s famous Call ‘Chalo Dilli’ was
immortalized
• The Government of Singapore has declared the iconic green site Padang, from where Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose gave the slogan of ‘Delhi Chalo’ in July 1943, as its 75th national
monument as the city-state celebrates its 57th National Day.
About Padang :
• The Padang, meaning a field in Malay, was distinguished by its public nature, as one of the only
few open spaces accessible to the public in the colonial period
• Padang is the largest open field site in Singapore popular for sporting events such as cricket,
football, hockey, tennis, and lawn bowling.
• It is one of the oldest open spaces continuously used since the 1800s.
• Because of its strong national, historical and social significance, the Padang is preserved and
accorded the highest level of protection in Singapore under the Preservation of Monuments Act,
stated the National Heritage Board (NHB).
Note :
• The Padang will be the first green, open space to join a list of 74 other national monuments in
Singapore.
• On August 9, 2022, the country of Singapore celebrated its 57th National Day
About Singapore :
• President : Halimah Yacob
• Prime Minister : Lee Hsien Loong
• Currency: Singapore dollar
British govt officially declares drought in parts of England
• The British government stated that parts of southern, central, and eastern England had officially
moved into drought status after a prolonged period of hot and dry weather.
• The affected areas are:
1. Devon and Cornwall
2. Solent and South Downs
3. Kent and south London
4. Herts and north London
5. East Anglia
6. Thames
7. Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire,
8. The East Midlands.
• England suffered its driest July 2022 since 1935, with only 35% of the average rainfall for the
month, and parts of England and Wales are now in the middle of a four-day extreme heat alert.
• The last drought in England occurred in 2018.
About England :
• Capital: London
• Currency: Pound sterling
UK becomes the first country to approve COVID-19 booster vaccine targeting Omicron strains
• The United Kingdom (UK) has become the first country to approve Moderna’s “bivalent” COVID-
19 vaccine that targets both the original strain of COVID-19 and the newer Omicron variant.
• The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had approved the Moderna
vaccine as a “sharpened tool” against the novel coronavirus after it was found to meet its
standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
• The UK’s independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) will now advise
on how this new vaccine should be rolled out as part of the country’s booster vaccine
deployment program.
• The vaccine has also been submitted for approval with the authorities in Australia, Canada, and
the European Union (EU).
About Moderna :
• Founded: September 2010
• Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S
• President: Stephen Hoge
• CEO Stephane Bancel
About the UK :
• Prime minister: Boris Johnson
• Capital: London
India Nominates Garba to Be Inscribed On UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List
• The Government of India (GoI) has nominated the dance form Garba to be inscribed on United
Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) intangible cultural
heritage list.
• The Director of UNESCO announced that after the inclusion of Durga Puja as the UNESCO
intangible cultural heritage representative in 2021, India has now nominated Garba for 2022.
• The next meeting of UNESCO will be held in November 2022.
• A total of 14 elements from India are inscribed on UNESCO’S list of Intangible Cultural Heritage
and Humanity.
• Garba is a dance form which has originated in Gujarat, India.
• India was elected by UNESCO to serve on the distinguished Intergovernmental Committee of
the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in India :
• Buddhist Chanting.
• Kalbelia.
• Chhau Dance.
• Koodiyattam.
• Kumbh Mela.
• Mudiyett.
• Nawruz.
• Ramlila
• Sankirtana
• Ramman
• Traditional Brass and Copper Craft of Utensil making
• Vedic Chanting
• Durga Puja
• Yoga
About UNESCO :
• Director General- Audrey Azoulay
Aim :
sciences, and culture.
IMD, the Government of Japan, and UNDP launch a project to accelerate climate action in India
• India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Government of Japan, and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) announced a new initiative to accelerate climate action in 10
states and Union Territories (UT) across India.
• The initiative will support Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to achieve net-zero
emissions and ensure climate-resilient development.
Key Highlights :
• Under the initiative, UNDP will work with IMD to promote climate resilience and the M i nistry o f
New Renewable Energy (MNRE) to promote climate mitigation by:
• Deploying clean energy infrastructure and low-emission technologies in key sectors including
Transport, Health, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and Agriculture.
• This includes solarizing 150 healthcare facilities, and 20 micro -enter prises, and i n stalling 8 5
Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations and 30 solar cold storage systems across the 10 states.
• Demonstrating resilient climate planning at the grassroots through climate information flow
systems for 30 Gram Panchayats.
• Promote green jobs and green entrepreneurship in sectors like Renewable Energy by providing
skilling and training to 2000+ people.
• Japan has extended USD 5.16 million in climate grant to UNDP India for the project.
• This is part of Japan’s global support to 23 countries through UNDP’s ‘Climate Promise - F r om
Pledge to Impact’ program for scaling up its support to turn NDCs into concrete action.
• The project will be rolled out in the states and Union Territories of Bihar, Delhi -NCR, Gujarat,
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, M a harashtr a, a nd Od isha, S ikkim , U ttarakhand, and U ttar
Pradesh between 2022-23.
• At the COP26 summit in Glasgow in November 2021, India pledged to cut the country's total
projected carbon emission by 1 billion tonnes by 2 030, i nstall 5 00 GW of n o n- fossil e ner gy
capacity by 2030, reduce the carbon intensity of the nation's economy by less than 45% by the
end of the decade and net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.
About IMD :
• Director General: Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
• IMD is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the GoI.
About Japan :
• Prime Minister : Fumio Kishida
• Capital: Tokyo
• Currency: Japanese yen
About UNDP :
• Head: Achim Steiner
• UNDP is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve
sustainable economic growth and human development.
Scotland becomes the first country in the world to make period products free for all
• Scotland has become the first in the world to legally protect the right to access free period
products with a new law, the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act in November 2020.
• The Scottish government already invested millions of pounds since 2017 to fund free period
products in educational institutions
• The bill, which was passed unanimously in 2020, was introduced by Scottish Parliament
lawmaker Monica Lennon, who had campaigned against "period poverty"
About the Law :
• Under the new law, schools, colleges, and universities as well as local government bodies must
make a range of period products such as tampons and sanitary pads available for free in their
bathrooms.
• A mobile phone app, PickupMyPeriod also helps people find the nearest place such as the local
library or community center for picking up period products.
Additional Info :
• Period poverty is when those on low incomes can't afford, or access, suitable period products.
• New Zealand and Kenya, distribute period products for free in public schools.
About Scotland :
• First Minister: Nicola Sturgeon
• Deputy First Minister: John Swinney
• Capital: Edinburgh
India-Mauritius 3rd Joint Committee Meeting 2022 on SME Cooperation held in Delhi
• The 3rd Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) 2022 between the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises(MSME), Government of India (GoI), and Ministry of Business, Enterprises, and
Cooperatives of the Republic of Mauritius for cooperation in the field of MSMEs were held in
New Delhi, Delhi.
• The Indian side was led by Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME),
GoI, Shri Narayan Rane, and the Mauritius side was led by Union Minister of Industrial
Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Republic o f Mauritius, Shri Soomilduth Bholah.
2 MoUs Signed :
• During the Mauritius delegation’s visit, two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on
cooperation have also been signed,
1. MoU Signed between SME Mauritius Ltd. and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India
(EDII)- Ahmedabad in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
2. MoU Signed between SME Mauritius Ltd. and National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (Ni-MSME), an institute under the Ministry of MSME in New Delhi, Delhi.
• In the JCM 2022, both sides discussed potential areas of cooperation in various areas including
• Exchange of best practices and experiences in the development of the MSME sector
• Holding physical/virtual exhibitions/fairs
• Technological cooperation
• Encouraging B2B collaboration/tie-ups through B2B meets
• Entrepreneurship development and training programs;
• Collaboration in various sectors such as aromatherapy, food processing, and eco-friendly
businesses.
• India & Mauritiu's bilateral trade in goods rose from USD 690.02 million in 2019 - 20 to USD
786.72 million in 2021-22.
About Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises :
• Cabinet Minister: Narayan Rane
• Minister of State: Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma
About Mauritius :
• Prime Minister: Pravind Kumar Jugnauth
• Capital: Port Louis
• Currency: Mauritian rupee
Union Agriculture Minister inaugurated the Indo-Israel Center of Excellence for Vegetables
• The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, laid the
foundation stone of the Indo-Israel Center of Excellence (CoE) for Vegetables in Chandauli Uttar
Pradesh through video conferencing.
• The projects were inaugurated by the Ambassador of Israel in India, Dr. Ron Malka, Union
Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, and Karnataka Chief
Minister Shri B. S. Yediyurappa.
• The CoE in Kolar, Bagalkote, and Dharwad in Karnataka will implement advanced Israeli Agro-
Technology tailored to local conditions.
• A CoE is an advanced & intensive agricultural farm that generates knowledge, demonstrates
best practices, and trains farmers based on Israeli novel agro-technology tailored to the local
conditions.
• Three CoE mangoes in Kolar, pomegranates in Bagalkot, and Vegetables in Dharwad were
established in Karnataka under the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project (IIAP).
Note :
• Rice bowl of Uttar Pradesh - Chandauli district.
• Ambassador of Israel to India: Dr. Ron Malka
About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare :
• Cabinet Minister: Narendra Singh Tomar
• Minister of State: Shobha Karandlaje, Kailash Choudhary
About Israel :
• President: Isaac Herzog
• Prime minister: Yair Lapid
• Capital: Jerusalem
• Currency: Israeli Shekel
Germany Launches World's First Hydrogen Train Fleet
• Germany has launched the world's first fleet of hydrogen-powered passenger trains.
• The new locomotives are set to replace a diesel fleet in the state of Lower Saxony.
• The new fleet consists of 14 Coradia iLint hydrogen trains made by the French company Alstom
and operated by regional rail company Lower Saxony Transport Authority (LNVG).
• In the project, Lower Saxony has invested $92 million in an attempt to make its economy
greener.
About the hydrogen-powered passenger trains :
• The new trains have the potential to save more than 422,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year by
running on hydrogen power.
• The trains have a range of 621 miles and can travel at speeds of up to 140 km per hour (87
mph), though they will normally operate between 50 to 75 mph
• The hydrogen filling station has already been established along the route, which runs between
the towns of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde, and Buxtehude.
• A gallon of burned diesel fuel produces about 22 pounds of CO2, which means the fleet could
cut CO2 emissions by up to 460 tons per year.
About Germany :
• President: Frank-Walter Steinmeier
• Capital: Berlin
• Currency: Euro (€) (EUR)
India GABON Business Council launched on the National Day of Gabon
• India GABON Business Council was launched by the Indian Economic Trade Organization
(IETO) & the Embassy of GABON to enhance the trade relationships between both India &
Gabon.
• The MoU was signed by the Charge D Affaires of the Gabon Embassy Josephine Patricia
Ntyam- EHYA & the President of the IETO Dr. Asif Iqbal in New Delhi.
• Both India and Gabon are currently serving as non-permanent members of the UNSC (United
Nations Security Council).
• The Bilateral trade between both nations reached USD 1.12 billion in 2021-22.
• Gabon was among the first countries to sign and ratify the International Solar Alliance
agreement.
Note :
• India is the 2nd largest destination for Gabonese exports.
About Gabon :
• President : Ali Bongo Ondimba
• Prime Minister : Rose Christiane Raponda
• Capital : Libreville
• Currency : Central African CFA franc
Bangladesh & India signs consultancy contract for 2 railway projects
• Bangladesh and India signed two contracts for the construction of a new broad-gauge line
between Khulna-Darsana and the conversion of a meter gauge line into a dual-gauge line
between Parbatipur and Kaunia under the Indian Line of Credit (LOC).
• The contract signing ceremony was held at the Railway Ministry in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
About Khulna-Darshana :
• The 126-kilometer long Khulna-Darshana broad gauge rail line will have 147 bridges over it
including 4 Girder bridges and 143 RCC box culvert bridges.
• The project cost is Taka 3506 crore out of which Taka 2689 crore will come from the Indian Line
of Credit.
About Parbatipur-Kaunia :
• The project for the conversion of the meter gauge line from Parbatipur to Kaunia to a dual gauge
line will cover a distance of 57 kilometers.
• It has seven railway stations as well as 47 bridges including 14 girder bridges and 33 box culvert
bridges.
• These projects will enhance rail connectivity in Bangladesh and have the potential to transform
cross-border goods movement, boosting sub-regional growth.
Note :
• Railway Minister of Bangladesh: Md. Nurul Islam Sujan
About Bangladesh :
• President: Abdul Hamid
• Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina
• Capital: Dhaka
• Currency: Taka
IM PORTANT MOUs & AGREEMENTS

India and Egypt signed M oU to build a green hydrogen factory:
• India and Egypt signed MoU to build a green hydrogen factory worth $8 billion.
• An Indian Company has signed MoU with Egypt to build a green hydrogen factory in the Suez
Canal Economic Zone.
• As per the MoU, Indian ReNew Power Private Limited will build a factory to produce 20,000
tonnes of green hydrogen a year.
• This factory will be built with investments worth $8 billion.
• ReNew Power is India's largest renewable energy company in terms of operational capacity.
• It is based in Gurgaon, Haryana. Sumant Sinha is its CEO.
• Green hydrogen is produced by electrolyzing water and using electricity generated from
renewable energy sources such as wind or solar.
RIL, Ola Electric Mobility, and Rajesh Exports have signed the Program Agreement for ACC Battery
Storage:
• Reliance Industries Ltd's (RIL) New Energy arm, Ola Electric Mobility Private Limited, and
Rajesh Exports Limited are the three companies that have signed the Program Agreement
under (PLI) Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage.
• These companies will receive incentives under India's ₹18,100 crore program.
• In addition to the capacities allocated by the Ministry of Heavy Industries under the PLI Program,
private players are expected to create battery manufacturing capacity to the tune of ~95 GWh.
• The companies were among four bidders selected by the government in March to build a total of
50-gigawatt hours (Gwh) of battery storage capacity under a production-linked incentive
program.
• A total of 10 bids were received from companies with a manufacturing capacity of 128 GWh
under the PLI Scheme of ACC Battery Storage.
• Under the ACC PLI program, the manufacturing facility would have to be set up within two years.
• The incentive will be disbursed thereafter for five years on the sale of batteries manufactured in
India.
NIESBUD and HUL signed an MoU for developing entrepreneurial skills among the youth:
• To inculcate a culture of innovation, imagination, and proactiveness among youngsters, National
Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Hindustan
Unilever Limited (HUL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for developing
entrepreneurial skills among the youth and identifying other aspects for mutual collaboration.
• The alliance will further enhance employment generation and create sustainable livelihood
opportunities, giving a major boost to nano and micro-entrepreneurship advancement in the
country.
• HUL is also contributing INR 63,00,000 to NIESBUD to support the Skill Acquisition and
Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Project, which aims at
strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and bringing in better market connectivity and
inclusion of marginalized sections of the society.
• The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development is a premier
organization of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
• Hindustan Unilever Limited is a consumer goods company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is
a subsidiary of Unilever, a British company.
• Mr. Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman & Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever Limited.
Indian Oil signed an MoU with NTCA for transcontinental relocation of ‘Cheetah’ in its historical range
in India:
• Indian Oil signed an MoU with National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for the
transcontinental relocation of ‘Cheetah’ in its historical range in India.
• This is in continuation with the MoU signed between the Government of India and the
Government of the Republic of Namibia on wildlife conservation and sustainable biodiversity
utilization, for establishing the cheetah into the historical range in India.
• Indian Oil will be contributing Rs.50.22 crore in 4 years for the project components viz. Cheetah
Introduction, its Habitat Management & Protection, Eco Development, Staff Training, and
Veterinary Healthcare.
• Indian Oil is the first corporate which has come forward to support “Project Cheetah” under CSR,
as the project has not only national importance but is also essential for balancing the ecosystem.
• Cheetah has a very special significance for the national conservation ethic and ethos.
• Understanding this, Indian Oil is aiding the cause of bringing the Cheetah back to India, which
would have equally important conservation ramifications.
• It may be noted that Indian Oil adopted Indian Single Horned Rhino as its mascot last year and,
since then, has been at the forefront of India's Rhino conservation endeavors.
Key Points:
• Under this project, a source population of 8-10 Cheetahs will be flown in from Namibia and
South Africa and will be introduced at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
• It is a national project involving the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Govt. of India,
and the State Govt. of Madhya Pradesh.
• NTCA is the nodal agency authorized by MoEF&CC for funding, supervision, and hand holding.
• Indian Oil will contribute its CSR funds to NTCA, which shall coordinate with the State Govt. of
Madhya Pradesh and other agencies involved in the project.
Arunachal Pradesh signed an MoU with NITI Aayog for school education transformation:
• Arunachal Pradesh government signed a tripartite MoU with NITI Aayog for school education
transformation.
• The main aim of MoU is to bring large-scale transformation in school education in Arunachal
Pradesh.
• The MoU is a three-year partnership for improving the learning outcome of students across more
than 3,000 government schools.
• The school education transformation project will be implemented under the NITI Aayog’s
Development Support Services for States (DSSS) initiative.
Development Support Services for States (DSSS):
• It aims to build institutional and organizational capacities of State and State-level institutions.
• It establishes the Centre-State partnership model for cooperation.
Agreement for Research Collaboration Between NPCI and IIT Kanpur:
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),
Kanpur, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that paves the way for the sharing
of innovative ideas and cooperation on the development of domestic digital payment solutions.
• The partnership will also help to improve cybersecurity protections for the products and services
offered by NPCI and its affiliates.
• The MoU would encourage collaboration between NPCI and IIT Kanpur on a range of projects.
Key Points:
• In-depth educational workshops and lectures on cybersecurity and the most recent
advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Security Product Roadmaps,
and Distributed ledger technologies (DLT) will be given to NPCI staff members with the
assistance of this cooperation.
• On the other side, NPCI will offer internship opportunities to IIT Kanpur students, providing them
with the crucial experience of working on actual NPCI projects.
• The domain-specific expertise and abilities of IIT Kanpur students will speed up NPCI's ability to
meet evolving needs for customer-focused solutions.
Indian Navy and IISc Bengaluru sign an MOU for collaborative aviation research:
• The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Indian Navy have signed an MoU to collaborate on
aviation research and development and to step up the Indian Navy's self-reliance efforts in line
with the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• According to a statement from the Bengaluru-based college, the signed MoU provides the Indian
Navy with a legal framework for contact with the appropriate IISc faculty members and will
facilitate joint research projects in areas of mutual interest.
Key Points:
• The aerospace/aeronautical engineering industry will be the focus of the collaboration areas
mentioned in this agreement, which also include design and instructional technology.
• The course will concentrate on some specializations, including propulsion and propulsion
systems, steel technology, metallurgy, and material sciences, corrosion science, systems and
controls, instrumentation and sensors, environmental science and engineering, energy science
and engineering, management, industrial engineering, and operational research,
nanotechnology and MEMS, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and machine learning.
• The collaboration would also encourage frequent communication between Indian Navy
authorities and IISc academic members.
Amazon India and Indian Railways have an agreement that will improve delivery
• To improve its delivery services in the nation, Amazon India has partnered with the Railway of
India.
• Amazon India will be able to ship items on more than 110 intercity routes thanks to this
cooperation, guaranteeing one- to two-day delivery for its customers.
• In 2019, Amazon and the Indian Railways started collaborating.
• According to the corporation, its transit lanes have risen fivefold.
• Amazon is one of the enablers for the company to offer 1-day and 2-day delivery promises to
customers in the hinterlands of the country.
• It is now working with Railway on more than 110 inter-city routes.
• Amazon India ferries customer packages to cities and towns such as Jharsuguda, Ratnagiri,
Kurnool, Nanded, Bareilly, Bokaro, and Rudrapur among others.
About Amazon
• Founder: Jeff Bezos
• CEO: Andy Jassy
• HQ: Washington, United States
• Formed: 5 July 1994.
K-DISC and LinkedIn Sign an Agreement to Promote Employability:
• The ICT Academy of Kerala (ICTAK) and the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategy
Council (K-DISC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with LinkedIn, the
biggest professional network in the world, as part of the Connect Career to Campus initiative
(CCC).
• With this cooperation among Kerala's young to find appropriate employment utilizing LinkedIn,
the Kerala government hopes to improve employability skills.
• At the CCC campaign's launch ceremony, the MoU was signed and exchanged in front of the
chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the ministers of labor and general education V. Sivankutty,
higher education R. Bindu, LSGD M.V. Govindan, and MLA Kadakampally Surendran.
• The state government says that students would have access to a range of goods and services
via LinkedIn.
• LinkedIn Insights specially selected LinkedIn learning courses, and LinkedIn jobs are some of
the available goods and services.
• The pupils can build their online professional brands with the aid of LinkedIn.
• The Executive Vice Chairperson of K-DISC, Dr. K.M. Abraham, made sure that the students
would receive the most current, cutting-edge, and industry-relevant courses possible.
Microsoft has partnered with MSDE and CBC to enhance the functional computer literacy of civil
servants:
• Microsoft has partnered with the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
(MSDE), and Capacity Building Commission (CBC) to enhance the functional computer literacy
of nearly 2.5 million civil servants of the Central government.
• The project -- Capacity Building by MSDE in Microsoft Digital Productivity Skills -- will digitally
empower them to provide efficient and effective citizen-centric services to the vulnerable and
underprivileged sections of society.
• This initiative will not only drive more productivity but will also enable ease of doing business
with more digital solutions.
• As part of the collaboration, Microsoft will develop an online, self-paced learning course on
Microsoft Office 365 digital productivity suite offerings for MSDE, enabling MSDE to provide
digital skills training to the officials in central government ministries and departments.
• The courses will be created under two categories -- Beginners and Advanced courses of 12
hours duration each -- and the learners would be enabled with access to the Advanced course
after receiving the certificate of completion in the Beginners course.
NLCIL has signed an MoU with APDCL to develop solar power projects:
• Public sector power generator NLC India (NLCIL) has signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with Assam Power Distribution Company (APDCL) to develop solar power projects.
• The MoU between Tamil Nadu-based NLCIL and APDCL, wholly owned by the Assam
government, is for setting up a joint venture company with equity participation of 51% by NLCIL
and 49% by APDCL to develop 1,000 MW solar projects in Assam.
• NLCIL operationalizes mining along with a power generation capacity of 6,061 MW, including a
renewable energy capacity of 1421.06 MW with 1,370.06 MW of solar and 51 MW of wind-based
power generation.
• NLCIL is the first CPSE to cross 1 GW capacity in solar power generation and is also a member.
• The establishment of this solar project will act as a stepping stone for NLCIL to achieve its
ambitious plans of having a capacity of around 17,171 MW, including 6,031 MW of renewable
energy, by 2030.
NHIDCL and the National Skill Development Corporation have signed an MOU to facilitate
collaboration in skill development initiatives:
• The National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation and the National Skill
Development Corporation have signed an agreement to facilitate collaboration in skill
development initiatives.
• The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) provides a formal basis for interaction between
NHIDCL and NSDC and will play a significant role in realizing the aims and objectives of the
Prime Minister’s skill development program.
• The purpose of this MoU is to establish the basis of collaboration between NHIDCL and NSDC,
and to take up multiple initiatives contributing toward making India the Skill Capital of the World.
• The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited is a fully owned
company of the Government of India, set up in 2014, and is responsible for the management of
a network of National Highways.
• National Skill Development Corporation is a not-for-profit public limited company incorporated on
July 31, 2008, under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.
• NSDC was set up by the Ministry of Finance as a Public Private Partnership model.
IIT Kanpur and BHEL signed an MoU to boost opportunities in the Indian Defence and Aerospace
sectors:
• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) entered
into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly work on the emerging opportunities in the
Indian Defence and Aerospace sectors.
• Both parties agreed in principle to co-operate, pursue research & development, and collaborate
in manufacturing and supplying components, sub-assemblies, and systems or equipment in
mutually agreed areas of interest to address opportunities in the Indian Defence and Aerospace
sectors.
• A working group of members from both organizations will be formed to realize the major goals
envisioned under the MoU.
• The MoU is envisioned in the line of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives.
M oU was signed between the Ministry of Ayush and M eitY for providing technical support:
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Ayush and the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for providing technical support to the
Ministry of Ayush for the digitalization of the Ayush Sector under the Ayush Grid project for 3
years.
• This MoU is a continuation of the earlier MoU, which was signed in the year 2019.
• Ministry of Ayush has conceptualized the ‘Ayush Grid’ Project, as part of the Digital India
Program, which leverages ‘Information and Technology to transform operational efficiency,
improve service delivery and enhance the quality of services.
• As per the earlier signed MoU, organizations under MeitY like NeGD supported the development
of Ayush Sanjivani mobile application, Monitoring dashboard, BISAG-N for development of
Ayush GIS, Ayush education related modules, DIC for development of Ayush Information Hub,
website of the Ministry, Ayusoft, C-DAC for imparting training to Ayush doctors.
Odisha signed MOU with NIOT Chennai to undertake climate resilient protection measures:
• National Institute of Ocean Technology, (NIOT) Chennai will undertake climate resilient
protection measures to save the life and property of people of coastal Odisha from natural
disasters.
• An MoU in this regard was signed between NIOT and Odisha government.
• NIOT under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India is a premier Institute in the country
specializing in the field of Ocean Engineering and Coast-line protection.
• It will also work for saline embankments, assisting the supervision, training, and capacity
building of engineers.
• The inhabitants of six coastal districts of the State —Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara,
Jagatsinghpur, Puri, and Ganjam will be benefited from it, Garg said, adding this shall be a
milestone in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the coastal areas of the State.
• Odisha has a vast coastline of about 480 km in length and the coastal area is exposed to natural
disasters.
• Cyclones cause high tidal surges with very high wind speed, resulting in loss of lives and
properties.
• The government has planned to take up climate-resilient coastal protection measures, raising
and strengthening saline embankments using the latest technology available in the country as a
permanent and sustainable solution.
NBCC Ltd has signed an agreement with the External Affairs Ministry to redevelop a housing complex
in central Delhi:
• State-owned NBCC Ltd has signed an agreement with the External Affairs Ministry to redevelop
a housing complex in central Delhi for Rs 175 crore.
• The tentative cost of the project is Rs 175 crore, according to a regulatory filing.
• NBCC has signed another MoU with Aligarh Smart City Ltd for providing ‘PMC (Project
Management and Consultancy) services for the project ‘Development & Modernisation of
Infrastructure at Naurangilal College, SH: Sports facilities.
• The estimated cost is around Rs 50 crore.
• It has also signed MoU with the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) for ‘Demolition and
construction of NCCE Hostel building at NCUI complex’.
• The tentative cost for this project is Rs 33 crore.
• In a separate filing, NBCC secured the total business of Rs 83.12 crore in July 2022.
The government of Odisha signed an agreement with NIOT to protect its coastline:
• The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Chennai and the government of Odisha
have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to safeguard coastal regions from different
natural disasters including floods, cyclones, soil erosion, high tide, etc.
• Every year, natural disasters strike the coastal regions of Odisha as a result of climate change.
• The program will have an impact on seven districts: Ganjam, Puri, Khordha, Kendrapada,
Bhadrak, Baleswar, and Jagatsinghpur.
• This will help these districts to get technological knowledge and design from the NIOT, Chennai,
for coastal area protection.
• The districts have already faced cyclones like Phailin, Hudhud, Titli, Amphan, Bulbul, Yash,
Gulab, Jawad, etc., in the past years.
Paytm has partnered with Samsung authorized stores across India to facilitate smart payments:
• Leading digital payments and financial services, Paytm has partnered with Samsung authorized
stores across India to facilitate smart payments as well as Paytm Postpaid (Buy Now, Pay Later)
at their retail outlets through the deployment of PoS devices.
• With this partnership, Paytm will enable consumers to make digital payments seamlessly at
Samsung Authorized stores spread across the country.
• Now, consumers purchasing Samsung devices from laptops, smartphones to television sets,
smart watches, refrigerators, and more - from any authorized store in the country will be able to
pay via a host of flexible payment options offered by Paytm including- Paytm UPI, Paytm Wallet,
Paytm Postpaid and also all major debit cards, credit cards, and prepaid cards.
• Consumers can easily opt for Paytm Postpaid, which is offered in association with financial
partners, and get a monthly credit limit of up to Rs 60,000.
• In addition to Paytm Postpaid, consumers can opt for low-cost personal loans up to Rs 2 lakh -
offered by Paytm's financial institution partners - to purchase goods.
MasterCard tie-up with badminton players to promote digital payments in India:
• Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and Chirag Shetty, all badminton
players, have been named brand ambassadors for Mastercard in India.
• The new ambassadors, who have won the prestigious Thomas Cup 2022 and the
Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, will work with Mastercard to raise awareness of
the security, convenience, and safety of digital payments in India.
• The RBI's initiatives and Prime Minister Modi's vision of a digital India are both supported by this
relationship.
• Anirban Lahiri serves as a brand ambassador for Mastercard, which earlier this year added Shiv
Kapur to its elite group of golfers.
• In addition to badminton, Mastercard has significant investments in a variety of sports, including
tennis, cricket, soccer, and e-sports.
About Mastercard:
• CEO: Michael Miebach
• Executive Chairman: Ajay Banga.
TCS partnership with the five-star bank to offer hyper-personalized customer experience:
• A Financial Institutions, Inc. subsidiary named "Five Star Bank" and Tata Consultancy Services
(TCS) have teamed up to embark on a digital transformation project.
• Using the TCS Client Intelligence & Insights (CI&I) analytics platform, this alliance allows it to
assess loan risk and provide highly customized customer experiences.
• TCS will make use of the real-time contextual engagement tools offered by the AI-powered CI&I
platform to engage customers in a more individualized way across all channels and enable the
bank to get insights into attrition blind spots.
About Tata Consultancy Services:
• CEO: Rajesh Gopinathan
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: 1 April 1968.
IRCTC & BSF signs MoU to ensure safety and security of booking data, other facilities:
• The Border Security Force (BSF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to ensure the safety and security of
booking data for the troops of India's border guarding force via its air e -ticket service.
• The agreement will provide authorized BSF workers with extra baggage, lounge access, freight,
and reduced cancellation and rescheduling fees.
• This service will offer a special web gateway with a 60-day credit option.
• With increased luggage, lounge, and cargo space, as well as lower cancellation or rescheduling
fees for authorized BSF workers, this internal air booking system, will guarantee the security and
protection of booking data.
• The MoU would help the BSF, which protects the 4,096-kilometer border between India and
Bangladesh and the 3,323-kilometer border between India and Pakistan, by giving its employees
improved facilities.
About Border Security Force:
• Director General: Pankaj Kumar Singh
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India.
NDDB signed an MoU with the Union Territory of Ladakh to manage the entire operations of the
Ladakh Milk Federation
• National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) signed a tripartite MoU with the Union Territory of
Ladakh and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) by which it will manage the
entire operations of Ladakh Milk Federation for five years and implement a structured dairy
development program for the region.
• On this occasion, the Chairman of NDDB reiterated the continued focus of NDDB on the regions
where the dairy sector is yet to be developed to significantly contribute to the livelihoods of the
rural households.
• IDMC, the wholly owned subsidiary company has already completed the refurbishment and
upgradation of the milk processing plant, Leh which will be soon operationalized.
• The National Dairy Development Board is a statutory body set up by the Parliament of India Act.
• It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying of the
Government of India.
• The main office is in Anand, Gujarat with regional offices throughout the country
• Founded: 1965, Founder: Verghese Kurien, Meenesh Shah of Chairman, NDDB.
NPCI has signed an MoU with PayXpert for acceptance of the payment solutions in the UK:
• NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has signed an MoU with PayXpert for acceptance of the
payment solutions in the UK.
• The collaboration will make the Indian payment solutions available in the UK on all PayXpert’s
Android point-of-sale (POS) devices for in-store payments.
• PayXpert would offer QR code payments via Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and later integrate
RuPay card payments.
• The development comes on the back of the Indian government’s effort to enable the adoption of
UPI and RuPay cards in other countries.
• The NPCI has also signed similar MoUs for acceptance of UPI in France, the UAE, S ingapore,
and Nepal.
Key Points:
• For the uninitiated, the UPI and the RuPay Card were developed by the NPCI, which enabled
one of the most significant evolutions in the digital payments ecosystem in the country.
• Founded in 2019, UK-based PayXpert claims to have over 25 payment methods, processing in
100 different currencies with over 650 clients in the UK, Spain, France, and Taiwan.
• UPI transactions in India crossed the 6 Bn mark in July 2022 as NPCI processed 628 Cr
transactions worth INR 10.63 Lakh Cr in the month.
• Total UPI transaction volume in 2022 stood at INR 67.21 Lakh Cr ($850 Bn) till July end.
IREDA and MAHAPREIT signed a MoU to provide loans for green energy projects:
• A memorandum of understanding was signed by the Indian Renewable Energy Development
Agency Ltd. (IREDA) and the Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology
Ltd. (MAHAPREIT), a fully owned subsidiary of MPBCDC (49% owned by the Government of
India and 51% owned by the Government of Maharashtra).
• IREDA will provide MAHAPREIT with financing options for the renewable energy projects that
will be developed for public utilities, local governments, and the infrastructure of renewable
energy parks.
• IREDA will also do techno-financial due diligence on MAHAPREIT‘s initiatives involving
renewable energy and energy efficiency and conservation.
• It will help to assist the Indian government in achieving its goal of obtaining 50% of its energy
from non-fossil fuels by 2030.
Godrej Agrovet signed an MOU with Assam, Manipur, and Tripura for Palm Oil:
• An MoU was signed between the governments of Assam, Manipur, and Tripura and Godrej
Agrovet, a diversified agribusiness conglomerate, to expand and promote oil palm cultivation in
the region as part of the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm effort.
• The collaboration between Godrej Agrovet and the state governments would open up new
opportunities for the growth of oil palm plantations in these states and farmer support.
• The Agreements support Godrej Agrovet's long-term objective to double farmer income and
support the increase of oil palm output in a sustainable manner to be the driving force behind
India's oil mission.
• Godrej Agrovet has more than 65,000 acres of palm oil grown around the country.
• Godrej Agrovet wants to increase this to 100,000 acres in the ensuing years.
Jharkhand Govt Will Sign MoU With British High Commission To Provide Overseas Scholarship:
• The government of Jharkhand and The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
(FCDO), British High Commission, New Delhi will enter into a partnership to award the
Chevening Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Scholarship to five meritorious scholars from
ST/SC, OBC, and minorities community.
• To bring to light the joint vision of the State Government and The Foreign, Commonweal th, and
Development Office (FCDO), British High Commission, New Delhi to provide excellent
educational opportunities to the leaders and change-makers of tomorrow, an MoU will be
signed.
• universities of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• Building upon this the State Government has decided to widen the scope of this scholarship by
collaborating with The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), British High
Commission, New Delhi.
• Under the umbrella of this MoU, a maximum of five scholars shall be selected every academic
year for the prestigious Chevening Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Scholarship.
Royal Enfield tie-up with UNESCO to promote the cultural heritage of India:
• The Intangible Cultural Heritage of India, starting with the Himalayas, is being promoted and
protected by Royal Enfield in collaboration with UNESCO (the United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization).
• The event is designed to be a hands-on and imaginative display of Intangible Cultural Heritage
(ICH) activities in the Western Himalayas and the North Eastern area.
• This entails a panel discussion, a movie screening, a performance, and a lecture demonstration.
• Eminent creatives, including Adil Hussain, Peter D'Ascoli, Sonam Dubal, Rita Banerji, Mallika
Virdi, Tsewang Namgail, Yangdup Lama, Nilza Wangmo, and Anumitra Ghosh, will participate in
the four-day event.
• Also appearing are luminaries in the social development field.
Hero Electric Partners with Jio-BP for Charging & Battery swapping:
• An Indian manufacturer of electric scooters, Hero Electric, has announced a collaboration with
Jio-BP to offer EV charging and battery swapping services in India.
• Customers of the manufacturer will have access to Jio-infrastructure BP's for charging and
battery changing thanks to the cooperation between Hero electric and the latter.
• Jio-BP, a joint venture between British oil major BP and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries,
will launch in 2020.
• In addition to developing solutions for a seamless customer experience on the Hero Electric and
Jio-BP apps, the companies.
• Currently, Jio-BP has installed charging and switching stations throughout the nation under the
Jio-BP pulse brand.
• Customers may use the Jio-BP pulse app to locate any nearby station.
• Currently, Hero Electric sells more than 750 products and provides service in outlets throughout
the nation.
• Additionally, Hero has sold over 4.5 lakh electric two-wheelers.
• Hero Electric wants to revolutionize the Indian e-mobility industry and provide its clients with the
greatest EVs available in the country.
IM PORTANT M ERGERs & ACQUISITIONS

HDFC to fully acquire venture capital arm HVCL by buying shares from SBI
• The Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) will acquire its venture capital
subsidiary HDFC venture capital limited (HVCL) by buying out the State Bank of India's 19.5
percent stake in the company.
• HDFC holds 80.50 percent equity share capital of HVCL and the remaining shares are held by
the State Bank of India (SBI).
• On July 29, 2022, HDFC entered into a share purchase agreement (SPA) with SBI for the
acquisition of 97,500 equity shares of HVCL representing 19.50 percent of its paid-up share
equity capital, at a consideration of Rs 10 per share
• The acquisition is expected to be completed within 14 days from the date of execution of the
SPA or by August 12, 2022.
About HDFC :
• Founded: 1977
• Chairman : Deepak Parekh
• Vice Chairman & CEO: Keki Mistry
• Managing Director: Renu Sud Karnad
About HVCL :
• Incorporated: October 2004.
• HVCL is an investment manager of HDFC Property Fund.
• Post the proposed acquisition of shares, HVCL would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the
Corporation.
CCI approves the acquisition of 50.1% of the equity share capital of SCIPL by R SBVL
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the a c q uisition o f 5 0.1% o f the e quity
share capital of Sanmina-SCI India Private Limited (SCIPL) b y R eliance S tr ategic B usiness
Ventures Limited (RSBVL).
• RIL is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).
• Sanmina Corporation and RSBVL have inked an agreement to create a joint venture through
investment in Sanmina’s existing Indian entity (Sanmina SCI India).
• RSBVL is set to invest ₹1,670 crores in the JV and hold the majority stake.
• The JV will prioritize high technology infrastructure hardware, for growth markets, and across
industries such as communications networking (5G, cloud infrastructure, hyper-scale data
centers), medical and healthcare systems, industrial and cleantech, and defense and aerospace.
• Also, the JV is expected to create a state-of-the-art ‘Manufacturing Technology Center of
Excellence.
About SCIPL :
• SCIPL is an indirect subsidiary of Sanmina Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered
in San Jose, California, USA.
• Sanmina is a global provider of integrated manufacturing solutions, components, products and
repair, logistics, and after-market services.
About CCI :
• Established: 14 October 2003
• Chairman: Ashok Kumar Gupta
• Secretary : P K Singh
• The CCI is the chief national competition regulator in India.
• It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Bank of Baroda to divest up to 12.5% stake in insurance arm IndiaFirst
• Bank of Baroda (BoB) will divest up to a 12.5% stake in the insurance arm IndiaFirst Life
Insurance Company (IFLIC) through an offer for sale in the initial public offer (IPO) of the insurer
or any other mode.
• However, BoB’s shareholding in the life insurance subsidiary will not fall below 51 percent.
• BoB acquired a 21 percent stake in the insurance company following a 'right of the first offer
(ROFO) by Union Bank of India.
• BoB's holding in the company now stands at 65 percent from 44 percent earlier.
About Bob :
• It is the fourth largest nationalized bank in India.
About IFLIC :
• MD & CEO : Ms.R.M.Vishakh
• IFLIC is a joint venture of India's public sector banks (Bank of Baroda (65%) and Union Bank of
India (9%), and the UK's financial and investment company, Legal & General (26%).
CCI approves Composite Scheme of Arrangement and Amalgamation between Shriram Group
Companies
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the Composite Scheme of Arrangement
and Amalgamation between Shriram Group Companies under Section 31(1) of the Competition
Act, 2002.
• The proposed combination involves a composite scheme of arrangement and amalgamation
(Scheme) between Shrilekha Business Consultancy Private Limited (SBCPL), Shriram Financial
Ventures (Chennai) Pvt. Ltd (SFVPL), Shriram Capital Limited (SCL), Shriram Transport Finance
Company Limited (STFC), Shriram City Union Finance Limited (SCUF), Shriram LI Holdings Pvt
Ltd (SLIH), Shriram GI Holdings Pvt. Ltd (SGIH) and Shriram Investment Holdings Ltd (SIHL).
The salient features of the Scheme are as under:-
• The amalgamation of SBCPL with SCL
• The demerger of the undertaking from SCL, carrying on the business of Financial Services, and
the transfer and vesting thereof into SIHL
• The demerger of undertakings from SCL carrying on the businesses of a) Life Insurance and b)
General Insurance, and the transfer and vesting of the same into a) SLIH), and b) SGIH
respectively
• The amalgamation of SCL (with its remaining undertaking and investments) with STFC
• The amalgamation of SCUF with STFC.
CCI clears Rs 4,500 crore deal between Bandhan Fin Holdings-led consortium & IDFC
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the proposed Rs 4,500 crore deal wherein
the Bandhan Financial Holdings-led consortium will buy stakes in IDFC Asset Management and
IDFC AMC Trustee.
• The consortium includes private equity firm Chrys Capital and Singapore's sovereign fund GIC.
• The transaction includes the acquisition of a 99.96% stake in IDFC Asset Management
Company Limited (IDFC AMC) and a 100% stake in IDFC AMC Trustee Company Limited (IDFC
Trustee) by Bandhan Financial Holdings Limited (BFHL), Lathe Investment Pte. Ltd. (Lathe),
Tangerine Investments Limited (CC Entity 1) and Infinity Partners (CC Entity 2).
• The stakes would be acquired by Bandhan Financial Holdings Ltd, Lathe Investment Pte. Ltd,
Tangerine Investments Ltd, and Infinity Partners.
• IDFC AMC is the asset management company of IDFC Mutual Fund which operates a portfolio
management business and IDFC Trustee is a trustee company of IDMF.
• Bandhan Financial Holdings Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bandhan Financial Services Ltd
and the promoter of private sector lender Bandhan Bank Ltd.
• The lathe is wholly owned by Singapore-based GIC Ventures Pvt Ltd and Tangerine
Investments is a subsidiary of Chrys Capital Group while Infinity Partners is a partnership firm.
Uber Sells 7.8 % Stake in Zomato For Rs 3,088 Crore
• American ride-hailing giant Uber offloaded 61.2 crore shares of online food delivery aggregator
Zomato Ltd for Rs 3,088 crore through an open market transaction.
• Uber BV sold 61,21,99,100 shares in Zomato, amounting to a 7.8 percent stake.
• The shares were disposed of at an average price of Rs 50.44 apiece, taking the transaction
value to Rs 3,087.93 crore.
• Fidelity Investment Trust Fidelity Series Emerging Markets Fund and ICICI Prudential Life
Insurance Company Ltd picked up 5,44,38,744 and 4,50,00,000 shares of the company,
respectively.
About Uber Technologies :
• Founded: March 2009
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
• Chairman: Ronald Sugar
• CEO: Dara Khosrowshahi
• Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber) is American mobility as service provider, that allows users to
book a car and a driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi.
• Uber is the second biggest single shareholder in Zomato after Info Edge.
LIC offloads a 2% stake in Mahindra & Mahindra for ₹2,222.49 crore
• Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has sold 2 percent of its shareholding in automaker Mahindra &
Mahindra for about Rs 2,222.49 crore
• The shares were sold through open market transactions during the period from December 21,
2020, to August 8, 2022.
• After the sale, the LIC holding in the passenger cars and utility vehicles company decreased
from 8.430 percent to 6.421 percent.
• The average cost of 2,49,73,233 shares sold, was Rs 889.95 crore.
• Under Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) norms, listed companies are required to
intimate the stock exchanges when their shareholding in an entity changes by 2 percent or more.
About LIC :
• Chairperson : Mangalam Ramasubramanian Kumar
• Managing Directors: B C Patnaik, Smt. Ipe Mini, Siddharth Mohanty, Rajkumar
About Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd :
• Founded: 2 October 1945
• Chairman: Anand Mahindra
• MD & CEO: Dr. Anish Shah
ADIA to invest Rs 665 cr in Aditya Birla Health Insurance for a 9.99% stake
• Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) will be investing Rs 655 crore for a 9.99% stake in
conglomerate Aditya Birla health insurance Company Limited (ABHICL).
• The transaction has been approved by the board of directors of Adity Birla Capital Limited
(ABCL).
• Out of a 9.99% stake, Aditya Birla Capital will hold a 45.91% stake and Momentum Metropolitan
Holdings will have a 44.10% stake in Aditya Birla Health Insurance.
About ADIA :
• Founded: 1976
• Headquarters: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• Managing Director: Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
About ABHICL :
• Founded: 2016
• Commenced operations: October 2016
• CEO: Mayank Bathwal
• Aditya Birla Health Insurance is a 51:49 joint venture between Aditya Birla Capital and
Momentum Metropolitan Strategic Investments (Pty) Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of South
Africa-based Momentum Metropolitan Holdings Ltd.
• The company plans to use this capital to drive its growth in the health insurance market i n India.
Competition Commission of India approves merger of HDFC Bank & HDFC Ltd
• Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the merger proposal
of HDFC Bank, India’s Largest Private Sector Bank & its parent HDFC Ltd, India’s Largest
Housing Finance Company.
• The proposed combination involves the amalgamation of HDFC Limited, HDFC Bank, HDFC
Investments, and HDFC Holdings.
• The proposed combination envisages a two-step amalgamation process:
• Step 1: Amalgamation of HDFC Investments and HDFC Holdings into and with HDFC Limited,
such that HDFC Limited will be the surviving entity post this step
• Step 2: Amalgamation of the amalgamated HDFC Limited into HDFC Bank, such that HDFC
Bank will be the surviving entity post this step.
About CCI :
• Secretary: Ashok Kumar Gupta
• CCI is the chief national competition regulator in India.
CCI clears acquisition of Holcim's stake in Holderind, ACC Ltd & Ambuja by Endeavour
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of the stake in Holderind
Investments Limited, Ambuja Cements Limited, and ACC Limited by Endeavour Trade and
Investment Limited.
• The proposed combination envisages the acquisition of the entire share capital of Holderind
Investments Limited (Holderind) by Endeavour Trade and Investment Limited (Endeavour).
• Holderind holds 63.11% of the equity share capital of Ambuja Cements Limited (Ambuja) and
4.48% of the equity share capital of ACC Limited (ACC).
• Further, Ambuja holds 50.05% of the paid-up equity share capital of ACC.
• In terms of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Endeavour is required to launch
an open offer for further acquisition of up to 26% of the expanded share capital of Ambuja and
ACC.
• Endeavour is a newly incorporated company and belongs to the Adani group.
• Holderind is a holding company of Ambuja and ACC.
• Ambuja and ACC are engaged in the manufacture of cement in India.
CCI approves acquisition of majority shareholding in ODPL by Sekhmet; ODPL’s acquisition of a
shareholding in OPPL & OLSPL
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of majority shareholding in
Optimus Drugs Private Limited (ODPL) by Sekhmet Pharmaventures Private Limited (Sekhmet)
and ODPL’s acquisition of a shareholding in Optimus Pharma Private Limited (OPPL) and
Optimus Life Science Private Limited (OLSPL) under S ection 3 1( 1) of the C o m petition A ct,
2002.
• Sekhmet is a private company engaged in providing management services to its subsidiary,
Anjan Drugs Private Limited (Anjan).
• Anjan is engaged in the manufacture and sale of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and
pharmaceutical intermediates in India and abroad.
• Sekhmet belongs to the PAG group, a group that is a leading alternative investment firm focused
on APAC, with a combination of three core strategies – Credit & Ma r kets, P rivate E quity, and
Real Assets.
About ODPL :
• ODPL is engaged in the manufacture and sale of APIs and pharmaceutical intermediates in
India.
• It is engaged in the manufacture and sale of finished dosage fo rm ulations ( FDFs), as well as
providing contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services for FDFs in India.
About OLSPL :
• OLSPL is engaged in the marketing of FDFs for its group companies in India.
CCI approves the acquisition of a stake in IIFL Home indirectly by ADIA Group
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of a stake in IIFL
Home indirectly by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
• The proposed transaction relates to the acquisition of up to 20 percent stake in IIFL Home
Finance by Platinum Owl C 2018 RSC Ltd, a trustee acting for Platinum Jasmine Trust.
• ADIA is the sole beneficiary and settlor of the Platinum Jasmine Trust.
• In June 2022 IIFL Home Finance, a subsidiary of IIFL Finance Ltd, had entered into definitive
agreements for raising Rs 2,200 crore of primary capital for a 20 percent stake from a wholly-
owned subsidiary of ADIA.
About IIFL Home :
• IIFL Home is a housing finance company registered with the National Housing Bank.
• It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IIFL Finance Limited.
• It is engaged in providing loans for the purchase, construction, and renovation of homes; small
and medium enterprise secured loans for business; and construction finance loans to builders
and developers engaged in the construction of affordable homes.
Promoter BRDN Investment Management sells 5.6% stake in HDFC AMC for Rs 2,300 cr
• Promoter BRDN Investment Management, formerly Standard Life Investments, divested its
5.58% stake in Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) Asset Management
Company (AMC) for a little over Rs 2,300 crore through an open market transaction.
• The shares were divested at Rs 1,935.63 apiece, a discount from the closing price of Rs
1,956.15
• The transaction size aggregated to Rs 2,303.4 crore.
• The shares of the asset management firm rose 11.5% to settle at Rs 2,180.75 on the BSE.
• In September 2021, BRDN Investment Management divested a 5% stake in HDFC AMC through
the open market transaction.
CCI approves EQT AB’s acquisition of Baring Private Equity Asia Group
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved EQT AB’s acquisition of Baring
Private Equity Asia Group Limited (BPEA) including its subsidiaries (BPEA Group) 100% of the
general partner entities (GPs).
• BPEA Group and GPs are collectively referred to as Target.
• It has also approved Jean Eric Salata Rothleder’s (BPEA Founder) acquisition of up to 9.9% of
the equity shareholding of EQT.
• EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization focused on active ownership strategies
• BPEA Group is dual-headquartered in Hong Kong and Singapore and is a pan-Asian private
markets firm.
About CCI :
CCI approves acquisition by Katsura Investments & Varmora Granito Private Limited
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition by Katsura Investments i n
Varmora Granito Private Limited and certain other entities & Varmora Granito Private Limited in
some of its Group Companies and other entities.
• The proposed combination of the Katsura Investments’s (Acquirer) acquisition of up to 40%
equity shareholding in the Varmora Granito Private Limited (Target) on a fully diluted basis along
with the acquisition of certain rights.
• It comprises Target’s acquisition of ownership interest in Renite and Simola & additional
shareholding in some of its group companies.
About Katsura Investments group :
• The Katsura Investments is a newly incorporated, special purpose vehicle, incorporated under
the laws of the Republic of Mauritius, and does not have any business activities in India.
• It is solely controlled by CAPG-II, an investment fund that is advised by the affiliates of the
Katsura Investments group.
• The Katsura Investments Group is a global alternative asset manager, which manages funds
that invest globally across 3 investment disciplines
1. Global private equity
2. Global credit
3. Investment solutions
CCI Clears amalgamation of CSSL & JSW Ispat with & into JSW Steel Limited
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the amalgamation of C r e ixent S pecial
Steels Limited (CSSL) & JSW Ispat Special Products Limited (JSW Ispat) with & into JSW Steel
Limited (JSW Steel) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
About JSW Steel :
• Incorporated: 1994 under the laws of India.
• It is the flagship company of the JSW group.
• It is primarily engaged in the manufacture and sale of a diverse range of iron and steel products
in India and abroad.
• It is listed on the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and BSE Limited.
About JSW Ispat :
• It is engaged in the manufacture of iron, semi-finished steel, long steel products, etc.
• It is listed on the National Stock Exchange of India Limited and BSE Limited.
About CSSL :
• It is the holding company of JSW Ispat.
• It is inter alia engaged in the business of trading in steel and steel products and holding
investments.
CCI approves acquisition of the stake in SVPL by IBEF IV, India SME Investments Fund – I, MOFPL &
others
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of the stake in Simpolo
Vitrified Private Limited (SVPL/ Target) by India Business Excellence Fund IV (IBEF IV), India
SME Investments Fund – I (India SME), Motilal Oswal Finvest Limited (MOFPL), partners of
Simpolo Ceramics (SC / Simpolo Ceramics) (collectively, SC Partners) and the shareholders of
Nexion International Private Limited (Nexion), viz., Aghara & Sons (Aghara) and Ceramiche
Speranza SPA (Ceramiche SPA).
• The proposed combination also contemplates the transfer of the business of SC and Nexion into
SVPL.
About SVPL :
• SVPL is in the business of designing, manufacturing, and sale of vitrified tiles.
• It is also engaged in the trading of various kinds of tiles, sanitaryware and bath fittings, faucets,
and allied products.
• Its subsidiary, Nexion Surfaces is a newly incorporated wholly owned subsidiary of SVPL and
does not have any business operations as of date.
Key Highlights :
• IBEV IV is a category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) registered with the Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• MOFPL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited (MOFSL).
• India SME is a private equity fund under the SEBI AIF CAT II License in India.
• Aghara (with 7 SC Partners)is an investment firm, with no business operations in India except its
50% shareholding in Nexion.
MCA approves Bharat Gas amalgamation with BPCL
• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) approved the amalgamation of Bharat Gas Resources
Limited (BGRL), a 100% subsidiary of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).
• The main business of BGRL is gas sourcing and retailing.
• It had been set up to implement city gas distribution networks in different geographical areas and
this exercise was pursued to streamline the corporate structure and consolidate the assets and
liabilities of BGRL with BPCL.
• The equity shares of BGRL are not listed in the stock exchanges.
About BPCL :
• Chairman & MD: Arun Kumar Singh
• BPCL is an Indian government-owned oil and gas explorer and producer.
Norway’s Climate Investment Fund enters an agreement to take a 49% stake in a 420 MW solar power
plant in Rajasthan
• The Norwegian Climate Investment Fund, managed by Norfund (the Norwegian Government’s
development finance institution) and Norway’s largest pension company, KLP has agreed to
take a 49% stake in a 420 MW solar energy project Thar Surya 1 for approximately Rs 2.8
billion in Rajasthan.
• The 420 MWDC (300 MWAC) new solar power plant is being built in Rajasthan by Italian Enel
Green Power.
Key Highlights :
• Norway and India are partners in the global energy transition.
• The climate investment fund will allocate 10 billion NOK (approximately 1 billion USD) over the
next 5 years, with India being a priority market.
• Once operational, the project will deliver more than 750 GWh per year.
• Given India’s current energy mix, the project will avoid more than 615,000 tonnes of Co2
emissions per year
• According to a report by BloombergNEF (BNEF), India needs 233 billion USD in investment to
meet its goals for the development of wind and solar energy by 2030.
• Norway-India sign Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with a focus on green hydrogen,
green ammonia, renewable energy
Note :
• CEO of KLP : Sverre Thornes
Adani Group to buy 29.18% stake in NDTV & launch open offer for another 26% stake
• The Adani Group's media arm AMG Media Networks Limited (AMNL) announced that it would
indirectly acquire a 29.18% stake in New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV).
• It would also launch a Rs 493-crore open offer for another 26% stake in NDTV at Rs 294 per
share.
• AMNL's wholly owned subsidiary Vishvapradhan Commercial Private Limited (VCPL) holds
warrants of RRPR H olding Private Limited (RRPR) entitling it to convert them into a 99.99%
stake in RRPR.
• VCPL has exercised warrants to acquire a 99.5% stake in RRPR.
• RRPR is a promoter group company of NDTV and holds a 29.18% stake in NDTV.
• VCPL along with Adani Media Networks Ltd and Adani Enterprises Ltd has made the open offer
for Rs 294 each for the acquisition of up to 1,67,62,530 fully paid-up equity shares of NDTV.
• In 2021, Adani Media Ventures Ltd (AMVL), the media arm under the group's flagship Adani
Enterprises Ltd (AEL), acquired the digital business news platform Quintillion Business Media
Pvt Ltd (QBM).
About NDTV :
• Founded: 1984
• President : Suparna Singh
• Founders: Prannoy Roy, Radhika Roy
• NDTV operates three national news channels - English news channel NDTV 24x7, Hindi news
channel NDTV India, and business news channel NDTV Profit.
About Adani Group :
• Headquarters: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
• Chairman: Gautam Adani
• MD: Rajesh Adani
Bharti Telecom to buy 3.33% Airtel stake from Singtel for Rs 12,895 cr
• Bharti Airtel promoter, Bharti Telecom Limited (BTL) will buy a 3.33% stake from Singtel
(Singapore-based telecommunications company) for 2.25 billion Singapore dollars (around Rs
12,895 crore) in 90 days.
• The direct shareholding of Singtel and Bharti Airtel at around 10% and 6% respectively.
• At present, Singtel holds a 50.56% stake in Bharti Telecom, while the Mittal family owns
49.44%.
• Bharti Telecom at present holds a 35.85% stake in the country's second-largest telecom service
provider Airtel.
About Bharti Airtel :
• Chairman: Sunil Bharti Mittal
• MD & CEO: Gopal Vittal
TVS Motor Acquires 48.27% Stake In Narain Karthikeyan’s Startup DriveX For IN R 85 Cr
• TVS Motor Company will acquire a 48.27% stake in NKars Mobility Millennial Solutions Pvt Ltd
(NMMSPL) for Narain Karthikeyan's pre-owned two-wheeler startup 'DriveX' for a consideration
of Rs 85 crore.
Aim :
• To enable innovative solutions to lead this transformation.
• NMMSPL operates under the brand 'DriveX', founded by Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan
• The acquisition is expected to be completed by November 30, 2022.
• In FY 21-22 the 'DriveX' had reported a turnover of around Rs 9 crore.
About TVS Motor Company :
• Founded: 1978
• Founder : Thirukkurungudi Vengaram Sundaram Iyengar
About 'DriveX' :
• Founded: 2019
• Founder & CEO: Narain Karthikeyan
• DriveX is a digital-first business, serving all brands with unique analytics-led capabilities across
the value chains.
HDFC Bank to pick around 10 pc stake in Go Digit-Life Insurance
• India's largest private sector lender HDFC Bank Limited entered into an “indicative and non-
binding term sheet to acquire 9.94% stake in Go Digit-Life Insurance for an amount between Rs
49.9 crore to Rs 69.9 crore, in two tranches, by subscribing to equity shares of the Company.
• The deal is subject to execution of definitive agreements whose terms and conditions are to be
mutually agreed upon, and fulfillment of other norms.
• Backed by Prem Watsa-led Fairfax Group and Kamesh Goyal, who are also promoters of Go
Digit General Insurance, has applied for a license from the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to set up a life insurance business.
• Recently, Go Digit General Insurance has filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) for an
initial public offering (IPO) that will include fresh issuance of equity shares and an offer-for-sale.
About HDFC Bank :
IM PORTANT APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS NEWS

Mr. Auguste Tano Kouame takes charge as World Bank Country Director for India
• The World Bank has appointed Côte d’Ivoire national, Mr. Auguste Tano Kouame, as the
Country Director for India for five years which is effective from August 01, 2022.
• He replaces Mr. Junaid Kamal Ahmad of Bangladesh.
About Mr Auguste Tano Kouame :
• Mr. Auguste Tano Kouame joined the World Bank as a Young Professional in 1996.
• He worked at the United Nations Development Program and taught Applied Economics in Cote
d'Ivoire and France.
• He took field assignments from 2002-05 as Senior Country Economist, based in Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic, and, subsequently, as a World Bank representative in Haiti.
• From 2005 to 2008, he served as Assistant to the World Bank Group President.
• He served as the director of the department of human development and economic management
in the World Bank Group’s Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) from January 2017 to April
2019.
• Recently, he served as the World Bank’s country director for Turkey.
Additional Info :
• As of July 2022, the World Bank’s net commitments to India stood at $21.86 billion (IBRD
$18.76 billion, IDA $3.0 billion) across 99 projects.
About World Bank :
• Established: December 1945
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• President : David Malpass
• The World Bank is the collective name for the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), two of five
international.
Mr. Sanjay Arora takes charge as Delhi Police Commissioner
• Mr. Sanjay Arora, a 1988-batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre took charge as Delhi Police
Commissioner.
• He is due for retirement in 2025.
• He succeeded Mr. Rakesh Asthana (Gujarat cadre IPS officer), who retired after nearly 38 years
in service.
About Mr. Sanjay Arora :
• Mr. Sanjay Arora was appointed the Director General ( 3 1st c hief ) o f th e p a ramilitary Indo -
Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
• He served as Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore city from 2002 to 2004.
• He had stints in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Border Security Force (BSF).
• He has also served as Deputy Inspector General of Police, Villupuram range, and Deputy
Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.
• Arora is the second successive non-AGMUT cadre IPS officer to head the Delhi Police and the
third since the Delhi Police Act was passed in 1978 and a commissionerate was established.
Awards & Honors :
• He has been awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2004, President’s Police
Medal for Distinguished Service in 2014, Police Special Duty M e dal, Antrik Suraksha Padak,
and UN Peacekeeping Medal among others.
• He was awarded CM’s Gallantry Medal for Bravery and Heroic Action.
Sashastra Seema Bal DG Mr. Sujoy Lal Thaosen gets additional charge as ITBP DG
• Director General (DG) of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Mr. Sujoy Lal Thaosen took over the
additional charge of Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in New Delhi.
• Mr. Thaosen has replaced former ITBP DG Mr. Sanjay Arora who has now been assigned as
the new Delhi Police Commissioner.
• Thaosen is a 1988-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre.
About ITBP :
• Motto: Shaurya – Dridhata – Karm Nishtha
• The ITBP is India's primary border patrol organization for its border with China's Tibet
Autonomous Region.
• It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India.
Mr. Satyendra Prakash assumes charge as Principal Director General of PIB
• The 1988 batch Senior Indian Information Service officer Mr. Satyendra Prakash has been
appointed as the Principal Director General of the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
• He will succeed Mr. Jaideep Bhatnagar.
• The head of the PIB is the principal spokesperson of the Government of India.
About Satyendra Prakash :
• He has represented the Government of India in various national and international forums such
as UNESCO, UNICEF, and UNDP.
• He has a wide range of experience in the field of public communication, media management,
administration, policy formulation, and program implementation.
• He was recognized for his role in the presentation of the first-ever tableau of the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting on Republic Day 2021 on the theme of “Vocal for Local”.
• He is credited with ideating important IEC campaigns.
• Earlier, he served as the principal Director General of the Central Bureau of Communication.
Awards & Honors :
• He has recently been recognized by the Election Commission of India (ECI) & conferred the
national award for enhancing electoral participation through voter awareness and education in
2021-22.
About Jaideep Bhatnagar :
• Bhatnagar, a 1986-batch IIS officer, earlier served in Doordarshan News as head of the
Commercial, Sales, and Marketing Division.
• He has also served as Prasar Bharati Special Correspondent West Asia covering 20 countries
and later went on to head the News Services Division of AIR.
Other Appointments :
• Meanwhile, Mr. Manish Desai, Director General of the West zone of the PIB, will succeed
Prakash in the Central Bureau of Communication.
• He is a 1989 batch Indian Information Service officer.
• He has worked in various media units of the Ministry of I&B, like DAVP, AIR News, Prasar
Bharati, and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication.
About Central Bureau of Communication :
About PIB :
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• The PIB is a nodal agency of the Government of India under the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting.
Govt appoints Mr. Suresh N Patel as new Central Vigilance Commissioner
• President Ms. Droupadi Murmu has appointed Vigilance Commissioner Mr. Suresh N Patel as
the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) of India.
• The post has been lying vacant for the past year.
• The ceremony was also attended by prime minister Shri Narendra Modi and Vice President Shri
M Venkaiah Naidu.
• The tenure of a CVC and vigilance commissioner is of four years or till the incumbent attains the
age of 65 years.
About Mr. Suresh N Patel :
• A former Managing Director and CEO of Andhra Bank, Patel was appointed a Vigilance
Commissioner in April 2020.
• Patel has been working as the acting Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) since June 2022
replacing Sanjay Kothari.
• Currently, the two Vigilance Commissioners of India are Shri Praveen Kumar Srivastava and
Shri Arvinda Kumar.
About Shri Praveen Kumar Srivastava :
• Srivastava, a 1988 batch (retired) IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
• He retired as secretary (Coordination), Cabinet Secretariat on January 31, 2022.
• He served as chief vigilance officer in RITES Ltd.
• He served as joint secretary and Mission Director of, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
About Shri Arvinda Kumar :
• Kumar, a 1984 batch (retired) Indian Police Service officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre,
served as the 27th director of the Intelligence Bureau from June 30, 2019, to June 30, 2022.
• He has also served as First Secretary in the Embassy of India, Moscow, Russia.
• He was awarded the prestigious Indian Police Medal for meritorious service in 2003 followed by
the President's Police Medal for distinguished service in 2009.
About Central Vigilance Commission :
• The CVC is headed by a central vigilance commissioner and it can have two vigilance
commissioners.
• CVC is an apex Indian governmental body to address governmental corruption.
• It was set up by the Government of India Resolution on 11 February 1964, on the
recommendations of the Committee on Prevention of Corruption, headed by K. Santhanam.
• First Chief Vigilance Commissioner of India: Nittoor Srinivasa
Noise appoints Vaani Kapoor as the brand ambassador of the Upcoming Noise X -Fit 2 Smartwatch
• Nexxbase-owned Noise has appointed actress Vaani Kapoor as the brand ambassador of its
upcoming smartwatch, the X-Fit 2 series.
• The X-Fit series by Noise was announced in partnership with HRX by Hrithik Roshan and
Exceed Entertainment in 2021.
• To commemorate Kapoor as the brand ambassador, Noise rolled out a campaign titled
#KeepGoing, featuring her across its digital assets.
• To initiate conversation around how fitness has become a part of our everyday lifestyle and we
must pursue it in style and with comfort.
• According to research firm International Data Corporation India, India’s wearables market saw
double-digit growth in Q1 2022 with products crossing 13.9 million units.
Note :
• Co-founder and CEO at HRX: Mr. Afsar Zaidi
• Co-founder of Noise: Amit Khatri
IFS Officer Ms. Shweta Singh Appointed as a Director in PMO
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of 2008-batch
Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Ms. Shweta Singh, as a director in the Prime Minister’s
Office (PMO) for three years.
• The ACC has canceled the appointment of Mr. Aniket Govind Mandavgane, a 2009-batch IFS
officer, as the Deputy Secretary in the PMO.
About PMO :
• The PMO consists of the immediate staff of the Prime Minister of India, as well as multiple levels
of support staff reporting to the Prime Minister.
• The PMO is headed by the Principal Secretary, currently Mr. Pramod Kumar Misra.
Fintech platform BharatPe appoints Mr. Nalin Negi as the new CFO
• Fintech platform BharatPe has appointed Mr. Nalin Negi as its new chief financial officer (CFO).
• In his new role, he will be working towards making the company EBITDA positive by March 2023
and lead the financial readiness for the company, which is getting ready for an initial public
offering (IPO)
• EBITDA, which stands for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, is a
measure of profitability for companies.
About Mr. Nalin Negi :
• Mr. Nalin has more than 25 years of experience working for companies like GE Capital and SBI
Card in the banking and financial services sector.
• He has also worked with American Express (India), EXL Service (India), Nestle India, and ITC.
• Earlier he was the CFO of credit cards issuer SBI Card (earlier known as GE Capital SBI Card)
About Bharatpe :
• Founded: 2018
• Founders: Ashneer Grover, Shashvat Nakrani
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
• CEO: Suhail Sameer
BharatPe appoints Ms. Smriti Handa as Chief Human Resources Officer
• Payments and lending fintech BharatPe has appointed former Reckitt executive Smriti Handa as
its Chief Human Resources Officer.
• In her new role, Smriti will be working closely with the Senior Leadership Team at BharatPe and
will focus on strengthening the organizational culture and HR practices in BharatPe.
About Smriti Handa :
• Handa is an alumnus of SRCC, Delhi University, and MDI, Gurgaon.
• In a career spanning over 16 years, she has worked with Reckitt, Philips, and Airtel in global and
local roles.
• Handa was HR Head at Reckitt Hygiene-SoA before taking over as the Global Talent Acquisition
Director.
Center gives one-year extension in service of Mr. Rajiv Gauba as cabinet secretary
• The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi has approved an extension in service to Mr. Rajiv Gauba as cabinet secretary for a further
period of one year beyond 30 August 2022.
• This is his second extension as Cabinet Secretary & he will continue in the same position till
August 30, 2023.
• He was given the first extension for one year in August 2021 with the term ending on 30 August
2022.
About Mr. Rajiv Gauba :
• Mr. Rajiv Gauba is a 1982-batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre.
• On August 30, 2019, Gauba had taken over as the new Cabinet Secretary in the GoI after the
superannuation of Mr. PK Sinha.
• He had served in Jharkhand as the Chief Secretary for 15 months before returning to serve in
the central government in 2016.
• He also served as an adviser to an executive director of the International Monetary Fund.
• He was one of the key implementers of the Center’s decision to abrogate Article 370.
• Before becoming Cabinet Secretary, he also served as the secretary in the Union Urban
Development Ministry and Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry from August 2017 to
August 2019.
Mr. Ranjit Rath appointed as Chairman and MD of Oil India Limited
• Mr. Ranjit Rath has taken over as new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Oil India
Limited (OIL).
• He replaces Mr. Sushil Chandra Mishra who superannuated on June 30, 2022.
About Mr. Ranjit Rath :
• Mr. Ranjit Rath has over 25 years of experience in the field of geosciences.
• He served as CEO of Khani Bidesh India Limited, and MD of Bharat Gold Mines Limited.
• He held the additional charge of the Director General (DG) of the Geological Survey of India.
• He is also a writer and has co-authored books like ‘Underground Storage Technologies.
• Before taking over the charge of Oil India Limited, he was the chairman cum managing director
of Mineral Exploration & Consultancy Limited under the Ministry of Mines.
Awards & Honors :
• In 2016, Rath received the prestigious ‘National Geosciences Award’ from the President of
India.
About OIL :
• Headquarters: Duliajan, Assam
• Oil India Limited (OIL) is the second largest Indian-government-owned hydrocarbon explorer
and producer.
• It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, GoI.
• For the financial year 2021-22, Oil India had reported its highest ever net profit of Rs 3,887.31
crores, rising by 123.20% from the profit of Rs 1,741.59 crores of the previous fiscal.
Vodafone Idea appoints Mr. Ravinder Takkar as the new chairman
• The Board of Directors of Vodafone Idea Limited has appointed Mr. Ravinder Takkar as its new
chairman.
• He will replace Mr. Himanshu Kapania.
• However, Mr. Kapania will continue to be a part of the VIL board as a non-executive director.
• Earlier, Mr. Ravinder Takkar was the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO)
of Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi) for three years with effect from August 19, 2019, following the
resignation of Mr. Balesh Sharma.
About Vodafone Idea :
• Headquarters: Gandhinagar, Gujarat
CJI Shri N V Ramana recommends Justice Shri Uday Umesh Lalit as his successor
• Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India Shri Justice N V Ramana recommended the name of the
senior-most SC judge, Hon’ble Shri Justice Uday Umesh Lalit (49th CJI of India) as his
successor to the Hon’ble Minister for Law and Justice.
• Shri Justice Lalit will have a short tenure as the CJI as he is set to retire on November 8, 2022.
• CJI Ramana is retiring on August 26, 2022, who had become the 48th CJI of the country on April
24, 2021.
About Shri Justice Lalit :
• Shri Justice Lalit was enrolled as an advocate in June 1983 and practiced in the Bombay high
court till December 1985.
• He was designated senior lawyer by the Supreme Court in April 2004.
• Justice Lalit has been part of several landmark judgments including ‘triple talaq’.
• He was appointed as an SC judge on August 13, 2014.
Note :
• Shri Justice Lalit will become the second CJI who was directly elevated to the apex court from
the bar.
• Shri Justice S M Sikri, who became the 13th CJI in January 1971, was the first lawyer to be
elevated directly to the top court bench in March 1964.
• The CJI and other SC judges are appointed by the President of India, as per clause (2) of Article
124 of the Constitution.
• CJI can be removed by an order of the President, following Article 124(4) of the Constitution of
India.
Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar elected as the 14th Vice-President of India
• Former West Bengal governor and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee Shri Jagdeep
Dhankhar, has been elected as the 14th Vice-President of India.
• He will replace incumbent Vice-President Shri M Venkaiah Naidu, whose term is ending on
August 10, 2022.
• Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar will take the oath of office on August 11, 2022.
• He received 528 votes from 725 votes cast and defeated Opposition nominee Margaret Alva
who bagged 182 votes.
• He won the 2022 election with 72.8% votes and recorded a poll-victory margin highest since the
1992 election.
Note :
• The Vice President of India is the second-highest constitutional post in India.
• The Vice President of India is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
About Jagdeep Dhankhar :
• Jagdeep Dhankhar was born on 18th May 1951 in Rajasthan.
• He is a lawyer by profession and joined politics in 1989.
• He has been an ex-member of the ICC - International Court of Arbitration.
Various Positions :
Years Positions
1989-1991 Lok Sabha MP from Jhunjhunu
1990-1991 MoS Parliamentary Affairs
1993-1998 MLA from Kishangarh, Rajasthan Assembly
2019-2022 Governor of West Bengal
August 2022 14th Vice President of India
Unity Small Finance Bank appoints Mr. Inderjit Camotra as MD and CEO
• Unity Small Finance Bank Limited (Unity Bank) has appointed Mr. Inderjit Camotra as its
Managing D irector (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• Camotra's appointment has been approved by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Union
bank's board.
About Mr Inderjit Camotra :
• Camotra has over 25 years of experience across the country in leadership positions at Standard
Chartered Bank, Australia & New Zealand (ANZ), and Citigroup.
• He has already been serving as interim CEO of Unity Small Finance Bank since November
2021.
• Earlier, Camotra was an executive director with Centrum Financial Services Ltd
Recent News :
• In January 2022, the Unity Bank appointed Mr. Vinod Rai, the former CAG of India, as its
Chairman.
About Unity Small Finance Bank Limited :
• Unity Small Finance Bank is a new age, the digital-first bank which was recently elevated to a
‘Scheduled Bank’ and was included in the Second Schedule of the RBI Act.
• The bank is promoted by Centrum Financial Services Ltd and Resilient Innovations Pvt Ltd as
joint investors.
• The bank commenced its operation in November 2021.
Mr. Viswanathan Anand appointed as Deputy President Of FIDE
• Indian chess legend & Five-time World Chess Champion Mr. Viswanathan Anand has been
elected as the deputy president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
• The elections to the world chess body were held during the FIDE Congress which is being
conducted here alongside the 44th Chess Olympiad.
• While the incumbent President Mr. Arkady Dvorkovich has been re-elected as FIDE President
for a second term.
• Dvorkovich a Muscovite has received 167 votes in his favor while his opponent Andrii
Baryshpolets got 16.
• The elections for the posts were held during the FIDE General Assembly in Chennai, Tamil
Nadu.
• He won the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship in 2003 and 2017 & the World Blitz Cup in
2000.
About Mr. Viswanathan Anand :
• Viswanathan Anand was born on 11 December 1969 in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, India
• At age 18 in 1988, he became the first grandmaster from India.
Awards & Honors :
• Anand was the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1991–92, India's highest
sporting honor.
• In 2007, he was awarded India's second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, making
him the first sportsperson to receive the award.
About FIDE :
• Established: July 20, 1924
• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
• President : Arkady Dvorkovich
• Membership: 200 national associations
Catamaran Ventures Appoints Former Infosys Execs as President & Chairman
• Catamaran Ventures, backed by Infosys Ltd. founder Mr. NR Narayana Murthy, has appointed
Managing Director (MD) Mr. Ranganath as its Chairman and Mr. Deepak Padaki as its
President.
• Padaki will be responsible for driving the firm's investment management strategy.
About Mr. Ranganath :
• Mr. Ranganath served as the Chief Financial Officer at Infosys for 18 years till 2018.
• He was Catamaran Ventures's president for the last 3 years, and he was instrumental in creating
a strong foundation for the growth of the firm's investments.
About Mr Deepak Padaki :
• Padaki served at Infosys as EVP, group head of strategy and M&A, and chief risk officer.
• He has 30 years of experience in the global IT services and software product industry.
About Catamaran Ventures :
• Founded: 2010
Mr. Gustavo Petro was sworn in as Colombia's first leftist President
• Mr. Gustavo Petro, a former rebel fighter, has been sworn in as the first leftist president of
Colombia.
• He succeeds Mr. Ivan Duque.
• He defeated Mr. Rodolfo Hernández Suárez in the second round of the 2022 Colombian
presidential election on 19 June 2022.
• He also announced that Colombia will stop granting new licenses for oil exploration and will ban
fracking projects, even though the oil industry makes up almost 50% of the nation's legal
exports.
About Mr Gustavo Petro :
• Mr Petro was born in Ciénaga de Oro, Córdoba, Colombia.
• He is a former member of Colombia's M-19 guerrilla group, as well as former senator and mayor
of Bogota.
• He served as a senator as a member of the Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA)
• He received the worldwide “Climate and City Leadership” in 2013.
About Colombia :
• President: Gustavo Petro
• Capital: Bogotá
• Currency: Colombian peso
Ms. Nallathamby Kalaiselvi becomes CSIR's first woman director general
• Senior electrochemical scientist Ms. Nallathamby Kalaiselvi has become the first woman director
general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in two years.
• Ms. Kalaiselvi succeeds Mr. Shekhar Mande, who superannuated in April 2022.
• Also, Ms. Kalaiselvi will hold the charge as Secretary, Department of Scientific a nd Industrial
Research, under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• Since then Mr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, was given the
additional charge of the CSIR
About Ms Nallathamby Kalaiselvi :
• Ms. Kalaiselvi Hailing from Ambasamudram, a small town in Tirunelveli district of Tamil
Nadu.
• She became the first woman scientist to head the Central Electrochemical Research Institute
(CSIR-CECRI) in February 2019.
• She is the present director of the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute at
Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu.
• Currently, she is involved in the development of practically viable Sodium-ion/Lithium-sulfur
batteries and supercapacitors.
• She also made key contributions to the National Mission for Electric Mobility.
• She has more than 125 research papers and six patents to her credit.
About CSIR :
• Located in: New Delhi
• President: Prime Minister of India (Shri Narendra Modi)
• CSIR is a consortium of 38 research institutes across the country.
Papua New Guinea PM Mr. James Marape re-elected
• Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Mr. James Marape was sworn in for a second term.
• Voting in Papua New Guinea’s general election began on July 4 and ended on July 22, 2022.
• Rufina Peter has been elected as the governor for Central Province, as a member of Mr.
O'Neill's People's National Congress (PNC) Party.
About Mr. James Marape :
• Mr. James Marape has been serving as the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea since May
2019.
• He has been a member of the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea since July 2007,
representing the electorate of the Tari-Pori Open in Hela Province.
• He has held Cabinet Posts as Minister of Education (2008–2011) and Minister of Finance (2012–
2019).
About Papua New Guinea :
• Capital: Port Moresby
• Currency: Papua New Guinean kin
• Papua New Guinea got independence from Australia on 16 September 1975.
Power Grid Corporation appoints Mr. Pramod Kumar as CFO
• The Board of Directors of the Powergrid Corporation of India Limited has appointed Mr. Pramod
Kumar as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
About Mr. Pramod Kumar :
• Mr. Pramod Kumar is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
• He has 35 years of experience in the Power Sector including Finance and Accounting functions
i.e. finalization of Corporate Accounts, formulation of Capital Budget, etc.
• Before this, he served as the Executive Director (Finance) of Power Grid Corporation.
About Power Grid Corporation :
• Chairman & MD : Kandikuppa Sreekant
• It comes under the Ministry of Power, GoI.
Shri Nitish Kumar to take oath as Bihar Chief Minister for 8th time in 22 years; Shri Tejashwi Yadav
Sworn In As Deputy CM
• Janata Dal (United) leader Shri Nitish Kumar took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the 8th
time in the last 22 years.
• Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Shri Tejashwi Yadav took an oath as the Deputy
Chief Minister of Bihar.
• The two leaders were administered by Governor Shri Phagu Chauhan in a ceremony at Raj
Bhawan a day after Nitish Kumar resigned from the post of the CM of the National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) government and broke ties with the BJP.
• Nitish Kumar was first sworn in as the CM of Bihar in 2000.
About Bihar :
• Governor: Phagu Chauhan
• Chief minister: Nitish Kumar
• Capital: Patna
Shri Justice Uday Umesh Lalit appointed as 49th Chief Justice of India
• In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the
President of India Draupadi Murmu has appointed Shri Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, judge of the
Supreme Court, to be the Chief Justice of India
• Shri Justice Uday Umesh Lalit will take over as the 49th Chief Justice of India on 27th August
2022.
• He will be taking over from incumbent Shri CJI N V Ramana, who is scheduled to demit office on
August 26 after a tenure of over 16 months.
• Shri Justice Lalit will become the second Chief Justice of India to be directly elevated to the
Supreme Court from the Bar, after Shri Justice S.M. Sikri.
About Shri Justice Uday Umesh Lalit :
• Shri Uday U Lalit was born on 9th November 1957 in Solapur, Maharashtra.
• He was enrolled as an Advocate by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in June 1983.
• He practiced in the High Court of Bombay till December 1985 before shifti ng his practice to Delhi
in January 1986.
• He was appointed as Judge of the Supreme Court (SC) in August 2014.
• He also headed the bench that convicted the fugitive businessman for contempt in May 2017.
• He was appointed a special public prosecutor for the CBI to conduct the trial in the 2G spectrum
allocation case.
Additional Info :
• Justice S M Sikri, who became the 13th CJI in January 1971, was the first lawyer to be elevated
directly to the top court bench in March 1964.
About CJI :
• The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of India
as well as the highest-ranking officer of the Indian federal judiciary.
About Supreme Court of India :
• Authorized by: Article 124 of the Constitution of India
About Ministry of Law and Justice :
• Cabinet Minister : Kiren Rijiju
• Secretary: Anoop Kumar Mendiratta, G Narayana Raju, Alok Shrivastava
Mr. Rishabh Pant appointed as the brand ambassador of Uttarakhand
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, appointed Star Indian wicketkeeper-
batter Rishabh Pant as the brand ambassador of Uttarakhand in a program organized at
Uttarakhand Sadan in New Delhi.
• Special Principal Secretary Shri Abhinav Kumar was also present on the occasion.
• The move will help encourage the youth of Uttarakhand toward sports and public health.
About Rishabh Pant :
• Rishabh Pant was born in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India.
• He was the vice-captain of the India U-19 team for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
• He became the first Asian wicketkeeper-batter to score centuries in ODIs.
• He became the second-youngest cricketer to an Indian skipper in the T20s.
• Overall, he emerged as the eighth-youngest to lead the Men in Blue across all three formats.
• In ODIs, he has so far played 27 runs and scored 840 runs at a strike rate of 108.80.
• In June 2022, Pant was named as the Indian captain for the T20I series against South Africa
About Uttarakhand :
• Governor: Gurmit Singh
• Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
• Capital: Bhararisain, Dehradun
UN Appoints Mr. Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Ríos as new UNMOGIP Head Of Mission And Chief
Military Observer
• United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres has appointed a veteran Argentinean
naval officer Mr. Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Ríos as Head of Mission and Chief Military
Observer for the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).
• He succeeds Major General José Eladio Alcaín of Uruguay, who will shortly complete his
assignment.
About Mr. Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Ríos :
• He has served in two peacekeeping operations, including the United Nations Peacekeeping
Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in 1993 and 1994 & the United Nations Truce Supervision
Organisation (UNTSO) in 2007.
• He held various positions, Marines Infantry Commander (Corps Commander) (2020-2021);
Marines Infantry Fleet Commander (Brigade Commander) (2019); Education Department Chief,
Navy Warfare School (2018); and Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Attaché in Russia (2016-
2018).
• Recently, he served as the General Director of Education, Training, and Doctrine of the Joint
Staff (2022).
About UN :
About UNMOGIP :
• Founded: January 1949
• Headquarters: Islamabad, Pakistan
• Purpose: To oversee the ceasefire between India & Pakistan in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
Dabur India Chairman Mr. Amit Burman resigns; Mr. Mohit Burman is the new Chairman
• FMCG firm Dabur India Limited has announced that the board has accepted the resignation of
Mr. Amit Burman as the Chairman of the company.
• Mr. Mohit Burman has been appointed as the Non-Executive Chairman for five years.
• However, Mr. Amit Burman would continue to be the Non-Executive Director of the company.
• Dabur India Limited Board has also approved the appointment of Mr. Saket Burman as the Non-
Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company for 5 years.
About Mr. Amit Burman :
• Mr. Amit Burman took charge as CEO of Dabur Foods in 1999 and stepped down from the post
after the company was merged into Dabur India Ltd in 2007.
• He served as the vice chairman before becoming chairman in 2019.
• He took over as the chairman of Dabur India in 2019.
About Dabur India :
• Founded: 1884
• Headquarters: Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
• Dabur Ltd is an Indian multinational consumer goods company.
• It manufactures Ayurvedic medicine and natural consumer products, & is one of the largest fast-
moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies in India.
Govt reappoints four independent directors on RBI central board
• The government has reappointed four independent directors on the board of the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) for another four years.
Name of 4 independent directors :
• The central government has re-nominated Satish Kashinath Marathe and Swaminathan
Gurumurthy as part-time, non-official directors on the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India for
a further period of four years.
• Besides, the Center also re-nominated Revathy Iyer and Sachin Chaturvedi as part-time, non-
official directors on the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India for a further period of four years
after completion of their present tenure on September 18, 2022.
• Non-official directors are appointed for four years and are eligible for re-appointment.
Union Minister Ms. Smriti Irani gets additional charge of Minority Affairs and Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia of
Steel Ministry
• Civil Aviation Minister Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia has been given the additional charge of the
Ministry of Steel.
• Meanwhile, Women and Child Development Minister Ms. Smriti Irani has been assigned the
charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, in addition to her existing portfolio.
• The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignations of Shri
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shri Ram Chandra Prasad Singh from the Union Council of Ministers,
with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution
• With the resignation of Naqvi, who was also the Deputy Leader of Rajya Sabha, the BJP will
have no Muslim MP among its 395 Members of Parliament.
PT Usha, Ilaiyaraaja, V Vijayendra Prasad, and Veerendra Heggade nominated to Rajya Sabha
• Music maestro Ilaiyaraaja, sports icon P T Usha, acclaimed screenwriter V Vijayendra Prasad
and philanthropist and spiritual leader Veerendra Heggade were nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
• While Ilaiyaraaja hails from Tamil Nadu and Usha from Kerala, Prasad is from Telangana and
Heggade from Karnataka.
Key Highlights :
• The Rajya Sabha has 245 seats, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and
union territories & 12 are nominated by the President on the recommendation of the
Government.
• They are nominated under Article 80(3) of the Constitution, according to which they should have
special knowledge or practical experience in matters like literature, science, art, and social
service.
• As per the constitutional limit, the strength of the Upper House cannot exceed 250.
• A nominated member, however, is allowed to join a political party within the first six months of
taking a seat.
IAS Officer Shri Piyush Goyal appointed as CEO of NATGRID
• A 1994 batch IAS officer of Nagaland cadre, Shri Piyush Goyal has been appointed as the new
National Intelligence Grid or NATGRID Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by the Union government.
• In addition to that, the Central Government also issued an order to post 26 other officers on the
post of additional secretary.
• Currently, Shri Goyal is serving as an additional secretary (AS) in the Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA).
• Shri Goyal will be replaced by Mr. Chandraker Bharti, an IAS officer of the 1996 batch UT cadre.
• Currently, Mr. Chandraker Bharti is serving as the joint secretary in the Ministry of Defence
(MoD).
• The post of its CEO was vacant since June 2022 when its chief IPS officer Mr. Ashish Gupta
was appointed as additional director general of the Border Security Force (BSF).
• 1993 batch Odisha cadre IAS officer Mr. Ashok K K Meena has been posted as the Chairman &
Managing Director (CMD) of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in the rank of additional
secretary.
• IAS officer of the 1995 batch (Assam-Meghalaya cadre) Mr. Archana Varma has been appointed
as director of the National Water Mission under the ministry of water resources.
• Ms. Gitanjali Gupta, IAS officer of the 1996 batch Union Territories cadre, has been appointed
as the MD of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation
• Deputy Election Commissioner Mr. Chandra Bhushan Kumar, an IAS officer of the 1995 batch
UT cadre, has been appointed as the additional secretary in the department of agriculture and
farmers' welfare.
• Meanwhile, 1996 batch IAS officers Mr. Lav Aggarwal (Andhra Pradesh cadre) & Ms. Usha
Padhee (Odisha cadre) have been promoted to additional secretary from joint secretary in their
respective ministries of health and family welfare and aviation.
About NATGRID :
• The NATGRID or national intelligence grid is a federal intelligence gathering organization
created to enhance India’s counter-terrorism capabilities.
Drug Firm Pfizer's Managing Director Mr. S Sridhar Resigns
• Drug firm Pfizer announced that its Managing Director Mr. S Sridhar has resigned from the
company to take early retirement.
• He will continue to serve in his current position until the identification, selection, and transition to
the new leadership takes place in Pfizer.
• He worked over the past 14 years in Pfizer Company & he served as the Chief Financial Officer
(CEO) for 8 years.
• He also serves as the President of the Organisation of Pharmaceuticals Producers of India
(OPPI)
About Pfizer :
• Founded: 1849
Centre appoints Mr. Shah Faesal as Deputy Secretary in Tourism Ministry
• The Central government has appointed IAS, Mr. Shah Faesal as Deputy Secretary in the
Tourism Ministry.
About Mr. Shah Faesal :
• Mr. Shah Faesal is an Indian bureaucrat and former Indian politician from Jammu and Kashmir.
• In 2010, he became the first Kashmiri to place first in the Indian Civil Services Examination
• He resigned from the services in January 2019 and joined politics, which he later quit in August
2020.
About Ministry of Tourism :
• Cabinet Minister: G. Kishan Reddy
• Minister of State: Shripad Naik, Ajay Bhatt
Kuwait appoints Mr. Bader Abdullah Al-Munaikh first ambassador to Iran since 2016
• Kuwait has appointed Mr. Bader Abdullah Al-Munaikh as the first ambassador to Iran since
2016.
• He handed his credentials to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran.
• The move comes as Saudi Arabia works to improve its ties with Iran.
• Earlier, Riyadh had broken its ties with Tehran in January 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed
the Saudi embassy in Iran.
About Kuwait :
• Prime Minister : Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
• Capital: Kuwait City
• Currency: Kuwaiti dinar
Kenya’s Deputy P resident Mr. William Ruto wins the presidential race
• Kenya’s Deputy President Mr. William Samoei Arap Ruto won the presidential election in 2022
after defeating Mr. Raila Odinga garnered 7176,141 votes or 50.49 percent of the total votes.
• He will be succeeding Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta.
• With this, William Ruto becomes the 5th President of Kenya.
About Mr. William Ruto :
• Mr. William Ruto was born on 21 December 1966 in Sambut village, Kamagut, Kenya.
• He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1998 to 2013.
• He served as Minister for Home Affairs in the Daniel Arap Moi administration from August to
December 2002.
• He later served in the Mwai Kibaki administration as Minister of Agriculture from 2008 to 2010
and as Minister for Higher Education from April to October 2010.
• He has been serving as the deputy president of Kenya since 2013.
About Kenya :
• President: Uhuru Kenyatta
• Capital: Nairobi
• Currency: Kenyan shilling
FSIB recommends Mr. Mohammad Mustafa as NABARD Chairman
• The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) has recommended Mr. Mohammad Mustafa
for the post of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Chairman.
• The final decision on the recommendation of FSIB would be taken by the Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
About Mohammad Mustafa :
• Mustafa is a 1995 batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
• He served as the Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of the Small Industries Development
Bank of India (SIDBI).
• He had served as a Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services and also as a
Director.
• He also served as CMD of the National Housing Bank (NHB) between 2014-15 and as MD of
CERSAI in 2016.
About NABARD :
• NABARD is the apex regulatory body for the overall regulation of regional rural banks and apex
Bajaj Electricals elevates Mr. Anuj Poddar as MD & CEO
• Consumer durable products maker Bajaj Electricals elevated it's Executive Director Mr. Anuj
Poddar to Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• Mr. Anuj Poddar joined Bajaj Electrical in 2018 as its executive director.
• Meanwhile, Mr. Shekhar Bajaj shall continue as executive chairman of Bajaj Electricals.
About Bajaj Electricals :
• Bajaj Electricals Ltd is an Indian consumer electrical equipment manufacturing company.
• It is a part of the business conglomerate Bajaj Group.
Center Appoints Mr. Rajkiran Rai as NaBFID Managing Director
• The Centre and the board of National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development
(NaBFID) have appointed Mr. Rajkiran Rai G as its managing director (MD) for five years (2022-
2027)
• He was the Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Union Bank of India
from 2017.
• In October 2021, the Center appointed Mr. K V Kamath as chairperson of NaBFID for three
years.
• Subsequently, government nominees Mr. Pankaj Jain and Mr. Sumita Dawra were appointed
directors to the board of Development Finance Institution (DFI).
India's IT Secretary Mr. Alkesh Kumar Sharma appointed to a high-level UN internet panel
• India’s Electronics and Information Technology Secretary Mr. Alkesh Kumar Sharma has been
appointed to a panel of 10 eminent experts on internet governance in the United Nations (UN)
by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
• The panel includes Vint Cerf from the US, Hatem Dowidar from Egypt, Lise Fuhr from Denmark,
Maria Fernanda Garza from Mexico, Toomas Hendrik Ilves from Estonia, and Maria Ressa from
the Philippines & the USA, Karoline Edtstadler from Austria, Gbenga Sesan from Nigeria, Lan
Xue from Chuba.
• Internet pioneer Vint Cerf and Nobel Prize-winning journalist Maria Reesa were also appointed
to the 10-member Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Leadership Panel
• Guterres' envoy on technology, Amandeep Singh Gill, will also be on the panel
Role of the Panel :
• To deal with "strategic and urgent issues" of the Internet and provide strategic advice to the IGF.
About Mr. Alkesh Kumar Sharma :
• Mr. Alkesh Kumar Sharma 1990 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre.
• He has also worked with the UN Development Programme as the national project director for
Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation.
• He served as the additional chief secretary-industries of the Kerala govt from May 2020 to April
2021.
• From September 2019 to April 2021 he was the Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail as well
as CEO of Cochin Smart City Mission.
Airtel shareholders re-appointments Mr. Gopal Vittal as MD & CEO for 5 years
• Bharti Airtel's shareholders have reappointed Mr. Gopal Vittal as Managing Director (MD) &
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bharti Airtel for a period of 5 years with effect from Feb 1,
2023, to Jan 31, 2028.
• He has been polled more than 97% of the total votes polled were in favor of the resolution.
• Shareholders also approved a special resolution related to payment of remuneration to Vittal as
managing director and CEO of the company, with 89.57% votes in favor and 10.42% against the
proposal.
Mastercard appoints 4 Indian badminton players as brand ambassadors
• The American multinational financial services firm, Mastercard has appointed 4 Indian
badminton players Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and Chirag Shetty
as brand ambassadors of Mastercard in India.
• These new ambassadors will partner with Mastercard to spread awareness about the safety,
security, and convenience of digital payments in India.
About the Ambassadors :
• In the Thomas Cup 2022, Lakshya Sen & Kidambi Srikanth won the 1st & 2nd Men’s Single
while Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty won the 1st doubles game.
• In Commonwealth 2022 Games Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty won the gold medal
while Lakshya Sen won the gold medal, and Kidambi Srikanth won the bronze medal in Men’s
Singles.
• The partnership is in line with the efforts of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Prime Minister
Modi’s vision of Digital India.
Recent News :
• Earlier in 2022, Mastercard signed on Shiv Kapur to enhance its leading panel of golfers, which
also includes Anirban Lahiri as a brand ambassador.
About Mastercard :
• Founded: November 3, 1966
• President & CEO : Michael Miebach
Govt extends tenure of DCGI chief Mr. Venugopal Somani by three months
• According to an order issued by the Union Health Ministry, The tenure of Dr. V G Somani as the
Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has been extended by three months
• Earlier, Dr. Somani was appointed DCGI for a term of three years on August 14, 2019.
About DCGI :
• DCGI is the head of the department of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization of the
GoI.
• It is responsible to ensure the quality of drug supply across India.
• It comes under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
IAS officer Mr. Rajesh Verma appointed as Secretary to President Droupadi Murmu
• The Appointments Committee of the C abinet appointed Mr. Rajesh Verma as secretary to
President Droupadi Murmu.
• Mr. Verma will replace the incumbent Mr. Kapil Dev Tripathi, a 1980-batch IAS officer.
About Mr. Rajesh Verma :
• Mr. Verma is a 1987-batch Odisha cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer.
• In 2020, he was appointed as the chairman of the Investor Education and Protection Fund
Authority (IEPFA).
• Before the central deputation, Verma had served as principal secretary to Odisha Chief Minister
Shri Naveen Patnaik & Principal Secretary of the Energy Department, Government of Odisha.
• Currently, He is serving as Secretary of, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Appoints Indian philanthropist Mr. Ashish Dhawan to its board of
trustees
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has appointed Indian philanthropist Mr. Ashish Dhawan,
founder and CEO of Convergence Foundation, to its board of trustees.
• Dr. Helene D Gayle, president of Spelman College, US, has also been appointed to the
foundation's board of trustees.
About Mr. Ashish Dhawan :
• Mr. Dhawan is the chairperson of Ashoka University and Central Square Foundation a nonprofit
organization working to improve the quality of education for children in India.
About Dr. Helene D Gayle :
• Dr. Helene D Gayle is a Gates Foundation alumna.
• He was the president and CEO of The Chicago Community T r ust, one of the United States’
oldest and largest community foundations.
About Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation :
• Founded: 2000
• Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, U.S
• CEO: Mark Suzman
• Co-Chair: Melinda French Gates
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) is a merger of the William H. Gates Foundation
and the Gates Learning Foundation
• The Gates Foundation has been working in collaboration with the government of India & other
partners since 2003 on various issues, including health care, sanitation, gender equality,
agricultural development, and financial empowerment.
Paytm Shareholders Approve Re-appointment of Mr. Vijay Shekhar Sharma as MD & CEO
• Shareholders of One97 Communications, which operates under the Paytm brand, have
approved the re-appointment of Mr. Vijay Shekhar Sharma as managing director and chief
executive officer of Paytm.
• According to the report, 99.67% of votes were in favor of Sharma's re-appointment while only
0.33% voted against the resolution.
• The remuneration of Mr. Vijay Shekhar will remain fixed for the next three years without any
annual increment
• Shareholders have also approved the appointment of Mr. Madhur Deora, as Whole-time
Director, designated as Executive Director, President, and Group Chief Financial Officer of the
Company.
About Paytm :
Govt extends Mr. Meenesh Shah's as NDDB Chairman for another 6 Months
• The Center has extended the tenure of Mr. Meenesh C Shah, an executive director of the
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), to hold a charge as the Chairman of NDDB for
another six months until November 30, 2022.
• It will be the second extension after the first on January 4, 2022.
• Mr. Shah has been holding the NDDB Chairman position since June 1, 2021.
• The post of Chairman NDDB fell vacant when Dilip Rath demitted office after being elected to
the Board of International Dairy Federation (IDF).
• In addition to that, India will host the world's largest dairy conference, the International Dairy
Federation (IDF) World Dairy Summit 2022, in New Delhi from September 12 to 15,2022, with
the theme "Dairy for Nutrition and Livelihood."
About NDDB :
• Founded: July 1965
• Headquarters: Anand, Gujarat, India
• Founder : Dr Verghese Kurien
• It comes under the ownership of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying of
the GoI.
Disney appoints Mr. Sajith Sivanandan as head of Hotstar
• Disney’s international content and operations group has appointed Mr. Sajith Sivanandan as
executive vice president and head of Disney+ Hotstar.
• He will take the reins over from Mr. Sunil Rayan who quit in June 2022.
• He will start working with Disney+Hotstar in October 2022 with a dual reporting line of Disney
Star.
• In his new role, he will report to Disney’s International Content and Operations Group Chairman
Rebecca Campbel and Disney Star President K Madhavan.
About Mr. Sajith Sivanandan :
• Mr. Sivanandan was Managing Director (MD) and Business Head of Google Pay and the Next
Billion User Initiatives for the APAC region.
• Earlier, he was the Head of Google Pay India.
• He started his career in 1996 at Star TV, working for Channel V’s North India market.
• He also worked for organizations like The Gallup Organisation, Affle UK Ltd, and XA Network.
Mr. Debasisa Mohanty was appointed as director of the National Institute of Immunology
• Senior Odia scientist Mr. Debasisa Mohanty was appointed as the Director of the National
Institute of Immunology (NII).
• Currently, he is working as a staff scientist at NII.
• The post fell vacant after Mr. Rajesh Verma, a 1987-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
officer of Odisha cadre, was appointed as the Secretary to President Droupadi Murmu on August
18.
• Also, Revenue Secretary Mr. Tarun Bajaj has been given additional charge as Corporate Affairs
Secretary.
About NII :
• The NII is an autonomous research institute under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for
research in immunology.
Mr. Vikram Doraiswami Appointed As Next High Commissioner Of India To UK
• Indian diplomat Mr. Vikram K Doraiswami has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of
India to the United Kingdom (UK).
• He will succeed Mr. Gaitri Issar Kumar, the high commissioner to the United Kingdom, who left
her position on June 30, 2022.
About Mr. Vikram Doraiswami :
• Mr. Doraiswami is an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1992 batch.
• In 1994, he was appointed Third Secretary in the Indian H igh Commission in Hong Kong after
completing his in-service training in New Delhi between 1992 and 1993.
• He also served as the head of the division for the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi.
• In 2014, he was appointed Indian ambassador to Uzbekistan.
• In 2015, he was appointed Indian ambassador to the Republic of Korea.
• He has served as Indian ambassador to Uzbekistan, and South Korea and has served in the US
as well as private secretary to the Prime Minister.
• Currently, Mr. Doraiswami is the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.
About the UK :
• Prime minister: Boris Johnson
• Capital: London
Mali military appoints Mr. Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga as interim PM
• The military of Mali has appointed Mr. Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga as the interim Prime Minister of
the country.
• He replaced the civilian Prime Minister of Mali, Mr. Choguel Kokalla Maiga.
About Mr Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga :
• Mr. Abdoulaye Idrissa Maïga was the Prime Minister of Mali from 8 April 2017 to 29 December
2017.
• He is a member of the Rally for Mali.
• He served as Minister of Territorial Administration and Minister for the Environment, Water, and
Sanitation.
• He was working as a government spokesman and Minister of Territorial Administration and
Decentralization.
About Mali :
• Prime Minister: Choguel Kokalla Maïga
• Capital: Bamako
• Currency: West African CFA franc
• Mali is governed by a military junta that came to power in a 2020 coup and has promised to
organize democratic elections in 2024.
Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted to step down in 2023
• Adidas has announced that Mr. Kasper Rorsted will step down from his role as chief executive
officer (CEO) in 2023.
About Mr. Kasper Rorsted :
• Mr. Kasper Rørsted was born on 24 February 1962 in Aarhus in Denmark.
• He has been CEO of Adidas since 2016, and its supervisory board mutually agreed that he will
hand over in 2023.
About Adidas :
• Headquarters: Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany
• Founder : Adolf Dassler
• It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the world, after
Nike.
Indian Scientist Mr. Samir V Kamat Appointed As New DRDO Chairman
• Distinguished scientist Mr. Samir V Kamat was appointed as Secretary of the Department of
Defence Research and Development and Chairman of the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) from the date of his assumption of charge till he attained the age of 60
years.
• He will replace Mr. G Satheesh Reddy, who has been named as scientific adviser to Defence
Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has also appointed Mr. G Satheesh Reddy
as scientific adviser to the defense minister.
About Mr Samir V Kamat :
• He joined DRDO at Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad, in 1989.
• He took over as the director of the lab in 2015.
• Earlier, Dr. Kamat was Director General of Naval Systems & Materials (NS & M) at DRDO since
July 2017.
About DRDO :
• DRDO is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in
the Ministry of Defence of the GoI.
IDFC appoints Mr. Mahendra Shah as MD& CEO
• Based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, the board of
directors of Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) Limited has appointed Mr.
Mahendra N Shah as the Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with effect
from October 1, 2022, till September 30, 2023.
• Mr. Shah will replace incumbent MD and CEO Mr. Sunil Kakar, whose term will end on
September 30, 2022.
About Mahendra N Shah :
• Shah worked with International Paper Limited for 6 years as director of finance and company
secretary where he was in charge of the finance function and regulatory compliances.
• He joined IDFC in 2001.
• Shah is the Company Secretary & Compliance Officer of IDFC Limited since May 24, 2019.
About IDFC Limited :
• Founded: 1997
Credit Suisse appoints Mr. Dixit Joshi as new Chief Financial Officer
• Credit Suisse has appointed Mr. Dixit Joshi as a chief financial officer (CFO) with effect from
October 1, 2022, and Mr. Francesca McDonagh as group chief operating officer (COO) from
September 19, 2022.
• Mr. Dixit Joshi will replace Mr. David Mathers who stepped down after more than 11 years.
• Mr. Joshi worked at Credit Suisse in New York and London between 1995 and 2003.
• Recently, McDonagh served as the Bank of Ireland's CEO after holding several senior
management roles at HSBC Group.
• The firm also appointed Mr. Michael J. Rongetti as Interim Head of the Asset Management
Division and Mr. Michael Bonacker as Head of Transformation.
About Credit Suisse :
• Founded : 1856
• Headquarters : Zürich, Switzerland
• Chairman : Axel Lehmann
• CEO: Ulrich Körner
GoI appoints former CEA Mr. K Subramanian as Executive Director for India at IMF
• The Government of India (GoI) has appointed former Chief Economic Adviser Mr. K V
Subramanian as the Executive Director for India at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• Mr. Subramanian's term will begin in November 2022 & he will continue for three years or until
further orders, whichever is earlier.
• He will replace the eminent economist, Mr. Surjit S Bhalla as ED (India), IMF whose tenure will
end on 31 October 2022.
About Mr KV Subramanian :
• KV Subramanian served the Government of India as Chief Economic Adviser between 2018 and
2021.
• He was a Member & Director of Research, P J Nayak Committee on Governance of Bank
Boards formed by RBI.
• He was also a member of the Uday Kotak Committee on Corporate Governance in SEBI.
• He also served on the Board of Directors of Bandhan Bank, National Institute of Bank
Management, and Reserve Bank of India Academy.
• Currently, Subramanian is a Professor at the Indian School of Business.
About IMF :
• Established: 27 December 1945
• Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva
• Membership: 190 countries (189 UN countries and Kosovo)
• The Executive Board of the IMF is composed of 24 Directors, who are elected by member
countries or by groups of countries.
India's SBICAP Securities appoints Mr. Deepak Kumar Lalla as the new MD & CEO
• Indian financial services firm SBICAP Securities, a unit of SBI Capital Markets and part of the
government-owned State Bank Group, has appointed Mr. Deepak Kumar Lalla as the new
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• He replaced Mr. Naresh Yadav.
About Mr Deepak Kumar Lalla :
• Mr. Lalla joined the State Bank of India (SBI) in 1985 & he has over 37 years of experience.
• He served as the head of & the wealth management business for the SBI.
About SBICAP :
• SBI Capital Markets (SBICAPS) is a wholly-owned investment banking subsidiary of the State
Bank of India (SBI).
RBL bank appoints Mr. Gopal Jain & Mr. Sivakumar Gopalan as non-executive directors
• The private sector lender RBL Bank has appointed Mr. Gopal Jain and Dr. Sivakumar Gopalan
as the non-executive directors.
About Mr. Gopal Jain :
• Mr. Jain co-founded Gaja Capital in 2004 and is a Managing Partner at the firm.
• He has also been a member of SEBI’s Alternative Investment Policy Advisory Committee since
2018.
About Mr Sivakumar Gopalan :
• He has been a faculty member of the Dept of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay,
since 1991
• He has served as an Independent Director on the Board of Andhra Bank and NPCI.
• He is the Head of the Centre for Formal Design and Verification of Software (CFDVS), an R&D
Centre at IIT Bombay.
• Currently, he is an Independent Director at CCIL, NSDL, IFTAS, and IIBF.
• With the new additions, the RBL Bank’s board now has 14 members, guiding the Bank’s
strategy on business, technology, and innovation.
• The board of RBL Bank approved raising to ₹3,000 crores through the issue of debt securities
on a private placement basis, on a “time-to-time basis”.
About RBL bank :
• Founded: 1943
• MD & CEO : Mr. R Subramaniakumar
• Tagline: Apno ka Bank
DreamSetGo Appoints Mr. Sourav Ganguly as First Brand Ambassador
• A sports experiences and travel platform, DreamSetGo has appointed Mr. Sourav Ganguly as its
first brand ambassador.
• Mr. Ganguly has also become the “Supercaptain” for DreamSetGo.
• He will play a key role in promoting DSG’s curated experiences offered through its key
partnerships with Manchester City, Chelsea FC, ICC Travel and Tours, AO Travel, F1®
Experiences, and more.
About Mr. Sourav Ganguly :
• Mr. Sourav Chandidas Ganguly is an Indian cricket administrator, commentator, and former
national cricket team captain.
• He is affectionately known as Dada.
• He is popularly called Maharaja of Indian Cricket.
• He is one of the most successful Indian Test captains to date, winning 21 out of 49 test matches.
• He is the 39th and current president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
About DreamSetGo :
• Founded: 2019
• Founder & Chief Business Officer: Monish Shah
Justice Shri Uday Umesh Lalit was sworn in as the 49th Chief Justice of India
• Justice Shri Uday Umesh Lalit took oath as the 49th Chief Justice of India (CJI).
• President of India Shri Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office at a ceremony held at
Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, Delhi.
• He succeeded Justice Shri Nuthalapti Venkata Ramana, who retired on August 26.
• Justice Shri Lalit will have a tenure of 74 days as the head of India’s judiciary and would demit
office on 8 November 2022.
• Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Union ministers
were present at the ceremony.
Additional Info :
• After Justice Lalit’s retirement on November 8, 2022, Justice Shri DY Chandrachud is expected
to be appointed as the 50th Chief Justice of India.
About Justice Shri Uday Umesh Lalit :
• Justice Shri Lalit was born on November 9, 1957, in Solapur, Maharashtra.
• He enrolled as an advocate in June 1983 & practiced in the Bombay High Court till December
1985.
• In April 2004, Lalit was designated as a senior advocate of the Supreme Court.
• He was appointed a special public prosecutor for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to
conduct the trial in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
• Justice Shri Lalit will be the second CJI who was directly elevated to the Supreme Court bench
from the Bar.
• Justice Shri SM Sikri, who became the 13th CJI in January 1971, was the first lawyer to be
elevated directly to the top court bench in March 1964.
Note :
• According to article 124(2) of the Constitution, the retirement age of judges of the Supreme
Court is 65.
• As per article 217(1) of the Constitution, judges of the 25 high courts retire at the age of 62.
Mr. VVS Laxman appointed as interim head coach of India for Asia Cup 2022
• Mr. Vangipurapu Venkata Sai Laxman has been appointed as interim head coach of Team India
in Dubai for the 2022 Asia Cup.
• The decision was confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), as Mr. Rahul
Dravid, India's head coach, after testing positive for COVID-19
• Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will lead the team as captain and vice-captain respectively for the
Asia Cup 2022.
• India will take on Pakistan in their first game of the 2022 Asia Cup
About VVS Laxman :
• Laxman was born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
• He is a former Indian international cricketer and a former cricket commentator.
• He is popularly called the 'God of 4th Innings' for his exploits
• Currently, he is the Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), and the head coach
of the India Under-19 and India A teams.
Awards & Honors :
• He received the Arjuna Award, from the Government of India, in 2001, for his outstanding
achievement in sports.
• In 2011, Laxman was awarded the Padma Shri award, India's fourth highest civilian award
RJD leader Shri Awadh Bihari Chaudhary was unanimously elected as Bihar Assembly Speaker
• Senior Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Shri Awadh Bihari Chaudhary was unanimously
elected Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly under Nitish Kumar-RJD led
Mahagathbandhan.
• He replaced former Assembly Speaker Shri Vijay Kumar Sinha as the 17th Speaker of the Bihar
Assembly.
About Shri Awadh Bihari Chaudhary :
• Shri Awadh Bihari Chaudhary was elected MLA from Siwan in 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, and in
February 2005 and 2020.
• He also served as an Education Minister of Bihar in the Rabri Devi government.
About Bihar :
• Capital: Patna
SP Jain professor Mr. Ananth Narayan appointed as whole-time SEBI member
• Mr. Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan, an associate professor at SP Jain Institute of Management
and Research (SPJIMR), has been appointed as a whole-time member of the Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• He will hold office for 3 years.
• With this appointment, Mr. Ananth Narayan becomes the fourth whole-time member of SEBI.
• The other three WTMs include SK Mohanty, Ananta Barua, and Ashwani Bhatia.
About Mr. Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan :
• Narayan has served as the RBI-nominated additional director on the YES Bank board.
• He has worked with Citibank, Deutsche Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank.
• He served as an independent director at SBI Capital Markets Ltd, Clearcorp Dealing Systems
Ltd, CARE Ratings Ltd, Agappe Diagnostics Ltd, Southern Ridges Macro Fund, and Southern
Ridges Master Macro Fund.
• He has strong expertise in foreign currency, interest rates, derivatives, and debt capital markets.
• He is a senior India analyst at the observatory group and is a public interest director for the NSE
IFSC GIFT City in Gujarat and the National Securities Clearing Corporation.
• Before joining SP Jain, Mr. Narayan was the Regional Head of Financial Markets for ASEAN
and South Asia at Standard Chartered Bank.
About SEBI :
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
AICF appoints Vipnesh Bharadwaj as interim secretary
• The All India Chess Federation (AICF) appointed Mr. Vipnesh Bharadwaj as its interim secretary
after the Delhi High Court reiterated its order of removing former chief Bharat Singh Chauhan.
• On June 2, 2022, the Delhi HC passed an order and unseated Chauhan.
• However, on June 7, 2022, the Supreme Court overruled the HC's decision & reinstated
Chauhan in his post till August 15, 2022, keeping in mind the 44th Chess Olympiad.
Note :
• The 44th Chess Olympiad was held in Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu from July 28 to August 9,
2022.
• The 44th Chess Olympiad was organized by AICF in association with the International Chess
Federation (FIDE) and the Tamil Nadu Government led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin
About AICF :
• Founded: 1951
• President: Sanjay Kapoor
• Secretary: Bharat Singh Chauhan
IM PORTANT AWARDS & HONOURS NEWS

Narendra Singh Tomar to give Agriculture Infrastructure Fund Awards:
• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, presented
Agriculture Infra Fund awards.
• The awards felicitate the contribution of various Banks and States and different field
functionaries to the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme.
• State Bank of India achieved the first position among the best performing banks.
• It is followed by Punjab National Bank and Bank of India.
• In the second category, banks were awarded for their valuable contribution.
• In this category, the Bank of Baroda achieved the first rank.
• It is followed by the Central Bank of India, Canara Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank.
• In the Target Achievers Category, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, HDFC Bank, Bank of
Maharashtra, Punjab & Sind Bank, and Karnataka Bank were awarded.
• Madhya Pradesh Gramin Bank was best among the best performing Regional Rural Banks.
• It was followed by Madhyanchal Gramin Bank, Maharashtra Gramin Bank, and Baroda
Rajasthan Kshetriya Gramin Bank.
• In the state category, Madhya Pradesh has been adjudged the best-performing state.
• Andhra Pradesh is recognized as the best performer in the sanction of PACS applications.
• As the best performer in the faster disposal of PACS applications, Karnataka was awarded.
• Rajasthan was declared the Rising State under AIF.
Agri Infra Fund:
• Its second foundation day will be celebrated next month.
• It was launched two years ago under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Package.
• It was launched as a dedicated Central Government scheme that provides a medium-long term
credit facility for investment in the creation of post-harvest management infrastructure and
community farming assets.
• This credit facility comes with financial support by way of a three percent Interest subvention
from the Government and a credit guarantee by Credit Guarantee fund Trust for Micro and Small
Enterprises (CGTMSE) fee of up to two crore rupees.
Canadian Jeffrey Armstrong received the ‘Distinguished Indologist for 2021’ award:
• Jeffrey Armstrong, a Canadian Scholar, has been named the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR) Distinguished Indologist for 2021.
• Manish, India's consul-general in Vancouver, presented him with the honor.
• The prize was given to Armstrong "in honor of his remarkable contribution to the
study/teaching/research in India's philosophy, ideas, history, art, culture, Indian languages,
literature, civilization, society, and so on."
• He is the seventh recipient of this prize, joining previous winners from Germany, China, Japan,
the United Kingdom, South Korea, and the United States.
• The award is conferred upon a foreign scholar for “their outstanding contribution in the study,
teaching, and research in any of the fields of Indian Studies”.
• The first recipient of the award in 2015 was Professor Heinrich Freiherr Von Stietencron from
Germany.
Spiritual leader Dalai Lama was honored with Ladakh’s highest civilian award:
• The highest civilian honor in Ladakh, the "dPal rNgam Duston" award, was given to the head of
the Tibetan spiritual order, the Dalai Lama.
• This honor is granted in recognition of his enormous contributions to mankind, particularly to the
union territory.
• The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, which celebrated the "dPal
rNgam Duston" on the occasion of its founding day at Sindhu Ghat, presented the sixth prize.
• The 87-year-old spiritual leader, who has been in the union territory since July 15, praised the
act of kindness and emphasized the need of preserving intergroup unity in the area.
• The "dPal rNgam Duston" commemorates the heroic deeds of Ladakh's heroes and attempts to
instill in the new generation a sense of pride in their accomplishments.
Indian-American Aarya Walvekar crowned Miss India USA 2022:
• Aarya Walvekar, an Indian American from Virginia, was named Miss India USA in 2022 in New
Jersey.
• The first runner-up was University of Virginia's second-year premedical student Saumya
Sharma, and the second runner-up was Sanjana Chekuri of New Jersey.
• The longest-running Indian pageant outside of India celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
• Dharmatma and Neelam Saran, two Indian-Americans residing in New York, founded it under
the name Worldwide Pageants.

Prof Ramadhar Singh becomes 1st Indian Social Psychologist on US Heritage Wall of Fame:
• Ramadhar Singh, a professor at Ahmedabad University, is the first Indian social psychologist to
be inducted onto the American Society for Personality and Social Psychology's (SPSP) US
Heritage Wall of Fame.
• He is presently a professor at Ahmedabad University's Amrut Mody School of Management and
Human Sciences gave him the Distinguished Alumni Award in Psychological Sciences (March
25, 2022).
• Professor Singh joined the organization in 1990 and later became a fellow (1992).
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor to receive France’s highest civilian award:
• Shashi Tharoor, a senior Congress politician, is slated to receive France's highest civilian honor,
the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur.
• The French government has recognized him for his writings and talks, and the French
Ambassador here, Emmanuel Lenain, has informed Tharoor of the honor.
• Tharoor earned a similar honor from the Spanish government in 2010, when King Carlos III
conferred the Encomienda de la Real Order Espanola de Carlos III on him.
• Shashi Tharoor is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs
and a two-term Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram.
• He previously served in the UPA government as Minister of State for Human Resource
Development and Minister of State for External Affairs.
• Tharoor is also a former UN diplomat with a 23-year career with the organization.
• He is also a well-known novelist, having written both fiction and nonfiction works.
Sangeetha Abhayan won the World Women Entrepreneurs’ Award:
• Kerala’s Sangeetha Abhayan won the World Women Entrepreneurs’ Award instituted by the
Junior Chamber International Hong Kong (JCIHK) for her handloom and handicrafts startup’s
performance in tune with the United Nation’s sustainable d evelopment goals (SDGs).
• JCIHK, which provides development opportunities for youngsters, chose Sangeetha, who is
CEO of eveworld.com from upstate Kasaragod district, among more than 225 female
entrepreneurs from across the world.
• Based out of Nileshwar, 40 km south of Kasaragod city, eveworld.com won international
recognition for creating social changes and financial stability among women entrepreneurs.
• The online platform, whose name eWe is an abbreviation of Empowering Women
Entrepreneurs, received the JCIHK award at a virtual event held in Hong Kong.
M uthoot Finance has won ‘the best growth performance award:
• Muthoot Finance has won the ‘best growth performance award’ at Dun & Bradstreet’s 22nd
edition of ‘India’s Top 500 Companies’ corporate awards.
• Dun & Bradstreet’s top-500 list identifies private and public sector Indian enterprises across 60
sectors based on income, net profit, net worth, and other financial parameters.
• “ESG: The only way for sustainable and responsible growth” was the theme for this year’s event.
• Dun & Bradstreet is a business decisioning data and analytics provider.
• Muthoot Finance is India's largest gold loan Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).
• It is headquartered in Kochi, Kerala.
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) Awards 2022 announced:
• The 13th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2022 began on August 12 and
will end on August 30.
• The yearly event in Australia honors the Indian film industry by displaying some of the country's
most important and acclaimed films, TV programs, and online series.
• The awards night is one of the festival's highlights, as chosen honors are handed to the top
performers from Indian film and the OTT scene from the previous year.
• Rithvik Dhanjiani hosted the event, which witnessed huge victories for Kabir Khan's sports
drama 83 and its star Ranveer Singh, as well as Prime Video online series Mumbai Diaries 26
and the film Jalsa.
• The two films with the most nominations, Jai Bhim and Gangubai Kathiawadi, did not win any
awards.
LIST OF WINNERS:
S.no Category Winners
1 Best Film 83
2 Best Director Shoojit Sircar (Sardar Udham) and
Aparna Sen (The Rapist)
3 Best Actor Ranveer Singh (83)
4 Best Actress Shefali Shah (Jalsa)
5 Best Series Mumbai Diaries 26/11
6 Best Actor in a Series Mohit Raina (Mumbai Diaries 26/11)
7 Best Actress in a Series Sakshi Tanwar (Mai)
8 Best Indie Film Jaggi
9 Best Film from the Subcontinent Joyland
10 Lifetime Achievement Award Kapil Dev
11 Disruptor in Cinema Award Vaani Kapoor (Chandigarh Kare
Aashiqui)
12 Equality in Cinema Award Jalsa
13 Leadership in Cinema Award Abhishek Bachchan
107 gallantry awards for Armed Forces and CAPF soldiers have been announced:
• Smt. Droupadi Murmu, President of India, has authorized 107 gallantry medals for Armed
Forces and Central Armed Police Forces troops for the occasion of India's Independence Day in
2022.
• Three Kirti Chakras, 13 Shaurya Chakras, two bar to Sena Medals (gallantry), 81 Sena Medals
(gallantry), one Nao Sena Medal (gallantry), and seven Vayu Sena Medals are among the
honors (gallantry).
• The president has also approved 40 mentions-in-despatches to Indian Army personnel, one to
Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel, and one to the army dog, 'Axel' (posthumously), for their
significant contributions in various military operations such as Operation Rakshak, Snow
Leopard, Rhino, Orchid, Falcon, Hifazat, and Trikut (Deoghar).
Kirti Chakra
• Nk Devendra Pratap Singh, Armd, 55 Rr
• Sudip Sarkar, Constable/gd, Bsf (Posthumous)
• Paotinsat Guite, Sub-inspector/gd, Bsf (Posthumous)
Shaurya Chakra
• Maj Nitin Dhaania, 2 Para (Sf)
• Maj Amit Dahiya, Sm, 1 Para (Sf)
• Maj Sandeep Kumar, Grenadiers, 55 Rr
• Maj Abhishek Singh, Mech Inf, 50 Rr
• Hav Ghanshyam, Grenadiers, 55 Rr
• L/nk Ragh Vendra Singh, Mech Inf, 9 Rr
• Sep Karn Veer Singh, Rajput, 44 Rr (Posthumous)
• Gnr Jasbir Singh, Arty, 19 Rr (Posthumous)
• Lt Cdr Mritunjay Kumar
• Amit Kumar, Assistant Commandant, Crpf
• Somay Vinayak Munde, IPS, Addl. Superintendent of Police, Maharashtra Police
• Ravindra Kashinath Naitam, Police Naik, Maharashtra Police
• Tikaram Sampatrao Katenge, Police Naik, Maharashtra Police
Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry)
• Maj Archit Sharma, Sena Medal, Mech Inf, 42 Rr
• Maj Narender Singh Waldia, Sena Medal, Engrs, 44 Rr
Sena Medal (Gallantry)
• Lt Col Vivek Kumar Dwivedi, Arty, 663 Army Avn Sqn (R&o)
• Lt Col Sudhanshu Dhyani, 671 Army Avn Sqn (R&o)
• Lt Col Prasoon Singh, 5 Rajput
• Maj Angad Singh Behl, 14 Jat
• Maj Vaibhav Bhatnagar, 3 Rajput
• Maj Sahil Kumar, 4 Para (Sf)
• Maj Parth Chandel, Bihar, 24 Rr
• Maj Vivek Kamboj, Grenadiers, 55 Rr
• Maj Mritunjay Katoch, Garh Rif, 14 Rr
• Maj Sudeep Kumar, Sikh, 46 Rr
UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize 2022:
• Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, Bhubaneswar is one of the winners of the UNESCO King
Sejong Literacy Prize 2022.
• Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences will be awarded for its 'Mother Tongue Based Multilingual
Education Programme’.
• Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences is the largest residential institute for Tribals in the world.
• It began as a residential tribal school in 1993 and became a deemed-to-be-university in 2017.
• UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize was first given in 1989.
• It is funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea.
• The winner receives a medal, a diploma, and US$20,000.
• It is given in honor of Sejong the Great who created the Korean alphabet Hangul.
Shiv Shankar Singh has been honored with the "Best CEO of the Year Award":
• Shiv Shankar Singh, CEO of Gramin Vikas Trust (established by KRIBHCO of GoI) has been
honored with the "Best CEO of the Year Award" by the Indian Achiever’s Forum.
• He was selected among a few from their respective fields and sectors for outstanding
contributions to the progress and development of the Indian economy and society.
• He started his career as a research associate at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture &
Technology in 1993.
• In 1995, he joined the National Tree Grower Cooperative Federation of the National Dairy
Development Board in Rajasthan, where was also facilitated the process of wasteland
management by organizing and strengthening tree grower cooperative societies.
• Indian Achievers Forum is an apex body that promotes and encourages commendable
achievements from all over the country.

Deepika Misra became the first woman to bag the Vayu Sena m edal prestigious award:
• Wing Commander Deepika Misra, a pilot of the Indian Air Force, was conferred with the Vayu
Sena medal, becoming perhaps the first woman to bag the prestigious award.
• The government also conferred the Vayu Sena medal to Group Captain Rahul Singh and Group
Captain Ravi Nanda for their respective roles during India's Operation Devi Shakti, the
evacuation mission launched to bring back Indians from Kabul after its takeover by the Taliban
Liberty Medal 2022 to be awarded to Ukrainian President Zelensky:
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will receive the Liberty Medal 2022 this fall.
• For what it called "his valiant defense of liberty in the face of Russian oppression," the National
Constitution Center has announced that Zelenskyy would be honored at a ceremony in October.
• President Zelenskyy has gallantly led the Ukrainian people in their defense of freedom against
Russian oppression, and his heroism has motivated people all around the world to preserve
liberal democracy and the rule of law.
• Zelenskyy, who has led the country since May 2019, has also received honors from the
governments of the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia, as well as prizes
like the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award.
Bangladeshi Fahmida Azim won the Pulitzer Prize in 2022:
• Bangladesh-born The US Insider online magazine Fahmida Azim has been chosen to receive
the Pulitzer Prize in 2022.
• She will get recognition for her work in the field of illustrated reporting and commentary.
• She is one of the four journalists chosen for their reporting on the Chinese repression of the
Uyghurs, together with Anthony Del Col, Josh Adams, and Walt Hickey of the New York-based
Insider publication.
• Illustrations by Fahmida Azim are included in the piece "I Escaped a Chinese Internment Camp."
• Fahmida Azim was born in Bangladesh and is now settled in the US.
• She is an illustrator and storyteller.
• She has illustrated several books including her notable project ‘Muslim Women Are Everything.
Former German chancellor Angela Merkel wins Unesco Peace Prize 2022:
• Angela Merkel, a former German chancellor, has been given the 2022 Unesco Peace Prize for
"her efforts to welcome migrants"
• The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, famously declared to her people, "We can do this," i n
the summer of 2015 as refugees poured into Europe.
• She subsequently changed her mind about being pro-immigration when support declined from
both the general public and her conservative party.
• Her selfless choice in 2015 to accept more than 1.2 million refugees, particularly those from
Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Eritrea, moved every single member.
About UNESCO
• Members: 193 countries
• Head: Audrey Azoulay
Karim Benzema, Alexia Putellas win UEFA best player awards: UEFA Awards
• At a ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, Karim Benzema, and Alexia Putellas received the UEFA
men's and women's player of the year awards in recognition of their remarkable seasons.
• The French forward Benzema led Real Madrid to win against Liverpool in the Champions
League championship game and finished with 15 goals overall, while Putellas led all scorers in
the Women's Champions League, advancing Barcelona to the championship game where they
fell to Lyon.
• The coaching awards went to the winners of the two biggest events last season: Carlo Ancelotti
of Madrid and Sarina Wiegman, who led England to the Euro 2022 title.
IM PORTANT DEFENCE NEWS

IAF to phase out the remaining 4 Mig 21 squadrons by 2025
• The Indian Air Force(IAF) has set to phase out four Mig-21 fighter squadrons by 2025.
• The IAF also plans to start the phasing out of the three squadrons of Mig-29 fighter jets in the
next five years.
• India is also working on a USD 5 billion project to develop a 5th-generation medium-weight deep
penetration fighter jet to significantly bolster its air power capability.
About MiG-21 :
• MiG-21 is India's longest-serving fighter aircraft & the aircraft has had a very poor safety record
of late.
• Designed by the erstwhile Soviet Union's Mikoyan Gurevich Design Bureau.
• The first fleet of the Mig variant was inducted into the IAF in 1963 and India procured over 700
Mig-variants in the subsequent decades.
Key Highlights :
• The Srinagar-based No 51 squadron will be number-plated on September 30.
• The number plating refers to the retirement of a squadron that generally comprises 17-20
aircraft.
• The squadron, also known as ‘Swordarms’
Background :
• In February 2021, the Defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with the Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for the procurement of 83 Tejas fighter aircraft to help the IAF replace its
aging fighter fleet.
• The IAF is also in the process of procuring 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA).
Note :
• Currently, the IAF has around 70 Mig-21 aircraft and 50 Mig-29 variants.
About IAF :
• Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari
Point 5140 at Dras named Gun Hill to mark India's victory in the 1999 Kargil War
• To commemorate the victory of the Indian Armed Forces(IAF) and pay tribute to the supreme
sacrifice of the Gunners in “Operation Vijay”, Point 5140 at Dras in the Kargil sector has been
christened as Gun Hill.
• On behalf of the Regiment of Artillery, a wreath was laid by Lieutenant General TK Chawla,
Director General of Artillery at Kargil War Memorial, Dras, along with veteran gunners who had
participated in the operation.
• Lieutenant General Anindya Sengupta, General Officer Commanding, Fire & Fury Corps also
laid a wreath on the solemn occasion.
• The ceremony was conducted in the presence of Veterans from all Artillery Regiments, which
got the honor title “KARGIL” in Operation Vijay.
About Point 5140 :
• Point 5140 was the highest enemy-occupied post in the Tololing complex.
• A company of 13 JAK RIF (Jammu & Kashmir Rifles) moved towards Point 5140, a strongly
fortified position held in strength by the enemy with a large number of automatic weapons.
• Captain Vikram Batra led from the front and assaulted enemy positions on Point 5140.
• In this operation Lt Col Y K Joshi, Capt SS Jamwal, Nk Dev Parkash & Rfn Mehar Singh were
awarded Vir Chakra.
• Since 1999, India has observed Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26 to commemorate its victory over
Pakistan in the Kargil conflict.
Tata Advanced Systems delivered indigenously developed combat vehicles to the Indian Army
• Tata group’s Aerospace and Defence Arm, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has
successfully delivered the indigenously developed Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle-Medium
(QRFV) to the Indian Army to bolster the operational capabilities of the IAF.
• The combat vehicle will enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Army in future conflicts
and war-like scenarios.
About QRFV :
• QRFV offers a STANAG level 4 protection against up to 14kg and 21kg of explosives.
• The vehicle can carry 14 people, including the commander and driver, i.e. 2 tons.
• The turbodiesel engine develops 240hp.
• The vehicle is fitted with run-flat tires.
Note :
• Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) became India’s first private sector company to produce
and deliver wheeled armoured combat-ready vehicles for the IAF.
Background :
• In April 2021, Former Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane inducted the first set of QRFV
along with Infantry Protected Mobility Vehicle (IPMV), Ultra Long Range Observation System
developed by TASL, and Monocoque Hull Multi-Role Mine-Protected Armoured Vehicle
developed by Bharat Forge.
• Infantry Protected Mobility Vehicle (IPMV) has been developed by Tata Advanced Systems
Limited (TASL) along with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Tata Advanced Systems’ flagship product, WhAP 8×8 (Wheeled Armoured Platform) is India’s
first Amphibious Infantry Combat Vehicle (Wheeled), designed for optimized survivability, all -
terrain performance, and increased lethality.
Additional Info :
• The center has reduced the expenditure on defense procurement from foreign sources from 46
percent of the overall expenditure to 36 percent in the last four years (2018-19 to 2021-22) to
encourage the production of indigenous defense equipment.
About TASL :
• Founded: 2007
• Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana, India
• Chairman : Natarajan Chandrasekaran
• TASL is Indian aerospace, defense, military engineering & construction, and technology
company.
• It is a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, a holding company for the Tata Group.
About the Indian Army :
• Chief of the Army Staff: General Manoj Pande
3rd edition of Vietnam-India bilateral army exercise “Ex VINBAX 2022” to begin at Chandimandir in
Haryana
• The third Edition of the Vietnam India Bilateral Army Exercise “Ex VINBAX 2022” is scheduled to
be conducted at Chandimandir, a military cantonment of the Indian Army located in the
Panchkula district of Haryana, from August 01 to 20, 2022.
• The theme of Ex VINBAX – 2022 is the employment and deployment of an Engineer Company
and a Medical Team as part of the United Nations Contingent for Peacekeeping Operations.
• The Indian Army is represented by troops from the 105 Engineer Regiment.
• The previous edition of the bilateral exercise was conducted in Vietnam in 2019.
About Ex VINBAX 2022 :
• The exercise will strengthen confidence, and inter-operability and enable sharing of best
practices between the Indian Army and Vietnam People’s Army.
• The joint exercise will also provide an opportunity for the troops of both the Contingents to learn
about each the social and cultural heritage of each other.
• A 48 hours Validation Exercise is part of the schedule to assess the standards achieved by both
contingents while executing technical military operations under similar scenarios in UN
missions.
• A Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief demonstration and equipment display will
showcase India’s capacity to undertake rescue and relief operations during natural and
manmade disasters utilizing indigenous solutions.
• Vietnam is also an important partner in the Act East policy of India as well as the Indo-Pacific
vision.
4th India-Oman Joint Military Exercise ‘AL NAJAH-IV’ to begin in Rajasthan
• The 4th Edition of India-Oman Joint Military Exercise ‘AL NAJAH-IV’ will be held from August 01
to 13, 2022 at the Foreign Training Node of Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan.
• The exercise will take place between contingents of the Indian Army and the Royal Army of
Oman.
• The 3rd edition of Ex AL NAJAH IV was held at Muscat from March 12 to 25 2019.
Aim :
• To enhance the level of defense cooperation between the Indian Army (IA) and Royal Army of
Oman (RAO) will further manifest in enhancing the bilateral relations between the two nations.
• The Indian Army will be represented at the exercise by troops from the 18 Mechanised Infantry
Battalion.
• The Royal Army of Oman contingent will be represented by the 60 personnel from the Sultan of
Oman Parachute Regiment
About ‘AL N AJAH-IV’ :
• The joint exercise would focus on Counter Terrorism Operations, Regional Security Operations,
and Peace Keeping Operations under the United Nations charter apart from organizing joint
physical training schedules, tactical drills, techniques, and procedures.
• The exercise includes "professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills and procedures,
the establishment of joint command and control structures and elimination of terrorist threats.
• It is a comprehensive training program to culminate in a 48 hours long validation exercise
involving the establishment of joint mobile vehicle check posts, a joint cordon and search
operations followed by joint room intervention drills in a built-up area
• Oman is a strategic partner of India in the Gulf and an important interlocutor at the Gulf
Cooperation Council (AGCC), Arab League, and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) fora.
About Oman :
• Capital: Muscat
• Currency: Omani rial
India set to participate in 17-nation drill “Pitch Black 2022” in Australia
• India will be part of the mega air combat exercise “Pitch Black 2022” among 17 nations, to be
held in the Northern Territory of Australia.
• The exercise will be held for three-week-long and is scheduled to take place from August 19 to
September 6, 2022.
• Almost 2,500 personnel from over 17 countries and 100 aircraft will engage in both Offensive
Counter Air (OCA) and Defensive Counter Air (DCA) combat drills.
• The first time India participated in Pitch Black was in 2018 along with other countries like
Germany, Indonesia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia,
Canada, France (New Caledonia), and the United States.
Participating countries :
• US, India, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the
Philippines, the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the UAE, and the UK.
About Pitch Black 2022 :
• Pitch Black military exercise is a biennial multinational large force employment warfare exercise.
• The exercises will be conducted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
• Pitch Black, which occurs once every two years.
Aim :
• To foster a closer relationship between the participating forces and promote interoperability
through the exchange of knowledge and experience.
• This will enhance interoperability and strengthen relationships.
• The RAAF considers “Pitch Black” as its “capstone” international engagement activity with the air
forces of strategic partners and allies.
About Australia :
• Prime minister: Anthony Albanese
• Capital: Canberra
• Currency: Australian dollar
Indian & French Navies Conducts Maritime Partnership Exercise In North Atlantic Ocean
• The guided-missile frigate Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tarkash of the Indian Navy & the French
Fleet Tanker French Navy Ship (FNS) Somme participated in a Maritime Partnership Exercise
(MPX) in the North Atlantic Ocean.
• INS Tarkash is on a long-range overseas deployment.
• INS Tarkash carried out various drills with French fleet tanker FS Somme, followed by joint air
operations with maritime surveillance aircraft Falcon 50.
• The successful conduct of these surface and aerial exercises symbolize the high degree of
professionalism and interoperability that exists between the two navies.
About INS Tarkash :
• INS Tarkash (F50) is the second Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy.
• It was built at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.
• Earlier it was commissioned to Navy service on 9 November 2012 at Kaliningrad and joined the
Western Naval Command on 27 December 2012
Recent News :
• In March 2022, the Indian and French navies carried out a 5-day mega wargame in the Arabian
Sea, involving frontline ships, submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, fighter aircraft, and
helicopters.
South Korea, the US & Japan holds Multilateral Pacific Dragon missile defense exercise
• The biennial Pacific Dragon ballistic missile defense exercise between the military of South
Korea, the United States, and Japan is being held from August 01 to August 14, 2022, to detect
and track ballistic missiles in the waters off Hawaii.
• In addition to the three countries, Australia and Canada will join the exercise in 2022's edition.
• The Pacific Dragon ballistic missile defense drill was led by the US Pacific Fleet.
About Pacific Dragon Exercise :
• Pacific Dragon is a trilateral ballistic missile defense (BMD) tracking event between the U.S.
Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Republic of Korea Navy.
Aim:
• To improve interoperability and tactical and technical coordination among participants in
detecting, tracking, reporting, and assessing ballistic targets.
• To enhance the readiness against escalating threats from North Korea.
• 8 surface vessels and 2 aircraft will reportedly participate in the drill, with South Korea sending
its 7600-ton Aegis destroyer King Sejong the Great.
About South Korea :
• President: Yoon Suk-yeol
• Prime minister: Han Duck-soo
• Capital: Seoul
• Currency: South Korean won
About the US :
• President: Joe Biden
• Capital: Washington, D.C.
• Currency: United States Dollar
About Japan :
• Prime minister: Fumio Kishida
• Capital: Tokyo
Indian Navy’s All-Women Crew Completes Maritime Surveillance Mission Over Arabian Sea
• Five women officers of the Indian Naval Air Squadron 314 (INAS 314) based at Naval Air
Enclave, Porbandar in Gujarat created history by completing the first all-women independent
maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission over the north Arabian Sea onboard a
Dornier 228 aircraft.
• The aircraft was captained by Mission Commander Lt Commander Aanchal Sharma, who had
pilots Lt Shivangi and Lt Apurva Gite & tactical and sensor officers Lt Pooja Panda and Sub Lt
Pooja Shekhawat.
• This first-of-its-kind military flying mission was, unique and is expected to pave the way for
women officers in the aviation cadre to assume greater responsibility and aspi re for more
challenging roles.
About INAS 314 :
• INAS 314 is a frontline naval air squadron that operates the state-of-the-art Dornier 228 maritime
reconnaissance aircraft.
• The squadron is commanded by Commander SK Goyal, a qualified navigation instructor.
About the Indian Navy :
• Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral R. Hari Kumar
DRDO successfully test-fires indigenously-developed laser-guided ATGMs
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) & the Indian Army have
successfully test-fired laser-guided Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) from Main Battle Tank
(MBT) Arjun at KK Ranges with the support of Armoured Corps Centre & School (ACC&S)
Ahmednagar in Maharashtra.
• The indigenously developed missiles hit with precision and successfully destroyed the targets at
two different ranges.
• Also, telemetry systems recorded the satisfactory flight performance of the missiles.
About ATGM :
• The all-indigenous Laser Guided ATGM employs a tandem High Explosive A nti -Tank ( HEAT)
warhead to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) protected armored vehicles.
• The ATGM has been developed with multi-platform launch capability and is currently undergoing
technical evaluation trials from the 120 mm rifled gun of MBT Arjun.
About MBT Arjun :
• MBT Arjun is a state-of-the-art tank with superior firepower, high mobility, and excellent
protection.
• It is a multi-laboratory program of DRDO with Combat Vehicles Research and Development
Establishment (CVRDE) as the lead laboratory.
About DRDO :
• Chairman: Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
About Ministry of Defence :
• Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
• Defence Secretary: Dr. Ajay Kumar
Indian Army conducts pan-India drill ‘Skylight’ Exercise to test the operational readiness of the satellite-
based system
• The Indian Army conducted a pan-India satellite communication exercise called ‘Ex Skylight’.
Objective :
• To test & evaluate the operational readiness and robustness of its hi-tech satellite
communication systems.
• This is expected to be ready for the army by December 2025.
• The dedicated GSAT-7B satellite of the Army is a first-of-its-kind indigenous multi-band satellite,
designed with advanced security features.
• It will support tactical communication requirements for troops deployed on the ground, remotely
piloted aircraft, air defense weapons, and other mission-critical and fire support platforms.
• ISRO and various agencies responsible for space and ground segments also participated in the
exercise.
• The IAF and Navy already have their GSAT-7 series satellites.
• The Indian Army has also carried out a detailed study of cyber and electromagnetic warfare in
the Russia-Ukraine war.
• The study established the efficacy of reliable satellite communication like the one afforded by
'Starlink'.
Note :
• Currently, India has only two dedicated military satellites the GSAT-7 (Rukmini) and GSAT-7A
(Angry Bird) used by the Indian Navy and Air Force respectively.
• GSAT-7 (Rukmini) is India's first military satellite that mainly covers the Indian Ocean Region
(IOR).
Indo-US Joint Special Forces Exercise Ex Vajra Prahar 2022 begins in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh
• The 13th Edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercises “Ex Vajra Prahar 2022”
commenced at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS), Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
• The Indian Army contingent is represented by drawing Special Forces personnel under the aegis
of SFTS, while the US contingent is represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces
Group (SFG) and Special Tactics Squadron (STS) of the US Special Forces.
Aim :
• To share best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational
tactics as also to improve interoperability between the Special Forces of both Nations.
• This annual exercise is hosted alternatively between India and the United States.
• The 12th edition was conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mcchord, Washington (USA) in October
2021.
• During the next 21 days, teams of both armies would jointly train, plan and execute a series of
Special Operations, Counter Terrorist Operations, and Air Borne operations in simulated
conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.
12th DefExpo to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from in October 2022
• The 12th edition of India’s prestigious biennial defense exhibition on Land, Naval, and Homeland
Security systems, DefExpo 2022 will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between October 18-22,
2022.
• The theme of 2022 DefExpo is ‘Path to Pride’.
• The five-day event will witness three business days followed by two public days.
• DefExpo 2022 was earlier proposed to be held between March 10 to 14, 2022 in Gandhinagar &
the defense ministry had postponed the event due to logistics problems being faced by
participants.
About DefExpo 2022 :
• DefExpo 2022 will focus on the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve self-reliance
in defense and export of USD 5 billion by 2025.
• DefExpo 2022 will be held in a three-venue format across an area of 01+ lakh square meters at
Helipad Exhibition Centre; inaugural event and seminars at Mahatma Mandir Convention and
Exhibition Centre and a Live demo at Sabarmati RiverFront.
• It will include live demonstrations at Sabarmati RiverFront to showcase the equipment and skill
set of the armed forces, DPSUs (defense public sector units), and industry.
• This expo will help in boosting investment, discover avenues for technology absorption and
expand manufacturing capabilities as well as capacities.
IAF to Participate in Military Drills ‘Udarashakti’ with Malaysia
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) conduct a bilateral air
exercise named ‘Udarashakti’, at the RMAF base of Kuantan in Malaysia.
• The four-day exercise will witness the conduct of various aerial combat drills between the two Air
Forces.
• IAF is participating in the air exercise with Su-30 MKI and C -17 aircraft while the RMAF will be
flying Su 30MKI aircraft.
About Ex Udarashakti :
• Ex Udarashakti will fortify the long-standing bond of friendship and enhance the avenues of
defense cooperation between the two Air Forces, thereby augmenting security in the region.
• The exercise will allow IAF contingent members to share and learn best practices with some of
the best professionals from RMAF, while also discussing mutual combat capabilities.
• In 2021, RMAF issued a Request for Proposal (RfP) to five countries: Italy, Russia, China, South
Korea, and India to procure fighter jets.
Note :
• Udarashakti is the first bilateral exercise being conducted between Indian Air Force (IAF) and
Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
About IAF :
• Vice Chief of the Air Staff: Air Marshal Sandeep Singh
• Minister of Defence: Ajay Bhatt
4th India-Oman Joint Military Exercise ‘AL NAJAH-IV’ concludes
• The 4th Edition of India-Oman Joint Military Exercise ‘AL NAJAH-IV’ concluded in Rajasthan at
the Foreign Training Node of Mahajan Field Firing Ranges.
Aim :
• To achieve interoperability and to acquaint each other with operational procedures and combat
drills in a Counter Terrorism environment under the United Nations mandate
Represents :
• The Indian Army will be represented by troops from the 18 Mechanized Infantry Battalion at the
AL NAJAH-IV.
• The Royal Army of Oman contingent will be represented by the Sultan of Oman Parachute
Regiment.
• The exercise was conducted in three phases.
1. Orientation & familiarization with a weapon, equipment, and tactical drills each other by the
participating contingents.
2. Combat conditioning, formulation of joint drills, and putting them into practice.
3. 48 hours validation exercise of key drills and concepts learned during the first two phases.
• The 3rd edition of Ex AL NAJAH IV was held at Muscat from 12 to 25 March 2019.
About Oman :
• Capital: Muscat
• Currency: Omani rial
Indian Army launches Him ‘Drone-a-thon’
• The Indian Army has launched the ‘Him Drone-a-thon’ program in association with the Drone
Federation of India (DFI), to support indigenous drone ecosystems.
Aim :
• To achieve self-reliance in defense manufacturing by providing opportunities to the Indian drone
ecosystem to develop path-breaking drone capabilities for meeting the requirements of frontline
troops.
• The Indian Army’s support of the indigenous drone ecosystem is based on the principle that
‘good available indigenously’ is better than the ‘best available globally’
• The Drone Federation of India (DFI) and the Army Design Bureau (ADB) signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) to accelerate drone technology development and indigenization in the
drone ecosystem in India.
About Him Drone-a-thon program:
• The ‘Him Drone-a-thon’ program is a pan-India sustained connection between all stakeholders
including industry, academia, software developers, and drone product manufacturers.
• It will be conducted in stages with quantifiable parameters (like altitude, weight, range,
endurance, etc) being progressively enhanced based on demonstrated capabilities.
To begin with, drone development in the following categories are included:
• Logistics/ Load carrying Drone in High Altitude Areas.
• Autonomous Surveillance/ Search & Rescue Drone.
• Micro/ Nano Drones for Fighting in Built Up Areas.
About DFI :
• Founded: 2017
• President: Smit Shah
• The DFI is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led body that promotes and strives toward
building a safer and scalable unmanned aviation industry in India.
US naval ship Charles Drew arrives in Indian shipyard for repair
• A US Navy Ship named USNS Charles Drew arrived at Larsen & Toubro Kattupalli Shipyard at
Ennore, near Chennai, for undertaking repairs and maintenance.
• This will be the first time that a US Navy ship is being repaired in an Indian shipyard.
• This is the third Indo-Pacific base being used by the US Navy for maintenance and ship repair &
the other two are located at Diego Garcia and Singapore.
• US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin and Defence Attaché at the US Embassy at New
Delhi Rear Admiral Michael Baker were also present.
• The USNS Charles Drew will be at the Kattupalli shipyard for 11 days and undergo repairs in
various areas.
• The development will mark a new strategic dimension to the burgeoning Indo-US military
partnership.
India & Malaysia concludes four-day bilateral air exercise 'Udarashakti'
• The four-day air exercise ‘Udarashakti’ between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal
Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) concluded in Malaysia.
• Both the Air Forces flew seven aircraft in formation as part of the ceremony.
About Ex Udarashakti :
• Ex Udarashakti would strengthen the long-standing partnership between the two Air Forces and
expand their defense cooperation opportunities, increasing regional security.
• The Su-30 MKI and C-17 aircraft from the Indian Air Force, while Su-30 MKM aircraft from the
Malaysian force took part in the air exercise.
• In 1957, India and the Federation of Malaya (the country that later became Malaysia)
established diplomatic ties.
• The IAF contingent has now moved on to Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Darwin, Australia
for Exercise Pitch Black 22.
About Malaysia :
• Prime Minister: Ismail Sabri Yaakob
• Capital: Kuala Lumpur
• Currency : Malaysian Ringgit
Indian Air Force contingent participates in Pitch Black 2022 Exercise in Australia
• The Indian Air Force joined Pitch Black 2022, a joint military exercise in Australia.
• Exercise Pitch Black 2022 started on August 19 and will continue till September 8, 2022, in
Darwin, Australia.
• The last edition was conducted in 2018.
• The 2020 edition of the exercise was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
About the Exercise Pitch Black 2022 :
• This is a biennial, multi-national exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
• The IAF contingent, led by Group Captain YPS Negi, comprises over 100 air warriors, deployed
with 4 Su-30 MKI fighters and 2 C-17 Globemaster -III aircraft
• It will focus on Large Force Employment warfare.
• The exercise will see the participation of over 100 aircraft and 2500 military personnel from
various air forces.
• The exercise will have participants from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, India,
Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, the Republic of Korea, the UAE,
Singapore, Thailand, the US, and the UK.
About IAF :
About Australia :
• Prime minister: Anthony Albanese
DRDO & Indian Navy successfully flight-test VL-SRSAM off the Odisha coast
• The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy successfully
flight tested Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the
Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
• The flight test was carried out from an Indian Naval Ship against a high-speed unmanned aerial
target for demonstration of vertical launch capability.
Key Highlights :
• During the test launch, flight path and vehicle performance parameters were monitored using
flight data, captured by various Range instruments such as Radar, Electro-optical tracking
system (EOTS), and Telemetry systems deployed by ITR, Chandipur.
• The launch was monitored by senior scientists from various DRDO labs involved in the design
and development of the system such as the Defence Research & Development Laboratory
(DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, and R&D Engineers, Pune
• The missiles, equipped with indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) seekers, intercepted the target
with high accuracy.
About VL-SRSAM :
• The VL-SRSAM system has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO.
• This was the 4th test for VL-SRSAM (The 1st test was carried out Feb 2021 & 3rd was carried
out in June 2022).
About DRDO :
• Chairman: Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
About Indian Navy :
DRDO Successfully developed guided rockets for the Pinaka weapon system
• The Ministry of Defence approved three Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) projects: Guided Extended Range ammunition, Aerial Denial Munition Type I, and
Infantry Combat Vehicle – Command.
• It would give a significant boost to the Indian Army
• All three of these products have been designed and developed by DRDO.
• The total value of these three proposals is Rs 8,599 crore
About Guided Extended Range ammunition :
• It has a range of 75 km with an accuracy of 40 meters.
About Aerial Denial Munition Type I :
• It contains dual-purpose submunitions that are capable of neutralizing both tanks and armored
personnel carriers as well as vehicle-entrenched troops
About Infantry Combat Vehicle – Command :
• It is equipped with technology to collect, disseminate, share and present real-time information to
commanders to facilitate quick decision-making for the execution of tasks.
About DRDO :
• Chairman: Dr. Sameer V Kamath
Indian Navy receives first-ever fully indigenous AK-630 gun ammunition
• The Indian Navy received its first-ever fully Made in India 30mm ammunition for AK-630 guns
fitted on warships.
• Mr. Satyanarayan Nuwal, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of the Solar Group, handed
over the first consignment of the ammunition to Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral SN
Ghormade.
• The Economic Explosives Ltd. from Nagpur supplied the indigenous 30mm gun ammunition to
the Indian Navy, which was received by the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral SN
Ghormade.
• It is the first time that the services have placed an order on the Indian private industry for the
delivery of complete gun ammunition.
• It has been done in 12 months and all components are indigenous.
• The Indian Navy has provided technical support in terms of the finalization of drawings, design
specifications, inspection tools, proof, and testing of ammunition
• With the collaborative approach, the Indian Navy has been able to successfully develop an
alternate source of supply for 30mm ammunition.
About Indian Navy :
Govt grants permission to defense forces to buy emergency weapons through the Make in India route
• The Government of India (GoI) has granted permission to defense forces to buy emergency
weapons through the Make in India route.
• The approval was given in a meeting of the Defence Ministry which was headed by Defence
Minister Shri Rajnath Singh.
• These emergency powers give the defense forces to acquire any new or in-service equipment
on a fast-track basis as per requirement.
• The equipment will be delivered within a time frame of 3 months to 1 year.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) & the Army received ‘Heron’ unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) which
have now been deployed for surveillance in Ladakh as well as in the northeastern region.
• Other acquisitions include missiles that can hit ground targets like bunkers from a long distance.
IM PORTANT SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

Election Commission will host a virtual Asian Regional Forum meeting:
• Election Commission will host a virtual Asian Regional Forum meeting in August.
• This Regional Forum meeting will be held on the theme of ‘Making our Elections Inclusive,
Accessible, and Participative’.
• It is the precursor of the Global Summit for Democracy, which will be hosted by the National
Electoral Institute of Mexico.
• Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey
will chair the Asian Regional Forum meeting.
• Representatives from the election management bodies of Mexico, Mauritius, Philippines, Nepal,
Uzbekistan, and the Maldives will participate in the meeting.
• The first session of the meeting will be on ‘Inclusive Elections: Enhancing Participation of Youth,
Gender and Citizens in Remote Areas.
• The Global Summit and Regional Forum meetings encourage intellectual and institutional
mobilization to strengthen global electoral democracy.
• As part of this ‘Global Summit for Democracy’, five Regional Forums namely Africa, America,
Asia, Europe, and countries of the Arab States have been created. India is hosting the Asian
Regional Forum meeting of the EMBs.
Odisha and FICCI sign an MoU for the next "Make in Odisha" summit in 2022:
• The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is designated as the
national industry partner for the Make in Odisha Conclave 2022 under a Memorandum of
Understanding between the state-run Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of
Odisha and the organization.
• Principal Secretary for Industries for the state of Odisha, Hemant Sharma, emphasized that
"Make in Odisha" is the most entrepreneurial event in the state and attracts investors,
entrepreneurs, and industrialists alike.
• Pratap Keshari Deb, the Minister for Industries, MSME, and Energy for the Government of
Odisha, stated that the Make in Odisha Conclave will be held for the third time this year.
• The inaugural edition in 2016 received approximately Rs 2 Lakh Crore in investment intent,
which was a tremendous response.

LG Sinha has announced the launch of the 8th India International MSME Start-up Expo and Summit 2022:
• Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha formally launched the 8th India International MSME Start-up
Expo & Summit 2022 in New Delhi.
• The 8th India International MSME Start-up Expo and Summit 2022 provides SMEs, startups,
businesses, industry, and service providers with a critical platform to find new clients, establish
connections with purchasers and vendors, and share knowledge about federal, state, and local
programs, among other things.
• MSMEs’ exports grew by 54% in the fiscal year 2021–2022 while importer–exporter registration
increased by 173%.
• 8th India International MSME Start-up Expo and Summit 2022 is a step forward.
IM PORTANT SCHEMES NEWS

Ministry of Heavy Industries launches Automated Online Data Transfer to monitor PLI scheme for the
auto sector
• The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) launched automated online data transfer for capturing
critical data related to domestic value addition in the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme
for the auto sector.
• The new system will capture data from the PLI applicant’s ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
system to the PLI auto portal.
About ERP :
• All approved applicants for the PLI Scheme have their ERP system.
• ERP is a type of software that organizations use to manage business activities.
• The IT-enabled system has been devised to enable the smooth transfer of data from the
applicant's existing ERP system to the PLI Auto portal of MHI in a safe environment.
• The Application Programming Interface (API) will be embedded with the ERP system of the
applicant and will enable automaticity and paperless processing in this scheme.
Background :
• In Sep 2021, Government approved the PLI Scheme for Automobile and Auto Component
Industry in India (PLI-Auto) for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities for Advanced
Automotive Products (AAT) with a budgetary outlay of ₹25,938 crores.
• The Scheme has been successful in attracting a proposed investment of ₹67,690 crores against
the target estimate of investment of ₹42,500 crores over five years.
• The scheme shall bring in incremental production of AAT products of over ₹2.3 lakh crore.
About PLI-Auto Scheme :
• The PLI-Auto Scheme proposes financial incentives to boost domestic manufacturing of
Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) products and attract investments in the automotive
manufacturing value chain.
• The scheme incentivizes only those eligible AAT products for which a minimum of 50%
Domestic Value Addition (DVA) is achieved.
• Pre-approved eligible products with minimum of 50% domestic value addition will be eligible for
incentives under this scheme.
• FY 2022-23 is the first financial year for which an approved applicant can claim incentive on the
Determined sales.
• Sales of AAT products with DVA of a minimum of 50%, with sales from April 01, 2022, onwards,
for 5 years, shall be eligible for the incentive.
About MHI :
• Union Minister : Mahendra Nath Pandey
• Minister of State: Krishan Pal Gujjar
SBI launches Utsav fixed deposit scheme
• On the occasion of India’s 76th year of Independence, celebrated as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,
the State Bank of India (SBI), introduced a unique term deposit program called ‘Utsav Deposit’.
• This fixed deposit scheme has higher interest rates and is only available for a limited time.
• These rates are effective as of August 15th,2022 and the scheme is valid for 75 days.
About the Scheme :
• Through this scheme, SBI is offering an interest rate of 6.10 percent per annum on fixed
deposits with a tenure of 1000 days.
• For senior citizens, SBI has mentioned on its website that “A special “SBI Wecare" Deposit
(extended up to 30th September 2022).
• The senior citizens will be eligible to get an additional interest rate of 0.50 percent over and
above the regular rate.
Interest Rates :
FD Maturity Interest rate
180 to 210 days 4.55%
1 year to less than 2 years 5.45%
2 years to less than 3 years 5.35%
3 years to less than 5 years 5.60%
5 years and up to 10 years 5.65%
About SBI :
Karnataka Bank launches new Term Deposit Scheme KBL Amrit Samriddhi
• On the occasion of 75 years of Independence as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Karnataka Bank
has introduced a new Term Deposit Scheme, KBL Amrit Samriddhi under Abhyudaya Cash
Certificate (ACC) and Fixed Deposit (FD) for a tenure of 75 weeks (525 days).
• The interest rate for this Deposit Scheme is 6.10% per annum.
Key Highlights :
• Currently, the Karnataka bank offers a 5.50% interest rate on fixed deposits below ₹2 crores to
the general public, while the rate is 5.65% for tenure above 2 years to 5 years, and the rate is
5.70% on maturity period for above 5 years and up to 10 years.
• The rate varies from 3.40% to 5% on short-term tenures between 7 days to 364 days.
• These rates are the same for FDs from ₹2 crore to ₹50 crores.
• Meanwhile, the bank offers a 5.90% rate to senior citizens on deposits below ₹2 crores for a
tenure of 1 year to 2 Years, while the rate is 6.05% and 6.20% on maturity periods above 2
years to 5 years and above 5 years up to 10 years.
• Tagline: Your Family Bank Across India
Tamil Nadu govt launches Chief Minister’s Breakfast S cheme’for students of primary schools
• The Tamil Nadu government formally launched the first phase of the ‘Chief Minister’s Breakfast
Scheme’ at 1,545 government primary schools for the benefit of over 1.14 lakh children in
Classes 1 to 5 during 2022-23.
• The TN government has allocated Rs 33.56 crore for this scheme.
About ‘Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme :
• In its first phase, the scheme will be introduced in a few districts and remote villages through
local government bodies, after which it will be extended throughout the state.
• The ingredients used for preparing breakfast should be approved by the Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
• Every student is to be provided a 150-500 gram breakfast with sambar with vegetables.
• A monitoring committee is also to be set up to periodically analyze the implementation of the
scheme.
Note :
• Tamil Nadu was the first state in India to provide midday meals to government school students.
About Tamil Nadu :
Government of Telangana launches first-of-its-kind insurance scheme Nethanna Ku Bima for weavers
• For the first time in India, Telangana Government has launched the ‘Nethanna Ku Bima’
Scheme, which extends insurance coverage to handloom and power loom weavers in
Telangana.
• Handlooms Minister Shri KT Rama Rao virtually launched the scheme on National Handloom
Day 2022.
About the ‘Nethanna Ku Bima’ Scheme :

• Under the scheme, the Telangana government has joined hands with Life Insurance Corporation
(LIC) of India for the 'Nethanna Beema' scheme and termed the state department of handlooms
and textiles as the nodal agency for its implementation.
• The annual premium of the beneficiaries will be paid by the government on their behalf to the
LIC.
• It would benefit 80,000 handloom and power loom weavers in the State.
• In case of natural or accidental death of a weaver, Rs. 5 lakh would be deposited into the
nominees’ account within 10 days.
• Extending assistance to the sector, the Telangana Govt has launched a few flagship programs
like ‘Chenetha Mithra’ ( Input subsidy linked wage compensation scheme), ‘Nethannaku
Cheyutha’ (Telangana Handlooms weavers Thrift fund saving and security scheme), ‘Pavala
Vaddi’ scheme, 20% Yarn subsidy scheme, Marketing Incentives.
Note :
• In India, National Handloom Day is observed on August 7 every year to recognize the
contributions of the handloom weavers of the country.
• In 2015, the first National Handloom Day was organized by PM Modi in Chennai.
About Telangana :
• Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
• Chief Minister : K. Chandrashekar Rao
• Capital: Hyderabad
J&K Govt launches Village Defense Guards Scheme-2022
• The Ministry of Home Affairs sanctioned approval for the creation of the Village Defense Guard
Scheme (VDGS) 2022 in Jammu and Kashmir.
• It has been launched to “prevent the incidents of terrorist acts inspired and supported from
across the border and to boost the security grid in the Union Territory.”
Aim :
• To organize a small group of volunteer armed civilians in the identified villages along the borders
to inculcate the spirit of self-protection for the security of villages.
Key Highlights :
• The Village Defense Guards (VDGs) will be divided into two categories, V1 & V2.
• V1 category includes persons who will be heading/leading/coordinating the Village Defense
Guards in the “more vulnerable areas" and will be paid Rs 4,500 per month.
• V2 category carries locals who are members of the Village Defence Group voluntarily and will be
paid a uniform rate of Rs 4,000 per month.
• Also, each group will be called the Village Defense Group and shall be headed by a retired
officer of the Army/CPMF/J&K Police.
• A minimum of 15 individuals in each group will be designated as Village Defense Guards
(VDGs).
• Under this scheme, rifles were provided to VDC’s to protect their villages from terrorist attacks in
mountainous areas of the Jammu region.
About J&K :
IM PORTANT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA Launches Two More Small Helicopters to Mars
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is launching two more small
helicopters to Mars as part of its effort to return Martian rocks and soil samples to Earth.
• Under the plan, NASA’s Perseverance rover will transport soil samples to a rocket.
• The rocket will launch the collected material of the red planet in about 10 years.
• Perseverance already has gathered 11 samples with more rock drilling planned & the most
recent sample, a sedimentary rock, holds the greatest chance of containing possible evidence of
ancient Martian life.
• The helicopters will be modeled after NASA’s successful Ingenuity.
• It has made 29 flights since arriving with Perseverance on Mars early last year.
• The helicopter weighs just 1.8 kilograms.
• The new versions will have wheels and arms.
About NASA :
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C
• Administrator: Bill Nelson
• Motto: For the Benefit of All
South Korea Launches First Moon Mission Danuri on SpaceX Rocket
• South Korea launched its first-ever deep-space mission Danuri took off from Florida's Cape
Canaveral Space Force Station to observe the moon.
• The lunar mission has been developed by Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) & NASA.
• Danuri, which means "enjoy the moon", successfully separated from the Falcon 9 rocket.
• The $180 million KPLO mission is primarily about demonstrating technologies needed to reach
and explore the moon, but Danuri will also do meaningful science work from its orbital perch.
• The 1,495-pound (678 kilograms) spacecraft carries 6 science instruments, five of them
homegrown and one, called ShadowCam, provided by NASA.
• South Korea has also planned to land its spacecraft on the moon by 2030.
Note :
• With this launch, South Korea will become the world's seventh lunar explorer, and the fourth in
Asia, behind China, Japan, and India.
Recent News :
• In June 2022, South Korea successfully launched satellites into orbit with its homegrown Nuri
rocket in a significant step for its space program.
About South Korea:
• Prime Minister: Han Duck-soo
• Capital: Seoul
• Currency: the Korean Republic won
China launches terrestrial ecosystem carbon monitoring satellite
• China successfully launched a terrestrial ecosystem carbon monitoring satellite and two other
satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province, North China.
• The satellites were launched by a Long March 4B carrier rocket and entered the planned orbit
successfully.
• This launch marked the 430th mission for the Long March series carrier rockets.
• Other satellites launched in this mission include
• Collects information related to global ship navigation and flight status
• Provides services for students to participate in space science research and engineering practice.
About the carbon monitoring satellite :
• The carbon monitoring satellite is mainly used for terrestrial ecosystem carbon monitoring,
survey and monitoring of terrestrial ecology and resources, and major national ecological
projects monitoring and evaluation.
• It will also provide operational support and research services in fields such as environmental
protection, surveying and mapping, meteorology, agriculture, and disaster reduction.
• The satellite can detect and measure vegetation biomass, atmospheric aerosol, and chlorophyll
fluorescence by comprehensive remote sensing means such as laser, multi-angle, multi-
spectral, hyperspectral, and polarization.
• It can also obtain the multi-factor remote sensing information of global forest carbon sinks,
improve the efficiency and accuracy of carbon sink measurement, and provide support for
China’s carbon peaking and neutralization efforts.
About China :
• President: Xi Jinping
• Capital: Beijing
• Currency : Renminbi
HAL signs contract of USD 100 million with Honeywell for HTT-40 engines
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed a contract worth over USD 100 million with
Honeywell for the supply and manufacture of 88 TPE331-12B engines/kits along with the
maintenance and support services to power the indigenous Hindustan Turbo Trainer – 40 (HTT-
40), which provides initial flying training to Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force (IAF)
pilots.
Signatories :
• Senior Director of OE Sales (Honeywell Defense and Space), Eric Walters, and Executive
Director (E & IMGT) B Krishna Kumar, in the presence of Chairman and Managing Director
(CMD) of HAL, R Madhavan.
Key Highlights :
• HAL has successfully developed the Basic Trainer Aircraft (HTT-40) to address the basic
training requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• There is a potential requirement of 70 aircraft.
• The TPE331-12B engine is a single shaft turboprop engine with an integral inlet and gearbox,
two-stage centrifugal compressor, power turbine, gearbox, three-stage axial turbine, and turbine
exhaust diffuser as well as EEC for reliable power and outstanding operational characteristics.
• The HTT-40 prototypes are powered by TPE331-12B engines and have been serving well since
2014.
• HAL and Honeywell are exploring other areas such as 1MW Turbo Generators, Manufacturing,
Repair, and Overhaul of TPE 331-10GP / 12JR engines for variants of Dornier.
About HAL :
• Founded: 1940
• Chairman & MD: R Madhavan
• HAL is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defense company.
About Honeywell Aerospace :
• Founded: 1936
• Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
World's most sensitive dark matter detector delivers 1st results
• A next-generation dark matter detector, LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Detector given the first scientific
results from the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota, United States.
• The experiment, led by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), involves an international team of 250 scientists and engineers from
35 institutions in the US, UK, Portugal, and South Korea.
Key Highlights :
• The name LZ is derived from the merger of 2 dark matter detection experiments ie, LUX ( Large
Underground Xenon) & ZEPLIN (ZonEd Proportional scintillation in Liquid Noble Gasses)
• The LZ detector, located underground in South Dakota, is composed of several nested tanks of
liquid xenon, each of which is 1.5 meters tall and 1.5 meters wide.
• The LZ detector will try to capture the very rare and very faint interactions between dark matter
and its 7-tonne liquid xenon target.
• LZ is searching for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), theorized elementary
particles that interact with gravity.
What is Dark Matter?
• Dark matter refers to the mysterious unaccounted-for matter that makes up roughly 85 percent
of the entire mass of the universe
Russia to withdraw from International Space Station project after 2024
• Russia will pull out of the International Space Station after 2024 and focus on building its orbiting
space station.
• NASA and other international partners hope to keep the space station running until 2030, after
which the ISS would be deorbited and crashed into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.
• The space station is jointly run by the space agencies of Russia, the U.S., Europe, Japan, and
Canada.
• The first piece was put in orbit in 1998, and the outpost has been continuously inhabited for
nearly 22 years.
• It is used to conduct scientific research in zero gravity and test out equipment for future space
journeys.
Recent News :
• In July 2022, Yury Borisov was appointed to lead the state space agency, Roscosmos by
Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Intellecap, Transform Rural India Foundation launch carbon finance platform for 1 million smallholder
farmers
• Intellecap and Transform Rural India Foundation (TRIF) has launched a national carbon finance
platform for 1 million smallholder farmers.
• It may assist Indian smallholder farmers to leverage local weather/carbon finance for sustainable
agroforestry, local weather smart agriculture, and different actions that can lead to carbon
sequestration and mitigation.
• More than a million smallholder farmers are linked together by the platform, and they will receive
support and training in agroforestry and climate-smart farming.
Key Highlights :
• The platform will probably be registering several types of carbon offset initiatives wherein
smallholder farmers would have the ability to take part and profit from the monetization of the
carbon credits.
• The world's voluntary carbon market is predicted to be valued at $200 billion by 2050.
• The platform is already in dialogue with Indian and world corporations who are eager to take part
and assist smallholder farmers by buying carbon credit from these initiatives.
About Intellecap :
• Founded: 2002
• CEO: Vikas Bali
• Intellecap, a part of the Aavishkaar Group, is a pioneer in building enabling ecosystems and
channeling capital to create and nurture a sustainable and equitable society.
About TRIF :
• Founded: 2015
• Co-Lead: Anish Kumar
• TRIF is a civil society-led multi-stakeholder platform, aimed at multi-thematic development in the
most deprived regions of rural India.
Russia launches Iranian satellite into orbit
• Russia launched a Soyuz-2.1b rocket carrying an Iranian remote sensing satellite Khayyam, into
orbit from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan.
• It's named after Omar Khayyam, a Persian scientist who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries.
• Iran has stated that the satellite fitted with a high-resolution camera will be used for
environmental monitoring and will remain fully under its control.
• The satellite would provide high-resolution surveillance images with a one-meter-per-pixel
definition.
• It is designed to conduct scientific research, test inter-satellite communications channels
technology, measure the level of electromagnetic radiation, and carry out Earth’s remote probing
and environmental monitoring.
About Russia :
• Prime minister: Mikhail Mishustin
• Capital: Moscow
Google Launches 'India Ki Udaan' Project To Celebrate 75 Years Of Independence
• Google has launched an online project called ‘India Ki Udaan’ to mark 75 years of Independence
India Ki Udaan – Software at the Sunder Nursery in Delhi in the presence of Union Culture and
Tourism Minister Shri G Kishan Reddy.
About 'India Ki Udaan' :
• The Project executed by Google Arts and Culture celebrates the achievements of India and is
based on the theme 'Unwavering and undying spirit of India over these past 75 years.
• It features India's rich cultural diversities, including iconic moments from the last 75 years.
• It is published in English and Hindi, the project allows people to explore over 120 illustrations
and 21 stories created by 10 skillful artists.
• It will also include exhibitions from various institutions, including the Ministry of Tourism, the
Indian Academy of Sciences, the Heritage Directorate of the Indian Railways, the Museum of Art
and Photography, & the Dastkari Haat Samiti.
• Google announced the launch of a series of unique initiatives across its products and services
that will offer rich content and experience to its Indian users throughout the anniversary year.
About Google :
• Founded: September 4, 1998
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
• CEO: Sundar Pichai
106-year-old astronomical observatory in Bihar not on endangered heritage list - UNESCO
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has
announced that the 106-year-old astronomical observatory at Langat Singh C ollege in Bihar's
Muzaffarpur district has not been inscribed on its list of endangered heritage.
• The statement has been signed by Eric Falt, Director, UNESCO Office, New Delhi.
• This observatory was established in the college in 1916.
• It was the first of its kind in eastern India, imparting comprehensive knowledge specialized in
astronomy.
• It was fully functional till the 1970s, before gradually turning inoperable.
Additional Info :
• The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the international ‘World Heritage Programme
and administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
List of some UNESCO World heritage sites in India :
• Taj Mahal
• Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar
• Konark Sun Temple
• Ajanta Caves
• Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda
About UNESCO :
• Member States: 193
Aim :
ISRO successfully tests Gaganyaan Low Altitude Escape Motor
• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully carried out the test-firing of the Low
Altitude Escape Motor (LEM) of the Crew Escape System, from S riharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Objective :
• To evaluate the motor ballistic parameters, validation of motor subsystem performance and
confirm the design margins, and evaluate the thermal performance of nozzle liners; especially to
confirm the erosion / ablative characteristics.
• Validation of integrity of all interfaces, evaluation of the head-end mounted safe arm (HMSA)
based ignition system performance and evaluation of the side thrust due to misalignment and
variation in flow were among the other primary reasons.
About LEM :
• The LEM is a distinctive special purpose solid rocket motor with four reverse flow nozzles and
generates a maximum sea level thrust of 842 kN (nominal) with a burn time of 5.98 seconds
(nominal).
• The nozzle end of LEM is mounted at the fore end of the launch vehicle unlike at the aft end in
conventional rocket motors to avoid exhaust plume impingement on the crew module.
About ISRO :
• Established: 15 August 1969
• Chairman: Sreedhara Panicker Somanath
• ISRO is the national space agency of India.
• It operates under the Department of Space (DOS).
China Launches 16 New Satellites into Orbit
• China launched 16 new satellites into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China's
Shanxi province.
• This is the 432nd mission of China's Long March carrier rocket series.
• These satellites include Jilin 1 Gaofen 03D09 satellite and Yunyao 1 04-08 and were launched
by a Long March 6 carrier rocket.
• The new batch of satellites is mainly used in the fields such as commercial remote sensing and
atmospheric imaging.
• It will function both as a backup of the core module and as a powerful scientific experiment
platform.
• China also launched Wentian, the first lab module of its space station.
• China successfully landed an exploratory rover on the moon in December 2020 and one on
Mars in May 2021.
Recent News :
• Earlier on July 16, 2022, China launched a Long March-2C carrier rocket to place two satellites
in space, including Siwei 03 and 04, which were lifted from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center
in the northern province of Shanxi.
About China :
• Currency: Renminbi
ISRO Unveils Virtual Space Park 'SPARK'
• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath has launched India’s
First 3D virtual space tech park called SPARK: The Space Tech Park as part of the celebrations
of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commemorating India's 75th year of Independence
About SPARK :
• The beta version of the virtual space museum through the ISRO website, or visit
https://spacepark.isro.gov.in/.
• The platform provides a virtual tour of SPARK.
• The three-dimensional virtual space tech park is a fun-filled park that includes a museum, a
theater, an observatory, a garden with life-sized rockets, a lakeside cafe area, a children's play
area, and several other attractions.
• The application provides the facility to enter or exit the facilities using dedicated arrows along
with options to zoom in and zoom out for a 360° immersive experience.
• In the virtual tour, one can also see the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III.
• In April 2022, ISRO shared a documentary titled "Space on Wheels", which portrays an
exhibition of 75 Indian satellites as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
• The documentary also highlights ISRO's upcoming missions including the Gaganyaan
Programme and Chandrayaan-3 mission.
First-Ever ‘Made In India’ Surgical Robot SSI-Mantra Gets Installed In Rajiv Gandhi Cancer In stitute
• Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center, New Delhi (RGCIRC) have installed the
first-ever Made-in-India Surgical Robotic System, SSI-Mantra devised by the new-age Indian
medical technology start-up SS Innovations.
• The system has been set up at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center (RGCI),
a visionary project of the Indraprastha Cancer Society and Research Center aimed at providing
the best oncological care.
About SSI-Mantra :
• SSI MANTRA is an acronym for multi-arm novel tele robotic assistance and the company
making it is, SS Innovations.
• The ingenious SSI Mantra, “a brainchild of robotic cardiac surgeon Dr. Sudhir P Srivastava, will
be signifying the beginning of a new era of surgical procedures in India, making robotic surgery
accessible and affordable for the people in India.
• After two pilot projects where Dr. Sudhir Rawal and his team from RGCI successfully performed
a total of 26 surgeries with the SSI Mantra.
About SS Innovations :
• Founded: 2015
• Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana
• Founder, Chairman & CEO: Dr. Sudhir P Srivastava
IIT Guwahati partners with AICTE to provide solutions to NE India
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has announced plans to partner with the All India
Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to develop solutions to problems of accessing water,
electricity, and internet for the AICTE-affiliated technical institutions in North-East India.
• IIT Guwahati and AICTE will work towards capacity-building in these institutions to promote
research and development and prioritize enhancing the quality of education in remote regions of
North-East India.
• The project was started under ‘Grant for Augmenting Infrastructure in North Eastern Region.
• The steering committee for this project comprises Prof. Sharad B Gokhale, Head of the
Department of Civil Engineering, Prof. Gopal Das, Head of the Department of Chemistry, Prof.
Santosh Kumar Dwivedy, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Prof. Chandan Mahanta,
Department of Civil Engineering.
Phases of the Project :
• Phase-1 project is scheduled to be completed by end of Aug and Phase-2 has been initiated and
will cover 33 new institutions where internet connectivity would be provided in addition to solar
and water facilities.
• Through Phase 1 of the project, a total of 416 kW of power has been generated that would help
laboratories, offices, and street lights to function uninterrupted.
• During the first phase of this project, 27 institutions received funding of Rs 5.4 crore for the
installation of solar power plants and 16 institutions received funding of Rs 1.92 crore for water
treatment facilities.
About AICTE :
• Established: November 1945
• Chairman : Anil Sahasrabudhe
• Member Secretary: Rajive Kumar
• The AICTE is a statutory body, & a national-level council for technical education, under the
Department of Higher Education.
About Assam :
• Capital: Dispur
Principal Scientific Adviser to the GoI unveils Manthan
• The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India (GoI)has
launched a Manthan platform with the vision to enable and empower all spheres of science and
technology within India.
Aim :
• To promote collaboration at scale between industry and the scientific research and development
ecosystem to help meet India’s sustainability goals in alignment with the UN-defined Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) charter.
• The launch commemorates India’s 75 years of independence – Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The Platform is Led by the Office of PSA & powered by the National Stock Exchange of India
Limited (NSEIT).
About Manthan :
• Manthan will help new concepts, science-led ideas, and new technology outcomes find swifter
adoption across India.
• It presents an opportunity to bring national and global communities closer to India’s technology
revolution.
• It will facilitate knowledge transfers and interactions through Information Exchange Sessions,
Exhibitions, and Events to develop a framework for future science, innovation, and technology-
led growth.
Note :
• Principal Scientific Adviser to the GoI: Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood
About NSEIT :
• MD & CEO: Mr. Anantharaman Sreenivasan
• NSEIT Limited is a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSEIL) -
the 3rd largest exchange in the world, as well as the most innovative stock exchange (NSE).
Israeli scientists create the world's first synthetic embryo without sperm
A team of stem cell researchers in Israel has developed the world's first synthetic embryo
outside the womb using stem cells cultured in a petri dish.
• Prof. Jacob Hanna of Weizmann’s Molecular Genetics Department, who headed the research
team.
• These cells were cultured without the use of fertilized eggs, bypassing the need for sperm.
• The study was published in the journal Cell.
• It highlights the potential of naïve pluripotent cells to self-organize and functionally reconstitute
and model the entire mammalian embryo.
• The researchers separated the stem cells into three groups, one contained cells intended to
develop into embryonic organs themselves, and the other two groups were pretreated for only
48 hours to overexpress one of two types of genes: master regulators of either the placenta or
the yolk sac.
• Compared to natural mouse embryos, the synthetic models displayed a 95% similarity in both
the shape of internal structures and the gene expression patterns of different cell types.
Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta inaugurates India’s 1st Composite Indoor Shooting R ange in
Visakhapatnam, AP
• A first-of-its-kind Composite Indoor Shooting Range (CISR) was inaugurated by Vice-Admiral
Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command (ENC) at
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karna on the eastern seaboard, near Bheemili, Visakhapatnam, Andra
Pradesh (AP).
• INS Karna is the first in the Navy and perhaps the only military unit in the country to set up and
use CISR.
About CISR :
• The CISR is a state-of-the-art, self-contained, 25m, six-lane, live firing range for all primary and
secondary weapons in the Navy.
• It will enable to take up tasks through uninterrupted training under controlled conditions for a
wide variety of weapons and simulated situations.
India's 1st Indigenous Monkeypox RT-PCR Testing Kit Launched
• India has developed the first indigenously-developed RT-PCR kit for testing monkeypox disease
at the Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone (AMTZ)
• The kit was Developed by Transasia Bio-Medicals in a tie-up with Erba Mannheim.
• It was unveiled by Principal Scientific Adviser to the Center Mr. Ajay Kumar Sood.
• The Transasia-Erba monkeypox RT-PCR kit is highly sensitive, but an easy-to-use test with
uniquely formulated primer and probe for enhanced accuracy.
• The kit would help in early detection and better management o f the infection which the World
Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern.
Other Key Highlights :
• According to WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis a virus transmitted to humans from animals
with symptoms similar to smallpox although clinically less severe.
• On July 14, 2022, the Kollam district of Kerala announced the country’s first case of monkeypox.
• Currently, India has reported 10 cases of monkeypox.
Note :
• Founder & Chairman of Transasia: Suresh Vazirani
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh approves StartUp loan for manufacturing and commercializing
“compostable” plastic; Rs 1.15 cr to TGP Bioplastics
• Union Minister of State Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh approved a StartUp loan of Rs
1.15 crores to M/s TGP Bioplastics for commercializing “compostable” plastic and thus also
mitigating the usage of Single Use Plastics (SUP).
• The startup has come up with an alternative solution of Single Use Plastic (SUP) with the
prototype of a compostable plastic material that breaks down as compost in soil without affecting
the environment.
• This unique project has received seed funding under the National Initiative for Developing &
Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) Prayas Department of Science & Technology (DST), National
Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog & United Nations Industrial Development
Organisation (UNIDO) for the prototype development.
• The startup has developed a new composite material that is cheaper than the available
compostable plastic (~Rs 180/kg), having comparable strength.
• The composite is a unique blend of Thermoplastic-Starch (TPS)-glycerin with some chemical
modifications that provide higher strength with low manufacturing cost.
• Also, an MoU was signed between the Technology Development Board, a statutory body under
the Department of Science & Technology, and M/s TGP Bioplastics Private Limited, Satara,
Maharashtra for manufacturing & commercialization of compostable plastic.
India’s 1st Observatory to Monitor Space Activity To be set up in Uttarakhand
• India’s first commercial space situational awareness observatory, to track objects as small as 10
cm in size orbiting the earth, will be set up in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand by a space
sector start-up, Digantara.
Key Highlights :
• Currently, the United States (US) is a dominant player in monitoring space debris with
observatories in multiple locations and commercial companies providing additional inputs from
across the world.
• This will improve the effectiveness of tracking and identifying pre-existing resident space objects
(RSO).
• It will result in the formation of a hybrid data pool that will serve both the commercial and the
defense sectors of the space industry
• With this, Digantara will be able to supplement its space-based sensors in its mission to monitor
satellites and debris in orbits ranging from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geosynchronous Earth
Orbit (GEO).
• With this data, it would be able to reduce the potential for collisions between satellites and other
spacecraft by making more accurate predictions of their location, speed, and trajectory.
About Digantara :
• Founded: 2018
• CEO: Anirudh Sharma
About Uttarakhand :
• Chief Minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
• Capital: Bhararisain (summer), Dehradun (winter)
BBIL completes trials for India’s first intranasal Covid vaccine
• Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) announced that India's first adenoviral intranasal
vaccine (BBV154) has proven to be safe, well-tolerated, and immunogenic in subjects in
controlled clinical trials for Covid-19.
• It had completed clinical development for phase III trials.
• The trials for the primary dose were conducted among 3100 subjects in 14 trial sites across
India, while the heterologous booster dose was done at 9 trial sites among 875 subjects.
• BBV154 is stable at 2-8°C for easy storage and distribution.
Note :
• The adenoviral intranasal vaccine BBV154 is the first of its kind Covid-19 vaccine to undergo
human trials in India.
About BBIL :
• Founded: 1996
• Headquarters: Hyderabad
• Chairman & MD: Krishna Ella
AirAsia India becomes the first airline in India to use AI-powered CAE Rise™ Training System
• AirAsia India and Canadian Aviation Electronics (CAE) have announced their collaboration to
integrate the CAE Rise™ Training System into the airline's simulator training program.
• AirAsia India is the first airline in India to adopt a data-driven training program using CAE
Rise™.
• CAE Rise™ leverages analytics to deliver a higher quality of training, providing real-time data
during training sessions while giving instructors insights that enable them to objectively assess a
pilot's technical competencies and performance.
• AirAsia and CAE have worked together since 2014 on pilot training at CAE network training
centers.
About AirAsia India :
• Founded: 28 March 2013
• Commenced Operations: 12 June 2014
• Chairman : Banmali Agrawala
• MD & CEO : Sunil Bhaskaran
• The airline is a joint venture with Tata Sons holding an 83.67% stake in the airline and AirAsia
Investment Limited (Malaysia) holding a 16.33% stake.
About CAE :
• Founded: 1947
• Headquarters: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Founder: Ken Patrick
• CEO: Marc Parent
IM PORTANT ENVIRONMENT NEWS

ZSI released a report titled ‘Threatened animals of Kerala’:
• Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) released a report titled ‘Threatened animals of Kerala’.
• The report ‘Threatened animals of Kerala’ has been released as part to promote sustainable
management and conservation of various animal species.
• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has released a book titled “Fauna of Thattekkad Bird
Sanctuary”.
• Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary is the first bird sanctuary in Kerala.
• It is spread over an area of 25 km².
• On this occasion, the Zoological Survey of India has also signed an MoU with the University of
Calicut and the Dr. Gafoor Memorial MES Mampad College.
• The MoU has been signed to promote zoological research through advanced pedagogical
techniques and to exchange academic knowledge.
IM PORTANT APPS & SERVICES NEWS

Udyam Portal Of MSME Ministry Achieves Landmark 1 Cr Registrations:
• The Ministry of MSME celebrated the landmark of 1 crore registrations on its Udyam Portal.
• Following the adoption of the revised definition of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) on 26th June 2020, which is based on investment in plant & machinery or equipment;
and turnover, the Udyam Registration Portal was launched on 1st July 2020.
• The revised definition did away with the distinction between manufacturing and services
enterprises.
• The Udyam Portal is linked to the databases of CBDT and GSTN.
• It is fully online, does not require any documentation, and is a step towards Ease of Doing
Business for MSMEs.
• In a span of 25 months, as many as 1 crore MSMEs have registered on the Udyam portal
voluntarily and declared that they employ 7.6 crore people, of which 1.7 crore are women.
• The Ministry of MSME signed MoUs with the Ministry of Tourism and NSIC for sharing Udyam
data.
• On this occasion, the Digi Locker facility for Udyam Registration was a lso launched.
IM PORTANT RANKING & INDEX NEWS

IAMAI released a report titled ‘Internet in India':
• Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) released a report titled ‘Internet in India'.
• According to a report published by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), 346
million Indians use online transactions.
• The number of people using online transactions in India is greater than the US population
involved in digital transactions, which is around 331 million.
• As per the report, the online transaction in the past two years has increased by 51% from 230
million in 2019.
• The report states that the number of male internet users is more than female users in both rural
and urban areas.
• Social media, entertainment, and communications are the top activities on the internet in India.
• Text and email are the most popular means of communication.
• India will have more than 900 million internet users by 2025.
• Currently, there are a total of 692 million active internet users in India.
• ‘Internet in India’ report is based on the ICUBE 2021 study and is the oldest and most
comprehensive survey of internet usage in India.
• It is jointly prepared by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and KANTAR.
India’s core sector output registered double-digit growth for the second straight m onth in June at 12.7 %:
• The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) increased by 12.7% as compared to the Index
of June 2021.
• Eight core sectors’ output growth declined to 12.7% in June from 18.1% in May.
• All sectors except crude oil registered an increase in production.
• Crude oil output dropped 1.7% from a year ago period.
• The eight core industries have a weightage of 40.27 percent in the index of industrial production
(IIP).
• Eight core industries are Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel,
Cement, and Electricity.
Indian Women Savitri Jindal replaces China’s Yang Huiyan to become Asia’s Richest Woman:
• According to the real-time Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Savitri Jindal, the Chairperson Emeritus
of the OP Jindal Group, has surpassed Yang Huiyan of China to become Asia's richest woman.
• The entire wealth of the 72-year-old Savitri Jindal, who is also the richest woman in India, is
$11.3 billion.
• In recent years, Jindal's net worth has changed significantly.
• During the Covid-19 epidemic, it decreased to $3.2 billion in April 2020, and after the Russian
invasion of Ukraine, it increased to $15.6 billion in April 2022 as a result of higher commodity
prices.
Key Points:
• The wealth of Yang Huiyan, owner of Country Garden Holdings, China's largest real estate
developer, decreased by more than half in 2022, from $ 24 billion to $11 billion.
• She had spent the previous five years as Asia's richest lady.
• Jindal, 72, is the 10th richest person in the world and the richest lady in India. Soon after her
husband died in a helicopter accident in 2005, she was elected chairperson of the Jindal Group.
• Savitri also brags about her political career.
• She was re-elected in 2009, at which point the Haryana government selected her as a cabinet
minister.
LIC has been included in the most recent Fortune Global 500 list:
• The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), an Indian statutory insurance and investment corporation
has risen to the top 500 in the most recent Fortune Global 500 list.
• With sales of USD 97.26 billion and a profit of USD 553.8 million, the largest life insurer in the
country was rated 98th on the most recent Fortune 500 list.
• This is LIC's first appearance on the list, which lists firms according to sales.
Indian Companies ranking:
• Reliance Industries moved up 51 spots to position 104 on the list for 2022.
• Reliance has been on the list for 19 years, with revenue of USD 93.98 billion and a net profit of
USD 8.15 billion in the most recent year.
• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) increased 16 positions to 190, while Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC) rose 28 spots to 142.
• Tata Steel was ranked 435th while Tata Motors was ranked 370th on the list.
• The other private Indian business on the list was Rajesh Exports, which came in at position 437.
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. rose 19 places to rank 295 and State Bank of India (SBI)
advanced 17 spots to number 236.
Global companies:
• There are nine Indian companies on the list, with US retailer Walmart at the top.
• Five of them are state-owned, while the other four are private.
• Amazon, which attained its best position, came in second to Walmart, which maintained the top
spot for a ninth consecutive year.
• Sinopec, State Grid, and China National Petroleum are China’s main three energy companies.
• Greater China's (including Taiwan's) Global 500 firms' sales, which made up 31% of the total,
surpassed those of the list's US-based companies for the first time.
India ranks globally 3rd in the Start-Up ecosystem and also in terms of the number of Unicorns:
• India ranks globally 3rd in the Start-Up ecosystem and also in terms of the number of Unicorns.
• As per the latest data, there are currently 105 unicorns, out of which 44 were born in 2021 and
19 in 2022.
• As per the latest data, India has over 5 lakh R&D personnel, a number that has shown a 40-50%
increase in the last 8 years.
• In the last 8 years, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, women's participation in extramural R&D has also
doubled, and now India occupies 3rd rank in terms of the number of PhDs awarded in Science
and Engineering (S&E) after the USA and China.
• Prime Minister Modi’s launch of StartUp India from the ramparts of Red Fort in 2015.
• India’s startups today are not limited to only metros or big cities and added that 49 percent of the
start-ups are from tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh also released 4 publications featuring promising Startups under various
components of NIDHI including the flagship program of Technology Business Incubator (TBI)
and a coffee table book of 51 CAWACH-funded start-ups.
• Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) program carved out in a
record time by DST just when Covid hit, was the first program by any department of the
Government of India to support Startups working on Covid products and solutions.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh informed that India has created a massive jump in its global ranking on Global
Innovation Index (GII) from 81st in the year 2015 to 46th in 2021 among 130 economies of the
world. India ranks 2nd among 34 lower-middle-income economies and 1st among 10 Central
and Southern Asian economies in terms of GII.
Nature Index 2022 ranking the University of Hyderabad has been ranked first among Indian Universities:
• The University of Hyderabad (UoH) continues to be in the top position in the latest Nature Index
2022 ranking.
• The UoH has been ranked first among Indian Universities and 16th among all institutions in the
academic sector.
• The Nature Index is an indicator of high-quality research in natural and physical sciences
(including chemistry, life sciences, earth & environmental sciences, and physical sciences).
• The rankings are based on the Nature Index data from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
• The UoH received a count of 72 and a share of 19.46 under the academic sector, which includes
subjects’ chemistry, life sciences, earth & environment sciences, and physical sciences.
• University of Hyderabad (UoH) is one of the major higher education institutions in India.
• It was established as a central university by an act of parliament in the year 1974.
Razorpay has become the first Indian company to be named in the 2022 Forbes Cloud 100 List:
• Razorpay, India's leading full-stack Payments and Banking Platform for Businesses have
become the first Indian company to be named in the 2022 Forbes Cloud 100 List, the definitive
ranking of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world.
• Published for the seventh time by Forbes in partnership with Bessemer Venture Partners and
Salesforce Ventures, Razorpay has entered the list for the second time, being listed at the #49th
position for being a Financial Solutions Software (last year Razorpay ranked 57th).
• This places Razorpay amongst world leaders such as Canva, DataBricks, and Airtable, to name
a few.
• The Cloud 100 list recognizes standouts in the technology category from small startups to
private-equity-backed giants.
• The evaluation process involved four factors: estimated valuation (30 percent), operating metrics
(20 percent), people and culture (15 percent), and market leadership (35 percent), which the
judging panel then weighed to select, score and rank the winners.
About Razorpay:
• Razorpay recently received the Payment Aggregator license from the Reserve Bank of India,
making it one of the first few companies to receive the same.
• CEO: Harshil Mathur
• Founded: 2013.
Vistara is the second-largest domestic airline in terms of market share:
• Full-service With a 10.4% share of the domestic market last month, Vistara overtook IndiGo, the
market leader with 58.8%, as the second-largest airline.
• The airline is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines.
• Air India (8.4%), GoFirst (8.2%), and SpiceJet (8%), the third, fourth, and fifth-placed carriers,
were only a few decimal places apart. 9.7 million passengers were transported by Indian airlines
on domestic routes in July, nearly doubling the number from a year earlier but less than the 10.5
million passengers transported in June 2022.
Health Effects Institute (HEI) released “Air Quality and Health in Cities”
• Health Effects Institute (HEI) released “Air Quality and Health in Cities” on air quality.
• As per the report, the biggest cities and urban areas of the world are witnessing the worst air
quality on Earth.
• It focuses on two harmful pollutants, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
• PM 2.5 Levels: Delhi and Kolkata were ranked first and second in the top 10 most polluted cities
when PM 2.5 levels were compared.
• NO2 Levels: No Indian city appeared in the list of top 10 or even top 20 polluted cities when NO2
levels were compared.
• This list saw Shanghai at the top with an average annual exposure of 41 μg/m3.
• Death Burden: Beijing had the largest disease burden associated with a PM 2.5-related illness,
with 124 attributable fatalities per 100,000 persons.
• Five Chinese cities were in the top 20.
• Delhi came in 6th, with 106 deaths per 100,000, and Kolkata at 8th with 99 deaths.
• Only 117 nations currently have ground-level monitoring systems to track PM 2.5, and only 74
nations are monitoring NO2 levels.
International Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiad: India ranks 3 rd
• In the medal standings of the 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics, the
Indian team placed third (IOAA).
• Students from India and Singapore shared third place after earning three gold and two silver
medals.
• India and Singapore were tied for third place in the medal count, just one point behind Iran's
official squad (5 golds) and the visiting team (4 golds, 1 silver).
• Georgia's Kutaisi hosted the 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA)
2022 from August 14 to August 21.
• This year's IOAA had 209 students among 37 main and 6 guest teams.
• Additionally, 24 students from 6 different nations took part in the online mode.
• The IOAA is an annual event to encourage astronomy among students.
• Originally slated to take place in Kyiv, Ukraine, this year's tournament was moved to Kutaisi,
Georgia in March 2022 as a result of the conflict in that country.
Medal Tally:
• Mehul Board from Hyderabad, Md. Sahil Akhtar from Kolkata and Raghav Goyal from
Chandigarh all won gold in the competition.
• Goyal was also given a special award for coming up with the best answer to the trickiest
theoretical problem.
• Malay Kedia from Ghaziabad and Atharva Nilesh Mahajan from Indore are the silver medalists.
Beijing Tops, Bengaluru 2nd In Asia-Pacific in Tech Hubs:
• According to a report by Cushman and Wakefield, Bengaluru ranks second place among the top
IT centers in the Asia Pacific region, only behind Beijing in China.
• The research examined up to 115 distinct "tech cities" throughout the world for its report, "Tech
Cities: The Global Intersection of Talent and Real Estate."
• Three more Indian cities, Chennai, Delhi, and Hyderabad, are included on the list after Beijing
and Bengaluru.
• In a list of 14 cities from the APAC, Mumbai, and Pune, respectively, eighth and ninth, have
made it to the top-10 list.
IM PORTANT BOOKS & AUTHORS

The new book titled " JOURNEY OF A NATION: 75 YEARS OF INDIAN ECONOMY " authored by Sanjaya Baru
• A new book titled "The Journey of a Nation: 75 Years of Indian Economy: Re-emerge, Reinvest,
Re-engage" authored by Sanjaya Baru and published by Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd.
• As India celebrates 75 years of Independence, it is important to recall that as a democratic
republic, it has been able to overcome the burden of colonialism and emerge as the world’s
third-largest economy.
• Sanjaya Baru, economist, and political analyst trace the nature of this transformation, introducing
the ideas and events that have shaped economic policy, transforming a feudal, agrarian
economy into a modern, industrial and services-based one.
• 75 Years of Indian Economy is a part of the series Journey of a Nation.
• The book starts with a reference to British historian Angus Maddison and his book The World
Economy: A Millennial Perspective (2001), which estimated that in 1700, China and India
together accounted for half of the world's national income and that, by 1950, their combined
share was down to less than 10 percent.
• This book is written for a general audience that wishes to be informed about the nature of India’s
economic transformation over the past 75 years.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik released a new book titled “Lockdown Lyrics”:
• Sanjukta Dash's collection of poems, Lockdown Lyrics, was published by Odisha Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik.
• The poems offer an unfiltered account of the pandemic author's experiences and frustrations.
• She has captured all of humanity's suffering, hopes, and aspirations during this, society's most
pivotal trip in a long time.
• In Odia literature, Sanjukta Dash is a well-known author.
• Three poetry collections by her are available in Odia: Antaswar, Amrut Anwesha, and Apekshare
Ebe Bi.
• Her first work of English literature, Lockdown Lyrics, was released by Authors Press New Delhi.
A New book titled “Lion of The Skies: Hardit Singh Malik” by Stephen Barker:
• "Lion of the Skies: Hardit Singh Malik, the Royal Air Force, and the First World War" are a book
about "India's first fighter pilot" who served in World War I before the Indian Air Force was
formed.
• Stephen Barker, the author, shows in great detail how difficult it was for an Indian to serve in the
British military services, combating racial prejudice - both institutional and interpersonal.
• Hardit Singh Malik flew as a fighter pilot with both the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal
Air Force (RAF) during World War I.
• He is also India's first Ambassador to France.
About the book:
• Author Stephen Barker shows in great detail how difficult it was for an Indian to serve in the
British military services, combating institutional and individual racial prejudice.
• It is fully to Hardit's credit that he overcame every challenge with optimism, zeal, and the highest
level of emotional maturity.
• He had to struggle hard as a young lad in school simply to preserve his turban and beliefs.
A new book titled “Dangerous Earth” by Marine biologist Ellen Prager
• Ellen Prager, a marine scientist, has written a book titled "Dangerous Earth: What We Wish We
Knew About Volcanoes, Hurricanes, Climate Change, Earthquakes, and More."
• The author attempts to answer the most intriguing topic in the book: Why can't we better foresee
natural disasters?
• Ellen Prager, a marine biologist, investigates the science of volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis,
storms, landslides, rip currents, and—perhaps the most dangerous hazard of all—climate
change in Dangerous Earth.
• Each chapter focuses on a different hazard, begins with a game-changing historical event, and
emphasizes what is yet understood about these dynamic occurrences.
• Along the way, we hear from scientists who are attempting to interpret Earth's warning signs,
relay them to the rest of us, and avoid catastrophic loss.
After four years, Michelle Obama's new book 'The Light We Carry' is to release in November 2022:
• A global publication date of November 15, 2022, has been scheduled for THE LIGHT WE
CARRY: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, the new book by Michelle Obama, former First Lady of
the United States.
• THE LIGHT WE CARRY will be released in the U.S. and Canada in print and digital formats by
Crown, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random
House, with an announced first printing of 2.75 million copies.
• Mrs. Obama’s previous book Becoming, a memoir that chronicles her life journey from her
childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her experiences as the first Black First Lady of the
United States, has inspired multiple generations of readers worldwide and received widespread
critical acclaim.
A Book titled ‘Do Different: The Untold Dhoni’ by Joy Bhattacharjya & Amit Sinha Launch:
• "Do Different: The Untold Dhoni," written by Amit Sinha and Joy Bhattacharjya and published by
India Viking, was released.
• Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a well-known Indian cricketer, is highlighted for his life's journey (MSD).
• It commemorates MSD's experiences of struggle, adversity, and victory, including his numerous
sixes in Ranchi at his school and his towering six to end a run chase in World Cups.
• The book also documents MSD's performances in the IPL, international cricket, and acti vities
outside of cricket.
• Amit Sinha is a sports media professional, involved with multiple sports.
• Joy Bhattacharjya works in the sports media industry and spent many years covering Indian
cricket on the broadcast for ESPN Star Sports, including MS Dhoni’s debut match for India.
• He then spent 7 seasons as Team Director with the Kolkata Knight Riders Team.
ZSI published a new book on more than 1000 bird species:
• In a field guide that was created by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), the organization
described around 1,331 distinct bird species that may be found in India.
• Director of ZSI Dhriti Banerjee says the book emphasizes high-quality photographs of birds, in
contrast to earlier volumes that primarily employed drawings.
• Proper recordkeeping requires the accurate identification of each species.
• The ZSI organized two activities to advertise the book "Field Guide, Birds of India." One
occurred in Kolkata, and a second will take place in Mumbai.
• The writers of the book spoke with local birders and explained their motivation for writing this
book to them.
• The ceremony was held at the auditorium of the Zoological Survey of India in Kolkata, and the
program will be held in Mumbai at the joint initiative of ZSI and the Bombay Natural History
Society (BNHS).
Union M inister Dr. Jitendra Singh releases book ‘Rusty Skies & Golden Winds’:
• Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) for the Ministry of Science and Technology,
recently debuted the poetry collection "Rusty Skies and Golden Winds," written by Sannidhya
Sharma, a seventh-grade student from Jammu, who is 11 years old.
• Blue-Rose Publishers is the company behind the book.
• The union minister praised the young author's efforts in organizing his ideas into a book of
poetry, praising his exceptional accomplishment at such a young age, and wished him success
in the future.
• The aspiring author describes the present state of the world in 40 poems collected in the 100
book pages.
• He looks fearlessly at the blood on the page and lets the mysterious power carry him away.
• Throughout the whole book, the author sits still and glances into the rusty skies of dust, wishing
for a blast of golden winds to launch his soul on a journey to find all those shallow ideas buried
in the soils of time.

M inister of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry launched a unique coffee table book titled “Fish and Seafood”:
• Minister of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Parshottam Rupala has launched a unique coffee
table book titled – “Fish and Seafood” - a collection of 75 gourmet recipes in New Delhi.
• The Department of Fisheries has come up with this initiative to boost the domestic consumption
of fish and seafood, along with popularizing the local fish species.
• The book was launched in the presence of both the Minister of States for Fisheries and Animal
Husbandry Dr. L. Murugan and Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan.
• The recipe book highlights the diversity of fish available within the domestic water bodies and
the fish culinary heritage of the country that signifies the diverse cooking and eating styles
across the country.
• Recognizing the importance of the fisheries sector, the Government of India launched Pradhan
Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in May 2020 as part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat
Package with the highest ever investment of Rs. 20,050 crores.
• The schemes will be implemented from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 in all states/Uts.
Deepak Singh authored a new book titled “Bravo”:
• Deepak Singh, an established content creator with more than 15 years of experience in content
creation recently penned a book ‘Bravo Yadav’.
• The newly launched book is a biography of Kargil's hero and Param Vir Chakra recipient
Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav.
• The biography of Kargil Hero Yogendra Singh Yadav honors the brave and indomitable spirit of
the soldiers who refused to surrender before adversities in the Kargil War, in 1999.
• The book rightly narrates Yogendra Singh Yadav’s courage as a patriot and warrior, surviving
the battle of Tiger Hill and being a key stoke towards India’s victory against Pakistan.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury released a book 'Freedom
Struggle and Beyond':
• Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury with others release a book
'Freedom Struggle and Beyond' written by Praveen Davar , in New Delhi.
• Authored by Congress leader Praveen Davar, the book published by Aakar Books is a collection
of newspaper articles that Davar has written over some time.
NK Singh authored a new book titled " Recalibrate: Changing Paradigms":
• Recalibrate: Changing Paradigms, by N.K. Singh with select insights from P.K. Mishra, principal
secretary to the prime minister - presents the progress and the unfinished tasks of proximate
developmental goals that are essential in the life of India.
• N.K. Singh is a prominent Indian economist, academician, and policymaker.
• He chaired the Fifteenth Finance Commission and is currently the president of the Institute of
Economic Growth (IEG).
• He was conferred the Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster Risk Reduction by the United Nations
Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
Finance M inister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman internationally launched the book entitled “India’s vaccine growth
story- from cowpox to vaccine m aitry”:
• Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman internationally launched the book entitled “India’s
vaccine growth story- from cowpox to vaccine maitry”.
• The book is written by Dr. Sajjan Singh Yadav, who is currently posted as Additional Secretary
in the Ministry of Finance.
• The book traces India’s centuries-long journey as the torchbearer of the world in vaccine
development and inoculations.
• It has numerous stories of the birthing of various vaccines too.
• The book also discusses the development of vaccines by India at a fast pace to counter the
COVID-19 pandemic and the launch of the world’s biggest vaccination drive by our country.
Chief Justice of India NV Ramana released Sathya Sodhana Mahatmuni Athmakatha:
• Chief Justice of India NV Ramana has released Sathya Sodhana Mahatmuni Athmakatha, a
Telugu translation of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’,
published by Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy.
• The CJI also unveiled the statue of president and founder general secretary of Rashtriya Seva
Samithi (RASS) Gutta Muniratnam in the presence of G Sundaravadivelu, its present president,
and S Venkataratnam, general secretary.
• He also released a book on the life of Muniratnam titled ‘Manavatha Nikethanam’.

Netanyahu’s Autobiography ‘Bibi: My Story’ Due Out in November
• This September, Benjamin Netanyahu, a former prime minister, will publish a memoir.
• In Israel, "Bibi: My Story" will be released on November 22.
• I have dedicated my life to battling the forces who seek the Jewish state's eradication and
establishing peace with those who do not, having been born one year after its foundation.
• My narrative is one of sorrow and victory, failures and victories, knowledge gained, and valued
loved ones.
• It is intertwined with that of Israel, which has demonstrated how perseverance and faith can beat
overwhelming challenges to create a glorious future Nibiyahu, age 72, said in a statement.
M Venkaiah Naidu launched a book titled “A New India: Selected Writings 2014-19”:
• On the anniversary of Arun Jaitley's demise, former vice president and union minister M.
Venkaiah Naidu published a book called "A New India: Selected Writings 2014–19," which is a
collection of some of his best writings.
• Along with Naidu, the book was also released at the occasion by Manoj Sinha, the lieutenant
governor of Jammu and Kashmir, and Jyotiraditya Scindia, the union minister of civil aviation.
• Juggernaut is the publisher of the book.
• In this posthumously published book, Arun Jaitley provides the clearest, most authoritative
explanations of the policies of the BJP administration of 2014-19.
• Surveying the country's vast changes in the previous five years - GST, demonetization, Kashmir
- he is also foresighted about major political trends in the country, such as the end of dynasty
politics, divisions among regional powers, and the crisis in the Congress party.
• A new India is an essential book, one that exhaustively maps and discusses the BJP's reforms
and analyzes the situation of the nation.

‘India’s Economy from Nehru to Modi: A Brief History’ book to be launched
• A new book by Pulapre Balakrishnan titled "India's Economy From Nehru To Modi: A Brief
History" will soon be released.
• The economic development of India from the time of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru to the present, as
chronicled in the book India's Economy From Nehru To Modi: A B rief History.
• Independent, The Indian economy's voyage of 75 years is concluding.
• India’s Economy From Nehru To Modi:: A Brief History also gives the perspective that Indians
did gain significant independence with the end of colonialism and the adoption of political
democracy.
Acclaimed Dancer Mallika Sarabhai turns author released his memoir ‘Free Fall’:
• Mallika Sarabhai, a renowned classical dancer, and activist bare all in her new self-help memoir
"Free Fall: My Experiments with Living."
• The book, which will be available for purchase on August 30, is about "coming to terms with
yourself, your body, and discovering the lifestyle that works for you."
• Speaking Tiger is the publisher.
• A prominent dancer, actor, and public intellectual gives a remarkable tale of how she fumbled
her way to health, fitness, and sanity, which is at times uplifting, humorous, and controversial.
• It's all about coming to terms with yourself and your body in Free Fall and finding a lifestyle that
works for you.
• And how to make errors, get back up, and keep going.
• This self-help' book, although never preachy, presents an extremely beneficial message for
anybody seeking excellent health - and happiness.
IM PORTANT SPORTS NEWS

Bindyarani Devi won India a fourth medal in weightlifting: Commonwealth Games 2022
• Bindyarani Devi won India a fourth medal at the Commonwealth Games weightlifting arena in
Birmingham, bagging a silver medal in the Women's 55 kg weight class.
• The 23-year-old created a Games record by lifting 116kg in the clean and jerk after a personal
best of 86kg in the snatch section, totaling 202 kg.
• The gold medal expectedly went to Nigeria's Adijat Adenike Olarinoye, who lifted 203kg
(92kg+111kg).
• She also smashed the Games record in snatch and total effort.
Winners in the Commonwealth Games 2022:
M irabai Chanu claims India's first gold medal:
• Star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu (49kg) went on a record-smashing spree, claiming four of them
in a power-packed performance, to claim India's first gold medal at the Commonwealth Ga mes
in Birmingham.
• She obliterated the Games record in clean and jerk as well as total lift.
• The former world champion ended with a total lift of 201kg (88kg+113kg), which is far from her
personal best.
• She equaled her national record lift of 88kg in the snatch section.
• Mauritian weightlifter Marie Hanitra Roilya Ranaivosoa 172kg (76kg+96kg) won the silver.
• With this Chanu added a third CWG medal to her kitty, having won silver and gold in the
Glasgow and Gold Coast editions respectively.
Weightlifter Gururaja Poojary clinched a bronze medal in the men's 61 kg category:
• Weightlifter Gururaja Poojary clinched a bronze medal in the men's 61 kg category at the
Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.
• Gururaja had won a silver in the 56kg weight class at the 2018 Games on Gold Coast. At
Birmingham, he won bronze with a total lift of 269kg.
• He made the best attempt of 118kg in the snatch round and 151kg in the clean and jerk round.
“Games Wide Open” as the slogan for both the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games: IOC
• With two years to go from the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, organizers
have revealed “Ouvrons Grand Les Jeux”, meaning “Games Wide Open”, as the shared slogan
for the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• It is an invitation to the world to come and experience new emotions together.
• Paris will host the Summer Olympics for the third time in 2024, which also marks the centenary
of the last Paris Games in 1924.
• The French capital was also the host city of the second edition of the modern Ol ympic Games, in
1900.
• The Games are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11 and athletes will compete in
a total of 32 sports encompassing 329 events, and among these sports, ‘Breaking’ will make its
Olympic debut.
England beats Germany in Women’s Euro 2022:
• England beat Germany 2-1 after extra time in a packed Wembley Stadium in London, bringing
home the trophy of the UEFA women's Euro for the first time.
• Germany suffered a heavy blow minute ahead of the final as their captain Alex Popp had to pull
out after picking up an injury during the warm-up.
• Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly prodded goals for the England team.
• Lina Magull helped Germany equalize in the 79th minute.
• UEFA's team of Technical Observers at UEFA Women's EURO 2022 have named Beth Mead
as their Player of the Tournament.
• The competition's top goalscorer with six goals, England's No7 also logged five assists from the
right wing as the Lionesses went the whole way to capture their first EURO title in front of a
home crowd at Wembley Stadium.
• Keira Walsh has received the official Player of the Match award, presented by Visa, following
England's 2-1 win against Germany in the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 final.
• UEFA's team of Technical Observers at UEFA Women's EURO 2022 has named Germany's
Lena Oberdorf as the inaugural Young Player of the Tournament.
Max Verstappen wins F1 Hungarian Grand Prix 2022:
• Formula One champion Max Verstappen overcame a spin and his worst starting spot of the
season to win the Hungarian Grand Prix.
• His eighth win of the season pushed Verstappen's lead to 80 points over Charles Leclerc as F1
heads into its mid-season break.
• Verstappen's eighth win of the season was the 28th of the Dutchman's career.
• Max Emilian Verstappen is a Belgian-Dutch racing driver and the 2021 Formula One World
Champion.
• He competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One with Red Bull Racing.
• He is the son of former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen.
India's Points Tally at the Commonwealth Games 2022:
• Commonwealth Games 2022, also known as Birmingham 2022, began on July 28th and will end
on August 8th, 2022 in Birmingham, England.
• India is competing in the Commonwealth Games for the 18th time.
• The Indian team at the Commonwealth Games 2022 comprises 322 participants. Women's
cricket was introduced in the Commonwealth Games this year, giving India a fresh start and a
new opportunity to take the lead.
• India has won nine medals at Birmingham 2022, including three gold medals, three silver
medals, and three bronze medals.
• Men's and women's weightlifting medals are all represented.
Key Points:
• Mirabai Chanu wins India's first gold medal in weightlifting women's 49kg at the Commonwealth
Games 2022.
• Bindyarani Devi won one gold and one silver medal in women's weightlifting in 55kg.
• India won four medals in men's weightlifting.
• Jeremy Lalrinnunga won gold in 67 kg, Sanket Sargar won silver in 55 kg, and Achinta Sheuli
won gold in 73 kg.
• With 9 medals, India is ranked sixth in the Commonwealth Games 2022 Medal Tally.
• Australia leads the medal count for the Commonwealth Games 2022.
• The Australian team has the most gold medals (22), silver medals (13), and bronze medals (17).
Australia has a total of 52 medals.
Medals in Weightlifting Category
• Women's 49kg weightlifting: Mirabai Chanu, Gold
• Women's weightlifting 55kg: Bindyarani Devi, Silver
• Weightlifting men’s 55kg: Sanket Sargar, Silver
• Bronze medalist in men's 61kg weightlifting: Gururaja Poojary
• Men's 73kg weightlifting: Anchinta Sheuli, Gold
• Men's 67kg weightlifting: Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Gold
• Shushila Likmabam of India won another silver medal in 48kg women's Judo.
• Vijay Kumar Yadav won a bronze medal in men's 60kg Judo.
• Harjinder Kaur takes bronze in the women's 71kg weightlifting event.
India’s Medal Tally:
Sports Gold Silver Bronze
Weightlifting 3 2 2
Wrestling 0 0 0
Table Tennis 0 0 0
Triathlon 0 0 0
Squash 0 0 0
Swimming 0 0 0
Para Powerlifting 0 0 0
Lawn Bowls 0 0 0
Judo 0 1 1
Hockey 0 0 0
Gymnastics 0 0 0
Cycling 0 0 0
Cricket 0 0 0
Boxing 0 0 0
Badminton 0 0 0
Athletics 0 0 0
Total 3 3 3
Shri Hardeep Singh Puri launched the 4th ONGC Para Games in 2022:
• By Union Minister of Petroleum, Natural Gas, Housing, and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh
Puri, the fourth edition of the ONGC Para Games was officially Launched.
• From August 2-4, 2022, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) will host the 4th
ONGC Para Games.
• Participants will include 275 Persons with Disabilities (PwD) who work for eight central oil and
gas public organizations.
• Since the first edition of the Para Games in 2 017, the Paralympic Committee of India has helped
ONGC organize them on a global scale.

• 120 ONGC PwD employees participated in athletics, badminton, and wheelchair racing sports in
the competition.
• Since that time, both the number of participants and the type of games have increased.
• Many of the para-athletes competing in the ONGC Para Games have distinguished themselves
as India's Paralympic representatives.
Commonwealth Games 2022: Indian Team bags gold in Lawn Bowl
• The women's fours lawn bowling team from India created history by taking home the gold medal
at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
• The team, led by Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, Pinki, and Nayanmoni Saikia, earned the
nation's first lawn bowls medal, and after defeating the 2018 silver medalists in South Africa,
they went on to win the championship.
• With a 17-10 victory over South Africa, the Indian team prevailed.
• India made a good start in the last day's game, but South Africa performed a stunning comeback
as both sides were tied at 10 points after the end of 12.
• After the end of 15, India has regained the lead and currently has 15 points, compared to South
Africa's 10.
• Additionally, this was the Indian team's first time competing in the event finals' women's fours
format.
• In the semifinal match, India defeated New Zealand 16-13.
Indian badminton team claimed the silver medal:
• At the Commonwealth Games 2022's mixed group match, the Indian badminton team won the
silver medal.
• The mixed Indian badminton team lost to Malaysia 1-3 and had to settle for silver.
• In the women's singles match during the summit match versus Malaysia, only PV Sindhu was
able to secure a victory.
• In the fourth match of the fixture, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand went against Muralitharan
Thinaah and Koong Le Pearly Tan.
• Indian pair lost the first game 18-21.
• The Malaysian pair won the second game 21-17 to clinch the gold medal in Games 2022.
India’s paddlers win gold in Table Tennis:
• In the Table Tennis Final of the Commonwealth Games 2022, India's paddlers defeated
Singapore 3-1 to reclaim the men's team championship title.
• By winning the doubles match, Harmeet Desai and G. Sathiyan gave India a strong start.
• To tie Singapore at 1-1, Chew Zhe Yu Clarence triumphed in the subsequent match.
• But by winning their matches, G Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai made sure that India would win
the gold.
• In the men's table tennis team competition, India won the gold medal two consecutive times.
• The Indian men's table tennis team also took home the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth
Games on Gold Coast.
• Then, in the championship game, India beat Nigeria 3-0.
• Harmeet Desai beat Chew Zhe Yu Clarence 11-8, 11-5, and 11-6 in the fourth match.
West Indies women’s cricket Player Deandra Dottin has announced her retirement:
• Star all-rounder Deandra Dottin has announced her retirement from West Indies women's cricket
team, citing she was no longer able to adhere to the team culture and environment.
• The 31-year-old is the fastest centurion in women's T20 Internationals.
• Dottin, however, did not indicate whether she would also retire from Barbados, a side she is
representing at the ongoing Commonwealth Games here in Birmingham.
• Dottin is West Indies' most-capped international cricketer, having played 124 T20Is and 143
ODIs since her debut in June 2008.
Tejaswin Shankar wins India’s first High Jump Medal:
• At the Commonwealth Games 2022, Tejaswin Shankar of India won the nation's first athletics
medal by taking home a historic bronze in the men's high jump final.
• Tejaswin, who was competing for India for the first time in four years , landed a 2.22-meter
landing to place third.
• In the first two jumps, he had little issue clearing 2.5 meters and 2.10 meters. then fairly
comfortably on the first try 2.19m and 2.22m.
• Despite not clearing 2.25, he won the bronze medal by jumping 2.22 meters higher than the
fourth-placed competitor.
• On his final jump, he tried 2.28 meters but failed.
About Tejaswin Shankar:
• Tejaswin Shankar, an Indian athlete who participates in the high jump event, was born on
December 21, 1998.
• He established the 2.29-meter national high jump record in April 2018.
• Shankar established a new Games record of 2.14 meters to win the gold medal at the 2015
Commonwealth Youth Games in Apia.
• With a leap of 2.17 meters, he captured silver in the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati.
Tulika Maan wins silver in women’s 78kg judo event:
• At the Commonwealth Games 2022, Indian judoka Tulika Maan win a silver medal in the
women's 78kg division.
• As a result of her Ippon loss against Scotland's Sarah Adlington in the Women's +78kg final,
Tulika Maan earns India's second silver medal in judo and third overall in the sport.
• Maan earlier did win a gold medal at the 2019 South Asian Games in Kathmandu.
• She competed at the Madrid European Open 2022 before the CWG, where she earned a
position on the fifth-place team.
• Maan will compete in the Asian Senior Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, in 2022 as a
result of her impressive second-place performance at the Games.
Commonwealth Games 2022:
Saurav Ghosal wins India’s first-ever singles medal in squash:
• Saurav Ghosal of India defeated James Willstrop of England 11-6, 11-1, 11-4 to win the
bronze medal in squash men's singles and seal a spot for India in the 2022 Commonwealth
Games.
• Additionally, this was India's first-ever medal in squash singles in a competition.
• He had lost to Paul Coll of New Zealand 3-0 (11-9 11-4 11-1) in the men's singles semifinal.
Murali Sreeshankar wins silver in long jump:
• At the Commonwealth Games 2022, Murali Sreeshankar won silver in the men's long jump to
give India its second athletics medal.
• In a tense men's long jump final, Sreeshankar leaped to 8.08m on his sixth try to place
second to Laquan Nairn of the Bahamas.
• Nairn also had the highest leap of 8.08 meters, but his second-best jump of 7.98 meters was
higher than Sreeshankar's 7.84 meters.
• South African Jovan van Vuuren (8.06m) won bronze.
• Under rules, if two jumpers are tied on the same distance, the one who has a better second-
best effort will be ranked ahead.
Sudhir won the gold medal in men’s heavyweight para powerlifting:
• At the Commonwealth Games 2022, Sudhir won the gold medal in the men's heavyweight
para powerlifting competition.
• In his first try, Sudhir, an Asian Para Games bronze medalist, lifted 208 kg; however, in his
second attempt, he increased the weight to 212 kg to get 134.5 points and break the Games
record. Ikechukwu Micky Yule took home the bronze with 130.9 points, while Christian
Obichukwu earned the silver with 133.6.
• The 27-year-old Sudhir, who suffers from a polio-related disability, thereby started India's
medal count in the CWG's para sports competition.
Tania Sachdev Shines in Indian Women Team: 44th Chess Olympiad
• At the 44th Chess Olympiad at Mamallapuram, Chennai, Tania Sachdev defeated Hungary with
a score of 2.5-1.5 to win the match for India.
• She destroyed Zsoka Gaal to give the squad a pivotal point and win the match.
• In their separate matches, Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R Vaishali all came to a draw.
• Indian chess player Tania Sachdev is a Woman Grandmaster and International Master,
according to the FIDE.
• She has won the Indian Women's Chess Championship twice (in 2006 and 2007), the Asian
Women's Chess Championship once (in 2007), and the Commonwealth Women's Chess
Championship three times (in 2016, 2018, and currently).

Commonwealth Games 2022:
Priyanka Goswami wins India’s 1st medal in the race walk
• At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Priyanka Goswami won silver in the 10000-meter race
walk.
• In the race walk and athletics, at the Commonwealth Games 2022, she becomes the first Indian
woman to take home a gold.
• Priyanka sets a new Indian National Record for a 10000-meter race walk with a time of
43:38:82.
• Khushbir Kaur formerly held the national record in India with a time of 44 minutes, 35.5 seconds
in 2017.
• At the Commonwealth Games 2022, Jemima Montag of Australia won the gold medal in the race
walk with a time of 42:34:00. In 2018, she triumphed in a 20-kilometer race walk on the Gold
Coast.
Avinash Sable claims silver in Steeplechase:
• At the Commonwealth Games 2022, Avinash Sable wins the silver medal in the men's 3000m
steeplechase.
• In addition, he makes history by being the first Indian male to medal in the steeplechase at a
Commonwealth Games.
• He set a new steeplechase national record timing by completing the event with an 8:11:2
personal best time.
• After six years, Avinash Sable became the first non-Kenyan athlete to win a medal in
steeplechase.
Wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya bags gold for India
• In the Men's Freestyle, 57kg Wrestling event at the Commonwealth Games 2022, Ravi Kumar
Dahiya won gold for his nation, making history.
• In the final, Ravi defeated Nigerian Ebikewenimo Welson 10-0 to earn his first gold medal at the
Commonwealth Games.
• Two minutes and sixteen seconds were used in the game.
• In the opening frame, Dahiya dominated completely and prevented his opponent from scoring.
Vinesh Phogat bags gold m edal in women’s wrestling 53kg:
• At the Commonwealth Games 2022, Vinesh Phogat won the gold medal in the Women's
Freestyle 53 kg division.
• She triumphed over Sri Lanka's Chamodya Keshani Maduravalage Don.
• Phogat prevailed via fall to win the gold medal contest 4-0.
• She won the second gold medal of the day for India at the CWG in two minutes and 24 seconds.
Naveen won the gold medal in the men’s 74kg freestyle wrestling:
• At the Coventry Stadium and Arena, Indian wrestler Naveen Malik won the gold medal in men's
74kg freestyle wrestling during the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
• Muhammad Sharif Tahir of Pakistan was beaten by Naveen.
• The Indian utilized his apparent speed advantage against Tahir to his advantage to start the
scoring with a two-point takedown.
• He went for the kill, resulting in two more takedowns and a convincing 9-0 victory.
Table Tennis player Bhavina Patel won a gold medal in the women’s singles:
• Bhavina Patel, a well-known Indian para table tennis player, won the women's singles class 3 -5
gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
• To finish, the 35-year-old from Gujarat defeated Nigeria's Ifechukwude Christiana Ikpeoyi 12-10
11-2 11-9.
• An Indian parathlete and table tennis player from Mehsana, Gujarat, is named Bhavina
Hasmukhbhai Patel.
Am it Panghal wins Gold in m en’s 48kg-51kg flyweight boxing:
• Amit Panghal, an Indian boxer, won the gold medal in the 48-51 kg weight division at the 2022
Commonwealth Games.
• In the championship match, he outplayed Kiaran Macdonald of England 5-0.
• After winning Silver in Gold Coast, this is his second CWG medal.
• A boxer and Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) in the Indian Army, Subedar Amit Panghal.
• Panghal, who was up in a farming family in Rohtak, Haryana, was inspired to take up boxing by
his older brother Ajay.

Boxer Nitu Ghangas wins gold in women’s 48 kg category:
• At the Commonwealth Games 2022, Indian boxer Nitu Ghangas won a gold medal by defeating
English boxer Demie-Jade Resztan in the women's 48 kg division final.
• She defeated her English opponent 5-0 on a points system. Nitu Ghangas of India ensured the
country another medal after defeating Priyanka Dhillion of Canada in the semifinal of the
Minimum weight (over 45 kg–48 kg) division of the Commonwealth Games 2022 currently taking
place in Birmingham.
Eldhose Paul becomes the first Indian to win gold in the triple jump:
• At the Commonwealth Games 2022, Eldhose Paul of India made history by winning the men's
triple jump event's first-ever gold medal.
• He jumped the farthest, 17.03 meters, and left everyone in amazement with his incredible leap.
• Aboobacker, a fellow countryman of Paul, took silver with a 17.02-meter leap (with wind aid
+1.2) on his sixth attempt.
• Jah-Nhai Perinchief of Bermuda, who jumped 16.92 meters, took third place.
India beat Bangladesh 5-2 to clinch the trophy: 2022 SAFF U20 Championship
• At Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India defeated Bangladesh 5-2 in overtime to win
the 2022 SAFF U20 Championship.
• The SAFF U-20 Championship's fourth edition was held in India.
• The South Asian Football Federation hosts the SAFF U-20 Championship, an international
football event for men's under-18 national teams (SAFF).
• The Indian team's captain was Sibajit Singh Leimapokpam, while Som Kumar served as the
goalie.
An awardee of the tournament:
• Top scorer – Gurkirat Singh (8 goals)
• Best player – Gurkirat Singh
• Best goalkeeper – Som Kumar

About South Asian Football Federation (SAFF):
• President: Kazi Salahuddin
• Founded: 1997
• Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh
• General Secretary: Anwarul Huq.

India's 75th Grandmaster is chess prodigy V Pranav:
• By winning a competition in Romania, the chess prodigy from Chennai, V Pranav, became the
75th Grandmaster of India.
• Pranav, who resides in Chennai, won the Limpedea Open in Baia Mare, Romania, earning his
third and final GM norm and becoming a Grandmaster.
• In addition to the famous Viswanathan Anand and teenage superstars D Gukesh and R
Praggnanandhaa, Pranav is the 27th Grandmaster from Tamil Nadu.
• He attends Velammal School in this city and has three state championship victories.
• In 2021, he also earned the bronze medal in the international rapid event.
• He attends Velammal School in Chennai and has three state championship victories. In 2021, he
took home the bronze medal in the global fast event.
India finishes fourth overall with 61 medals, including 22 gold: Commonwealth Games 2022
• In the overall medal standings at the Commonwealth Games 2022, India won 61 medals In
Birmingham
• India placed fourth overall on the medals tally after their CWG 2022 campaign.
• India took home 22 gold, 16 silver, and 23 bronze medals from the Birmingham Commonwealth
Games.
• India's bid for the Commonwealth Games 2022 is its fifth-best in terms of medals earned.
• India's best performance came at the 2010 home games in Delhi, when it collected 101 medals.
• Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won India’s first gold medal in Commonwealth Games 2022 after she
topped the 49kg category.
• Paddler Sharath Kamal won India’s last gold medal in Commonwealth Games 2022 with a gold
medal in the Table Tennis men’s singles competition.
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Australia 67 57 54 178
2 England 57 66 53 176
3 Canada 26 32 34 92
4 India 22 16 23 61
5 New 20 12 17 49
Zealand
6 Scotland 13 11 27 51
7 Nigeria 12 9 14 35
8 Wales 8 6 14 28
9 South Africa 7 9 11 27
10 Malaysia 8 8 8 24
India won the silver medal after losing to A ustralia in cricket:
• At the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022, the Indian women's cricket team made history by
winning the nation's first-ever medal in the sport.
• After defeating the hosts England in a thrilling encounter at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground, the
Women in Blue advanced to the gold medal final.
• In the final at Edgbaston field, Australia scored 161/8 while batting first.
• The Indian team's response was limited to 152 runs in 19.3 overs.
• India fell short in the gold-medal contest by 9 runs.
Aussie Swimmer Emma McKeon Has Won More Gold Than 56 Countries:
• Emma McKeon, an Australian swimmer who is 28 years old, broke a kind of record in the 2022
Commonwealth Games by winning more medals than 56 different countries or territories
combined.
• At the Commonwealth Games, she competed in a variety of swimming events and took home six
gold, one silver, and one bronze medal.
• Only 16 of the 72 nations and territories that competed in the CWG 2022 received eight or more
medals.
PV Sindhu won the gold medal in women’s singles badminton:
• P V Sindhu, a shuttler from India, won the women's singles gold medal in the Commonwealth
Games 2022 final.
• The Canadian Michelle Li was defeated by the double Olympic medallist to take home gold.
• Michelle Li was defeated by PV Sindhu 21-15, and 21-13.
• This is Sindhu's first gold medal in a singles competition at the Commonwealth Games.
Chess Olympiad 2026 to be hosted by Uzbekistan:
• Uzbekistan will host the 2026 Chess Olympiad, according to a tweet from the International
Chess Federation (FIDE).
• Their youthful team is now in the lead in the ongoing Chess Olympiad in Chennai.
• The Chess Olympiad is a biannual chess tournament in which teams from all around the world
participate.
• FIDE is in charge of organizing the competition and selecting the host country.
• FIDE held an online chess competition in 2020 and 2021 with a short time limit that hurt
contestants' online ratings during the COVID-19 epidemic.
About FIDE:
• President: Arkady Dvorkovich Trending
• Founded: 20 July 1924, Paris, France
• Membership: 200
Tennis legend Serena Williams Announces Her Retirement from Tennis:
• Serena Williams, a tennis icon from the United States, has declared her retirement.
• Williams emphasized her family in the announcement, mentioning that her daughter, who is
almost five years old, wants to be an older sister.
• Alexis Ohanian, the creator of Reddit, is Williams' husband.
• Williams, who turns 41 next month, has won over $94 million in career prize money along with
73 singles wins and 23 doubles trophies.
• At age 17, she won her first major singles championship at the U.S. Open in 1999.
• The next year, she and her elder sister Venus won the first of their three Olympic doubles titles.
• At the 2012 London Olympics, she also won the gold medal in singles.
• She has kept track of sponsorships received from brands including Nike, Audemars Piguet,
Away, Beats, Bumble, Gatorade, Gucci, Lincoln, Michelob, Nintendo, Wilson Sporting Goods,
and Procter & Gamble.
Prabath Jayasuriya and Emma Lamb bags ICC Player of the Month for July 2022:
• The winners of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Player of the Month honors for July 2022
were named England batting all-rounder Emma Lamb and Sri Lankan spin wonder Prabath
Jayasuriya.
• Emma Lamb was voted the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for July following her thrilling start
to life opening the batting in England’s victorious ODI series victory over South Africa.
• In the first attempt, Lamb wins the ICC Women's Player of the Month title, defeating England's
Nat Sciver and India's Renuka Singh.
• Prabath Jayasuriya beat Jonny Bairstow of England to win the ICC Men's Player of the Month
award because of a standout string of performances with the ball and his incredible tally of
wickets.
• For the prestigious monthly honor, Jayasuriya defeated Jonny Bairstow of England and Gustav
McKeon of France.
List of ICC Men’s Players:
• January 2022: Keegan Petersen (South Africa)
• February 2022: Shreyas Iyer (India)
• March 2022: Babar Azam (Pakistan)
• April 2022: Keshav Maharaj (South Africa)
• May 2022: Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka)
• June 2022: Jonny Bairstow (England)
List of ICC Women’s Players:
• January 2022: Heather Knight (England)
• February 2022: Amelia Kerr (New Zealand)
• March 2022: Rachael Haynes (Australia)
• April 2022: Alyssa Healy (Australia)
• May 2022: Tuba Hassan (Pakistan)
• June 2022: Marizanne Kapp (South Africa)
Nikhat Zareen and Sharath Kamal India’s flagbearers at the closing ceremony: Commonwealth Games
2022
• Boxer Nikhat Zareen and table tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal have been named by the
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as India's flag bearers at the Commonwealth Games closing
ceremony in Birmingham in 2022.
• In the boxing light flyweight event under the 50 kg category at the Commonwealth Games 2022
in Birmingham, Achanta Sharath Kamal won gold by defeating Liam Pitchford in the finals, while
Nikhat Zareen also took home gold by defeating Mc Naul in the same match.
• With gold in the men's team and mixed team events as well as a silver in the men's doubles, 40-
year-old Sharath Kamal has an impressive collection of four medals from this round of the
Games.
• In contrast, the boxing world champion is Nikhat Zareen.
• At the Commonwealth Games 2022, she took first place in the 50 kg light flyweight boxing
competition, earning a gold medal.
• India's flagbearers at the Commonwealth Games 2022 closing ceremony will be Nikhat Zareen
and Sharath Kamal, it was confirmed.
• PV Sindhu and Manpreet Singh carried the flags at the Commonwealth Games 2022 opening
ceremony.
• Anil Khanna, the interim president, IOA Secretary-General Rajeev Mehta, and Indian Chef for
the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games revealed the flag bearers for the closing
ceremony.
Uzbekistan has won the gold medal in the Open section of the 44th Chess Olympiad:
• The 44th Chess Olympiad has come to a close, as Uzbekistan's team Won the gold medal in
the Open division.
• Team Armenia took home the silver medal in the Open Section, while India-2 had to settle for
bronze.
• Ukraine took home the gold medal in th e women's division.
• India-1 earned the bronze medal, and Team Georgia took home the silver.
Key Points:
• The International Chess Federation, often known as the World Chess Federation (FIDE),
hosted the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India, from July 28 to August 9, 2022.
• The inaugural Chess Olympiad was held in India.
• There were both open and women's events there.
• There were 1,737 competitors in all, of which 937 competed in the Open event and 800 in the
Women's event.
• Overall, 186 countries registered 188 teams in the Open segment, and 160 countries
registered 162 teams in the Women's section.
• The conference center of the Four Points by Sheraton served as the primary site for the
Chess Olympiad.
• The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium served as the location for both the opening and closing
ceremonies.
Kieron Pollard became the first cricketer to play 600 T20 matches:
• Former West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard became the first cricketer to play 600 T20
matches.
• The hard-hitting batter achieved this landmark during his side's London Spirit's match against
Manchester Originals during the ongoing The Hundred tournament at Lord's.
• Pollard made sure to make the occasion memorable.
• He smashed an unbeaten 34 runs off just 11 balls consisting of one four and four big sixes.
About Kieron Pollard:
• Pollard has some brilliant T20I stats.
• He has scored 11,723 runs across 600 games at an average of 31.34.
• He has the best individual performance of 104.
• Pollard has scored one century and 56 half-centuries in the format.
• He has also captured 309 wickets with the best bowling figures of 4/15.
• Behind him are players Dwayne Bravo (543 matches), Shoaib Malik (472), Chris Gayle (463),
and Ravi Bopara (426).
Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt to win the 2022 UEFA Super Cup:
• In the finals, Real Madrid defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 to win the 2022 UEFA Super Cup in
Helsinki, Finland, setting a new record.
• The UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League champions compete in the annual
football tournament known as the UEFA Super Cup, which is put on by UEFA.
• Real Madrid overcame Eintracht Frankfurt, the Europa League champions, to win the
championship for the seventh time.
• Real Madrid defeated Eintracht Frankfurt thanks to goals from Karim Benzema and David Alaba
in each half.
• Casemiro wins player of the game.
• Team Barcelona and Team Milan each won the prize five times before this.
• Real, rival Barcelona, and AC Milan have all won the Super Cup five times (2002, 2014, 2016,
2017, and 2022), while Real manager Carlo Ancelotti is the competition's most successful
manager with four trophies (2003, 2007, 2014, 2022).
Sunil Chhetri, Manisha Kalyan named men’s and women’s Footballer of the Year:
• Sunil Chhetri and Manisha Kalyan have been selected for the All-India Football Federation
(AIFF) Men's and Women's Footballers of the Year for 2021-22, respectively.
• Manisha earned the Women's Emerging Footballer of the Year title last season, while Sunil has
won the accolade seven times, most recently in 2018-19.
• Sunil Chhetri earned the AIFF Men's Footballer of the Year award for the seventh time, having
previously won it in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018-19.
• No one has won it more often than the 38-year-old veteran.
• Sunil Chhetri is presently third on the list of top goal scorers in international football among
active players, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and sixth all-time.
• Manisha Kalyan, the AIFF Women's Footballer of the Year for 2021-22, was also the Women's
Emerging Footballer of the Year the previous season.
1st Khelo India Women’s Hockey League under-16 will be held in New Delhi:
• 1st Khelo India Women’s Hockey League under-16 will be held at the Major Dhyanchand
Stadium in New Delhi.
• According to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, a total of 16 teams from across the country
are participating.
• A total of 56 matches will be played and over 300 players will compete in Phase 1 of the league.
• The Sports Authority of India has allocated a total of 53.72 lakhs rupees for 3 phases of the
competition, which includes Prize money of 15.5 lakh rupees.
• Phase 1 and 2 of the Khelo India Women’s Hockey League U-16 will be in a round-robin format.
• The final ranking of teams will be determined after the completion of the first 2 phases.
• Phase 3 will consist of classification matches where each team will play a minimum of 3
matches.
First edition of Women’s IPL to be held in March 2023:
• The first edition of the Women Indian Premier League will begin in March 2023 and would most
likely feature five clubs, according to BCCI officials.
• The BCCI's top brass have addressed the matter, and a March window has been identified for
the competition following the Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa.
• BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah both stated that WIPL will begin in
2023.
• Many fans of cricket think that the WIPL will spark a revolution and dramatically raise the level
of women's cricket in India.
• It is known that organizations like the Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and Mumbai
Indians have all shown interest in purchasing organizations.

Dwyane Bravo became the first cricketer to achieve the m ilestone of 600 wickets in T20 cricket:
• Dwayne Bravo achieved the milestone of 600 wickets in T20 cricket.
• In the ongoing, The Hundred competition, the former all-around player for the West Indies
achieved this milestone while playing for his team, the Northern Superchargers, against the Oval
Invincibles.
• Bravo achieved the accomplishment of 600 wickets in 545 games.
• Following the conclusion of his team's ICC World T20 2021 campaign in November of last year,
he announced his retirement from international cricket.
• In terms of wickets, Bravo is followed by Afghanistan spin sensation Rashid Khan (466 wickets),
West Indies spinner Sunil Narine (457 wickets), South African spinner Imran Tahir (451 wickets),
and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (418 wickets).
The All-India Football Federation has been suspended by the FIFA Council:
• The FIFA Council Bureau unanimously voted to suspend the All-India Football Federation (AIFF)
with immediate effect owing to improper interference from third parties, which constitutes a
major violation of the FIFA Statutes.
• The suspension will be removed whenever an order to form a committee of administrators to
assume the responsibilities of the AIFF Executive Committee is revoked and the AIFF
administration regains full control of the AIFFs.
About FIFA
• President: Gianni Infantino
• Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2022 will take place in Ipoh from November:
• The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2022, which is the premier men's hockey tournament in Malaysia,
will take place in Ipoh from November 16–25.
• After a two-year break, the occurrence is returning as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The tournament has invited the top-ranked team in the world, Australia, as well as Germany,
India, New Zealand, and Canada.
• The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be contested in its entirety at the Azlan Shah Stadium in the
Malaysian city of Ipoh, which serves as its permanent venue.
• The Azlan Shah tournament was last played in 2019 and was won for the third time by South
Korea, who defeated India in the final.
• Surender Kumar won the competition's best player award.
• Australia has won the Azlan Shah event the most (10 times), followed by India with 5 victories.
• South Korea and Pakistan each have three championships.
Asia's oldest football tournament Durand Cup 2022 begins:
• Durand Cup, Asia's Oldest Football Tournament, has begun.
• Mr. Rajnath Singh, the Union Defense Minister, and General Manoj Pande, the Chief of Army
Staff, will go to Manipur to see the opening game of the 131st Durand Cup 2022.
• In Imphal, the Khuman Lampak Stadium will host the opening game.
• The Durand Cup will take place in West Bengal, Assam, and Manipur in 2022.
• Of the 20 teams, 11 will come from different clubs that compete in the Indian Super League, five
from the I-league, and four from the Armed Forces.
• The Salt Lake Stadium, Naihati Stadium, and Kishore Bharati Stadium will all host the matches
in Kolkata.
• The game will be played at the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal.
• The game will take held in Guwahati, Assam, at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium.
Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien announces retirement from International Cricket:
• Kevin O'Brien, an all-rounder for Ireland, has declared his retirement from international cricket
after being eliminated from the running for the T20 World Cup in Australia this year.
• Throughout a 16-year international career, O'Brien participated in three Tests, 153 one-day
matches, and 110 T20 matches.
• He also had stints with many English county clubs and T20 franchise teams abroad.
• The 38-year-old is renowned for scoring a 50-ball century against England in a 2011 World Cup
group match in India, which remains the tournament's quickest century.
• A total of 9,048 runs were made by the Dubliner for Ireland, including the nation's maiden Test
century, a second-innings score of 118 against Pakistan in 2018.
• He also claimed 276 wickets.

Bengaluru to host FIBA U-18 women’s Asian Basketball Championship:
• Bengaluru will serve as the host city for the FIBA U-18 women's Asian Basketball Championship
from September 5 to 11, according to Dr. Narayanagowda, the Karnataka minister of sports and
youth empowerment.
• During the press conference, the minister, Dr. Narayanagowda, gave sporting equipment to the
Indian men's team travelling to Iran to compete in the FIBA U-18 Men's Basketball
Championship.
• The FIBA U-18 women's Asian Basketball Championship is set to take place at the
Koramangala and Sree Kanteerava indoor stadiums.
• Teams from Divisions A and B will play in the championship to earn a spot in the FIBA U -18
women's Asian Basketball Championship, which will take place in Spain in July of next year.
• Teams from China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, Australia, and New Zealand will
be represented in Division A.
• The FIBA U-18 women's Asian Basketball Championship will feature teams from Hong Kong,
Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
• 192 basketball players from 16 different nations, 96 officials, and 100 volunteers would all be
present at the Bengaluru tournament.
M eghalaya Sports Department set to host 2nd edition of North East Olympics:
• Meghalaya is all set to host the upcoming 2nd edition of the North East Olympics from 30th
October.
• Meghalaya Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, and the North East Olympic Association
were held last evening to finalize the list of sports disciplines.
• The first edition of the Games was held in Manipur in 2018, with 12 disciplines.
• In this edition, about 4,000 participants from eight North Eastern States will be competing in 18
disciplines at 13 venues spread across Shillong.
• Participants will be competing in disciplines, such as archery, athletics, badminton, basketball,
boxing, football, judo, karate, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, wushu,
cycling (Mountain Bike), golf, weightlifting, and wrestling.

M anisha Kalyan becomes 1st Indian to play in the UEFA league:
• When Manisha Kalyan, a young striker for Apollon Ladies FC, made her debut in the European
Club competition in Engomi, Cyprus, she became the first Indian player to compete in the UEFA
Women's Champions League.
• The 20-year-old made history in November 2021 when she scored the first goal ever by an
Indian football player in the AFC Women's Club Championship.
• For the national team and Gokulam Kerala in the Indian Women's League, Kalyan put on
spectacular displays (IWL).
• After Dangmei Grace joined FC Nasaf of Uzbekistan, Kalyan is the second player from
Gokulam, Kerala, to sign with an international team.
• She just received the honor of being named the 2021–22 AIFF Women's Footballer of the Year.
India’s first-ever U-20 world champion in wrestling:
• The first Indian woman to hold this title is Antim Panghal, a 17-year-old wrestler from Haryana
who won the Under-20 world championship by defeating Kazakhstan's Atlyn Shagayeva 8 -0.
• In Sofia, Bulgaria, the U -20 World Wrestling Championship was held.
• Antim Panghal won the first round with an 11-0 victory over German Amery Olivia thanks to her
better technical abilities.
• By winning the gold, Antim Panghal makes history by becoming the first U -20 women's wrestling
champion.
• Antim Panghal comes from the Haryana hamlet of Bhagana, which is part of the Hisar district.
• 2022 Asian Junior Championships gold medalist Antim Panghal also took home bronze in the
Cadet World Championships (2021).
R Praggnanandhaa defeated world chess champion Magnus Carlsen: FTX Crypto Cup
• Magnus Carlsen, the current world chess champion, was defeated by Indian chess expert
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa in the FTX Crypto Cup in Miami.
• The Chinese fighter Quang Liem Le ended Praggnanandhaa's winning streak in the fifth round.
• After losing against Poland's Jan-Krzystof Duda on the tie-break in the sixth round, he suffered
his second defeat.
• Magnus Carlsen was defeated by Praggnanandhaa for the third time in a year.
• When he was 16 years old, Praggnanandhaa defeated the world champion in the eighth round
of the Airthings Masters, an online competition for quick chess players.
• On May 20, he shocked the Norwegian champion in the Chessable Masters online fast chess
competition, earning him his second victory over Carlsen.
Tamara Walcott lifts 737.5 kg to break powerlifting Guinness World Record:
• According to sources in the investigating agency, Tamara Walcott, a female powerlifter from
Maryland in the United States, broke the record for the heaviest cumulative lift for bench/squat
and press in competition (female) after lifting a combined total of 737.5 kg across three
compound lifts—the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift.
• In Manassas, Virginia, last month, she received recognition in the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting
Federation American Pro.
• GWR contrasted the amount of weight she lifted with an adult female giraffe, which weighs
around 680.3 kg. Walcott began powerlifting four years ago after realizing she couldn't devote
the necessary time to baseball or basketball.
• She didn't initially set out to break any world records; instead, her goals were weight loss and
overall fitness.
17-year-old pilot Mack Rutherford sets the record for a solo flight around the world:
• Mack Rutherford, a 17-year-old pilot, became the youngest person to fly solo around the world in
a tiny plane after landing in Bulgaria, where his voyage began five months ago.
• Mack Rutherford, a dual Belgian-British national, landed at an airport west of Sofia, Bulgaria's
capital, to complete his mission and set two Guinness World Records.
• Rutherford is not only the youngest person to fly solo around the world, but he is also the
youngest person to circle the globe in a microlight plane.
• He crossed the equator twice to set a record certified by Guinness World Records.
• He flew from Africa and the Gulf area to India, China, South Korea, and Japan.
• He flew across the northern Pacific for 10 hours before landing on a volcanic island near the
Bering Strait.
Pooja Ojha Won Silver Medal at World Para Canoe Championships:
• Pooja Ojha of Madhya Pradesh won silver in the VL1 women's 200m race at the Para Kayaking
and Canoeing Sprint World Championships in Halifax, Canada.
• Pooja, who hails from Bhind, took silver in the VL1 women's 200m event with a time of 1:34:18.
• Lillemore Koper of Hamburg won gold with a timing of 1:29.79.
• Two Indian players qualified for this competition. Pooja Ojha is one, while Surendra Kumar is
another.
• Surendra Kumar came in 5th position in the VL1 men's 200m series.
• Surendra finished his race in 1:22.97.
• Pooja earned six gold medals from national championships and is the first Indian woman para-
athlete to qualify for the World Championships.
• He is now rated ninth among the world's best para canoe players.
Neeraj Chopra wins Lausanne Diamond League with 89.08m throw:
• Neeraj Chopra, an Olympic champion and javelin thrower made history by being the first Indian
to win a Lausanne Diamond League championship.
• He launched the spear 89.08 meters in his first effort to declare victory distinctively.
• His second throw, measuring 85.18 meters, came after his third-best performance of his career,
a throw of 89.08 meters.
• Jakub Vadlejch, who won the silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics, came in second with a best
throw of 85.88 meters, and Curtis Thompson of the United States came in third with an effort of
83.72 meters.
• Chopra, 24, became the first Indian to qualify for the Diamond League Finals , which will be held
in Zurich.
• Chopra also made history for India in July of this year when he won silver in the javelin throw
final at the World Championships, becoming only the second Indian and first male track and field
athlete to do so.
FIFA Council removes ban on Indian football:
• The All India Football Federation (AIFF) ban, which was put in place as a result of improper
third-party involvement, has been lifted by the FIFA Council Bureau.
• The choice was made after FIFA received confirmation that the committee of administrators'
mandate, which had been established to take over the AIFF Executive Committee's authority,
had been terminated and that the AIFF administration had reclaimed complete control over the
organization's day-to-day operations.
• The FIFA U -17 Women's World Cup 2022TM, which is slated to take place in India from October
11–30, 2022, will go on as scheduled.
• Now, the nation will successfully host the FIFA U -17 Women's World Cup in October.
• Additionally, ATK Mohun Bagan will be entitled to take part in the AFC Cup Inter-Zonal semifinal
matchup against Kuala Lumpur City FC.
• On the 24th and 27th of September, respectively, the Indian national team was slated to play
two friendlies against Singapore and Vietnam.
Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi wins 28th Abu Dhabi Masters:
• The 28th Dhabi Masters Chess Tournament was won by Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi with 7.5
points.
• Arjun Erigaisi, a grandmaster, defeated David Anton Guijarro, a player from Spain, in the ninth
and final round of the 28th Abu Dhabi Masters Chess Tournament.
• After the most recent Chess Olympiad in India, Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi moved up an
incredible 35 Elo rating points to take third place in the live rating list.
• Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi competed in the 28th Dhabi Masters Chess Tournament , winning six
matches and drawing three others.
• Arjun Erigaisi, an Indian Grandmaster in chess, became a Grandmaster at the age of 14, making
him the 32nd-youngest Grandmaster to have ever attained the rank.
• He is also India's 54th Grandmaster.
• At the Asian Youth Championships in Korea in 2015, Arjun Erigaisi took home the silver medal.
• He has crowned the first grandmaster from Telangana in 2018.
Judo World Championships: Linthoi Chanambam Wins India’s First-ever Gold Medal
• In the Women's 57kg division at the World Judo Cadet (U18) Championships, Indian judoka
Linthoi Chanambam made history by earning India's first-ever Gold medal in Judo World
Championships.
• Bianca Reis of Brazil was defeated by the 15-year-old judoka in the 57-kg division final.
• The first Indian judoka to medal in any age group division at the World Championships was
Linthoi Chanambam.
• One of India's top judokas in recent years, the 15-year-old is also a participant in the TOPS
program run by the Indian government.
• She first gained attention in 2017 when she won a gold medal in the Sub-Junior National Judo
Championships.
• Since then, she has been training in judo at JSW's Inspire Institute of Sports.
Virat Kohli becomes 1st Indian to play 100 Matches in each format:
• Cricket legend Virat Kohli has played 100 matches in each of the game's three formats, making
him the first Indian and only the second player overall in history.
• Since making his international debut in August 2008, Kohli has played in 100 T20 Internationals
in addition to 102 Tests and 262 One-Day Internationals.
• He has 30 half-centuries in this format, and his highest individual score for India in this format is
94.
• With 3308 runs scored at an astounding average of 50.1 for Team India in T20I cricket, Kohli
holds a remarkable record.
• Ross Taylor of New Zealand, who retired from international cricket in April of this year, was the
first person to do so.
• Between 2006 and 2022, the 38-year-old played in 102 T20Is, 236 ODIs, and 112 Tests for his
nation.
• While Rohit Sharma and Shoaib Malik have played more than 100 T20I and ODI games,
respectively, they have not yet reached the milestone of 100 test matches.
• In actuality, Malik has already made his test cricket retirement announcement.
Rohit Sharma overtakes Martin Guptill to become the leading run-scorer in T20:
• Martin Guptill of New Zealand was overtaken by Indian captain Rohit Sharma to take the top
spot among men's T20 international run scorers.
• Rohit Sharma has so far made 4 hundred and 26 half-centuries for India in 133 short-format
games.
• With 3499 runs in the format as of right now.
• Martin Guptill, who has run scored 3497 runs, is next.
• With 3341 runs from 100 games, Virat Kohli is the third-highest scorer in men's T20
Internationals.
• In T20 Internationals, Rohit shares the record for the fastest hundred. In a T20I match against
Sri Lanka in December 2017, Rohit scored a 35-ball century to tie South African David Miller's
35-ball century from barely two months earlier.
• With a 35-ball century against Turkey in 2019, S Wickramasekara of the Czech Republic tied
Miller and Rohit for third place.
Sports M inistry to host the “Meet the Champion project”:
• The Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry will organize the "Meet the Champion initiative" on
National Sports Day in 26 schools around the country.
• Some of the well-known athletes who will participate in the Meet the Champion project are
Nikhat Zareen, who won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and the World
Championships, Bhavina Patel, who won a medal at the Paralympics, and Manpreet Singh, who
earned a medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
• The Sports Authority of India will also commemorate National Sports Day this year under the
subject “Sports as an enabler for an inclusive and fit society” as part of the FIT INDIA program.
Satwiksairaj-Chirag Claims First Medal for India in Badminton World Championship:
• At the World Championships, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty became the first Indian
team to take home a medal in the men's doubles tournament.
• The world's seventh-ranked team, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won a gold medal
in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
• It is India's second medal in the World Championship in any doubles competition; the country's
first medal came in the 2011 women's doubles when Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won
bronze.
• Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi were defeated by Satwiksairaj and Chirag with scores of 24-
22, 15-21, and 21-14 in an hour and fifteen minutes of play.
• Satwik and Chirag will compete for the bronze medal in the competition after defeating the sixth -
seeded Malaysian team of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Tik.
• However, Prannoy, the former world number 8, had a difficult day. Zhao Jun Peng of China
defeated Prannoy of India with scores of 19-21, 21-6, and 21-18.
Viktor Axelsen clinched the 2022 BWF World Championships singles title:
• Viktor Axelsen of Denmark defeated Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand to win the men's singles
championship at the BWF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, for the second time.
• The world's top-ranked Axelsen, who has only lost one singles match all season, was simply too
much for emerging sensation Vitidsarn, 21, who was routed in the opening game.
• The victory was Axelsen's sixth championship of the year.
List of winners:
S.No Category Winner Runner up
1 Men’s Singles Viktor Axelsen Kunlavut Vitidsarn
2 Women’s Singles Akane Yamaguchi Chen Yufei
3 Men’s Doubles Aaron Chia Soh Wooi Yik
4 Women’s Doubles Chen Qingchen Jia Yifan
5 Mixed Doubles Zheng Siwei Huang Yaqiong
M ax Verstappen won the Belgian F1 Grand Prix 2022:
• The Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix 2022 was won by Max Verstappen of Red Bull.
• Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Sergio Perez of Red Bull finished second and third, respectively.
• Verstappen has now prevailed in nine of the 14 races this year.
• His 26 points from this race were his 71st podium finish.
• Verstappen also triumphed in the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.
Points to Remember:
• Hungarian Grand Prix 2022: Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Belgian Grand Prix 2022: Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Monaco Grand Prix Monaco 2022: Sergio Pérez (Mexico)
• Australian Grand Prix. 2022: Charles Leclerc (Monaco)
• Bahrain Grand Prix 2022: Charles Leclerc (Monaco)
• Austrian Grand Prix 2022: Charles Leclerc (Monaco)
• Canadian Grand Prix 2022: Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022: Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Miami Grand Prix 2022: Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix 2022: Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2022: Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022: Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• French Grand Prix 2022: Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
IM PORTANT OBITUARIES NEWS

Renowned Bengali Singer Nirmala Mishra passes away
• Popular Bengali and Odia singer, Nirmala Mishra, passed away at the age of 81 in Kolkata.
About Nirmala Mishra :
• Nirmala Mishra sang various songs in Bengali, Odia, and Assamese films.
• Her popular songs are Eamon Ekta Jhinuk’, ‘Bolo to arshi’, ‘Kagojer phul bole’, ‘Eai banglar mati
tea’, and ‘Ami to Tomar’.
• Her Odia film songs like ‘Nida bhara raati Madhu jhara janha’ and ‘Mo mana Beena ra taare’
were iconic.
Awards & Honors :
• The West Bengal government has conferred on her ‘Sangeet Samman’, ‘Sangeet
Mahasamman’, and ‘Bangabhibhushan’ awards for her contribution to Bengali music.
• She was a recipient of the Sangeet Sudhakar Balakrushna Das Award as an honor for her
lifetime contribution to Odia music.
Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos Passes away
• Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos Passed away at the age of 94.
About Fidel Ramos :
• Fidel Valdez Ramos is popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos.
• Born on March 18, 1928, in Pangasinan province, north of Manila, Philippines.
• He was the 12th president of the Republic of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998.
• Ramos was the first Protestant president in the Catholic-majority country.
• During his tenure, the Philippines was recognized as a budding “tiger economy”.
• He served first as chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and later as
Secretary of National Defense from 1986 to 1991
• He was from a military background, and become the chief of the Philippine Constabulary and
then Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines during the time of President
Ferdinand E Marcos Sr
• He was the only career military officer who reached the rank of five-star general/admiral de jure
who rose from the second lieutenant up to commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Founder of Kannada daily ‘Udayavani’ T Mohandas Pai passes away
• Founder of popular Kannada daily newspaper ‘Udayavani’, T Mohandas M Pai passed away at
the age of 89.
About T Mohandas M Pai :
• T Mohandas M Pai was the eldest son of Dr. T M A Pai, the founder of the Manipal group of
institutions.
• Pai was called the ‘architect of modern Manipal’.
• He set up Rashtrakavi Govindapai Research Centre, Regional Resources Centre for Folk
Performing Arts, and MGM Yakshagana Kendra.
• He set up three centers
1. The Rashtrakavi Govindapai Research Centre
2. The Regional Resources Centre for Folk Performing Arts
3. MGM Yakshagana Kendra.
• He was the president of the Dr. T M A Pai Foundation and Manipal Media Network, w hich r u ns
‘Udayavani’.
• He also served as the chairman and non-executive director at ICDS limited.
About ‘Udayavani’ :
• Headquarters: Manipal, Karnataka
• Udayavani is published by Manipal Media Network Limited
Former Australian boxing world champion Johnny Famechon passes away
• Former Australian featherweight boxing world champion Johnny Famechon passed away at the
age of 77 in Melbourne.
About Johnny Famechon :
• Famechon was born on 28 March 1945 in Paris, France.
• He was associated with professional boxing for more than 20 years.
• His career record was 56 wins, which includes 20 by knockout, six draws, and five losses.
• He was described as poetry in motion, a master craftsman.
• He was the 2003 Inductee for the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame Moderns category
and was the third to be elevated to Legend status in 2012.
• His first major win was over Les Dunn to become Victorian Featherweight champion in 1964.
• He became Lineal and WBC featherweight champion after he defeated the Cuban José Legrá
on points at the Albert Hall in London in 1969.
• He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2022 Queen's Birthday
Honors for significant service to boxing at the elite level.
Veteran Actor Mithilesh Chaturvedi passes away
• Veteran actor Mithilesh Chaturvedi who was a part of several Hindi films as well as TV shows
passed away at the age of 67.
About Mithilesh Chaturvedi :
• Mithilesh Chaturvedi was an Indian actor, who worked predominantly in Bollywood.
• He was best known for playing small yet strong supporting roles in multiple films.
• He acted in famous films including Satya, Taal, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Koi Mil Gaya, Bunty Aur
Babli, Ready, Phata Poster Nikla Hero, Asoka, and Fiza among others.
• He was last seen in the film Gulabo Sitabo with Amitabh Bachchan.
• His last TV show was ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’.
Former athlete PV Kamaraj passes away
• Former International athlete P. V. Kamaraj Passed away at the age of 68 in Chennai, Tamil
Nadu.
About PV Kamaraj :
• PV Kamaraj was a native of Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu, India
• He was part of the Indian 4x400m relay team that won bronze in the 1979 Asian championships
in Tokyo.
• He retired as a Chief Reservation Officer with the Indian Railways and had contributed
immensely to athletics in Tiruchi (hometown of Kamaraj).
• He was represented as part of the Tamil Nadu team, and has won a host of medals (including
gold, silver, and bronze) in 400m hurdles in National inter-state meets and Open Nationals from
1977-80.
• He was a NIS-trained coach and had trained the Tamil Nadu state team for several years.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author David McCullough P asses away
• Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author and renowned historian David McCullough Passed away at the
age of 89 in Hingham, Massachusetts, United States.
About David Gaub McCullough :
• David Gaub McCullough was born in Pittsburgh in 1933.
• He was an American author, narrator, popular historian, and lecturer.
• His first book was The Johnstown Flood (1968).
• He wrote nine more on such topics as Harry S. Truman, John Adams (2001), Theodore
Roosevelt, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Panama Canal, and the Wright brothers (2015)
Awards & Honors :
• McCullough won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for Truman, a biography about the 33rd president of
the United States, and another Prize in 2002 for John Adams, a biography about the second US
president.
• He earned National Book Awards for The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama
Canal in 1978 and Mornings on Horseback in 1982.
• In 2006, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the United States' highest
civilian awards.
• In 2016, he received the United States Capitol Historical Society's Freedom Award.
Former South African umpire Rudi Koertzen passes away
• Former South African cricket umpire Rudi Koertzen passed away in a car crash at the age of 73.
About Rudi Koertzen :
• Koertzen was born in Knysna, Cape Province, Union of South Africa, on 26 March 1949.
• He stood in 108 tests, a record 209 one-day internationals, and 14 T20s over an 18-year career.
• He began umpiring in 1981 before becoming a full-time umpire in 1992.
• He became the second umpire (after David Shepherd) to stand in 150 ODIs.
• He also became the second umpire, after Steve Bucknor, to stand in 100 Test matches.
AIADMK’s first-ever MP K. Maya Thevar passes away
• Former Member of Parliament and senior All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(AIADMK) politician K . Maya Thevar passed away at the age of 87 in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu.
About K. Maya Thevar :
• Mr. Maya Thevar was born on October 15, 1934, in Tamil Nadu.
• He started his career as a lawyer and practiced as an advocate at the Madras High Court.
• He moved to politics and joined AIADMK, and became the candidate for the first-ever Lok Sabha
election faced by the AIADMK after the formation of the party in 1972 by former CM MG
Ramachandran.
• He was also a former treasurer of AIADMK’s parliamentary party.
• Also, he was the first MP of the AIADMK from the Dindigul constituency who won on the two
leaves symbol.
Grease' Star and Singer Olivia Newton-John Passes away
• The British-born Australian singer and actor, Olivia Newton-John passed away at the age of 73
in Southern California.
About Olivia Newton-John :
• Dame Olivia Newton-John was Born in Cambridge, England in 1948.
• She was a British-Australian singer, songwriter, actress, and activist.
• She was best known for her music video Physical and the hit musical Grease.
• In 1978, Newton-John starred in the musical film Grease, whose soundtrack remains one of the
world's best-selling albums of all time.
Awards & Honors :
• She was the four-time Grammy award winner in
• 1973: Best Female Country Vocal Performance: "Let Me Be There"
• 1974: Record of the Year: "I Honestly Love You"
• 1974: Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: "I Honestly Love You"
• 1982: Video of the Year: Olivia's Physical
Indian American Journalist And Emmy Award Winner, Uma Pemmaraju Passes away
• Indian American Journalist And Emmy Award Winner, Uma Pemmaraju Passed away at the age
of 64.
About Uma Pemmaraju :
• Pemmaraju was born in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India, and grew up in San Antonio,
Texas, United States.
• She was a part of various shows such as The Fox Report, Fox News Live, Fox News Now, and
Fox On Trends.
• She served as a reporter for the San Antonio Express-News and taught journalism at Emerson
College and Harvard University.
Awards & Honors :
• Pemmaraju was named “Boston’s Best Anchor” in 1996 and 1997 by Boston Magazine.
• She was named one of Spotlight Magazine’s “20 Intriguing Women of 1998.”
• Pemmaraju also won the Texas AP award for reporting in 2002, the Woman of Achievement
award from the Big Sisters Organization of A merica, and the M a tr ix Awar d fr om W o men i n
Communications.
• She was also awarded The Woman of Achievement Award by the Big Sister s Or ganization o f
America.
Additional Info :
• CEO of Fox news Media: Suzanne Scott
Noted singer Shivamogga Subbanna passes away
• Noted Kannada singer Shivamogga Subbanna passed away at the age of 83 in Bangalore,
Karnataka.
About Shivamogga Subbanna :
• Subbanna was the first Kannadiga to win a National Award for playback singing the song ‘Kaadu
Kudure Odi Banditta’ in the film Kaadu Kudure.
• He became a household name in Karnataka after he sang ‘Baarisu Kannada Dindimava’, written
by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu.
• Known for his work in the field of ‘Sugama Sangeetha’, a genre in which poetry in Kannada is
set to music.
• He was also a singer with Akashvani and Doordarshan and had worked as an advocate.
Awards & Honors :
• National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer in 1978
• Kannada Kampu award in 2006
• Honorary doctorate from Kuvempu University in 2008
• Sundarashri Award in 2009
• A book on Subbanna’s life and achievements titled Gauravaanvita Gaayaka Subbanna was
published in 2009.
• During the launch event, he was called a “synonym for melody and affability” by the famous
Kannada poet GS Shivarudrappa.
Veteran Stock Market Investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala Passes Away
• Veteran stock investor and newly-launched Akasa Air founder Rakesh Jhunjhunwala passed
away at the age of 62 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
About Rakesh Jhunjhunwala :
• Rakesh Jhunjhunwala was an Indian billionaire business magnate, stock trader, and investor.
• Jhunjhunwala was often referred to as "India's Warren Buffett" or the "Big Bull of India".
• He was one of the co-founders of Akasa Air, India's newest budget airline.
• His portfolio includes companies like Star Health, Titan, Rallis India, Escorts, Canara Bank,
Indian Hotels Company, Agro Tech Foods, Nazara Technologies, and Tata Motors.
• He was the chairman of Hungama Media and Aptech.
• He was also part of the board of directors of firms such as Viceroy Hotels, Concord Bi otech,
Provogue India, and Geojit Financial Services.
• Jhunjhunwala’s net worth is estimated at $5.8 billion (approximately ₹46,000 crores) by Forbes.
• He was India's 36th richest person in 2021 and the 438th richest man in the world, so far in 2022
About Akasa Air :
• Akasa Air, a brand of SNV Aviation Private Limited, is an Indian low-cost airline.
• It was founded by Indian billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala (1960-2022).
• The airline began commercial operations in August 2022 with a maiden flight from Mumbai to
Ahmedabad.
• Founded: December 2021
• Commenced Operations: 7 August 2022
• Founder, Managing Director & CEO : Vinay Dube
Former BCCI Secretary Amitabh Choudhary Passes Away
• Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) acting secretary and former president of the
Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA), Amitabh Choudhary passed away at the age of 58.
About Amitabh Choudhary :
• Choudhary entered cricket administration in 2004.
• He was the Indian team manager in Zimbabwe from 2005-06.
• He served as BCCI's joint secretary from 2013 to 2015
• He served as acting secretary of the BCCI until 2019.
• He held the position of chairman of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission.
• He played a crucial role in developing infrastructure for Jharkhand cricket.
About BCCI :
• Founded: 1928
• President : Sourav Ganguly
Former Deutsche Bank co-CEO Anshu Jain Passes away
• Deutsche Bank's former India-born co-Chief Executive Officer, Anshu Jain, Passed away at the
age of 59.
About Anshu Jain :
• Jain was born on 7 January 1963 in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
• He started his career on Wall Street and also worked at financial major Merrill Lynch.
• He was appointed to Deutsche Bank's Management Board in 2009 and was responsible for the
Corporate and Investment Bank division from 2010.
• He served as the Global co-CEO and co-Chairman of Deutsche Bank from June 2012 until July
2015.
• From 2017 to 2022, he was the president of the American financial services firm Cantor
Fitzgerald.
• He served on the International Advisory Panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and, as an
ardent conservationist, worked with global environmental and wildlife conservation groups.
Awards & Honors :
• In 2010 and 2012, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Risk magazine.
• In 2012 he was named Global Indian of the Year by the Economic Times of India.
• In 2014 he was honored by the Jewish Museum of New York.
About Deutsche Bank :
• Headquarters: Frankfurt, Germany
• Chairman: Alexander Wynaendts
• CEO: Christian Sewing
Nicholas Evans, author of ‘The Horse Whisperer,’ passes away
• British writer Nicholas Evans, who authored the international best-selling novel "The Horse
Whisperer", Passed away at the age of 72.
About Nicholas Evans :
• Nicholas Benbow Evans was born in 1950 in Worcestershire, England.
• He was an English journalist, screenwriter, television and film producer, and novelist.
• His debut novel, 'The Horse Whisperer', published in 1995, was the bestselling novel in the
United States for 1995 as determined to The New York Times.
• He worked as a journalist in the 1970s and went on to become a screenwriter and TV producer
before writing his debut novel for “Murder by the Book,” “Act of Betrayal,” “Secret Weapon,” and
“Just Like a Woman.”
• He also wrote the bestselling novels “The Loop” (1998), “The Smoke Jumper”(2001), “The
Divide”(2005), and “The Brave” (2010).
Additional Info :
• The novel 'The Horse Whisperer tells the story of a trainer hired to restore an injured teenager
and her horse to health.
Kerala’s first tribal novelist Narayan passes away
• Popular Malayalam novelist and Kendra Sahitya Akademi awardee Narayan Passed away at the
age of 82.
About Narayan :
• Narayan was born in 1940 in Kudayathur, Idukki district, Kerala.
• He is often referred to as the first tribal novelist from Kerala in literary discourses.
• His famous novels include Kocharethi (1998), Ooralikkudi (1999), Chengarum Kuttalum (2001),
Vandanam (2003), and Aaranu Tholkkunnavar (2006), Thiraskrutharude Nalea (2010),
Manasum Dhehavum Kondu Njan Ninnea (2010).
• His English translation of the novel, titled “Kocharethi: The Araya Woman”, by Catherine
Thankamma was published by the Oxford University Press in 2011 & it won the Economist-
Crossword Book Award in the Indian language translation category for 2011.
Awards & Honors :
• Thoppil Ravi Foundation Award – 1999
• Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award – 1999
• Abu Dhabi Shakthi Award – 1999
• Swami Ananda Theertha Award – 2011
• Economist Crossword Book Award – 2011
Former Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi passes away
• Senior Indian National Congress leader and former Jharkhand and Assam governor Syed S ibte
Razi passed away at the age of 83.
About Syed Sibtey Razi :
• Syed Sibtey Razi was born on March 7, 1939, in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, India.
• He joined the Uttar Pradesh Youth Indian National Congress (INC) in 1969 and became the
head of the Youth Congress in 1971.
• He was made president of the Youth Congress in 1971 -1973
• He served as a member of the Rajya Sabha thrice (from 1980 to 1985, from 1988 to 1992 &
1992 to 1998)
• He served as the Governor of Jharkhand from the year 2004- 2009 and governor of Assam in
2009.
• He formed a socio-cultural association called 'Anjuman Adab-e-Atfal in Lucknow.
India’s star Olympic football captain Samar ‘Badru’ Banerjee Passes away
• Former India football team captain Samar 'Badru' Banerjee Passed away at the age of 92.
About Samar ‘Badru’ Banerjee :
• Samar ‘Badru’ Banerjee is Fondly known as ‘Badru Da’
• He played in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne as captain of the India national fo otball
team.
• He played for Mohun Bagan from 1952 to 1960, being named captain in 1958
• He won the Calcutta League 5 times, the IFA Shield thrice, and 3 Dur and C ups, including the
first time the club won the coveted trophy in 1953 with Banerjee scoring in the semi-final and
final, and the Rovers Cup once.
• Besides guiding Mohun Bagan to several trophies including their 1st ever D urand C up ( 1 953) ,
Rovers Cup (1955)
• He has also won the Santosh Trophy twice as a player (1953, 1955) and once as a coach
(1962).
Awards & Honors :
• He was given the Mohun Bagan Ratna, the club’s highest award, in 2009.
Veteran filmmaker Abdul Gaffar Nadiadwala Passes away
• Veteran film producer Abdul Gaffar Nadiadwala passed away on Monday at the age of 91.
About Abdul Gaffar Nadiadwala :
• He started his film production and media entertainment company in 1953.
• His first film as a producer was the Dharmendra and Rekha-starrer family drama Jhutha Sach.
• He was known for his films including Mahabharat (1965), J h utha S ach ( 1984) , L ahoo K e D o
Rang (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), Welcome (2007) &, etc.
Vijaya Bank Former Chairman Sadananda Shetty passes away
• Former Vijaya Bank chairman & founder and serving Chairman of Soham Group of Companies,
K. Sadananda Shetty passed away at the age of 85 In Nice City, France.
About K. Sadananda Shetty :
• Mr. Shetty was the chairman of Vijaya Bank, which has now merged with Bank of Baroda, from
1983 to 1990.
• He also served as the vice-chairman of the Indian Banks Association.
• He was on the boards of Air India and the Industrial Reconstruction Bank of India
• He was the current president of the Renewable Energy Developers Association of Karnataka.
About Vijaya Bank :
India’s leading agriculture economist Abhijit Sen passes away
• Renowned economist and former Planning Commission member, Abhijit Sen has passed away
at age of 72.
About Abhijit Sen :
• Abhijit Sen was Born in 1950 in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
• He was a member of the Planning Commission from 2004 to 2014, during the tenure of PM Shri
Manmohan Singh.
• He has been a Chairman of several official Commissions, including the High-Level Committee
on Long Term Grain Policy, Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), and the 10th
Plan Subgroup on the Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
• He has been an advisor/consultant with International organizations such as the United Nations
Development Program, the International Labour Organisation, Food and Agricultural
Organisations of the United Nations, OECD Development Center.
• He has also been a member of the State Planning Boards of West Bengal and Tripura, the
Expert Committee on Rural Credit, and the PM's Taskforce on Agricultural Economics and
Development.
Awards & Honors :
• In 2010, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan for public service.
Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule – July 2022
1. Important Days 03
2. Important Banking and Economy News 15
3. Important State News 143
4. Important National News 179
5. Important International News 235
6. Important MOU’s and Agreement News 253
7. Important Mergers and Acquisitions News 279
8. Important Appointments and Resignation News 291
9. Important Awards and Honours News 343
10. Important Defence News 361
11. Important Summit & Conference News 379
12. Important Science and Technology News 382
13. Important Environment News 407
14. Important Apps and Services News 410
15. Important Rankings and Indices News 412
16. Important Books and Authors 445
17. Important Sports News 450
18. Important Obituaries 478
IMPORTANT DAYS
National Doctors' Day- 1 st July
• India celebrates National Doctors' Day on July 1 every year to honor the birth and death
anniversary of the great physician and second chief minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan
Chandra Roy (B.C Roy).
• This day serves to show gratitude to all those doctors who have selflessly aided us in our time of
need and tirelessly worked for the health of their patients.
Theme:
• The theme of this year’s National Doctors' Day is 'Family Doctor on the Front Line'.
History:
• National Doctors' Day was first celebrated in the year 1991 to show gratitude for the hard work
and contribution of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, who was also the former Chief Minister of Bengal.
• He was born on July 1, 1882, and died on July 1 in the year 1962.
• To honor him for his contribution to the medical fraternity during his tenure July 1 has been
observed as National Doctors' Day.
• The Bharat Ratna recipient played a great role in establishing medical institutions like Jadavpur
TB Hospital, Chittaranjan Seva Sadan, Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital, Victoria Institution
(College), Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital, and the Chittaranjan Seva Sadan for women and
children.
• The first time Doctor's Day was observed was in March 1933 in the US state of Georgia. This
day was celebrated by sending a card to the physicians and placing flowers on the graves of
dead doctors.
National Postal Worker Day- July 1
• National Postal Workers Day is celebrated annually on July 1 to show appreciation for the postal
workers’ hard work that they put in to deliver our mail and deliveries on time.
• Postal workers walk or travel miles a day to deliver letters and packages to our doorsteps.
HISTORY
• July 1 was declared National Postal Worker Day in 1997 by a Seattle-area postal carrier to
honor fellow employees and since then it is celebrated every year on this day.
• In the United States, postal workers walk an average of 4 to 8 miles to deliver a full load of
letters and packages.
• Approximately 490,000 postal workers work in the United States.
• No matter how the weather or condition is, postal workers deliver mail.
National Chartered Accountants Day- 1 st July
• Every year on July 1, National Chartered Accountants Day, often known as CA Day, is
observed.
• The founding of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) by the Indian parliament in
1949 is commemorated on this day.
• Every year on the anniversary of the ICAI's founding, CA Day is observed to honor-chartered
accountants.
History:
• During the British regime, all companies used to keep a firm record of their accounts under the
Companies Act of India.
• Certified auditors, who completed a course on accountancy diploma, used to audit the books of
accounts.
• In India, the accounting profession remained unregulated till 1948.
• In the same year, an expert committee suggested the formation of an autonomous body and the
Chartered Accountant Act in 1949.
• The ICAI was established on 1 July 1949 to regulate the accounting laws in India.
About the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI):
• The second-largest accounting association in the world, ICAI is the national professional
accounting organization of India.
• On this day in 1949, a Parliament-passed Act created the Institute of Chartered Accountants of
India (ICAI).
• The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), businesses, and accounting organizations
all abide by the guidelines of the ICAI, which is the only licensing and regulatory authority for the
financial audit and accounting profession in India.
World UFO Day- 2 nd July
• Every year, World UFO Day is observed on July 2nd to create an awareness of Unidentified
Flying Objects.
• These objects are somehow related to alien life forms.
• The World UFO Day organization decided in the year 2001 to celebrate this day for all UFO
enthusiasts.
History:
• The first observation of a UFO was reported by aviator Kenneth Arnold in the US.
• He described the UFO as a saucer-like object or a big flat disk design.
• Now this observation has been described as the design of a UFO for decades.
• On July 2, 1947, an incident was reported as a crash in the desert near Roswell, New Mexico.
• Since then, this incident has been a conspiracy theory.
• It was believed the US Air Force was carrying out some top-secret projects.
• William Brazel was the only witness to this incident who explained that the wreckage of the UFO
was made of rubber strips and tinfoil.
World Sports Journalists Day- 2 nd July
• World Sports Journalists Day is observed globally on 2nd July every year.
• The day aims to acknowledge the work of sports journalists & encourage them to do better at
their work.
• Sports journalists help millions of people in the world to receive information on various sports.
History:
• It marks the anniversary of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), established in
1924.
• Its headquarters is based in Switzerland.
• In 1994, AIPS introduced World Sports Journalists Day to celebrate the anniversary of its
establishment.
• Sports journalism started in the early 1800s as an important part of the elite class and
transitioned to the news business with a dedicated sports column.
• Later it also gained popularity in the middle and lower classes, which led to more content
coverage in publications.
• The different forms of sports journalism include play-by-play, game recap analysis, and
investigative journalism on important developments in the field of sport.
International Day of Cooperatives:
• International Day of Cooperatives is celebrated on the first Saturday of every July.
• This year the day will be celebrated on July 2 by cooperatives all across the world.
• This celebration aims to increase awareness about cooperatives by highlighting how the United
Nations shares similar goals and objectives as the international cooperative movement.
• This day aims to acknowledge the contributions of cooperatives to resolving some of the major
international issues that have drawn the attention of the United Nations.
• The day also aims to strengthen and extend partnerships between the international cooperative
movement and other outfits of social development.
Themes:
• The theme for the 2022 International Day of Cooperatives is “Cooperatives Build a Better
World”.
History:
• The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) was formed on or around the 3rd of July in 1895
and since 1927 ICA has observed the first Saturday of July as International Day of Co-
operatives.
• In December 1994, United Nations General Assembly also passed a resolution to follow the
pattern of ICA and declared that from 1995, the first Saturday of July will be observed as
International Day of Cooperatives.
• The UN has also acknowledged and admired the efforts of the Committee for the Promotion
and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) for the nomination of this day’s observance at the
global level.
American Independence Day- July 4
• Independence Day, also called the Fourth of July or J uly 4th, in the United States, is the annual
celebration of nationhood.
• It commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress
on July 4, 1776.
• Independence Day is celebrated on Monday, July 4, 2022, in the United Stat es.
• On July 4th, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which
had been written largely by Jefferson.
• Though the vote for actual independence took place on July 2nd, from then on, the 4th became
the day that was celebrated as the birth of American independence
• On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of
Independence, announcing the colonies' separation from Great Britain.
World Zoonoses Day 2022: July 6
• Every year on June 6th, World Zoonoses Day is commemorated as the anniversary of the first-
ever vaccine given for any zoonotic disease way back in 1885.
• The purpose of this day is to raise awareness of illnesses that can spread from humans to
animals.
Theme
• "Let's Break the Chain of Zoonotic Transmission" is the focus of this year's World Zoonoses
Day, which is crucial if we are to escape the COVID-19 pandemic, which has already done too
much harm.
History
• In 2300 B.C., Rabies was first recorded and the Mosaic Esmuna Code of Babylon showed the
first written account of rabies causing death in humans and dogs.
• on September 29, 1976, Ebola was Discovered.
• It was named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• In 2009, Swine Flu Outbroke. The C.D.C. estimates that the global death toll is due to H.1.N.1.
influenza is more than 284,000.
• On January 30, 2020, WHO declares the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency
of worldwide concern.
• On this day on 6th July 1885, a French biologist named Louise Pasteur who is also very known
for his theory of pasteurization successfully administered the first-ever vaccination given for a
zoonotic disease to a man named Joseph Meister who was bitten by a dog with rabies.
World Population Day: July 11
• On July 11, 2022, World Population Day is celebrated and observed all over the world as an
awareness program.
• It is observed to raise awareness among people about the impact of a growing population and
issues including gender equality, the importance of family planning, poverty, maternal health,
human rights, etc.
• World Population Day is observed to create awareness about the global population issues
including overgrowing population and to take steps to control the same.
Theme
• The theme for this year is “A world of 8 billion: Towards a resilient future for all – Harnessing
opportunities and ensuring rights and choices for all”
• World Population Day is observed every year on July 11 to raise awareness about global
population issues.
History
• In 1804, The world population reached 1 billion people.
• In 1927, The world population doubled to 2 billion.
• In 1989, The world population reached 3 billion.
• In 1989, The United Nations recognized July 11 as World Population Day.
• On 11 July 1990, the day was first marked in more than 90 countries. Since then, many UNFPA
country offices and other organizations and institutions commemorate World Population Day in
partnership with governments and civil society.
• In 2000, Just 40 years after it reached 3 billion, the population doubles to 6 billion.
• On April 24, 2017, statistical models estimated that the world population is at 7.5 billion.
World Malala Day 2022: July 12
• On July 12th, World Malala day 2022 is celebrated and observed all over the world as an
honoring event.
• The 12th of July has been designated as World Malala Day by the UN in honor of the teenage
activist Malala Yousafzai.
• Malala Day, which honors women's and children's rights all around the world, is observed on the
anniversary of Malala Yousafzai's birth.
• Malala, who won the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17, was the prize's youngest-ever winner.
History
• On July 12, 1997, Malala Yousafzai was born in Mingora, Pakistan.
• In 2007 the Taliban took over the city in which she lived and banned girls from attending school.
• In 2009, Malala writes for B.B.C. Urdu where she expresses her advocacy through the platform
• On the morning of October 9th, 2012, gunmen from the Taliban shot Malala Yousafzai in the
head.
• On her 16th birthday, the young lady traveled to New York and spoke at the United Nati ons.
• In 2013, TIME Magazine declared Malala one of the world’s most influential people.
• A year later, Malala was named a Nobel Peace Prize winner.
• Along with this prestigious honor, Malala has received the United Nations Human Rights Prize
and The Liberty Medal.
• She currently resides in Birmingham and continues to fight for women’s empowerment and
education.
World Youth Skills Day: July 15
• World Youth Skills Day is celebrated every year on July 15.
• The sole purpose of this day is to provide essential skills to youngsters around the globe so that
they can get employment.
• The day helps in disseminating awareness about the importance of skills in getting good work
opportunities.
• The theme for this year is “Transforming youth skills for the future”
History:
• The United Nations General Assembly declared July 15 as World Youth Skills Day in December
2014.
• The objective was to improve socio-economic conditions for today’s youth and address the
challenge of unemployment.
• Since the inception of World Youth Skills Day, it has facilitated interaction among young people,
technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, businesses, governments,
and development partners.
World Day for International Justice 2022: July 17
• Every year on July 17, the day of many names, also known as International Justice Day, World
Day for International Justice, or Day of International Criminal Justice, is celebrated to
acknowledge the system of international justice.
Theme
• This year's theme for the Day of International Criminal Justice is "Achieving Social Justice
through Formal Employment", a timely topic for a modern age where criminals are increasingly
relying on advanced internet-based means instead of traditional criminal tactics.
History
• Between 1945–1949, The victorious Allied governments established an International Military
Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany, to bring justice to perpetrators of World War II — major Nazi
war criminals are indicted.
• On April 29, 1946, The Tokyo Trials took place and An International Military Tribunal for the Far
East (IMTFE) is created in Tokyo, Japan, to punish major war criminals in the Far East.
• On July 17, 1998,120 states adopted the treaty known as the Rome Statute, thus informally
establishing the International Criminal Court.
• On July 1, 2002, 60 countries ratified the Rome Statute, making the International Criminal Court
official.
• On June 1, 2010, The Assembly of State Parties decided to celebrate the day the Rome Statute
was adopted as the World Day for International Justice.
• On July 10, 2012, Congolese criminal warlord, Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, was the first person to
be convicted and sentenced by the ICC and he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Nelson Mandela International Day: July 18
• Nelson Mandela International Day, also known as Mandela Day, is observed every year on July
18 to mark the birth anniversary of the former South African president.
• This day is an opportunity for everyone to renew their commitment to the values that inspired
Mandela.
History of Nelson Mandela International Day
• This day was first celebrated on July 18, 2010, after the United Nations in November 2009
officially declared Nelson Mandela International Day.
• Originally, this day was Mandela's idea to celebrate his birthday as Mandela Day.
• On his 90th birthday, Mandela said, "It is time for new hands to lift the burdens. It is in your
hands now."
• However, some groups started celebrating this day on July 18, 2009.
• In 2014, the UN General Assembly introduced the Nelson Mandela Prize, an award recognizing
the achievements of those who dedicate their lives to the service of humanity.
National Broadcasting Day- 23rd July
• Every year on July 23rd, National Broadcasting Day is commemorated to honor the radio, which
has been a significant part of people's lives in India, both as an easy medium of pleasure and as
a source of news.
• On this day in 1927, the Indian Broadcasting Company's Bombay Station transmitted the first
radio transmission in the country.
HISTORY:
• On July 23, 1927, the first radio broadcast was made from Bombay Station.
• The station was previously owned by the Indian Broadcasting Company, a private company.
• On April 1, 1930, the government took over broadcasting and called it the Indian State
Broadcasting Service (ISBS).
• Initially, it was on an experimental basis.
• In 1932, it was permanently taken over by the government.
• The Indian State Broadcasting Service was renamed All India Radio on June 8, 1936.
• AIR is now one of the world's largest public broadcasting organizations.
National Thermal Engineer Day- July 24
• Every year on July 24, National Thermal Engineer Day is observed to mark and appreciate all
thermal engineers in the country.
• The day honors the significance of thermal management in the electronics sector, as well as the
engineers and businesses who make it possible.
HISTORY
• Advanced Thermal Solutions Inc (ATS) established the day in 2014.
• ATS focuses on offering efficient and cost-effective thermal energy regulation and electronic
packaging solutions.
• It also attempts to emphasize the significance of the thermal energy industry.
• The day was created to showcase the efforts of thermal engineers around the nation.
• The work of thermal engineers is frequently eclipsed by other industries such as software and
electronics.
• Nevertheless, it is the thermal sector that supports the electronics and software sectors.
• July 24 was chosen as National Thermal Engineer Day since it is the hottest day of the year.
National Parent's Day (Fourth Sunday in July) - 24 July
• In the year 2022, the fourth Sunday in July will be recognized as National Parents' Day.
• The date for the celebration this year is July 24.
• On this day, parents are honored for the crucial part they play in our lives.
History:
• President Bill Clinton 1994 signed a law and a resolution was adopted by the US Congress to
establish the fourth Sunday of every July as Parents' Day.
• This day is similar to Mother's Day and Father's day.
• In the Congressional resolution, it is mentioned that Parents' Day is established for "recognizing,
uplifting and supporting the role of parents in the rearing of children".
World Embryologist Day- July 25
• World Embryologists' Day in 2022 is observed on July 25, it is recognized.
• It honors reproductive medicine researchers on this day.
• On this day world's first IVF baby was born.
• Embryologists play an important role in an IVF clinic.
• They assist in conceiving children, or you would say that they have the power to create life.
Because they are the ones who nurture this fresh beginning of life, they are occasional ly referred
to as the "caretakers" of patients' sperm, eggs, or embryos.
• Sperm, eggs, and embryos are the main subjects of research for embryologists.
• They will be able to pick the healthiest sperm, eggs, and embryos for IVF therapy based on their
quality.
History:
• Louise Joy Brown on 25 July became the first baby to be born due to In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)
method in 1978 and so every year on 25 July World Embryologist Day is observed.
Kargil Vijay Diwas- 26th July
• Since 1999, India has observed Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26 to commemorate its victory over
Pakistan in the Kargil conflict.
• The nation is commemorating the 2 years since the end of the Kargil conflict this year.
• In 1999, a high-altitude mountain conflict broke out along the Line of Control, the de facto
boundary that separates Kashmir between the two countries, on the peaks of Kargil.
About the war:
• The war took place between May and July of 1999 in Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil district.
• The conflict is believed to have been orchestrated by the then Pakistan army chief General
Pervez Musharraf without the knowledge of the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
• It began with the infiltration of both regular Pakistani troops and terrorists into Indian territory.
• The infiltrators positioned themselves in key locations that gave them a strategic advantage
during the start of the conflict. Based on information from local shepherds, the Indian Army was
able to ascertain the points of incursion and launch "Operation Vijay".
Kargil Vijay Diwas
• The Army declared the mission successful on July 26, 1999; since then the day has been
celebrated annually as Kargil Vijay Diwas.
The cost of war
• The victory came at a high price.
• The official death toll on the Indian side was 527, while that on the Pakistani side was between
357 and 453.
World Nature Conservation Day- July 28
• The World Nature Conservation Day is observed annually on July 28.
• The occasion aims to create awareness about the need to preserve the environment and natural
resources to keep the world healthy.
• Saving plants and animals that are threatened with extinction is one of the primary focuses of
World Nature Conservation Day.
History:
• The history and origin of World Nature Conservation Day are unknown but the main aim of
celebrating it on 28 July is to come together and support nature, don't exploit it.
• Conservation of nature is the wise management and utilization of natural resources. As we know
that due to natural imbalance, we are facing several problems like global warming, various
diseases, natural disasters, increased temperature, etc.
• Therefore, for the next generation, it is necessary to preserve it.
• So, it is important to raise awareness among people all over the world to understand the
importance of saving resources, recycling them, preserving them, and also understanding the
consequences of damaging them.
International Tiger Day- July 29
• Global Tiger Day, often called International Tiger Day, is an annual celebration to raise
awareness for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July.
• It was created in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia.
• Tigers are unfortunately the species that are nearing extinction.
• Therefore, to spread awareness about the need to conserve tigers, International Tiger Day is
marked every year.
History
• The decision to recognize this day was taken in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in
Russia.
• The representatives from around 13 countries announced that the tiger-populated countries
would take steps to double the tiger population by 2022.
Significance
• In 1973, Project Tiger was launched in India with a unique plan to save tigers on the planet.
• Since its formative years, there were 9 tiger reserves but the Tiger Project coverage has
increased significantly over time.
• A conservation goal that was so ambitious was set up by the governments of the 13 range
countries to double the number of wild tigers by this year.
• However, the tiger is still categorized as 'endangered'.
• It has lost 93 percent of its range and tiger numbers have dipped from 100,000 a century ago.
Poaching and habitat destruction are among the leading causes.
• Observing World Tiger Day assumes importance because as per the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF), there are only 3900 wild tigers present around the globe.
World Ranger Day: 31 July
• Every year on July 31st, World Ranger Day is commemorated.
• To recognize Park Rangers' contributions to the protection of the environment, the International
Ranger Federation created this day.
• Supporting their essential work, which includes environmental advocacy and education, is
possible on World Ranger Day.
History:
• In 1992, the International Ranger Federation was established.
• It was founded by the SCRA (Scottish Countryside Rangers Association), the CMA (Countryside
Management Association), and the ANPR (U.S. Association of National Park Rangers), which
represents rangers in Wales and England.
• The goal of this agreement was to promote public support for and awareness of the critical role
that rangers play in preserving our cultural and natural heritage across the world.
• The inaugural World Ranger Day was held in 2007, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the
IRF's founding.
Bajaj Allianz launches ‘Global Health Care’
● Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, one of the leading private general insurers in India, has
announced the launch of a new health insurance product ‘Global Health Care’.
● The company collaborates with Allianz Partners to provide a seamless claims settlement
experience for customers outside of India.
● The product allows insured members to plan any treatment abroad or in India worry-free, thus
availing the best medical facilities anywhere across the globe.
About ‘Global Health Care’ :
● Global Health Care is a first-of-its-kind health insurance product from Bajaj Allianz the which
opens up off-shore treatment facilities for Indian customers
● It is a comprehensive health indemnity insurance product that provides seamless cover to the
policyholder for planned and emergency treatment availed from health care providers
Internationally (outside of India) and domestically (within India).
Key Features :
● It offers policyholders the option to choose between worldwide cover including the US and
worldwide cover excluding the US.
● Product available in two plans Imperial Plan and Imperial Plus Plan, both offering international
and domestic covers
● The domestic cover for ‘Imperial Plan’ and ‘Imperial Plus Plan’ provides In-Patient
Hospitalization treatment, Pre and Post-Hospitalization Expenses with benefits like Ambulance
(Air and Road), Day Care Procedures, Living Donor Medical Costs, Modern Treatment Methods
& Technological Advancement, Mental Illness treatment and Rehabilitation amongst others.
● The premium starts from INR 39,432 excluding GST; Sum insured ranges from INR 37,50,000 to
INR 3,75,00,000 (INR 3.75 Crores) for domestic coverage and corresponding international
coverage that ranges from USD 100,000 to USD 1,000,000 (USD 1 Million).
● This product is offered to Indians residing in India with a sum insured available on an individual
basis for a policy cover period of 1 year.
● The entry age for adult members is from 18 to 65 years and for dependent children is from 3
months to 30 years with a lifetime renewal option.
● Cashless and Reimbursement claim settlement options are available in the Global Health Care
product.
● An additional 5 percent discount will be applicable if two or more members of the family opt for
the policy.
About Bajaj Allianz General Insurance :
● MD & CEO: Tapan Singhel
● Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra
● Parent organizations: Bajaj Finserv Ltd., Allianz SE
Star Health, IDFC FIRST Bank announce Bancassurance tie-up
● Star Health and Allied Insurance, one of the leading Health Insurance companies in India, has
signed a Corporate Agency agreement with IDFC FIRST Bank, for the distribution of its health
insurance solutions.
● Under the agreement, Star Health will offer its health insurance products to the bank’s
customers using the latter's digital platform and its distribution network.
● The strategic tie-up with IDFC First Bank is a step to make health insurance more accessible to
all.
● It will help reach out to IDFC First's customers and enable them to financially safeguard
themselves from rising healthcare costs.
● IDFC FIRST Bank has a digital-first approach and serves customers through its net banking
platform and a mobile app, which complement its branches, ATMs, and loan centers across
India.
About Star Health and Allied Insurance Co Ltd :
● Founded: 2006
● Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
● Chairman & CEO: V Jagannathan
● Managing Director: Anand Roy
● Founded: 2018
● Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
● MD & CEO : V. Vaidyanathan
● IDFC FIRST Bank was formed by the merger of erstwhile IDFC Bank & Capital First.
Cashfree Payments partners EasyTransfer to offer international payments services
● Fintech company Cashfree Payments India Private Limited has partnered with EasyTransfer to
offer a faster, easier, and cheaper platform for Indian students to make fee payments to
universities and educational institutions abroad.
● The partnership will allow Indian students to make educational payments directly through their
existing bank accounts, eliminating the need to set up a new account specifically for making
such payments.
● EasyTransfer and Cashfree Payments have streamlined India’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme
(LRS) declaration process, allowing payments to be completed fully online.
● The EasyTransfer payments platform for Indian students will be launched by early June 2022.
● It will be fully customized for Indian international students and their families.
About EasyTransfer :
● Founded: 2013
● Headquarters: Singapore
● Co-founder and President: Tony Gao
ICICIdirect launches a learning app to help customers with investment
● ICICI Securities (I-Sec) has launched ‘ICICIdirect iLearn’, a learning app for customers to easily
access content curated around several financial products and stock market topics.
Aim :
● To provide investors with well-researched and simplified content curated by experts to help
make informed investment decisions.
● To familiarize investors with the knowledge of financial or investment tools by including both,
standard and contemporary content, catering to the needs of beginners as well as evolved
investors.
● As per data from BSE, the total number of investors as of June 2022 stood at around 109
million, a 51% increase Year on Year (Y-o-Y).
● Out of the overall customer base of I-Sec, millennials and Gen Z formed more than 80% of its
active customer base in the past 3 years.
● Additionally, 85% of customers acquired by I-Sec in Q4-FY22 were from tier II & III cities.
● The app currently hosts more than 550 plus content pieces across various sections.
● The content will be updated at regular intervals on different topics including current market
developments.
● The platform iCommunity will soon enable an opportunity of learning through fellow investors.
About ICICI Securities (I-Sec) :
● Establishment: 1995
● Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
● Chairman: Vinod Kumar Dhall
● ICICI Securities Limited (I-Sec) is a subsidiary of ICICI Bank Ltd.
Airtel Payments Bank partners with Axis Bank to digitize cash collection
● Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with Axis Bank, India’s third-largest private sector bank, to
digitize the cash collection system in India’s tier III cities and semi-urban regions.
● It would leverage the wide reach of its digital-led neighborhood banking model to support Axis
Bank with the digitization of last-mile cash collections.
● Axis Bank’s agents will no longer have to travel back to the branch to deposit the collected EMI
amount as they can deposit the amount at any Airtel Payments Bank outlet in the neighborhood,
and it will be immediately transferred to the Axis Bank accounts.
● As per the reports, customers of Axis Bank will be able to make direct EMI deposits for loan
payments at the 5,00,000 banking points of Airtel Payments Bank.
About Airtel Payments Bank :
● Founded: 2017
● Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
● MD & CEO : Anubrata Biswas
● In January 2022, it was granted the scheduled bank status by the Reserve Bank of India under
the second schedule of the RBI Act, 1934.
About Axis Bank :
● Founded : 3 December 1993
● MD & CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry
World Bank Approves $1 Billion to Support India’s Health Sector
● The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved two complementary loans of $500
million each to support and enhance India’s health sector.
● Through this combined financing of $1 billion, the Bank will support India’s flagship Pradhan
Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), launched in October 2021
to improve public healthcare infrastructure across India.
● The loans will prioritize 7 states including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab,
Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
India’s performance in health :
● According to World Bank estimates, India’s life expectancy at 69.8 in 2020, up from 58 in 1990 is
higher than the average for the country’s income level.
● The under-five mortality rate (36 per 1,000 live births), infant mortality rate (30 per 1,000 live
births), and maternal mortality ratio (103 per 100,000 live births)
● The two loans, Public Health Systems for Pandemic Preparedness Program (PHSPP) and
Enhanced Health Service Delivery Program (EHSDP) from the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) have a final maturity of 18.5 years including a grace
period of 5 years.
The PHSPP will support the government’s efforts to:
● To prepare India’s surveillance system to be ready to detect and report epidemics of potential
international concern, ensure rapid response, and prevent the emergence of pathogens;
● To enhance India’s capacity to detect pathogens, including zoonotic diseases

● To strengthen coordination and build institutional capacity
The EHSDP will support Government’s efforts to:
● To strengthen service delivery through a redesigned primary health care model

● To improve the quality of care
● To transform health sector governance and accountability

About World Bank :
● Established: July 1944
● Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
● President : David Malpass
● Membership: 189 countries
Max Life launches Insta confirmation of insurance (Insta-COI)+ to deliver a superior customer
experience
● Max Life Insurance Company Ltd, has launched a smart solution, ‘Insta confirmation of
insurance (Insta-COI)’+, to customers buying the ‘Max Life Smart Fixed-return Digital Plan’, a
non-linked, non-participating, individual life insurance savings plan on the Max Life website or
Policybazaar platform.
About Insta-COI :
● The Insta-COI feature enables intimation to the proposer regarding the commencement of the
risk cover pending release of the policy contract ensuring a quick and hassle-free onboarding.
● This initiative becomes possible by digitizing processes for documentation during onboarding.
● Strengthened by AI-enabled smart underwriting, this solution is currently applicable for certain
low-risk prospects choosing a sum assured of up to INR 25 Lakh.
Recent News :
● Recently Max Life has introduced innovative service experiences via digital interventions like
chatbot and WhatsApp servicing.
● Max Life Insurance Company Limited is a Joint Venture between Max Financial Services Limited
and Axis Bank Limited.
● Max Financial Services Ltd. is a part of the Max Group, an Indian multi-business corporation.
● It offers comprehensive protection and long-term savings life insurance solutions, through its
multi-channel distribution including agency and third-party distribution partners.
● Founded: 2001
● MD & CEO: Prashant Tripathy
Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman announces the Business Reform Action 2020:
• Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman delivered the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP)-
2020 speech in New Delhi.
• Seven states have been selected as the top performers in the report's review of the Business
Reforms Action Plan's implementation.
• The states in dispute include Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Punjab, Telangana,
and Tamil Nadu.
• Andaman and Nicobar, Bihar, Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Delhi,
Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry, and Tripura have all been
included under the category of emerging business ecosystems, according to the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry.
Key Points:
• The Achievers group comprises Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha,
Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, according to the poll.
• Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Rajasthan, and West Bengal are included in the
Aspirers group.
• According to Sitharaman, changes have changed in terms of their content after 1991.
• She made a point of stating that the federal government is pressuring the states and Union
Territories to enact the necessary reforms.
About BRAP:
• The BRAP exercise aims to enhance the business environment in each State and Union
Territory by fostering a culture of learning from other States' best practices.
• The overall purpose of BRAP is to make India one of the most well-liked investment locations in
the globe.
100% two-wheelers to be energized by FY27:
• 100% Electric two-wheelers would be integrated into the Indian market by FY2026-27, according
to NITI Aayog and the Technology Information, Forecasting, and Assessment Council (TIFAC).
• The autonomous TIFAC was formed in 1988 by the Department of Science and Technology to
forecast technical advancements, evaluate technological trajectories and foster innovation.
• Three key aspects that affect the market of electric two-wheelers have been used to build future
scenarios.
• Demand incentives, battery cost, and vehicle performance in terms of range and power are
these factors.
Key Points:
• The title of the report was Forecasting Electric Two-Wheeler Penetration in India.
• It provided important information on the industry's goals for technological advancement as well
as the essential industrial capacity and infrastructure.
• If an R&D program is effective in improving their range and power by 5% yearly between FY
2023–24 and FY 2025–26 and by 10% in FY 2026–27, the penetration of electric two-wheelers
may reach roughly 72 percent in FY 2031–32 even without the extension of demand-side
incentives.
• Sales of electric two-wheelers may top 220 lakh units by FY2028-29.
About the Research conducted by NITI Ayog and TIFAC:
• The research's conclusions indicate that India is at a turning point and that the switch to electric
mobility, particularly in the two-wheeler industry, may happen sooner than anticipated.
• Because electric car adoption was slow at first, there will need to be more charging stations than
electric automobiles to build consumer confidence.
• If there is adequate infrastructure in place for charging electric two-wheelers, sales may exceed
250 lakh units.
• The sale of electric two-wheelers will reach 54.91 lakh units in FY 2031, with a market
penetration of 21.86 percent, according to the Incentive Driven Scenario, which assumes that
demand incentives will persist throughout but with only a 2 percent annual reduction in battery
cost and no improvement in range or performance.
Axis Financial institution Partners with EazyDiner to launch a premium eating expertise program
● Axis Financial institution has partnered with EazyDiner, a table reservation, food discovery, and
restaurant payment platform, and have launched Dining Delights, an eating experience program
for the bank’s customers.
About the Programme :
● The program will offer benefits such as the option to choose from over 10,000 premium
restaurants across India and Dubai, instant confirmation on table reservations, and offers on
dining reservations made through the EazyDiner app.
● It is aligned to serve a rising variety of prospects who need alternatives, selection, and comfort.
SEBI gives UPI payment option to invest in public issues of REITs, InvITs
● Capital market regulator Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) gave an additional option of
UPI (Unified Payments Interface) to retail investors to apply in the public issues of Real Estate
Investment Trust (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvITs) for application value up to
Rs 5 lakh.
● The change will apply to public issues of units of REIT and InvITs which open from August 1,
2022.
● The capital markets regulator January 2019 laid down the process for payment for appli cations
in the public issue of units of these new investment instruments through the facility of
Applications Supported by Blocked Amount (ASBA).
● The regulator has decided to reduce the time taken for allotment and listing of units of privately
placed InvIT after the closure of the issue to 6 working days as against the present requirement
of 30 working days.
● REIT comprises a portfolio of commercial real assets, a major portion of which is already leased
out, InvITs comprise a portfolio of infrastructure assets, such as highways and power
transmission assets.
About SEBI :
● Established: April 12, 1988, & given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act,
1992.
● Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
● The SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the
ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
India's GST collections jump 56% to Rs 1.45 lakh crore in June:
• India's Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections in June this year surged 56% year-on-year to
around 1.45 lakh crore rupees.
• The GST collections in June last year stood at 92,800 crore rupees.
• Economic recovery and anti-evasion activities, especially action against fake billers, have
contributed to the enhanced GST collections.
• This is the fifth time the monthly GST collection has crossed the 1.40 lakh crore rupees mark
since the inception of the GST and the fourth month at a stretch since March 2022.
• The average monthly gross GST collection for the first quarter of the current fiscal has been 1.51
lakh crore rupees against the average monthly collection of 1.10 lakh crore rupees in the first
quarter of the last financial year showing an increase of 37 percent.
Govt imposes a tax of Rs 6 per liter on exports of petrol & Aviation Turbine Fuel:
• The Union Government has imposed a tax of six rupees per liter on exports of petrol and
Aviation Turbine Fuel and 13 rupees per liter on exports of diesel.
• In separate notifications issued by the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of finance, the
government has imposed an additional tax of 23 thousand 250 rupees per tonne on domestically
produced crude oil to take away windfall gains accruing to producers from high international oil
prices.
Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI) joins hands with A vanse Financial for student travel insurance
● Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI) has Partnered with education sector-focussed NBFC
Avanse Financial Services to provide travel insurance to Indian students going abroad for higher
education.
● EGI plans to offer complete coverage against medical, stay, travel inconvenience-related covers,
emergencies, and losses. Students will also have the choice to customize their plan with optional
covers as per their needs and requirements from universities.
● Industry reports suggest the number of Indian students going abroad for higher studies is
expected to touch 18 lakh by 2024, leading to increased spending
About EGI :
● Executive Director & CEO: Shanai Ghosh
About Avanse Financial Services :
● MD & CEO: Amit Gainda
SBI Card partners with Aditya Birla Finance to launch ‘Aditya Birla SBI Card’
● SBI Cards and Payment Services has entered into a strategic partnership with Aditya Birla
Finance (ABFL), the lending subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital for the launch of 'Aditya Birla SBI
Card'.
● The card has been designed to give customers significant reward points on their spending
around telecom, fashion, travel, dining, entertainment, and hotels, among others.
● The card comes in two variants
1. Aditya Birla SBI Card SELECT
2. Aditya Birla SBI card, both available on the Visa platform.
● The joining/annual renewal fee for 'Aditya Birla SBI Card' and 'Aditya Birla SBI Card SELECT' is
Rs 499 and Rs 1499 respectively.
● The Aditya Birla SBI Card SELECT will award 20 reward points on every Rs.100 spent in any
Aditya Birla store.
● Additionally, 10 points will be rewarded for each Rs.100 spent on dining, hotels, or
entertainment.
● Meanwhile, Aditya Birla SBI Card will award 10 reward points on every Rs.100 spent in any
Aditya Birla store and 5 points for the same amount spent on dining, hotels, or entertainment.
● Both cards will also offer a welcome gift to their customers 6,000 points for SELECT, and 2,000
points for the Visa card.
About SBI Cards and Payment Services :
● Founded: October 1998
● Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana, India
● MD & CEO : Rama Mohan Rao Amara
● SBI Cards and Payment Services is a non-banking financial company that offers an extensive
credit card portfolio to individual cardholders and corporate clients.
About Aditya Birla Finance :
● MD & CEO: Rakesh Singh
● Aditya Birla Finance (ABFL), a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital is among the leading well-
diversified non-banking financial services companies in India.
● ABFL offers customized solutions in the areas of personal finance, mortgage finance, SME
finance, corporate finance, wealth management, debt capital markets, and loan syndication.
India reports CAD of 1.2% of GDP in FY22 on widening trade deficit: RBI
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated that India witnessed a current account deficit of 1.2
percent of GDP in 2021-22 against a surplus of 0.9 percent in FY 2020-21 due to a wider trade
deficit.
● For the January-March 2022 quarter, the CAD narrowed on a sequential basis to USD 13.4
billion or 1.5 percent of GDP against USD 22.2 billion or 2.6 percent of GDP in the December
2021 quarter.
● In FY22, the trade deficit widened to USD 189.5 billion, up from USD 102.2 billion in FY21.
● The Balance of Payments data suggested that goods imports stood at USD 618.6 billion in FY22
as against USD 398.5 billion in FY21, leading to the widening of the trade deficit.
● The net benefit under the software services head alone stood at USD 109 billion.
● Net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows at USD 38.6 billion in FY22 were lower than USD 44
billion in FY 21, adding that there was an outflow of USD 16.8 billion by foreign portfolio
investors (FPI) during the fiscal year, as against an inflow of USD 36.1 billion in FY21.
● External commercial borrowings (ECBs) recorded an inflow of USD 7.4 billion in FY22 compared
to USD 0.2 billion in FY21.
● There was an accretion of USD 47.5 billion to the foreign exchange reserves on a balance of
payment basis in the fiscal year.
● Private transfer receipts, mainly representing remittances by Indians employed overseas,
increased to USD 23.7 billion, up 13.4 percent from Q4 2020-21.
● The net foreign direct investment (FDI) at USD 13.8 billion as against USD 2.7 billion in Q4FY21
but the net foreign portfolio investment (FPI) recorded an outflow of USD 15.2 billion driven
mainly by equity market pullouts.
● There was a drawdown of USD 16 billion in the foreign exchange reserves on a BoP basis in the
March quarter, as against an accretion of USD 3.4 billion in Q4FY21.
About RBI :
● Founded: 1 April 1935
● Governor: Shaktikanta Das
● Deputy Governor: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar
Adverse global events may lead to $100-bn portfolio outflows: RBI
● The paper, titled “Capital Flows at Risk: India’s Experience” was written by RBI Deputy Governor
Michael Patra, Harendra Behera, and Silu Muduli and released in the RBI’s Bulletin.
● In that paper, there is (only) a five percent chance of portfolio outflows from India of the order of
3.2 percent of GDP or $100.6 billion in a year, in response to a Covid-type contraction in GDP
growth.
● In an extreme risk scenario or a black swan event in which there is a combination of all these
shocks, there is a 5 percent chance of outflows under portfolio investments of 7.7 percent of
GDP and short-term trade credit retrenchment of 3.9 percent of GDP.
● The views are personal and do not represent those of the RBI.
The capital outflows could be a response to
● A Covid-type contraction in real GDP growth or
● A Global Financial Crisis (GFC) type decline in interest rate differentials compared to the US, or
● A GFC-type surge in the VIX (Volatility Index).
RBI bars non-bank PPIs from loading credit lines
● Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred all non-bank prepaid payment i nstrument (PPI) issuers
from loading credit lines.
● RBI guidelines permit PPIs to be loaded by either cash, or debit to a bank account, credit & debit
cards, and other payment instruments in rupees.
● Any non-compliance in this regard may attract penal action under provisions contained in the
Why did the RBI issue this notification?
● The RBI’s clarification is being seen as an attempt to stop card-based fintech and firms
operating as neo banks that have tied up with banks from offering credit lines
● For example, companies like Paytm, Amazon Pay, LazyPay, Simpl, etc., offer postpaid wallets
with small credit lines.
● Others such as Slice, Uni, Fi, OneCard, etc give credit cards in partnership with banks like SBM
Bank, RBL Bank, Federal Bank, etc to offer such products.
● In a credit line, the bank makes available funds to the customer, but it turns into a loan only
when the borrower draws the money.
Muthoot Finance Launches Updated Version of ‘Muthoot Online’ Web App
● Muthoot Finance has launched the new upgraded version of ‘Muthoot Online’
(https://online.muthootfinance.com/) web application, offering an extended range of features that
promises an Omni channel experience to its customers in Kochi, Kerala.
● With this new upgrade, the consumers can have a hassle-free user experience to avail of these
services at the touch of their fingertips from the comfort of their homes.
● Customers can avail and repay the Gold loan, Home loan, Personal loan, and Vehicle Loan, buy
Insurance & zero interest products online along with access host of other facilities 24×7 from the
comfort of their home.
● The website assures high-tech security features to ensure customers’ data privacy.
About Muthoot Finance :
● Founded: 1939
● Headquarters: Kochi, Kerala, India
● Chairman: M. G. George Muthoot
● Managing Director: George Alexander Muthoot
● Muthoot Finance Ltd. is an Indian financial corporation and the largest gold loan Non-Banking
Finance Company (NBFC) in the country.
Banking Frauds Of Over Rs 100 Crores Witness Significant Decline In Fraud Cases In FY22
● Frauds in the banking sector involving sums of over Rs 100 crore have declined significantly,
with banks reporting cases worth Rs 41,000 crore in 2021-22 compared to Rs 1.05 lakh crore in
the FY21.
● According to official data, the number of fraud cases in the public and private sector banks fell
from 265 in 2020-21 to 118 in the financial year 2022.
● In the case of public sector banks, the total number of fraud cases over ₹100 crore dropped from
167 in FY21 to 80, and in the case of private sector banks, it fell from 98 in FY21 to 38.
● In terms of cumulative amount, it has come down to Rs 28,000 crore in FY22 from Rs 65,900
crore in FY21 for PSBs.
● For private sector banks, the reduction is from Rs 39,900 crore in FY21 to Rs 13,000 crore in
FY22.
Steps Taken To Check Frauds :
● In a bid to check frauds, the RBI has been taking several steps including improving the efficacy
of the Early Warning System (EWS) framework, strengthening fraud governance and response
system, augmenting data analysis for monitoring of transactions, and introducing of dedicated
Market Intelligence (MI) Unit for frauds.
● During 2021-22, the Reserve Bank of India in collaboration with the Reserve Bank Information
Technology Private Limited (ReBIT) carried out a study on the implementation of the EWS
framework in select Scheduled Commercial Banks.
● Also, the effectiveness of EWS was assessed in select banks by using Machine Learning (ML)
algorithms.
Banking Frauds Of 2022 :
● Earlier in 2022, the State Bank of India (SBI) reported one of the biggest bank frauds in the
country totaling ₹22,842 crores, perpetrated by ABG Shipyard and its promoters.
● This was much higher than the case involving Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, who
allegedly cheated Punjab National Bank (PNB) of around ₹14,000 crores through the issuance
of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs).
● In June 2022, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) booked Dewan Housing Finance Ltd
(DHFL), its former Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) Kapil Wadhawan, director Dheeraj
Wadhawan and others in a fresh case involving ₹34,615 crores, making it the biggest bank fraud
probed by the agency.
● Union Bank of India-led consortium alleged that DHFL had availed credit facility to the tune of
₹42,871 crores between 2010 and 2018 from the consortium under various arrangements.
Govt. constitutes ‘FSIB’ for Appointments in Financial Institutions
● The Center has decided to set up the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) as a single
entity for making recommendations for appointments of Wholetime Directors and Non-Executive
Directors in public sector banks (PSBs), public sector insurers (PSIs), and financial institutions
(FIs).
● The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has asked the Department of Financial
Services to carry out necessary modifications in the Nationalized Banks (Management and
Miscellaneous Provisions) Scheme of 1970/1980 with the approval of Finance Minister Ms.
Nirmala Sitharaman.
Chairman & Other members of FSIB :
● The ACC has approved the appointment of former Chairman of Banks Board Bureau (BBB)
Bhanu Pratap Sharma as chairperson of FSIB for two years.
Other Members :
● Animesh Chauhan– He was the former Chairman and Managing Director of erstwhile Oriental
Bank of Commerce has been appointed the ex-banker from the Public sector category
● Shailendra Bhandari– He was former MD of erstwhile ING Vysya Bank has been appointed as a
Member of FSIB in the ex-banker from the Private sector category
About BBB :
● Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the constitution of BBB as a body of eminent
officials and professionals in 2016.
Purpose :
● To make recommendations for the appointment of whole-time directors as well as non-executive
chairpersons of public sector banks (PSBs) and state-owned financial institutions.
● It was also entrusted with the task of engaging with the board of directors of all PSBs to
formulate appropriate strategies for their growth and development.
● The first Chairman of the Banks Board Bureau was Shri Vinod Rai (2016-2018).
SEBI extends the deadline for implementation of the new pledging DDPI system to Sept 1, 2022
● The Capital Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has extended the
deadline for the introduction of the Demat Debit and Pledging Instruction (DDPI) system to
September 1, 2022.
● Earlier the deadline for implementation was July 1, 2022.
● With the implementation of the guidelines, the Power of Attorney (PoA) would be replaced with
Demat Debit and Pledge Instruction (DDPI) documents.
Aim :
● To curb possible misuse of PoA given by clients to stock brokers
● This circular is issued in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 11(1) of the Securities
and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 and Section 19 of the Depositories Act, 1996, to
protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development of and to regulate
the securities markets.
Key Highlights :
● The use of DDPI will be limited only to two purposes.
● One is for the transfer of securities held in the beneficial owner account of the client towards
stock exchange-related deliveries or settlement obligations arising out of trades executed by
such a client.
● The second purpose will be for pledging or re-pledging securities in favor of the trading member
or clearing member to meet the margin requirements of the client. Once the guidelines come into
force, PoA will no longer be executed for the two purposes.
● A client can use the DDPI or opt to complete the settlement by issuing a physical Delivery
Instruction Slip (DIS) or electronic Delivery Instruction Slip (EDIS) themselves.
● The existing PoAs will continue to remain valid till the time the client revokes the same.
● Thus, the stockbroker and depository participant will not directly or indirectly compel the clients
to execute the DDPI or deny services to the client if the client refuses to execute the DDPI
About SEBI :
1992.
● Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
● SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership
For June 2022, gross GST revenue was Rs. 1,44,616 crores:
• The gross GST collection in June 2022 surpasses Rs. 1.40 lakh crore for the fifth time since the
introduction of GST and the fourth consecutive month since March 2022, making it the second-
highest collection after the collection in April 2022.
• Following the GST collection of Rs 1,67,540 crore in April 2022, the gross GST collection in
June 2022 is the second-highest collection.
Key Points:
• In June 2022, the entire amount of GST income received would be Rs 1,44,616 crore, of which
the CGST would be Rs 25,306 crore, the SGST is Rs 32,406 crore, the IGST is Rs 75887 crore
(together with Rs 40102 crore collected on the import of goods), and the cess was R s 11,018
crore (along with Rs 1197 crore collected on import of goods).
• The government has settled IGST for Rs 29,588 crore to CGST and Rs 24,235 crore to SGST.
• Additionally, the center started an ad hoc settlement for Rs 27,000 crore for IGST in the same
month, split 50:50 between the center and states/UTs.
• Following regular and ad hoc settlement, the center and the states' combined income in June
2022 would be Rs. 68,394 crores for the CGST and Rs. 70,141 crores for the SGST.
CRISIL cuts FY23 GDP growth estimate to 7.3% from 7.8% on high inflation:
• Domestic rating agency Crisil has lowered its real GDP growth forecast for India to 7.3 percent
in FY23 from 7.8 percent estimated earlier.
• It attributed the downward revision to higher oil prices, slowing of export demand, and high
inflation.
• This is in line with the RBI's estimate of 7.2 real GDP growth for this fiscal year.
• There is a slew of negatives like high commodity prices, elevated freight prices, drag on exports
as global growth projections get lowered, and the largest demand-side driver of private
consumption remains weak.
• Inflation, which has been pegged to average at 6.8 percent in FY23 as against 5.5 percent in
FY22, reduces purchasing power and would weigh on the revival of consumption the largest
component of GDP which has been backsliding for a while
• Factors contributing to the broad-based rise in inflation will include the impact of this year's
heatwave on domestic food production, coupled with persisting high international commodity
prices and input costs
About CRISIL:
• CRISIL is an Indian analytical company providing ratings, research, and risk and policy advisory
services and is a subsidiary of American company S&P Global
• CEO: Amish Mehta
• Founded: 1987
Interoperability of card tokens across payment channels introduced by Cashfree:
• Online payment processor Cashfree Payments announced that the interoperability would be
supported by their card tokenization solution, Token Vault.
• The interoperability feature of Token Vault allows companies that use multiple payment
gateways to process tokenized card transactions through any payment gateway and card
network of their choosing.
Key Points:
• Businesses may connect with Token Vault to securely tokenize cards issued by all major card
networks, including Visa, Mastercard, and RuPay, when they utilize Cashfree's Payment
Gateway.
• Thanks to this capability, businesses won't waste time connecting with many token service
providers to tokenize cards and conduct transactions.
• With Token Vault's interoperability functionality, we want to empower individuals.
• Organizations and merchants may manage saved card transactions across any card network or
payment gateway with a single tokenization system.
• They won't have to rely on a certain payment processor to use Token Vault.
• Starting on September 30, 2022, businesses and payment aggregators must tokenize a
customer's card when offering the saved card option.
About Card tokenization
• Card tokenization involves replacing sensitive card information, such as the card number,
expiration date, and CVV, with tokens, cryptograms, and other data that cannot be traced back
to the original card information.
• This eliminates the chance of misplacing private card information when making a transaction.
RBI imposes monetary penalty on Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank & 3 Cooperative Banks
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1.05 crore on Kotak
Mahindra Bank Ltd. and Rs 1 crore on IndusInd Bank Ltd. for violating the provisions of its
regulations.
● Kotak Mahindra Bank has failed to maintain a margin on advances to stock brokers, and credit
the amount involved in the unauthorized electronic transactions to the customers’ accounts.
● IndusInd Bank has failed to adhere to customer due diligence procedures in the accounts
opened using One Time Password (OTP) based e-KYC.
● As per the banking regulator, It has imposed a penalty on Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited for
contravention of the provisions of sub-section (2) of Section 26A of the Banking Regulation Act,
1949 (the Act) read with paragraph 3 of ‘The Depositor Education and Awareness Fund
Scheme, 2014’ and for non-compliance with the directions on ‘Customer Protection – Limiting
Liability of Customers in Unauthorized Electronic Banking Transactions’, and ‘Loans and
Advances – Statutory and Other Restrictions.
● The RBI has also penalized Rs 1 crore on IndusInd Bank for non-compliance with certain
directions issued by RBI on ‘Reserve Bank of India (Know Your Customer (KYC)) Directions,
2016’.
Penalties on 3 Cooperative Banks :
● Ulhasnagar-based Nav Jeevan Co-operative Bank - Rs 2 lakh monetary Penalty
● Odisha-based Balangir District Central Cooperative Bank - Rs 1 lakh monetary penalty
● Dhakuria Cooperative Bank Ltd, Kolkata, West Bengal - Rs 2 lakh monetary Penalty
Recent News :
● On June 27, 2022, the RBI imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Tamil Nadu-based The
Tiruchengode Cooperative Urban Bank as it did not comply with directions issued on exposure
norms and statutory or other restrictions of the urban cooperative bank and Know Your
Customer (KYC) guidelines.
Edelweiss General Insurance launches motor insurance product - SWITCH
● Edelweiss General Insurance has launched SWITCH, a comprehensive motor insurance product
under Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority's (IRDAI) Sandbox initiative.
About SWITCH :
● SWITCH is a completely digital, mobile telematics-based motor policy.
● The app detects motion and automatically activates insurance when the vehicle is driven,
making it convenient and hassle-free for customers.
● Moreover, it rewards policyholders if they are driving well, as it measures both the quantity and
quality of driving and calculates premiums accordingly.
● Customers are given a driving score based on several parameters such as overspeeding,
distracted driving, and sudden braking, among others.
● The policy also allows customers to pay premiums in monthly installments after the initial
premium is paid to activate the policy.
● The vehicle will be covered 24/7/365 against fire and theft.
● For instance, ‘'pay as you drive' policies charge a lower premium when the vehicle is driven less
and charge higher when driven more.
About Edelweiss General Insurance:
● Founded: 2017
● CEO & Executive Director: Shanai Ghosh
RBI’s DICGC to pay depositors of two co-operative banks
● The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation
(DICGC) will pay the eligible depositors of Shankarrao Pujari Nutan Sahakari Bank, Ichalkaranji,
and Harihareshwar Sahakari Bank, Wai in Aug 2022.
Key Highlights :
● Eligible depositors of Shankarrao Pujari Nutan Sahakari Bank will get the payment on August
10, 2022, and those of Harihareshwar Sahakari Bank on August 28, 2022.
● Depositors of the 2 Maharashtra-based banks will get the amount credited to the alternate bank
account specified by them, or on their consent, to their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.
● DICGC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the RBI, provides an insurance cover of up to Rs 5 lakh on
bank deposits.
● Deposit insurance extended by the DICGC covers all commercial banks, including local area
banks and regional rural banks as well as co-operative banks in all the states and UTs.
● DICGC settled aggregate claims of Rs 8,516.6 crore under different channels during 2021-22.
● The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (Amendment) Act, passed by
Parliament in 2021, made significant changes in the landscape of deposit insurance in India.
● Under the Act, the Corporation is liable to pay the insured deposit amount to depositors of an
insured bank. Such liability may arise when an insured bank undergoes liquidation,
reconstruction, or any other arrangement under a scheme, and merger or acquisition by another
bank.
About DICGC :
● Established: 15 July 1978
● Chairman: M.D. Patra
● The DICGC is a specialized division of the Reserve Bank of India which is under the jurisdiction
RBI launches next round of survey of manufacturing companies
● The Reserve Bank of India has launched the 58th round of the Order Books, Inventories, and
Capacity Utilization Survey (OBICUS) of manufacturing companies for the April - June 2022
period, results of which provide valuable inputs for monetary policy formulation.
● Selected manufacturing companies will be approached by the RBI for the survey.
● The RBI has also launched the 2021-22 round of its Survey on International Trade in Banking
Services (ITBS).
About OBICUS :
● The RBI has been conducting the OBICUS of the manufacturing sector every quarter since
2008.
● It provides information on financial services rendered by branches/ subsidiaries/joint ventures of
Indian banks operating abroad and branches/subsidiaries of foreign banks operating in India.
● The information collected in the survey includes quantitative data on new orders received during
the reference quarter, backlog of orders at the beginning of the quarter, pending orders at the
end of the quarter, and total inventories with a breakup between finished goods, among others.
About RBI :
HDFC Bank receives no objection letter from RBI for merger wit h HDFC
● The country’s largest private sector bank, HDFC Bank has received the Reserve Bank of India’s
(RBI) approval for the merger of Housing Development Finance Corporation with the lender.
● Also, the merger proposal between the two entities received approval from stock exchanges
BSE and NSE.
● The scheme remains subject to various statutory and regulatory approvals inter alia including
approvals from the Competition Commission of India, the National Company Law Tribunal
(NCLT), other applicable authorities, and the respective shareholders and creditors of the
companies involved in the Scheme, as may be required.
● Once the deal is effective, HDFC Bank will be 100 percent owned by public shareholders, and
existing shareholders of HDFC will own 41 percent of the bank.
● Every HDFC shareholder will get 42 shares of HDFC Bank for every 25 shares held.
● In April 2022, HDFC Bank agreed to take over HDFC in a deal valued at about USD 40 billion.
● The proposed combined entity will have an asset base of around Rs 18 lakh crore.
● The merger is expected to be completed by the second or third quarter of FY24, subject to
regulatory approvals.
SBI General Insurance launches cyber insurance cover for individuals - Cyber VaultEdge
● SBI General Insurance has launched the Cyber VaultEdge insurance plan, a comprehensive
cyber insurance cover for individuals that protects against financial losses arising from cyber
risks and attacks.
Aim :
● To secure individuals by minimizing financial losses arising due to internet-based risk / cyber
risks through a comprehensive and affordable product.
● To address the risks that individuals face due to cybercrime and instances of reputation
damage, fraudulent transactions with credit cards, debit cards, theft of personal information, etc.,
About Cyber VaultEdge :
● SBI General Cyber VaultEdge offers a range of benefits and protects individuals against cyber
risks, allowing them to be assured against any such instances while conducting activities on the
internet or during digital transactions.
● It covers unauthorized e-transactions, loss of wages resulting from identity theft, and instances
impacting online reputation including social media trolling, bullying, and stalking.
● The policy takes care of legal costs and expenses incurred in pursuing or defending legal action
against/by a third party.
● The policy reimburses the expenses incurred for the services of an IT specialist or to restore
data by availing services of any IT specialist.
● To ensure the mental well-being of individuals, Cyber VaultEdge also covers consultation
expenses of psychologists for trauma or stress arising due to such incidents.
● According to CERT-In, cyber security incidents jumped to Rs. 14.02 lakh in 2021 from Rs. 2.08
lakh in 2018, meanwhile, the losses due to cybercrime, ATM/debit card, credit card, and internet
banking fraud were estimated at Rs. 63.4 crore in 2020-21, as per data published by private and
public banks.
About SBI General Insurance :
● Founded: 2009
● MD & CEO : Prakash Chandra Kandpal
Salesforce plans to offer a $2 mn grant for education, and workforce development in India
● A US-based tech major, Salesforce has announced an investment of USD 2 million (about Rs
15.85 crore) in direct company donations to over 22 non-profit Organizations (NPO) across
India.
● With a focus on education and workforce development, these grants are expected to impact
40,000 individuals across India.
● To give children access to quality education, Salesforce will partner with institutions such as
Meghshala Trust, Inquilab Foundation, Learning Curve Foundation, and others.
● In this, together, students will have access to Hybrid learning spaces, Social -Emotional
Learning, STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and early education.
● Also, Salesforce in partnership with organizations such as Katalyst, Navgurukul, and Feminist
Approach is equipping individuals with skills to help improve their employment opportunities,
ensuring untapped talent can build social capital, excel in their careers, and the tools to
potentially improve economic prosperity.
Additional Info :
● Globally, Salesforce has crossed over half a billion dollars in all-time philanthropic giving, a total
of USD 532 million in grants since its founding.
● Salesforce also surpassed USD 100 million in annual giving in the 2022 fiscal year.
Note :
● CEO and Chairperson of Salesforce India: Arundhati Bhattacharya
About Salesforce :
● Founded: February 3, 1999
● Headquarters: San Francisco, California, U.S
● Chairman & CEO: Marc Benioff
● It provides customer relationship management (CRM) software and applications focused on
sales, customer service, marketing automation, analytics, and application development.
MoD approves 3 private sector banks HDFC, ICICI, and Axis to provide financial services in overseas
procurement
● The Ministry of Defence approved three Private Sector Banks (PSBs), namely HDFC Bank Ltd.,
ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank, to provide the Letter of Credit and Direct Bank Transfer business for
overseas procurement.
Purpose :
● In line with further opening of allocation of government business to private sector banks by the
department of financial services.
● Till now, only authorized Public Sector Banks have been utilized to provide these services to
MoD.
● The selected banks may be allocated with LC business of Rs 2000 Crore, each on the capital
and revenue side, for one year on a concurrent basis (Rs 666 Crore for each bank under both
capitals as well as Revenue).
● The performance of these Banks will be monitored regularly to take necessary further action as
required.
About MoD :
● Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
● Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
● Defence Secretary: Ajay Kumar
About HDFC Bank :
● Founded: August 1994
● MD & CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
About ICICI Bank :
● Founded: 5 January 1994
● MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
About Axis Bank :
HDFC Partners with Salesforce to 'reimagine the customer lifecycle'
● Salesforce, the global leader in CRM, announced that HDFC Ltd., one of India’s leading
mortgage lenders and a well-established financial conglomerate will leverage Salesforce to
reimagine the customer lending lifecycle and support the company's growth priorities.
● HDFC wanted to build the next generation of integration backbone, to easily connect backend
and frontend systems including Salesforce.
● Mulesoft with its innovative API-led integration approach and low code integration capabilities
will help HDFC innovate quickly around connecting systems and help create new experiences.
About HDFC Ltd :
● Founded: 1977
● MD: Renu Sud Karnad
Fi Money launches Ally Annexure: a financial inclusion initiative
● Bengaluru-based neo bank Fi Money has launched Ally Annexure an initiative to h elp L GBTQ
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) customers gain better access to financial services.
Aim :
● To educate institutions about being more accessible to queer customers' financial needs of
LGBT customers.
● The initiative was launched in partnership with Pride Circle, a diversity and inclusion firm.
● It will be supported by Fi Money's banking partner - Kochi-based Federal Bank.
About The Ally Annexure :
● The Ally Annexure', a manual that helps staff self-educate themselves on the queer community,
their needs, preferences, and the problems they face daily.
Aim :
● To turn this document into a standardized guideline that banks and financial institutions can
implement across the board.
Solving for financial inclusion :
● Members of the queer community highlighted branch visits and in-person interactions with
institutional staff as the most commonly reported barrier to the accessibility of financial solutions.
● While the Indian constitution has decriminalized same-sex relationships, there exists no legal
framework within which queer individuals can use financial services without judgment or
discrimination.
● A primary cause for this was the lack of awareness and a bias-ridden system across the world of
financial services.
Recent News :
● Recently, Fi Money launched multiple financial products through its neo banking app, including
mutual funds and Fi Jump, a peer-to-peer investment product.
About Fi Money :
● Founded: 2019
● Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka
● CEO: Sujith Narayanan
Bajaj Allianz launches QR Code-enabled services for customers
● Leading private sector non-life insurer Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has launched a QR code-
enabled service to help customers self-service their needs offering a faster closure of their
requirements.
● The QR code-enabled service is available across all the 509 branches of Bajaj Allianz Life
Insurance and is designed to offer seamless service delivery.
● The service is industry-first and offers access to 15 services on the phone.
● All a customer has to do is scan the QR code available in the company's branches and self-
service the policy.
● The service will allow customers to make premium payments online, view or download policy-
related documents (such as policy bonds, IT certificates, and fund performance statements),
switch funds as per their choice, and do much more.
About Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance :
● Founded: 2001
● CEO: Tarun Chugh
● It is a joint venture between Bajaj Finserve and the German financial services major Allianz,
serving millions of customers through its 509 branches and over 96,000 agents.
India’s first mobile telematics-based auto insurance introduced by Edelweiss:
• Edelweiss General Insurance has released SWITCH, a complete automobile insurance policy, in
compliance with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority's (Irdai) Sandbox
initiative.
• SWITCH's auto insurance coverage is digital and telematics-based.
• According to the insurer, customers will find the app convenient and hassle-free because it
quickly activates insurance when the car is driven and detects motion.
Key Points:
• If SWITCH customers drive carefully, they may save money.
• The amount and quality of driving are evaluated using this usage-based methodology, and
premiums are then set in line with the results.
• Customers are assigned a driving grade based on a variety of criteria, such as speeding,
distracted driving, and unexpected stops, among others.
• SWITCH can be bought online.
• Following a purchase, customers may examine their policy by downloading the SWITCH app
from the iOS App Store or the Google Play Store.
• The whole product lifecycle is now fully digital from the time of purchase to claim notice, claim
settlement, customer assistance, etc., creating a seamless consumer experience.
• Consumers may also choose to pay premiums in monthly installments after paying the initial fee
to start the insurance.
• Even while the coverage covers unintentional damage when the automobile is in motion and
powered on, the vehicle will be protected against fire and theft 24/7, 365 days a year.
• Customers may select from a choice of add-on coverage, including depreciation protection,
engine protection, NCB protect, roadside assistance, and more, just as with a normal Edelweiss
auto insurance policy, the insurer claims.
Women's World Banking & Bank of Baroda launches the 'Baroda Jan Dhan Plus' in Uttar Pradesh &
Uttarakhand
● One of India's leading public sector banks, Bank of Baroda (BoB) has partnered with Women's
World Banking (WWB) to roll out the third and broader phase of the 'Baroda Jan Dhan Plus'
program across 25 districts of Uttar Pradesh and all 13 districts of Uttarakhand.
Aim :
● To increase access to and improve engagement of low-income women with formal financial
services.
● The 3rd & largest phase of 'Baroda Jan Dhan Plus' will reach out to a wide base of existing Jan
Dhan customers of Bank of Baroda through financial literacy camps and business
correspondents, to disseminate the benefit of savings and provide access to formal credit by
way of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) Overdraft facility and other social security
schemes.
About the 'Baroda Jan Dhan Plus' program:
● The program will train and work with over 2000 business correspondents (BC) and 1000 BC
Sakhis (women business correspondents) to empower them to help women customers in their
regions.
● It builds on the robust infrastructure of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), which
has brought around 25.11 crore or 251.1 million women into the banking ecosystem with Jan
Dhan bank accounts.
● It brings a compelling proposition to encourage women to account holders to save money
systematically by motivating them to deposit Rs. 500 monthly for 5 months, building a
relationship that can lead to a PMJDY overdraft loan facility of up to Rs. 10,000.
● The 'Baroda Jan Dhan Plus' model rests on 3 core pillars
● Making the bank ecosystem a welcoming one for low-income women
● Making savings relatable and rewarding for women
● Training and capacity building of business correspondent (BC) agents on soft skills with a
gender focus to make them better understand and fulfill the needs of women customers.
About WWB :
● Founded: 1979
● Headquarters: New York, U.S
● President & CEO : Mary Ellen Iskenderian
● Founders: Esther Afua Ocloo, Ela Bhatt, Michaela Walsh
● Women's World Banking is a nonprofit organization.
● It is a global non-profit committed to giving low-income women access to financial tools for long-
term financial security and prosperity.
About Bob :
● Founded: 20 July 1908
● Headquarters: Vadodara, Gujarat, India
● MD & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha
PNB signs MoU with Indian Air Force for ‘PNB Rakshak Plus Scheme’
● Punjab National Bank (PNB), the nation’s leading Public Sector Bank, has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to provide specially
designed products to the defense personnel under the bank’s flagship scheme of ‘PNB Rakshak
Plus’.
● The agreement was exchanged between Atul Kumar Goel, MD and CEO of PNB, and Chief of
Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram C haudhari, on behalf of the Indian Air Force in a
ceremony at the Indian Air Force Auditorium in Delhi.
About PNB Rakshak Plus Scheme
● The scheme includes personal accident insurance as well as air accidental insurance for
serving, retired as well as trainees of the defense forces.
● It also covers retired defense pensioners, along with personnel of the central armed police
forces, state police force, and metro police
Key features of the PNB Rakshak Plus Scheme :
● Personal Accidental (Death) cover of Rs 50 lakh.
● Air Accidental (Death) Insurance cover of Rs 100 lakh.
● Personal Accidental (Permanent Total Disability) cover of Rs 50 lakh.
● Sweep Facility
➢ Initial threshold amount - Rs 10000/-
➢ Minimum Sweep In/Out - Rs 1000/-
➢ Multiples of - Rs 1000/-
● No 'Cash Handling Charges' levied for the transaction(s) implying thereby that all branches of
PNB, PAN-India, would be considered as 'Home' branch.
● Overdraft up to last 3 months Net Salary/Pension amounting from Rs 75000 to Rs 3 lakh.
● Concession in rate of interest and service charges under Housing, Car, Education, and Personal
Loan Schemes.
● Education loan under "PNB Pratibha" is available forwards of a Primary Account holder who
takes admitted to premier institutes and the Army Educational institutions.
● Zero balance saving account to family members.
● Concession in locker rent - 25 percent Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC) waived off for three
years from the date of issue.
● Financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh per year for 4 years or the actual expenditure, whichever is
less, for the education of two surviving and dependent children (Male/Female) of a PAI (Death).
● Unlimited free DDs/POs with a ceiling of Rs 50,000 per free DD/PO.
● Free SMS Alerts for transactions in the account and on the connected Debit/Credit card(s).
About PNB :
● Founded: 19 May 1894
● MD & CEO : Atul Kumar Goel
● Tagline: The Name You Can Bank Upon
About IAF :
● Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari
SBI renews MoU with Indian Air Force for defense salary package
● State Bank of India (SBI) has renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Indian Air Force for the Defence Salary Package (DSP) scheme.
About the DSP Scheme :
● Under this scheme, it will offer various benefits and features to all serving and retired Air Force
personnel and their families.
● The lender offers extensive benefits to the Air Force personnel such as complimentary personal
accidental insurance, air accidental insurance, and additional cover in case of on-duty death
(during the action).
● In case of death of the Air Force personnel, the family of the deceased is provided with add-on
covers for child education and marriage of girl child.
● Additionally, the retired personnel will be eligible for complimentary personal accidental
insurance, irrespective of their age.
● The families of pensioners would be entitled to some benefits.
● The MoU will be automatically extended to all the Air Force personnel who are covered under its
Defence Salary Package.
About SBI :
● Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara
RBI Cancels License of Shri Anand Co-Operative Bank Due To Lack Of Capital
● Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has canceled the license of Shri Anand Co-operative Bank,
Chinchwad, Pune as the lender does not have adequate capital and cannot pay its present
depositors in full.
The Reserve Bank canceled the license of the bank because:
● The bank does not have adequate capital and earning prospects.
● As such, it does not comply with the provisions of Section 11(1) and Section 22 (3) (d) read with
Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
● The bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Sections 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c),
22(3) (d), and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
● The Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Maharashtra has
also been requested to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the
bank.
● The continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the interests of its depositors.
● The bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full.
● On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of
his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs 5 lakh only from Deposit Insurance and Credit
Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) subject to the provisions of DICGC Act, 1961.
● As per the data submitted by the bank, more than 99% of the depositors are entitled to receive
the full amount of their deposits from DICGC.
● As of May 18, 2022, DICGC has already paid Rs 9.42 crore of the total insured deposits under
About RBI :
● Established: 1 April 1935
● Governor : Shaktikanta Das
● Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar
Samunnati Partners with SBI for Financing FPOs
● India’s Open Agri network Samunnati has entered into a co-lending partnership with the State
Bank of India (SBI) to expand its outreach to Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
● Both entered into a non-financial MOU to develop the FPO Sector, mainstream FPO as an asset
class, and increase awareness of this class of farmer-owned institutions in the Banking sector.
● The partnership will enable Samunnati to scale its outreach to FPOs with customized fi nancial
solutions at affordable interest rates, leveraging the vast resources available with SBI.
● It will enhance the outreach for SBI channel credit to the under-served segment of small-holder
farmers in the agriculture sector, by leveraging Samunnati’s outreach and nuanced
understanding of the FPO sector.
● The initial program amount is INR 100 Crores.
● Samunnati works with a growing network of 3000+ Farmer Collectives with a member base of
over 6 million farmers with solutions spanning Agri Finance, Agri Commerce, and advisory
services.
● In November 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines on Co-Lending Model
between Scheduled Commercial Banks and NBFCs.
● SBI is one of the first Banks to participate in a co-lending program aimed at mainstreaming
FPOs as an asset class.
About samunnati :
● Founded: 2014
● Founder and CEO: Anil Kumar
● Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Power Finance Corporation inks loan pact with JBIC for JPY 30 bn
● State-owned & the leading Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) in the Indian power sector,
Power Finance Corporation (PFC) signed a loan agreement for Japanese Yen (JPY) 30 billion
with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).
● The loan agreement was signed by R S Dhillon, CMD, PFC, and Kazushige Gobe, Director
General, Social Infrastructure Finance Department, JBIC.
● It was signed in the presence of Parminder Chopra, Director (Finance) at PFC, R R Jha, Director
(Projects) at PFC, and Toshihiko Kurihara, Chief Representative, JBIC New Delhi office.
● JBIC provided this long-term facility to PFC under JBIC’s initiative titled ‘Global action for
Reconciling Economic growth and Environmental preservation’ (“GREEN").
● JBIC provides financing for projects which ensure the effective reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions and conservation of the global environment.
● The funds under the facility would be used by PFC to finance its renewable energy portfolio.
● This facility from JBIC would be a landmark transaction demonstrating the Quad partners' strong
unity and robust commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, while also enhancing the bilateral
cooperation between Japan and India.
● It would also help PFC in providing competitive rates for renewable power projects.
About PFC Limited :
● Founded: July 1986
● Chairman & MD: Ravinder Singh Dhillon
● Power Finance Corporation Ltd. is an Indian financial institution under the ownership of the
Ministry of Power, GoI.
About JBIC :
● Founded: 1 October 1999
● Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
● President & CEO : Tadashi Maeda
● JBIC is a Japanese public financial institution and export credit agency that was created through
the merger of the Japan Export-Import Bank (JEXIM) and the Overseas Economic Cooperation
Fund (OECF).
Max Life launches ‘Smart Capital Guarantee Solution'
● Max Life Insurance Company Ltd. has launched Smart Capital Guarantee Solution, a life
insurance product solution that combines the features of two of Max’s existing products – ‘Max
Life Smart Wealth Plan’ and 'Max Life Flexi Wealth Advantage Plan’.
● The product will offer wealth creation through market-linked returns along with a guarantee on
premiums paid at maturity with additional financial protection.
Key features of Max Life Smart Capital Guarantee Solution:
● Capital guarantee through maturity benefit of Max Life Smart Wealth Plan; market-linked returns
through a part of the premium paid towards the Max Life Flexi Wealth Advantage Plan
● Unique and customized storyboards tailored to meet varied financial needs in the form of lump-
sum benefits, regular income, or whole-life income benefit
● Flexibility to choose from different premium term payment options
● Comprehensive protection with death-benefits
● Tax benefits under section 80C and Section 10 (10D) of the Income Tax Act 1961
Max Life Smart Wealth Plan:
● This product offers a combination of protection and savings.
● It is a comprehensive life insurance savings product with guaranteed returns.
● It provides greater flexibility by offering five different variants - 3 in a lump sum and one each in
regular and whole-life income.
● Depending on the variant, all five variants provide distinct living benefits as well as
comprehensive life cover.
Max Life Flexi Wealth Advantage Plan:
● This plan maximizes wealth creation while providing financial protection.
● It ensures the return of eligible policy charges, loyalty add-ons, and power-packed boosters.
● Also, it allows for greater customization through unlimited switches and free premium redirection
at various stages of the growth journey.
● Founded: 2000
● Max Life Insurance Company Limited is a life insurance company in India with a joint venture
(JV) between Max India Ltd and Axis Bank.
● It is a subsidiary of the publicly listed Max Financial Services and is the largest non-bank private-
sector life insurer in India.
Indian Bank signs MoU with Government Of Haryana for Mobile Phone Distribution
● Public sector Indian Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Government of Haryana regarding the distribution of mobile phones to consumers through an e-
unified payment interface (e-upi) system.
● The program was flagged off by Shri. Anoop Dhanak, Hon'ble Minister of State, Revenue and
Disaster Management in the presence of Shri. Imran Amin Siddiqui, Executive Director, Indian
Bank.
● Under this arrangement, e-upi coupons will be provided by Indian Bank to all the beneficiaries
through SMS or QR -code on the mobile numbers of Lambardars.
● The e-coupon can be redeemed without any credit or debit card, mobile app, or internet and
shall enable the holder to get the mobile phone for the eligible amount from the designated
vendor.
● Under this initiative, Mobile distribution melas would be organized by the bank in Haryana.
About Indian Bank :
● Established: 1907
● MD & CEO: Shri Shanti Lal Jain
About Haryana :
● Governor : Bandaru Dattatreya
● CM : Manohar Lal Khattar
● Capital: Chandigarh
Google launched Startup School India, which targets 10,000 startups in small cities:
• Google, a tech giant, established the Startup School India program, which intends to assist
10,000 companies in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns by compiling pertinent material on startup creation
into a structured curriculum.
• Fireside conversations involving Google leaders and partners from the whole startup ecosystem
will take place over the nine-week virtual program.
Key Points:
• The goal of Company School is to provide early-stage start-up owners with the resources,
products, and information that expanding businesses require.
• It consists of a series of guided online training.
• The course material will include learning modules on topics like formulating a successful product
strategy, delving deeply into product user value, developing a roadmap and product
requirements document, creating apps for the next billion users in markets like India,
accelerating user acquisition, and many more.
• India is the third-largest country in the world for the creation of startups, with close to 70,000 of
them.
• And when more Indian founders succeed in taking their businesses public or reaching unicorn
status, it has sparked aspirations among young Indians all around the nation, creating a positive
feedback loop.
About Google
• CEO: Sundar Pichai;
• Founded: 4 September 1998;
• Headquarters: California, United States.
Govt keeps interest rates on small savings schemes unchanged for Q2FY23
● The Central Government kept interest rates on small savings schemes, such as the Public
Provident Fund (PPF) and National Savings Certificate (NSC), unchanged for July 1, 2022, to
September 30, 2022 quarter of FY23 amid high inflation and rising interest rate.
● In the second quarter of this fiscal, Public Provident Fund (PPF) and National Savings Certificate
(NSC) will continue to have an annual interest rate of 7.1 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively.
● This is the ninth quarter in a row that small savings interest rates have not changed.
● The interest rate on small savings schemes has not been revised since the first quarter of 2020-
21.
Key Highlights :
● The interest rate on savings deposits will continue to be at 4% per annum.
● The PPF will continue to earn 7.10%.
● Term deposits of one to five years will fetch an interest rate in the range of 5.5-6.7%, to be paid
quarterly while the interest rate on five-year recurring deposits will earn a higher interest of 5.8%.
● The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana offers a 7.6%, Senior Citizen saving scheme (7.4%) and while
SBI's 5-10 year fixed deposits give 5.50%.
● The finance ministry announced that the rate of interest on various small savi ngs schemes for
the first quarter of the financial year 2022-23, starting from April 1, 2022, and ending on June 30,
2022, shall remain unchanged from the current rates applicable for the fourth quarter (January 1,
2022, to March 31, 2022) for FY 2021-22.
● The country's biggest lender State Bank of India (SBI) raised the interest rate on one-year fixed
deposits by 5.10 percent following two consecutive increases in benchmark rate by 90 basis
points to tame high inflation.
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the repo rate by 40 basis points and 50 basis points in
May and June, respectively.
● Retail inflation stood at 7.04 percent in May 2022 remaining above the RBI's tolerance level for
the fifth month in a row.
● Recently, the Provident Fund (PF) rate was reduced to a four-decade low of 8.1% for 2021-22
from 8.5%.
● The Shyamala Gopinath committee in 2011 recommended making small savings schemes
market-linked.
Finance Minister Nirmala Ms. Sitharaman chairs the 47th meeting of the GST Council
● The 47th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council met under the Chairmanship of Union Minister
for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, in Chandigarh.
● The GST rate changes will be made effective from July 18, 2022.
● The two-day meeting of the GST Council will be attended by the Minister of State for Finance
Pankaj Chaudhary, Finance Ministers of States and Union Territories, and Senior officers from
Union Government and States.
Recommendations relating to GST rates on goods and services :
For Goods :
S.No Description From To
1 Printing, writing or drawing ink 12% 18%
2 Knives with cutting blades, Paper knives, 12% 18%
Pencil sharpeners and blades therefor,
Spoons, forks, ladles, skimmers, cake servers,
etc
3 Power-driven pumps primarily designed for 12% 18%
handling water such as centrifugal pumps,
deep tube-well turbine pumps, submersible
pumps; Bicycle pumps
4 Machines for cleaning, sorting, or grading, 5% 18%
seed, grain pulses; Machinery used in the
milling industry or for the working of cereals,
etc; Pawan Chakki that is Air Based Atta
Chakki; Wet grinder
5 Machines for cleaning, sorting, or grading 12% 18%
eggs, fruit, or other agricultural produce and
its parts, Milking machines, and dairy
machinery
6 LED Lamps, lights and fixture, their metal 12% 18%
printed circuits board
7 Drawing and marking out instruments 12% 18%
8 Solar Water Heater and system 5% 12%
9 Prepared/finished leather/chamois leather / 5% 12%
composition leathers
For Services :
S.No Description From To
1 Services supplied by the foreman to chit fund 12% 18%
2 Job work about processing hides, skins, and 5% 12%
leather
3 Job work in the manufacture of leather goods 5% 12%
and footwear
4 Job work about the manufacture of clay bricks 5% 12%
5 Works contract for roads, bridges, railways, 12% 18%
metro, effluent treatment plant, crematorium,
etc.
In the case of the following goods, the exemption in form of a concessional rate of GST is being
rationalized
S.No Description of goods From To
1 Petroleum/ Coal bed methane 5% 12%
2 Scientific and technical instruments supplied 5% Applicabl
to public-funded research institutes e rate
3 E-waste 5% 18%
Click here for the complete list of the GST rate changes
About Ministry of Finance :
● Cabinet Minister : Nirmala Sitharaman
● Minister of State : Bhagwat Karad, Pankaj Choudhary
● Finance Secretary: T. V Somanathan
Bank Deposit Growth Moderates To 10% on Year In March 2022: RBI
● As per the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the share of current account
and savings account (CASA) deposits in total deposits has been increasing over the years and
stood at 44.8% in March 2022 as compared with 41.7% three years ago.
● These low-cost deposits accounted for 60.9% and 55.6% of incremental deposits during 2020-
21 and 2021-22, respectively.
● Bank deposit growth moderated to 10% in March 2022 as compared with 11.9% a year ago.
● Current savings and term deposits increased by 10.9%, 13.3%, and 7.9%, respectively, during
2021-22.
● Metropolitan branches of banks, which account for over half of total deposits, accounted for 51.5
percent in incremental deposits during 2021-22 (59.6 percent in 2020-21).
● The household sector held the dominant share (62.6%) in total deposits followed by non-
financial corporations, general government, rest of the world, and financial corporations,
respectively.
● Female depositors accounted for 19.8% of total deposits in March 2022; their share in
incremental bank deposits during 2021-22 increased to 34.3% from 15.2% in 2020-21.
● General government and financial corporations together account for over one-fourth of the
incremental deposits during 2021-22 as compared to the 5.8% share in 2020-21.
● Large-size deposits with assets of Rs 1 crore and above have nearly 40% share in total term
deposits.
● Seven states, viz., Maharashtra, National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Gujarat, together accounted for 63.3% of bank
deposits.
About RBI :
SBI, KDEM partner to offer collateral-free loans to startups in Karnataka
● State Bank of India (SBI) and Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which would enable SBI to open India's first dedicated
branch for startups in Koramangala, Karnataka.
● As per the MoU, the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE)
will be utilized by the SBI to provide collateral-free loans of up to Rs 2 crore to startups
recognized under KDEM's Elevate program.
● The emphasis is to ELEVATE Winners and to AIF-supported start-ups of Karnataka.
● The Elevate-Idea2PoC was launched by the Department of Electronics, IT, BT, and S& T,
Government of Karnataka to identify and nurture innovative start-ups and provide them the
necessary boost at various stages through funding or mentoring.
● With this MOU more than 1000 start-ups are going to be supported.
● The SBI will also set up a support desk for startups at the existing K-tech center near HSR
Layout in Bengaluru.
● Similar desks will be set up in the other three hubs being developed in Belagavi, Hubbali, and
Mangaluru as part of the KDEM's " Beyond Bengaluru" initiative.
● Additionally, the SBI will also contribute to the Rs 75-crore equity cluster fund being
accumulated to develop the three hubs & the Government of Karnataka will invest Rs 25 crore.
● CGTMSE was launched by the Union government to make collateral-free credit to the micro and
small enterprises sector.
About SBI :
● Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara
RBI clears payment aggregator license for Razorpay, PineLabs & Stripe
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) gave payment aggregator (PA) and payment gateway (PG)
licenses in principle to Razorpay, Pine Labs, and American payments player Stripe.
● The companies have become the first players to receive such a license.
● Payment aggregators are entities that enable e-commerce sites and merchants to accept
various payment instruments from customers for completion of their payment obligations, without
the need for merchants to create a separate payment integration system of their own.
● In 2020, RBI issued guidelines that stated only firms approved by the regulator can acquire and
offer payment services to the merchants
● According to RBI guidelines, payment aggregators need to have a net worth of Rs 15 crore as of
March 2021, and a net worth of Rs 25 crore by on or before FY23.
About Razorpay :
● Founded: 2013
● CEO: Harshil Mathur
About Pine Labs :
● Founded: 1998
● Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
● Executive Chairman: Lokvir Kapoor
● CEO: B.Amrish Rau
AIIB to establish an Interim Operational Hub in Abu Dhabi, UAE
● The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), in which India is the second-largest
shareholder after China, has approved the establishment of an Interim Operational Hub, its first
overseas office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), pending formal agreement to be
finalized.
● The hub will provide AIIB with a robust platform to enable effective supervision of its growing
investment portfolio, and strengthen its project monitoring and implementation services across
the globe.
About AIIB :
● Established: 16 January 2016
● Headquarters: Beijing, China
● President: Jin Liqun
● Membership: 105 Member States
● Former Reserve Bank Governor Urjit Patel is one of its five Vice Presidents.
Union Bank of India Launches Metaverse Lounge and Open Banking Sandbox Environment
● Union Bank of India (UBI) has announced the launch of Uni-verse, the bank’s Metaverse Virtual
Lounge & Open Banking Sandbox environment at an event held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
● With this launch, UBI has become the first Indian Bank to open a virtual shop for Publicity.
● This initiative was launched in partnership with Tech Mahindra.
About Uni-verse :
● Uni-verse will host product information and videos in the initial phase.
● It will deliver a unique banking experience to customers by providing them with information on
the bank’s deposits, loans, government welfare schemes, digital initiatives, etc.
● The bank has also launched an Open Banking Sandbox environment through which it will
collaborate with fin-techs and start-up partners for developing and launching innovative banking
products.
● UBI has a mobile banking app, ‘nxt’ that provides a host of services such as balance inquiry,
mini statement, paying loans EMIs, fund transfers, bill payments, and the option to make
investments such as fixed deposits, PPF, etc.
About UBI :
● Founded: 11 November 1919
● MD & CEO : A Manimekhalai
City Union Bank partners with Shriram General Insurance for the distribution of insurance products
● Private sector lender City Union Bank (CUB) signed a corporate agency agreement with Shriram
General Insurance to distribute the latter’s insurance products through its network of branches
across India.
● Under the agreement, Shriram General Insurance will offer personal insurance products such as
motor, personal accident, home, and travel along with commercial ones such as property,
marine, and engineering to the bank’s customers.
About CUB :
● Founded: 1904
● Headquarters: Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India
● MD & CEO: Dr. N. Kamakodi
About Shriram General Insurance :
● Founded: 2008
● Headquarters: Jaipur, Rajasthan
● MD and CEO: Anil Kumar Aggarwal
● Shriram General Insurance Company is a joint venture between Shriram Capital, the holding
company for the financial services business of the Shriram Group, and Sanlam Limited
(headquartered in South Africa), a leading pan-African financial services group.
Axis bank signs MoU with Indian Air Force to manage salary accounts
● One of India’s leading private sector banks, Axis Bank has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to manage salary accounts of the defense
personnel with best-in-class benefits and features under its ‘Power Salute’ initiative.
● The signing ceremony was held at Air Force Headquarters, with the I.A.F, represented by Air
Vice-Marshal Ashok Saini, in the presence of Air Chief Marshal, V R Chaudhari, and Axis Bank
representatives Reynold D’ Souza, Executive Vice President, and Lt Col M.K Sharma, National
Accounts Head.
● Through this Defence Service Salary package, the bank will offer benefits to all ranks of Indian
Air Force personnel including the veterans, and cadets/recruits.
● The package will reportedly include an air accident cover of up to Rs 1 crore and a personal
accident cover of up to Rs 56 lakh for all personnel ranks.
● The package would also include grants for up to Rs 8 lakh for the education of servicemen's
children who have a maximum total lifetime disability of Rs 46 lakh.
● There will be no processing fee to open the account, while as many as 12 EMI waivers will be
given on home loans.
● It will also offer additional zero balance accounts for 3 family members with no charges.
About Axis Bank :
About IAF :
Tata MF tie-up with CAMSPay to launch UPI AutoPay facility for SIPs
● Tata Mutual Fund has teamed up with Computer Age Management Services Limited CAMSPay
to introduce Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Autopay for immediate Systematic Investment
Plan (SIPs).
● Using this, investors in mutual funds can use their virtual payment address (VPA)/UPI handle to
mandate an Autopay facility for their Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) contributions.
● The inclusion of the UPI Autopay option makes the process smoother and may increase
investors' willingness to invest.
● In this process, CAMSPay’s UPI AutoPay offers real-time Third-Party Payment validation (TPV)
and same-day settlement hence investors receive NAV benefits.
RBI imposes restrictions and withdrawal caps on 4 Co-Operative banks
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed various restrictions on 4 cooperative banks
Ramgarhia Co-operative Bank, New Delhi; Sahebrao Deshmukh Co-operative Bank, Mumbai;
Sangli Sahakari Bank, Mumbai; and Sharada Mahila Co-operative Bank Limited, Tumkur,
Karnataka.
● The Central bank has put restrictions under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 for six months
and it includes a cap on withdrawals for the depositors.
● Further, a cap has also been imposed on withdrawals by depositors of these four cooperative
banks.
● Ramgarhia Co-operative Bank – Depositor can withdraw a maximum of Rs 50,000.
● Sahebrao Deshmukh Cooperative Bank– The cap is again Rs 50,000 per depositor.
● Sangli Sahakari Bank– The cap is Rs 45,000 per deposit.
● Sharada Mahila Co-operative Bank– a depositor can withdraw a maximum of Rs 7,000.
About RBI :
RBI penalizes Federal Bank and Bank of India for violating regulations
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty on Federal Bank Limited and
Bank of India & Dhani Loans and Services Ltd. for violating the provisions of its regulations.
Monetary Penalty on Federal Bank Limited :
● A monetary penalty of Rs 5.72 crore has been imposed on Federal Bank Ltd for non-
compliance with the provisions of ‘Reserve Bank of India (Financial Services provided by Banks)
Directions, 2016’ issued by RBI.
● This penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of
section 47 A (1) (c) read with section 46 (4) (i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
Monetary Penalty on BoI :
● A monetary penalty of ₹70 lakh has been imposed on the Bank of India for non-compliance with
certain provisions of the ‘Reserve Bank of India (Know Your Customer (KYC)) Direction, 2016’
and circular instructions on ‘Compliance Function in Banks’ issued by RBI.
section 47 A (1) (c) read with section 46 (4) (i) and Section 51 (1) of the Banking Regulation Act,
1949
Monetary Penalty on Dhani Loans and Services Limited :
● A monetary penalty of Rs 7.60 lakh has been imposed on Dhani Loans and Services Limited,
Gurugram for non-compliance with the "Reserve Bank of India (Know Your Customer (KYC))
Directions, 2016” issued by RBI.
58 B of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
India's marine product exports hit an all-time high in FY 2021-22:
• K N Raghavan, Chairman, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), informed
India managed to do all-time high export worth US$ 7.76 billion with a volume of 13,69,264 MT
of seafood.
• India shipped 13,69,264 MT of seafood worth Rs 57,586.48 crore (USD 7.76 billion) during
2021-22, despite heavy odds.
• During the FY 2021-22, the export improved in rupee terms by 31.71%, in USD terms by
30.26%, and in quantity terms by 19.12%.
• In 2020-21, India had exported 11,49,510 MT of seafood worth Rs 43,720.98 crore (USD
5,956.93 million).
Key Points:
• The overall export of frozen shrimps during 2021-22 was pegged at 7,28,123 MT.
• USA, the largest market, imported (3,42,572 MT) of frozen shrimp, followed by China (1,25,667
MT), European Union (90,549 MT), South East Asia (44,683 MT), Japan (38,492 MT), and the
Middle East (37,158 MT). Export of Frozen shrimp shows increases in all the markets by value.
SBICAP Ventures Ltd. signs MoU with the Ministry of External Affairs for Trilateral Development
Cooperation Fund
• SBICAP Ventures Limited (SVL), a subsidiary of the State Bank of India (SBI) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), GoI for
establishing the Trilateral Development Cooperation Fund (TDC Fund).
• The TDC Fund will route India’s commitment of approx. INR 175 Cr to the Global Innovation
Development Fund (GIP Fund)
Key Highlights :
• Under the India – UK World Innovation Partnership (GIP), the Global Innovation Development
Fund (GIP Fund) an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) proposed to be established in partnership
with the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
• The GIP Fund will invest in mainly small & medium enterprises from India that tackle
development challenges in line with the goals and objectives of the GIP.
• The GIP Fund will target Indian innovative enterprises that are at an advanced stage but lack
access to capital for expansion to other developing countries.
• SVL will act as the administrator-cum-advisor (Investment Manager) of TDC Fund and facilitate
the GIP program for MEA.
• The Trilateral Development Cooperation Fund will demonstrate as well as reduce risk perception
for innovation transfer.
• This collaboration will be a building block towards structuring investments into innovative
enterprises from India and facilitate further development, transfer, and scale-up of successful
innovations in developing partner countries.
About SVL :
• MD & CEO : Suresh Kozhikote
• SBICAP Ventures Ltd is an alternative asset manager based in India, belonging to the State
Bank of India Group, and manages funds across private equity, real estate, and fund of funds
mandates.
About MEA :
• Union Minister: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
• Minister of State: V. Muraleedharan, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Meenakshi Lekhi
IRDAI sets up task forces to suggest steps to resolve issues insurers & reinsurers
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has set up two task
forces to suggest steps to sort out issues between insurers and reinsurers.
• According to reports, the task forces will file the reports within three weeks.
• A 9 member panel has been constituted to sort out the issues between non-life insurers and
reinsurers under the chairmanship of Bhargav Dasgupta, MD, and CEO of ICICI Lombard
General.
• The panel will suggest steps on the applicability of compliance requirements, and faster
settlement and payment mechanisms among the re-insurers and cross-border reinsurers
(CBRs), among others.
• The second task force, comprising 7 members, will look at the life insurance segment and re-
insurers.
• It is headed by Naveen Tahilyani, CEO and MD, Tata AIA Life Insurance.
• The panel on life insurance has been asked to study and make recommendations on
stabilization of reinsurance rates, capacity constraints with reinsurers, securitization of mortality
risk, and financial reinsurance solutions, among others.
About IRDAI :
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is a regulatory body
under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
TATA AIA life insurance & City Union Bank partners to offer life & health insurance
• One of India's leading life insurance companies, Tata AIA Life Insurance Co. Ltd, announced a
strategic alliance with City Union Bank (CUB) to offer life and health insurance solutions to the
Bank’s consumers.
• The partnership will help City Union Bank consumers (existing and new) to benefit from Tata AIA
Life’s diverse and innovative products and services spanning term insurance, savings and
investment, retirement, and health.
• It will enable Tata AIA Life to expand its distribution through CUB's 700+ branches and
contribute significantly towards increasing life insurance penetration in India.
• The two entities focus on providing a digitally enabled experience and mobile-first solutions to
consumers.
• Through this association, both partners will be able to promote insurance awareness and
financial planning amongst consumers, with ease, across physical and digital consumer-facing
platforms
About TATA AIA life insurance :
• Founded: 2001
• CEO: Naveen Tahilyani
• Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited (Tata AIA Life) is a joint venture company, formed by
Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd. and AIA Group Ltd. (AIA).
About City Union Bank :
• Founded: 1904
• Headquarters: Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India
• MD & CEO: Dr. N. Kamakodi
RBI sets up a mechanism to settle international trade payments in rupees
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a mechanism to settle payments for invoicing,
payment, and settlement of exports/imports in INR for international trade in rupees.
Aim :
• To promote the growth of global trade with emphasis on exports from India and to support the
increasing interest of the global trading community in the Indian Rupee.
Key Highlights :
• Under the new guidelines, all exports and imports under this arrangement may be denominated
and invoiced in Rupee (INR).
• The exchange rate between the currencies of the two trading partner countries may be market
determined.
• The settlement of trade transactions under this arrangement shall take place in INR.
• In terms of Regulation 7(1) of Foreign Exchange Management (Deposit) Regulations, 2016,
Authorized Dealer (AD) banks in India have been permitted to open Rupee Vostro Accounts.
• For settlement of trade transactions with any country, AD banks in India may open Special
Rupee Vostro Accounts of correspondent bank/s of the partner trading country.
• The Special Vostro Accounts can be used for payments for projects and investments, import or
export advance flow management, and investment in Government Treasury Bills subject to
Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA).
• Letter of Credit (LC) and other trade-related documentation may be decided mutually between
banks of the partner trading countries under the overall framework of Uniform Customs and
Practice for Documentary Credits (UCPDC) and incoterms.
• Also, the bank guarantee, setting-off export receivables, advance against exports, use of surplus
balance, approval process, documentation, etc., related aspects would be covered under FEMA
rules.
RBI Cancels Certificate of Registration of Four NBFCs
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has canceled the Certificate of Registration (CoR) of four non-
banking financial companies (NBFCs) under the exercise of powers conferred on it under
Section 45-IA (6) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
List of 4 NBFCs :
1. Kanva Shree Credit Private Limited (formerly known as MCI Leasing Private Limited),
Bangalore, Karnataka
2. Williamson Magor & Co. Ltd, Kolkata, West Bengal
3. Galaxy Capital Finance Limited, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
4. SRS Finance Limited, Faridabad, Haryana.
Additional Info :
• In May 2022, the RBI canceled the registration of five NBFCs under the above clause for
irregular lending practices.
• Further, 3 more NBFCs – PKC Credit Pvt Ltd, Gajanand Lefin Pvt Ltd, and Harita Malini Private
Limited surrendered their certificate of registration to the RBI.
RBI imposes a Rs 1.7 cr penalty on Ola Financial Services for non-compliance with norms
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.67 crore on Ola Financial
Services for non-compliance with certain provisions related to pre-paid payment (PPIs) dated 27
August 2021 and the Master Direction Know Your Customer (KYC) Direction, 2016 dated
February 25, 2016.
• The penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers vested in RBI under Section 30 of the
• The penalty is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce
upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by Ola Financial Services with its
customers
About Ola Financial Services Private Limited :
• The Ola Financial Services Private Limited, a subsidiary of ride-hailing app Ola.
• It offers financial services such as lending for two-wheelers, four-wheelers, personal loans, and
insurance products.
RBI allows Trade transactions with Lanka may be settled outside the Asian Clearing Union mechanism
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that all eligible current account transactions
including trade transactions with Sri Lanka may be settled in any permitted currency outside the
Asian Clearing Union (ACU) mechanism until further notice.
• Under the ACU, member central banks settle payments for intra-regional transactions on a net
basis.
• This reduces the use of foreign exchange reserves and transfer costs.
About ACU :
• Establishment: 1974
• Headquarters: Tehran, Iran
• Members of the union: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka, and Iran
• The Asian Clearing Union (ACU), is an initiative of the United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
• Currently, ACU settlements are done in three currencies: the US dollar, the euro, and the
Japanese yen.
RBI Imposes Monetary Penalties On 3 Cooperative Banks Over Non-Compliance
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed monetary penalties on three cooperative banks for
deficiencies in regulatory compliance.
• The banks on which the RBI imposed penalties include
1. Nasik Merchant's Co-operative Bank Ltd in Nashik, Maharashtra
2. Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank Ltd in Mumbai, Maharashtra
3. National Central Cooperative Bank Limited in Bettiah, Bihar.
Nasik Merchant's Co-operative Bank Ltd :
• The RBI imposed a Rs 50 lakh penalty on The Nasik Merchant's Co-operative Bank for non-
compliance with the directions issued by RBI on ‘Placement of deposits with other banks and
‘Interest Rate on Deposits.
Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank Ltd :
• The RBI imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 37.50 lakh on The Maharashtra State Co-operative
Bank, Mumbai for non-compliance with the directions issued by NABARD on ‘Frauds -
Guidelines for Classification, Reporting, and Monitoring’
National Central Cooperative Bank Limited:
• A penalty of Rs 2 lakh has been imposed on The National Central Cooperative Bank Limited,
Bettiah for non-compliance with provisions of the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund and
Know Your Customer (KYC) norms.
• In each case, the penalty is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended
to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the banks with
their customers.
RBI: Banks' gross NPAs ratio falls to a six-year low of 5.9% in March 2022
• According to the report by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Bank’s gross non-performing assets
(GNPA) of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) in India have hit a six-year low of 5.9 percent in
March 2022 to 5.3 percent by March 2023 under the baseline scenario driven by higher bank
credit growth and a declining trend in the stock of GNPAs
• The net non-performing assets (NNPA) ratio fell to 1.7 percent in March 2022.
• The provisioning coverage ratio (PCR) increased to 70.9 percent in March 2022 from 67.6
percent in March 2021.
• However, the GNPA ratio may rise under the medium/severe stress scenarios, the GNPA ratio
may rise to 6.2 percent/ 8.3 percent, respectively.
About RBI :
• Headquarters: Mumbai Maharashtra, India
• Governor : Shaktikanta Da
AMFI to launch mutual fund distributor recruitment campaign 'Karein Shuru?'
• The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) has launched a new mutual fund distributor
recruitment campaign “Karein Shuru?”- Can We Start?
• The campaign includes television commercial films to reinforce the need and attractiveness of
Mutual Funds Distribution as a career option with long-term earning potential for individuals with
entrepreneurial aspirations.
• Wunderman Thompson is the advertising agency, while Mirum has created digital campaigns for
AMFI.
• The campaign targets women looking to re-enter the workforce, retired professionals,
enterprising fresh graduates, and individuals with entrepreneurial aspirations.
About AMFI :
• Founded: 1995
• Chairman : A Balasubramanian
• Director: Vishal Kapoor
• The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) is the regulatory body for the mutual fund
sector in India.
• It is a division of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, Ministry of Finance, GoI.
RBI Extends Card Tokenization Deadline By 3 Months Till September 30, 2022
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the timeline on credit card and debit card
tokenization, by three months till September 30 from June 30, 2022.
• The decision was made in consultation with the stakeholders to avoid disruption and
inconvenience to cardholders.
• To date, a total of 19.5 crore tokens have been created.
• RBI stated this extended period may be utilized by the industry for
• To facilitate all stakeholders to be ready for handling tokenized transactions
• To process transactions based on tokens
• To implement an alternate mechanism(s) to handle all post-transaction activities (including
chargeback handling and settlement)
• To create public awareness about the process of creating tokens and using them to undertake
transactions.
RBI Guidelines for Tokenization :
• Under the framework, RBI directs cardholders to create “tokens" (a unique alternate code)
instead of card details; these tokens can then be stored by the merchants for processing
transactions in the future.
• The cardholder has to undergo a one-time registration process for each card at every online / e-
commerce merchant’s website/mobile application, by entering the card details and giving
consent for creating a token.
• This consent is validated by way of authentication through an Additional Factor of Authentication
(AFA).
• Thereafter, a token is created which is specific to the card and online/e-commerce merchant,
i.e., the token cannot be used for payment at any other merchant.
• For future transactions performed at the same merchant website/mobile application, the
cardholder can identify the card with the last four digits during the checkout process.
• Further, RBI also issued a framework for CoF Tokenization (CoFT) services.
• CoFT (i.e., creating tokens) is voluntary for the cardholders.
• Hence, those who do not wish to create a token can continue to transact as before by entering
card details manually at the time of undertaking the transaction (commonly referred to as “guest
checkout transaction").
Star Health partners with MeitY to reach rural India
• Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. Ltd., one of the leading standalone health insurance
companies in the country, and Common Services Centers (CSC), under the Ministry of
Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), have partnered to provide health insurance to
rural India.
• Concurrently, the added distribution network will help Star Health expand its market share and
strengthen its presence across India.
Key Highlights :
• The CSCs will provide a host of special features to rural customers including a large bouquet of
e-services through a single-delivery platform, localized help-desk support, and sustainability for
village-level entrepreneurs (VLEs) through a maximum commission sharing model of operation.
• To provide over 5 lakh CSCs access to a select range of Star Health insurance products.
• These products have been designed to meet the needs of rural customers across tier-II, tier-III
cities, and rural markets across India.
• Through its network, CSC will offer a series of beneficial products for the rural markets like
Family Health Optima Insurance Plan, Accidental Care Individual Policy, Star Micro Rural and
Farmers Care, and other such products to meet the health insurance needs in these regions.
About Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. Ltd:
• Founded: 2006
• Chairman & CEO: V Jagannathan
• MD: Anand Roy
About MeitY:
• Cabinet Minister: Ashwini Vaishnav
• Minister of State : Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Arohan launches digital lending app, expects to raise loan portfolio by Rs 600cr by FY23
• Non-Banking Financial Companies - Microfinance Institutions (NBFC-MFI) Arohan Financial
Services launched a digital lending app for its existing customers having a good repayment track
record to provide them an experience equivalent to that of privilege banking.
Objective :
• To “raise collection efficiency ratio.
• The app, ApnaArohan, will help its customers make repayments and other transactions through
the digital mode and reduce physical interaction with the loan officers of the MFI.
• The AI-powered app will provide the microfinance company the “first mover advantage” and help
increase the outstanding portfolio from Rs 4,500 crore, as of June 2022, to around Rs 5,100
crore by the end of the FY 2022-23.
• This will also help complete the digitalization of disbursement and collection exercise of the MFI.
About Arohan :
• Founded: 2006
• Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal
• Managing Director: Manoj Kumar Nambiar
ReNew Becomes First Indian Renewable Energy Company to Refinance Dollar-Denominated Bonds
• Renew Energy Global plc ('ReNew') has successfully refinanced its 2024 maturity dollar-
denominated bonds with amortizing project debt from an Indian nonbank financial company.
• ReNew issued bonds worth US$ 525 million in 2019, which were set to mature in 2024.
• By refinancing the dollar-denominated bonds ahead of time, ReNew has shown strong and
continued access to domestic debt capital, as well as an ability to proactively manage to
refinance risk
• This refinancing has cut the bonds' INR interest cost by 200 basis points, with the interest rate
fixed for three years while pushing out the maturity to the end of the fiscal year 2027.
• The rate reduction, rate fixing, and tenor extension have taken place against the backdrop of a
rising interest rate environment in the broader markets.
• This preemptive refinancing mitigates near-term refinancing risk for bonds and provides liquidity
to bond investors.
Note :
• 'ReNew' has become the first Indian renewable energy company to refinance dollar-
denominated bonds.
About ReNew Power :
• Chairman & CEO : Sumant Sinha
• ReNew Power is India's largest renewable energy company by operational capacity.
• In 2022, ReNew had a gross total portfolio of ~12.8 GW of renewable energy projects across
India.
India’s retail inflation at 7.01% in June:
• Consumer pricing index (CPI)-based retail inflation dropped to 7.01 percent in June of this year
from 7.04 percent the month before.
• According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, lower prices in the "Food
& Beverages" category were a major factor in the slight decrease in inflation.
Key Points:
• Inflation in the food basket was 7.56% in June 2022 compared to 7.84% in May of this year.
• From 18.26% in May 2022, the inflation rate for vegetables decreased to 17.37% in the reporting
month.
• Rising global commodity prices as a result of the conflict in Russia and Ukraine and high costs
for crude oil have put inflation over the Reserve Bank of India's maximum tolerance limit of 6%.
• For a five-year term ending in March 2026, the government has ordered the central bank to keep
retail inflation at 4% with a 2% tolerance on each side.
Month-wise list of consumer price index:
2022 CPI
January 6.01%
February 6.04%
March 6.95%
April 7.79%
May 7.04%
June 7.01%
The Paper Import Monitoring System will be operational on October 1, 2022:
• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) created the Paper Import Monitoring System
(PIMS) by modifying the import policy for significant paper goods from "free" to "free subject to
required registration under PIMS."
• The new regulation will go into force on October 1, 2022, according to the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry.
• The online registration option, according to a statement from the ministry, will, however, start
being offered from July 15, 2022.
Key Points:
• A Domestic Territory Area unit must utilize the PIMS when importing several types of paper
goods, such as newspaper, handmade paper, coated paper, uncoated paper, Litho and offset
paper, tissue paper, toilet paper, cartons, labels, and more.
• These goods come under one of the 201 tariff lines.
• Paper products, such as bank bonds and check paper, security printing paper, and others, are
exempt from the registration requirement.
• A registration fee of Rs 500 must be paid to PIMS no earlier than the 75th day and no later than
the 5th day before the expected date of arrival of the import consignment for an importer to be
assigned an automatic registration number.
• Various shipments Within the registration's validity period and for the permitted amount, Bill of
Entry (BoE) submissions are permitted under the same registration number.
• For 75 days, the automatic registration number is valid.
• When importing the goods covered by the scheme, a Unit in a Special Economic Zone/Free
Trading Warehousing Zone or an Export Oriented Unit must register under the PIMS.
Agritech startup nurture. farm partners with SBI General Insurance & Future Generali to enhance
insurance offerings to farmers
• Agri-tech startup nurture. farm partnered with SBI General Insurance and Future Generali India
Insurance Company to expand its insurance solutions for its 1.9 million farmers.
Aim :
• To offer insurance solutions to nearly 2 million farmers in 2022-23
About nurture.farm :
• Founded: 2020
• Nurture. the farm is an open digital platform for growers, farming communities, and food
systems.
• It intends to offer remote sensing-based farm-level insurance to farmers, which is one of the
missing links in increasing farmer resilience in India.
• Recently, Nurture. the farm received a corporate agency license from Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority (IRDA) & the license enables nurture. farm to help farmers access
innovative insurance solutions at cost-effective price points.
• Founded: 2009
• MD & CEO: Paritosh Tripathi
• Tagline: Suraksha aur Bharosa dono
HDFC Bank Partners With NIIT to Train and Hire Data Engineers
• National Institute of Information Technology, Institute of Finance, Banking and Insurance (IFBI),
a subsidiary of NIIT Limited, has entered into a strategic partnership with HDFC Bank to build
new-age Digital Talent for the banking industry.
Aim :
• To nurture talent in the new-age tech field of data science and empower them to leverage data
meaningfully and deliver useful business insights.
• The learning programs will be delivered through live, instructor-led sessions, and guest lectures
from senior executives of HDFC Bank.
• The first learning program to be launched is the HDFC Bank Data Digits-Post Graduate Program
in Data Engineering.
• The program is the first of planned initiatives to raise digital skills in the BFSI industry.
• It will make learners job ready in 12 weeks.
• Through this program, the HDFC bank hopes to hire close to 100 data scientists per year.
About HDFC Bank :
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra India
• MD & CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
• Tagline: We Understand Your World
Jubilant Pharma arm to raise $400 million loan from Standard Chartered Bank to repay debt
• Jubilant Pharma Holdings Inc (JPHI) has signed an agreement with Standard Chartered Bank
(SCB) for a five-year loan of USD 400 million, about Rs 3,186 crore.
• The majority of the amount will be used for the repayment of existing term loans and debt bonds.
• While the term loan and bonds aggregate to $350 million, about Rs 2,787 crore, the company is
raising another tranche of $50 million (about Rs 400 crore) for capital expenditure.
About JPHI :
• Jubilant Pharma Limited's wholly-owned subsidiary Jubilant Pharma Limited.
About SCB :
• Headquarters: London England, UK
• Group Chief Executive: Bill Winters
Wholesale inflation falls slightly in June to 15.18 percent:
• According to the all-India Wholesale Price Index (WPI), the annual rate of inflation for June is
15.18%, a slight decrease from May when it was 15.88%.
• The most recent number defied a three-month upward trend while continuing a 15-month streak
of double-digit growth.
• Since April of last year, the numbers have been in the double digits.
Key Points:
• The increase in prices of mineral oils, food items, crude oil and natural gas, basic metals,
chemicals, and chemical products, food goods, etc. in June relative to the same month the year
before is the main cause of the high rate of inflation.
• The index for the category "Fuel and Power" went from 154.4 percent in May 2022 to 155.4
percent in June 2022, an increase of 0.65 percent.
• Mineral oil prices rose by 0.98 percent in June 2022 compared to May.
• From 176.1 in May 2022 to 178.4 in June 2022, the Food Index, which includes "Food Articles"
from the Primary Articles group and "Food Product" from the Manufactured Products group, has
grown.
• Based on the WPI Food Index, the inflation rate climbed from 10.89% in May to 12.41% in June.
List of Wholesale Price Index:
2022 CPI
January 12.96%
February 13.11%
March 14.55%
April 15.08%
May 15.88%
June 15.18%
Nasscom joins hand with Google for DigiVaani Call Center:
• To assist women farmers in growing their businesses, the Nasscom Foundation and Google
have announced the opening of a contact center in partnership with the Indian Society of
Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP), a non-profit organization.
• The "DigiVaani Call Center" initiative is being launched as a trial and would initially serve over
20,000 rural women entrepreneurs across six states: Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
About the DigiVaani:
• Rural women entrepreneurs will be able to phone DigiVaani and acquire information about the
many programs that are accessible to them that may help them grow up their businesses,
whether they are government programs or any other information that might be helpful for them.
• At the ISAP headquarters in Delhi and Lucknow, a DigiVaani contact center has been
established.
• Through its charitable arm Google.org, Google is providing funding for the initiative.
About Google
• Headquarters: California, United States
About NASSCOM
• Chairperson: Krishnan Ramanujam
• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Founded: 1 March 1988.
Quantum Mutual Fund launches India’s first Nifty 50 ETF Fund of Fund
• Quantum Mutual Fund launches Quantum Nifty 50 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF Fund), an
open-ended Fund of Fund (FoF) scheme that invests in the units of Quantum Nifty 50 ETF.
• Quantum Nifty 50 ETF FOF is India’s first-of-its-kind Nifty 50 ETF Fund of Fund.
• The new fund offer opens on July 18, 2022, and closes on August 1, 2022.
• The scheme will re-open for subscription and redemption on an ongoing basis from August 10,
2022.
• Hitendra Parekh has been the fund manager since its inception on July 10th, 2008.
Aim :
• To provide capital appreciation by investing in units of Quantum Nifty 50 ETF – Replicating /
Tracking Nifty 50 Index.
Salient features of Quantum Nifty 50 ETF Fund of Fund :
• No Demat account required
• Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) option available
• According to the Asset Allocation Strategy, investors dedicate money worth 12 months of their
expenses to a liquid fund and 20% of their investable money to gold, the rest 80% can be
allocated to equity.
• This fund will invest in the units of Quantum Nifty 50 ETF, a passive scheme in the array of
Quantum Solutions with a track record of 14 years and counting.
• Quantum Nifty 50 ETF FoF will have an expense ratio of about 15 basis points for a direct plan
and about 27 basis points for a regular plan.
• Investors can allocate 85% of their equity investments to Quantum Nifty 50 ETF Fund of Fund,
while the remaining 15% can be allocated to Quantum India ESG Equity Fund.”
Singapore & Asian Development Bank sign agreement to promote investment in the Asia Pacific
• Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
to promote greater investment in the Asia and Pacific region and to recognize the importance of
private sector finance as well as catalyzing public sector resources for sustainable and inclusive
development.
• Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mr. Lawrence Wong and ADB
President Mr. Masatsugu Asakawa signed the agreement on the sidelines of the G20 Finance
Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Bali, Indonesia.
Aim :
• To build on these areas of collaboration by focusing on mobilizing investment, financing,
management skills, and technologies for private sector development projects in ADB Developing
Member Countries (DMCs).
About the MoU :
• Through this MOU, ADB and Singapore would cooperate to support private sector development
projects that contribute to the region’s infrastructure, financial, and social needs, and help
countries achieve their Sustainable Development Goal commitments.
• The MOU replaces a 2012 MOU between ADB and Singapore to enhance knowledge sharing
and cooperation in governance and public policy, private sector development, and climate
change.
• ADB and Singapore will also cooperate in promoting the use of new technologies and innovative
processes in areas such as developing livable cities, addressing the challenges of climate
change, and utilizing financial technology to improve financial market efficiency.
• Also, ADB and Singapore will further strengthen collaboration on digital innovation.
Additional Info :
• Singapore was a founding member of ADB when the bank was established in 1966.
• It borrowed from ADB until 1980 and graduated formally from borrowing in 1998.
• Since 2001, Singapore has contributed to ADB’s concessional fund, the Asian Development
Fund, as well as the Technical Assistance Special Fund.
Note :
• Singapore is also an active participant in the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund supported by ADB.
About Singapore :
• President : Halimah Yacob
• Prime Minister : Lee Hsien Loong
• Currency: Singapore dollar
About ADB :
• Headquarters: Manila, Philippines
Yes Bank signs a term sheet With JC Flowers ARC for the sale of stressed loans
• The Board of directors of Yes Bank has signed a binding term sheet with JCF ARC LLC and JC
Flowers Asset Reconstruction Private Limited (JC Flowers ARC) for a proposed sale of an
identified stressed loan portfolio of the bank aggregating to up to Rs 48,000 crore.
• In the guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), YES bank proposes to run a
transparent bidding process on a Swiss Challenge basis for the sale of such portfolios using the
JC Flowers ARC's bid as the base bid.
About Yes Bank :
• Founded: 2004
Kotak Mahindra Bank becomes the first private bank to integrate with a new income tax portal
• Kotak Mahindra Bank has completed technical integration with the new e-filing portal of the
Income Tax department.
• With this Kotak Mahindra Bank has become the first private bank to fully integrate with the new
e-filing portal.
• The customers can pay their direct taxes through the e-pay tax tab on the portal using Kotak net
banking or by visiting a branch.
• This will make the tax payment process simple, instant, and convenient for customers.
Note :
• In October 2021, Kotak Mahindra Bank became the first scheduled private sector bank to
receive approval as a collections partner for taxes, after the announcement to permit all banks to
participate in government business.
• Chairman, MD & CEO : Uday Kotak
• Tagline: Let's Make Money Simple
Ola introduces India’s first indigenously made lithium-ion cell:
• The first locally created lithium-ion cell has been revealed by Ola Electric.
• By 2023, the Bengaluru-based two-wheeler manufacturer would start mass producing the NMC
2170 cell at its Gigafactory in Chennai.
• The cell can store more energy in a given area because of the employment of particular
chemicals and materials, which also extends the cell's lifespan.
About the Ola Electric:
• Ola is constructing the most cutting-edge cell research facility in the world, which will allow us to
scale and develop more quickly and produce the most cutting-edge and reasonably priced EV
goods possible.
• To build advanced cells in India, the government has granted the firm 20GWh of capacity under
the ACC PLI plan.
• In August 2021, Ola Electric debuted its first electric car.
• It has since built the largest two-wheeler production plant in the world in India.
About Ola Electric:
• Founder: Bhavish Aggarwal
• Founded: 2017
Trade Deficit widens to a record $26.1 Billion in June:
• After the Commerce Ministry updated both the exports and imports data for the month upward,
India's goods trade imbalance increased to a record $26.18 billion in June, above the
government's original estimate of $25.63 billion.
• The previous record-setting month for the merchandise trade imbalance was May, at $24.3
billion.
• The $9.6 billion loss reported in June 2021 was virtually tripled in size by the trade imbalance
that occurred last month.
Key Points:
• Even though June's goods exports exceeded $40.1 billion (the first estimate was $38 billion), up
23.5 percent year over year, imports outperformed exports, rising by 57.5 percent to $66.3 billion
as a result of increased purchases of coal, gold, and petroleum products.
• Although there were considerable higher adjustments for each, the increase in imports was
mostly caused by coal, gold, and petroleum products, as previously projected.
• Imports of gold exceeded $2.7 billion while imports of coal increased nearly fourfold to $6.76
billion.
• The value of petroleum imports increased by 99.5% to $21.3 billion.
• With petroleum and diamonds and jewelry excluded, imports increased by 38.3 percent in June
to reach $38.53 billion.
• When the same product categories were excluded from the export statistics, other product
shipments increased by a single digit of 8.65 percent to nearly $28 billion.
Sikkim & West Bengal sign new reciprocal transport agreement
• The governments of West Bengal and Sikkim have signed an agreement to help tourists travel
between the two neighboring states with ease in a bid to boost tourism.
• The agreement was signed between West Bengal transport minister Mr. Firhad Hakim and
Sikkim tourism minister Mr. Sanjit Kharel.
About the new Reciprocal Transport Agreement (2022) :
• As per the agreement, ‘All-Bengal’ permits for Sikkim vehicles and ‘All-Sikkim’ permits for Bengal
vehicles (except for restricted and protected areas) will be issued to facilitate vehicular
movement along both the states.
• Previously, Bengal vehicles had been granted permits for efficient movement along Gangtok,
Namchi, and Pelling.
• While, vehicles from Sikkim received licenses to operate along Kalimpong, Darjeeling, and
Siliguri.
• The demands of the transporters, from West Bengal and Sikkim, have been fulfilled after 15
years.
• The two governments also agreed to increase the number of vehicles being operated between
Siliguri and the popular tourist destinations in Sikkim
• In the new agreement, all Counter Signature Permits will be issued from a single-point office of
the State Transport Authority in Siliguri.
• The gross vehicle weight of vehicles plying under the Counter Signature Permits has been
enhanced from 16,200 kilograms in the previous agreement to 18500 kilograms.
About Sikkim :
• Governor : Ganga Prasad
• Chief Minister : Prem Singh Tamang
• Capital : Gangtok
About West Bengal :
• Governor : Jagdeep Dhankhar
• CM: Mamata Banerjee
Mumbai’s CSMT becomes the first railway station to have an augmented reality experience
• The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai has become the first railway station in
India to have an augmented reality experience.
• The project at Mumbai’s busiest railway station aims to generate revenue for Central Railway
and offer passengers fun and infotainment during wait periods.
• This technology will allow passengers at the station to get a real-time digitized timetable with a
dedicated scrolling screen and railway information for an engaging experience
• The passengers will also be able to meet animals, witness magic tricks and snowfall, and visit
any place in the world virtually.
• The Central Railways is looking to bring in around Rs 50,00,000 in revenues in five years.
About the Augmented reality :
• Augmented reality (AR) is an enhanced version of the real physical world that is achieved
through the use of digital visual elements, sound, or other sensory stimuli delivered via
technology.
• It creates an augmented world around the user’s device to create a virtual experience.
• AR Magic Mirror uses the technology of Augmented Reality to create a virtual world around the
person standing in front of the screen.
Bank of India & PFRDA launches platform for opening NPS account via mobile phone
• Bank of India (BoI) & Pension Fund Regulator & Development Authority (PFRDA) in association
with K-fintech launched a digital platform that allows customers to open National Pension
System (NPS) accounts using mobile phones.
• It was inaugurated by Mr. Supratim Bandhyopadhyay, Chairman, Pension Fund Regulatory and
Development Authority (PFRDA) in the presence of Mr. AK Das (MD and CEO) Bank of India,
and three executive directors of the Bank of India, namely, Mr. Swarup Dasgupta, Mr. M
Karthikeyan, and Ms. Monika Kalia.
About K-fintech :
• K-fintech provides SaaS (Software as a Service) based end-to-end transaction management,
channel management, and compliance solutions.
• It also provides data analytics and various other digital services to asset managers across
segments as well as outsourcing services for global players.
Key Highlights :
• The digital process of account opening is simple, fast, and completely paperless, making it
easier for customers to open a new account in just a few clicks.
• Further, new subscribers can also make additional contributions through QR codes.
About BoI :
• MD & CEO : Atanu Kumar Das
• Tagline: Relationship beyond Banking
About PFRDA :
• Chairman: Supratim Bandyopadhyay
• Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority is the regulatory body under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI for the overall supervision and regulation of pensions
in India.
Following $100 million in investment, OneCard becomes India’s 104th unicorn:
• OneCard, a mobile-first credit card provider, became India's 104th unicorn after raising $100
million in a Series D round of investment supported by Temasek.
• OneCard, Open, Oxyzo, and Yubi are just a few of the more than 20 financial unicorns that India
has so far in 2022 generated.
• The most recent round of funding for OneCard, which is owned by Pune-based FPL
Technologies, also included investments from pre-existing investors such as QED, Sequoia
Capital, and Hummingbird Ventures.
Key Points:
• Earlier this year, FPL Technologies raised $75 million as a part of its Series C funding. The
round was raised with assistance from previous investors QED Investors, Janchor Partners,
Sequoia Capital India, Matrix Partners, and others.
• In 2015, Rupesh Kumar, Vibhav Hathi, and Anurag Sinha started the company. The trio has
financial expertise.
• The ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Future Unicorn Index 2022 estimates that there will be 122
new unicorns in India in the next two to four years.
• OneCard is not subject to the PPI standards, according to Mohit Bhandari, managing director,
investment (India), of Temasek, because it was not a PPI issuer and like some of the other
companies, which now must reorganize their business models.
• Onecard provides banks with technical solutions.
• Legitimate credit cards are produced by banks. Of course, as a supplier of technology solutions,
OneCard takes part in that.
Bharti Airtel allotted 1.2% equity shares to Google for USD 1 Billion:
• Internet giant Google has received more than 7.1 crore equity shares from telecom provider
Bharti Airtel, each worth Rs 734.
• The allocation is a component of Google's USD 1 billion investment pledge to Airtel, which also
includes an equity investment in the firm for USD 700 million (about Rs 5,224 crore).
• Currently, Google owns 1.2 percent of each of India's two telecom service providers.
• The investment comes after Google's USD 4.5 billion purchase of Reliance Jio for the India
Digitization Fund in July 2020.
• As a part of its USD 10 billion India Digitization Fund, Google invested. On a fully diluted basis,
Google will own around 1.17 percent of the company's post-issue equity shares, or about 1.2%
of the total.
• Just a few days after announcing the India Digitization Fund, Google committed Rs 33,737 crore
(about USD 4.5 billion) to purchase a 7.73 percent share in Jio Platforms.
About Bharti Airtel
• Founded: 1995
• Founder: Sunil Bharti Mittal
• MD & CEO: Gopal Vittal.
Center extends State and Central Tax and Levies Rebate Program:
• In an attempt to boost exports and generate employment for the textile sector, the government is
set to extend the RoSCTL Scheme for Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL)
through March 31, 2024, at the same rates stated by the Ministry of Textiles.
• RoSCTL is a growth-oriented, forward-looking initiative that has aided in boosting exports and
employment by building a stable and predictable policy environment.
• The initiative improved export competitiveness and cost-effectiveness in the international
market.
• It has also encouraged a large number of MSMEs to enter the garment export market and
helped startups and entrepreneurs in the sector grow.
• The RoSL (Rebate of State Levies) program was succeeded by the new RoSCTL (Rebate of
State and Central Taxes Levies) plan in March 2019 following the establishment of GST in 2017.
Karnataka Bank signs MoU with JCB India
• The Karnataka Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JCB India
Limited, a manufacturer of earthmoving and construction equipment in India.
• Under the agreement, JCB will be nominating Karnataka Bank as its 'preferred financier' wherein
individuals, contractors, companies, and partnership firms can avail of loans from the bank at
competitive interest rates for purchasing a wide range of equipment from the product line of JCB
India Limited.
• The tie-up arrangement is expected to boost the lending avenues under the bank's micro, small
and medium enterprises (MSMEs) portfolio.
• The bank provides various finance schemes for the purchase of machinery and equipment to
customers with attractive rates of interest and speedy sanction of loans through digital platforms.
• It is an 'A' Class Scheduled Commercial Bank.
About JCB India :
• Headquarters: Ballabgarh, Haryana
• It is India's largest manufacturer of construction equipment and is a fully owned subsidiary of JC
Bamford Excavators Limited, UK.
Go Digit Insurance launches ‘pay as you drive’ add-on cover for motor insurance
• Go Digit General Insurance has launched ‘Pay as you Drive’ (PAYD) an add-on feature for
motor insurance Own Damage (OD) policies.
• This makes Digit Insurance one of India’s first insurers to introduce the add-on for its customers.
• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) granted initial approval to
add-on concepts such as 'Pay-as-you-drive', 'Pay-how-you-drive', and single floater policy for a
retail policyholder's multiple two-wheelers or cars.
• Digit’s new add-on offers discounts to its customers driving less than 10,000 kilometers per year
on average.
• The company will use odometer reading, telematics data, and annual kilometers to offer this
discount, which can go up to 25 percent.
• It is especially beneficial to people who do not drive their car regularly but still pay the same
premium as a driver with heavy usage.
About Go Digit General Insurance :
• Founded: 2016
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• Chairman: Kamesh Goyal
DBS named ‘World’s Best SME Bank’ by Euromoney for the second time
• DBS has been recognized as the ‘World’s Best SME Bank’ by the UK-based financial publication
Euromoney for the second time since 2018.
• It entrenches the bank’s position as a global industry leader in partnering with Small to Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) to grow and expand their businesses across borders and digitally.
• The DBS bank also won three first-time awards at Euromoney's Awards for
1. World's Best 'Financial Innovation of the year' 2022
2. 'Asia's Best Bank for Wealth Management 2022'
3. 'Asia's Best Bank for SME award 2022'.
Other Awards :
• The World's Best Bank for 2022: Bank of America
• The World's best investment bank 2022: Goldman Sachs
• The World’s Best ‘Financial Innovation of the year’ to DBS’ Fixed Income Execution (FIX)
Marketplace, Asia’s first automated digital bond issuance platfor m where issuers can directly
connect with investors on the platform at their sole discretion.
• DBS has developed algorithmic models powered by artificial intelligence and advanced data
analytics that alert the bank to potential signs of trouble faced by SMEs.
About FIX Marketplace :
• FIX Marketplace Launched in 2021.
Aim :
• To propel efforts to create a more efficient and accessible capital market through digitalization,
thereby creating more inclusive and accessible markets for issuers.
About DBS Bank :
• Chairman: Peter Seah
• CEO: Piyush Gupta
• The bank was previously known as The Development Bank of Singapore Limited
About Euromoney :
• Euromoney is an English-language monthly magazine focused on business and finance.
• First published in 1969 by Sir Patrick Sergeant.
• Headquarters: London, UK
Federal Bank associates with the Central Board of Direct Taxes to launch the new online tax payment
service
• The Federal Bank partners with the Central Board of direct taxes to launch the new online tax
payment service.
• With this partnership, Federal Bank became one of the pioneers to be registered under the Tin
2.0 platform of the Income Tax Department.
• The new online tax payment service will provide support to taxpayers in making their payments
via the e-pay tax facility in the e-filing portal of the income tax.
• Anyone can now pay their taxes instantly via any of their payment modes such as Debit/Credit
Card, UPI, Net banking, cash, NEFT/RTGS, etc.
• NRIs and Domestic Customers of the bank, as well as any tax-paying citizen in India, can
generate a tax challan and make the payment through the Bank's branches.
• There is no requirement for PAN/TAN registration/verification for taxpayers and it takes away
any delay in payment of tax.
Cognizant bags multi-year contract from National Insurance Company:
• Nasdaq-listed IT services firm Cognizant has been selected as a strategic technology provider
by National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) to accelerate and help manage its digital
transformation.
• NICL awarded the multi-year mandate to Cognizant to elevate its technology roadmap, help
manage its centralized web-based core insurance solution consisting of multiple applications,
underlying technology infrastructure, and security, and provide consulting services, among
others.
• The IT services company will also support NICL’s technology roadmap by leveraging digital
technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, and microservices-
based architecture.
• Cognizant’s plan is designed to help NICL improve customer experience, including applications,
claims processing, and underwriting, while continuing to improve ease of doing business,
provide greater operational agility and efficiency, application security, financial and regulatory
compliance and drive business growth.
Tata Power earmarks Rs 75,000-crore Capex for renewables in next 5 years:
• Tata Power has earmarked a capital expenditure of more than Rs 75,000 crore over the next
five years, of which Rs 10,000 crore would be invested in this financial year.
• The company is planning to increase its green energy share to 60% over the next five years.
• 707 MW capacity across renewables in FY22, has a Rs 13,000-crore order book in its solar
engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) business.
• It would invest Rs 14,000 crore across segments in this fiscal.
Key Points:
• Tata Power is looking to scale its generation capacity to over 30 GW by FY27 from the current
13.5 GW with an increased clean energy portfolio from current levels of 34% to 60% by 2027
and 80% by 2030.
• In Transmission & Distribution (T&D) business, the company will further optimize the Odisha
discom operations, stabilize the new acquisition in the transmission business and deliver
phenomenal customer service, enabled by digitalization
• The firm is also setting up a 4 GW solar cell and module manufacturing capacity in Tamil Nadu
with an investment of Rs 3,000 crore.
• In addition, Tata Power is focused on growing consumer-centric and new-age energy solutions
such as rooftop solar, electric vehicle chargers, solar pumps, smart metering, and energy
management solutions among others.
• In FY22, Tata Power’s generation revenue rose by 28% and the return on capital employed rose
7.8% from 7.2% a year ago.
• The company also declared a dividend of Rs 1.75 per share in FY22.
• The higher commercial and industrial activities boosted the power demand by about 8% in FY22,
with peak power demand breaching the 200 GW mark for the first time, in July 2021
• They have set on the path to three key goals of becoming carbon net-zero by 2045, 100% water
neutral by 2030, and zero waste to the landfill before 2030.
Govt. declares zero coupons and zero principal instruments as securities
• The Central Government has declared “zero coupons zero principal instruments” as securities
for the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956.
About Zero coupons zero principal instruments:
• Zero coupons zero principal instrument means an instrument issued by a Not for Profit
Organisation (NPO) which will be registered with the social stock exchange segment of a
recognized stock exchange.
• These instruments will be governed by rules made by the Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI).
About SSE :
• The Social Stock Exchange (SSE) is a novel concept in India and such a course is meant to
serve private and non-profit sector providers by channeling greater capital to them.
• The idea was floated by Finance Minister Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget Speech 2019-
20.
• SSE will be a separate segment of the existing stock exchanges.
• In September 2021, Sebi's board cleared a framework for SSE for fund raising by social
enterprises.
• Social enterprises eligible to participate in the SSE should be entities NPOs and for-profit social
enterprises having social intent and impact as their primary goal.
• The social enterprises will have to engage in a social activity out of the list of 15 broad activities
approved by SEBI.
• About fund raising, it has been proposed that eligible NPOs may raise funds through equity, zero
coupons zero principal bonds, mutual funds, social impact funds, and development impact
bonds.
Morgan Stanley lowers India’s FY23 GDP forecast to 7.2%
• American brokerage Morgan Stanley has lowered India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to
7.2% in the 2022-23 financial year (FY23), 40 basis points (bps) lower than their previous
estimates of 7.6%.
• It has also cut the real GDP forecast for FY 2023-24 (FY24) by 30 bps from 6.7% to 6.4%.
• However, Morgan expects the policy repo rate to stabilize at 6.5% by April 2023, 160 bps higher.
• The ongoing moderation in commodity prices is improving the near-term trajectory for macro
stability and also cut its FY23 average inflation target to 6.5 percent against 7 percent earlier.
• Retail inflation fell marginally to 7.01 percent in June 2022 primarily due to a slight easing in the
prices of vegetables and pulses.
• The inflation stood at 7.04 percent in the preceding month of May 2022 and 6.26 percent in June
2021.
• Global growth, Morgan Stanley stated, is expected to slow to 1.5% YoY in the quarter ending
December 2022 from 4.7% in the quarter ended December 2021.
Three main reasons :
1. Slower trade growth
2. Tighter financial conditions
3. Changes in commodity prices.
About Morgan Stanley :
• Founded: 1935
• Headquarters: New York, U.S.
• Chairman & CEO: James P. Gorman
Government extends levy of GST Compensation Cess till March 2026
• The Union Finance Ministry announced that the Good and Services Tax (GST) Compensation
levy to states has been extended by nearly four years from July 1, 2022, to March 31, 2026.
• It recalled the GST (Period of Levy and Collection of Cess) Rules, 2022.
• The compensation cess is applicable on specific goods, including tobacco, cigarettes, hookah,
aerated water, high-end motorcycles, aircraft, yachts, and motor cars.
• The cess is levied on notified luxury goods falling in the 28 percent GST slab.
• The compensation cess levied on luxury and demerit goods, will continue to be collected till
March 2026 to repay the borrowings that were done in 2020-21 and 2021-22 to compensate
states for GST revenue loss.
• To meet the resource gap of states due to short release of compensation, the Center has
borrowed and released Rs 1.1 lakh crore in 2020-21 and Rs 1.59 lakh crore in 2021-22 as back-
to-back loans to meet a part of the shortfall in cess collection.
• The Centre has repaid Rs 7,500 crore as interest cost for the borrowing in 2021-22 and Rs
14,000 crore is to be paid this fiscal year.
JSW Steel and BCG collaborate to quicken the decarbonization process:
• JSW Steel and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have collaborated on a decarbonization and
sustainability plan.
• BCG will leverage its exclusive CO2 AI platform as well as its top-tier digital and analytics
capabilities to support JSW Steel on its journey to being a net-zero carbon emitter.
• BCG will also prioritize staff training and enhancing the sustainable culture across al l of our
manufacturing locations during this period.
• This revolutionary project will need them to ramp up their sustainability efforts.
Key Points:
• To successfully manage change and have an impact, BCG will make use of JSW's proprietary
and unique CO2 AI technology.
• Their second strategic alliance with JSW Steel resulted from the productive Digital
Transformation cooperation.
• They are happy to support JSW Steel's sustainability objective with their best abilities and
cutting-edge solutions.
• The strategy comprises a full exercise in target-setting at the level of overall production,
devolving them into shop-level objectives, and transforming emissions targets into manageable
tasks on operating metrics.
• A team of sustainability supporters will oversee the deployment throughout all production
operations.
• To introduce new technologies and projects, including the use of hydrogen and carbon capture
and storage, among others, a roadmap will be made for all medium- to long-term operations.
• There will also be a thorough analysis of all available technological options to capacities and
investments that must be made now and in the future to progress toward sustainability goals.
Successful testing of India’s first 5G private network announced by Bharti Airtel:
• At the Bosch Automotive Electronics facility in Bengaluru, Bharti Airtel successfully tested the
country's first 5G private network.
• The trial takes place in the middle of a dispute between telecom and IT companies over the
distribution of airwaves for private networks, ahead of a 5G spectrum auction.
• Airtel developed two industrial-grade use cases at Bosch's facilities for operational effectiveness
and quality improvement using the government-allocated trial spectrum.
Key Points:
• The firm stated in a statement that automated processes were driven by 5G technology,
including mobile broadband and ultra-reliable low-latency communications, which provided
faster scale-up and fewer downtimes.
• A private network was built up as a test, and it is capable of supporting hundreds of connected
devices and offering a throughput of several GBPS.
• Ajay Chitkara, director and CEO of Airtel Business, asserts that Airtel is dedicated to aiding
India's digital transformation and the expansion of its business as it strives to become a major
worldwide player.
• The Airtel Private 5G network's low latency and stable connectivity, which were observed at our
facility during the proof of concept, have reportedly allowed them to boost output and efficiency,
according to Subhash P, head of technical activities at Bosch Automotive Electronics India.
• The quantity of wired IT infrastructure will be significantly reduced and operational efficiency will
increase with the adoption of 5G.
Facebook-owner Meta released the first annual human rights report:
• After years of criticism that it ignored online atrocities that stoked bloodshed in the real world in
nations like India and Myanmar, Facebook owner Meta published its first annual human rights
report.
• A description of the contentious human rights impact assessment of India that law firm Foley
Hoag was hired by Meta to do is included in the report, which covers due diligence completed in
2020 and 2021.
• Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, two human rights organizations, have sought
the full publication of the India report and have accused Meta of holding it up in a joint letter
written in January.
• The law firm's findings on the possibility of "salient human rights risks" associated with Meta's
platforms, including "advocacy of hatred that incites hostility, discrimination, or violence," were
noted in the summary provided by Meta.
About Facebook
• CEO: Mark Zuckerberg
• Headquarters: California, United States.
RBI panel proposes a 4-tier regulatory framework for UCBs
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended a four-tier regulatory framework for urban
cooperative banks (UCBs) based on the size of deposits and their area of operations.
Aim :
• To strengthen the financial soundness of the existing urban cooperative banks (UCB s).
• The differentiated regulatory approach was mainly recommended for key parameters such as
net worth, capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR), branch expansion, and exposure limits.
About 4-tier regulatory framework :
Tier - 1
• All unit UCBs and salary earners’ UCBs, irrespective of deposit size, and all other UCBs with
deposits of up to ₹100 crores.
Tier - II
• Urban cooperative banks with deposits of more than ₹100 crores and up to ₹1,000 crores.
Tier - III
• Urban cooperative banks with deposits of over ₹1,000 crores and up to ₹10,000 crore
Tier -IV
• UCBs with deposits of over ₹10,000 crores.
• Specifically, the regulator has stipulated a minimum net worth of ₹2 crores for tier- I UCBs
operating in a single district and ₹5 crores for all other UCBs of all tiers.
Key Highlights :
• RBI retained the minimum capital adequacy ratio requirement for tier one banks at the present
level of 9%.
• For urban cooperative banks of all other tiers, while retaining the current capital adequacy
framework, RBI has decided to revise the minimum capital adequacy ratio to 12% to strengthen
their capital structure.
• Most UCBs, 1,274 of the total 1,534, have a capital adequacy ratio of over 12% as on 31 March
2021.
• UCBs that do not meet the revised CRAR will be provided with a glide path of three years.
These banks will have to achieve a CRAR of 10 percent by FY24, 11 percent by FY25, and 12
percent by FY26.
Standard Chartered Bank & EaseMyTrip launch a co -branded credit card
• Standard Chartered Bank launched a co-branded credit card EaseMyTrip Standard Chartered
Credit Card with the online travel tech platform EaseMyTrip.
Features of the EaseMyTrip Standard Chartered credit card:
• Flat 20% instant discount on Domestic & International hotel bookings with EaseMyTrip of up to
INR 5,000 and INR 10,000 respectively with no minimum booking amount
• Flat 10% instant discount on Domestic & International flight bookings with EaseMyTrip of up to
INR 1000 and INR 5000 respectively with no minimum booking amount
• Flat INR 125 off on Domestic bus bookings on EaseMyTrip with INR 500 as the minimum
booking amount
• 10 reward points for every INR 100 spent on select merchant categories (Standalone Hotel and
Airline websites/apps and outlets) outside EaseMyTrip
• Reward points earned can be redeemed on the rewards catalog of Standard Chartered Bank,
across multiple brands including EaseMyTrip.
• The cardmembers will have access to instant discount benefits on flights and hotels throughout
the year on the EaseMyTrip website/mobile application.
• Also, the cardmembers will get one domestic lounge access per calendar quarter and two
international lounge accesses per year.
• The cardmembers can also enjoy periodic promotional offers and discounts on the EaseMyTrip
website/ mobile application.
About Standard Chartered Bank :
• Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom
• Group Chief Executive: Bill Winters
• Group Chairman : José Viñals
About EaseMyTrip :
• Founded: 2008
• EaseMyTrip is the second largest online travel tech platform in India
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance partners with DBS Bank India to offer life insurance solutions
• Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, one of India's leading private life insurers, and DBS Bank India, the
wholly owned subsidiary of DBS Bank Ltd., Singapore, have announced a strategic partnership
to offer a wide array of life insurance solutions to the DBS bank's customers.
Signatories :
• Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Mr.
Tarun Chugh and MD and Head, Consumer Banking Group, DBS Bank India Mr. Prashant
Joshi, signed the agreement in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Aim :
• To empower the customers to Live More and Bank Less by investing in life insurance products.
• Under the partnership, new and existing customers across the 550+ branches of DBS Bank can
now choose from Bajaj Allianz Life’s retail products including term, savings, retirement, and
investment products.
• Founded: 2001
• Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra
• CEO: Tarun Chugh
• It is a partnership between Bajaj Finserv Limited, one of India's most diversified non-banking
financial institutions, and Allianz SE, one of the world's leading asset managers and insurers.
About DBS Bank India :
• MD & CEO: Surojit Shome
RBI restricts three cooperative banks from conducting banking activity due to poor liquidity position
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced severe restrictions on three cooperative banks
from conducting banking activity due to poor liquidity positions.
Names of 3 cooperative banks :
1. Nashik Zilla Girna Sahakari Bank Limited, Nashik, Maharashtra
2. Raigad Sahakari Bank, Mumbai, Maharashtra
3. Sri Mallikarjuna Pattana Sahakari Bank, Maski, Karnataka
• These directions will remain in force for six months and are subject to review.
Key Highlights :
• According to the RBI notification, all these 3 banks will not be able to grant or renew any loans
and advances, make any investment, borrow funds or accept fresh deposits, disburse any
payment, enter into any compromise or arrangement and sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of
any of its properties or assets except as notified in the RBI.
• The depositors of Nashik Zilla Girna Sahakari Bank and Sri Mallikarjuna Pattana Sahakari Bank
will not be allowed to withdraw any money from their savings, current, or any other account.
• While 99.87% of all the depositors of Nashik Zilla Girna Sahakari Bank are fully covered by the
DICGC insurance scheme, close to 99.5 % of depositors of Sri Mallikarjuna Pattana Sahakari
Bank are covered by the scheme.
• However, RBI has allowed the depositors of Raigad Sahakari Bank to withdraw a sum not
exceeding 15,000 out of the total balance across all savings or current accounts or any other
account.
About RBI :
• Deputy Governor: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar.
L&T Tech: First company to directly obtain and implement 5G spectrum:
• L&T Technology Services is the first IT firm to officially express interest in the government's
direct allocation of spectrum for exclusive 5G networks.
• The company will purchase spectrum to put up a 5G private network and create use cases for
the technology, according to CEO Amit Chadha.
• Additionally, the parent business of the engineering and research and development services
firm, Larsen & Toubro, will deploy 5G technologies internationally.
• The Department of Telecommunications will conduct demand analyses by the rules for private
5G networks, and then request recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India before allocating spectrum.
• When assigning spectrum to firms for connecting their facilities, the agency would simply charge
a minor processing cost of Rs 50,000; no entrance or license fees will be charged.
Key Points:
• To build private 5G networks, India has released legislation that let companies outside the
telecom sector buy spectrum directly from the telecom department.
• The business has teamed with network software developer Mavenir to deliver 5G automation
services and speedy integration of open radio access network technologies that they will launch
together.
• The company praised the government's decision to allow 5G usage by private companies but
urged that the regulations be altered to allow the implementation of the same 5G network in
more than one area.
• Additionally, it is desired that the barriers to offering application-as-a-service or lab-as-a-service
choices for the 5G spectrum that businesses obtain online be removed.
Instagram’s new payments feature lets users buy products via direct messages:
• Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, disclosed that the business would provide a new "payments in
conversation" function on Instagram.
• With this new function, consumers can make purchases from local companies and follow orders
via Instagram direct messaging.
• One billion individuals message companies on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp each week,
claims Meta.
• Users may start by sending a direct message to a qualifying small company they're interested in
purchasing from to use the new functionality.
• They may then pay, track their order, and ask the company any more questions in the same chat
thread.
Key Points:
• The payments in messages tool would reportedly be accessible to eligible business accounts on
Instagram.
• Additionally, the platform allows for in-app communication between buyers and sellers.
• Users will be prompted to enter and confirm their shipping address and payment details.
• According to the startup, users will be able to make purchases using Meta Pay.
• In 2019, Meta first introduced the function called Facebook Pay.
About Instagram
• Launched: 6 October 2010
• Founder Kevin Systrom.
India Attracts USD 343.64 Million FDI Equity Inflow In R&D Sector in 2021:
• India attracted USD 343.64 million FDI equity inflow in the R&D sector during C.Y. 2021
(Calendar Year) which is 516% higher as compared to previous C.Y. 2020 (USD 55.77 million).
• FDI is permitted under a 100% automatic route in the R&D sector subject to applicable
laws/regulations, security, and other conditionalities.
• Karnataka is the top FDI Equity recipient state in R&D during C.Y. 2021 followed by Telangana
and Haryana.
• Singapore is the top investing country in R&D during C.Y. 2021 with a 40% share of total FDI
Equity in R&D followed by Germany (35%) and the U.S.A (11%).
RBI renews its statement of commitment to the FX Global Code
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has signed its renewed Statement of Commitment (SoC) to the
Foreign Exchange (FX) Global Code.
• Currently, the Code is being implemented globally by the Global FX Committee (GFXC) in
coordination with the Local FX Committee (LFXC) in each jurisdiction.
• RBI is a member of GFXC.
About FX Global Code :
• The Code is a compilation of best market practices, formulated by Central Banks and market
participants, and developed under the auspices of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS),
Basel, Switzerland.
• It was initially launched on May 25, 2017, was subsequently reviewed holistically and the
updated Code was published by the Global FX Committee on July 15, 2021.
• The Code applies to the Wholesale FX market participants covering sell-side, buy-side, and
financial intermediaries, and is voluntary.
• It does not impose any legal or regulatory obligation and is intended to be a supplement to the
local laws, rules, and regulations.
• RBI, along with four major Central Banks, Bank of Korea (BOK), Hong Kong Monetary Authority
(HKMA), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)
welcomed the publication of the Code through joint media release dated May 25, 2017, and RBI
welcome the publication of the FX Global Code.
Additional Info :
• RBI continues to support the principles of good practices within the Code.
• RBI had also facilitated the formation of the India Foreign Exchange Committee (IFXC) to
promote the adoption and adherence of the Code among FX market participants in India.
About RBI :
European Investment Bank joins India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
• The European Investment Bank (EIB) has joined the India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure (CDRI) to limit the destruction caused by climate change.
Key Highlights :
• EIB will work in partnership with national governments, UN agencies, multilateral development
banks, and the private sector to promote the rapid development of infrastructure resilient to
climate change and natural disasters in countries at all stages of development.
• EIB has been investing in sustainable infrastructure in India and the region for over 25 years.
• The EIB will offer advisory and financial support to CDRI members and ensure they can benefit
from all relevant EU initiatives.
• Developing countries currently require annual investments in climate adaptation in the range of
EUR60 billion by 2030 these countries will need between EUR120-250 billion per year.
• Multilateral development banks like the EIB will have a crucial role in mobilizing private and
public finance for climate adaptation projects.
• In 2019, these institutions committed to doubling their collective total level of adaptation finance
to EUR15 billion annually by 2025.
• In 2020, their adaptation finance totaled EUR13.6 billion, up from EUR11.9 billion in 2019 and
EUR10.9 billion in 2018.
• Since the beginning of its operations in India in 1993, the EIB has supported 17 projects in
transport, energy, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry as well as India’s small and medium
enterprises and invested EUR4.2 billion.
About European Investment Bank :
• Founded: 1958
• Headquarters: Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Europe
• President : Werner Hoyer
• Vice President: Andrew McDowell
• EIB is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the EU Member States.
• It is one of the largest supranational lenders in the world.
About CDRI :
• Established: September 23, 2019
• Indian Co-chair of CDRI’s Executive Committee: Kamal Kishore
• It was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit.
Purpose :
• To Promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster
risks, thereby ensuring sustainable development.
• It helps countries to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and expand universal
access to basic services.
World Bank to fund 200 Million USD for Himachal Pradesh Power Sector Reforms
• The Government of India (GoI) will provide a financing facility worth about Rs. 1600 Crore (USD
200 million) through the World Bank for the “Himachal Pradesh Power Sector Development
Program.
Aim :
• To undertake holistic power sector reforms in a manner to allow for improvements in the
renewable energy integration in HP.
• With the State equity, the total program cost will be approximately Rs. 2000 Crore.
• World Bank funding under this Program is expected to be available by early 2023.
• The Program duration will be of five years, starting from the year 2023 to 2028.
Key Highlights :
• Both the World Bank and the Department of MPP & Power, GoHP are working expeditiously
towards the finalization of the Program preparation.
• The key result areas through which this is being targeted are improvements in utilization of the
HP’s power sector resources (such as Hydro & Solar), improvements in the reliability of the
state’s grid at the transmission and distribution level, and strengthening of the institutional
capacities of the various State’s power utilities/agencies.
• Through this program, efforts will be made towards the promotion of integrated resource
planning to allow for comprehensive planning of the power sector, piloting demand response
management, improving the technical utilization of the existing hydropower assets to facilitate
increased integration with other sources of renewable energy, and the establishing of a single
trading desk.
• These interventions will allow the state to maximize the revenue earned from the sale of energy
through renewable balancing capacity.
About World Bank :
• Membership: 189 member countries
Development (IBRD) and International Development Association (IDA), two of five international
organizations owned by the World Bank Group.
New Development Bank (NDB) grants USD 875 million for water, sanitation, ecotourism, and transport
departments in Brazil, China, and India
• The New Development Bank (NDB) has approved 5 new projects totaling USD 875 million for
water, sanitation, ecotourism, and transport.
• The Investments will support commitments by Brazil, China, and India toward the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
Key Highlights :
In Brazil :
• NDB will channel USD 300 million that will contribute to connecting 592 thousand households to
water supply and 727 thousand to sewage collection networks in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
• It promotes environmental protection by augmenting wastewater treatment capacity, among
other development outputs.
• The project will be implemented by the Water and Sanitation Company (SABESP).
In India :
• NDB approved USD 79 million for the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development
Project.
• Investments will foster much-needed infrastructure in Meghalaya that will lead to the
establishment of 5 ecotourism circuits.
• The project includes the construction of 114km of roads and bridges.
• NDB will also direct USD 70 million to the Lamphelpat Waterbody Rejuvenation Project which
will contribute to the development of the waterbody, green spaces, and tourism facilities.
• A technology-driven real-time flood management system with early warning capacity will also be
set up and thus improve efficiency in flood prevention, as well as timely delivery of relief and
recovery efforts to the flood-affected region.
In China :
• NDB approved EUR 265 million for the expansion of the Lanzhou Zhongchuan International
Airport and RMB 805 million for the expansion of the Xi'an Xianyang International Airport.
• The two projects combined will contribute to the construction of 5 new runways with an
associated taxiway system, 2 new terminal buildings, an apron with 187 aircraft stands, cargo
facilities, and supporting infrastructure, with considerations of energy conservation, and low
carbon emission, and optimization of resource consumption.
• The design capacity for the annual passenger throughput of Lanzhou Zhongchuan International
Airport will increase by over 4 times to 38 million and that of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport
by about three times to 83 million.
• With these 5 new projects, NDB’s cumulative approvals have now reached nearly USD 32
billion, contributing to the infrastructure and sustainable development areas.
About NDB :
• Headquarters: Shanghai, China
• President : Marcos Prado Troyjo
• NDB formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a multilateral development bank
established by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa).
About Brazil :
• President : Jair Bolsonaro
• Capital : Brasília
• Currency : Real
About China :
IndusInd Bank partners with EazyDiner to launch India’s 1st co-branded dining credit card - EazyDiner
IndusInd Bank Credit Card
• Private lender IndusInd Bank has partnered with India’s leading table reservation, food
discovery, and restaurant payment platform EazyDiner to launch a co-branded credit card -
EazyDiner IndusInd Bank Credit Card.
Aim :
• To redefine the dining experience for our customers, who have a penchant for exploring a
variety of restaurants.
Key benefits of the EazyDiner IndusInd Bank Credit Card
• Complimentary 1-Year EazyDiner Prime membership that offers a guaranteed discount of up to
25% at over 2000 premium restaurants, and 2000 reward points as a welcome bonus.
• An additional instant 25% discount of up to Rs 1000, over and above the restaurant discount,
every time the bill is paid on the EazyDiner app.
• Earn 10 Reward Points on every Rs 100 spent on Dining, Entertainment, and Shopping.
• Instant Reward Points redemption for settling the bill on PayEazy.
• A complimentary premium alcoholic beverage for every diner on the table at over 200 select
restaurants.
• A complimentary stay voucher worth Rs 5000 at the award-winning, luxury hospitality brand
“The Postcard Hotel” across India, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.
• 3X EazyPoints which can be redeemed against hotel stays, meals, exclusive restaurant
openings, and events across the country.
• Two complimentary domestic lounge visits per quarter at airports across India
About IndusInd Bank :
• MD & CEO : Sumant Kathpalia
About EazyDiner :
• Founded: 2014
• Founder: Kapil Chopra
IndusInd Bank approves raising Rs 20,000 crore
• The Board of Directors of IndusInd Bank has approved a proposal to raise Rs 20,000 crore in
debt on a private placement basis to fund its business growth.
• As of March 31, 2022, the capital adequacy ratio of the bank stood at 18.42% with tier-I capital
being at 16.80% and tier-II capital at 1.62% as a percentage of its risk-weighted assets.
• The Indusland Bank Board also approved the re-appointment of Ms. Akila Krishnakumar as
‘Non-Executive Independent Director on the Board of the Bank will be from August 10, 2022, up
to August 9, 2026.
About Ms. Akila Krishnakumar :
• Ms. Akila Krishnakumar is a Member of the IT Strategy Committee and Review Committee (for
Non-Cooperative Borrowers and Wilful Defaulters) of the Board of Directors of the Bank.
• Currently, Krishnakumar is the Chairperson of the Compensation and Nomination &
Remuneration Committee, Customer Service Committee, Vigilance Committee, and Corporate
Social Responsibility & Sustainability Committee of the Board of Directors of the Bank.
• The bank also approved the appointment of MSKA & Associates and MP Chitale & Co as joint
statutory auditors for two years.
SBI gets Board's Approval, to Raise to Rs 11,000 Crore in Basel III bonds in FY23
• India’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has received board approval to raise Rs 11,000
crore through Basel III-compliant bonds.
• Of the total earmarked fund-raise, the approval is for additional tier-1 (AT-1) capital up to Rs
7,000 crore, subject to the central government’s concurrence.
• The remaining Rs 4,000 crore will be in the form of tier-2 capital.
• The central board of SBI approved raising capital by way of issuance of Basel III-compliant debt
instruments in dollar/rupee and/or any other convertible currency, during FY23.
• At the end of March 2022, SBI’s total capital adequacy ratio stood at 13.83%, with tier 2 at
2.41% and AT-1 at 1.48%.
• While Punjab National Bank raised ₹2,000 crores through AT-1 bonds at an 8.75% interest rate.
• In May 2022, SBI’s board had cleared a proposal to raise $2 billion through debt securities in the
international market in FY23.
About AT-1 :
• AT-1 bonds, also called perpetual bonds, carry no maturity date but have a call option at the end
of 5 years.
• These are issued by banks to augment their core equity base and thus comply with Basel III
norms.
About SBI :
Asian Development Bank cuts India's GDP forecast for FY23 to 7.2%
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its ‘Outlook 2022 Supplement' has cut India's GDP
growth forecast to 7.2% for the financial year 2022-23 (FY23) from 7.5% projected in April 2022
because of higher-than-expected inflation and monetary tightening.
• It also lowered the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth estimate for 2023-24 to 7.8% from the
8% estimated earlier.
• However, India will continue to surpass China which is expected to grow by 4 percent in 2022 as
against the earlier estimate of 5 percent.
• In 2023, China is expected to grow by 4.8 percent.
• On India's inflationary outlook, ADB stated that for FY2022 it is revised up from 5.8 percent to
6.7 percent on higher-than-expected oil prices.
• The inflation projection for FY2023 is raised from 5 percent to 5.8 percent.
• ADB added that private investment would soften due to the higher cost of borrowing for firms as
the RBI continues to raise policy rates to contain inflation.
• The RBI’s monetary policy committee hiked the repo rate by 90 basis points in two consecutive
months, May (an off-cycle policy review) and June, raising the repo rate to 4.9%.
• India’s retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), is hovering at more than
7% and is expected to remain elevated in the coming months.
• Also, the net exports would shrink due to subdued global demand and a rising real effective
exchange rate eroding export competitiveness despite a depreciating rupee.
• On July 20, 2022, the rupee touched an all-time low of 80.06 against the dollar.
• So far, The domestic currency has depreciated about 7.5% against the greenback in 2022.
About ADB :
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launches add-on motor insurance cover
• Private sector Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited launched its add-on motor
insurance cover called 'Pay As You Consume' (PAYC).
• Bajaj Allianz General Insurance was the first to launch 'Pay As You Consume' under the
Insurance Regulatory and Developments Authority of India’s (IRDAI’s) (Sandbox Regulations).
• This usage-based motor insurance add-on cover is in alignment with IRDAI's recent circular to
allow PAYC under annual motor products.
About PAYC :
• Pay-as-you-consume add-on cover can be opted by the customer along with the basic OD (Own
Damage) plan under Package Product, Bundled, and Standalone OD cover.
• Customers can choose coverage based on their vehicle usage, further to which the premium will
be calculated, i.e. kilometers driven annually.
• Customers can also avail of an additional benefit in premium for their safe driving.
• Customers' driving behavior will be analyzed based on a telematics device installed in the
vehicle, driving metrics recorded on their "BJAZ CARINGLY YOURS" mobile app (Company's
app), or information provided by them through a device, etc.
• Customers need not worry if the opted kilometers during the policy period get exhausted; they
can add kilometers to their plan using the top-up plan & if a customer forgets to add kilometers
to their top-up plan, the company has offered a unique concept of “GRACE KM” gratification.
Additional Info :
• Earlier in July 2022, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai)
permitted general insurers to issue sophisticated add-ons for a motor insurance policy.
• These are telematics-based motor insurance plans for which the premium depends on the usage
of the vehicle or driving behavior.
About Bajaj Allianz General Insurance :
• Founded: 2001
• MD & CEO : CEO: Tapan Singhel
FICCI lowers India’s GDP growth forecast to 7% in FY23
• The latest economic outlook survey conducted by the industry body Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has downgraded India's 2022-23 Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) growth forecast to 7% from 7.4% estimated in its previous survey round in April
2022.
• The reason for the slower growth projection is the Ukraine-Russia war which is likely to keep
inflation high & reduce consumer demand.
• As per the survey, the median growth forecast for agriculture and allied activities has been put at
3% for FY23, while industry and services sectors are anticipated to grow by 6.2% and 7.8%
respectively
• The FICCI survey projects the RBI's policy repo rate at 5.65% by the end of the fiscal year 2022-
23, with a minimum and maximum range of 5.50% and 6.25%, respectively.
About FICCI :
• Founded: 1927
• President: Mr. Sanjiv Mehta
• Director General: Arun Chawla
World Bank approves $1 billion loan for PM Ayushman Bharat health infrastructure mission
• The World Bank has approved a loan of USD 1 billion to provide support to India’s flagship PM
Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission(PM-ABHIM).
• The loan comprises two complementary loans of USD 500 million each namely for
“Transforming India’s Public Health Systems for Pandemic Preparedness Program (PHSPP)”
and “India’s Enhanced Health Service Delivery P rogram (EHSDP).
About PM-ABHIM :
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the PM-ABHIM in October 2021 from Varanasi in
Uttar Pradesh.
• It is one of the largest pan-India schemes for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the
country and is in addition to the National Health Protection Mission (Ayushman Bharat Yojana).
• Total outlay of the scheme: Rs. 64,180 crore for 5 years
Aim :
• To address gaps in public health infrastructure, with a focus on critical care facilities and primary
care in both urban and rural areas
• Under the scheme, 17,788 rural health and wellness centers in 10 high-focus states will get the
support of the scheme.
About PHSPP :
• The PHSPP aims to increase the resilience and preparedness of India’s health system for a
pandemic and to support activities including strengthening existing health units at points of entry
and establishing new health units at PoEs.
• It also aimed for setting up BSL-3 labs, Regional Research Platforms, and zonal institutes for the
National Institutes of Virology, establishment of Health Emergency Operation Centre and
metropolitan health surveillance units, and strengthen surveillance systems among others.
About EHSDP :
• The EHSDP aims to support comprehensive primary health care service delivery in some
prioritized states.
• It will support such activities including strengthening service delivery through a redesigned
comprehensive primary health care model i.e. Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centers
(AB-HWCs) for improved household access to primary healthcare facilities.
• It will also help in improving comprehensive quality of care by supporting the quality assurance
standards certification across Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs), strengthening the health
workforce, and Block level public health units (BPHUs).
About World Bank :
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C, United States of America
• President: David Robert Malpass
• Membership: 189 countries (IBRD), 174 countries (IDA)
RBI report - India moves to a leadership position in the large-value digital payment system
• According to the report titled Benchmarking India's Payment Systems released by the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI), India has made significant progress and moved to a leadership position in
large-value digital payment systems.
Objective :
• To provide a comparative position of the payments ecosystem in India relative to other major
countries.
• India was categorized as a 'leader' or 'strong' in respect of 25 (21 in the previous exercise) out of
40 indicators and categorized as 'weak' in respect of 8 (12 in the previous exercise) indicators.
• The benchmarking exercise was first carried out in 2019 for the position in 2017.
About the report :
• India has made significant progress and moved to a leadership position in large value payment
systems and fast payment systems, which contributed to rapid growth in digital payments
• The exercise highlights that there is scope for improvement in the acceptance infrastructure of
ATMs and PoS terminals.
• The Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) scheme was operationalized in 2021 to
enhance the acceptance infrastructure and bridge the gap.
• Also, the decline in India's rating in some parameters involving currency in circulation is
explained by the increased demand for cash as a store of value during the Covid-19 pandemic-
related lockdown and the slowdown in economic growth during 2020
• The report noted that India's domestic card network RuPay dominates the debit card segment as
far as card issuance is concerned.
• However, RuPay is lagging in the credit card segment with a below 3 percent share of total
cards issued.
• India has the third largest number of ATMs deployed, it continues to fare poorly in people served
per ATM due to its sizable population.
• In 2020, the share of card payments in total payment systems transactions was the second
lowest in India (14.7 percent), with only Indonesia witnessing a lower share (7.2 percent).
• The report also stressed that the internationalization of the Indian rupee will facilitate a greater
degree of integration of the Indian economy with the rest of the world, in terms of foreign trade
and international capital flows.
About RBI :
• Deputy Governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi
Shankar
RBI’s New guidelines for Non-Bank payment system operators
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued new guidelines for non-bank payment system operators
(PSOs) under Section 10 (2) & Section 18 of “The payment and Settlement Systems Act of
2007”.
Key Highlights :
• Non-bank payment system operators (PSOs) will require prior approval from the RBI for any
takeover or acquisition of control which may or may not result in a change of management.
• They would also require prior approval of the RBI for the sale or transfer of payment activity to
an entity not authorized for undertaking such an activity
• The non-bank PSOs shall inform the RBI within 15 calendar days in the following cases:
• Change in management or directors
• Sale or transfer of payment activity to an entity authorized for undertaking similar activity
For acquisition or takeover :
• The transferor non-bank PSO would submit an application to the RBI with information about the
proposed directors and complete details about the new shareholders.
In case of sale or transfer of payment activity :
• The seller or transferor non-bank PSO shall apply to the RBI for obtaining prior approval along
with the minimum appropriate details.
• RBI shall endeavor to respond within 45 calendar days after receipt of complete details from
both entities.
• The timeline is not applicable in the case of overseas principals in the Money Transfer Service
Scheme.
• Further, after obtaining RBI approval, a public notice of at least 15 calendar days shall be given
before affecting the changes.
Canara Bank Launches New Mobile Banking App - Canara ai1
• Canara Bank has launched its mobile banking app called Canara ai1.
• The banking app would be a one-stop solution with more than 250 features to cater to the
banking needs of its customers.
Aim :
• To eliminate the need to have multiple mobile apps working in silos for availing different specific
services.
• After launching the app, Canara Bank MD & CEO L V Prabhakar stated that the lender’s core
vision is “e-transactions for everyone, everywhere and every time" and the bank is leveraging
technology to enable the customers to use banking services at their fingertips.
About Canara ai1 :
• The app is available in 11 languages to cater to multiple sections of society in their preferred
language.
• It also caters to various social security schemes such as PPF accounts, Sukanya Samruddhi
Accounts, Senior Citizens Savings accounts, and Kisan Vikas Patra, PMJJBY, PMSBY & APY
along with nominee management.
• The super app enables the customer to use traditional and modern banking and financial
services through the digital mode and there are features for all age groups.
• It provides solutions to all banking and lifestyle needs such as comparison and shop, utility bill
payments, flight/ hotel/ cab booking, payments, loan repayment, and investment services like a
mutual fund, insurance, and Demat services, among other services.
Features of the app :
• Device binding
• Malware detection
• Detection of remote administration tools
• Dynamic keyboard to provide Safe and secure banking.
• Channels management like block/ unblock internet banking/ UPI/ debit and credit cards with
setting transaction limits are also available.
About Canara Bank :
• MD & CEO : Lingam Venkat Prabhakar
• Canara Bank is the third largest nationalized bank in India.
India’s economy is likely to reach $300 billion by 2030:
• India's economy is expected to grow to $150 billion and $300 billion, respectively, by 2025 and
2030.
• The India BioEconomy Report 2022, published by the Biotechnology Industry Research
Assistance Council (BIRAC) is based on data describing the economic impact of the biotech
sector.
• The report estimates that the country's bioeconomy would surpass USD 80 billion in 2021, an
increase of 14.1% over USD 70.2 billion in 2020.
• It predicted that India's bioeconomy will grow by USD 80.12 billion in 2021, generating USD 219
million per day.
• The agriculture industry, which employs about 60% of Indians, has enormous space for
development.
• In 2021, BT cotton, biopesticides, biostimulants, and biofertilizers contributed over USD 10.48
billion to the country's bioeconomy.
Key Points:
• The sector invested more than $1 billion in R&D in 2021, and on average, three new biotech
companies are launched every day (for a total of 1,128 biotech startups).
• "A doubling within a year from USD 320 million to USD 1.02 billion," the statement read.
• In 2021, India distributed 1.45 billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, or almost 4 million doses
every day.
• Additionally, the nation conducted 1.3 million Covid-19 tests per day (a total of 506.7 million
tests).
• The country's biotech startup count has expanded from 50 to over 5,300 over the previous 10
years, according to Jitendra Singh, the minister of state for science and technology, who also
noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the industry priority.
• He predicted that a large talent pool will lead to a two-fold rise in the number of biotech
businesses by the year 2025.
• The amount of ethanol that can be produced will increase to 6.5 billion liters in 2021 from the
existing capacity of 3.3 billion liters.
• According to the document, India's continuous expansion would lower its import costs, which
would have an impact on currency reserves and the import-export imbalance, helping the
country reach its goal of having a USD 10 trillion global economies by 2030.
Forex reserves decreased by USD 7.5 billion to USD 572.7 billion:
• According to the most current statistics from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India's foreign
exchange reserves fell by $7.5 billion to $572.7 billion during the final week of July 15.
• Since November 6, 2020, when they were $568 billion, the reserves have fallen to their lowest
point in 20 months.
• According to the report, the major reason for the decline in foreign exchange reserves was a
$6.5 billion decline in foreign currency assets during the week.
About Forex Reserve:
• As a result of the central bank's aggressive intervention to lessen the market's high volatility in
2022, reserves fell by about $60 billion.
• The rupee has been under pressure ever since the war in Europe erupted in late February. In
2022, the Indian rupee's value against the dollar had decreased by around 7%.
• Since September 2021, the quantity of foreign exchange reserves has declined by about $70
billion.
Key Points:
• The current level of foreign exchange reserves is sufficient, according to Shaktikanta Das,
governor of the RBI.
• The foreign exchange reserves at $580.3 billion on July 8, 2022, were enough, according to the
July RBI report, to fund 9.5 months' worth of estimated imports for the years 2022–2033.
ADB approves $96 mn loans for a safe drinking water project in Himachal Pradesh
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 96.3 million (Rs 770 crore) loan to
fund safe drinking water and sanitation projects in Himachal Pradesh.
• The loan has been provided under the Himachal Pradesh Rural Drinking Water Improvement
and Livelihood Project.
About the Project :
• The project meets the objectives of the Jal Jeevan Mission, a national flagship program of GoI,
which aims to provide piped water to all rural households by 2024.
• The project will upgrade water supply infrastructure and strengthen institutional capacity to
ensure safe, sustainable, and inclusive rural water supply and sanitation services.
• It will improve water supply and sanitation services through, among others, the construction of
48 groundwater wells, 80 surface water intake facilities, 109 water treatment plants, 117
pumping stations, and 3,000 kilometers of water distribution pipelines.
• Greater than 90 percent of the state’s rural inhabitants have access to ingesting water, however,
the water-provided infrastructure is outdated and deteriorated, leading to inefficient and poor
service high quality.
• It will connect 75,800 households to the service, providing an uninterrupted water supply to
about 370,000 residents across 10 districts.
• A pilot fecal sludge management and sanitation program will be implemented in the Sirmaur
district, HP benefitting 250,000 residents and to determine replicability and guide the design of
future projects.
• It will strengthen the capacity of the ‘Jal Shakti Vibhag’ of the Himachal Pradesh government
and gram panchayat (local government) village water and sanitation commi ttees.
• The project stakeholders and community-based organizations will be trained on water
management, including livelihood skills training for women's self-help groups.
• The project will also raise public awareness of the health benefits of improved water supply,
sanitation, and hygiene practices.
About ADB :
About HP :
• Governor : Rajendra Arlekar
• Chief Minister : Rajendra Arlekar
• Capital: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
• National Parks: Great Himalayan National Park, Pin Valley National Park
• Wildlife sanctuaries: Daranghati Wildlife Sanctuary, Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary, Kanwar Wildlife
Sanctuary, Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary
Nomura cuts 2023 India GDP forecast to 4.7% amid recession fears
• Nomura has lowered the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for India in 2023 to
4.7% from its earlier projection of 5.4% amid recession fears and rising rates of interest.
• Higher inflation, monetary policy tightening, dormant private capex growth, the power crunch,
and the global growth slowdown pose medium-term headwinds are the reason behind lowering
the forecast.
• India's economy is racing above its pre-pandemic level, led by a sharp recovery in the services
sector, and supported by the lagged effects of easy financial conditions, a public capex push,
and a rise in real bank credit growth.
• Nomura expects headline inflation in India to average 6.9 percent in 2022, and 5.9 percent in
2023
• India’s retail inflation rate, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in at 7.01 percent versus 7.04
percent in May 2022.
• This is the sixth consecutive month that the CPI inflation has remained above the Reserve Bank
of India's (RBI's) comfort zone of 2-6 percent.
• The Index of Industrial Production (IIP), however, grew at a faster clip of 19.6 percent in May
2022 as compared to 6.7 percent in April 2022.
City Union Bank Partners with Aditya Birla Health Insurance
• Private sector lender City Union Bank (CUB) and standalone health insurer Aditya Birla Health
Insurance Co Ltd (ABHICL), the health insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd, have
announced a bancassurance partnership for the distribution of health insurance products of
ABHICL through the former’s network of branches across India.
• This is the 3rd health insurance Partnership for CUB as it has entered into such bancassurance
pacts with Star Health and Alliance Insurance as also Care Health (formerly known as R eligare
Health Insurance Co).
• This is the 14th agreement by Aditya Birla Health Insurance with CUB for the bancassurance
partnership.
• Under the Partnership, ABHICL’s suite of health insurance plans will be made available to more
than 4.4 million customers of CUB across 727+ branches in 153 districts of the country.
• Some of ABHICL’s innovative health plans that will be accessible for CUB customers include
Day 1 cover for asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes; wellness coaching on
nutrition and fitness; counseling on mental health; incentivized wellness benefits of up to 100%
Health Returns and chronic management program, among others.
About CUB :
• Founded: 1904
• Headquarters: Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India
• MD & CEO: Dr. N. Kamakodi
• The CUB was originally incorporated under the name Kumbakonam Bank as a limited company
on 31 October 1904.
• In 1987, the name of the bank was changed to City Union Bank.
About ABHICL :
• Founded: 2015
JICA extends ODA Loan of JPY 100 billion for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed a loan agreement with the
Government of India (GoI) to provide an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan of 100,000
million Japanese Yen ( INR 6,000 Crore) as Tranche 3 on the ‘Project for the Construction of
Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR).'
• The loan agreement was signed between Mr. Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary,
Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and Mr. Watanabe
Jun, Senior Representative, JICA India.
Objective :
• To develop a high-frequency mass transportation system by constructing the High-Speed Rail
between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, using Japan's Shinkansen technology (also known as the
"Bullet Train"), enhancing mobility in India and contributing to regional economic development.
• National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) is the Executing Agency of the Project.
• JICA has been supporting the project for the Mumbai - Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail by
providing ODA loans.
• The loan agreement has been signed after the JPY 250,000 million (approximately INR 18,000
crore) package of JICA’s commitment in 2017.
About JICA :
• Founded: 1974
• Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
• President : Akihiko Tanaka
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance inks strategic partnership with CUB
• Private life insurer Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has entered into a strategic partnership with City
Union Bank (CUB) to offer a wide array of life insurance solutions to the lender's customers
across their 727 branches.
• Through this partnership, CUB customers will be able to fulfill their long-term financial goals by
investing in Bajaj Allianz Life’s value-packed products ranging from term, savings, retirement,
investment solutions, and more.
• It will further help Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance to expand its footprint in the southern states, and
beyond.
• Founded: 2001
• MD & CEO: Tarun Chugh
• Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company is a joint venture between Bajaj Finserv Limited, one of
the Indian non-banking financial institutions, and Allianz SE, the world’s leading insurance
company headquartered in Munich, Germany.
HDFC Securities partners with Equitas SFB to offer Demat, trading services
• HDFC Bank subsidiary and stock broking company, HDFC Securities Ltd, has partnered with
small finance bank Equitas to provide Demat accounts and broking and investment services to
its customers.
• With this partnership, Equitas SFB will be able to offer its customers a 3-in-1 account that helps
them access the services of HDFC Securities.
• HDFC Securities will oversee the entire journey for Equitas’ customers, from account opening to
regular share transactions
• All Equitas Small Finance customers would be able to open their demat and trading account for
buying & selling shares and trading in futures & options/ commodities and even currencies.
• The tie-up will provide customers of Equitas with additional investment avenues, enabling them
with more choices and allocating their savings across asset classes.
About HDFC Securities Ltd :
• Founded: 2000
• MD & CEO: Dhiraj Relli
• HDFC Securities is the stock broking arm of India’s largest private-sector lender, HDFC Bank.
• It offers over 30 investment vehicles, spanning asset classes such as stocks, gold, real estate,
and debt instruments.
• The company offers investment and direct trading services through buying and selling of
equities, along with currency derivatives, mutual funds, NCDs, fixed deposits, bonds, and more.
About Equitas SFB :
• Founded: 2016
• MD & CEO : Vasudevan Pathangi Narasimhan
• Equitas Small Finance Bank is a subsidiary of the holding company Equitas Holdings Ltd.
Indian Bank bags SHG Linkage award from NABARD
• Indian Bank has bagged the best performing bank award in Tamil Nadu for the FY 2021-22
under the Self Help Group (SHG) Bank Linkage Programme category from National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
• State finance minister Mr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan gave away the award, which was received by
Mr. S L Jain, MD & CEO, and Mr. V Chandrasekaran, general manager (Rural Banking) during
NABARD’s 41st foundation day.
Note :
• On July 12, 2022, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
celebrated its 41st Foundation Day.
About Indian Bank :
About NABARD :
• Chairman : Govinda Rajulu Chintala
City Union Bank partners with Royal Sundaram General Insurance for insurance products
• City Union Bank (CUB) and Royal Sundaram General Insurance Co. Limited have partnered to
enable the customers of the CUB to have easy access to comprehensive general insurance
products of Royal Sundaram across its branches.
• Royal Sundaram’s general insurance products bouquet include health, motor, personal accident,
and travel, as well as home insurances in retail and insurance against fire, marine, industrial and
other risks under commercial lines.
• It brings us one step closer to becoming a one-stop shop (point) for all the financial needs of our
customers.
About Royal Sundaram General Insurance :
• Managing Director: M.S. Sreedhar
Mastercard set to replace Paytm as BCCI title sponsor:
• Mastercard is expected to take over as title sponsor for all international and domestic cricket
matches organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, replacing Paytm (BCCI).
• Paytm controlled the rights until the end of 2023.
• Paytm has asked the BCCI to award its India Home Cricket title rights to Mastercard.
• Paytm was said to have missed the July deadline for requesting reassignment. However, due to
their 'long standing' connection, BCCI has agreed to accept its delayed request.
• According to the original conditions of the Paytm arrangement, Mastercard will be awarded the
rights till 2023 and would continue to pay INR 3.8 Cr every match.
• Paytm, on the other hand, will be required to pay a re-assignment charge of around INR 16.3 Cr
- 5% of the original deal value (INR 326.8 Cr).
• Paytm and BCCI initially signed a four-year arrangement for championship sponsorship in 2015
for INR 203 Cr (i.e., INR 2.4 Cr per match).
• The contract was recently renewed in August 2019 for a period of up to March 2023, and Paytm
would place a winning offer of INR 3.80 Cr per match, a 58 percent increase over the previous
arrangement.
About Mastercard
• Headquarters: New York, US
• CEO: Michael Miebach
• Executive Chairman: Ajay Banga.
Nokia engages Wipro for digital transformation over five years:
• An announcement on the signing of a new, five-year contract for digital transformation with
Nokia of Finland was made by Wipro Ltd., a firm with its headquarters in Bengaluru.
• The new agreement builds on a relationship that was established more than 20 years ago.
• With a focus on process optimization, touchless processing, and enhanced user and customer
experience across order management, supply chain, finance, and accounting operations, Wipro
will offer business services in support of Nokia's new operating model.
• Even though an official announcement regarding the arrangement was made public, Wipro
noted that it had acknowledged the contract in the press release that was issued alongside the
financial results for FY22 without disclosing the customer or providing information about the
deal's terms or magnitude.
About Wipro
• Founder: H. Hasham Premji
• CEO: Thierry Delaporte
• Chairman: Azim Premji
About Nokia
• Founder: Fredrik Idestam, Eduard Polon and Leo Mechelin
• Chairman: Sari Baldauf
• Headquarters: Espoo, Finland
ONDC adds 15 more cities, and onboards Snapdeal for pan-Indian access:
• Open Network Digital Commerce (ONDC) has expanded its pilot to 15 more cities.
• Snapdeal has also signed the onboarding agreement with the network and will debut on it next
month.
• ONDC expanded to Noida, Faridabad, Lucknow, Bijnor, Bhopal, Chhindwara, Kolkata, Pune,
Chennai, Kannur, Thrissur, Udipi, Kanchipuram, Pollachi, Ma nnar, and Ramanathapuram.
• The network first began its pilot on April 29 in Delhi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Bhopal, and
Shillong.
• Snapdeal will provide pan-Indian access on ONDC.
• At the time of launch, more than 2,500 cities and towns across the country will be enabled for
access.
• More cities and towns will be added to the ONDC network during the year
Key Points:
• The increasing digitization of India’s retail is a transformative opportunity that can benefit sellers,
buyers, and other stakeholders.
• ONDC’s efforts will catalyze this growth in the right direction and help create an inclusive,
enabling, and open-access-based digital commerce ecosystem.
• Snapdeal looks forward to a strong partnership with ONDC in this path-breaking endeavor
• The growth of Indian e-commerce is being fuelled by price-conscious consumers from the
country’s smaller cities and towns.
• According to a RedSeer report, the number of online buyers from tier-2 and smaller cities —
which account for more than 80 percent of the population — will triple in five years.
• It will go from about 78 million in 2021 to nearly 256 million by 2026.
• So far, the only other major platform on the network is Paytm’s buyer side.
ECGC Introduces Scheme to Provide Enhanced Export Credit Risk Insurance cover up to 9 0% for
small exporters
• ECGC has introduced a new scheme to provide enhanced export credit risk insurance cover to
the extent of 90% to support small exporters under the Export Credit Insurance for Banks Whole
Turnover Packaging Credit and Post Shipment (ECIB- WTPC & PS).
• The scheme is expected to benefit some small-scale exporters availing of export credit with
banks that hold the ECGC WT-ECIB covers.
• This will also enable the small exporters to explore new markets/new buyers and diversify their
existing product portfolio competitively.
About the Scheme :
Enhanced Cover to Banks
• The enhanced cover shall be available for the manufacturer- exporters availing fund-based
export credit working capital limit up to ₹ 20 crores (i.e., total Packaging Credit and Post
Shipment limit per exporter/exporter-group) excluding the Gems, Jewelry & Diamond sector, and
merchant exporters/traders.
• This new scheme will enable the banks holding ECGC’s WT-ECIB cover to explore the
possibility of reducing interest rates further so that all the stakeholders are benefitted.
• The enhanced cover percentage shall be made available to the State Bank of India (SBI) as per
the previous year’s premium rate because of its favorable claim premium ratio.
• However, for other Banks, there may be a moderate increase in the prevailing premium rates.
• ECGC had extended support to exports amounting to Rs.6.18 lakh crore in the last FY 2021-22.
• As of March 2022, more than 6,700 distinct exporters benefited from the direct cover issued to
exporters, and more than 9,000 distinct exporters benefitted under the Export Credit Insurance
for Banks (ECIB) & notably, around 96% of these are small exporters.
About ECGC :
• Chairman & MD: M. Senthilnathan
• ECGC is a government-owned export credit provider.
• GoI had initially set up Export Risks Insurance Corporation (ERIC) in July 1957.
• It was transformed into Export Credit and Guarantee Corporation Limited (ECGC) in 1964 and to
Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India in 1983.
• It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GoI.
• It is managed by an Asset Management Company comprising representatives of the
Government, Reserve Bank of India, banking, insurance, and exporting community.
• ECGC Ltd. is the seventh largest credit insurer in the world in terms of coverage of national
exports.
About Ministry of Commerce and Industry :
• Cabinet Minister: Piyush Goyal
• Minister of State: Anupriya Patel, Som Parkash
IMF cuts India’s economic growth forecast to 7.4% fo r FY23
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its latest World Economic Outlook report, has lowered
its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for India for the current financial year FY23 by
0.8% or 80 basis points to 7.4 percent from 8.2 percent estimated in April 2022.
• Similarly, the IMF has also lowered India's growth forecast for FY24 to 6.1 percent as against
6.9 percent earlier.
• For India, the revision reflects mainly less favorable external conditions and more rapid policy
tightening.
• Russia's invasion of Ukraine disrupted supplies of crucial commodities, pushing up prices
globally in Feb 2022.
• The Asian Development Bank lowered its growth forecast for India to 7.2% for 2022-23 from
7.5% estimated earlier, given higher-than-expected inflation and monetary tightening.
About IMF :
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C, United States
• Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva
• Membership: 190 countries (189 UN countries and Kosovo)
Union Bank of India plans automated solution for resolution of stressed assets
• State-owned Union Bank of India (UBI) is developing an automated solution for the early
resolution of stressed assets, Union SARAS (Stressed Asset Recovery Automated Solution) .
• It will cover recovery actions under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets
and Enforcement of Security Interest Act (SARFAESI), Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT), and
Insolvency Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
• Under the Union SARAS Stressed Asset Recovery Automated Solution, the software has been
created for digitizing and automating the recovery of stressed assets.
• Other recovery actions include the Civil Suit Revenue Recovery Act, Lok Adalat, classification of
the non-cooperative borrower, examination of staff accountability, willful defaulter, data, and
write-off.
• The solution will digitize all recovery functional areas, including field-related work, and convert
through automated process flow of all recovery actions from initiation to its logical end.
• It will ensure actions for reducing litigation scope and will act as a guide to the branch for the
actions to be taken.
About UBI :
India Post Payments Bank Partners with TATA AIG
• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has Partnered with Tata AIG General Insurance Company
Limited (TATA AIG) for providing TATA Accidental Guard policy to IPPB customers.
• A special drive has commenced on 15th July 2022 in all post offices in Goa for covering the
citizens of the state under this policy.
About IPPB :
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India
• MD & CEO: J. Venkatramu
• IPPB, is a division of India Post which is under the ownership of the Department of Post, a
department under the Ministry of Communications of the GoI.
About TATA ALG :
• Founded: 2001
• CEO: Neelesh Garg
• Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between the Tata Group holding
a 74 percent stake in the insurance company and American International Group (AIG) holding
the balance of 26 percent.
Rajasthan signs MoU with Telangana to set up First Women's bank in Rajasthan
• Rajasthan Grameen Aajivika Vikas Parishad (RGAVP) and Stree Nidhi Credit Cooperative
Federation of Telangana (Stree Nidhi-Telangana) signed an agreement to set up a first-ever all-
women-run cooperative bank called “Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi”.
• The agreement was signed by RGAV Mission Director Manju Rajpal and Stree Nidhi managing
director, G Vidhyasagar Reddy in the presence of rural development minister Ramesh Chand
Meena at Indira Gandhi Panchayati Raj Institute.
• The proposal to set up Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi was announced by Chief Minister Shri Ashok
Gehlot in the 2022-23 budget speech.
Note :
• Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi (RMN), is Rajasthan’s first & India’s third women’s financial institution.
About Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi:
• Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi will act as a complementary financial institution with formal banks.
• It will strengthen the women’s self-help groups in Rajasthan, by providing timely loan facilities for
their enterprises.
• The cluster-level federation of Rajeevika will be its member.
• For the establishment of RMN, a total grant of Rs 50 crore will be given by the state government
in 2 years, with Rs 25 crore in the first year.
• A proposal requesting a grant of Rs 110 crore from the central government has also been sent.
• For the operation of RMN, Rajeevika will be contributing Rs 10 lakh per cluster-level union as
share capital from 561 promoted cluster-level federations in a phased manner.
• Through RMN, loans up to Rs 40,000 w ill be disbursed in 48 hours, and loans above this
amount will be disbursed within 15 days.
Districts to get benefits through RMN :
• RMN will be started in 15 districts in the first year of implementation.
• Initially, it will be launched in six districts - Karauli, Alwar, Kota, Dungarpur, Rajsamand, and
Jodhpur.
About RGAVP :
• RGAVP is an autonomous society established by the government of Rajasthan under the
administrative control of the Department of Rural Development.
About Rajasthan :
• Capital: Jaipur
About Telangana :
• Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
SEBI issues new guidelines for settlement of running account
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued new
guidelines on settlement of running accounts of clients' funds lying with stock brokers, which will
be effective from October 1, 2022.
• The process of transferring back the unused funds of the clients to their accounts by stock
brokers is called running account settlement.
About the Guidelines :
• Under the new guidelines, SEBI decided that the settlement of running account of funds of the
client shall be done by the trading members after considering the End of the day (EOD)
obligation of funds as on the date of settlement across all the Exchanges on the fi r st F riday of
the Quarter (i.e., Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep, Oct-Dec, Jan–Mar) for all the clients.
• The running account of funds will be settled on the first Friday of October 2022, J anuary 2 0 23,
April 2023, July 2023, and so on for all the clients.
• If the first Friday is a trading holiday, then such settlement will happen on the previous trading
day.
• For clients, who have opted for monthly settlement, running accounts will be settled on the first
Friday of every month.
• If the first Friday is a trading holiday, then such settlement will happen on the previous trading
day.
• SEBI has asked stock exchanges to continue online monitoring of timely settlement of running
accounts for funds of clients and to verify that excess clients’ funds are not retained by the TM
as on the date of settlement of running accounts.
• Also, stock exchanges are required to place an appropriate reporting requirement by TM to
enforce the above system, and communicate the status of the implementation of the provisions
in their monthly development report to SEBI.
• Stock exchanges are also asked to make amendments to the relevant Bye-laws, Rules, and
Regulations, as may be necessary.
About SEBI :
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra. India
RBI’s digital payments index increases to 349.30 in March 2022
• The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) digital payments index (DPI) has risen to 349.30 in March
2022, compared to 304.46 for September 2021, indicating digital payments are on the rise in the
country led by a unified payments interface (UPI).
• The central bank developed the composite Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Digital Payments Index
(RBI-DPI) with March 2018 as the base year to assess the extent of digitization of payments in
India.
Period RBI - DPI Index
March 2018 (Base) 100
March 2019 153.47
September 2019 173.49
March 2020 207.84
March 2021 270.59
March 2022 349.30
• The index will be published on a semi-annual basis with a lag of 4 months.
• The DPI index comprises 5 broad parameters that enable the measurement of the deepening
and penetration of digital payments in the country over different periods.
The parameters include :

• Payment enablers, with a weightage of 25 percent in the index, followed by demand-side and
supply-side payment infrastructure factors, with a weightage of 10 percent each, payment
performance, with 45 percent weightage, and consumer centricity, with 5 percent weightage.
• Each of the parameters has sub-parameters which, in turn, consist of various measurable
indicators.
• Among the digital modes of payments, the number of transactions using Real Time Gross
Settlement (RTGS) increased by 30.5 percent during 2021-22.
• In terms of value, RTGS transactions registered an increase of 21.8 percent; transactions
through the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system also witnessed an increase of
30.6 percent and 14.3 percent in volume and value, respectively.
• Payment transactions carried out through credit cards increased by 27 percent and 54.3 percent
in terms of volume and value, respectively.
• Transactions through debit cards decreased by 1.9 percent in terms of volume, though in terms
of value, they increased by 10.4 percent.
• Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) recorded an increase in volume and value terms by 32.3
percent and 48.5 percent, respectively.
• In FY22, UPI processed more than 46 billion transactions amounting to over Rs 84.17 trillion,
thus breaching the $1 trillion mark. And, in FY21, it had processed 22.28 billion transactions,
amounting to Rs 41.03 trillion.
About RBI :
SEBI extends the deadline for commencing KYC record validation by KRAs
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) extended the deadline
for commencing the validation of all Know Your Customer (KYC) records by KYC Registration
Agencies (KRAs) by three months to November 01, 2022, from August 01, 2022.
• This is the second time the SEBI has extended the deadline.
• Earlier it was extended till August 01, 2022, from July 01, 2022.
• As per clause 9 of SEBI KYC (Know Your Client) Registration Agency (KRA) Regulations, 2011,
the KYC records of all existing clients (who have used Aadhaar as an officially valid document
(OVD) shall be validated within 180 days from 1st November 2022.
• In January 2022, SEBI notified new norms to make KRAs responsible for carrying out
independent validation of the KYC records uploaded onto their system by Registered
Intermediaries (RIs).
• Under the notified rules, such agencies will have to maintain an audit trail of the
upload/modification/download of KYC records of clients.
Kotak General Insurance launches AI-based vehicle pre-inspection
• Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited (Kotak General Insurance) has partnered
with Inspektlabs to automate the vehicle inspections for vehicle insurance renewals with Artificial
Intelligence-based technology.
• Under the AI-based inspection process, during policy renewals, customers can capture photos
or videos of their vehicle and upload them on the cloud-based App.
• An automated inspection report covering damages, if any, gets generated after uploading the
photos/videos.
• The automated process will replace humans in repetitive work at a very high accuracy level that
saves cost and increases customer satisfaction by reducing the time required to renew a car
insurance policy.
• The technology helps to detect fraud based on the pictures and videos uploaded, thereby aiding
the underwriting process.
• In July 2022, The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) allowed
general insurance companies to introduce tech-enabled concepts for own damage (OD) cover in
motor insurance policies.
About Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Ltd :
• Founded: 2015
• MD & CEO: Suresh Agarwal
Google Maps has launched its street view service across 10 cities in India:
• Google Maps has launched its street view service across 10 cities in India in partnership with
two local companies.
• Street View is being launched in partnership with Genesys International and Tech Mahindra.
• Street View will be available on Google Maps with fresh imagery licensed from local partners
covering over 1,50,000 km across ten cities in India, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi,
Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Pune, Nashik, Vadodara, Ahmednagar, and Amritsar.
• Google, Genesys International, and Tech Mahindra plan to expand this to more than 50 cities by
the end of 2022.
• This India launch marks the first time in the world that Street View is being brought to life
completely by local partners.
• Street View APIs will also be available to local developers enabling them to deliver richer
mapping experiences in their services.
• Additionally, Google announced its collaboration with the Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB) to provide air quality information.
MapmyIndia has released its new 360-degree panoramic street view service:
• Indian digital mapping company MapmyIndia has released its Mappls Realview – a new 360-
degree panoramic street view service.
• RealView features over 40 crore geo-tagged panoramas and has offered part of its repository --
almost 1,00,000km -- free for consumers, following which the service will be chargeable.
• Interestingly the Mappls RealView came on the same day that Google Maps launched its Street
View service to India in select cities after 11 years.
• Mappls reviews several thousand kilometers in metropolitan areas and towns, and highways
connecting them and provide 3D views of tourist landmarks, residential societies, office towers,
and complexes.
• The service can be accessed on the Mappls website or Mappls App on Android and iOS.
• Rohan Verma, CEO & Executive Director, MapmyIndia
Bandhan Bank opens first currency chest in Patna for Cash Management
• Bandhan Bank has opened its first currency chest in Deedargunj in Patna, Bihar.
• This will help the private lender manage cash management for the branches and ATMs in Bihar.
Key features of the currency chest of Bandhan bank :
• The currency chest will help its customers, micro, small, medium enterprises, and small traders
with the supply of currency notes to the bank branches and the ATMs as and when required.
• The bank plans to open more than 530 new bank branches across the country in this financial
year.
• The new branches will be mainly distributed in North and West and South India.
Note :
• According to the 2020-2021 Annual report of RBI, there are 2878 currency chests in India as of
March 2022.
About Bandhan Bank :
• Founded: 2015
• Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
• MD & CEO: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh
RBI imposes restrictions on two co -operative banks, caps fund withdrawal amount
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed several restrictions, including on fund
withdrawals, on two Uttar Pradesh-based cooperative banks Lucknow Urban Co-operative Bank
and Urban Co-operative Bank Limited, Sitapur because of their deteriorating financial position.
• The restrictions under the Banking Regulation Act will remain in force for six months.
• As per this, Customers of Lucknow Urban Co-operative Bank will not be able to withdraw more
than Rs 30,000, and the withdrawal limit in the case of Urban Co-operative Bank is Rs 50,000
per customer.
• The two banks, without permission of the RBI, cannot grant loans, make any investment, incur
any liability including borrowal of funds and acceptance of fresh deposits, or disburse or dispose
of properties or assets.
About RBI :
Aditya Birla Health Insurance & Policybazaar.com launches OPD Add-on Cover with Zero Waiting
Period
• Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Limited (ABHICL), the health insurance subsidiary of Aditya
Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), & non-bank financial company Policybazaar.com has launched
‘OPD Add-on’ for customers to address their health & wellness needs.
Aim :
• To provide hassle-free physical and virtual consultation, which leads to quicker treatment.
• It also offers a range of special consultations such as Gynaecology, Orthopaedic, Paediatric,
Ophthalmologist, Physiotherapist, and Nutritionist, referred or prescribed by a General
Practitioner, for any illness or injury.
• This product can be added to existing indemnity plans to provide unlimited medical consultation
at affordable prices.
Types of OPD Add-on Cover:
• Option (1) ₹599 per insured (excluding tax) - Unlimited Physical Outpatient consultations by a
general medical practitioner
• Option (2) ₹799 per insured (excluding tax) - Unlimited Physical & Virtual Outpatient
consultations by a general medical practitioner
• Option (3) ₹999 per insured (excluding tax) - Unlimited Physical & Virtual Outpatient
consultations by a general medical practitioner
Key Highlights :
• There is no waiting period and the add-on kicks in from day one and covers more than 32,000
doctor networks in over 70 cities.
• Hence, all the insured will receive the benefit on an individual basis by default.
• The minimum and maximum age at entry will be as per the base policy.
About Aditya Birla Health Insurance :
• Established: 2015 (commenced its operations in October 2016 )
• ABHICL is a joint venture between Aditya Birla Group and MMI Holdings of South Africa.
About Policybazaar.com :
• CEO: Sarbvir Singh
• It is the flagship platform of PB Fintech, which owns the fintech brand, Paisabazaar.com, and
lending & insurance marketplace in the UAE region, Policybazaar. ae.
RBI extends the license application window for payment aggregators
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed another window for payment aggregators (PAs)
existing as of March 2020 to apply to the central bank for a license by September 30, 2022, &
should have a minimum net worth of Rs 15 crore as on March 31, 2022.
About Payment aggregators :
• Payment aggregators are entities that facilitate e-commerce sites and merchants to accept
various payment instruments from customers for the completion of their payments without the
need for merchants to create separate payment integration systems of their own.
• They facilitate merchants to connect with acquirers.
• In the process, they receive payments from customers, pool them, and transfer them to
merchants after some time.
Eligibility Criteria :
• In 2020, as per RBI guidelines to acquire and offer payment services to merchants, only
companies that had been approved by the regulator were allowed to.
• While banks do not need separate approvals, non-bank entities offering payment aggregator
services had to apply to the RBI for authorization by June 2021, a deadline that was later
extended.
• However, the RBI allowed them to continue their operations till they received communication
from the regulator regarding the status of their application.
• Several payment providers like Razorpay, Pine Labs, Stripe, 1Pay, and Innoviti Payments have
received in-principle approval from the RBI for a PA license.
• According to the RBI guidelines, payment aggregators need to have a net worth of Rs 15 crore
by March 2021, and a net worth of Rs 25 crore by March 2023.
IMPORTANT STATE NEWS
Kerala Govt to roll out MEDISEP scheme for State Government employees
● The Kerala Government has unveiled the largest-ever health insurance scheme named Medical
Insurance Scheme for State Employees and Pensioners (MEDISEP) which will be effective from
July 1st, 2022.
Who is eligible for the MEDISEP Scheme?
● MEDISEP scheme applies to government employees, pensioners/family pensioners and their
eligible family members, and employees and pensioners of universities that receive a grant in
aid from the state government and the local self-government institutions
About the MEDISEP scheme:
● The scheme will provide cashless medical assistance with comprehensive coverage of up to 3
lakhs per year.
● The annual premium would be Rs 4,800 plus 18 percent GST for the policy period of 2022-24 &
the monthly premium of Rs.500 will be deducted from the salary of June 2022 and pension of
July 2022.
● The scheme will cover more than 1,920 medical procedures and will have over 200 private and
government hospitals of the rank of taluk hospital and above, in its network.
● Around 30 lakh people will be benefitted from the scheme.
● The medical insurance plans will also cover newborns and twins of an insured mother from day
one to the end of the current policy plan period.
● The MEDISEP is being implemented through the public sector insurer, Oriental Insurance
Company.
About Kerala :
● Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
● Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
● Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
Telangana govt launches T -hub facility
● Chief Minister of Telangana Shri K Chandrasekhar Rao is scheduled to inaugurate the new
facility of business incubator T-Hub in Hyderabad.
● The new T-hub facility in Hyderabad will be a great boost to the Indian startup ecosystem.
About Telangana T-Hub:
● The T-Hub 2.0 has a total built-up area of more than 5.82 lakh square feet, which makes it the
world's largest innovation campus, the second largest being startup incubator Station F based in
France.
● It will be a microcosm of the innovation ecosystem which will house more than 2,000 startups,
corporates, investors, academia, and national and international ecosystem enablers.
● The new facility is built up in an area covering 3.5 lakh sq ft space and it is expected to be
India’s largest prototyping facility.
● It is built at a cost of about Rs 276 crore.
● The T-Hub (Technology Hub) was established in 2015, at IIT Hyderabad & it is an innovation
hub and ecosystem enabler based out of Hyderabad.
● T-Hub is a partnership between the Government of Telangana, three academic institutes in
Hyderabad
1. The International Institute of Information Technology
2. The Indian School of Business
3. National Academy of Legal Studies and Research and also the private sector.
About Telangana :
● Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
● Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
● Capital: Hyderabad
Maharashtra Cabinet approves renaming Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar, Osmanabad as Dharashiv
● The Maharashtra cabinet under the chairmanship of Shri Uddhav Thackeray approved a
proposal to rename Aurangabad city as Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad city as Dharashiv.
● The cabinet also cleared a proposal to name the upcoming Navi Mumbai International airport
after the late DB Patil, the leader of the Project Affected People of Raigad and Thane district.
About Maharashtra :
● Chief Minister : Eknath Shinde
● Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
● Capital: Mumbai
Maharashtra signs MoU with AGEL for 11000 MW power generations
● The Maharashtra government’s Energy department signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Adani Green Energy Group Ltd (AGEL) to generate 11000 MW of green power in the
next 5 years.
● The MoU was signed by Narayan Karad, Deputy Secretary, Department of Energy,
Maharashtra, and Ajit Barodia, Senior Vice President, Adani Industries Group.
● It would entail an investment of Rs 60,000 crore and employ 30,000 persons.
● According to the agreement, AGEL will set up Pumped Storage Projects (PSP) in the next 4 to 5
years, through which about 11,000 MW of power will be generated.
● This is the 2nd major investment in the Maharashtra energy sector after Maharashtra State
Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) signed an MoU with Gurgaon-based Renew
Power Private Limited at the World Economic Forum in Davos for investments worth Rs 50,000
crore.
About AGEL :
● Founded: 2015
● Headquarters: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
● Founder: Gautam Adani
● MD & CEO: Vineet S. Jaain
Himachal Pradesh CM launches 'Naari Ko Naman' scheme; women to get 50% concession on bus fare
● The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Shri Jai Ram Thakur launched Naari Ko Naman’s
scheme at the Government College Auditorium in Dharamshala in Kangra district, Himachal
Pradesh.
Purpose :
● To provide 50 percent concession to the women passengers in fares in Himachal Road
Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses.
● Earlier the chief minister had announced the 50 percent concession on bus fares to women on
April 15, 2022, Himachal Day.
● In another scheme, he announced a reduction in the minimum bus fare from Rs 7 to Rs 5 for all
passengers across HP.
● Also, the government will sanction 25 new posts of women drivers in the ‘Ride With Pride’
government taxi service, an initiative to ferry women passengers and senior citizens.
● Seema Thakur is the First Female Driver In Himachal Pradesh.
About HP:
● Governor : Rajendra Arlekar
● Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur
● Capital: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
NTPC commissions India's largest floating solar power project in Telangana
● NTPC Ltd has declared the Commercial Operations Date (COD) of the last part capacity of 20
MW out of 100 MW Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project in Telangana.
● Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project is India’s largest Floating Solar Plant commissioned by
NTPC.
● In March 2022, the NTPC had made commercially operational an additional 42.5 MW of power
generation capacity at Ramagundam floating solar project in Telangana.
About Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project :
● The project spreads over 500 acres of NTPC-Ramagundam reservoir and was built at Rs 423
crore through M/s BHEL as EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contract.
● The Project is divided into 40 blocks, each having 2.5 MW & e ach block consists of one floating
platform and an array of 11,200 solar modules.
● The floating platform consists of one Inverter, Transformer, and HT breaker.
● The solar modules are placed on floaters manufactured with HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)
material.
● The project is unique in the sense that all the electrical equipment including the inverter,
transformer, HT panel, and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) are also on
floating Ferro cement platforms.
● The entire floating system is anchored through a special HMPE (High Modulus Polyethylene)
rope.
● With the operationalization of the 100-MW Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, the total
commercial operation of Floating Solar Capacity in the Southern Region rose to 217 MW.
● NTPC’s total installed capacity of the company is 69,134.20 MW having 23 coal-based, seven
gas-based, one Hydro, and 19 renewable energy projects.
● Under Joint Venture (JV), NTPC has nine coal-based, four gas-based, eight hydro, and five
renewable energy projects.
Additional Info:
● Earlier, NTPC declared Commercial operation of 92 MW Floating Solar at Kayamkulam (Kerala)
and 25 MW Floating Solar at Simhadri (Andhra Pradesh)
About NTPC :
● Chairman & MD: Gurdeep Singh
● It is a statutory corporation incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 and is under the
ownership of the Ministry of Power, GoI.
About Telangana :
● Chief Minister : K. Chandrashekar Rao
● Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
● Capital: Hyderabad
Rajasthan govt set to introduce India's first right-to-health Bill in 2022
● The Rajasthan government will introduce the Right to Health Bill, the first of its kind in India in
the Rajasthan Assembly.
Aim :
● To provide quality and affordable health care services by government and private healthcare
providers.
● In January 2022, the government prepared a draft bill that defines the rights of patients, their
attendants, and health care providers, as well as a system for addressing the grievances of the
stakeholders.
● Rajasthan has ensured the health and security of every family by providing free treatment up to
Rs 10 lakh to the people through Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana.
● Along with this, accident insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh is being given to the families registered in
the scheme.
● Recently, the chief minister approved Rs 117 crore for the expansion of the facilities in Mahila
Chikitsalaya (women's hospital) at Sanganeri Gate in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
About Rajasthan :
● Governor: Kalraj Mishra
● Chief Minister : Ashok Gehlot
● Capital: Jaipur
UP becomes 1st state to integrate ODOP mart with ONDC platform
● Uttar Pradesh(UP) has become the first state in the country to connect One District One Product
(ODOP) mart with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform.
Aim :
● To promote open networks for all aspects of the exchange of goods and services over digital or
electronic networks.
● The pilot phase of integration of ODOP Mart on ONDC was inaugurated by the Additional Chief
Secretary, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of Uttar Pradesh Dr.
Navneet Sehgal.
● The UP government has actively started working with ONDC to get all the One District One
Product (ODOP) products available on the ONDC network.
● The ODOP products will be displayed on all e-commerce portals and apps that are associated
with ONDC.
● ONDC collaborates with Uttar Pradesh Handicrafts Development & Marketing Corporation, to
make One District One Product.
● ONDC will also provide logistics facilities to its customers.
● A total of seven companies- one buyer side app, five seller side apps, and one logistics service
provider app have adopted ONDC protocols and built their ONDC compatible apps.
About UP :
● Governor: Anandiben Patel
● Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath
● Capital: Lucknow
PM Shri Narendra Modi launches 125th birth anniversary celebration of freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama
Raju in AP
● Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will launch the year-long 125th birth anniversary celebration
of legendary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju at Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh.
● The Prime Minister will also unveil a 30-feet tall bronze statue of Alluri Sitarama Raju.
● The occasion was facilitated by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh Shri Biswabhusan
Harichandan, Chief Minister Shri Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, and Union Minister Shri G. Kishan
Reddy.
● The government has also approved the construction of the Alluri Dhyana Mandir at Mogallu with
a statue of Alluri Sitarama Raju in Dhyana Mudra.
About Alluri Sitarama Raju :
● Alluri Sitarama Raju was Born on 4th July 1897, in Andhra Pradesh.
● He is remembered for his fight against the British, to safeguard the interests of the tribal
communities in the Eastern Ghats region.
● He became involved in opposing the British in response to the 1882 Madras Forest Act, which
effectively restricted the free movement of Adivasis (tribal communities).
● He had led the Rampa rebellion, which was launched in 1922.
● He is referred to as “Manyam Veerudu” (Hero of the Jungles) by the local people.
Delhi govt launches Mission Kushal Karmi program to upskill construction workers
● Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Shri Manish Sisodia launched "Mission Kushal Karmi" for upskilling
the construction workers in the city in collaboration with Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship
University (DSEU) and Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.
Aim :
● To provide on-the-job skill development training to over 2 lakh registered construction workers in
industry demand-driven job roles in the construction sector in a year.
● Under this 15 days special training program, workers will undergo upskilling which will boost
their incomes in the future.
● The program will be conducted by the DSEU along with Simplex, the National real Estate
Development Council (NAREDCO), and India Vision Foundation.
About Mission Kushal Karmi :
● The government will provide a sum of at least ₹4,200 to each worker who takes the course to
compensate for the loss of work.
Benefits to Workers from Mission Kushal Karmi:
● Improvement in income ranging up to 8,000 per month after completion of training to
construction workers.
● Increase in productivity of workers by 40 percent, increase in quality of product produced by 25
percent, and wastage of materials decreases by 50 percent.
● Improvement in domain skills and soft skills thereby making the worker more profici ent and
confident.
● Improvement in the understanding of standard safety norms thereby increasing the longevity of
work and social security.
About Delhi :
● Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena
● Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal
Karnataka becomes the first state in India to have an R&D policy
● Karnataka is set to be the first state in India to have an exclusive Research & Development
policy.
● Karnataka chief minister Shri Basavaraj Bommai, chaired a meeting with the Task Force headed
by Prof Ashok Shettar, vice-chancellor of KLE Technological University, and senior officials
regarding the formulation of the new policy.
● The CM has instructed the officials to prepare the necessary systems for the effective
implementation of the proposed policy.
● IT, BT minister CN Ashwathnarayan, CM's Principal Secretary N. Manjunath Additional Chief
Secretary in the Industries department EV Ramana Reddy and others were present.
Aim of the Policy :
● To allocate at least 0.1% of the state's Gross State Domestic Product towards R&D and
innovation that would eventually help the state in bringing more development.
● Also, some of the other measures suggested as a part of the policy include allocating a certain
amount of budget to various departments for research purposes.
● The proposed policy should be simple.
● Any R&D is considered worthy only when it is found useful in the daily life of the people & it
should cater to all sectors.
● A state-level R&D Council and Foundation will be established as a supplementary initiative for
the implementation of the proposed policy.
● The policy would be cleared after discussing it in the state cabinet.
About Karnataka :
● Governor: Thawarchand Gehlot
● CM: Basavaraj Bommai
● Capital: Bangalore
6 Indian States signed a declaration of intent to combat human trafficking
● Women and Child welfare representatives from 6 Indian states Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana signed an Inter-State Declaration of Intent to work
in collaboration to combat trafficking in persons.
● The first-of-its-kind agreement focuses on joint efforts on intelligence gathering and sharing;
legal and witness protection; and rehabilitation and care for survivors.
● The declaration will be called the ‘Hyderabad Declaration’.
● The two-day Southern Regional Consultation to Combat Human Trafficking, hosted by the
Telangana Government in collaboration with the nonprofits Prajwala and Shakti Vahini,
concluded with the signing of this declaration.
● The US Consulates General in Hyderabad and Kolkata supported the conference.
About the Regional Consultation to Combat Human Trafficking :
● The Regional Consultation to Combat Human Trafficking Brought together 36 high-level
functionaries from the Departments of Women and Child Welfare/Social Welfare; Home
Department; State Women’s Commission; State Children’s Commission; State Legal Services
Authority; as well as the respective State Ministers from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Kerala, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.
● The consultation included panel discussions and presentations by senior police officers,
prosecutors, members of the judiciary, cyber-crime professionals, and survivor advocates.
● The U. S. government partnered with State governments to organize a series of consultations to
bring together State-level stakeholders, including government Departments, legal services, law
enforcement, child protection, and prosecution agencies to ensure convergence in response
mechanisms and strengthen interstate collaboration between source and destination agencies.
Note :
● Founder of Prajwala: Sunitha Krishnan
● Co-founder of Shakti Vahini: Rishi Kant
Odisha government presents Rs 2 lakh crore budget for FY23
● Odisha’s Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari presented the State Budget with Rs 2-lakh crore total
outlay for FY 2022-2023 in the Assembly with a focus on strengthening infrastructure,
developing education and health sectors, and improving the livelihoods of people.
● The estimated outlay for the current financial year is the "highest" in the history of the state
budget and is around 17.6 percent more than the R s 1.7 lakh crore allocated for the last fiscal.
● Over the last 22 years, there has been a 17-fold increase in the size of the state budget.
● The Budget had two main components: the Agriculture budget and the General budget.
● The Budget size has increased to Rs 2 lakh crore and the Programme Budget to Rs 1 lakh
crore.
● The capital outlay in FY23 has estimated at Rs 38,732 crore, which was around 5.4 percent of
the Gross State Domestic Product.
● The revenue receipts for FY23 are estimated at Rs 1,63,967 crore and borrowing and other
receipts of Rs 36,033 crore.
● The total revenue receipts for the 2022-23 years include the state's share of central taxes at Rs
36,978 crore, its tax revenue at Rs 46,000 crore, its non-tax revenue at Rs 48,200 crore, and
grants from the Centre at Rs 32,789 crore.
● The own revenue-GSDP ratio would be 13.20 percent in 2022-23.
Key Highlights of the Budget :
● Rs 2,664 crore in the budget has been allocated for the ‘Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana’ (Health
Insurance) - Odisha government's own Healthcare insurance scheme in comparison to the
Centre's 'Ayushman Yojana'.
● Rs 500 crore has been proposed for the ‘State Support to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
● Rs 1,023 crore was allocated for Odisha's food security-related activities.
● Rs 27,324 crore would be provided for the education and skill development sector
● The Finance Minister also announced an allocation of Rs 2,000 crore for Mission Shakti
Department and Rs 700 crore under the MUKTA scheme.
● Rs 547 crore has been allocated for the development of railway projects.
● Rs 302 crore has been allocated for the Electronics and IT department.
● Rs 3,210 crore for the Disaster Risk Management Fund.
● Rs 7,551 crore for justice delivery, internal security, crime control, fire-related disaster
management, and control
● Rs 1,269 crore has been earmarked for industrial promotion, development of MSME & Start-up
promotion which is 29% more than the previous year’s allocation.
● Pujari allocated Rs 325 crore for land acquisition, construction, renovation, expansion work at
Rourkela, Jeypore, Utkela, and Jharsuguda airports, and renovation of the Birashala airstrip.
● Rs 1,874 has been allocated for the KALIA scheme, Rs 161 crore for agriculture research and
education, and Rs 968 crore for control of floods.
● Rs 3581 crore was allocated for Samagra Shiksha.
● Rs 100 crore was allocated for the high school transformation program.
● The sports sector gets Rs 911 crore which includes Rs 719 crore for the development of sports
infrastructure, Rs 115 crore for promoting sports education, and Rs 11 crore for Odisha’s
contribution to Khelo India.
● The state government in March 2022 presented a vote-on-account for the first four months of
2022-23.
● The vote on account was required for expenditure on payment of salary, pension, and other
ongoing schemes and programs
About Odisha:
● Governor: Ganeshi Lal
● Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik
● Capital: Bhubaneswar
Tripura Govt introduces 'Earn with Learn' for dropout students under 'Vidyalaya Chalo Abhiyan’
• The Tripura government has launched a new scheme, “Earn with Learn”, as part of the
Vidyalaya Chalo Abhiyan (Let’s go to school) to bring back those who had dropped out of
schools following the outbreak of Covid-19.
• Education Minister Shri Ratan Lal Nath stated about 8,000 students between the age group of 6
and 14 in the state have dropped out of school during Covid-19.
• The third-year college students who are interested in voluntarily taking part in the survey may
register their names in their respective colleges.
• The government would pay Rs 500 per admission to each college student as an honorarium for
identifying and bringing back such dropouts to school again and an estimated 10,000 volunteers
would be required to implement the scheme.
• The minister added that Anganwadi and Accredited Social Health Activist ( ASHA) workers will
also be engaged in the identification of dropouts and school teachers can also participate.
• In case of engagement of teachers in the survey, an honorarium of Rs. 200 would be provided.
• The new education policy has specific guidelines to conduct comprehensive door-to-door
surveys to identify dropouts and migrant students and prepare an action plan to prevent
increased dropouts, lower enrolments, loss of learning, and deterioration in the gains made in
providing universal access, quality, and equity.
• Meanwhile, as part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), the state
government has taken up a pilot project at Aspirational district - Dhalai where along with the mid-
day-meal, the students of Class- I to VIII would be provided additional foods like a boiled egg,
fruits, milk, etc.
About Tripura :
• CM : Manik Saha
Delhi govt launches chatbot to answer queries on e -vehicles
• The Government of Delhi has collaborated with Whatsapp to launch a chatbot service, which will
answer all queries related to electric vehicles (EVs).
• The initiative comes after the Delhi government recently announced its draft policy ‘Delhi Motor
Vehicle Aggregator Scheme 2022’.
About the Chatbot :
• The chatbot will help people living in the city to manage all their EV-related queries at their
fingertips.
• Queries ranging from incentives, price, range, and charging solutions among others will be
catered to by the chatbot.
• The chatbot also sent out random messages and people have emailed the government with
queries on e-vehicles.
• The user can use 98103 36008, as soon as a user sends a “Hi”, the chatbot asks for the
preferred language of communication, and then lists 5 options, Potential savings while switching
to EV (EV Calculator), Find the right EV for yourself (EV Search), Charging Stations, EV Pledge,
and Frequently asked questions (FAQs).
• The Delhi government introduced its electric vehicle policy in August 2020.
About Delhi :
• Lieutenant Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena
Chhattisgarh gets Center’s nod for World Bank-funded school project
• The Chhattisgarh Government has received an in-principle nod from the Center to go ahead with
a $300 million (approximately ₹2,100 crores) school education project which is funded by the
World Bank.
About the World Bank-funded school project :
• The initiative will allow the Chhattisgarh Government to borrow $300 million over five years.
• It will enable to pay significantly lower than market rates of interest and repay it for 20 years.
About An in-principle nod :
• An in-principle nod means that the Center has no objection to the State borrowing money from
an external financial institution such as the World Bank.
• This is not the final approval but it paves the way for the State to proceed with further
discussions.
• Meanwhile, the World Bank has also approved in principle that it’s willing to fund the project.
Procedure to be followed to sanction funds by the World Bank :
• A team from the World Bank will visit Chhattisgarh.
• Following this, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be prepared by the World Bank and C e ntral
Government.
• This report will be presented to the World Bank Board and the Centre to get the final approval.
• The DPR will also have a detailed plan on how the money will be spent.
World Bank Contributions for Education in India :
• The World Bank has been associated with India’s school education system since 1994.
• In 2021, the $500 million Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program
(STARS) to improve the quality and governance of school education in six Indian States (does
not include Chhattisgarh).
• Capital: Raipur
About World Bank :
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., U.S
Delhi LG launches New scheme to reward RWAs for property tax compliance - SAH-BHAGITA
• Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Shri VK Saxena launched an incentive scheme to increase the
involvement of the Residential Welfare Association (RWAs) in optimal tax collection and waste
management systems.
About SAH-BHAGITA :
• Under the SAH-BHAGITA scheme, RWAs (Resident Welfare Associations) will get 15 percent of
the total collection of property tax for development works in their areas.
• The scheme will incentivize RWAs on achieving 90 percent tax collection from the total number
of properties in their societies or colonies, allowing them to recommend development work to the
tune of 10 percent of the collected tax amount, with a cap of Rs one lakh.
• Further, an additional 5 percent of the tax collected will be provided if a residential colony
implements 100 percent waste segregation at source, composting, and recycling of recyclable
dry waste.
• Also hands over the remaining dry waste to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) or its
authorized agencies which service 94 percent of Delhi.
• The tax policy brings consistency and uniformity to different approaches hitherto being adopted
by the erstwhile three Municipal Corporations.
DSEU Partners with UNICEF on a pilot project for employment opportunities
• The Delhi government announced a new pilot project with the YuWaah (Generation Unlimited
India) at United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to enable access to employment
opportunities for students of the Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU).
• The pilot project will be conducted at the Ambedkar DSEU Shakarpur I campus and will
commence on 20 July 2022.
• The DSEU and UNICEF have introduced ‘Career Awareness Sessions’ for students.
• Alongside this, they have also launched the ‘YuWaah Step Up’ initiative with the tagline ‘Bano
job ready’.
• ‘YuWaah Step Up 'is a six-month project launched by Flywheel Digital, for DSEU students as
well as other job aspirants within Delhi, aimed at enhancing young job-seekers access to new-
age jobs portals.
About DSEU :
• Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Chancellor: Lieutenant Governor of Delhi (Vinai Kumar Saxena)
• Vice Chancellor : Neharika Vohra
About UNICEF :
• Headquarters: New York City, USA
• Executive Director: Catherine M. Russell
Uttarakhand becomes the first state to implement NEP at the pre-primary level
• Uttarakhand became the first state in India to initiate the process of implementing the Center’s
New Education Policy at the pre-primary level.
• The Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the ‘Bal Vatikas’ at Anganwadi
Kendra to strengthen the pre-primary education system across Uttarakhand.
About ‘Bal Vatikas’ :
• The ‘Bal Vatikas’ will function at 4,457 Anganwadi Kendra in the state and will be equivalent to
the nursery classes at a private school.
About NEP :
• The implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP) marks the beginning of culture-based
education in the country focusing on the overall personality development of students.
• It offers children an opportunity to pursue choice-based education.
• By 2030, the New Education Policy will be fully implemented in Uttarakhand
About Uttarakhand :
• CM: Pushkar Singh Dhami
• Capital: Bhararisain (summer) Dehradun (winter)
PYSE Builds India’s First & Largest Fractionally-owned Solar Power Plant in Karnataka
• PYSE, an investment platform for sustainable projects from a ticket size as low as Rs 5,000, has
launched India’s first and largest fractionally owned solar power plant in Karnataka.
• The solar power plant is being built with an investment of INR26 crore and an average investor
ticket size of INR25,000.
• Strategically, the project was divided into four tranches.
• The first three tranches are worth Rs 16 crore.
• Tranche 1, 2, and 3 had been oversubscribed by 2.5x and the money was raised on an average
of 3 days.
• The project is backed by more than 600 retail investors and is equipped to supply solar power to
marquee clients operating manufacturing plants.
• PYSE will launch the fourth and final tranche with a minimum investment of Rs 5,00,000.
• The plant is set to be commissioned by the end of July 2022 and is designed to offset 65 lakh
kgs of carbon footprint every year for the next 25 years.
About PYSE :
• Founder: 05 September 2020
• Directors : Nagarajan Anand, Srinivasan Hemalatha, Vinay Satyanarayana Mantha, and
Padakannaya Kaustubh Moodambail
• Co-Founder : Kaustubh Padakannaya
About Karnataka :
• Governor: Thawar Chand Gehlot
• Chief Minister: Basavaraj Bommai
• Capital: Bengaluru
Kerala becomes the first state to have its internet service
• Kerala has become the first and only state in India to have its internet service.
• The announcement followed the Department of Telecommunications’ granting of an Internet
Service Provider (ISP) license to the IT infrastructure project of the Kerala Fiber Optic Network
(KFON) Ltd, which aims to provide for everyone in Kerala.
• The Kerala State Electricity Board Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Kerala Infrastructure
Investment Fund Board, and KSITI are the stakeholders in this initiative.
About KFON :
• K-Fon is a state government initiative that aims to eliminate the digital gap.
• The KFON scheme is set to provide free internet to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and
30,000 government offices
• KFON will be able to connect to the nearly 8,000+ mobile towers in Kerala and significantly
enhance the mobile call quality and also accelerate the 4G/5G transitions.
• Presently 80% of the towers are not fiberized and use radio, an issue for the 4G/5G rollout,
which will also be solved by KFON.
Objectives of K-Fon :
• To create a core network infrastructure (information highway) with non-discriminatory access to
all service providers so that they can augment their connectivity gap.
• To provide a reliable, secure, and scalable intranet connecting all government offices,
educational institutions, hospitals, etc
• To Partner with Multiple System Operators, Telecommunication Service Providers, and Internet
Service Providers for providing free internet to economically backward households.
Note :
• In 2019 the Kerala Govt had declared internet connection as a basic right and launched the Rs
1,548-crore KFON project.
About Kerala :
• Capital : Thiruvananthapuram
UNDP & Telangana Govt announces DiCRA
• The Telangana government in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) announced Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture (DiCRA), the latest addition to the
Digital Public Goods Registry.
Aim :
• To enhance food security and food systems in Telangana.
About DiCRA :
• The DiCRA is powered by Artificial Intelligence.
• Using remote sensing and pattern detection algorithms, DiCRA can identify farms that are
resilient to climate change and those that are highly vulnerable.
• It will facilitate analysis and insight sharing on climate resilience, based on empirical inputs
crowd-sourced from hundreds of data scientists and citizen scientists on best-performing farms.
• These technologies will be used to mitigate climate change, which is bound to impact the crop
yield along with nutritional quality and livestock productivity.
• This is first-of-its-kind digital commons to drive climate action.
About UNDP :
• Headquarters: New York City, United States of America (USA)
• Administrator : Achim Steiner
• The UNDP is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and
achieve sustainable economic growth and human development.
• The UNDP operates in 170 countries.
About Telangana :
• Chief Minister : K. Chandrashekar Rao
Kharchi festival 2022 begins in Tripura
• A week-long traditional Kharchi festival, offering prayer to 14 deities, began with thousands of
devotees at Khayerpur on the eastern outskirts of Tripura.
• Tripura Assembly Speaker Ratan Chakraborty started the festival.
About Kharchi Puja :
• Khar means sin and chi mean cleaning & it is known as the cleaning of sins festival.
• Out of 14 idols, 11 idols are kept inside Andarmahal once the festivity gets over & only 3 idols
are worshiped throughout the year
• Kharchi Puja is predominantly a tribal festival but it owes its origins to the Hindu religion.
• The 14 gods which are prayed to during the festivity are Saraswati, Durga, Lakshmi, Shiva,
Durga, Kartikeya, Brahma, Ganesh, Ganga, Agni, Himadri, Prithvi, Samudra, and Kamadeva.
• According to Tripura royal family’s “Rajmala”, Queen Hiravati once went to take a bath in the
river Maharani and noticed a wild buffalo chasing the 14 gods.
• With the help of the queen’s cloth, the gods managed to kill the beast.
About Tripura :
• Chief Minister : Manik Saha
Rajasthan gets India’s first AI-powered digital Lok Adalat
• The National Legal Services Authority Chairman Mr. Uday Umesh Lalit introduced the Country’s
first AI-powered virtual Lok Adalat all through the 18th All India Meet of S tate Legal Services
Authorities (SLSA) meet held in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
• The digital Lok Adalat by Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RSLSA) has been designed
and developed by Jupitice Justice Technologies.
• The two-day event was inaugurated by Mr. N V Ramana, the Chief Justice of India, in the
presence of Union Minister of Law & Justice Mr. Kiren Rijiju and Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri
Ashok Gehlot.
About Digital Lok Adalat :
• The platform will be used to dispose of pending disputes or disputes that are at the pre-litigation
stage.
• It will provide end-to-end dispute resolution with various facilities-
• Drafting and filing of applications,
• Generation of e-notices through one-click
• Smart templates to draft settlement agreements
• Digital hearings through video conferencing tools
• It will also offer an AI-powered voice-based interactive chatbot and advanced data analytics
tools.
• It will help in getting better insights into the functioning of Lok Adalat through custom reports and
BI Dashboards for data-driven decision-making.
• Recently, a district court in Bihar gave a verdict in a land dispute case after 108 years, making it
one of the oldest pending cases in India.
• A NITI Aayog report also suggested it would take approximately 324 years to dispose of all
cases pending in India.
• As per the report, 75-97 percent of legal problems never reach the courts, which means about 5
to 40 million legal tangles arising in a month never reach the Court.
About National Legal Services Authority :
• Patron-in-Chief: N. V. Ramana (Chief Justice of India)
• Executive-Chairman : Justice U. U. Lalit
• Motto: Access to Justice for All
• National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA) was formed under the authority of the Legal
Services Authorities Act 1987.
Purpose :
• To provide free legal services to eligible candidates, and to organize Lok Adalats for the speedy
resolution of cases.
About Rajasthan :
• CM: Ashok Gehlot
• Capital: Jaipur
Flipkart signs pact to launch skill training initiative for the e -commerce logistics sector in Bihar
• E-commerce marketplace Flipkart has inked a pact with the Bihar State Skill Development
Mission (BSDM) to launch the initiatives of the Supply Chain Operations Academy (SCOA) in
Bihar.
Aim :
• To create a pool of skilled supply chain operations talent and impart relevant industry training
and knowledge.
• This will help bridge the skill gap and create job opportunities in the expanding supply chain
industry in the country.
• Flipkart has expanded “Supply Chain Operations Academy to accelerate skill building in Bihar
for the e-commerce logistics sector
About SCOA :
• Supply Chain Operations Academy (SCOA) launched in October 2021.
• The training program under SCOA has been designed and created by the Flipkart team to offer
a holistic experience and training to candidates.
• The program involves a 60-day skilling initiative, it entails 15 days of digital classroom training
and 45 days of on-the-job apprenticeship at Flipkart supply chain facilities, for which the qualified
candidates will be paid a stipend of Rs 17,500.
• The students will be imparted skills through Flipkart’s Learning Management System, an online
platform for learning programs.
About Flipkart :
• Founded: 2007
About Bihar :
• Governor : Phagu Chauhan
• Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar
• Capital: Patna
TN CM Shri M K Stalin inaugurates Tamilnadu Centre for Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing
• Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Mi nister Shri MK Stalin has inaugurated the Tamil Nadu center for
excellence in advance manufacturing (TANCAM) established at the cost of Rs 212 crore in Tidel
Park in Taramani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• The TN government launched a series of initiatives to help the state become a $1 trillion
economy by 2030, with a contribution of around $250 billion by the manufacturing sector.
• The Chief Minister presided over the Advance Manufacturing conclave in TANCAM.
• The center was established jointly by Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO)
and French company Dassault Systemes.
Aim :
• To usher in the fourth industrial revolution and change the manufacturing eco-system of Tamil
Nadu.
Key Highlights :
• During the conclave, he also inaugurated two innovation centers at the Sipcot Industrial Parks in
Hosur and Sriperumbudur at a total cost of Rs 33.46 crore to nurture industrial innovation in
partnership with Coimbatore Innovation and Business Incubator (CIBI).
• The Center will provide a dedicated IT engineering ecosystem to support the micro small and
medium enterprises (MSME) sector and students across Tamil Nadu.
• It will help in the growth of various industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive and
electric vehicles.
• The Center will equip the state with the latest technologies such as a 3D experience platform for
up-skilling and facilitating future-ready innovations.
• Each innovation center is established at an area of 23,500 square feet with facilities such as
meeting halls, labs, and so on.
• He also laid the foundation stone for neo-TIDAL parks in Villupuram and Tiruppur.
• The neo-Tidel park in Tirupur will be constructed at the cost of Rs 41.9 crore and the neo-Tidel
park in Villupuram will be constructed at the cost of Rs 35 crore.
• He also launched the Industry 4.0 Maturity Survey jointly undertaken by TN Guidance and
Nottingham University.
• The data collected in the survey will be helpful for the industries to identify the challenges and
steps to be taken to attain their goals.
About TN :
TN Department of higher education launched a portal for financial aid to students
• The Tamilnadu Government’s Higher Education department has launched a portal
https://penkalvi.gov.in where beneficiaries may register themselves.
• Under this, the TN government will provide ₹1,000 annually to each girl student from middle
school till she completes college education under a financial assistance scheme.
• The students who studied in government schools from Class VI to Class XII and college
students who fulfill the criteria can avail themselves of the facility.
• College students who are studying undergraduate courses must provide details of their
school education, bank account details, and Aadhaar number.
• Also, photocopies of these documents and copies of their Class X and Class XII mark sheet
be produced.
• College students have been instructed to have a cellphone as an OTP is required for
registration & they must complete the process even if they have to appear for the
examinations.
• The department has urged the Directorate of Collegiate Education and the Directorate of
Technical Education to ensure that the process is done correctly.
Himachal Pradesh becomes 1st state in India to connect all registered commercial vehicles equipped
with VLTD with ERSS
• Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in India to connect all registered commercial
vehicles equipped with Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) with Emergency Response
Support System (ERSS).
• Chief Minister Shri Jai Ram Thakur formally inaugurated the system at a program organized at
Peterhof, in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
• He also introduced the facility of panic buttons for the safety of women and children in public
vehicles.
Key Highlights :
• More than 9,423 vehicles have been registered and linked with ERSS.
• Now it will be monitored by both the police and the transport department.
• All the registered commercial vehicles equipped with VLRD will be connected with ERSS.
• The Vehicle Location Tracking Device with Emergency Panic Button System and Command
Control Center has been connected with Emergency Response Support System 112.
• When the panic button is pressed, a signal would be received through satellite to 112 and the
person in distress would be connected and alert the police.
Importance of the Center :
• The establishment of this monitoring Center would be easy to detect the theft of vehicles and
vehicle accidents for the safety of women and children in the State.
• This is an innovative initiative, which would make the state roads safer and more secure.
About HP :
• Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur
Assam Government Launches Scheme for Welfare Of Indigenous Weavers - Swanirbhar Naari
• Assam Chief Minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma launched ‘Swanirbhar Naari’, an initiative to
empower the indigenous weavers of the state and provide financial support to their families.
About ‘Swanirbhar Naari’ :
• Under the scheme, the government of Assam will procure handloom items directly from the
indigenous weavers via a web portal without the involvement of any middlemen.
• An initiative of the textiles department, 31 hand-woven items are covered under the new
scheme.
• After procurement, the products will be sold through government outlets in the state as well as
outside.
• The portal is expected to bridge the gap between the weavers and the buyers.
About Assam :
• Governor : Jagdish Mukh
• CM : Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Capital: Dispur
• National Parks: Kaziranga National Park, Dibru - Saikhowa National Park, Rajiv Gandhi Orang
National Park, Manas National Park, Nameri National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Garampani Wildlife Sanctuary, Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Chakrasila
Wildlife Sanctuary, Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary
Arunachal Pradesh & Assam sign pact to resolve the border dispute
• Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Pema Khandu and Assam Chief Minister Shri Himanta
Biswa Sarma inked a pact to end the decades-old border dispute between the two states.
• Chief ministers of the two North-eastern neighbors met at Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh and
signed the agreement.
Key Highlights :
• Under the agreement, they agreed in principle on restricting the number of contested villages to
86 instead of 123 & resolving the rest by September 15, 2022.
• The two states share an 804-km long boundary.
• The allegations of residents of one state encroaching land on the other have led to disputes and
violence.
• A suit has been pending in the Supreme Court since 1989 on the issue.
• As per the declaration, 28 of the 123 disputed villages “which are within the constitutional
boundary of Arunachal Pradesh” shall remain with the state.
• Conversely, following the withdrawal of claims by Arunachal Pradesh, three villages will remain
with Assam.
• Finally, 6 more villages, that “couldn’t be located on the Assam side”, will remain with Arunachal
Pradesh if they are found to be present on the state's side.
• Both states decided to constitute 12 “regional committees”, each covering 12 districts of
Arunachal and the counterpart districts of Assam for joint verification of 123 villages.
• The committees were tasked with submitting recommendations to state governments keeping in
view “historical perspective, administrative convenience, contiguity and people’s will” to delineate
the interstate boundary.
Additional Info :
• After Arunachal Pradesh achieved statehood in 1987, a tripartite committee was appointed
which recommended that certain territories be transferred from Assam to Arunachal.
• Assam contested this and the matter is in the Supreme Court.
UP CM Shri Yogi Adityanath launches scheme for the cashless medical benefit for state employees,
pensioners
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath has launched a scheme Deen Dayal
Upadhyaya State Employees Cashless Medical Scheme in Lucknow, UP.
Aim :
• To provide cashless medical facilities to more than 75 lakh people including 22 lakh state
government employees, pensioners, and their dependents.
About the Scheme :
• Under the Scheme, the eligible people will get cashless medical facilities at government-run
institutions, medical colleges, and hospitals without any financial limit.
• Cashless medical facilities up to Rs 5 lakh will be available at hospitals empanelled under the
Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
• Also, a State Health Card would be provided to the eligible employees and pensioners.
• Under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana’ Ayushman Bharat, medical insurance coverage
up to Rs 5 lakh is being provided to poor families.
• He stated that under the Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Antyodaya (poorest of the poor)
families of the UP are being provided medical insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh
• Besides, medical insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh is also being provided to the registered workers
of the Construction Workers Welfare Board.
Abou UP :
• CM: Yogi Adityanath
• National Parks: Dudhwa National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, National
Chambal Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve: Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Punjab FM presents the AAP government's first budget for FY 2022-23
• Punjab finance minister Shri Harpal Singh Cheema presented the first budget of the Bhagwant
Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government a ₹1,55,859.78-crore budget, which reflects 14.20
percent growth as compared to 2021-22.
• No new tax has been proposed in the budget.
• The Budget also lays provisions for introducing Fiscal Risk Management.
• Reading out from the paperless budget, Cheema, informed us that Our focus in the first year will
be threefold.
1. To restore deteriorating fiscal health
2. To deliver on the promises of good governance by ensuring effective use of public funds
3. To concentrate on health and education.
• Punjab FM stated that the Janata budget (people’s budget) has been prepared after receiving
20,384 suggestions on the government portal and through emails.
• The Punjab government borrowed Rs 8,000 crore in the last three months & also contributed Rs
1,000 crore to the Consolidated Sinking Fund (CSF) of the state within the first two months.
On electricity
• The Punjab government is fulfilling its first guarantee (promise) made to the people of the state
by providing 300 units of domestic power supply per month free to all citizens from July 1, 2022.
• A total power subsidy bill has been proposed at Rs 15,845 crore as against Rs 13,443 crore in
2021-22.
Health Sector :
• The government will set up 16 new medical colleges over five years, taking the total number of
colleges in the state to 25.
• A sum of ₹1,033 crores has been allocated for medical education, which is an increase of
56.60% over FY 2021-22.
• The government will set up two super-specialty hospitals in Patiala and Faridkot in two years & 3
more super-specialty hospitals shall be opened by 2027.
• The budget outlay for the health sector with an allocation of ₹4,731 crores is an increase of
23.80% over that of FY 2021-22
• The government plans to set up 117 mohalla clinics for which an initial allocation of ₹77 crores
has been proposed & 75 of these mohalla clinics will be operational by Independence Day on
August 15, 2022.
Agriculture Sector :
• The finance minister proposed a budgetary allocation of ₹11,560 crores for the agriculture sector
and ₹6,947 crores for free power to agriculture tube wells.
• ₹100 crores have been allocated for the installation of the rooftop solar panel system in
government schools.
• The Punjab Sikhya Te Sehat Fund, a trust to assist capital asset creation in the health and
education sector, will be set up during the year and the government will provide token assistance
initially as seed money to it during FY 2022-23.
• The government proposes ₹200 crores for solutions to stubble burning.
Other Key Highlights :
• Further, cyber-crime control rooms shall be set up in all districts with an outlay of Rs 30 crore.
• ₹5 crores are hereby proposed for the installation of CCTV cameras at Mohali and similarly,
CCTV cameras will be installed at police Mahila Mittar Kendras during FY 2022-23.
• To help road accident victims, the government proposed a scheme in Punjab on the pattern of
the Farishtey scheme in New Delhi whereby anyone can take a road accident victim(s) and get
them admitted to any hospital.
Madhya Pradesh Burhanpur Becomes India's 1st Certified 'Har Ghar Jal' District
• The Ministry of Jal Shakti announced that Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur popularly known as the
‘Darwaza of Dakhin’ or Gateway of Deccan, became the first Certified ‘Har Ghar Jal’ (water
connection to every house) district in India.
• Only 37,241 rural households (36.54 percent) out of a total of 1,01, 905 households in
Burhanpur had potable drinking water through tap connections at the time of the launch of Jal
Jeevan Mission on 15th August 2019.
• In Madhya Pradesh, 42.71 percent of the households have been provided with a tap water
supply as of July 22, 2022.
• However, as of July 22, all the houses in the district 1,01,905 have access to tap water in 254
villages, including in 43,701 tribal households.
About VWSC :
• The government has formed a Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) in all the 254
villages.
• The committee is responsible for the operation, maintenance, and repair of water supply
infrastructure developed under the Har Ghar Jal program.
• It is this sub-committee that has the responsibility to collect user charges which will be deposited
in the bank account and shall be used to pay the salary of the pump operator and carry out
minor repair work from time to time.
Coverage :
• So far, three States Goa, Telangana, and Haryana, and three UTs Andaman and the Nicobar
Islands, Dadar and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, and Puducherry have provided 100% tap
water coverage.
• According to the Jal Jeevan Mission dashboard, the states of Goa, Telangana, Andaman &
Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu, Haryana have already
achieved their targets of providing tap water connections to all of their citizens.
• Punjab, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Bihar have attained over 90 percent coverage.
• The states of Manipur, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Andhra
Pradesh, Jammu, and Kashmir, Tripura, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have reached a coverage
mark of between 50-72%.
About Jal Jeevan Mission :
• Jal Jeevan Mission was launched on August 15, 2019, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• It is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap
connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
• Goa became the first state to reach the target.
About Ministry of Jal Shakti :
• Cabinet Minister : Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
• Minister of State : Prahlad Singh Patel, Bishweswar Tudu
About Madhya Pradesh :
• Capital: Bhopal
India's first-of-its-kind brain health clinic was inaugurated in Bangalore, Karnataka
• On World Brain Day-2022 (22 July) Karnataka Health Minister Dr. K Sudhakar inaugurated the
Brain Health Clinic (BBC) in a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, at Jayanagar General Hospital,
• It was launched under the Karnataka Brain Health Initiative (KaBHI) in association with the
National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).
• The event was organized by the NIMHANS and stated that treatment for mental health will be
available at the 243 Namma Clinics will be started in Bengaluru.
• Cricketer and Karnataka Brain Health Initiative (Ka-Bhi) ambassador Robin Uthappa, who took
part in the event, launched the cricket match titled 'A morning cricket session ‘Reflections with
Robin’.
• He also stated that the Union government was on its way to announcing a new Tele-Manas
initiative which is based on E-Manas, a platform pioneered by Karnataka. E-Manas is an online
platform where patients, mental health professionals, and mental health establishments could
register which will greatly increase access to mental health.
About Brain Health Clinic :
• The Brain Health Clinic will serve as a nodal center to diagnose, treat, refer and follow up
patients with common neurological disorders and ensure that they receive multidisciplinary care,
including counseling, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and disability benefits.
• Two more Brain Health Clinics will be inaugurated soon in the Kolar and Chikkaballapura
districts of Karnataka.
About KaBHI :
• The initiative was launched in January 2022 by Chief Minister Shri Basavaraj Bommai on a pilot
basis.
• KaBHI is the first of its kind initiative in India to promote brain health in the community from
PHCs to secondary level district hospitals and NIMHANS at the tertiary level
• The main focus of the KaBHI initiative is to train PHC doctors to diagnose and provide primary
care for brain and mental health issues including stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson's, brain tumor, and
dementia
Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah launches e -FIR system in Gujarat
• Union home minister, Shri Amit Shah has launched an e-FIR filing system in Gandhinagar,
Gujarat which will enable the citizens to file FIRs online, without visiting the police stations.
About the e-FIR system :
• Through the e-FIR online service, the citizens of Gujarat will not need to go to the police station
to file a complaint and the time of the citizens will be saved and the complaints will be disposed
of quickly.
• The e-FIR service has been coordinated with the Gujarat State Police CCTV Command and
Control.
• After the e-FIR will be registered, if the vehicle passes through the road, the vehicle number will
be immediately flashed at the CCTV command and control, through which the crime of theft can
be detected immediately.
• The Minister flagged off vehicles of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit at Police Bhawan in
Gandhinagar.
• He will inaugurate various developmental works in his Lok Sabha Constituency-Gandhinagar.
• He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various developmental works in his native
place Mansa in Gandhinagar & including the inauguration of the newly built Mid-Day Meal
kitchen for students under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Yojana.
• He will inaugurate several projects of the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority.
• He will also launch the state-wide rollout of body-worn cameras for field policemen.
Additional Info :
• The Gujarat Government launched the Citizen First Mobile App, Citizen Portal in 2019 to enable
the citizens of the state to get some police services online using the e-Gujcop database.
About Gujarat :
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat
• Chief minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel
• National Park: Gir National Park, Velavadar National Park, Marine National Park, Vansda
National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary, Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, Purna WS,
Gaga WS, Shoolpaneshwar WS.
Gujarat Becomes the first state to announce a Semiconductor policy
• Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel announced a dedicated Gujarat Semiconductor
Policy 2022-27.
Aim :
• To generate more than 2,00,000 new employment opportunities during five years.
Primary Objective :
• To make Gujarat a forerunner in developing the Electronics System Design & Manufacturing
(ESDM) ecosystem.
Note :
• Gujarat has become the first state in India to have a dedicated policy for the semiconductor and
display production sector (Gujarat Semiconductor Policy 2022-27).
• The Gujarat Govt proposes to develop a special Semicon City which would be part of the
Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), Ahmedabad.
About the Policy :
• The policy focuses on guiding a significant portion of investments made under these India
Semiconductor Mission (ISM) policies towards Gujarat.
• At the facility, eligible projects will be given a 75 percent subsidy on the purchase of the first 200
acres of land for setting up manufacturing units.
• Meanwhile, additional land for upstream or downstream projects will get a 50 % subsidy on land
cost.
• To encourage investors under the policy, the Gujarat govt has also announced to reimburse 100
percent of stamp duty which investors would pay for the first time for taking land on lease or land
transfer.
• The eligible projects will be provided good quality water at the rate of Rs 12 per cubic meter for
the first 5 years.
• The manufacturing units will get a power tariff subsidy of Rs 2 per unit for the first 10 years of
going into production & such projects will be exempted from paying any electricity duty.
About Gujarat :
• National Park : Gir National Park, Velavadar NP, Vansda NP.
• Wildlife Sanctuary: Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary, Barda WS, Purna WS
Bonalu Festival 2022 Celebrated in Telangana
• Bonalu Festival is celebrated in Telangana, specifically in the twin cities of Hyderabad and
Secunderabad, and is dedicated to Goddess MahaKali.
• The festival is celebrated usually during Ashada Masam (July-August).
• In 2022, the festival began on July 3 and will end on July 24, 2022.
About Bonam :
• Bonam means a feast or a meal in Telugu, an offering to the Goddess, cooked with milk, or
jaggery in an earthen or brass pot.
• The pot is decorated with turmeric, Neem leaves, and vermillion.
• Women carry these pots on their heads and make an offering of Bonam, including Bangles and
Saree to the Mother Goddess at Temples.
• Bonalu involves worship of Kali in her various forms such as Mysamma, Pochamma, Yellamma,
Dokkalamma, Pedamma, Poleramma, Ankalamma, Maremma, Nookalamma, etc.
About Telangana :
Chhattisgarh CM Shri Bhupesh Baghel Flags Off ‘Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath’ to make wome n
aware of their rights
• On the occasion of the Hareli Tihaar festival, Chhattisgarh Shri Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel
flagged off the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath’ from Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
Aim :
• To make the women of Chhattisgarh aware of their constitutional rights and laws.
• The program commenced with the State Song of Chhattisgarh.
• Rath Yatra was flagged off with the slogan of "Baat He Abhimaan Ke, Mahila Man Ke Samman
Ke".
• The Chhattisgarh Women Commission will organize Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath Yatra to
make the women of the state aware of their constitutional rights and laws.
About ‘Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath’ :
• Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath Yatra will go from village to village in all the districts to create
mass awareness about the legal provisions and constitutional rights of women.
• The Information regarding women's rights and concerning laws will be spread through short
films, messages, and brochures.
• Mukhyamantri Mahtari Nyay Rath will initially tour nine districts of the state that receive the
Mineral Trust fund, i.e. Durg, Raipur, Rajnandgaon, Balodabazar-Bhatapara, Mahasamund,
Janjgir-Champa, Gariaband, Dhamtari, Kanker.
• National award-winning short films in Chhattisgarhi and Hindi, based on various laws, will be
screened on large LED screens during the Rath Yatra.
• The Government of Chhattisgarh has made special changes in the DMF (District Mineral
Foundation) policy, to operate Mahtari Nyay Rath under DMF.
• Capital: Raipur
IMPORTANT NATIONAL NEWS
The government has launched the Dak Karmayogi e -learning platform:
• Shri Ashwini Vaishnav, the minister of communication, railways, electronics, and IT, and Shri
Devusinh Chauhan, the minister of state for communications, unveiled the Dak Karmayogi, a
department of the posts e-learning platform.
• The event took place in Stein Auditorium at Indian Habitat Center.
• This website was created by the mission Karmayogi vision, which Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi launched to increase the efficiency of the government of India's bureaucracy and achieve
maximum governance with minimal government.
Objectives
• By giving students access to uniform, appropriate training materials online and in a hybrid
campus setting, the Dak Karmayogi portal seeks to improve the competencies of approximately
4 lakh Gramin Dak Sevaks and department employees so they can more successfully provide a
variety of G2C services for increased customer satisfaction.
• An automatically created course completion certificate will be emailed to the trainee's registered
email ID after they complete the final summative exam.
• The site enables the class to provide comments, ratings, and enhancement requests for each
film and other pieces of educational information.
Meghdoot Award:
• The Meghdoot Award, which was first presented in 1984, is the highest honor bestowed upon a
departmental post at the federal level for overall performance and excellence.
• The winners get a medallion, a certificate, and a monetary award of 21,000 rupees.
In 25 cities throughout India, there will be 122 unicorns in the next two to four years:
• India is expected to create 122 new unicorns in the next 2 -4 years, per the Hurun Research
Institute's research, Hurun India Future Unicorn Index 2022.
• These prospective unicorns are presently valued at 49 billion US dollars overall.
• A startup is referred to regarded as a unicorn when its valuation reaches USD 1 billion.
Key Points:
• Bengaluru, which has 33 unicorns, will get 46 new additions.
• Delhi NCR will get 25, Mumbai will get 16, Chennai will get 5, and Pune will get 3. Right now,
Bengaluru is the state with the most unicorns.
• The remaining unicorns are expected to show up in 20 more towns.
• The multinational venture capital company Sequoia Capital has invested in 39 of these
prospective Unicorns, followed by Tiger Global, which has invested in 27.
• Most of these potential unicorns were established in 2015.
About the Survey:
• According to the poll, 63% of these enterprises were consumer-facing, while 37% belonged to
the business-to-business (B2B) sector, which offered services to the financial services, logistics,
healthcare, and education sectors.
• The analysis has separated would-be unicorns into three categories: Cheetahs, who have a
chance of becoming unicorns in the next four years, and Gazelles, which have the highest
chance of doing so in the next two years.
• It stated that the startup boom had accelerated due to the epidemic.
• According to experts, a record 44 unicorns appeared in 2021, elevating India to third place
among startup ecosystems worldwide.
• Additionally, the experts found that there are now 65% more unicorns, 51% more gazelles, and
71% more cheetahs in the country.
• Product and market fit will continue to drive Indian enterprises, the report's results indicate.
Centre grants financial assistance of five lakh rupees to 35 families of journalists under the 'Journalist
Welfare Scheme':
• The Central Government has approved a proposal of the Journalist Welfare Scheme Committee
to provide financial relief to the families of 35 journalists who have lost their lives.
• This includes 16 families of journalists who died of Covid-19.
• The JWS committee meeting was attended by Principal Director General, Press Information
Bureau Jaideep Bhatnagar, Joint Secretary in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry along
with the journalist representatives of the Committee.
• The families will be provided with the assistance of up to five lakh rupees.
About The Journalist Welfare Scheme
• The Journalist Welfare Scheme, JWS Committee headed by Secretary, Information and
Broadcasting Ministry, Apurva Chandra also recommended assistance to two journalists
suffering from permanent disability and to five journalists for their medical treatment of major
ailments as per the JWS guidelines.
• The committee approved total assistance of one crore and 81 lakh rupees during the meeting.
• Under the scheme, assistance has been provided to 123 families of the journalists so far, who
have lost their lives due to Covid-19.
• Assistance is also provided to journalists in case of permanent disability, serious accidents, and
major health ailments.
• During the last financial year, 134 journalists and their families assisted in under various
categories amounting to six crores 47 lakh rupees.
Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme completes two years:
• The Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises, PMFME Scheme,
under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, has completed two years.
• The PMFME Scheme is currently being implemented in 35 States and Union Territories,
envisioning enhancement of the existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized
segment of the food processing industry and formalization of the sector.
• This scheme also envisages financial support of 40,000 rupees for working capital and the
purchase of small tools for each member of the Self-Help Group (SHG) engaged in food
processing activities.
• Over one lakh SHG members have been identified and the seed capital amount of 203 crore
rupees has been released so far.
About Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises:
• Ministry of Food Processing Industry (MoFPI) has launched the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of
Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to
enhance competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of
the food processing industry and promote formalization of the sector.
• The scheme is to be implemented over five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with a total outlay of
Rupees 10,000 crore.
• The scheme has a special focus on supporting Groups engaged in Agri-food processing such as
Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs), and Producers Cooperatives
along their entire value chain.
The PMFME scheme support in terms of:
i. Food processing entrepreneurs through credit-linked capital subsidy @35% of the eligible
project cost with a maximum ceiling of Rs.10 lakh per unit.
ii. Seed capital @ Rs. 40,000/- per SHG member for working capital and purchase of small
tools.
iii. Credit linked grant of 35% for capital investment to FPOs/ SHGs/ producer cooperatives.
iv. Support for marketing & branding to micro-units.
v. Support for common infrastructure and handholding support to SHGs, FPOs, and
Producer Cooperatives.
vi. Providing Capacity building and training support to increase the capabilities of the
enterprises and up-gradation of skills of workers.
Bosch India’s “smart” campus is opened by PM in Bengaluru:
• In a sense, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi officially launched the new smart campus of
Bosch India, a leading provider of technology and services in Bengaluru.
• As both India and Bosch India celebrate their 75th anniversaries of independence this year,
Modi said in his inaugural speech that this is a momentous year for both nations.
Key Points:
• A century ago, Bosch came to India as a German company; now, it is just as much an Indian
company as it is one from Germany.
• This is a wonderful example of German engineering with Indian energy.
• This campus is at the forefront of developing cutting-edge products and services for both India
and the rest of the globe.
• The Prime Minister begs Bosch to make plans for the next 25 years and take India more
seriously.
• It is stepping up its AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) activities in that nation by rebranding its
headquarters in Adugodi, India, as a new smart campus called Spark.
• Bosch claimed to have spent Rs 800 crore over the previous five years building the campus,
which can house 10,000 associates.
To create Amrit Vatika, NMCG plants 75 saplings:
• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) erected Namami Gange Amrit Vatika at Kalindi
Kunj Ghat on the River Yamuna in New Delhi with the planting of 75 trees as part of the Azadi
Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The overarching organization for the planting endeavor was the project Yamuna Ghat par
Vriksharopan.
• With a financial commitment of Rs. 20,000 crore, the Union Government of India authorized the
Namami Gange Program, an integrated conservation program, as a "Flagship Program" in June
2014.
• One of the Namami Gange Program's primary areas of focus, according to NMCG Director
General G. Asok Kumar, is cleaning up Ganga tributaries, notably the Yamuna.
• He motivated the audience to support the Clean Yamuna campaign.
• Every month on the fourth Saturday, the National Mission for Clean Ganga organizes a cleanup
campaign along the River Yamuna in Delhi.
Indians can now receive up to Rs 10 lakh without telling the authorities according to a Center
amendment to the FCRA:
• Union Home Ministry has amended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) giving
certain relaxations such as allowing relatives to send more money to India freely.
• The amended rule now allows relatives to send 10 lakh rupees without informing the
government.
• If the amount exceeds, the individuals will now have three months to inform the government
against 30-days earlier.
• The amended rule also gives more time to the organizations to inform the government about the
opening of bank accounts for the utilization of funds received under the ‘registration’ or ‘prior
permission’ category.
• A provision where an organization/individual receiving foreign funds had to declare such
contributions every quarter on its official website has also been done away with.
Grand Hackathon: Shri Piyush Goyal launches three-day event:
• A three-day Grand Hackathon that the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is
organizing in collaboration with NABARD has essentially begun according to Union Minister Shri
Piyush Goyal.
• The physical element of this event was held at the Bombay Stock Exchange's Fort, Mumbai,
site.
• The Agri Grant Challenge and the Agri Innovation Hackathon are the two divisions of the Grand
Hackathon, and both will spotlight ideas that can aid in the adoption of eCommerce by the
agriculture sector.
Key Points:
• The newly established ONDC-NABARD Grand Hackathon, according to Shri Goyal, will provide
start-ups with a forum to work with ONDC and develop innovative solutions for some of the most
pressing issues in the agri-sector.
• Even while it may appear to be a little step right now, in the long term, this will give farmers more
sway across the country.
• Early indications indicate that this will probably have an impact on how e-commerce is
conducted worldwide, not only in India.
• The Minister asserts that this Government has given protecting farmers' welfare and doubling
their income a top priority.
• According to Piyush Goyal, we may anticipate faster economic growth the more we use
technology and innovation to support our farmers' access to agriculture inputs and market
connections.
• To democratize the country's present e-commerce ecosystem by establishing an open network
for customers and sellers, ONDC is notably a Government of India initiative.
• Shri Goyal asserts that it is crucial for the agricultural industry's digital transformation as well as
for democratizing the agri-value chain.
• With the active assistance of NABARD, ONDC will onboard the whole agricultural value chain,
including FPOs, mandis, processors, exporters, MSMEs, and small retailers.
Forum for Nature-Based Solutions: India is launched by NIUA's C -Cube and WRI:
• World Resources Institute India (WRI India), the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), and
other partners launched India's first national coalition platform for urban nature-based solutions
(NbS) during the 11th World Urban Forum in Poland.
• For addressing climate change-related issues including heat waves, urban floods, pollution of
the air and water, and storm surges, ecosystem-based services, and nature-based solutions are
swiftly developing into realistic, inexpensive possibilities.
About the World Urban Forum:
• Representatives from the Forum's key partner organizations, including GiZ India, India Climate
Collaborative, The Nature Conservancy, WWF India, and Wetlands International, vowed to
cooperate to realize the Forum's objectives.
• The "India Forum for Nature-based Solutions" is run by the Climate Centre for Cities of the
National Institute of Urban Affairs, with the World Resources Institute India (WRI India) serving
as its anchor organization under the Cities4Forests initiative.
• The Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative, the UK government, and the
Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs support it (DEFRA).
Key Points:
• One of the numerous societal issues that NbS strives to address in addition to reducing the
consequences of climate change is building resilience in the underprivileged and vulnerable
urban neighborhoods that are most affected by catastrophes connected to climate change.
• To scale urban nature-based solutions, the India Forum for Nature-based Solutions aims to
bring together NbS entrepreneurs, government organizations, and groups with related
objectives.
• This is done by establishing a common language and communicating benefits that inform local
actions, such as expanding already-existing NbS interventions.
• Promoting multi-stakeholder cooperation, improving delivery systems, and encouraging
investment
• In India, project interventions, planning, and policy are being influenced to advance urban
ecosystem-based services and nature-based solutions.
Utilizing the BiSAG-N app, Steel Ministry interfaces with the GatiShakti portal:
• To identify and resolve connectivity gaps in the infrastructure, the Ministry of Steel announced
that it has joined the PM Gati Shakti Portal and uploaded the geo-coordinates of significant
projects.
• Using the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics
(BiSAG-N) software, the ministry registered itself on the National Master Plan site.
Key Points:
• The geolocations of each steel mill owned by the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) have
been made available on the internet.
• The steel ministry has selected 38 high-impact projects to improve multimodal connectivity and
address infrastructure gaps.
• The mining sites for each of these CPSEs were being uploaded.
• The government will also list the more than 2,000 steel-producing facilities in the nation.
• More relevant information, including production capacity and product details for each unit and
mine, will be provided in upcoming updates.
• The Prime Minister unveiled the Gati Shakti - National Master Plan for Infrastructure
Development in October 2021 to bring together multiple ministries for coordinated planning of
infrastructure connectivity projects.
PM Set to Launch UP Expressway in Coming Week:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is scheduled to officially open the Bundelkhand Expressway
in the first week of July.
• The administration has predicted that these events would take place on July 6 or 7.
• The 296.07 km long Bundelkhand Expressway links Delhi and the National Capital Area with the
Bundelkhand region near Agra.
• The Prime Minister's office has indicated July 6-7 as potential dates for the Bundelkhand
Expressway inaugural event.
• However, the final choice about the dates has not yet been made.
• The Agra-Lucknow Expressway and the Bundelkhand Expressway join near Kudrail village in
the Etawah district.
• The Bundelkhand Expressway begins at Bharatkoop in the Chitrakoot district.
Key Points:
• The Bundelkhand Expressway's opening will be the second major occasion under the Yogi
Government.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi attended the third groundbreaking event in the state on June
3rd as the primary guest.
• Only 28 months after Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the expressway on
February 29, 2020, it was finished ahead of schedule.
• The precise deadline assigned for finishing this expressway was 36 months.
• The UP Government has saved 1,132 crores, or around 12.72 percent of the initial anticipated
cost, with this initiative.
• The seven districts of the state are connected by the four-lane Bundelkhand Expressway, which
is set to become six lanes in the upcoming year.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will perform the expressway's opening ceremony at the
Jalaun district's Katheri hamlet.
Bundelkhand Expressway:
• The expressway travels over six toll booths, 266 minor bridges, four railroad overpasses, and 18
flyovers.
• The districts through which the expressway passes are listed below.
1) Chitrakoot
2) Banda
3) Hamirpur
4) Mahoba
5) Jalaun
6) Auraiya
7) Etawah
The rivers along the Expressway are:
1) Bagen
2) Ken
3) Shyama
4) Chandawal
5) Birma
6) The Yamuna
7) Betwa
8) Sengar
Projects worth Rs. 1,800 Crore were inaugurated during PM Modi's visit to Varanasi:
• Shri Narendra Modi, the prime minister, will head to Varanasi to visit his Lok Sabha district.
• There, he will dedicate and lay the cornerstone for several development initiatives totaling more
than $8,000,000.
• These programs will concentrate on enhancing infrastructure and simplifying people's lives.
• At LT College in Varanasi, the Prime Minister will open the "Akshay Patra Mid-Day Meal Kitchen."
• Up to one lakh, pupils can get midday meals from the college.
• The "Akshay Patra Mid-Day Meal Kitchen" will be officially opened.
• Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open the International Cooperation and Convention
Centre's "Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam," which will discuss the execution of the National
Education Policy.
• At the Dr. Sampurnanad Sports stadium, the Prime Minister will dedicate several projects worth
$8,000 crore and lay their foundation stones.
• The following events will be facilitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi :
✓ Building a four-lane overpass on the route between Babatpur and Kapsethi-Bhadohi
✓ Varuna River Bridge on Central Jail Road
✓ Pindra-Kathiraon Road widening
✓ Phoolpur-Sindhaura connection road widening
✓ strengthening and building eight country roads
✓ seven roads will be built as part of the PMGSY, and the Dharsauna-Sindhaura route
will be widened.
• The foundation stone will be laid by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for projects totaling more
than Rs. 1200 crore.
• Among the several road infrastructure projects are:
✓ Road expansion from Lahartara to six lanes.
✓ Vijaya Cinema to BHU
✓ The road from Pandeypur flyover to ring road is expanded to four lanes.
✓ From Kuchaheri to Sandaha, a four-lane highway.
✓ improving and enlarging rural roads between Varanasi and Bhadohi
✓ the building of five new highways
✓ In the rural area of Varanasi, four CC roads are being built.
✓ On the Babatpur-Chaubeypur route, a bridge over a road is being built close to the
Babatpur railway station.
PM Shri Modi inaugurated Digital India Week 2022 at Gandhinagar:
• Digital India Week 2022 was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the Mahatma
Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• Catalyzing New India's Techade is the focus of this year's Digital India Week, which aims to
convert the country into a knowledge-based society and economy.
• The three-day orientation session "India Stack Knowledge Exchange- Showcasing India Stack
and India's Digital Products and Services" for Digital India Week 2022 will begin on July 7.
About The Digital India Week 2022 program:
• The Digital India Week 2022 program will highlight the digital platforms that have made life
easier for the populace, including Aadhaar, UPI, Cowin, and Digilocker.
• Startups, government officials, business and academic professionals, and entrepreneurs will all
take part in this session.
• Indian unicorns and startups have put up an expo at Mahatma Mandir with more than 200
booths.
• Along with other visitors, Prime Minister Mr. Modi engaged in conversation with those involved
with startups and unicorns at this expo.
Highlights:
• Additionally, Mr. Modi has introduced "Digital India Bhashini," which would make it simple for
Indians to use the internet and digital services in their native tongues.
• Additionally, he established the national deep-tech startup platform "Digital India GENESIS" -
Gen-next Support for Innovative Startups.
• For these programs, a total budget of 750 crore rupees has been planned.
• The government programs will be accessible through "MyScheme," which the Prime Minister
has also dedicated.
PM Shri Modi inaugurated Digital India Week 2022 at Gandhinagar:
• Digital India Week 2022 was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the Mahatma
Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• Catalyzing New India's Techade is the focus of this year's Digital India Week, which aims to
convert the country into a knowledge-based society and economy.
• The three-day orientation session "India Stack Knowledge Exchange- Showcasing India Stack
and India's Digital Products and Services" for Digital India Week 2022 will begin on July 7.
About The Digital India Week 2022 program:
• The Digital India Week 2022 program will highlight the digital platforms that have made life
easier for the populace, including Aadhaar, UPI, Cowin, and Digilocker.
• Startups, government officials, business and academic professionals, and entrepreneurs will all
take part in this session.
• Indian unicorns and startups have put up an expo at Mahatma Mandir with more than 200
booths.
• Along with other visitors, Prime Minister Mr. Modi engaged in conversation with those involved
with startups and unicorns at this expo.
Highlights:
• Additionally, Mr. Modi has introduced "Digital India Bhashini," which would make it simple for
Indians to use the internet and digital services in their native tongues.
• Additionally, he established the national deep-tech startup platform "Digital India GENESIS" -
Gen-next Support for Innovative Startups.
• For these programs, a total budget of 750 crore rupees has been planned.
• The government programs will be accessible through "MyScheme," which the Prime Minister
has also dedicated.
Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam is to be inaugurated in Varanasi by Prime Minister:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam at
Varanasi.
• The Samagam is being organized by the Education Ministry in association with University
Grants Commission and Banaras Hindu University.
• The three-day event will bring together over 300 Vice-Chancellors and Directors from public and
private universities, educationists, policymakers, as also industry representatives to deliberate
on how the implementation of the National Education Policy-2020 can be taken further across
the country after the successful implementation of several initiatives in the last two years.
Attendees:
• Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Union Education
Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will also attend.
Key Points:
• The summit will provide a platform for leading Indian Higher Educational Institutions to discuss,
deliberate, and share insights on strategies, success stories, and best practices in implementing
the National Education Policy-2020.
• The key highlight of the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam will be the adoption of the Varanasi
Declaration on Higher Education which will showcase India’s extended vision and a renewed
commitment to help achieve the goals of the higher education system.
CBSE launches Pariksha Sangam portal to streamline board examination results:
• To consolidate board examination results, sample papers, and other information in a single
window, the CBSE Board has created a website named "Pariksha Sangam."
• The recently developed Pariksha Sangam portal, according to cbsedigitaleducation.com, "would
unify numerous examination-related operations to be carried out by the school's regional offices
and the Headquarters of the CBSE Board."
About Pariksha Sangam:
• Students may readily view the results of the Class 10th and Class 12th boards on Pariksha
Sangam, another portal.
• The Pariksha Sangam is split into three primary sections: the head office (Ganga), regional
offices, and schools (Saraswati).
• All of the operations linked to the CBSE Board Result 2022 for classes 10th and 12th will be
streamlined through the Pariksha Sangam platform.
• Examples include the CBSE circular, the most recent CBSE news, reference books, sample
papers, model papers, the Question Bank, school results, and much more.
Section for Pariksha Sangam Schools (Ganga):
• Students and all other stakeholders will have access to exam study materials, details on pre-
exam and exam activities, school DigiLocker, and post-exam activities, as well as
communication and an integrated payment system, under this area (IPS).
Regional offices for Pariksha Sangam (Yamuna) section:
• The Historical Information Repository of Schools, RO Dashboards for Command, Control, and E-
Sandesh, Integrated Payment Monitoring for Term 1 and Data Management, and other topics
are covered in this part for CBSE hopefuls.
Pariksha Sangam's Saraswati headquarters section:
• Students may learn more about Exam Reference Material, Pre-Exam Dates/MIS, Exam Conduct
MIS, Post Exam Data, Centralized LOC Correction, CMTM, and many more topics in this area.
“HariyaliMahotsav” to be organized by the Ministry of Environment:
• A "Hariyali Mahotsav" in the tradition of "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" will be held at Talkatora
Stadium in New Delhi by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry & Climate Change.
• To conduct planting drives on occasion, the Mahotsav is being organized by the Ministry of
Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change in partnership with the State Governments, Police
Institutions, and Schools of Delhi.
• As part of this Mahotsav, ceremonial planting drives are being conducted with the involvement of
75 Nagar Vans throughout the nation, 75 Police Stations, 75 Schools in Delhi/NCR, and 75
degraded plantation sites in the various states.
About the Hariyali Mahotsav:
• The "Tree Festival," or Hariyali Mahotsav, is being held to raise awareness of the value of trees
in protecting future generations as well as preserving the lives of current ones.
• When it comes to reducing the negative consequences of climate change, trees are crucial.
• This Mahotsav is regarded as a powerful instrument for igniting a public passion for protecting
forests and planting trees.
• It is crucial in completing the government's policy and program measures for environmental
protection.
• In commemoration of the essential role that forests and other greenery play in preserving
ecological harmony and offering a variety of ecosystem services to the earth, Hariyali Mahotsav
is observed throughout the nation.
India’s first floating LNG terminal likely to operationalize in H2 2022:
• India’s first floating terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Jaigarh in Maharashtra is
expected to be operational in the second half of 2022.
• Besides, another floating terminal at Jafrabad in Gujarat is also likely to begin operations this
calendar year.
• H-Energy Gateway’s floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) at Jaigarh and the Swan
Energy-led terminal at Jafrabad are cumulatively expected to add 11 million tonnes per annum
(mtpa) of regasification capacity
• At present, India has six operational import terminals.
• Despite accounting for only 39.5 MTPA of regasification capacity by the end of 2020, India has
another 30 MTPA of capacity under construction as of April 2022
Floating LNG terminals
• India’s first FSRU-based terminals, which were initially due to be commissioned in early 2021,
are likely to see operations start-up in the second half of 2022.
• Energy’s Jaigarh terminal in Maharashtra in March 2022.
• The FSRU will deliver regasified LNG to the 56-kilometer-long Jaigarh-Dabhol LNG natural gas
pipeline, connecting the LNG terminal to the national gas grid
Natural gas import:
• India imports half of its natural gas requirements.
• In FY21, India imported 33,031 million standard cubic meters (MSCM) of LNG worth $7.9 billion,
while in FY22, the inbound shipments of the commodity stood at 30,776 MSCM worth $13.4
billion.
• During April-May of FY23, the world’s fourth-largest LNG importer shipped 4,949 MSCM LNG
worth $2.2 billion.
• India’s utilization rate dropped to 58 percent in 2021 from 65 percent in 2020.
• The relatively low utilization rate reflects the availability of spare capacity to support growth in
India’s LNG demand.
• This growth is driven primarily by growth in demand for city gas
Mr. Parshottam Rupala inaugurates India’s first-ever Animal Health Summit:
• Mr. Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying urged for
wider usage of Ayurveda to ensure better animal health at the First India Animal Health Summit
2022.
• The first India Animal Health Summit 2022 was hosted at the NASC Complex in New Delhi, to
understand the importance of animal health to the country's food and nutrition security, rural
income and prosperity, and overall economic growth.
About the ‘India Animal Health Summit 2022’:
• The Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) and the Agriculture Group are hosting the
"India Animal Health Summit 2022."
• The two-day event will feature a wide variety of panel talks on subjects including the Business
environment & investment prospects in the Animal Health industry, as well as Animal Health
policy initiatives.
• Later, the discussions will be recorded and forwarded to the relevant authorities.
Union Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri launches SVANidhi Mahotsav:
• Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, announced the commencement
of the "SVANIdhi Mahotsav" in honor of the PM SVANidhi scheme's second anniversary, which
will be observed from July 9 to July 31.
• The festival, which will take place in 75 places in all 50 states and the Union Territories, will
feature a variety of cultural events as well as digital training exercises and loan melas.
• Additionally, it will feature ceremonies to honor notable street sellers.
• The event is the first of its kind for the financial inclusion of street sellers and intends to
commemorate 75 years of independence with nano-entrepreneurs.
• The beneficiary of the plan has received a total distribution of 3,600 crore rupees, he continued.
• The Modi administration introduced the PM SVANidhi initiative in July 2020 to offer loans to
street vendors who were suffering from the terrible impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.
2-Day training on Disaster Management of Museums held at Rashtrapati Bhavan:
• In cooperation with the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Rashtrapati Bhavan
organized a session on "Disaster Management of Museums and Heritage Buildings" at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum.
• The President's Secretariat stated that the purpose of this training is to increase the employees
at Rashtrapati Bhavan and other stakeholders' understanding of crisis management, with a
specific emphasis on historical structures, museums, and cultural treasures.
• India's leading training and capacity-building organization for managing natural disasters on a
national and regional level are the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM).
• The National Centre of Disaster Management (NCDM), which was founded by an Act of
Parliament in 1995, was renamed the National Institute of Disaster Management by the Disaster
Management Act 2005, which was ratified by the President of India on January 9, 2006.
Key Points:
• Throughout the two-day workshop, participants will participate in a variety of sessions to learn
about the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), the Prime Minister's 10
Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction, the Disaster Management Act's various aspects, the
Disaster Management framework, and guidelines, etc.
• The first day's presenters emphasized the significance of promoting disaster management
knowledge and instructing attendees on how to reduce loss in the case of a disaster.
• They also emphasized the importance of disaster management in old buildings and the
necessity to have effective regulations and response mechanisms.
Shri Amit Shah virtually unveils ‘Statue of Peace’ of Swamy Ramanujacharya:
• The "Statue of Peace" of Swamy Ramanujacharya, which is housed in a temple in the Sonwar
neighborhood of Srinagar, was essentially unveiled by Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah.
• Saint Ramanujacharya, commonly known as Ramanuja, was a south Indian Brahmin born in
Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.
• He is regarded as a brilliant thinker, philosopher, and social reformer.
About the Ramanuja:
• Ramanuja is renowned for having rebelled against untouchability prejudice and for having
contributed to a significant transformation in society.
• He shared the fundamentals of salvation and practiced Vaishnavism.
• He authored several publications, including Sri Bhashya, Vedartha Sangraha, and Bhagavad
Gita Bhasya, all of which are distinct from Adi Shankaracharya's teachings.
• The saint is renowned for assessing people based on their character rather than their caste at
birth.
• He is thought to have been the first acharya in Hinduism to introduce women into "sanyasa"
(renunciation of the world).
• He is also known for blending Vedanta methodology with ‘bhakti’.
• After Ramanuja’s demise, the female community of ‘sanyasinis’ faded away.
PM Shri Modi inaugurates Akshaya Patra’s Midday Meal Kitchen in Varanasi:
• After the BJP won the assembly election in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
made his first visit to his home district of Varanasi and inaugurated the Akshaya Patra at the
noon meal kitchen.
• During his visit, Modi will launch and lay the foundation for development projects worth Rs.
1,774 crores that are intended to improve the nation's infrastructure and standard of living.
• 1 lakh students' lunches may be made in the LT College kitchen.
• In response to the inauguration, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav declared that all 11
places recommended by the SP government should start using kitchens.
About Akshaya Patra Foundation:
• The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a non-profit trust that is managed by the Bangalore-based
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
• It oversees the Midday Meal Scheme in India, a program
• for school meals. Akshaya Patra is the Union Government of India's main partner in putting the
Mid Day Meal program into action at government-run schools in India.
• The project's foundation is the public-private partnership.
Mangarh Hillock to be declared a monument of national importance:
• In the year of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, a delegation from the National Monuments Authority led
by Shri Tarun Vijay, Chairman, National Monuments Authority, submitted a report for the
designation of Rajasthan's Mangarh Hill as a monument of National Importance.
• This study includes suggestions from the National Monuments Authority as well as pertinent
information regarding the Mangarh hilltop.
Key Points:
• Unsung heroes and the Mangarh hilltop, according to Minister of State for Culture Shri Arjun
Ram Meghwal, have not got the historical significance they merited.
• He added that on November 17, 1913, the British troops ruthlessly murdered 1500 Bhil tribal
independence fighters.
• On the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, we will unquestionably move on with the report
provided by NMA Chairperson, Shri T arun Vijay, as a way of paying them tribute.
• The union minister further stated that because our younger generation is ignorant of their
sacrifice and Mangarh Hillock, it is our duty to emphasize its importance and disseminate
knowledge about it.
PM to attend the inaugural Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will deliver the first Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture (AJML) at
Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi
• He will also address the crowd at various points during the event.
• The opening keynote address of the first AJML will be delivered by Tharman Shanmugaratnam,
Senior Minister, Government of Singapore, on the theme "Growth through Inclusivity, Inclusivity
through Growth."
• Arvind Panagariya and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann will take part in a panel
discussion following the presentation (Professor, Columbia University).
Key Points:
• The inaugural Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture was given in recognition of the former union
minister's tremendous services to the nation.
• In addition, the Prime Minister will converse with attendees of the three-day Kautilya Economic
Conclave (KEC), which takes place from July 8 to July 10.
• The distinguished economists who will meet with the prime minister include Anne Krueger from
John Hopkins University, Nicholas Stern from the London School of Economics, Robert
Lawrence from Harvard Kennedy School, John Lipsky, a former acting managing director of the
IMF, and Junaid Ahmed, the World Bank's country director for India.
• KEC is being organized by the Institute of Economic Growth with help from the Ministry of
Finance.
About Arun Jaitely:
• On August 24, 2019, Indian politician and attorney Arun Jaitley passed away. From 2014 until
2019, Jaitley, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, was the minister of finance and corporate
affairs for the Indian government.
• Jaitley formerly held the cabinet positions of Finance, Defense, Corporate Affairs, Commerce
and Industry, and Law and Justice in the Vajpayee and Narendra Modi governments.
National Capital Region Planning Board’s geo-portal “Pariman” is now accessible to the public:
• Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Chairman of the NCRPB and Union Minister for Housing & Urban
Affairs, introduced the "PARIMAN" geo-portal for the NCR during the 40th meeting of the Board
on August 31, 2021.
• A web geo-portal has been created by National Informatics Centre (NIC) to utilize remote
sensing and GIS technology effectively.
• It was initially created for use by the participating States of the National Capital Region (NCR)
and the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) office.
• The NCR region's decentralized planning and management will benefit from this Geo-Portal.
• The Portal has over 179 Layers that are shown as Line, Point, and Polygon features and
provides information on a variety of industries and sectors, including Land Use, Disaster
Management, Heritage & Tourism, Industries, Water, and Power.
Internet exchanges launched in Durgapur and Bardhaman by the National Internet Exchange of India
• Two new Internet Exchange Points (IXP) of the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) were
opened in Durgapur and Bardhman in westbengal by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State
for Electronics and Information Technology, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government
of India.
• In the presence of S. S. Ahluwalia, Member of Parliament for Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha,
in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India vision to connect every Indian.
• It is within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's (MeitY)1000-day plan
Key Points:
• The first Internet Exchange in the state of Kolkata is also run by the National Internet Exchange
of India (NIXI).
• It is now expanding its reach across the state with the launch of two more Internet Exchange
Points in Durgapur and Bardhaman.
• As these new NIXI internet exchanges become operational throughout the state, broadband and
Internet services will progress and get better both locally and regionally.
• The internet service providers connected in these locations will profit by enhancing their
broadband services for their end consumers and altering the lifestyle of the local populace.
• The launch of these new IXPs will assist all areas of the state, including MSMEs, other
commercial sectors, as well as the agricultural, entrepreneurial, health, and educational sectors.
• Greater accessibility to government services and conveniences would improve citizens' quality
of life.
• Without a doubt, the two new Internet Exchange nodes from NIXI will enhance the local Internet
ecology.
About NIXI:
• To improve the whole Indian internet ecosystem and give internet users access to it at a
reasonable cost with better speed, NIXI plans to open such internet exchanges in Tier-2 and
Tier-3 cities shortly.
• All ISPs are cordially invited by NIXI to establish peering at any of its nodes and support the
local Internet ecosystem.
PM Narendra Modi unveils National Emblem on the roof of New Parliament Building:
• The National Emblem has been revealed by Shri Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is now
visible on the roof of the New Parliament Building.
• As part of the new Parliament's construction, he also engaged with Shramjeevis.
• At the very top of the New Parliament Building's Central Foyer, it has been cast.
About the National Emblem:
• The National Emblem is 6.5 meters tall, 9500 kg in weight, and is manufactured of bronze.
• To sustain the Emblem, a steel support system weighing around 6500 kilos has also been built.
• Eight various steps of preparation, ranging from clay modeling and computer graphics to bronze
casting and polishing, went into the concept drawing and the process of casting the National
Emblem on the top of the New Parliament Building.
Union Minister Shri Jitendra Singh to launch the IS4OM for Safe & Sustainable Space Environment:
• India has improved its capacity to safeguard its space assets independently with the aid of the
ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operation and Management (IS4OM).
• In the presence of Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Mr.
S Somanath, Secretary of the Department of Space, and Mr. Somanath, Chairman of the Indian
Space Research Organization, will formally launch the IS4OM.
Key Points:
• According to ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), the IS40M system was built with a
complete approach to ensure the safety and sustainability of the space environment while
enjoying the advantages of sustainable use of space for national development.
• Specialized labs for space debris cleanup and reduction, compliance monitoring of UN/Inter-
Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) recommendations, and various R&D
activities have also been established as part of IS4OM.
• In December 2020, ISRO inaugurated a specialized control center for activities intended to
monitor, track, and secure India's space assets.
President of India attends the Yuva Sammelan hosted by “My Home India”:
• The President of India, Mr. Ram Nath Kovind, attended the Yuva Sammelan, which was held in
New Delhi and organized by "My Home India."
• The President stressed that young represent a nation's present and future.
• Their abilities contribute to a nation's advancement.
• It follows that today's youngsters will contribute to the history of tomorrow.
• The President claims that India has the highest population of youth and adolescents worl dwide.
• The "Demographic Dividend," a phenomenon, gives a chance to our country.
Key Points:
• The President claimed that it was a wonderful source of pride for everyone that young Indians
have founded so many start-up businesses using their skills and persistence.
• Today's kids are more likely to start their businesses than to look for employment.
• Young individuals must choose a vocation depending on their skill set and acquire some kind of
talent.
• The President claimed that as of June 29, 2022, 103 unicorns have been formed in India, with a
total worth of more than $336 billion.
• One unicorn out of every ten discovered now is found in India.
• He further noted that, as of May 2022, 47 companies have achieved the title of "decacorn"
around the globe, including four start-ups in India, three of which were led by young people.
• Even though the pandemic has significantly worsened socioeconomic conditions throughout the
world, our young entrepreneurs have continued to show daring and talent.
• He cited the rise in unicorn populations in India even during COVID-19.
About “My Home India”:
• Through its several programs, "My Home India" is encouraging a feeling of integrity and
cohesion among the nation.
• A wonderful effort was made to teach young people about nationalism at the youth meeting.
• One India and Karmayogi have established awards from "My Home India."
• He alluded to the substantial social activities this NGO is also engaged in.
NITI Aayog releases a compendium of various Ayush-based initiatives, and practices adopted by
States/UTs:
• NITI Aayog has released a compendium of various Ayush-based initiatives and practices
adopted by the States and Union territories for containing and managing the COVID-19
outbreak.
• The compendium was released by the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog Suman Bery and Minister
of State for Ayush Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai.
• NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr. V. K. Paul and concerned officials were present during the
event.
• The compendium provides information about practices adopted by States and UTs for
strengthening the country’s fight against COVID-19, using Ayush’s resources and interventions.
• This document will prove to be a crucial knowledge resource for stakeholders from other
countries who have a good network of traditional medicine systems.
• Ayush systems have played an active role on various fronts to tackle the health crisis caused by
the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
• The traditional healthcare systems will pave the way for providing a holistic healthcare system to
the World.
India’s 1st elevated urban expressway “Dwarka” to be operational by 2023:
• According to Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, the Dwarka
Expressway, which is being built as India's first elevated urban expressway, will open to traffic i n
2023.
• Dwarka Expressway would relieve pressure from commuters from West Delhi on the Delhi-
Gurgaon Expressway (a portion of the Delhi-Jaipur-Ahmedabad-Mumbai arm of the Golden
Quadrilateral) and arterial highways that encounter heavy traffic congestion.
About the Dwarka Expressway:
• A minimum three-lane service road will be provided on both sides of the 16-lane access-
controlled roadway.
• An expressway between Gurugram, Haryana, and Dwarka, Delhi, is being built for a total of Rs
9,000 crores.
• It is 29 kilometers long overall, of which 19 kilometers are in Haryana and the final 10 kilometers
are in Delhi.
• The Delhi-Gurugram Expressway (NH-8) starts at Shiv-Murti and runs through Dwarka Sector
21, the Gurugram border, and Basai before ending near Kherki Daula Toll Plaza.
• It will contain four multi-level interchanges, including the 3.6 km long, eight-lane road tunnel that
will be the largest and broadest in all of India.
India is the 68th nation to sign up for Interpol's database on child sex abuse:
• India has signed up for Interpol's international child sexual exploitation (ICSE) database, which
would enable it to use audio-visual evidence to connect victims, abusers, and crime locations.
• According to a statement from Interpol, India became the 68th nation to link to the database
when the CBI, India's nodal agency for Interpol affairs, joined.
Key Points:
• The database, which serves as both an intelligence and investigation tool, enables expert
detectives to exchange data on incidents of child sexual abuse.
• By identifying the victims and the scene of the crime, the detectives may use picture and video
comparison technologies to track down the culprits.
• The database helps investigators avoid wasting time and effort by informing them whether a
group of photographs has previously been found or recognized in another nation or if it has
characteristics with other images.
About Interpol:
• Headquarters: Lyon, France
• President: Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi
• Founded: 7 September 1923, Vienna, Austria.
India constructs the longest double-decker bridge in Nagpur, setting a global record:
• The longest double-decker viaduct in the world, measuring 3.14 km, was built in Nagpur by the
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Maharashtra Metro.
• The longest viaduct with a flyover for a roadway and piers supporting a single column for a
metro line.
• The Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records both list the number of metro stations
that have been built on double-decker viaducts.
• The construction represents the fulfillment of the pledge made by Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi's administration to establish top-notch infrastructure in New India.
About Maharashtra:
• Capital: Mumbai
• National Park: Chandoli National Park, Gugamal National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Pench
National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park
The first carbon-free airport in the country is being developed at AAI Leh Airport:
• As the first carbon-neutral airport in India, the Airports Authority of India's Leh airport is now
being constructed.
• For heating and cooling needs, the new airport terminal building will use a "geothermal system"
that works in conjunction with a solar PV plant.
• Because this system uses heat pumps for both water heating and space heating, it operates by
transferring heat between the air and the ground.
• The primary characteristic of this method is the concentration and use of ambient heat.
• After implementing the geothermal system at the Leh Airport Terminal Building project, it is
predicted that 900 tonnes of carbon emissions would be eliminated annually.
About Airports Authority of India:
• Chairman: Sanjeev Kumar
PM launched Deoghar Airport and various other development projects:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi officially established and laid the groundwork for a variety of
building projects in Deoghar worth more than 16,800 crores of rupees.
• The prime minister stated during a public event hosted on the grounds of Deoghar College that
the government is sponsoring religious institutions to preserve our culture and faith for future
generations.
Key Points:
• All holy places that have been constructed with contemporary conveniences, according to PM
Modi, have attracted an increasing number of tourists and adherents.
• Modern amenities have also been improved in Baba Baidyanath Dham as part of the PRASAD
program.
• Varanasi's expansion, according to the prime minister, has enabled small vendors, dealers, and
artists to conduct more business. As an example, he cited the Varanasi-Kashi corridor.
• The prime minister repeated the administration's credo, Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas, and
Sabka Vikas, noting that our government has worked hard to encourage development in all of
the country's neglected regions.
• For the last eight years, the country has been experimenting with the concept of national growth
through state development.
• The same approach and passion have been critical during the last eight years in efforts to link
Jharkhand via highways, trains, airways, and waterways.
• All of these benefits will contribute to the state's economic prosperity.
About Deoghar Airport:
• The prime minister was pleased with the launch of flights to Ranchi, Delhi, and Patna, as well as
the excursion from Deoghar to Kolkata.
• He disclosed that construction on the airports in Bokaro and Dumka was still proceeding.
About other Government Projects:
• PM Modi highlighted how PM Urja Ganga Yojana is changing the status quo.
• The Bokaro-Angul stretch of GAIL's Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra pipeline would expand
the city's gas distribution network across 11 districts in Jharkhand and Odisha.
• Spending money on infrastructure, according to the prime minister, creates new prospects for
growth, employment, and self-employment.
Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal officially launches NIFT, Panchkula:
• Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana, and Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal
inaugurated the 17th campus of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in
Panchkula, describing it as the "fulcrum of growth of the textile sector in the state."
• According to Khattar, this institute would follow NIFT regulations and reserve 20% of its seats for
residents of Haryana.
• He claimed that on December 29, 2016, Smriti Irani, who was the Union Textiles Minister at the
time, laid the cornerstone for this facility.
Key Points:
• The institute structure, which was built on 10.45 acres of land in collaboration with the textile
ministry, to have cost Rs 133.16 crore to erect.
• Three online hybrid courses in social media marketing, digital textile design, and photography for
e-commerce will be offered at the new NIFT campus.
• Creating a co-curriculum with organizations like the National Institute of Design and the National
Institute of Packaging might be taken into consideration as part of the complete training.
• For the last 36 years, NIFT has been acknowledged for fashion technology, just like IIM is
recognized for business and IIT for engineering.
• In addition to four-year degree programs in clothing production and fashion design/textile design,
the Institute will offer two-year master's degree programs in fashion technology, design, and
management.
• There will also be certificate programs available for one year and six months.
75th Independence Day: Govt to start nationwide campaign ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’:
• The Central government will shortly begin the national campaign Har Ghar Tiranga to persuade
people to fly the national flag at their homes in honor of the country's 75th Independence Day.
• The Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, whose nodal ministry is the Ministry of Culture, oversaw the
initiative's inception.
• The Indian National Flag is a source of great pride for the whole nation, and to further honor the
flag, Union H ome Minister Shri Amit Shah, who is in charge of all activities under the Azadi Ka
Amrit Mahotsav, has authorized the program known as Har Ghar Tiranga.
Key Points:
• It aims to motivate Indians everywhere to fly the flag.
• The Har Ghar Tiranga campaign represents our commitment to nation-building as well as our
ties to the Tricolour in this 75th year of independence.
• Instilling a sense of patriotism in people's hearts and increasing knowledge of our national flag
are the initiatives' main objectives.
• The Indian National Flag usage, display, and hoisting are governed by the Flag Code of India,
2002.
Flag Code of India, 2002:
• On January 26, 2002, the Indian Flag Code went into effect.
• The Flag Code includes all applicable laws, conventions, practices, and standards that govern
how the National Flag is displayed by Private, Public, and Government Institutions.
• In December of last year, the Flag Code of India, 2002 underwent revision to authorize the use
of manufactured or polyester national flags.
• The National Flag will now be fashioned of hand-spun, hand-woven, or manufactured cotton,
polyester, wool, silk, and khadi bunting.
• The length to width ratio of the national flag must be 3:2, and it must be rectangular.
• Clause of the Flag Code of India states that there must be no limitation on the display of the
National Flag by members of the general public, private organizations, or educational institutions
that is inconsistent with the dignity and honor of the National Flag.
I&B Ministry unveils New Logo of Prasar B harati on its Silver Jubilee:
• In celebration of its silver jubilee year, India's public broadcaster Prasar Bharati launched a new
logo on July 11, 2022.
• In front of Mayank Kumar Agrawal, CEO of Prasar Bharati, DPS Negi, Member (Finance),
Prasar Bharati officers, and others, the new logo was unveiled by Apurva Chandra, Secretary,
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B).
• In the past, the organization was known as All India Radio (AIR), and later, Doordarshan (DD)
was created to provide television services.
• Finally, Prasar Bharati (PB) was established after a law was passed by the parliament, and this
is represented in the logo identity as emerging and evolving from the center.
About The new logo:
• Its color, "Dark Moderate Blue," represents both the sky and the sea and is associated with open
spaces, freedom, intuition, imagination, inspiration, and sensitivity.
• The elements in the central circle and map of India signify the service of trust, security, and
perfection to the nation.
• Additionally, the color blue connotes depth, loyalty, honesty, knowledge, assurance, stability,
faith, and intellect.
• The color blue also honors the culture and customs of India, particularly those connected to
mythical and religious figures seen in Indian miniature paintings.
About Prasar Bharati
• CEO: Shashi Shekhar Vempati
Delhi Government tie-up with UNICEF for employment opportunities for students:
• The Delhi government has launched a new pilot initiative with the United Nations International
Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), which would give students of the Delhi Skill and
Entrepreneurship University (DSEU) access to employment prospects.
• "Career Awareness Sessions" for students have been launched by DSEU and UNICEF.
• To provide access to work opportunities, help students become job-ready, and hear and amplify
the perspectives of young people, Skill Varsity of Delhi teams together with YuWaah
(Generation Unlimited India) at UNICEF.
Key Points:
• The "YuWaah Step Up - Bano job ready" project, a six-month pilot being run by Flywheel Digital
Solutions Pvt with DSEU students and other job seekers in Delhi, is another pillar of the
partnership.
• Its goal is to increase the reach of young job seekers on the new generation of job portals.
• Beginning on July 20, the pilot will operate at the Ambedkar DSEU Shakarpur-I campus.
About UNICEF
• Founded: 1946
• Headquarters: New York City, USA
• Director General: Catherine M. Russell
• Membership: 192.
National Rail and Transportation Institute upgraded as Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya:
• The National Rail and Transportation Institute has been transformed into Gati Shakti
Vishwavidyalaya, becoming a major university.
• The institution now goes by the name Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.
• The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which amends the Central Universities Act,
2009 to allow for the establishment of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV), was approved by the
Union Cabinet.
• The change would assist in making Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, a Central University, out of the
National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI), a Deemed-to-be university.
• NRTI offers a BSc in transportation technology, a BBA in transportation management, and an
MSc in railway system engineering and integration.
About the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya:
• The Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya is expected to play a crucial role in advancing the
transportation industry, which is strategically important for India's economic development.
• The industry needs a consistent supply of experts and cutting-edge equipment.
• To assist the transport sector's ambitious expansion and modernization, the university's focus
will be expanded beyond the railways to include the whole industry.
Department of Consumer Affairs sets up a committee to develop a comprehensive framework on the
Right to Repair:
• The Department of Consumer Affairs has taken a big step toward creating a general framework
for the Right to Repair to highlight the LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment) movement through
sustainable consumption.
Objective:
• The aim of developing a framework on right to repair in India is to empower consumers and
product buyers in the local market, harmonize trade between the original equipment
manufacturers and the third-party buyers and sellers and emphasize developing sustainable
consumption of products and reduction in e-waste.
• Once it is rolled out in India, it will become a game-changer both for the sustainability of the
products and as well as serve as a catalyst for employment generation through Aatmanirbhar
Bharat by allowing third-party repairs.
About the committee:
• The Department in this regard has set up a committee which shall be chaired by Smt. Nidhi
Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India.
• The committee includes Shri Anupam Mishra, Joint Secretary DoCA, Justice Paramjeet Singh
Dhaliwal, former Judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Former President of State Consumer
Dispute Redressal Commission, Punjab, Prof. (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai Vice-Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi
National University of Law, Patiala, Prof. Shri Ashok Patil, Chair of Consumer Law and Practice,
and representatives from various stakeholders like ICEA, SIAM, Consumer Activists &
Consumer Organizations as members.
• The committee held its first meeting on 13th July 2022 wherein important sectors for the right to
repair were identified.
• The sectors identified include Farming Equipment, Mobile Phones/ Tablets, Consumer Durables,
and Automobiles/Automobile Equipment.
Cabinet approves Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road new rail line to provide connectivity and improve
mobility:
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has
approved the construction of the Taranga Hill-Ambaji- Abu Road new rail line to be constructed
by the Ministry of Railways at an estimated cost of Rs.2798.16 crore.
• The total length of the new rail line will be 116 km.
• The project will be completed by 2026-27.
• The project will generate direct employment during construction for about 40 lakh man days.
• In line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of a New India, the project is going to
enhance connectivity and improve mobility leading to the overall socio-economic development of
the region.
Key points:
• Ambaji is a famous important pilgrimage destination and is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths in India
and attracts millions of devotees from Gujarat as well as other parts of the country and abroad
every year.
• This railway new line between Taranga Hill-Ambaji- Abu Road will connect these two important
religious sports with the railway’s main network.
• This line will facilitate faster movement of agricultural and local products and also provide
improved mobility of the people in the region within the state of Gujarat and Rajasthan and also
to other parts of the country.
• This project will also provide an alternative route for the existing Ahmedabad-Abu Road railway
line.
• The alignment of the proposed doubling will traverse through the Sirohi district of Rajasthan and
the Banaskantha and Mahesana districts of Gujarat.
• The construction of a new rail line will attract investment and lead to the overall socio-economic
development of the region.
Executive Committee of NMCG Approves Industrial and Sewerage Pollution Abatement Projects:
• The 43rd meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)
was held under the chairmanship of Shri G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG.
• Projects about industrial and sewerage pollution abatement through new technologies,
afforestation, development of Kalindi Kunj ghat landscape, etc. were approved in the EC
meeting at an estimated cost of around Rs. 38 crores.
About the Project:
• A project titled, ‘Afforestation Programmes in States of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal 2022-23’
was approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 10.30 crores including plantation, maintenance,
capacity building, and training and awareness in the two main stem Ganga basin states.
• The intervention is aimed at improving forest cover, enhancing forest diversity and productivity,
biodiversity conservation, and sustainable land and ecosystem management for the better flow
of ecosystem services, sustainable livelihood, and overall conservation of Ganga Riverscape.
• The ‘in-principle’ approval was also accorded to the development of the landscape of Kalindi
Kunj ghat that would include the creation of eco-friendly seating, waste bins, shades, and
plantation with one of the aims to facilitate people-river connect.
• For industrial pollution abatement, a pilot project for the installation and commissioning of an
electrochemical technology-based modular effluent treatment plant of 100 KLD capacity has
been approved at the estimated cost of about Rs. 77 lakhs.
• The project will treat the discharged water from some textile industries in Mathura for River
Yamuna.
• The project is aimed at reducing wastewater discharge (pollution and chemical load as well)
through the adoption of eco-friendly and green technologies.
AIIMS to host Film Festival to commemorate 12th National Plastic Surgery Day:
• The Association of Plastic Surgeons of India (APSI) will celebrate the 12th National Plastic
Surgery Day (July 15) and the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department of AIIMS, Delhi will host the
APSI Sushruta Film Festival (ASFF 2022).
• The topic of this film festival, according to Dr. Professor Maneesh Singhal, Department Head of
Burn and Plastic Surgery, is "Changing Lives through Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery."
• He emphasized that the festival aims to present the best work created by plastic surgeons
around the country.
• According to Professor Singhal, the festival will play the best films on cosmetic surgery subjects.
• He asserts that the occasion will help change how the general public perceives plastic surgery
and its many subspecialties.
First E-Waste Eco Park in India to be built in Delhi:
• Gopal Rai, the environment minister for Delhi, called a joint review meeting with members of the
environment department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to explore the creation of an
e-waste eco-park.
• According to Rai, the first e-waste eco-park in India would be built on about 21 acres in the Delhi
neighborhood of Holambi Kalan.
Key Points:
• The project's implementing agency, the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development
Corporation (DSIIDC), was established as a member of an 11-member steering committee.
• Over 2 lakh tonnes of the nation's annual production of electronic trash is produced in Delhi,
where just 5% of it is properly recycled.
UIDAI launched the ‘AadhaarFaceRd’ mobile app to perform Aadhaar face authentication:
• A new smartphone app named "AadhaarFaceRd" from the Unique Identification Authority of
India (UIDAI) contains a facial authentication function.
• Aadhaar card users are no longer required to physically attend an enrollment center to get their
iris and fingerprints scanned for authentication.
• The UIDAI has begun employing facial authentication to verify an Aadhaar holder's identity.
• Your identification is confirmed when your face authentication is successful.
• Downloading the UIDAI RDApp, which can be used for different Aadhaar Authentication Apps
including Jeevan Praman, PDS, Scholarship programs, COWIN, and Farmer Welfare schemes,
allows residents to access the Aadhaar Face Authentication function.
• Technology for Aadhaar Face Authentication was created internally by UIDAI.
About UIDAI:
• CEO: Saurabh Garg
Jute Mark India (JMI) Logo Launched by GoI:
• The certification of authenticity for jute items made in India was introduced by the Indian
government.
• The "Jute Mark India" logo was launched by the Union Textile Secretary.
• The goal of this project is to maintain and promote Indian jute goods.
Key points:
• The jute products made in India will be identified by the Jute Mark India (JMI) logo.
• The local market and international sales of jute goods created in India are anticipated to grow as
a result of this certification.
• Customers may learn more about the product by scanning the exclusive QR code found on Jute
Mark India.
• The National Jute Board, which reports to the Union Textile Ministry, is in charge of promoting
jute and jute products in India.
• Between FY22 and FY26, Jute Mark India (JMI) was established as part of an ongoing program
for the growth and marketing of jute.
• The national government contributed a total of Rs. 485.58 crores to this project.
• Jute's exports in 2020–2021 were Rs. 2740 crore, and its variety of goods brought in Rs. 1261
crore. This accounted for 46% of the entire export value of jute goods.
• The estimated value of Jute Goods exported in 2021–2022 was Rs. 3785.68 crores.
About National Jute Board:
• The National Jute Board Act 2008, drafted by the Government of India's Minister of Textile and
adopted by the Parliament on February 12, 2009, governs the National Jute Board.
• To study and expand the use of jute in both organized and decentralized sectors, the board aims
to conduct research and engage human resource development initiatives.
To encourage agricultural trade, Narendra Tomar launched the e -NAM Platform:
• The Platform of Platforms (POP) under the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) was introduced
by Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, on the eve of
the State Agriculture and Horticulture Ministers' Conference in Bengaluru, Karnataka
• More than Rs 37 crore in equity grants were given to 1,018 Farmer Producer Organizations
(FPOs), which would benefit 3.5 lakh farmers.
Key Points:
• Along with Shri Tomar, other dignitaries present included Shri BC Patil, the Agriculture Minister
of Karnataka, Shri Basavaraj Bommai, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya,
the Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Ms. Shobha Karandlaje, and Shri Kailash
Choudhary, the Union Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, respectively.
• POP has made it simpler for farmers to access markets outside of their states.
• This will provide farmers' digital access to a larger range of markets, buyers, and service
providers as well as give transparency to business transactions, improving the price search
mechanism and quality commensurate with price realization.
• POP includes 41 service providers across several platforms who offer a variety of value chain
services, including trade, quality assurance, warehousing, finance, market information,
transportation, etc.
• The POP will build a digital ecosystem that will benefit from the expertise of several platforms in
all facets of the agricultural value chain.
New television series called “Swaraj” is being promoted by Anurag Thakur:
• In New Delhi, the preview for the upcoming television program Swaraj: Bharat Ke Swatantrata
Sangram Ki Samagra Gatha was unveiled by Anurag Thakur, Minister of Information and
Broadcasting.
• This series will start broadcasting on Doordarshan on August 14th, 2022.
• The 75-episode drama will emphasize the efforts of the liberation fighters and unsung heroes of
the independence cause.
• This show will also be broadcast on All India Radio.
Key Points:
• At New Delhi's Akashwani Bhawan, Mr. Thakur presented the series logo.
• According to the Minister of Information and Broadcast, the country was honoring the Azadi ka
Amrit Mahotsav, and the administration had organized several activities around the country in
which millions of people participated.
• The first trailer for the upcoming television program Swaraj: Bharat Ke Swatantrata Sangram Ki
Samagra Gatha serves as an example of the Swaraj that was imagined during the struggle for
freedom.
• The media and entertainment industry in India is expanding quickly and has a lot of promise. He
predicted that by the end of 2030, this industry will increase from its $24 billion present worth to
$100 billion.
Consumer Affairs Department launches Jagriti, its new mascot:
• The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) developed the mascot Jagriti to empower
consumers and increase awareness of their rights.
• Jagriti will be shown as a knowledgeable customer who is standing up for her rights and seeking
solutions to the problems she runs into.
• The National Consumer Helpline toll-free number 1915, the provisions of the Weights and
Measures Act, decisions of the Central Consumer Protection Authority, and consumer
testimonies regarding grievance redressal are just a few of the Departmental topics that the
Jagriti mascot will be used to increase consumer awareness.
• DoCA is incorporating the Jagriti Mascot into its consumer awareness campaign to reinforce a
youthful, educated, and empowered consumer as a top-of-mind consumer rights awareness
recall brand.
• The Jagriti mascot and catchphrase "Jago Grahak Jago" must be used in all of its media efforts.
• The two have come to be associated with young consumers who are knowledgeable about their
rights and active in promoting and educating others about those rights.
Consumer Protection Act, 2019:
• The revised Consumer Protection Act was approved by Parliament in 2019.
• When it entered into force in July 2020, the Consumer Protection Act of 1986 was superseded.
• An Act to Establish Authorities for the Timely and Effective Administration and Settlement of
Consumer Disputes and Matters Connected Therewith or Incidental Thereto provides for the
Protection of Consumer Interests, and for the Said Purpose The Act is succinctly summarised
thereto.
• The main objective of the Consumer Protection Act of 2019 is to protect consumers' rights by
establishing organizations for the timely and effective management and settlement of consumer
complaints.
22nd Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2022 open by MoS Culture Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal:
• Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is being held to commemorate India's 75th anniversary of
independence.
• The National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi, staged "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav-22nd Bharat
Rang Mahotsav 2022" from July 16 to August 14, 2022, to commemorate this.
• It is commemorated by the Ministry of Culture.
• The Padma Shree Award-winning Indian folk singer Ms. Malini Awasthi, the Director of the
Ministry of Culture, Shri. Arvind Kumar, and the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and
Culture, Shri. Arjun Ram Meghwal helped make the event possible.
Key Points:
• In his remarks, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal remembered the unsung heroes of the Indian liberation
fight and recommended that the National School of Drama (NSD) step up to develop plays
based on those events that should be performed all across the nation to raise awareness among
the populace.
• Another speaker, Ms. Malini Awasthi, stressed the significance of folk music in the Indian
liberation fight during her remarks.
• Aranyadhipati Tantia Mama, a drama directed by Sh. Bansi Kaul was performed after the
inaugural ceremony.
Mr. Anurag Thakur launches revised schemes of Cash Awards, National Welfare, and Pension to
sportspersons:
• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mr. Anurag Thakur launched revised schemes of
Cash Awards, National Welfare and Pension to sportspersons, Web Portal for Schemes of
Department of Sports, and National Sports Development Fund website in New Delhi.
• The Ministry has brought out several important amendments to the Scheme of Cash Award to
Medal Winners in International Sports Events and their Coaches, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay
National Welfare for Sportspersons and Pension to Meritorious Sportsperson Scheme of
Department of Sports with a vision to make these schemes more user-friendly, easy to access
and transparent.
• The Minister hailed this development as another step towards Digital India by empowering
citizens and reducing the gap between Government and citizens, system and facilities, problems
and solutions.
• The procedures have been relaxed for the athletes so that they can get the benefits of welfare
schemes without any delay.
• PSUs, corporate houses, and other institutions to make their contribution to the National Sports
Development Fund for creating sports infrastructure and facilities for the sportspersons.
MHA sets up panel for delimitation of municipal wards in Delhi:
• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has set up a three-member commission for carrying
out a fresh delimitation exercise of the municipal wards in Delhi, according to a statement issued
by the MCD.
• The exercise will pave the way for the civic polls in Delhi, which would be the first since the
recent reunification of the city's three corporations.
• The panel will have three members -- Vijay Dev, State Election Commissioner, Delhi, who will be
its chairman, Pankaj Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs, and Randhir Sahay, Additional Commissioner, MCD.
• The commission will present its report within four months of its formation,
• The reunified MCD formally came into existence on May 22 with IAS officers Ashwani Kumar
and Gyanesh Bharti assuming charge as its special officer and commissioner respectively.
The unemployment rate in India rises to 7.8% in June; the rural unemployment rate climbs to 8.03%:
• The month of June witnessed a rise in the unemployment rate in India to 7.8 percent of the total
workforce from 7.12 percent in May.
• The increase in the unemployment rate was mainly due to a rise in rural unemployment, as per
data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).
• However, India’s June employment is at the lowest in the last year, according to the CMIE
estimates.
• The rural unemployment rate rose on the back of uneven monsoon rains which have led to a
delay in the deployment of agricultural labor in rural areas.
Key Points:
• The unemployment rate in the rural areas climbed to 8.03 percent from 6.62 percent in May.
• The urban unemployment rate, on the other hand, reduced to 7.30 percent during the same
period from 8.21 percent a month ago.
• In terms of the overall employment in the country in June, it dropped by 13 million to 390 million,
against a gain of 8 million jobs in April and May.
• According to CMIE’s managing director Mahesh Vyas, the count of the unemployed increased
by only 3 million despite nearly 13 million lost jobs during the month as the rest quit the labor
market.
• In June, around 8 million were lost in the agriculture sector, mostly connected to plantations.
• However, crop cultivation added 4 million jobs, which was lower than the same period in 2020
and 2021.
Delhi govt commemorated Happiness Utsav in honor of the curriculum’s 4th anniversary:
• The Delhi government commemorated Happiness Utsav to commemorate the fourth anniversary
of its Happiness Curriculum for schools, according to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
• Life coach Gaur Gopal Das spoke on the complexities of happiness during a special session for
students at Kautilya Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Chirag Enclave on this occasion.
• The students shared their views on the Happiness course with Gaur Gopal Das.
• The Happiness Utsav takes place every year to commemorate the Happiness Curriculum's
anniversary.
• In addition to introducing communities to the Happiness Curriculum, the 15-day event seeks to
increase public awareness of the pursuit of happiness.
Key Points:
• In a government school in Delhi, each pupil interacted with at least five residents of the
neighborhood and shared knowledge about happiness with them.
• The goal is to make the millions of residents of Delhi happier.
• Happiness Classes have caused a dramatic change in students' views.
• Through the Happiness Utsav, we will demonstrate how to live a pleasant life to thousands of
Delhi citizens.
• The happiness Curriculum has been a long and winding journey over the last four years.
• The pupils are less stressed, and their focus on their schoolwork has improved.
• The Happiness Utsav, which will take place over the following 15 days, will feature a wide range
of activities, according to the Deputy Chief Minister, and this year, "happiness" will not be limi ted
to Delhi government schools alone.
• At least five individuals of the student's neighborhood would be interacted with by each student
in a government school in Delhi, and they would share knowledge on happiness with them.
• The goal is to help Delhi's millions of residents achieve pleasure.
PM Shri Narendra Modi unveils ‘SPRINT Challenges’ to boost usage of Indigenous Technology:
• During the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) lecture "Swavlamban" in
New Delhi, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi presented the "SPRINT Challenges," which are
meant to encourage the use of indigenous technologies in the Indian Navy.
• Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), NIIO, and
Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC) is the name of the collaborative initiative.
• As part of "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" and to accomplish "Aatmanirbharta" in the defense sector,
NIIO and the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) want to introduce at least 75 new
indigenous technology and products to the Indian Navy.
• The Naval Innovation and Indigenization Organization (NIIO) and the Society of Indian Defense
Manufacturers (SIDM) jointly sponsored the event.
About the seminar
• The two-day conference, which is scheduled to take place on July 18–19, 2022, intends to work
with Indian academia and business to achieve self-reliance in the defense sector.
• It will give leaders from business, academia, the government, and other sectors a place to
gather, share ideas, and develop suggestions for the defense sector.
• There will be sessions on innovation, indigenization, armament, and aviation.
• According to the government's SAGAR vision, the Seminar's second day will see outreach to the
Indian Ocean Region.
Mobile Electric Charging App released by MSME Minister Mr. Narayan Rane:
• Repos Pay, a platform for mobile electric charging, and Phy-gital, a platform for fintech, were
unveiled by Union Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Mr. Narayan Rane
at the Fueling India 2022 event in Mumbai.
• Users may order mobile EV charging vehicles on the Repos Pay platform and use them to
power their automobiles.
• Technology will be used by Phy-gital, a Fintech platform, to let customers use credit to fund
purchases (Buy Now Pay Later).
• The energy finance platform will provide fuel-on-credit solutions for large users.
Key Points:
• Although the bulk of start-ups in the country is in the IT and digital industries, P. Udaykumar,
chairman of the National Small Industries Corporation, commended the budding entrepreneurs
who are making waves in the energy sector.
• Shri Udaykumar stated that the MSME ministry and NSIC's support of the country's micro, small,
and medium-sized firms are aimed at creating a very advantageous MSME environment.
• The entire globe is presently concentrating its attention on India.
• The country's MSME sector persisted even throughout COVID.
• Shri Udaykumar went on to say that the performance of the industry had reached pre-COVID
levels.
• He also talked about the government's and the ministry's initiatives to support MSMEs.
PM Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates 296 km-long Bundelkhand Expressway in UP:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 296-km-long Bundelkhand Expressway,
which passes through seven districts of Uttar Pradesh and has been constructed at a cost of
around Rs 14,850 crore.
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed Modi by offering him a local 'Bundeli'
stole at the inauguration ceremony at Kaitheri village in Orai tehsil of Jalaun district.
Key Points:
• It extends from NH-35 at Gonda village near Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot district to near Kudrail
village in Etawah district, where it merges with the Agra-Lucknow Expressway.
• The four-lane expressway, which can be later expanded into six lanes, passes through seven
districts -- Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya, and Etawah.
• Besides improving connectivity in the region, the government expects the Bundelkhand
Expressway to give a major boost to economic development and create thousands of jobs for
the local people.
Mr. Sanjay Agarwal to chair the committee Center established to strengthen the MSP system:
• The government set up a committee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) eight months after it
made a comparable pledge in exchange for the repeal of three unpopular agricultural policies.
• The committee will be led by former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agrawal.
• Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) is entitled to three seats on the committee; however, the
agricultural organization has not yet proposed any candidates for the position.
• Two representatives from the farmers' cooperative and organization are members of the
committee: IFFCO Chairman Dilip Sanghani and CNRI General Secretary Binod Anand.
• Along with the chief secretaries of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Odisha, the group
also consists of senior officials from agricultural institutions, five federal government secretaries,
and five state secretaries.
Key Points:
• A year-long struggle by many farmers along the Delhi borders organized by SKM led to the
government rescinding the agricultural legislation.
• When he announced the removal of three farm rules in November of last year, Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi committed to creating a committee to address the farmers' demand for a
legal guarantee on MSP.
• The Agriculture Ministry published a gazette notice announcing the creation of a committee in
this regard.
• Members of the panel will include Ramesh Chand of Niti Aayog, agri-economists CSC Shekhar
from the Indian Institute of Economic Development and Sukhpal Singh from IIM-Ahmedabad,
and senior member Naveen P Singh of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices
(CACP).
• The committee's farmer representatives include Bharat Bhushan Tyagi, a farmer who has
received national recognition, three SKM members, and five members from other farmer
organizations.
• These individuals include Sayyed Pasha Patel, Gunwant Patil, Krishnaveer Choudhary, Pramod
Kumar Choudhary, and Guni Prakash.
Jawaharlal Nehru Port becomes the first 100% Landlord Major Port of India:
• With all berths being run under the PPP model, Jawaharlal Nehru Port has become the first
major port in India to be 100% owned by landlords.
• Beginning with the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, the PPP model of investing in Indian ports has
advanced significantly over the past 25 years, leading to capacity expansion and increased
productivity.
• JNP is one of the top container ports in the nation and is listed as the 26th best port in the world
(as per Lloyds List Top 100 Ports 2021 Report).
About Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal:
• Under the terms of this PPP agreement, the backup area of 54.74 hectares and the two berths
with a combined length of 680 meters and a 15-meter draught that make up the Jawaharlal
Nehru Port Container Terminal (JNPCT) would also be transferred.
• With the upgrade, JNPCT can accommodate boats with a capacity of 12200 TEUs instead of the
current 9000 TEUs.
• Additionally, it is suggested that the port's RMQC rail span be increased from 20 meters to 30.5
meters.
• The concessioner will invest in this project at a total cost of Rs. 872 crores.
• This terminal must be upgraded, run, maintained, and transferred by the concessioner on a PPP
basis.
• This project will be carried out in two stages.
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana completes five years:
• Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana has completed five years.
• The scheme was formally launched on this day in 2017.
• The scheme is a social security scheme for senior citizens intended to give an assured minimum
pension to them based on an assured return on the purchase price or subscription amount.
• The minimum investment in this scheme was revised to one lakh 56 thousand 658 rupees for a
pension of twelve thousand per annum and one lakh 62 thousand 162 rupees for getting a
minimum pension amount of one thousand rupees per month.
• The scheme which was under implementation till 2020, has further been extended for three
years up to 31st March 2023.
PM Shri Narendra Modi unveils India’s first Passenger Drone “Varuna”:
• India's first passenger drone, Varuna, was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• PM Modi may be seen observing the drone's display.
• According to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the present administration has used
technology, including drones, to guarantee last-mile service delivery.
• At the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation
Organisation (NIIO) seminar titled "Swavlamban" was addressed by the prime minister.
About the ‘Varuna’ drone:
• This was shown in his presence by Sagar Defence Engineering, the company that created the
indigenous "Varuna" drone without a pilot.
• A firm created and built the "Varuna" drone, which has room inside for one passenger.
• Varuna, the first drone in India that can transport people, has a 25-kilometer range.
• The drone has 25–33 minutes of flying and a payload capacity of 130 kg.
Center modifies Flag Code of India 2002 to permit tricolor to be displayed constantly:
• If the national flag is flown in the open and is raised by a member of the public, it may now fly
through the night.
• As the federal government launches its Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, the Ministry of Home
Affairs changed the Flag Code of India 2002 to allow the flying of the national flag even at night.
• Previously, the flag could only be flown from dawn till sunset.
Key Points:
• The flag may be flown day and night when it is exhibited in the open or on a member of the
public's home, according to the ministry, which replaced clause XI of paragraph 2.2 of the Flag
Code.
• The government has already changed the flag code to allow for the usage of polyester and
manufactured flags.
• In a notification issued last year, the government changed Part I of the flag code's paragraph
1.2.
• Previously, using flags made of polyester or by machines was forbidden.
• Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is being observed in India to commemorate 75 years of freedom.
• The Har Ghar Tiranga campaign requests that people raise the flag in their homes from August
13 to August 15.
• Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also sent documents outlining the fundamental components of the
flag code as well as the changes made on December 30, 2021, and July 20, 2022, in a letter to
all government departments on the campaign.
• Along with the letter is a list of commonly asked concerns about the usage and display of the
national flag.
Home Minister has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth Rs
210 crores in Gandhinagar:
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various people-
centric projects worth Rs 210 crores at Bopal in his parliamentary constituency Gandhinagar.
• Under Vande Gujarat Vikas Yatra, Mr. Shah dedicated various developmental projects by
Amdavad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) at Bhopal which include affordable housing
projects for EWS and water supply Projects worth over 77 crore Rupees.
• The water supply project will provide drinking water to more than 70 thousand people.
Key Points:
• The minister also inaugurated the sports complex in Maninagar which is buil t at the cost of 10
crores.
• He also participated in a tree plantation drive under the Mission Million Trees campaign at
Ognaj.
• Apart from this, Mr. Amit Shah also laid the foundation stone for various infrastructure projects in
Ahmedabad Gandhinagar.
• Mr. Shah who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat also inaugurated the birth centenary celebrations
of Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Ahmedabad.
The Government has set a target to raise the share of natural gas in the energy mix to 15% in 2030
from about 6.3%:
• The Government has set a target to raise the share of natural gas in the energy mix to 15% in 2030
from about 6.3%.
• To achieve the target, various initiatives have been taken which inter alia include the following:
i)Expansion of National Gas Grid to about 33,500 Km from the current 21,715 Km.
ii)Expansion of City Gas Distribution (CGD) network
iii)Setting up of Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals.
iv)Allocation of domestic gas to Compressed Natural Gas (Transport) / Piped Natural Gas
(Domestic) in no cut category.
v)Allowing marketing and pricing freedom to gas produced from high pressure/high-
temperature areas, deep water & ultra-deepwater, and coal seams.
vi)Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiatives to
promote Bio-CNG.
Key Points:
• Providing Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections and establishing Compressed Natural Gas
(CNG) stations are part of the development of the CGD network and the same is carried out by
the entities authorized by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).
• The CNG Stations and PNG connections are being provided by authorized entities as per
timelines prescribed by PNGRB from time to time.
• A total of 95.21 lakh PNG (Domestic) connections have been provided and 4531 CNG
(Transport) stations have been established by the authorized entities.
• After completion of the 11A city gas distribution (CGD) round, 295 Geographical Areas (GAs)
have been authorized which inter alia cover 98% of India’s population and 88% of its GAs.
• As per the Minimum Work Programme, CGD entities authorized up to the 11A round, have to
provide 12.33 crore PNG connections and establish 17,700 CNG stations by 2030 including in
rural and urban areas.
International Conference on Chemistry and Applications of Soft Materials:
• As part of the festivities marking the 75th anniversary of Independence, the CSIR-National
Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, will
hold the International Conference on Chemistry and Applications of Soft Materials (CASM 2022).
• The conference will feature discussions on a range of topics, including self-assembly and
supramolecular materials, soft material chemistry, physics, rheology, and photophysics,
responsive and smart materials, gels, liquid crystals, polymers, macromolecules and framework
materials, and functional nanomaterials, as well as applications of soft materials in electronics
and energy.
Key Points:
• The official stated that at least 300 people from inside and outside the country are expected to
attend the meeting.
• Renowned researcher T Pradeep from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, will
inaugurate the event.
• The conference will provide researchers and students with the appropriate venue to exchange
ideas and form new collaborations in the field of soft materials, according to Ajayaghosh,
Director of CSIR-NIIST and Conference Chair.
• According to Narayanan Unni, a scientist at CSIR-NIIST and conference convener, the
Department of Science and Technological (DST) will fund a session on soft materials for energy
applications, and presentations displaying the technology development projects at CSIR -NIIST
will also be given.
• There will be a special meeting to honor Ajayaghosh's achievements in science.
Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurates Vaccination Centre for Children and Launches Bal Raksha
Mobile App at All Institute of Ayurveda:
• Union Minister of Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Vaccination Centre for children
at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA).
• He also launched the Bal Raksha mobile app, which is aimed at creating awareness of pediatric
preventive healthcare through Ayurveda intervention amongst parents.
• The app will also collect feedback from parents regarding the impact of the kit on their children's
health and immunity.
• The All-India Institute of Ayurveda, an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Ayush,
aims at bringing synergy between the traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern tools and
technology.
• The Institute has 12 specialty departments, 30 OPD units with state-of-the-art interdisciplinary
research laboratories, and an international collaborative center for global promotion and
research in Ayurveda.
• Ayurveda is the oldest system of medicine and health science dating back to more than 3,000
years.
• During Covid times, AIIA played a major role in treating patients at the Covid Healthcare Centre
in sync with its mission of ‘care with compassion.
GoI Designates 5 New Ramsar Sites, taking the total number to 54:
• In India, five new wetlands have been identified as being of international significance.
• As a result, there are now 54 Ramsar sites in the nation as compared to 49 previously.
• "Delighted to tell those 5 additional Indian wetlands have received Ramsar status as
wetlands of worldwide importance," stated Shri Bhupender Yadav, the Union Minister of
Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
The five newly designated wetlands are:
1. Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu
2. Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest, Tamil Nadu
3. Pichavaram Mangrove, Tamil Nadu
4. Pala wetland, Mizoram
5. Sakhya Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.
About Ramar Site:
• Under the Ramsar Convention, a wetland site is defined as having international significance and
is known as a Ramsar Site.
• The Iranian city of Ramsar, where this contract was signed, inspired the name Ramsar.
• The Ramsar Convention is another name for the Convention on Wetlands.
• It is an international environmental convention that was formed by UNESCO in 1971 and went
into effect in 1975.
• Wetlands designated as Ramsar areas are protected by the convention's rigorous rules.
• The Ramsar list's objective is to create and maintain a global network of wetlands that are
crucial for the preservation of biological variation in general and for maintaining human existence
via the preservation of their ecosystem's elements, functions, and advantages.
Ministry of Women and Child Development issues Detailed Guidelines for ‘Mission Shakti’:
• Ministry of Women and Child Development has issued detailed guidelines for the ‘Mission
Shakti' scheme.
• The Government of India has launched 'Mission Shakti' - an integrated women empowerment
program as an umbrella scheme for the safety, security, and empowerment of women for
implementation during the 15th Finance Commission period 202l-22 to 2025-26.
• The norms of ‘Mission Shakti’ will be applicable with effect from 01.04.2022.
• ‘Mission Shakti’ is a scheme in mission mode aimed at strengthening interventions for women’s
safety, security, and empowerment.
• It seeks to realize the Government’s commitment to “women-led development‟ by addressing
issues affecting women on a life-cycle continuum basis and by making them equal partners in
nation-building through convergence and citizen-ownership.
• The scheme seeks to make women economically empowered, exercising free choice over their
minds and bodies in an atmosphere free from violence and threat.
• It also seeks to reduce the care burden on women and increase female labor force participation
by promoting skill development, capacity building, financial literacy, access to micro-credit, etc.
About the Schemes:
• ‘Mission Shakti’ has two sub-schemes - 'Sambal' and 'Samarthya'.
• While the "Sambal" sub-scheme is for the safety and security of women, the "Samarthya" sub-
scheme is for the empowerment of women.
• The components of the 'Sambal' sub-scheme consist of erstwhile schemes of One Stop Centre
(OSC), Women Helpline (WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) with a new component of Nari
Adalats - women's collectives to promote and facilitate alternative dispute resolution and gender
justice in society and within families.
• The components of the 'Samarthya' sub-scheme consist of erstwhile schemes of Ujjwala,
Swadhar Greh, and Working Women Hostel that have been included with modifications.
• In addition, the existing schemes of the National Creche Scheme for children of working mothers
and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) under the umbrella of ICDS have now
been included in Samarthya.
• A new component of Gap Funding for Economic Empowerment has also been added to the
Samarthya Scheme.
KVIC launches Knowledge Portal for Khadi by the Center of Excellence:
• The Knowledge Portal for Khadi is a platform developed by the Center of Excellence for Khadi to
provide design directions to the Khadi institutions.
• The portal was inaugurated by Ms. Preeta Verma, CEO-KVIC.
• The Center of Excellence for Khadi has been set up by KVIC, Ministry of MSME at NIFT, to
support Khadi Institutions.
• Knowledge Port for Khadi attempts to disseminate design knowledge to a broader section of
Khadi Institutions.
Key Points:
• The portal intends to create design intervention by simplifying the trends especially suitable for
Khadi.
• Each story has a key theme, color palette, and directions for woven designs, prints, textures,
and surfaces.
• Every story has been separated into two segments - Home and Apparel. Besides the themes,
the portal also provides size charts, silhouette boards, buttons and closures, and seams and
finishes for both home and apparel.
• The information will be updated twice a year to provide directions according to the seasons and
trends.
• It is envisaged that the information will be of value to not only Khadi institutions but also to
organizations providing support to develop apparel, home products, and packaging for Khadi.
• The portal will be hosted on the website of the Center of Excellence for Khadi and can be
accessed on www. coek.in
The Minister launches the “National Standards for Civil Service Training Institutions”:
• India was the first nation in the world to develop standards for civil service training institutions at
the national level.
• In announcing the "National Standards for Civil Service Training Institutions" at the Capacity
Building Commission (CBC) headquarters in New Delhi Dr. Jitendra Singh expressed the hope
that India would soon serve as a global model in this area.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh also inaugurated the web portal and approach paper for the National
standards, as a part of the launch event in presence of over 103 participants consisting of 25
Central Training Institutions, 33 State level Administrative Training Institutions, and other civil
service training institutions along with capacity building commission.
Key Points:
• The National Standards for Civil Service Training Institutions (NSCSTI) is developed by CBC to
create a baseline for Central Training Institutes on their current capacity, for elevating their
quality and capacity of training delivery, and to harmonize standards for training.
• It will also set aspirations for training institutions to strive toward excell ence.
• The country is having standards and accreditation in higher education, healthcare, and the
environment, but for the first time, it became applicable for training institutions also.
Centre unveils 3 schemes to support MSMEs in the pharmaceutical sector:
• The government has launched three schemes to support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) in the pharmaceutical sector.
• The plans call for technology advancement, establishing shared research centers, and
constructing effluent treatment plants in clusters for pharma MSMEs, according to Union Minister
Shri Mansukh Mandaviya.
• According to him, small businesses should be able to modernize their facilities to meet
international manufacturing standards.
• The initiatives were launched by the chemicals and fertilizers ministry under the slogan
“Strengthening Pharmaceuticals Industry” (SPI).
• The programs offer support of up to Rs 20 crore per common facility, such as a research center,
testing labs, and ETPs, in pharmaceutical clusters, as well as credit-linked capital and interest
subsidies for MSME units in the pharmaceutical sector upgrading their technology.
Key Points:
• SIDBI will serve as the project management advisor for implementing the plan.
• Pharmaceutical MSMEs with a track record of success could update their technology with the
help of the Pharmaceutical Technology Upgradation Assistance Scheme (PTUAS).
• The program allows for either a capital subsidy of 10% on loans up to a maximum of Rs. 10
crores with a minimum repayment period of three years, or an interest subsidy of up to 5% (or
6% in the case of units owned by SC/ST) on a declining balance basis.
• Similar to this, the Assistance to Pharma Industries for Common Facilities Scheme (API -CF) will
increase the capacity of the current pharmaceutical clusters for long-term expansion.
• It allows for assistance up to Rs 20 crore, or 70% of the approved project cost, whichever is
smaller.
• The grant-in-aid amount for the Himalayan and northeast regions will be Rs 20 crore per cluster
or 90% of the project cost, whichever is less.
New norms of Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008:
• Tobacco and cigarette packets will soon come with a new display of health warnings, according
to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• As per the recently amended Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling)
Rules, 2008, new warnings and images will be displayed on tobacco products’ packaging from 1
December.
• Two sets of warning messages and images will be used on both sides of the pack, according to
the ministry.
• It said that the first, used in existing packs “Tobacco causes painful death”–will be used with
image one on one side of the pack, while “Tobacco users die young” will be on display on the
other side of a packet with a second image.
• The packs will also have a toll-free helpline, Quit Today Call Today (1800-11-2356), in white font
on a black background.
• With the new set of warming messages, the government is seeking to create awareness among
smokers and other tobacco product users.
• It also seeks to offer access to counseling services to tobacco consumers to help them quit.
• According to government data, tobacco use causes more than 1.3 million deaths every year.
Union Cabinet adopts a $1.6 billion BSNL revitalization plan:
• The 1.64 Lakh Crores revival package for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), according to
Union Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology, Shri
Ashwini Vaishnav, was approved by the Union Cabinet.
• The government's 2019 package announcement helped to stabilize BSNL's financial status.
• Revenue that was declining has stabilized at Rs 19,000 crore thanks to a resuscitation package
that the union cabinet authorized.
• The federal cabinet also authorized a plan to merge BSNL with Bharat Broadband Network
Limited (BBNL).
• With the support of the nation's Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), 5.67 lakh more
kilometers of optical fiber have been constructed throughout 1.85 lakh village panchayats
nationally.
• Through this merger, BSNL will have access to those additional kilometers of fiber.
The proposed package includes three components:
• Better services,
• A de-stressed balance sheet,
• Fibre network development.
PM has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone fo r numerous Sabar Dairy projects worth 1,000 crore
rupees in Gujarat:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for numerous
Sabar Dairy projects worth 1,000 crore rupees at Gadhoda Chowki in Sabarkantha, Gujarat.
• These projects will enhance the income of local farmers and milk producers.
• Mr. Modi inaugurated the Powder Plant at Sabar Dairy, which has a 120-tonne-per-day capacity
and costs more than 300 crore rupees.
• PM also inaugurated the Aseptic Milk Packaging Plant at Sabar Dairy, which has a capacity of 3
lakh liters per day and a total investment of around 125 crore rupees.
• Mr. Modi laid the foundation stone of the Sabar Cheese and Whey Drying Plant Project, with an
estimated outlay of around 600 crore rupees.
• This is Gujarat's third cheese plant, and it will be operational by 2024.
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers has launched the 11th Agriculture Census:
• Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched the 11th
Agriculture Census in the country.
• It will be the first-time data collection for agricultural computations will be done on smartphones
and tablets.
• Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has also launched the Data Collection Portal/App and released the
Handbook on Operational Guidelines for Census.
• Agricultural computations will also contribute to the mapping of crops.
• The agriculture Census is conducted every five years.
• The fieldwork for the agricultural census will begin in August 2022.
• Agricultural Census provides information on different agricultural parameters such as area of
operational holdings, their size, class-wise distribution, land use, tenancy, cropping pattern, etc.
at the minute level.
• The use of mobile apps for data collection will accelerate the digitalization of the l and record.
PM Narendra Modi launches International Bullion Exchange IIBX in GIFT-City:
• The "India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX)" has been established by Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), which is close to
Gandhinagar.
• India's first global bullion exchange is called IIBX.
• The exchange will sell actual gold and silver, as was stated in Budget 2020.
• Jewelers having a net worth of at least Rs 25 crore would be eligible to participate in the
exchange.
• The International Financial Services Centers Authority's headquarters building in GIFT-City also
received its foundation stone from the PM.
• Also introduced by Modi was the NSE IFSC-SGX Connect platform.
• Singapore Exchange and the NSE subsidiary in GIFT IFSC are connected by a system called
Connect.
• Through this platform, customers, investors, and trading members of SGX who previously traded
Indian stocks listed on the NSE through SGX will now do so through the NSE IFSC.
• Ashok Gautam will head IIBX as MD and CEO.
• He took charge in February 2022 and worked with IDBI Bank before this.
• He has earlier worked with the State Bank of India (SBI).
IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL NEWS
India Hosts 8th Round of SCO Meeting In New Delhi
● India hosted the 8th round of meetings with the heads of the border services of the competent
authorities of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in New Delhi.
● Including India, the meeting was attended by the other 7 members China, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the Executive Committee of the SCO-
RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure).
● India is represented by Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Pankaj Kumar Singh.
● The daylong meeting was held under the chairmanship of India, which assumed the chair of
SCO-RATS on October 28, 2021, for one year.
● The meeting was held in a professional and constructive atmosphere as extensive deliberations
on the pressing security challenges, including threats of terrorism, and regional security
scenarios, including the situation in Afghanistan.
● In the SCO meeting, the participants exchanged information reflecting assessments of the
situation on the state borders of the SCO member states, trends, and forecasts of its
development.
● The plan for preparation and organization of this year's Joint Border Operation "Friendship
Border - 2022" was reviewed and approved.
● Member States supported the initiative of China to conduct a joint border operation of the border
services of the competent authorities of the SCO member states Solidarity 2023.
● They approved the work plan of the group of experts of the Border Services of the SCO member
states for 2023.
About SCO :
● Established: 15 June 2001
● Membership: 8 member states ( Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz
Republic Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan)
● Secretary-General: Zhang Ming
● Headquarters: Beijing, China
12th meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors to be held virtually
● The 12th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisers an d High Representatives on National
Security was held virtually.
● Yang Jiechi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Central
Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, chaired the
meeting in Beijing, China.
● National security advisers and high representatives of the national security of South Africa,
Brazil, Russia, and India attended the event.
● In 2022, China is the chair of the BRICS grouping & India was represented by National Security
Advisor Ajit Doval.
● The meeting of BRICS NSAs is an important platform for BRICS countries to enhance political
and security cooperation.
● NSAs of the five BRICS countries will have an in-depth exchange of views, coordinate positions,
and build consensus on a range of issues including multilateralism and global governance, new
threats and challenges in national security, and governance in new domains.
● The meeting reviewed the work of the working group on counter-terrorism and cyber security,
agreed to jointly promote plans and roadmaps for international counter-terrorism and cyber
security cooperation, and uphold the central coordinating role of the United Nations in the global
counter-terrorism cause.
RIMPAC 2022 Begins in Hawaii with 21 Partner Nation Ships
● A total of 21 United States partner nation ships, including one submarine, from 14 countries are
docked at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) for the Rim of the Pacific 2022 (RIMPAC
2022) exercise that kicks off in Hawaii.
● The theme of Rim of the Pacific's (RIMPAC) 2022 is Capable Adaptive Partners
● 26 nations, 38 surface ships, 4 submarines, 9 national land forces, more than 30 unmanned
systems, approximately 170 aircraft, and more than 25,000 personnel will take part at RIMPAC
2022 & it will be conducted in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California.
● The largest contingent is from the Republic of Korea (ROK), which sent 3 ships and 1
submarine, followed by the Royal Australian Navy, with three ships.
● Canada, Japan, and Mexico sent two ships each, while Chile, France, India, Indonesia,
Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, and Singapore each sent a single ship.
● Several of the ships included embarked helicopters for the biennial drills.
About JBPHH :
● Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (JBPHH) is a United States military base on the island of
Oahu, Hawaii.
● It is an amalgamation of the United States Air Force's Hickam Air Force Base and the United
States Navy's Naval Station Pearl Harbor, which were merged in 2010.
About Hawaii :
● Capital: Honolulu
● Currency: US Dollar
Green Deal: pioneering proposals to restore Europe's nature by 2050 and 50% pesticide use by 2030
● The European Commission adopted proposals to restore damaged ecosystems, bring nature
back across Europe, from agricultural land and seas to forests and urban environments, and
reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030.
Aim :
● To cover at least 20% of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030 with nature restoration measures,
and eventually extend these to all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.
● These are the flagship legislative proposals to follow the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork
Strategies and will help ensure the resilience and security of food supply in the EU and across
the world.
● The Commission is proposing a Nature Restoration Law, the first-ever legislation at the EU level.
● The law covers wetlands, rivers, forests, grasslands, marine ecosystems, urban environments,
and the species they host.
● According to the Commission, biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems continue at
an alarming rate, across the broad range of ecosystem types in the EU.
● In the EU, 80% of habitats are in poor condition, with peatlands, grasslands, and dune habitats
worst.
About European Commission :
● Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
● President : Ursula von der Leyen
● The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU).
NATO nations sign accession protocols for Sweden, Finland
● The 30 allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) signed off on the accession
protocols for Sweden and Finland at NATO.
● The signing was held in the presence of Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Swedish
Foreign Minister Ann Linde.
● The signing of the accession protocols marks the start of the ratification process.
● The signing comes days after the trilateral memorandum between Turkey, Finland, and Sweden.
● Turkey had initially opposed the Nordic countries' entry into the group alleging that the two
nations are providing shelter to Kurdish separatists.
Key Highlights :
● The move increases Russia’s strategic isolation in the wake of its invasion of neighboring
Ukraine in February 2022 & military struggles there since.
● Despite the agreement in the alliance, parliamentary approval in member state Turkey could still
pose problems for their final inclusion as members.
● Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Ankara could still block the process if the two
countries fail to fully meet Turkey’s demand to extradite terror suspects with links to outlawed
Kurdish groups or the network of an exiled cleric accused of a failed 2016 coup in Turkey
About NATO :
● Secretary-General: Jens Stoltenberg
● Membership: 30 States (28 European and two North American)
About Sweden :
● Prime Minister : Magdalena Andersson
● Capital: Stockholm
● Currency: Swedish krona (SEK)
About Finland :
● President : Sauli Niinistö
● PM: Sanna Marin
● Capital: Helsinki
● Currency: Euro
Deutsche Bahn become the world's first intermodal partner of the Star Alliance
● Deutsche Bahn (DB) will become the world's first intermodal partner of Star Alliance on August
1, 2022.
● Deutsche Bahn and Star Alliance make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions in
the transport sector.
● Under the new cooperation, DB customers and passengers of Star Alliance member airlines will
be able to start or end their journey comfortably on the environment-friendly train.
Note :
● Germany is the first market and DB is the world’s first partner in the new Star Alliance initiative.
● An industry-first, Star Alliance’s Intermodal Partnership model intelligently combines airline with
the railway, bus, ferry, or any other transport ecosystems, alliance-wide.
● The new partnership between DB and Star Alliance builds on the Lufthansa Express Rail
program.
● Lufthansa customers have been able to buy a combined ticket for trains and flights in one
booking step for more than 20 years.
● In the future, in addition to Lufthansa, all 25 other Star Alliance member airlines will be able to
include DB’s ICE trains as flight numbers in their booking engine and customers will benefit from
advantages such as:
● In just one booking process, airline customers receive a combined ticket for the flight and train
journeys including seat reservations.
● Upon check-in, travelers receive their boarding passes for both the flight and the train journeys.
● With integrated ICE train journeys, air travelers will have even more choices based on timings,
duration and prices offered.
● Customers also benefit from priority baggage handling and other services in the AiRail check-in
area at the Frankfurt Airport.
● For all bookings of combined train-flight journeys via Lufthansa Express Rail with the member
airlines of the Star Alliance, points or miles can be collected for the train journeys in the
preferred frequent flier programs of the airline.
● In addition, Business and First-Class flight customers of Star Alliance member airlines will
receive additional benefits with an LH Express Rail ticket, such as access to the DB lounges.
About Germany :
● President: Frank-Walter Steinmeier
● Capital: Berlin
● Currency: Euro
About Deutsche Bahn :
● Headquarters: Bahntower, Berlin, Germany
● CEO: Richard Lutz
India was elected to the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the
Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
● India has been elected as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the
Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for a period of 4 years 2022-2026 cycle.
● The announcement was made by Union Minister for Culture, Tourism & DoNER Shri G.K
Reddy.
● The elections for the Intergovernmental Committee took place during the 9th General Assembly
of the 2003 Convention held at UNESCO headquarters, Paris.
● The Union Culture Ministry stated against the four seats falling vacant within the Asia-Pacific
group, six countries India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand had
presented their candidature.
● India received 110 votes from the 155 State Parties that were present and voting.
Key Highlights :
● India has served two terms as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of this Convention
i.e One from 2006 to 2010 and the other from 2014 to 2018.
● For its 2022-2026 term, India has formulated a clear vision for the protection and promotion of
the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
● Some of the priority areas that India will focus upon include fostering community participation,
strengthening international cooperation through intangible heritage, promoting academic
research on intangible cultural heritage, and aligning the work of the Convention with the UN
Sustainable Development Goals.
● India ranks high in the listing of intangible cultural heritage, with 14 inscriptions on the
Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
● After the inscription of Durga Puja in 2021, India submitted the nomination for Garba of Gujarat
to be discussed in 2023
● Noting the imbalance in the inscriptions on the 3 lists of the Convention, i.e., Urgent
Safeguarding List, Representative List, and Register of Good Safeguarding Practices, India shall
endeavor to encourage international dialogue to better showcase the diversity and importance of
living heritage.
Note :
● The Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention consists of 24 members and is
elected in the General Assembly of the Convention according to the principles of equitable
geographical representation and rotation.
● States Members to the Committee are elected for a term of four years.
Functions of IGC :
● The Intergovernmental Committee includes promoting the objectives of the Convention,
providing guidance on best practices, and making recommendations on measures for the
safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.
● The Committee also examines requests submitted by States Parties for the inscription of
intangible heritage on the Lists as well as proposals for programs and projects.
8th India-Armenia IGC Meeting at Yerevan; signs MoU on High Impact Community Development
Projects in Armenia
● The 8th session of the India-Armenia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic,
Scientific and Technological, Cultural and Educational Cooperation (IGC) was held in Yerevan,
Armenia.
● The Indian delegation was led by Secretary (West), Shri Sanjay Verma.
● Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan led the Armenian delegation.
● At the IGC, both sides discussed and reviewed the current state of cooperation in diverse fields
such as trade, investments, health, tourism, infrastructure, culture, connectivity, information
technology, agriculture, fintech, and education.
● India’s Secretary (West) also called on the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia H. E. Mr.
Hambardzum Matevosyan.
● Secretary (West) paid floral tributes to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
● A Mahatma Gandhi Auditorium was later inaugurated at the Yerevan State Medical University
(YSMU) along with Dr. Armen Muradyan, Rector of the University.

● Secretary (West) also interacted with Indian students studying at the YSMU.
● India and Armenia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on High Impact Community
Development Projects in Armenia with financial and technical assistance from India.
Note :
● The 7th IGC was held in April 2016 in New Delhi, Delhi
● The 6th IGC and FOC were held in New Delhi on 25 September 2013.
About Armenia
● Prime Minister: Nikol Pashinyan
● Capital: Yerevan
● Currency: Dram
India becomes 68th country to join Interpol’s child sexual exploitation database
• India’s nodal agency for Interpol matters, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) joined
Interpol’s international child sexual exploitation (ICSE) database.
• With this India become the 68th country to join Interpol’s child sexual exploitation database.
• The ICSE database uses video & image comparisons to analyze child sexual abuse material
and make connections between victims, abusers, and places.
• The database avoids duplication of effort and saves precious time by letting investigators know
whether a series of images have already been discovered or identified in another country, or
whether it has similar features to other images.
• Detectives in all 68 countries can exchange information and notes with their colleagues across
the world.
• By analyzing the digital, visual, and audio content of photographs and videos, victim
identification experts can retrieve clues, identify any overlap in cases and combine their efforts to
locate victims of child sexual abuse.
About Interpol :
• Headquarters: Lyon, France
• Secretary-General: Jürgen Stock
• It is the world's largest international police organization, with 7 regional bureaus worldwide and a
National Central Bureau.
About CBI :
• Director-General: Subodh Kumar Jaiswal
• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating agency of India.
• It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and P ensions.
Croatia to become the 20th country to adopt the euro as currency from 2023
• Croatia will become the 20th country to adopt the euro as currency from Jan 01, 2023, replacing
the Croatian kuna.
• European Union finance ministers have given Croatia the final approval to adopt the euro single
currency.
• As per the European Central bank, the conversion rate has been set at 7.53450 Croatian kuna
per euro.
• The changes come as the euro’s exchange rate very briefly touched $1 for the first time in 20
years.
• Lithuania was the 19th EU member to adopt the euro as currency in 2015
About Croatia :
• President : Zoran Milanović
• Prime Minister : Andrej Plenković
• Capital : Zagreb
10th World Peace Forum Organized in Beijing
• The 10th World Peace Forum 2022 is being organized by Tsinghua University, in Beijing.
Theme :
• Preserving International Stability: Commonality, Comprehensiveness, and Cooperation
• India’s Ambassador to China, Mr. Pradeep Kumar Rawat attended the panel discussion.
About 10th World Peace Forum :
• The forum includes topics such as the preservation of world peace, European security order,
and the United Nations and world order.
• More than 300 former senior officials, diplomatic envoys, and scholars participated online or
offline.
• The forum was initiated in 2012 by Tsinghua University and the Chinese People's Institute of
Foreign Affairs.
Varanasi Named First Cultural and Tourism Capital of Shanghai Cooperation Organization for 2022-23
• The holy city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh showcasing India’s culture and traditions over the ages
will be declared the first “Cultural and Tourism Capital” of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) under a new mechanism during India’s SCO Presidency from September
2022 to September 2023.
• It is under a new rotating initiative by the eight-member organization to promote people-to-
people contacts and tourism among the member states.
Key Highlights :
• India will take over as SCO chair from Uzbekistan at the Samarkand summit, scheduled to be
held at Samarkand in Uzbekistan on September 15-16, 2022.
• It will come into force after the Samarkand summit following which India will take over the
Presidency and host the next Heads of the State summit
• India hosted the Head of the Government of the SCO meets in 2020.
• Under this initiative, each year a city of the cultural heritage of a member country that will take
over the rotating Presidency of the organization will get the title to highlight its prominence.
• Recently to commemorate the 20 years of adoption of the SCO Charter, the SCO Secretariat
has finished the compilation of a picture album that includes about 240 World Cultural Heritage
sites in SCO countries including 32 sites from India.
• Kazakhstan has announced a visa-free policy for tourists from India and other countries.
About SCO :
• Headquarters: Beijing, China (Secretariat)
• Secretary General: Zhang Ming
• Membership: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
52nd DG-level talks between India & Bangladesh border forces give attention to curbing trans-border
crimes
• The border guarding forces of Bangladesh and India have agreed to focus on curbing trans-
border crimes and taking all necessary measures to ensure peace and tranquility along the
border at the 52nd Director General-level coordination conference, held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• The Indian delegation was headed by Shri Pankaj Kumar Singh, Director Gener al o f B SF, and
the Bangladesh delegation was headed by DG of BGB Major General Shakil Ahmed.
About 52nd Director General-level coordination conference :
• It is a 5-day conference that was held from July 17-21,2022 between Border Security Force
(BSF), India, and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh.
• DG-level talks between India and Bangladesh are held twice every year once in India and once
in Bangladesh.
• Both sides provisionally agreed to hold the next DG-level conference in India preferably in the
first or second week of November 2022.
Key Highlights :
• Both sides highlighted the importance of the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) in
curbing the menace of smuggling contrabands, such as various narcotics (especially YABA),
firearms, FICN, gold, etc.
• They also agreed to undertake joint efforts to bring down the number of incidents of assault and
border crime by intensifying public awareness programs, undertaking appropriate socio-
economic developmental programs in vulnerable areas, educating the border population about
the sanctity of IB, and preventing criminals and inhabitants from crossing the IB.
• They mutually agreed to constructively engage the respective higher authorities for concurrence
of the pending developmental work within 150 yards of IB .
• They also agreed to facilitate river bank protection works along the common bordering rivers as
approved by the Joint River Commission.
India contributes $2.5 million to UNRWA for Palestine refugees
• India contributed USD 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
• Director of the West Asia and North Africa Division of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Mr.
Sunil Kumar presented the cheque for USD 2.5 million to the UNRWA Director of Partnerships
of the Department of External Relations, Mr. Karim Amer in a signing ceremony at UNRWA
headquarters in East Jerusalem, Palestine.
• The UNRWA services for Palestinian refugees involve education, health care, relief,
infrastructure, camp improvement, protection, and microfinance.
• India is a dedicated donor to UNRWA, having given USD 20 million in support of core UNRWA
services to Palestine refugees across the Middle East since 2018.
Additional Info :
• In January 2022, the UNRWA announced that it needs 1.6 billion US dollars from the
international community 2022 to cover expenses and provide services and humanitarian
development programs for Palestinian refugees.
About UNRWA :
• Headquarters: Jerusalem, Palestine
• Commissioner General: Philippe Lazzarini
• Deputy Commissioner-General: Leni Stenseth
• The UNRWA is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian
refugees.
• UNRWA is the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict
• The agency was mandated to provide assistance and protection for about 5.6 million Palestinian
refugees registered in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, and
Jordan.
UK govt launches "Aviation Passenger Charter" to address airport disruption issues
• The British government launched an "Aviation Passenger Charter" to help passengers know
their rights if they are faced with problems at airports.
• It has been developed by the British government in partnership with the aviation sector & travel
industry.
About Aviation Passenger Charter :
• The Aviation Passenger charter will help passengers know what to do if they are confronted by
cancellations, delays, or missing baggage, with guidance on how to complain if they feel they
have been treated unfairly.
• It provides helpful clarity to passengers on what they should do at each stage of the journey,
from booking to after they have arrived.
• In June 2022, the UK government published a 22-point support plan to avoid further disruption,
including telling airlines to run "realistic" summer schedules and promising to speed up security
checks.
About the UK :
• Prime Minister: Boris Johnson
• Capital: London
Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav attends BRICS Labor and Employment Ministers’ Meeting 2022
• The Union Minister for Labor & Employment, Shri Bhupender Yadav attended the 8th BRICS
Labor and Employment Ministers’ Meeting held under the Chinese Presidency in Beijing, China.
• The Ministers of the member countries viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa
(BRICS) participated in the meeting.
Key Highlights :
• Shri Yadav highlighted various initiatives taken towards providing free ration, enhancing the
number of days of assured employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (MNREGA), and collateral-free loans provided to 2.9 million street vendors to
help them resume their businesses under PMSVANidhi Yojana during the pandemic.
• He further informed that a Sector Council for Green Jobs has been set up in India to develop
strategy and implement programs for Skill development in the green sector.
• The variety of Decentralized Renewable Energy livelihood opportunities which are being
developed in India, including myriad solutions like a solar dryer, biomass powered cold
storage/chiller, were also enunciated.
• He stressed the measures taken to harness the potential of the Blue Economy and Agro-
Forestry in India.
• Also, various steps such as the e-Shram Portal, conducting of All India Surveys of Migrant
Workers and Domestic Workers took by the Government of India towards the welfare of informal
sector workers were highlighted.
• He also informed about the legislative initiatives taken by India such as the Code on Social
Security, 2020, which defines the new forms of workers i.e. gig and platform workers, and the
steps taken to provide social security benefits to such workers were emphasized.
• The Labor & Employment Ministers adopted the BRICS Labor & Employment Ministers’
Declaration.
• During the meeting, the discussions were held on three priority issues, namely -
• To promote green jobs for sustainable development
• To Develop skills for resilient recovery
• To Protect Workers Right in New Forms of Employment.
About BRICS :
• Headquarters: Shanghai, China
• 2022 BRICS Chair: China
PM Modi to participate in first-ever I2U2 Summit
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi attended the first-ever I2U2 virtual summit along with US
President Mr. Joe Biden, Israeli PM Mr. Yair Lapid, and UAE President Mr. Mohammed bin
Zayed Al Nahyan.
• The I2U2 is a four-nation grouping, in which “I” stands for India and Israel, & “U” for the US and
the UAE & was also referred to as the ‘West Asian Quad’ by Ahmed Albanna, Ambassador of
the UAE to India.
Aim :
• To encourage joint investments in six mutually identified areas such as water, energy,
transportation, space, health, and food security
About the first-ever I2U2 Summit :
• The Leaders will discuss the possible joint projects within the framework of I2U2 as well as the
other common areas of mutual interest to strengthen the economic partnership in trade and
investment in our respective regions.
• These projects can serve as a model for economic cooperation and offer opportunities for our
businesspersons and workers.
• The I2U2 grouping was conceptualized during the meeting of the foreign ministers of the four
countries held on October 18, 2021.
• Each country also has Sherpa-level interactions regularly to discuss the possible areas of
cooperation.
• The grouping intends to mobilize private sector capital and expertise to help modernize the
infrastructure, and low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health
and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also announced an investment of USD 2 billion to develop a
series of integrated food parks across India to help tackle food insecurity in South Asia and the
Middle East
• The I2U2 Group also declared that it will support a “hybrid renewable energy project” in Gujarat,
consisting of 300 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar capacity.
Zimbabwe launches gold coins as legal tender to battle extreme inflation
• The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has launched the gold coins called Mosi-oa-Tunya to be sold to
the public in a bid to tackle chronic hyperinflation.
• Mosi-oa-Tunya, which in the local Tonga language refers to Victoria Falls.
• The coins will have liquid asset status, meaning they will be capable of being easily converted to
cash and will be tradable locally and internationally.
• For this, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe disbursed 2,000 coins to commercial banks.
• The gold coins which have been introduced by the Reserve Bank can only be traded after
keeping them for a minimum of 180 days.
• Individuals or companies will be able to buy them from authorized outlets such as banks and
keep them at a bank or take them home.
• Foreigners can only buy the coins in foreign currency.
• The first batch was minted outside the country but eventually, they will be produced locally.
• The coins, which have a purity of 22 carats, will be priced based on the international market rate
for an ounce of gold, plus 5% to cover production and distribution.
About Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe :
• Headquarters: Harare, Zimbabwe
The largest pink diamond in 300 years was discovered in Angola - Lulo Rose
• A rare pink rough diamond has been discovered by the miners at Lulo alluvial diamond mine, in
Angola, and is claimed to be the largest pink diamond discovered in the last 300 years.
• The diamond has been called ‘The Lulo Rose’.
• This is the fifth largest diamond from a total of 27 diamonds with more than 100 carats extracted
to date in the Lulo mining project.
About ‘The Lulo Rose’ :
• Lulo is an alluvial mine which means the stones are recovered from a riverbed.
• It is 170 carat in purity and weighs 34 grams.
• The Lulo Rose is a Type IIa diamond, which means it has few or no impurities, one of the rarest
and purest forms of natural stones.
• The diamond will be sold at international tender by the Angolan state diamond marketing
company, Sodium.
About Lulo alluvial diamond mine :
• The Lulo alluvial diamond mine is owned by the Lucapa Diamond Company, an Australia-based
company working in the mining and exploration of diamond projects in Angola.
Additional Info :
• The world's biggest diamond (any color) is the Cullinan Diamond, discovered in the Premier
Mine in South Africa in 1905.
• Weighing 3,107 carats, more than half a kilogram, it was cut into 105 different stones.
• Till now the 59.6 carats Pink Star remains the most expensive diamond ever sold at a Hong
Kong auction in 2017 for 71.2 million US dollars.
About Pink Diamonds :
• Pink diamonds are extremely rare, but the same physical attributes that make the stones scarce
also make them very tough, and not easy to work into shapes.
• The largest known pink diamond is the Daria-i-Noor, discovered in India, which experts believe
was cut from an even larger stone.
About Angola :
• President: João Lourenço
• Capital: Luanda
• Currency: Angolan kwanza
Indian & Malaysian bodies ink pact to promote palm oil
• The Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association (IVPA) and the Malaysian Palm Oil
Council (MPOC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further
cooperation between the two organizations to promote the usage of palm oil.
Aim :
• To help educate Indian consumers on the nutritional and health benefits of palm oil and
improve overall understanding of palm oil and its applications, while elucidating its strengths
and benefits.
• Wan Aishah Wan Hamid, CEO of MPOC, and Sudhakar Desai, President of IVPA, signed
the MoU in Kuala Lumpur.
About the MoU :
• The MoU is expected to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest, to promote the
development and use of Malaysian palm oil and MSPO-certified palm oil.
• MPOC has collaborated with IVPA for the greater acceptance of Malaysian palm oil among
Indian consumers, food manufacturers, and other end-users.
• The MoU will encourage the exchange of data on palm and edible oils and fats-related
business, besides technical, policy, and administrative information.
• MPOC will promote ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ by assisting the Indian palm oil industry in
sourcing technical know-how.
• The areas of cooperation include the creation of an expert panel to assist the development
of India’s palm oil industry through the provision of information and expertise on the latest
technology applications.
About Malaysia :
• Prime Minister: Ismail Sabri Yaakob
• Capital: Kuala Lumpur
• Currency: Ringgit
About IVPA :
• Established: in 1977 formally incorporated as a non-profit organization under Section 25 of the
Companies Act, 1956, in 1979.
• The Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association (IVPA) formerly known as the Indian Vanaspati
Producers’ Association.
Mission :
• To promote excellence, economic growth, and sustainability in India’s edible oil and oilseed
value chain.
• To represent the Indian Oils & Oilseeds Industry Players with a Credible Voice.
About MPOC :
• Chairman: YB Tuan Larry Sng Wei Shien
• CEO : YBrs Puan Wan Aishah Wan Hamid
IMPORTANT MOUs & AGREEMENTS
Protean and PayNearby collaborate to offer e -PAN Services:
• Protean eGov Technologies Ltd (formerly NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Ltd) and
PayNearby have forged a partnership to deliver PAN-related services for its retail partners using
Aadhaar and biometric or S MS-based OTP authentication for its clients.
• The collaboration aims to enhance the provision of services to millions of residents.
Key points:
• Local firms would be able to provide inexpensive online PAN services more quickly and easily if
paper applications and supporting documents were not required.
• A physical copy of the ePAN will be delivered to the customers at their specified address in 4-5
working days after a digital copy has been prepared immediately after the online application
form has been submitted.
• Protean receives and manages PAN applications for the Income Tax Department of the
• As part of the deal, PayNearby will act as Protean's PAN Service Agency (PSA).
• Because PayNearby services over 75% of the Indian market, retailers may now accept PAN
applications without paper because Protean will be able to greatly increase PAN service
coverage across the country, especially to remote areas, through a PayNearby shop.
• Through trustworthy local touchpoints, the collaboration will integrate the underbanked and
unbanked segments of the population into the tax system, increasing the country's tax collection
and providing microbusiness owners with an additional source of income.
IIE, Guwahati signs MoU with IIM, Shillong to boost entrepreneurship ecosystem:
• The Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Guwahati has signed an MoU with the Incubation and
Enterprise Support Centre of the Indian Institute of Management Shillong in New Delhi to boost
the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the North Eastern Region.
• The objective of this partnership is to encourage entrepreneurship, incubation, and startups in
the North Eastern Region.
• Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajesh Aggarwal , this
partnership will help create an atmosphere where startups and entrepreneurs can flourish in the
Northeast region.
• This will not only encourage the locals but also give them access to formal training and
professional mentorship to run a successful business.
• The government aims to foster an entrepreneurship-enabling ecosystem that promotes
innovation and growth in the Northeast.
Avanse Financial and Edelweiss collaborate to provide student travel insurance:
• International students who are supported by Avanse may now get student travel insurance
thanks to a partnership between the NBFC Avanse Financial Services and Edelweiss General
Insurance (EGI).
• Student travel insurance from Edelweiss General Insurance protects against crises and financial
losses while covering medical expenses.
• The Edelweiss General Insurance plan offers complete coverage against medical,
accommodation, and travel inconvenience-related covers, ensuring students enjoy a worry-free
time while studying and lodging.
• Students will also have the choice to change their plan by adding optional coverage in line with
their requirements and institution requirements.
• Overseas higher education is becoming more and more popular among Indian students.
• Forecasts from the industry predict that by 2024, this number would rise to 1.8 million, boosting
expenditure as a result.
• This makes student travel insurance crucial, the business claims, especially to cover medical
expenses given that healthcare expenditures overseas are far greater than in India.
The Tamil Nadu Government and IGSS Ventures sign an MoU to build a semiconductor park:
• The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tamil Nadu and the Singapore-based M/s.
IGSS Ventures Pte Ltd to construct a 300-acre semiconductor high-tech park in the State with
an investment and grants of 25,60croresre was signed in the presence of Chief Minister M.K.
Stalin.
• Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu, Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu, and other important
officials attended the event held at the Secretariat.
• According to an official press release, the project is anticipated to directly employ more than
5,000 people over the next five years.
Key Points:
• IGSS Ventures wants to contribute to Project Surya and the India Semiconductor Mission, both
of which aim to reduce air pollution and global warming, by cooking with renewable energy.
• Tamil Nadu has allotted nine strategic sites, including two close to Chennai, for a semiconductor
fab that will produce wafers in three different technology nodes, including 28 nm, 45 nm, and
>=65 nm, as well as an industry ecosystem infrastructure that includes semiconductor circuit
designers, material suppliers, equipment suppliers, and outsourced semiconductor assembly
and test players.
• When commercial manufacturing starts in two years, 1,500 trained and semi-skilled people may
be needed.
• With an expected investment of roughly 76,000 crores, the ecosystem partners’ work in the high-
tech park might result in an extra 25,000 jobs for people.
Tata Power and Tamil Nadu ink a pact to establish a solar manufacturing facility:
• The Tamil Nadu government and Tata Power have agreed to spend Rs. 3000 crores on the
development of a new solar cell and module manufacturing plant in the Tirunelveli region of the
state.
• The agreement states that both sides would work to encourage the use of renewable energy
sources and the development of jobs in the state.
• The facility investment must be spread out over a longer time frame—more than 16 months—
and it must lead to the development of employment, the majority of which will go to women.
Key Points:
• The effort will result in the creation of more than 2,000 direct and indirect work opportunities, the
majority of which will be available to women.
• This would be Tata Power's second such production plant after the one in Bengaluru.
• The Tamil Nadu government and Tata Power have agreed to spend Rs. 3000 crores on the
development of a new solar cell and module manufacturing plant in the Tirunelveli region of the
state.
• According to a corporate statement, the Tamil Nadu government and Tata Power, one of India's
top integrated power companies, have agreed to an about Rs 3,000 crore investment to
construct a 4GW solar cell and 4GW solar module manufacturing plant in the Tirunelveli district
of Tamil Nadu.
About Tata Power
• CEO: Praveer Sinha
• Founder: Dorabji Tata
• Founded: 1911
NTPC signs MoU for 10 GW renewable energy park with Rajasthan govt:
• To achieve the target of 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032, NTPC signed a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Government of Rajasthan for the development
of a 10 GW Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Park in Rajasthan.
• The MOU signing ceremony was held in the presence of Rajasthan Energy Minister Bhanwar
Singh Bhati.
• According to the Ministry of Power, in less than two years since its inception, NTPC Renewable
Energy Limited has won 4 GW renewable energy capacity by bidding in various tenders which
are under different stages of implementation.
• Additionally, NTPC REL is developing one UMREPP of 4.75 GW capacity in Rann of Kutch,
Gujarat, and NTPC REL has entered into a joint venture agreement with DVC for developing RE
Parks and projects.
Key Points:
• NTPC declared the commercial operation of the final part capacity of 20 MW out of 100 MW
Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, Telangana with effect from July 1.
• Earlier, NTPC declared commercial operation of 92 MW Floating Solar at Kayamkulam (Kerala)
and 25 MW Floating Solar at Simhadri (Andhra Pradesh).
AAI signs agreement with Govt. of Uttar Pradesh for Operation & Management:
• Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed an Operation & Management agreement for the
operationalization of five airports owned by the Government of Uttar Pradesh for 30 years.
• These five airports are Aligarh, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Muirpur & Shravasti.
• As per the agreement, AAI will operate and manage the airports and provide all necessary
services.
• Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) services will also
be provided by AAI, for which State Government will enter into a separate agreement.
• Further, Reserved Services will be provided by the respective GoI for which GoUP shall enter a
separate MoU with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), GoI.
• AAI will also be responsible for obtaining and maintaining of aerodrome license for these five
airports.
Attendees:
• The agreement was signed by Shri N V Subbarayudu, ED (SIU) on behalf of AAI and Sri Kumar
Harsh, Special Secretary, Civil Aviation Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh on behalf of
the State Government in presence of Shri Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Government of Uttar
Pradesh.
• The MoU was exchanged by Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman AAI, and Shri SP Goyal Additional
Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh.
• Shri D S Mishra, Chief Secretary of UP, and Shri AK Pathak, Member Planning (AAI) were also
present.
Key Points:
• As per the agreement, the Government of UP will complete the initial capital works for making
airports ready for commercial operation and hand over all moveable and immovable assets
along with relevant approvals, and documents to AAI for operation & management.
• The government of Uttar Pradesh will provide dedicated infrastructure for utilities like water,
electricity, drainage connection, etc. at the airport (to & within).
• This is the first time AAI is entering into an O&M Agreement with the State Government for the
Operationalization of State Government-owned airports.
• AAI is the largest airport operator and sole air navigation service provider committed to providing
air connectivity across the country.
IIT Hyderabad and Greenko inks a pact to establish sustainable sci-tech school:
• Greenko, a provider of renewable energy, has teamed with IIT-Hyderabad to build a school
where students will receive training in sustainable objectives including energy transition, circular
economy, and climate change mitigation, among others.
• According to a statement from the business, the Greenko School of Sustainable Science and
Technology (GSSST) will open towards the end of this year.
• By June 2023, the first group of applicants will be accepted for the MTech and Ph.D. programs
in sustainable science and technology, followed by the BTech program.
Key Points:
• It will be the first university in the country to educate only environmentally friendly science and
technology.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of the union minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan.
• According to Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, we must innovate and develop our models if we want to
attain self-sufficiency and enhance global wellbeing.
• In the twenty-first century, technology is available to make the process simpler.
• IIT Hyderabad will significantly affect the internationalization of the Indian brand as India will lead
the fourth industrial revolution.
• Everyone must be aware of the prime minister's vision for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Rashtriya Raksha University, DroneAcharya tie-up to set up Remote Pilot Training Centre:
• A Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of a Remote Pilot Training Center to
teach drone flying abilities has been inked by DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations Private Limited
and Rashtriya Raksha University in Gandhinagar.
• At the RRU Campus in Gandhinagar, the police and security force officers as well as the general
public will get this training.
• This project, according to official sources, is in line with the University's purpose to identify,
prepare, and sustain the statecraft of the national strategic and security culture among the
security, police, and civilian population.
• With the help of this MoU, Rashtriya Raksha University will establish a Remote Pilot Training
Center using a Public-Private Partnership business model.
• The training includes programs for civilians who want to learn the skill and is primarily intended
for members of the armed forces, paramilitary, and police forces.
Russia signs pact for supplying tech for Kudankulam nuclear power plant:
• A unit of Russian nuclear major Rosatom State Corporation has signed an agreement to supply
thermocouples for four power units of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in Tamil
Nadu.
• LUCH Scientific Production Association, which is a part of Science and Innovations, the R&D
unit of Rosatom will provide the new sensors designed for thermal control of NPP process
equipment, which will replace the old ones in the internal reactor control systems of units 1 and
2 of KNPP.
• LUCH has launched the production of a wide range of thermocouples of different measurement
capacities depending on the material used to manufacture sensors and the case.
• The thermocouples are produced in stainless steel cases with fastening and sealing units, with
polyamide or metal heads, as well as with flexible extension cables», according to Konstantin
Kabachny, chief metrologist of the enterprise.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Ministry of Heavy Industries sign MoU to
facilitate training in engineering trades to boost the capital goods sector:
• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Ministry of Heavy
Industries (MHI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create a collaborative
ecosystem for imparting skill development training in the capital goods sector.
• The partnership is aimed at facilitating training in several engineering trades through
Qualification Packs (QPs) developed by MHI-related Sector Skill Councils under the Scheme for
Enhancement of Competitiveness in the Capital Goods Sector Phase II.
• Under the partnership, MSDE through National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will
facilitate linkages between various Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and industry partners for
imparting skilling in engineering trades.
• MSDE will also constitute a review committee headed by a senior NSDC official and at least
seven other members, including representatives from SSCs.
About the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE):
• MSDE was formed on 9th November 2014, by the Government of India to focus on enhancing
employability of skills.
• Since its inception, MSDE has undertaken significant initiatives and reforms in terms of
formalizing the policy, framework, and standards; launching new programs and schemes;
creating new infrastructure and upgrading the existing institutions; partnering with States;
engaging with industries, and building societal acceptance and aspirations for skills.
• The Ministry aims to bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled manpower to build
new skills and innovation not only for existing jobs but also for jobs that are to be created.
About Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI):
• The Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) strives to bolster profit-making PSEs as well as
restructure and revive sick and loss-making PSEs under its administrative control.
• The DHI seeks to achieve its vision of global automotive excellence through the creation of
state-of-the-art Research and Testing infrastructure through the National Automotive Testing
and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRIP).
• The DHI seeks to achieve its vision by providing necessary support to Auto, Heavy Engineering.
Heavy Electrical and Capital Goods Sector.
Coffee Board to collaborate with ISRO to develop climate-resistant varieties:
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Coffee Board and the Indian Space
Research Organization (ISRO) on, among other things, the development of climate-resilient
cultivars and the evaluation of coffee's capacity to store carbon.
• The government-run Coffee Board intends to concentrate on creating new types that will be
resilient to shifting climate trends.
• In the Chikmagalur district of Karnataka, the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) carries
out plant-related research initiatives under the Board in a variety of fields, including plant
breeding, agronomy, and agriculture chemistry and soil science, plant physiology, pathology,
entomology, and post-harvest technology.
• The weight of the country's shifting weather trends has recently fallen on coffee producers.
• There are becoming more severe weather conditions that have an impact on producers, such as
prolonged periods of intense rain or a lack of precipitation.
About ISRO
• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Chairman: S Somanath
NCRTC Signs Agreement with DB India for Operation, Maintenance of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS
Corridor:
• The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) entered into a first-of-its-kind
agreement with DB India for the comprehensive operation and maintenance of the 82 km long
Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor for 12 years.
• There has been limited participation by the private sector in this sector and till now the scope
has generally been limited to the provision of facility management and ancillary services.
• This model incentivizes optimized performance through a system of incentives and penalties.
• The O&M model developed by NCRTC will be able to provide commuters world-class customer
experience through private O&M operators as well as help boost domestic capacities in the
sector, having a multiplier effect.
• It will also assist in realizing the government's goal of brownfield monetization of infrastructure
assets due to predictability and transparency of O&M costs.
Key Points:
• The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) issued the Metro Rail Policy in 2017 which
advocates the need for private sector participation in regional rail and metro rail projects.
• By adopting the long-term private participation model entailing comprehensive outsourcing of
O&M activities, NCRTC has initiated steps to fulfill this objective of the Metro Rail Policy-2017
and the key initiatives being pursued by MoHUA under the leadership of Housing and Urban
Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
• Deutsche Bahn Engineering and Consultancy India Pvt Ltd (DB India) is a subsidiary of
Deutsche Bahn AG, National Railway Company of Germany.
• NCRTC has also adopted the first-of-its-kind model for integrated procurement cum long-term
(15 years) comprehensive maintenance of rolling stock through private participation to capture
lifecycle costing.
Nokia partners with IISc to set up networked robotics Center of Excellence:
• The Nokia Center of Excellence in networked robotics has been established at IISc Bengaluru
thanks to a collaboration between Nokia and the Indian Institute of Science.
• The Center of Excellence (CoE) will support interdisciplinary research in robotics and cutting-
edge 5G and AI communication technologies (AI).
• Additionally, it will provide application cases for disaster management, agriculture, and industrial
automation.
About the Centre:
• To conduct research and create these application cases, the center will encourage interaction
and collaboration between industrial ecosystem partners, start-ups, and academia.
• The creation of sophisticated robotics, AI, and automation systems based on next-generation
telecom networks, as well as their applications for resolving socially significant issues, will be
among the research projects carried out by the CoE.
• Nokia has been operating in India for the past 22 years, deploying all mobile communication
technologies, including 2G in 2000, 3G in 2011, 4G in 2012, and 5G as it prepares for
commercialization.
About Nokia:
• President: Pekka Lundmark
• CEO: Pekka Lundmark
• Headquarters: Espoo, Finland.
Department of Telecommunications signs agreement with ITI Limited and BSNL to fund pilot projects
under the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF):
• Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications has signed an agreement with
Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) Limited and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to fund the
pilot projects of E -band, LTE indigenous technologies including integration of 4G/5G prototypes
with C-DoT core.
• The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), under its program for Induction of new
technological developments in the telecom sector in rural and remote areas, is funding 4 pilot
projects each of around Rs 10 Crore enabling the development and hardening of these
technologies.
• The indigenous companies Astrome technologies, Lekha Wireless Solutions, Resonous
Technologies, and Signaltron would be executing these projects in partnership with C-DoT and
DoT PSUs BSNL and ITI.
TN signs MoUs worth ₹1.25 lakh crore; to generate nearly 75,000 jobs:
• The Tamil Nadu Government signed 60 MoUs to bring in a cumulative investment worth ₹1.25
lakh crore and offer 74,898 jobs.
• In the last year, the State had attracted investment worth ₹2.20 lakh crore (from 192 MoUs
signed),
• At the Tamil Nadu Investors' First Port of Call - Investment Conclave, 53 facilitation MoUs were
signed with an investment of ₹65,373 crores, offering employment opportunities to 58,478
people.
• The companies that signed the MOUs include Amplus; Cubic PV and L&T.
Key Points:
• In addition, seven MoUs for projects that have been sanctioned with structured packages of
incentives were signed with an investment value of ₹59,871 crores, providing 74,898 jobs.
• The firms include Lucas TVS, ACME Green Hydrogen, and Tata Power.
• Chief Minister MK Stalin, at the conclave, inaugurated 12 projects with an investment of ₹1,497
crores employing 7,050 persons.
• He also laid the foundation stone for 21 companies that brought investment worth ₹22,252
crores and created 17,654 jobs.
• He also launched the Tamil Nadu Life Sciences Promotion Policy 2022 and Tamil Nadu R&D
Policy 2022.
TECXPERIENCE program:
• To encourage FinTech adoption in the State, the Chief Minister launched the TECXPERIENCE
program, a suite of technology services available for free or at a discounted price for a limited
period.
• He also inaugurated TN PitchFest, organized by Guidance and StartUp TN, to provide a platform
for StartUps in the State to venture capital firms and angel investors.
• Organisational MoUs were exchanged for 11 projects, including VakilSearch and Capital
FinTech.
• Two firms - PrimeInvestor Financial Research and DigiMoney Finance got incentives under the
FinTech policy.
• The sanction orders were handed over by Stalin to the two companies.
NHPC signs MoU for development of “Pilot Green Hydrogen Technologies”:
• NHPC signed two MoUs for the development of “Pilot Green Hydrogen Technologies” in line
with the country’s resolve to reduce the carbon footprint in the Power Sector in Leh and Kargil
districts of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
• The MOUs were signed in the august presence of Shri R.K. Mathur, Hon’ble Lieutenant
Governor, Union Territory of Ladakh.
• As per MOU signed for Leh district, NHPC shall consider the development of a Pilot Green
Hydrogen fuel cell-based Microgrid including Hydrogen production to meet the power
requirement of the NHPC guest house at Nimmo Bazgo Power Station (Leh) within NHPC
premises.
About the MOUs:
• According to the MOU signed for the Kargil district, the hydrogen generated in Kargil will be used
in fuel cells for mobility which will be capable to run two buses for up to 8 hrs in the local area of
Kargil.
• NHPC shall upscale hydrogen production on a commercial scale to supply the hydrogen need of
the Ladakh region in different sectors like mobility, transportation, heating, and Micro-grid &
subsequent MoU shall be signed separately.
• These two Pilot projects will create a roadmap for future development of Green Hydrogen &
subsequent reduction of carbon emission in the transportation/heating sector and will also attract
long-term investment in the Hydrogen economy creating different revenue streams & job
opportunities for the youth of UT of Ladakh.
India, Madagascar sign MoU on tele-education:
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Madagascar government and
Telecommunications Consultants India Limited [TCIL] for participation in the e-VBAB (e-
VidyaBharati and e-AarogyaBharati) network project.
• The Minister of Higher Education of Madagascar Elia Beatrice Assoumacou signed the MoU at
the premises of the Ministry of Higher Education in Antananarivo, Madagascar in presence of
the Ambassador of India to Comoros and Ma dagascar Abhay Kumar.
• The Minister of Higher Education Assoumacou expressed her delight at the signing of the MoU.
About the MOUs:
• This agreement comes under the program and vision of the Ministry of Higher Education to
promote online education in Madagascar.
• The tele-education offers lectures ranging from a bachelor’s degree to higher studies.
• It is free of cost.
• However, there are some eligibility criteria for students who want to apply for it and after
completion of the study, students will get their degrees and diplomas
• The technological up-gradation and extension of the Pan African e-network Project are known as
e-VidyaBharti and e-ArogyaBharti Network Project.
• The Republic of Madagascar participated in the PAeNP.
• Now with the signing of this MOU, different online degree/diploma courses will be offered to
Malagasy citizens, free of cost.
Vedanta collaborates with companies started from IIT Madras:
• Metal and oil and gas giant Vedanta has teamed up with Detect Technologies, a start-up
founded at IIT Madras, and installed T-Pulse HSSE Monitoring System across all of its business
units to execute safety issue detection.
• This relationship supports the Vedanta Group's goal of attaining zero damage by implementing
AI-enabled safety monitoring of workplaces, which is a top priority in its strategy for digital
transformation.
Key Points:
• Vedanta's infrastructure for relaying, analyzing, and reporting feeds will be utilized by the
solution, and it will be recognized as such. The module will be used to identify dangerous
surroundings and behaviors.
• T-technical Pulse's stack is centralized, expandable, and designed for plug-and-play installation.
• T-Pulse has been widely adopted in industries with high levels of caution, including construction,
petrochemicals, logistics, electricity, the metals, and mining industries, pharmaceuticals, and
fabrication yards.
• It was created to reduce and mitigate risk through useful insights.
• It has been widely deployed at Vedanta locations to increase compliance by offering timely
responses in situations ranging from onshore drilling to zinc manufacturing.
About Vedanta Spark:
• Vedanta Spark is a worldwide corporate innovation, accelerator, and ventures program that aims
to support start-ups that use innovative and sustainable technology to have a significant impact
on society in collaboration with Vedanta group enterprises.
About Detect Technologies:
• Detect Technologies, a startup supported by IIT Madras, was chosen as the Vedanta SPARK 1.
O initiative’s winner. It provides SaaS-based solutions targeted at automating and re-engineering
industrial processes to achieve 100% safety compliance and 0% asset downtime.
RIL tie-up with Athletics Federation of India to support Indian Athlete:
• Toto promotes the overall development of athletics in India, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)
and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has formed a long-term relationship.
• The partnership uses the ecosystem of the Reliance Foundation, which includes the Sir HN
Reliance Foundation Hospital and the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High-Performance
Center, to find, develop, and support Indian athletes from all over the nation by giving them
access to top-notch facilities, coaching, and support in sports science and medicine.
Reliance Industries’ contribution:
• In keeping with the organization's overarching goals, this cooperation will pay particular attention
to girl athletes to bridge the gender gap and help them realize their potential.
• Through the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports program, which reaches more than 5,500
educational institutions in more than 50 districts nationwide, Reliance Foundation has been
making investments in the growth of athletics since 2017.
• In conjunction with the Government of Odisha, Reliance Foundation established the Odisha
Reliance Foundation Athletics HPC in 2018, a high-performance facility from which several
national and international medalists and national record holders have emerged.
• Reliance Foundation physiotherapists will be traveling with the Indian team to the 2020 Tokyo
Olympics as part of the organization's support of the AFI in the areas of sports science and
medicine.
NTPC REL joins hands with GACL to set up India's first commercial -scale green ammonia project:
• NTPC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals
NSE 1.57 % Limited (GACL) to collaborate in setting up India's first commercial-scale Green
Ammonia and Green Methanol projects.
• The MoU envisages collaborating in the field of Renewable Energy, Green Methanol & Green
Ammonia and mutually exploring the opportunities for the supply of 100 MW RE-RTC (Round
The Clock) power and synthesizing 75 TPD Green Methanol and 35 TPD Green Ammonia for
captive use for the production of various chemicals by GACL at its Vadodara and Dahej complex
in Gujarat
About NTPC:
• NTPC is India’s largest Power Utility and its core business is power generation with a total
installed capacity of 69 GW (including JVs and subsidiaries).
• As part of increasing its renewable energy portfolio, a fully owned subsidiary has been formed
on 7th October 2020 known as “NTPC Renewable Energy Limited” (NTPC REL) which shall take
up Renewable Energy Parks and Projects including business in the area of Green Hydrogen,
Energy Storage Technologies and Round the Clock RE Power.
About GACL:
• Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL), incorporated in Mar 1973, is a state-owned
chemical manufacturing unit.
• GACL is one of the largest producers of Caustic Soda in India, with a production capacity of over
1400 TPD at their two complexes in Dahej and Vadodara.
• GACL has its subsidiary company viz. GACL-NALCO Alkalies and Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. (GNAL)
putting up an 800 TPD Caustic Soda Plant together with a 130 MW Thermal Power Plant (coal -
based) at Dahej.
REC Partners with CEEW to Improve the Performance of DISCOMS:
• Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with REC Limited, a public infrastructure finance company to collaborate
on activities to improve the operational and financial sustainability of discoms through the holistic
deployment of smart meters, strengthening of power distribution networks, and improved quality
of service for electricity consumers.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Mr. R. Lakshmanan, Executive Director, RECL, and Dr.
Arunabha Ghosh, Chief Executive Officer, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).
• Under this partnership, in addition to providing research and evaluation support, CEEW will
collaborate with REC Ltd to conduct primary and secondary research to help discoms in their
efforts to deploy smart meters.
Key Points:
• CEEW’s research will also help to leverage smart metering infrastructure for improved service
delivery and ensure a positive consumer experience.
• This partnership provides us with a framework for future collaborative projects that can help
improve the performance of discoms while bringing down their financial losses.
• It aims to engage CEEW as a knowledge partner with REC for the implementation of the RDS
scheme and build capacities within REC and discoms to undertake evidence-based research.
• The MoU will enable the parties to study the best practices and regulations concerning the
operation, management, and use of smart metering infrastructure.
• The parties will also work together to implement and evaluate innovative strategies to improve
operational efficiencies and the financial sustainability of DISCOMs.
Union Health Ministry and Panchayati Raj Ministry Sign MoU to eliminate TB in India:
• Union Health Ministry and Panchayati Raj Ministry have signed an MoU to eliminate TB in India.
• The MoU was signed by Dr. Bijaya Kumar Behera, Economic Adviser on behalf of the Ministry of
Panchayati Raj, and Dr. P Ashok Babu, Joint Secretary on behalf of the Ministry of Health.
• The MoU will forge inter-Ministerial collaboration and strategic partnerships to achieve the Prime
Minister’s ambitious target of eliminating TB in India by 2025.
• the MoU is expected to pave way for coordinated efforts at the grassroots level to create mass
awareness in rural areas to end the stigma and discrimination associated with Tuberculosis.
• It will help utilize the huge potential of a nationwide network of Panchayati Raj Institutions and
Rural Local Bodies for the elimination of TB in India.
• This MoU will serve as a milestone to achieve the objective and target of the TB Free India
Campaign.
HAL, Safran sign agreement to create JV to build helicopter engines
• HAL signed an agreement with French engine-maker, Safran Helicopter Engines, to create a
new joint venture (JV) that will develop helicopter engines for India’s future needs
• Amongst the most ground-breaking technological successes notched up by Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) are its single-engine and twin-engine helicopters in the former segment,
the eponymous Light Utility Helicopter (LUH); and in the latter, the Dhruv advanced light
helicopter (ALH), the Rudra attack helicopter and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH).
• The common feature in all these choppers is the remarkable Shakti engine, which is powerful
enough to propel them to the dizzying heights of Kargil, or the Saltoro Ridge, where the Indian
Army is deployed in posts like Sonam and Bana Top, at altitudes above 20,000 feet.
Key Points:
• This MoU demonstrates once again the commitment of both Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL
to the Indian government’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ or achieving self-reliance –
particularly in defense technologies
• The HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines partnership includes the Shakti engine, which powers
HAL-produced helicopters, including the Dhruv, Rudra, and the LCH.
• The Ardiden 1U variant (of the Shakti engine) also powers the new LUH.
• More than 500 Shakti engines have already been produced
• Through the HE-MRO joint venture in Goa, HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines will also provide
MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) services for TM333 and Shakti engines already in service
with India’s military.
• It will be operational by the end of 2023
NHPC signs MoU for development of “Pilot Green Hydrogen Technologies”:
• NHPC signed two MoUs for the development of “Pilot Green Hydrogen Technologies” in line
with the country’s resolve to reduce the carbon footprint in the Power Sector in Leh and Kargil
districts of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
• The MOUs were signed in the august presence of Shri R.K. Mathur, Hon’ble Lieutenant
Governor, Union Territory of Ladakh.
• As per MOU signed for Leh district, NHPC shall consider the development of a Pilot Green
Hydrogen fuel cell-based Microgrid including Hydrogen production to meet the power
requirement of the NHPC guest house at Nimmo Bazgo Power Station (Leh) within NHPC
premises.
• According to the MOU signed for the Kargil district, the hydrogen generated in Kargil will be used
in fuel cells for mobility which will be capable to run two buses for up to 8 hrs in the local area of
Kargil.
• NHPC shall upscale hydrogen production on a commercial scale to supply the hydrogen need of
the Ladakh region in different sectors like mobility, transportation, heating, and Micro-grid &
subsequent MoU shall be signed separately.
• These two Pilot projects will create a roadmap for future development of Green Hydrogen &
subsequent reduction of carbon emission in the transportation/heating sector and will also attract
long-term investment in the Hydrogen economy creating different revenue streams & job
opportunities for the youth of UT of Ladakh.
Hyderabad Central University signs MoU with NIAB for resources sharing in animal biotechnology:
• The University of Hyderabad (UoH) and the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB)
have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration.
• As part of the MoU, the UoH and NIAB will collaborate on fundamental areas of biological
sciences.
• Faculty, researchers, and scientists from both institutions will collaborate on animal
biotechnology or allied areas.
• On a mutually agreeable basis, NIAB scientists would actively participate in teaching Master’s
programs at UoH in specialized areas of animal biology and biotechnology and offer students
the chance to undertake project work in their labs.
• Scientists from the NIAB may be appointed as adjunct professors at the University of
Hyderabad, and vice versa, in compliance with the respective institutions’ regulations.
• The MoU would be in force for five years, according to a release.
India signs an agreement with Namibia to reintroduce cheetah:
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by India and Namibia intends to bring cheetahs
back to the nation after nearly seven decades.
• By August 15, the first eight cheetahs are scheduled to arrive in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno
National Park.
• Separately, India is expected to acquire 12 cheetahs from South Africa; a partial arrangement
has already been signed, and a final one is on the way, according to officials familiar with the
case.
• The environment ministry stated that the main goal of CTP is to establish a robust meta-
population of the animal in the country that will allow it to carry out its functional role as a top
predator and create space for it to disperse within its historical range, supporting efforts to
conserve it globally.
Key Points:
• The cheetah will re-enter a natural enclosure in India, 69 years after the last one was hunted
down in Chhattisgarh in 1952.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) oversees the Union Environment Ministry's
Cheetah Translocation Project (CTP).
• The government plans to breed the animals in Kuno as part of CTP before releasing them
into the wild.
• The agreement was signed by Namibia's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Netumbo
Nandi Ndaitwah, as well as Bhupender Yadav, the country's minister of the environment, forests,
and climate change.
• To celebrate the country's 75th Independence Day, SP Yadav, member secretary and auxiliary
director general for Project Tiger at the NTCA, revealed that they are striving to deliver the
cheetahs to the country by August 15.
About Namibia:
• Capital: Windhoek
• President: Hage Geingob
• Currencies: Namibian dollar, South African rand
Flipkart and the Bihar State Skill Development Mission h ave signed an agreement:
• Flipkart, the e-commerce market, announced a partnership with the Bihar State Skill
Development Mission to launch Supply Chain Operations Academy (SCOA) programs in the
state.
• According to a press release, the initiative seeks to establish a talent pool of professional supply
chain operations people and to distribute relevant business skills and knowledge.
Key Points:
• This will help to close the skills gap and provide job opportunities in the nation's thriving supply
chain industry.
• The Flipkart team designed and created the SCOA training program, which was launched in
October of last year, to give candidates thorough experience and training.
• Successful candidates will be paid Rs 17,500 for finishing the program, which involves 45 days
of on-the-job training at Flipkart supply chain facilities after 15 days of digital classroom
instruction.
• The program is a 60-day skill-building endeavor that attempts to give young people the abilities
they need to pursue careers in various areas of supply chain management while also certifying
them to make them more marketable.
• Students will be offered skills using Flipkart's Learning Management System, an online learning
platform where students may master a range of skills through courses designed by industry
specialists.
SAP Labs India partners with NeGD to set up a Centre for Digital Government:
• SAP Labs India has partnered National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to launch SAP Centre for Digital Government
(SCDG) for improving digital government capabilities in the country.
• SAP Labs India will work closely with NeGD to set up SCDG in Bengaluru.
• It will focus on capacity building, program management, and implementation of Digital India’s
projects and initiatives undertaken by the ministries and/or their departments, both the central
and state levels
• As part of the MoU, SCDG will cater to three broad pillars of activities innovations in technology
application for government service delivery, capacity building, knowledge sharing, and thought
leadership.
• It will involve policy consultations to support the realization of the following for the benefit of the
Indian public service and sector across all levels of government.
RINL inks MoU with STPI to establish Centre of Excellence in Visakhapatnam:
• A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Software Technology Parks of
India (STPI), STPINEXT, and RINL-VSP (Visakhapatnam Steel Plant) for Industry 4.0 CoE
(Centre of Excellence) for the promotion of innovation and start-up activities for RINL and other
industries in and around Visakhapatnam
• The MoU was exchanged between Atul Bhatt, CMD, RINL, and C.V.D. Ram Prasad, Director,
STPI.
About CoE:
• The CoE is coming up over a built-up space of approximately 6,000 square feet at
Ukkunagaram.
• The CoE has been named ‘Kalpataru’.
• It will house an Industrial Robotics lab, an Industrial Drones lab, and an Industrial IoT (Internet
of Things) lab.
• The premier associations like CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) and ITAAP (IT Association
of Andhra Pradesh) are also part of the CoE.
• They will provide the necessary support for nurturing the start-ups.
Key Points:
• The center will also be provided with high-speed internet and server setup using cloud
computing to have capabilities for working with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
(ML).
• This is being established with funding support from the Ministry of Electronics & IT, the
Government of India (MeitY), RINL, and the State government.
• STPI, STPINEXT, and RINL will enable start-ups to make world-class products in the area of
Industry 4.0.
• It is planned to incubate around 50 start-ups in physical mode and 125 start-ups in virtual mode
over five years.
• The present MoU is being signed for three years.
• The start-ups will be aptly supported by premier institutes like IIM-Visakhapatnam and Andhra
University in the form of research inputs, management, and technology.
• The start-ups will also receive mentoring support from renowned industries in the automation
space like SMS Group, Schneider Electric, ABB, EOS, and Siemens.
Attendees:
• Sobodh Sachin, Chief Innovation officer (CIO), STPINext, B. Suresh, Additional director, STPI,
Sridhar Kosaraju, State president, ITAAP, RINL Director, senior officials from RINL, STPI, IIM-
Vizag, Andhra University were also present at the event.
NSIC and LG Electronics sign an agreement to establish the MSME Center of Excellence:
• National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) signed an agreement with LG Electronics India Pvt
Ltd. and the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India in the presence of Shri Narayan Rane,
Honorable Cabinet Minister, Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Honorable Minister of State, Shri
B. B. Swain, Secretary MSME, Shri P. Udayakumar, CMD, NSIC, and Shailesh Kumar Singh,
AS&DC (ESSCI).
• Tae Jin Chang, Head of Customer Service, LG India, and Mr. O. P. Singh, Centre Head,
NTSC(Okhla), signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
About NSIC Role:
• The NSIC, in collaboration with the sector skills council, will aid graduates in seeking jobs at job
fairs, and LG Electronics will give them precedence over graduates of the NSIC's Technical
Services Center (Okhla) program.
• The NSIC Technical Services Center in Okhla has taken the lead in teaching young people by
offering entrepreneurship-based training programs as well as a variety of skill-based training
courses.
• NSIC's training programs are market- and industry-oriented.
• The NTSC (Okhla) has expertise collaborations with several industry leaders, including
Schneider Electric for electrical and solar energy solutions, Delta for PLC, SCADA, and
distributed control systems, Mitutoyo for quality control, and Tally for accounting.
Key Points:
• This project's purpose is to train impoverished youngsters on consumer electronics and
appliances.
• LG Electronics and the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI) will collaborate to
develop a "Centre of Excellence" at the NSIC - Technical Services Center.
• This will provide new prospects for young people in the field of electronics and develop skilled
labor for positions in this industry.
• In the initial year, 600 kids would be serviced.
NEDFi signed MoU to promote investments in the northeast:
• A business chamber and North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) have
signed a memorandum of understanding to work jointly towards promoting investment in Assam
and other states of the region.
• The agreement will contribute to various initiatives aimed at reforms, policy advocacy, ease of
doing business, market linkages, and promotion of sustainable business practices.
• Indian Chamber of Commerce Assam state council's chairman Sarat Kumar Jain and NEDFi
executive director S K Baruah signed the MoU in the presence of delegates of both
organizations.
• The pact would certainly provide a platform for entrepreneurs of the region to avail the pragmatic
schemes and initiatives of NEDFi and the Indian Chamber of Commerce.
• ICC-North East and NEDFi would also collaboratively organize platforms for buyers and sellers
in India and potential business partners.
• A trade facilitation desk would be established on the premises of ICC-NE in association with
NEDFi to help trade and commerce among the region, the rest of India, and the world.
NHPC, DVC sign pact to set up joint venture firm for hydropower:
• NHPC Ltd (National Hydro Electric Power Corporation Private Limited) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) to explore the
formation of a Joint Venture company (JVC) for exploring and setting up Hydropower and Pump
Storage Projects
• State-owned hydro power giant NHPC has inked a pact with Damodar Valley Corporation to
explore the possibility of forming a joint venture firm for setting up hydropower and pump storage
projects.
• As per a regulatory filing, the MoU heralds a new dawn in cooperation between the two power
sector organizations in jointly harnessing the hydropower and pump storage projects as energy
storage solutions.
• This is in line with the national objective of Energy Transition i.e 500 GW of renewable energy by
2030 and net zero by 2070.
• Both companies would look at the joint development of mutually identified projects.
• NHPC has an installed capacity of 7071.2 MW from 24 power stations, including two projects in
joint venture mode, as per its web portal.
• Its plants generated 24,855 million units of power in 2021-2022.
An MoU was signed by Andaman Nicobar Command and Airport Authority of India to boost inter -island
connectivity:
• An MoU was signed by Andaman Nicobar Command and Airport Authority of India in Port Blair
to boost inter-island connectivity under Udaan Scheme.
• As per the MoU, naval airfields at Shibpur (in Diglipur) in North Andaman and Campbell Bay will
be utilized for civil operations.
• Passenger flights will be connecting Port Blair directly to Diglipur and Campbell Bay, the two
extreme corners of the archipelago.
• A low-cost 20-passenger flight to be operated between these islands as per the vision of the
Udaan Scheme.
• Presently, Heli services are available to Diglipur and Campbell in a very limited capacity.
• Diglipur is the third most populous town in Andaman while a major transshipment port is to come
up in Campbell Bay.
• Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik, known by its acronym UDAN is a regional airport development
program of the Government of India and part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme for upgrading
under-serviced air routes.
• Its goal is to make air travel affordable and improve economic development in India.
• Launched: 21 October 2016.
Tata Steel and Aarav Unmanned Systems have signed an MoU to develop and offer end-to-end
integrated drone solutions:
• Tata Steel and Bengaluru-based drone startup Aarav Unmanned Systems (AUS) have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop and offer end-to-end integrated drone
solutions with a focus on efficiency, safety, and productivity of open cast mining operations.
• Tata Steel will also work jointly with AUS to provide drone-based solutions, including mine
analytics and geotechnical mapping to Tata Steel group companies across various stocks and
mining locations in India.
• This is the second time a Tata Group company and AUS have partnered.
• Previously, Tata Steel partnered with AUS in November 2021, to help its project team to map
the progress of the upcoming Kalinganagar Expansion Plant in Odisha.
• Back then, AUS had carried out drone surveys of the mining leases of Tata Steel and delivered
mines analysis.
• Founded in 2013 by Vipul Singh and Suhas Banshiwala, AUS is building commercial -grade
drones and provides drone-based solutions for enterprise applications in mining, infrastructure,
urban planning, irrigation, energy, and agriculture.
• Its end-to-end solutions include a drone, an operator, and a cloud platform for data analysis.
• AUS was the first drone startup to be granted the certification under the small category as all
previous certifications were for drones under the micro category.
Talgo and Bharat Forge inks a contract for the production of trains:
• BF Infrastructure Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bharat Forge Ltd., and Talgo India Pvt Ltd.,
a fully owned subsidiary of Spanish company Patentes Talgo S.L., have formed a joint venture
to develop high-speed passenger trains.
• The collaboration will benefit from upcoming field requirements locally as well as fresh economic
opportunities in the railroad industry.
• The Union government's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative is expected to gain from this partnership.
• It will support the delivery of cutting-edge, high-speed rail solutions.
• The focus of the proposed agreement will be on developing a center for the manufacture,
upkeep, and life cycle support of the upcoming generation of aluminum-bodied, lightweight, high-
speed trains.
• Following a tender for the creation and maintenance of 100 next-generation, lightweight, and
energy-efficient trains, the Indian Railways announced the project.
IMPORTANT MERGERs & ACQUISITIONS
SBI, HDFC, and ICICI Bank acquire 9.54% stakes each in Perfios Account Aggregation Services
● The State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank acquired a 9.54 percent stake each
in Perfios Account Aggregation Services Private Limited (Perfios AA).
● The 3 banks acquired 8,05,520 equity shares each by paying Rs 4.03 crore each for the stakes.
● According to regulatory filings, the lenders bought the shares at Rs 50 a piece.
● The investments will be subject to the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
About Perfios Account Aggregation Services Private Limited (Perfios AA) :
● Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
● CEO : Srikanth Rajagopalan
● Perfios AA had a turnover of Rs 0.09 crore (provisional) and a loss of Rs 3.4 crore
CCI approves the acquisition between Google International LLC and Bharti Airtel Limited
● The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved Google International LLC’s (Acquirer)
acquisition of a minority and non-controlling stake of 1.28% of the equity capital of Bharti Airtel
Limited (target).
● Google International LLC (Acquirer) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Google LLC a Delaware
limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.
● The Acquirer is a holding company and does not own/operate any of Google’s products/
services.
● However, Google offers various products and services, including its flagship search service, its
Android operating system, and its Play app store.
● BAL is an international communications solutions provider with over 480 million customers in 17
countries across South Asia and Africa.
● BAL’s retail portfolio includes, amongst others, high-speed mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream
Fiber, streaming services (music and video), digital payments, and financial services
● For enterprise customers, BAL offers solutions including secure connectivity, cloud, and data
center services, cyber security, IoT, advertising services, and cloud-based communication.
About CCI :
● Established: 14 October 2003
● Current Chairman: Ashok Kumar Gupta
● First Chairman: Dhanendra Kumar
● Secretary : P K Singh
● CCI is the chief national competition regulator in India & it is a statutory body within the Ministry
of Corporate Affairs.
Tata Steel acquires strategic stake in NINL
● The Ministry of Finance stated that the strategic disinvestment transaction for Neelachal Ispat
Nigam Limited (NINL) has been completed, with the transfer of 93.71 percent shares of the joint
venture partners to Tata Steel Long products Limited (TSLP).
● Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) is a Joint Venture of 4 central public sector enterprises
(CPSEs), namely Mineral & Metal Trading Corporation (MMTC) with a shareholding of 49.78
percent; National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) with a shareholding of 10.10
percent; Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) with a shareholding of 0.68 percent; MECON
with a shareholding of 0.68 percent; and 2 Odisha Government PSUs, namely Odisha Mining
Corporation (OMC) with a shareholding of 20.47 percent and Industrial Promotion & Investment
Corporation of Odisha (IPICOL) with a shareholding of 12 percent.
● The Enterprise Value is ₹12,100 Crores paid by Tata Steel Long products Limited.
● This payment has been utilized as per the SPA for settlement of dues of employees, operational
creditors, secured financial creditors, and sellers (operational and financial dues) and for equity
of selling shareholders as per SPA.
● Earlier, the Letter of Award (LOA) was issued to Tata Steel Long Products Limited on 2
February 2022, and the SPA was signed on 10 March 2022.
About NINL:
● Location: Jaipur, Odisha
● Chairman: J Rabi Shanker
About Tata Steel Long products Limited:
● Headquarters: Keonjhar, Odisha
● MD: Ashish Anupam
● TSLP is the subsidiary of Tata Steel Limited.
CCI approves acquisition of Citrix Systems by Vista & Elliott managed funds
● The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of Citrix Systems Inc
(Citrix) by funds managed by Vista Equity Partners Management (Vista) and funds and
investment vehicles managed by Elliott Investment Management (Elliott).
● The proposed combination relates to the acquisition of Citrix by funds managed by Vista and
funds and investment vehicles managed by Elliot approved by the Commission in its meeting
held in June 2022.
● The proposed combination will be implemented under an Agreement and a Plan of Merger
entered into among Citrix, Picard Parent, Picard Merger Sub, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Picard Parent), and TIBCO Software Inc (TIBCO).
The names of the parties to the combination are:
● Elliott Alto Aggregator GP LLC (Elliott Aggregator)
● Picard Parent, Inc (Picard Parent)
● Picard HoldCo LLC (Holdco)
● Citrix Systems, Inc. (Citrix).
● Vista and Elliott have been collectively referred to as Acquirers.
● The Acquirers and Citrix are collectively referred to as the Parties.
About Vista :
● Vista is a US-based investment firm focused on empowering and growing enterprise software,
data, and technology-enabled businesses.
● It controls some portfolio companies that are active in the provision of IT services such as the
provision business software.
About Elliott :
● Elliott is a US-based investment firm whose flagship fund, Elliott Associates, L.P., was founded
in 1977.
About Citrix :
● Citrix is a multinational enterprise software company.
● Headquarters: Florida, United States of America
● It is focused on helping organizations deliver a consistent and secure work experience.
About CCI :
● First Chairman: Dhanendra Kumar
● Current Chairman: Ashok Kumar Gupta
● CCI is the chief national competition regulator in India.
● It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and is responsible for enforcing the
Competition Act, 2002.
Piramal Enterprises gets shareholders' nod to demerge pharma business
● Piramal Enterprises Limited (PEL) has received shareholders’ approval for the proposed
demerger of its pharmaceuticals business and simplification of the corporate structure.
● The company received 99 percent of the votes at the shareholder's meeting.
● The demerger was to transform the multi-sector conglomerate structure of the company into two
separate sector-focused financial services and pharmaceuticals listed entities and command
leadership positions in those sectors.
● The demerger follows the group’s acquisition of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited
(DHFL) for Rs 34,250 crore, which was completed in September 2021.
● In October 2021, PEL received board approval for a scheme of arrangement between the
company, Piramal Pharma (PPL), Convergence Chemicals (CCPL), Hemmo Pharmaceuticals
(HPPL), PHL Fininvest (PFPL), and their respective shareholders and creditors.
● According to the contours of the agreement, the pharmaceuticals business would be demerged
from PEL and consolidated under Piramal Pharma.
● The two operating subsidiaries Hemmo Pharma (focused on peptide Active Pharmaceutical
Ingredients development and manufacturing capabilities) and Convergence Chemical (setup for
development, manufacturing, and selling specialty fluorochemicals) will be merged with Piramal
Pharma to create a consolidated listed pharma entity.
About PEL :
● Chairman : Ajay Piramal
CCI approves the acquisition of Solenergi Power Private Limited by Shell Overseas Investments B.V.
from Actis Solenergi Limited
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of Solenergi Power Private
Limited (Target) by Shell Overseas Investments B.V. 's (Acquirer) from Actis Solenergi Limited
under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
• The proposed combination pertains to the acquisition of 100% shareholding and sole control of
the Target by the Acquirer.
• The acquirer is a company incorporated in the Netherlands and is a part of the Shell group.
• Shell Plc’s shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam, and the New
York Stock Exchange.
• Solenergi Power is an investment company incorporated in Mauritius, belonging to the Actis
group.
• It currently has investments in the renewable energy sector in India
About CCI :
• First Chairman: Dhanendra Kumar
• Current Chairman: Ashok Kumar Gupta
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is the chief national competition regulator in India.
• It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, GoI.
CCI approves Shrem InvIT’s acquisition of equity in 10 road infra projects by Dilip Buildcon Limited
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition by Shrem InvIT of equity in
ten road infrastructure projects (Target SPVs) from Dilip Buildcon Limited (DBL) and its
associates under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
• The proposed combination involves the acquisition of 100 percent of the equity in the target
special purpose vehicles (SPVs).
• The deal includes the issuance of certain units of Shrem InvIT to Dilip Buildcon and its
associates.
• Shrem InvIT is a trust registered under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, and SEBI under InvIT
Regulations 2014 was set up to carry on infrastructure investment trust activities.
• The Target SPVs are undertaking road projects in the state of Karnataka, Jharkhand, Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
About Dilip Buildcon Limited :
• Founded: 1987
• Headquarters: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
• Chairman & MD: Dilip Suryavanshi
• CEO: Devendra Jain
• Dilip Buildcon is in the business of construction, operation, and maintenance of roads and
highways.
• It was awarded the National Highway Excellence Award in 2020 for highway maintenance.
Infosys to acquire BASE life science for €110 million
• Infosys Ltd signed a definitive agreement to acquire BASE life science, leading technology and
consulting firm in the life sciences industry, for up to €110 million (about $111 million).
• The acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter of FY23.
About the acquisition :
• The acquisition reaffirms the firm’s commitment to helping global life sciences companies realize
business value from cloud-first digital platforms and data, to speed up clinical trials and scale
drug development.
• Together with Infosys, BASE is expected to further expand its portfolio of expertise into
Consumer Health, Animal Health, MedTech, and Genomics segments.
• BASE collaborates with leading software technology providers in the life sciences industry such
as Veeva, IQVIA, and Salesforce.
About Infosys Ltd :
• Chairman : Nandan Nilekani
• MD & CEO: Salil Parekh
• President: Ravi Kumar S
• Infosys Limited is an Indian multinational information technology company.
About BASE life science :
• Founded: 2007
• Headquarters: Denmark
• CEO: Martin Woergaard
The BASE has about 200 multidisciplinary industry experts across Denmark, Switzerland, the
UK, Germany, France, Italy, and a nearshore technology hub in Spain
CCI approves the acquisition of Ageas Federal Life Insurance by Ageas Insurance
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of Ageas Federal Life
Insurance Company Limited (AFLI) by its group company Ageas Insurance International NV.
• Ageas currently has 49% shareholding in AFLI and it jointly controls the operations of AFLI along
with the other shareholders viz., IDBI, and Federal Bank.
About Ageas :
• Ageas is the ultimate holding company of the Ageas group.
• It is an international insurance group having business activities in Europe and Asia.
• The products and services offered by the Ageas group globally include life insurance products,
general non-life insurance products, reinsurance services, and distribution of insurance
products.
• AFLI is engaged in the business of providing life insurance products in India under the category
of term plan, child plan, ULIP plan, saving plan, retirement solutions, health plan, group plan,
online plans, etc
About CCI :
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is the chief national competition regulator in India.
CCI approves the proposed combination involving indirect subscription of over 30% of the total number
of issued shares of CitiusTech by Bain Capital and Bain Credit
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the proposed combination involving the
indirect subscription of over 30% of the total number of issued shares of CitiusTech by Bain
Capital Investors, LLC (Bain Capital) and Bain Capital Credit Member, LLC and Bain Capital
Credit Member II, Ltd. (Bain Credit).
About Bain Capital:
• Bain Capital is a private equity investment firm that invests, through its family of funds, in
companies across many industries, including information technology, healthcare, retail,
consumer products, communications, financial, and industrial/manufacturing.
About Bain Credit:
• Bain Credit is a leading global credit specialist, which invests up and down the capital structure
and across the spectrum of credit strategies, including leveraged loans, high-yield bonds,
distressed debt, private lending, structured products, non-performing loans, and equities.
• Its team of more than 240 professionals creates value through rigorous, independent analysis of
thousands of corporate issuers around the world.
About CitiusTech:
• CitiusTech holds approximately 80% interest in C itiusTech H ealthcare T echnology P rivate
Limited (CT India) and does not have any business activities as such.
• CT India is a healthcare technology services and solutions provider.
• CT India provides healthcare software engineering, healthcare professional services, healthcare
QA test automation, healthcare technology consulting, healthcare BI/ Analytics, and business
and process outsourcing services in healthcare.
CCI approves an increase in the proportion of voting rights held by CPPIB in ReNew Energy
Global
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves an increase in the p r o por tion o f v o ting
rights held by CPPIB in ReNew Energy Global.
• The proposed combination envisages an increase in the proportion of voting rights held by the
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) in ReNew Energy Gl obal p lc. ( ReNew) as a
result of a repurchase program to buy back Class A Ordinary Shares (i.e., shares carrying voting
rights) announced by ReNew (Buyback).
• As a result of the Buyback, the aggregate number of voting shares of ReNew is expected to
decrease, which may lead to a corresponding increase in the proportion of voting rights held by
CPPIB.
About CPPIB :
• CPPIB is an investment management organization.
• It invests the funds transferred to it by the Canada Pension Plan Fund (CPP Fund) that are not
needed by the CPP Fund to pay current benefits on behalf of 21 million contributors and
beneficiaries.
LIC reduces its stake by 2% in Sun Pharma to 5.024%
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has reduced shareholding in Sun Pharmaceuticals
Industries by selling a 2 percent stake in the pharma company for about Rs 3,882 crore.
• LIC's shareholding in Sun Pharma has diluted from 16,85,66,486 to 12,05,24,944 equity shares.
• LIC's stake in Sun Pharma has been reduced from 7.026% to 5.024% of the paid-up capital.
• The shares were sold through open market transactions during the period from May 17, 2021, to
July 22, 2022.
• The shares were sold at an average price of Rs 808.02 apiece, valuing the transactions at a
total of Rs 3,881.85 crore.
• On the BSE, shares of LIC (Life Insurance Corporation) declined 0.70 percent to close at Rs
684.15 apiece while that of Sun Pharmaceuticals fell 0.75 percent to Rs 868.05 apiece.
About LIC :
• Chairperson : M R Kumar
• LIC is an Indian statutory insurance and investment corporation.
About Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries :
• Founded: 1983
• Founder & MD: Dilip Shanghvi
Bharti Airtel allows 1.2% equity shares to Google for USD 1 Billion
• Telecom operator Bharti Airtel has allotted over 71,176,839 equity shares of the face value of Rs
5 each fully paid up, on a preferential basis to Google International LLC (Google) at an issue
price of Rs 734 per equity share.
• The allotment is part of Google's commitment to invest USD 1 billion with Airtel, which included
equity investment in the company worth USD 700 million, about Rs 5,224 crore.
• Google invested as part of its USD 10-billion India Digitization Fund
• Out of the total investment with Airtel, USD 300 million was earmarked for implementing
commercial agreements
• It includes investments in scaling Airtel's offerings that cover a range of devices to consumers
via innovative affordability programs as well as other offerings aimed at accelerating access and
digital inclusion across India's digital ecosystem.
• Google has also invested Rs 33,737 crore (about USD 4.5 billion) to buy a 7.73 percent stake in
Jio Platforms.
CCI approves Citibank-Axis Bank deal
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of Citibank, N .A.’s ( Citi)
and Citicorp Finance (India) Limited’s (Citicorp) undertakings comprising their consumer banking
activities by Axis Bank (Acquirer) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
• Under the terms of the proposed Rs 12,325 crore deal , which is one of the largest in India's
financial space, Axis Bank would take over Citi’s credit cards, personal loans, and wealth
management businesses.
About Citi :
• Citi is a national banking association organized in the USA.
• Citi’s business offerings are divided into two broad categories
1. Global consumer banking
2. Institutional clients group.
• It offers banking and wealth management services to retail customers.
• In India, Citi is a licensed scheduled commercial bank and offers a full range of consumer and
institutional banking products and services.
• Citicorp is a public company whose debt securities are listed on a recognized stock exchange,
and it is licensed as a systemically important non–deposit taking non-banking financial company
(“NBFC”).
• It offers NBFC business services in India, such as the provision of commercial vehicle and
construction equipment loans, etc & also it provides personal loans and asset-backed finance.
• Axis Bank is a listed private sector bank engaged in the provision of retail banking services,
commercial and wholesale banking services, and treasury services to customer segments
including individuals, micro, small and medium enterprises, agricultural businesses, and
corporate businesses.
CCI approves Greenforest New Energies' stake buy in Tata Power Renewable
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of an 11.43% stake in Tata
Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) by Greenforest New Energies B idco Limited
(Greenforest).
• Greenforest New Energies Bidco Limited (Greenforest) is an investment vehicle indirectly
incorporated by BlackRock Alternatives Management, LLC. (BAM) and Mubadala Investment
Company PJSC (MIC) for undertaking the Proposed Combination.
• BAM is a wholly owned subsidiary of BlackRock.
• BlackRock is a U.S. publicly traded company active in the provision of global investment
management, risk management, and advisory services to institutional and retail clients.
• BlackRock manages assets on behalf of institutional and individual investors worldwide.
• MIC is an investment vehicle of the Government of Abu Dhabi, it manages investment and
development in various industries including energy, utilities, and real estate.
• Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power
Company Limited (TPCL) that generates power through renewable sources of energy.
About CCI :
IMPORTANT APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS NEWS
Mukesh Ambani resigns from Reliance Jio, Akash Ambani Became New chairman
● The Reliance Industries Limited Chairperson & Managing Director Mr. Mukesh Ambani has
resigned from the board of Reliance Jio, the telecom arm of the oil-to-retail conglomerate RIL.
● Meanwhile, the Board of directors of Reliance Jio approved the appointment of Mr. Mukesh
Ambani's eldest son Mr. Akash M Ambani, non-executive director, as the Chairman of the Board
of Directors of Reliance Jio.
● Mr. Mukesh Ambani will continue to serve as chairman and managing director of Reliance
Industries Ltd (RIL) and as the chairman of Jio Platforms Ltd, the parent firm of all Jio digital
services brands, including Reliance Jio Infocomm.
Other Appointments:
● The Board approved the appointment of Mr. Pankaj Mohan Pawar as managing director of Jio
for 5 years from June 27, 2022.
● Mr. KV Chowdhary and Mr. Raminder Singh Gujral were named independent directors for 5
years.
About Mr Akash M Ambani:
● Mr. Akash Ambani, who has graduated from Brown University with a major in Economics.
● Now he is leading the creation of the convergence dividend for over 500 million consumers.
● He is the co-owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians.
About RIL:
● Chairman & MD : Mukesh Ambani
Justice Mr. Ujjal Bhuyan takes oath as Telangana HC Chief Justice
● Justice Mr. Ujjal Bhuyan was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Telangana High Court in a
ceremony held at Raj Bhavan.
● He is the 5th Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court after its separation from the combined
Andhra Pradesh High Court on January 1, 2019.
● Governor Mrs. Tamilisai Soundararajan administered the oath of office to Justice Bhuyan.
● Chief Minister Shri K Chandrashekar Rao and Union Minister Shri G Kishan Reddy and senior
officials were present on the occasion.
About Mr. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan :
● Justice Mr. Ujjal Bhuyan was born on August 2, 1964, in Guwahati, Assam.
● He was enrolled in 1991 with the Bar Council of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur,
Tripura, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh.
● He was appointed as Additional Advocate General, Assam in 2011.
● He served as a member of Gauhati High Court Bar Association, Lawyers Association, Guwahati,
Bar Association of India, All India Federation of Tax Practitioners, and Indian Law Institute,
Assam Chapter.
● He was appointed as Additional Judge of Gauhati High Court on October 17, 2011.
● He was also the Executive Chairman of Mizoram State Legal Services Authority & Telangana
State Legal Services Authority.
● Before being appointed as a judge of Telangana High Court, Justice Bhuyan had served as a
judge of Bombay High Court.
● On October 11, 2021, he took oath as judge of Telangana High Court.
● Earlier on June 19, 2022, the Central government-appointed Justice Mr. Ujjal Bhuyan as the
new Chief Justice & he succeeded Justice Mr. Satish Chandra Sharma, who was transferred to
the Delhi High Court.
PESB selected Mr. Sandeep Kumar Gupta as the next chairman of GAIL
● The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has selected Mr. Sandeep Kumar Gupta as the
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) o f Gas Authority of India Ltd GAIL (India) Ltd, India’s
largest gas utility after interviewing 10 candidates.
● If his appointment is approved by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), then he will
hold the office till February 2026.
● He will replace Mr. Manoj Jain.
About Mr. Sandeep Kumar Gupta :
● Mr. Sandeep Kumar Gupta has more than 31 years of working experience at Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC), the nation's largest oil refining and fuel marketing company
● He has been Director (Finance) of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) since August 3, 2019.
● At IOC, his responsibilities also included financial planning and analysis, corporate finance and
treasury, international trade, and pricing.
● He is also on the board of IOC Middle East FZE, Dubai, and Indian Oil Petronas Pvt Ltd.
About GAIL :
● Founded: 1984
● GAIL, formerly known as Gas Authority of India Ltd., is a government-owned natural gas
explorer and producer responsible for natural gas processing and distribution in India.
● It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, GoI.
● It holds around 70 percent share of the gas transmission network and more than 50 percent
share of natural gas sales in India.
Shri Eknath Shinde takes oath as chief minister of Maharashtra
● Shiv Sena leader Shri Eknath Shinde has been sworn in as the 20th chief minister of
Maharashtra.
● He was administered the oath of office by Maharashtra Governor Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari at
the Raj Bhawan in Mumbai.
● Earlier Shri Uddhav Thackeray resigned from the post of chief minister after the Supreme Court
allowed a floor test in the assembly.
● Former Maharashtra CM Shri Devendra Fadnavis took the oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of
Maharashtra.
About Shri Eknath Shinde :
● Shri Eknath Shinde was born in 1964
● He began his political career in 1997 when he was elected to Thane Municipal Corporation as a
corporation for the first time.
● In 2001 became leader of the house in Thane Municipal Corporation and was elected to Thane
Municipal Corporation for the second time in 2002.
● He won the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election for the first time in 2004 from the Kopri-
Pachpakhadi constituency of Thane.
● He has been elected consecutively for 4 terms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2004,
2009, 2014, and 2019.
● Earlier, he was the Cabinet Minister of Urban Development and Public Works (Public
Undertakings) in the Government Of Maharashtra.
About Shri Devendra Fadnavis :
● Shri Devendra Fadnavis is the 9th Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

● He served as the CM of Maharashtra from 2014-19. ( He became the second-youngest Chief
Minister of Maharashtra followed by Sharad Pawar.)
● He was the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Mr. K.K. Venugopal was re-appointed as Attorney General for 3 months
● The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind has re-appointed Mr. Kottayan Katankot
Venugopal as the Attorney General for India for three months (July to September) or until further
orders, whichever is earlier.
About Mr. K.K. Venugopal :
● Mr. K.K. Venugopal is an Indian constitutional lawyer and a senior advocate in the Supreme
Court of India.
● On 1 July 2017, he was appointed as the 15th Attorney General of India after succeeding Mukul
Rohatgi for three years (2017 to 20220) & after that he was reappointed for one the year 2021
● Again in June 2021, his term was extended by one year until June 30, 2022.
● He was an Additional Solicitor General of India between 1979 and 1980.
● He is the Patron of SAARCLAW (A regional apex body of the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) ) and earlier has been its President.
● He is the founder of M K Nambiar SAARCLAW Centre For Advanced Legal Studies at the
NALSAR Law University
Awards & Honors :
● In 2015, he was conferred the Padma Vibhushan award by the Government of India.
● In 2002, he was awarded Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honor
About Attorney-General for India :
● The Attorney General for India is the Indian government's chief legal advisor
● The post was appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Union Cabinet under
Article 76(1) of the Constitution.
● The appointed person has been a judge of some high court for five years or an advocate of
some high court for ten years or an eminent jurist in the opinion of the President.
Mr. Ferdinand Marcos Jr takes oath as Philippine president
● Mr. Ferdinand Marcos Jr has been sworn in as the 17th & Current President of the Philippines
until 2028 in a ceremony at the National Museum in Manila, Philippines.
● He succeeded the outgoing President Mr. Rodrigo Duterte.
● Meanwhile, Ms. Sara Duterte, the daughter of Mr. Rodrigo Duterte, is being sworn in as vice-
president until 2028.
● Mr. Marcos Jr. received more than 31 million votes and Sara Duterte more than 32 million of the
more than 55 million votes cast in the May 9 2022 election.
● Chinese Vice President Mr. Wang Qishan and U.S. Vice President Mr. Kamala Harris's
husband, Doug Emhoff, were among foreign dignitaries attending.
About Mr. Ferdinand Marcos Jr :
● Mr. Ferdinand Marcos Jr commonly referred to as Bongbong Marcos
● Previously, he served as a senator from 2010 to 2016.
● He ruled the Philippines for 21 years from 1965 until 1986, with the country living under martial
law for about half of that time.
About Ms. Sara Duterte :
● Ms Sara Duterte commonly known as Inday Sara.
● She served as the mayor of Davao City from 2016 to 2022.
● She was also Davao City's vice mayor from 2007 to 2010.
About the Philippines :
● Capital: Manila
● Currency : Philippine peso
Pinterest CEO Mr. Ben Silbermann steps down; Google executive Bill Ready appointed as new CEO
● Pinterest Inc. announced that co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President, Mr. Ben
Silbermann will step down from his place and hand over the reins of the social media platform to
Google commerce executive Mr. Bill Ready.
● Mr. Ready's appointment brings to an end Silbermann's 12-year tenure as CEO, which began
when he co-founded the company in 2010.
● Mr. Ben Silbermann is an American Internet entrepreneur.
About Pinterest :
● Founded: December 2009
● Headquarters: San Francisco, California, U.S
● Executive Chairman: Ben Silberman
● Pinterest is an image-sharing and social media service designed to enable the saving and
discovery of information on the internet using images, and on a smaller scale, animated GIFs
and videos, in the form of pinboards.
Mr. Shahid Kapoor appointed as the brand ambassador of PokerBaazi
● India’s biggest poker platform, PokerBaazi.com, has appointed Bollywood superstar Shahid
Kapoor as its brand ambassador.
Aim:
● To create a robust ecosystem for Poker in India.
● Kapoor’s association with the brand comes in line with its commitment to popularizing and
creating awareness amongst the masses about Poker
● According to research firm Statista, the online gaming industry across India w as valued at
around ₹79 billion in 2021, marking a leap from about ₹65 billion in 2020.
● The sector is expected to be worth over ₹150 billion by 2024, indicating a compound annual
growth of around 15%.
FanCode appoints Mr. Ravi Shastri as the first brand a mbassador
● Former team India coach and cricketer Mr. Ravi Shastri have been appointed as the new brand
ambassador for FanCode, a live content, sports statistics, and e-commerce marketplace.
● The appointment was made for India’s upcoming tour to the West Indies which is scheduled to
start at the end of July 2022.
● Shastri will lead the upcoming campaigns for India’s tour of the West Indies, and ECB’s The
Hundred, a 100-ball cricket tournament involving 8 men’s and 8 women’s teams located in major
cities across England and Wales.
About FanCode :
● Founded: 2019
● Founders: Yannick Colaco, Prasana Krishnan
Indian origin Mr. T Raja Kumar appointed as president of the Financial Action Task Force
● Indian origin Mr. T Raja Kumar has been a ppointed as the president of the Financial Action Task
Force (FATF), the anti-money laundering watchdog for two years (July 2022 -June 2024).
● He will focus on enhancing the effectiveness of global anti-money laundering & counter-terrorist
financing measures, improving asset recovery, and other initiatives.
● He succeeded Dr. Marcus Pleyer (Germany).
About Mr. T Raja Kumar :
● Mr. Raja Kumar holds an LLB (Hons) degree from the National University of Singapore and a
Master's degree in Philosophy (Criminology and Law) from the University of Cambridge.
● He had been assisting the Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore, and the Singapore Police Force
for over 35 years.
● He attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University in 2006.
● Currently, he serves as the senior advisor (International) in the country's ministry of home
affairs.
● He was deputy secretary (International) at the home affairs ministry from January 2015 to July
2021 and was concurrently the chief executive of the Home Team Academy between 2014 to
2018.
● He is the former deputy commissioner of police (Policy), director of the Police Intelligence
Department, and senior deputy director of the Commercial Affairs Department.
● He served as the pioneer chief executive of the Casino Regulatory Authority
● He forged a stronger collaborative relationship with key counterparts in the safety and security
arena, including with strategic partners such as INTERPOL and the UN
About FATF :
● Founded: 1989
● Headquarters: Paris, France
● Membership: 39 nations
● FATF is a global watchdog tasked with combatting money laundering and terrorist financing.
Mr. Yair Lapid becomes 14th Prime Minister of Israel
● The leader of the Yesh Atid Party, Mr. Yair Lapid has officially become the 14th Prime Minister
of Israel.
● He succeeds Mr. Naftali Bennett.
● Meanwhile, Naama Schultz, a longtime aide to the Yesh Atid leader, will become director-
general of the Prime Minister’s Office
About Mr. Yair Lapid :
● Mr. Yair Lapid was an author, TV presenter, and news anchor.
● He serves as the chairman of the centrist Yesh Atid, having previously served as Leader of the
Opposition from 2020 to 2021 and as Minister of Finance from 2013 to 2014.
● He served as the alternate prime minister of Israel and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2021 to
2022.
About Israel :
● Capital: Jerusalem
● Currency: Israeli shekel
Shri Rahul Narwekar becomes the youngest Speaker in the country
● Mumbai lawyer & the first-time MLA, Shri Rahul Narwekar, was elected as the 16th Speaker
(since 1960) of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly after defeating Rajan Salvi (Shiv Sena
candidate).
● He has been elected as the youngest Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and
also becomes the youngest ever in India.
● The post of the Speaker was vacant after Congress’ Nana Patole resigned from the office in
February 2021.
● Narwekar received a total of 164 votes in support and 107 went to the Shiv Sena candidate’s
account.
● During the Speaker elections, 12 members were absent and 3 legislators abstained from the
voting.
● With this Maharashtra became the only state in India where the presiding officers of the
Legislature are in-laws.
About Rahul Narwekar :
● Rahul Narwekar is an Indian politician and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
● He was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council in June 2016 as a Governor's Nominated
member before becoming MLA in 2019.
● Narwekar’s father-in-law Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) member
is the Chairman of the state Legislative Council.
About Maharashtra :
● Chief minister: Eknath Shinde
● Deputy CM: Devendra Fadnavis
● Capital: Mumbai
Ms. Ketanji Brown Jackson Sworn in as 1st Black Woman On US Supreme Court
● Ms. Ketanji Brown Jackson has been sworn in as the new associate Supreme Court justice,
becoming the first black woman and the first former federal public defender to serve on the
nation's highest court.
● The appointment of 51-years old Ketanji Jackson by Democratic President Mr. Joe Biden.
● Ms. Jackson succeeded Justice Stephen Breyer upon his retirement from the court.
● Jackson, a federal judge since 2013, is joining three other women, Justices Sonia Sotomayor,
Elena Kagan, and Amy Coney Barrett & for the first time, four women will serve together on the
nine-member court.
● She stated that it took 233 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected
to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.
About Ketanji Brown Jackson :
● Ketanji Brown Jackson was born on September 14, 1970, in Washington, D.C, US.
● She began her legal career with 3 clerkships, including one with U.S. Supreme Court Associate
Justice Stephen Breyer.
● She served as a district judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
from 2013 to 2021.
● She was also vice-chair of the United States Sentencing Commission from 2010 to 2014.
● Since 2016, she has been a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers.
● She was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Mr. Joe Biden on February 25, 2022.
● She was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit from 2021 to 2022.
About the Supreme Court of the United States :
● Established: March 4, 1789
● Headquarters: Washington, D.C, US
● SCOTUS is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States.
Manappuram Finance re-appoints Mr. V P Nandakumar as MD&CEO
● Manappuram Finance Limited has approved the reappointment of Mr. V P Nandakumar as the
managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO) of the company with effect from 27 July
2022 up to 31 March 2024.
About Mr V P Nandakumar :
● Mr. V. P. Nandakumar is an Indian businessman hailing from Valapad in Thrissur District of
Kerala.
● He is a post-graduate in science with additional qualifications in Banking & Foreign Trade.
● He started his banking career with Nedungadi Bank.
● In 1992, he was promoted to Manappuram Finance and has been a director of the company.
● He is also the chairman of Asirvad Microfinance, the 4th largest MFI in India with over Rs. 5,000
crore AUM (Assets Under Management).
● He is also the International Director of the Lion's Club International
About Manappuram Finance :
● Founded: 1949
● Headquarters: Valappad, Thrissur, Kerala, India
● Manappuram Finance is one of India's leading gold loan non-banking financial companies
(NBFC).
UN chief Antonio Guterres appoints Lt Gen Mr. Subramanian as Force Commander of UN Mission in
South Sudan
● United Nations Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres has appointed Lieutenant General Mr.
Mohan Subramanian of India as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in
South Sudan (UNMISS).
● Lt General Mr. Subramanian succeeds Lt General Mr. Shailesh Tinaikar of India.
● Mr. Tinaikar was appointed by Guterres as the UNMISS Force Commander in May 2019.
About Lt Gen Mr. Mohan Subramanian :
● Lieutenant General Mr. Subramanian has a distinguished military career with the Indian Army
spanning over 36 years.
● He served as the General Officer Commanding, Military Region (Operational and Logistic
Readiness Zone) in central India, contributing to the Army’s operational and logistic
preparedness.
● He has served as the Additional Director General for Procurement and Equipment Management
at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army) (2019-2021).
● He has served as the General Officer Commanding a Strike Infantry Division (2018-2019),
Deputy General Officer Commanding of Infantry Division (2015-2016), and Commander of a
Mountain Brigade (2013-2014) among other appointments within the Indian Armed Forces.
● He also served as India’s Defence Attaché to Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia (2008-2012) and
as a Staff Officer with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone in 2000.
● India is among the largest contributors of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping.
● India is the second-highest military troop-contributing country to UNMISS with 2,385 Indian
peacekeepers serving with the mission, second only to Rwanda.
● India currently contributes 30 police personnel to UNMISS.
About UNMISS:
● Headquarters: Juba, South Sudan
● Parent Organization: United Nations Security Council
● UNMISS is a United Nations peacekeeping mission for South Sudan.
Garmin India appoints Indian triathlete Kaustubh Radkar as brand ambassador
● Garmin India, a unit of Garmin Ltd. has appointed Indian triathlete, Kaustubh Radkar as a brand
ambassador of Garmin’s fitness segment.
● He has been involved with Garmin India as a coach.
About Kaustubh Radkar :
● Kaustubh Radkar is an Ironman Certified Coach and is the first and only Indian to complete the
Ironman Triathlon on 30 occasions.
● In October 2017 and May 2022, he was the only Indian to complete the Ironman World
Championship in Kona Hawaii, and St. George, Utah, United States.
● He was the fastest Indian at the Comrades Ultra Marathon in 2016 and holds the record for the
fastest debut for an Indian at Ultraman Florida.
● He was a former Indian national swimming champion from 1995 to 2000.
● He has also been chosen as one of the Fit India ambassadors, as part of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's Fit India Movement, which was started in 2019.
Additional Info :
● Recently, Garmin launched two new entrants to their Forerunner series; the Forerunner 955
solar, the world’s first GPS-enabled running smartwatch with solar charging, and Forerunner 255
series.
● Both state-of-the-art devices offer a wide array of features designed to help professional runners
and athletes surpass their limits.
About Garmin Ltd :
● Headquarters: Olathe, Kansas, U.S
● President & CEO: Cliff Pemble
● Chairman: Min Kao
Mr. Suranjan Das was appointed as president of the Association of Indian Universities
● Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Mr. Suranjan Das was appointed as the president of the
Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
● He will take up the issue of executing the new education policy's (NEP) salient features, raising
central funding for state universities involved in important research activities, and work on taking
the standards of Indian universities to global levels.
About Mr Suranjan Das :
● Mr. Suranjan Das was a Professor of History at the University o f C alcutta and served as the
Vice-Chancellor at the University of Calcutta for the period between 2008 and 2015.
● He has been associated with research projects funded by such international bodies as the
British Council, Wellcome Trust, Leverhume Foundation, and Frederick Stiftung.
● He has authored 6 monographs, co-authored 4 books, co-edited 6 volumes, edited 2 volumes,
and published 34 articles in refereed journals and edited volumes.
● He was a recipient of the USIS International Visitorship Programme.
● He has served in policy formulation bodies concerned with higher education in India like the
University Grants Commission, and the Indian Council of Historical Research.
About AIU :
● Founded: 1925
Punjab govt. appoints Mr. Vijay Kumar Janjua as new Chief Secretary
● The Punjab government appointed Mr. Vijay Kumar Janjua as the new chief secretary.
● Janjua replaces Mr. Anirudh Tewari, a 1990-batch IAS officer.
● Mr. Anirudh Tewari has been posted as Director General, Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of
Public Administration, relieving Jaspreet Talwar of the additional charge.
Other Appointments:
● The government also issued transfer and posting orders for three more IAS officers.
● KAP Sinha, the Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Financial Commissioner, Taxation, and in
addition ACS, Finance, has been transferred and posted as ACS, Food Processing relieving Raji
P Srivastava of the additional charge.
● Ajay Sharma, Secretary, of Health and Family Welfare, will also be Financial Commissioner,
Taxation, in place of KAP Sinha.
● Kumar Rahul, Secretary of Employment Generation and Training, will also be in addition to
Secretary, General Administration, and Coordination relieving Rajat Agarwal of the additional
charge.
● IPS Officer Gaurav Yadav was appointed as Punjab’s director general of police (DGP) after the
incumbent VK Bhawra.
About Vijay Kumar Janjua :
● Janjua is a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) officer.
● He is currently holding the position of the Special Chief Secretary, Jails and in addition, Special
Chief Secretary, Elections.
● He has worked in various departments of Punjab, including rural development, industries, labor,
and animal husbandry.
● Janjua has served in the Centre for three years as Director, Industries, in the Department of
Industrial Policy and Promotion.
● During Janjua’s tenure as deputy commissioner of Fatehgarh Sahib district, he developed
PRISM software with the help of the National Informatics Centre and introduced computerized
registration of properties in Punjab.
● He was also instrumental in carrying out several reforms in Labour laws for improving the ease
of doing business in Punjab, besides improving the investment scenario in Punjab.
About Punjab:
● Governor : Banwarilal Purohit
● Chief Minister : Bhagwant Mann
Justice Mr. Alok Aradhe appointed acting Chief Justice of Karnataka HC
● Justice Mr. Alok Aradhe has been appointed as Acting Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court
(HC).
● He was appointed after the retirement of Chief Justice Mr. Ritu Raj Awasthi.
● The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath to Justice Mr. Alok Aradhe.
About Justice Mr. Alok Aradhe :
● Mr. Aradhe was born in 1964 in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
● He passed B.Sc. and LL.B. and started practice in Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur in
1988.
● He was enrolled as an advocate on July 12, 1988, and was designated as a senior advocate in
April 2007.
● He had practiced civil and constitutional, arbitration, and company matters in the High Court of
Madhya Pradesh at Jabalpur.
● Justice Aradhe served as Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir State Judicial Academy and
became the Executive Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir State Legal Services Authority.
● He took charge as Acting Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High court on 11 May 2018.
● Also, he took oath as the Judge of the Karnataka High Court on November 17, 2018.
SBI General Insurance appoints Shri Paritosh Tripathi as new MD & CEO
● State Bank of India (SBI) General Insurance Company Limited has appointed Shri Paritosh
Tripathi as its new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer.
● He Succeeded Mr. Prakash Chandra Kandpal who has been posted as DMD (P&RE) at the
Corporate Center, State Bank of India.
About Shri Paritosh Tripathi :
● Shri. Paritosh Tripathi has over 32 years of rich and diverse banking experience.
● In his banking career, he had worked primarily in the MSME, mid-corporate segment, &
International Banking and Bancassurance.
● Before joining SBI General Insurance, he was a general manager, operations, and internal
banking group, with the State Bank of India.
● He was also on the Board of Sterling Bank, Nigeria, and SBI Canada.
● From 2017 to 2020, he was Head of Bancassurance, firstly with SBI Mutual Fund and then with
SBI General Insurance.
● He was Head of FI Relationship (East Asia) in Hong Kong and CEO of the SBI DIFC (Dubai
International Financial center) Branch in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
About SBI General Insurance:
● Founded: 2009
ACFI constitutes a new board and appoints Mr. Yashpal S harma as its new President
● Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) at its Annual General Meeting constituted a new board &
appointed Mr. Yashpal Sharma, Managing Director of Skyways Group as President from 2022 to
2024.
● He succeeded Cyrus Katgara, who will be part of the current board as Ex Officio.
About ACFI :
● Founded: 2012
● Vice President: Sanjiv Edward
● ACFI is an association of all key stakeholders of the air cargo logistics supply chain industry
consisting of airlines, airport operators, cargo terminal operators, freight forwarders, customs
brokers, express industry, bonded truckers, etc.
● It has been working very closely with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on its vision to
achieve the goal of taking Indian air space to 10 million MT by 2030-31 from the current 3.1
million MT.
CII Elects Mr. R Dinesh as President-Designate & Mr. Sanjiv Puri As Vice President FY23
● Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has elected Mr. R Dinesh, Executive Vice Chairman, TVS
Supply Chain Solutions as President-Designate for 2022-23.
● In addition to that, Mr. Sanjiv Puri, Chairman, and Managing Director, ITC has been elected as
the Vice President of CII.
● Mr. Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman, and Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv Limited assumed office as the
President of CII for the year 2022-23 in May 2022.
About Mr. R Dinesh :
● Mr. Dinesh is an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and
the Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India (ICWAI).
● He has been the Chairman of the CII Southern Region during 2018-19.
● He is the Chairman of the National Committees on Logistics, CII Family Business Network India
Chapter Council, CII Tamil Nadu State Council, and CII Institute of Logistics Advisory Council.
About Mr. Sanjiv Puri :
● Mr. Sanjiv Puri is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and Wharton School
of Business.
● He has been a member of the CII National Council.
● He has held several important positions in CII including Chairman of the CII-ITC Centre of
Excellence for Sustainable Development and the Chairman of the CII Agriculture Council.
● He is the Chairman of ITC Infotech India Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiaries in the UK
and USA as well as Chairman of Surya Nepal Private Limited.
About CII :
● Founded: 1895
● Director-General: Chandrajit Banerjee
● The CII is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group
Former NITI Aayog CEO Mr. Amitabh Kant appointed as new Sherpa of G -20
● Former NITI Aayog CEO Mr. Amitabh Kant has been appointed as India’s new Sherpa for the G-
20.
● He replaced Minister for Commerce & Industry and Consumer Affairs Shri Piyush Goyal , who
was appointed as the G-20 Sherpa in September 2021.
● India will hold the presidency from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023.
● The G-20 Leaders’ Summit will be held in India for the first time in 2023.
● As the G-20 presidency, India will set the agenda for the year, identify the themes and focus
areas, conduct discussions and work out outcome documents.
About Amitabh Kant :
● Amitabh Kant was born on 1 March 1956, in Varanasi, UP.
● He is a 1980 batch retired IAS officer of Kerala cadre.
● He served as the NITI Aayog CEO from June 2016 to June 2022.
● He has worked as Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP).
● He was also the chairman of Empowered Group-3, one of the 11 groups set up by the Center to
tackle the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
About Sherpa :
● A sherpa is a personal representative of a head of state or head of government who prepares an
international summit, such as the annual G7 and G20 summits
● Some of the previous Sherpas for the G-20 include Suresh Prabhu, Shaktikanta Das, and
Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
About G-20 :
● The G20 or Group of Twenty is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the
European Union, with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
● The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany,
India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.
● India has been a member of the G20 since the grouping’s inception in 1999.
Role of G-20 :
● The G-20 forum connects the world’s developed and developing economies together.
● It accounts for two-thirds of the global population, 75% of international tr ade, a n d 8 5% o f th e
global GDP.
● It is an influential platform for international economic cooperation.
● The G-20 process is divided into the Sherpa track and the Finance track.
● Under the Sherpa track, about 100 official meetings are expected to be organized in the areas of
employment, health, digital economy, trade, investment and industry, environment and climate,
energy, anti-corruption, agriculture, tourism, culture, and socio-economic development,
education, and women empowerment.
● Under the Finance track, about 40 meetings are expected to be organized including in the areas
of international financial architecture, financial inclusion and sustainable finance, financing for
infrastructure, climate finance, and tax matters.
Mr. Alvaro Lario appointed as the 7th President of IFAD
● Mr. Alvaro Lario has been appointed as the 7th President of the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD).
● He will take office on October 1, 2022, for a four-year term.
● He succeeds Mr. Gilbert Houngbo who has led the organization since 2017.
About Mr Alvaro Lario :
● Mr. Lario has 20 years of experience in the private sector, academia, and international financial
institutions, including developing local capital markets and investments in emerging markets at
the International Financial Corporation of the World Bank group.
● In early 2018, Lario served as Treasury Capital Markets Lead and Principal Portfolio Officer at
the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group.
● Alvaro Lario is the Associate Vice President for Financial Operations and Chief Financial officer
(CFO) at IFAD since 2018.
● The State of Food Security and Nutrition report showed that hunger globally rose to as many as
828 million in 2021, an increase of about 150 million since the outbreak of the Covid-19
pandemic.
About IFAD:
● Established: 15 December 1977
● Headquarters: Rome, Italy
● Member States: 177
● The international fund of agricultural development is an international financial institution and a
specialized agency of the United Nations.
Aim :
● To address poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.
● It is the only multilateral development organization that focuses on rural economies, food
security, and climate change.
● It works in partnership with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and
members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Mr. Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay appointed as CMD, Goa Shipyard Limited
● According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Mr. Brajesh Kumar
Upadhyay as Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for five
years.
About Mr. Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay :
● Mr. Upadhyay is an Engineering Graduate (Electrical).
● He started his career with GSL in 1991.
● During his long career of over 30 years in GSL, he has held various key positions in various
departments and has made significant contributions in areas of ship construction, diversification
of products as part of General Engineering Services, Corporate Planning, Business
Development, and infrastructure development and ship repairs.
● Presently, he is serving as Director (Operations), GSL
About GSL :
● Founded: 1957
● Headquarters: Vasco da Gama, Goa
● Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) is a Miniratna PSU under the Ministry of Defence.
Andhra Pradesh CM Shri Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was elected president for the lifetime of YSRC
• Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was elected president of a
lifetime of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress party (YSRC).
• The decision was taken after the conclusion of the YSRC's two-day plenary after an amendment
to the party's constitution.
• He was appointed after his mother, YS Vijayamma resigned from the honorary president's post
About Shri Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy :
• Shri Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy is an Indian politician serving as the 17th and
current chief minister of Andhra Pradesh since 2019.
• He is the son of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.
• Reddy started his political career by campaigning for the Indian National Congress in the 2004
Andhra Pradesh state elections in Kadapa district, AP.
• He served as the leader of the opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly between
2014 and 2019.
• He was last elected the YSRCP president at the party plenary in 2017.
About YSRC :
• Headquarters: Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, India
• YSRC is an Indian regional political party.
• It is currently the fifth largest party in the Lok Sabha with 22 seats.
Shri Rajendra Prasad takes charge as Managing Director of National High-Speed Rail Corporation
Limited
• Shri Rajendra Prasad assumed the charge of Managing Director, National High-Speed Rail
Corporation Limited (NHSRCL).
• He replaced Mr. Satish Agnihotri who was dismissed by the government over corruption
allegations.
About Shri Rajendra Prasad :
• Shri Prasad has been working as Director of Project with NHSRCL since November 2017.
• He is overall in charge of civil engineering works of the Mumbai Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail
Project, popularly known as the Bullet Train Project.
• As the Director of Project, NHSRCL, he has spearheaded the civil works of the MAHSR section
in the state of Gujarat i.e. 352 Km including the award of the biggest single Infrastructure
contract in the country comprising 237 Km long via-duct and 4 stations.
• He has worked as Divisional Railway Manager, Chakradharpur (2015- 2017), Group General
Manager, DFCCIL (2011- 2015), Chief Engineer, Construction Southern Railways (2006 -2009),
and Resident Engineer, General Consultants to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (1999 - 2004).
About NHSRCL :
• Chairman: Vinod Kumar Yadav
• It is under the ownership of Indian Railways, the Ministry of Railways, and GoI.
• NHSRCL was formed under the Companies Act, 2013.
Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe resigns as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
• Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe announced his resignation as Prime
Minister of Sri Lanka amid massive protests.
• Sri Lankan President Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa is also expected to resign on July 13th, 2022.
• The Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker is expected to act as the President for a maximum of 30
days.
About Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe:
• Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe was first elected to Parliament from the Biyagama electorate in the
1977 parliamentary elections.
• Earlier he served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1993 to 1994, 2001 to 2004, 2015 to 2018,
and from 2018 to 2019, 2022.
• He is a member of parliament from the United National Party (UNP).
• He has been the leader of the UNP since 1994.
• He also served as Leader of the Opposition from 1994 to 2001 and from 2004 to 2015.
About Sri Lanka :
• Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative), Colombo (executive and judicial)
• Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
Tripura Government Transfers Chief Secretary Mr. Kumar Alok; Mr. JK Sinha Appointed New Acting
Chief Secretary
• The Tripura government has transferred Chief Secretary, Mr. Kumar Alok, from the top
bureaucratic post and appointed him as the new Director General (DG) of the State Institute of
Public Administration and Rural Development (SIPARD).
• Mr. JK Sinha, an IAS officer of the 1996 batch, who is the principal secretary of the Health and
Family Welfare department, has been made in-charge Chief Secretary.
Note :
• An IAS officer is required to complete at least 30 years in service to become eligible for
becoming Chief Secretary of a state.
About Mr. Kumar Alok :
• Alok, a Tripura cadre 1990 batch IAS officer, was appointed Chief Secretary in June 2021.
• Before this, he was an Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat of the central government.
Ex RBI executive Ms. Meena Hemchandra appointed as part-time chairman of Karur Vysya Bank
• Private sector lender Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) announced that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
has approved the appointment of former RBI executive Ms. Meena Hemchandra as part-time
chairman of the bank for three years.
About Ms. Meena Hemchandra :
• Ms. Hemchandra is a career banker with over 35 years of banking experience in various
departments of the RBI.
• She was the Executive Director of RBI from June 2015 to November 2017.
• She has also served as the nominee of the RBI on the Board of Supervision to NABARD and
ECGC for two and half years each.
• She was the secretary to the Board of Note Mudran, an RBI subsidiary, for four years.
• In May 2022, She was an Additional Director in KVB under Independent Category.
About KVB :
• Founded: 1916
• Headquarters: Karur, Tamil Nadu
• MD & CEO: Mr. Ramesh Babu
• Karur Vysya Bank is a Scheduled Commercial Bank in India.
Ms. Madhulika Bhaskar gets an additional charge as NIACL CMD for three months
• The New India Assurance Company Ltd (NIACL) appointed its General Manager Ms. Madhulika
Bhaskar as the Chairman cum Managing Director (CMD) for three months with effect from the
date of assumption of charge or till a regular appointee takes over, or until further orders,
whichever is earlier.
• The Cabinet Appointments Committee (ACC) has approved the proposal by the Department of
Financial Services to grant financial and administrative powers and functions to the position of
CMD, NIACL.
• She Succeeded Mr. Atul Sahai as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the company
had ended on February 28, 2022, following his superannuation.
About Ms Madhulika Bhaskar :
• Ms. Bhaskar is working as General Manager in the General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC
Re).
• She oversees the operations of the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), Investment, Internal
Audit, and Actuarial Departments.
• She joined the GIC Re in 1988 as a direct recruit officer.
• She has served GIC diligently for the past 33 years in various positions.
About NIACL :
• The New India Assurance Co. Ltd is a nationalized general insurance company.
• It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
Mr. Sanjai Kumar recommended for the post of CMD, R aitel
• The Public enterprise's selection board (PESB) selected and recommended Mr. Sanjai Kumar
for the post of Chairman & Managing Director, RailTel Corporation of India Ltd (RCIL)
About Mr. Sanjai Kumar :
• Mr. Sanjai Kumar is an officer of the Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE) who
joined the service on November 30, 1992.
• He has been working in RailTel since May 2018 as Director, Network Planning & Marketing.
• He has over 27 years of experience working as an officer of IRSSE including over 18 years of
experience in managing projects and marketing departments.
• Currently, he is serving as Director (Network Planning & Marketing) and (Project, Operations &
Maintenance - Additional Charge) in Railtel.
About RCIL :
• RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. is an Indian public sector enterprise focusing on providing
broadband and VPN services.
• It is under the ownership of Indian Railways the Ministry of Railways, and GoI.
Government Appoints 29 N on-Official Members in The Board Of Trade
• The Government of India (GoI) has nominated 29 non-official members from different sectors,
including large and small enterprises, to the Board of Trade, the advisory body on foreign trade
policy.
• The Board, headed by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal advises
the government on policy measures to improve the country's foreign trade.
• The board, which includes participants from states, union territories, and senior officials from
public and private sectors, provides a platform to discuss ways on boosting manufacturing and
exports.
• Other non-official members include a chief executive officer of Tata Consultancy Services
Rajesh Gopinathan, KKR India Chairman Sanjay N ayyar, Pasha Patel, a former member of
Maharashtra Legislative Council, Pankaj Mahindroo, Chairman India Cellular, and Electronics
Association, Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary General Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT),
Laghu Udyog Bharati Executive Member Om Prakash Mittal, GCMMF (Amul) Managing Director
RS Sodhi, among others.
• The official members will include secretaries of the department of revenue, department of
commerce, ministry of health, agriculture, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Indi a, and
the chairman Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), among others.
• According to a notification of the commerce ministry, In 2019, the government merged the
Council of Trade Development and Promotion with the Board of Trade to bring greater
coherence in the consultation process with all stakeholders for promoting exports and imports.
• The terms of reference for the new non-official members include providing a platform to States
and Union Territories for articulating State-oriented perspectives on trade policy
• The members are also to act as facilitators in the implementation of District Export Hub events
including sensitization workshops, and the identification and promotion of identified products.
• They would also help states develop and pursue export strategies in line with national Foreign
Trade Policy, facilitate a mechanism for discussion on the operationalization of the trade
infrastructure; review policy instruments and procedures for imports and exports and suggest
steps to rationalize use.
Mr. Aviva India appoints Asit Rath as MD & CEO
● Private life insurer Aviva Life Insurance Company India has appointed Mr. Asit Rath as its Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) will come into effect on July 11, 2022.
● He succeeded Mr. Amit Malik.
About Mr. Asit Rath :
● He comes with 22 years of banking and insurance experience in India and Myanmar and has
strong distribution experience with ICICI Bank and ICICI Prudential Life in India.
● Currently, he is the CEO of Prudential Myanmar Life Insurance.
About Aviva India :
● Founded: 2002
● Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana
● Aviva Life Insurance Company India Limited is a joint venture between Dabur Invest Corp, one
of India’s oldest and most respected business houses, and Aviva International Holdings Limited,
a UK-based insurance group.
● Aviva International has been associated with India since 1834.
Insecticides India Limited (IIL) appoints Ajay Devgn as brand ambassador
● One of the country's largest crop protection and Nutrition companies, Insecticides (India) Ltd.
(IIL), has roped in Bollywood’s versatile superstar Ajay Devgn as their brand ambassador.
● With the support of Devgn, the company intends to spread the message of judicious use of
agrochemicals besides communicating about their products and boosting farmer awareness in
India to the grassroots level.
About IIL :
● Founded: 2002
● MD: Rajesh Aggarwal
South Indian Bank Partners with Kerala Forest & Wildlife Department for digital payment collection
● The South Indian Bank (SIB) has signed an agreement with Kerala’s Forest and Wildlife
● Department to enable digital collection of payments at eco-tourism c e nters, V anasree s hops,
mobile Vanasree units, and eco-shops across Kerala.
● Through this partnership, the digital collection system of South Indian Bank will now be available
at all 124 tourist spots that fall under the Forest Department.
● The tie-up will commence with the setting up of 124 POS machines under 36 forest department
agencies across Kerala.
● The Forest Department has set up Vanasree shops and units with the objective of marketing
forest products, conserving and managing biodiversity, protecting the rich and sensitive
ecosystem, and uplifting the living standards of the tribals working in the area.
About SIB :
● Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala, India
● Chairman : Salim Gangadharan
● MD & CEO: Murali Ramakrishnan
About Kerala Forest & Wildlife Department :
● Headquarters: Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
● Minister for Forests and Wildlife, Zoos & Animal Husbandry: A. K. Saseendran
Mr. Mustafizur Rahman appointed as Bangladesh’s next High Commissioner to India
• The Bangladesh Government has appointed Mr. Mustafizur Rahman as the next High
Commissioner of Bangladesh to India.
• He will be replacing Mr. Muhammad Imran.
• Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government has appointed Mr. Muhammad Imran as the next
ambassador to the US.
About Mr. Mustafizur Rahman :
• Mr. Rahman is a career foreign service officer belonging to the 11th batch of Bangladesh Civil
Service (BCS) Foreign Affairs cadre.
• In his diplomatic career, he has served in various capacities in Bangladesh Missions in Paris,
New York, Geneva, and Kolkata.
• He has served as the Bangladesh High Commissioner to Singapore.
• He occupied various positions primarily in the United Nations Wing.
• Currently, Mr. Mustafizur Rahman is serving as Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the
United Nations Offices in Geneva and the Ambassador to Switzerland.
About Mr. Muhammad Imran :
• Mr. Imran is a career foreign service officer belonging to the 1986 batch of the Bangladesh Civil
Service (BCS) Foreign Affairs cadre.
• He has served as the Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata and Ambassador of
Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.
FSIB recommends former Union Bank of India MD Mr. Rajkiran Rai for the post of NaBFID MD
• The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) has recommended Mr. G Rajkiran Rai for the
position of Managing Director at the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development
(NaBFID).
• This is the first selection made by the FSIB following its incorporation on July 1, 2022.
• Earlier in 2022, the Government had infused ₹ 20,000 crores into NaBFID.
About Mr G Rajkiran Rai :
• Mr. Rai was appointed as the managing director & CEO of Union Bank of India on July 1, 2017,
for 3 years until June 30, 2020.
• He was then handed a two-year extension till his date of superannuation in May 2022.
About FSIB :
• Chairman : Bhanu Pratap Sharma
• The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) was revamped into FSIB with certain amendments in its
mandate.
• The FSIB will make recommendations for appointments of full-time directors as well as the non-
executive chairman of banks and financial institutions.
About NaBFID :
• NBFID is being set up as a corporate body with an authorized share capital of one lakh crore
rupees.
• Shares of NBFID may be held by the central government, multilateral institutions, sovereign
wealth funds, pension funds, insurers, financial institutions, banks, and any other institution
prescribed by the central government.
• Initially, the central government will own 100% shares of the institution which may subsequently
be reduced up to 26%.
• According to the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) Act
2021, the institution will have one MD and not more than three DMDs.
• Chairman: KV Kamath
Eureka Forbes names Mr. Pratik Pota as MD & CEO for 5 yrs
• Global private equity investor Advent International has appointed Mr. Pratik Pota as Managing
Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of consumer durables maker Eureka Forbes.
• He will join Eureka Forbes as MD & CEO on August 16, 2022.
Roles & Responsibilities :
• He will lead the management team to continue scaling the business, solidifying Eureka Forbes’
market leadership position, and delivering innovative products for a growing customer base.
About Mr. Pratik Pota :
• Mr. Pratik Pota served as the CEO at Jubilant Foodworks Ltd (JFL)
• Before JFL, he held leadership roles in PepsiCo, Airtel, and Hindustan Unilever Ltd in a career
spanning more than 30 years.
Note :
• Managing Director of Advent : Sahil Dalal
About Eureka Forbes :
• Founded: 1982
• Eureka Forbes Ltd is an Indian multinational consumer goods company.
• It is a part of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
• It provides water purification, devices, vacuum cleaners, air purification systems, and home
security products.
FIFS appoints Mr. Joy Bhattacharjya as director-general
• India’s first and only self-regulatory industry body for fantasy sports, the Federation of Indian
Fantasy Sports (FIFS) has appointed Mr. Joy Bhattacharjya as its director general.
• Mr. Joy Bhattacharjya will oversee the functioning of the body and work with policymakers and
industry stakeholders alike.
About Mr. Joy Bhattacharjya :
• Mr. Joy Bhattacharjya is an Indian quizzer, orator, writer, and sports producer.
• He is the former Team Director of the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
• In 2017, he served as the director for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which was conducted in India.
• Mr. Bhattacharjya is the CEO of the Prime Volleyball League and is a cricket analyst
• He was the first Indian head of production at ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming
Network) Star Sports.
About FIFS :
• Founded: 2017
• Chairman: Bimal Julka
• The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), earlier known as the Indian Federation of
Sports Gaming IFSG.
• The FIFS was established to protect consumer interest and create standardized best practices in
the Fantasy Sports industry.
Aim :
• To set extremely high standards for the self-regulation and operational efficiency of the Fantasy
Sports industry.
PM Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe Sworn in as Interim President of Sri Lanka
• Sri Lankan Mr. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as the interim President
after Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena accepted the resignation of Gotabaya
Rajapaksa.
• He was administered the oath of office by Sri Lankan Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya.
• The new Sri Lankan President will be elected as per the provisions of the Special Provisions Act
No. 2 of 1981 and Article 40 of th e Constitution.
About Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe :
• Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe was qualified as an advocate.
• He holds the position of Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka.
• He is a member of parliament from the United National Party (UNP).
• He has been the leader of the UNP since 1994.
• Earlier he served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1993 to 1994, 2001 to 2004, 2015 to 2018,
and 2018 to 2019.
• He also served as Leader of the Opposition from 1994 to 2001 and from 2004 to 2015
About Sri Lanka :
• Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative), Colombo (executive and judicial)
Alphabet Inc appoints Mr. Marty Chavez to Board
• Google parent Alphabet Inc appointed Wall Street veteran Mr. Ramon Martin Chavez to its
Board of Directors.
• His appointment marks the first change to the Alphabet board since 2020 when former Google
Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt departed.
About Mr. R. Martin Chavez :
• R. Martin Chavez is an American investment banker and entrepreneur.
• He is vice chairman and partner of Sixth Street Partners.
• He served in senior roles at Goldman Sachs, including chief information officer (2014–2017),
chief financial officer, and global co-head of the firm's Securities Division.
• He was also a partner and member of Goldman's management committee.
• He was the chief technology officer and co-founder of Quorum Software Systems and CEO and
co-founder of Kiodex.
• He is chairman of the board of computational pharmaceutical company Recursion, and Board
Observer of early cancer detection and Synthetic Biopsy company Earli.
• He was appointed president of Harvard University's board of overseers for the 2020–21
academic year.
About Alphabet Inc :
• Founded: October 2, 2015
• Headquarters: California, U.S
• Founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin
• Director and CEO: Sundar Pichai
• Chairperson: John L. Hennessy
Mr. R D Dhiman appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh
• Indian Administrative Officer (IAS), Mr. Ram Dass Dhiman appointed as the new Chief Secretary
of Himachal Pradesh.
• He replaces Mr. Ram Subhag Singh, who has been appointed as the Principal Advisor
(Administrative Reforms).
• With this, Mr. Ram Subhag Singh becomes the 5th Chief Secretary who was not able to
complete his tenure during the present regime of the BJP-led government & before him, Mr. VK
Parkha, Mr. Vineet Chawdhry, Mr. BK Aggarwal, and Mr. Anil Khachi served as HP Chief
Secretary.
• The state government has also appointed 1987-batch IAS Ms. Nisha Singh as Principal Advisor
(Training and FA).
• Also the 1988-batch IAS officer Mr. Sanjay Gupta has been appointed as Principal Advisor
(Redressal of Public Grievances).
About Mr. R D Dhiman :
• Mr. Dhiman hails from Dhalwari district Una in Himachal Pradesh.
• He is a 1988-batch IAS officer of the Himachal cadre, he has a vast experience of more than 31
years.
• He has held various important Administrative positions in the HP government including ACS
Revenue, Forest, Language Art and Culture, Principal Secretary Industry Labour and
Employment, Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Social Justice and Empowerment,
Industries, Education, Agriculture, Chairman, Managing Director (MD) and Member
(Administration) of HP State Electricity Board, MD HP Power Corporation Limited, Electronics
Development Corporation, HP Financial Corporation, State Industrial Development Corporation,
Secretary Rural Development, and Panchyati Raj.
About Himachal Pradesh :
• CM: Jai Ram Thakur
Manipur governor Shri La Ganesan gets additional charge as West Bengal governor
• The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind appointed Shri La Ganesan to take oath as the
new governor (additional charge ) of West Bengal, following the resignation of Shri Jagdeep
Dhankhar, who has been nominated by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as its vice-
presidential candidate.
• In addition to performing the duties of Manipur, Shri Ganesan will handle the responsibilities of
Bengal for the time being.
• He was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Mr. Prakash
Shrivastava in the presence of Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee, other state ministers, and
Speaker Mr. Biman Banerjee.
• Ganesan is also the governor of Manipur.
Note :
Article 153 Governors of States – Constitution Of India
• Article 153 of the Constitution Of India gives there shall be a Governor for each State.
• Also, it provided that nothing in this article shall prevent the appointment of the same person as
Governor for two or more States
About Shri La. Ganesan :
• Shri La. Ganesan was born on 16 February 1945, Thanjavur, Madras State, India (present-day
Tamil Nadu)
• He is serving as the Governor of Manipur since 27 August 2021.
• Before being governor, he was a senior leader of the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party
About West Bengal :
SEBI Approves Appointment of Mr. Ashish Chauhan as MD & CEO Of NSE
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved the appointment of Mr. Ashish
Kumar Chauhan as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the
National Stock Exchange (NSE), the country’s largest stock exchange for a five-year term.
• Mr. Chauhan’s appointment is subject to acceptance of the offer made to him and fulfillment of
the terms and conditions, including approval from the NSE shareholders.
• He will succeed Mr. Vikram Limaye.
• In the meantime, until he joins an internal executive committee is expected to run the affairs at
NSE.
• The committee comprises the following: Group CFO and head of corporate affairs Yatrik Vin;
chief regulatory officer Priya Subbaraman; chief enterprise risk and information security officer
Somasundaram KS and chief technology and operations officer Shiv Kumar Bhasin. The
committee will be dissolved after the new MD & CEO assumes office.
About Mr. Ashish Kumar Chauhan :
• Ashish Kumar Chauhan mechanical engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Bombay and an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta.
• He is an Indian business executive, administrator, and current Chancellor of the University of
Allahabad.
• He was recruited from the campus as an officer by the Industrial Development Bank of India
(now IDBI Bank) in 1991.
• He also serves as a member of Governing council of one of the premier B schools in India - IIM
Raipur.
• He joined BSE as Deputy CEO in 2009 and then he was appointed as CEO in 2012 and served
until November 2022.
• He is best known as the father of modern financial derivatives in India due to his work at NSE.
About NSE :
• Founded: 1992
• Chairperson: Girish Chandra Chaturvedi
• MD & CEO: Vikram Limaye
REC Ltd appoints Shri Vijay Kumar Singh as Director (Technical)
• Shri Vijay Kumar Singh has taken charge as Director (Technical) of REC Limited.
• Before this, he was serving as Executive Director in the Company and was responsible for all
aspects of project financing including project appraisal, entity appraisal, sanction, disbursement,
and monitoring of projects in renewable energy, generation, and transmission.
About Shri Vijay Kumar Singh :
• Shri Vijay Kumar Singh holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Roorkee.
• He has a career spanning more than 33 years across power sector PSUs, NTPC, PGCIL, and
REC.
• In his 15-year stint with REC, he has delivered key operations of the company involving Policy
formulation, Project & Entity Appraisal, Business Planning, Stressed Assets Management, and
MoU negotiations besides heading operations at REC’s subsidiary for some time.
• He is also a Director on the Board of REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited, a
wholly owned subsidiary of REC.
About REC Ltd :
• REC Limited, formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, is a public Infrastructure Finance
Company in India’s power sector.
• The company is a Public Sector Undertaking and finances and promotes power projects across
India.
• Chairman & Managing Director: Vivek Kumar Dewangen
Former Supreme Court judge Mr. Vineet Saran a ppointed BCCI ethics officer
• Former Supreme Court judge Mr. Vineet Saran has been appointed as the new ethics officer
and ombudsman for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• He will be taking over from Justice (Retd) D K Jain whose term ends in June 2021.
About Mr Vineet Saran :
• Justice Vineet Saran was born on 11 May 1957.
• He was enrolled as an Advocate on 28 July 1980.
• He practiced in the Allahabad High Court from 1980 to 2002 on the constitutional, civil and
criminal sides.
• He was appointed a permanent Judge of the Allahabad High Court on 14 February 2002.
• He was thereafter transferred to Karnataka High Court on 16 February 2015 and was appointed
Chief Justice of Orissa High Court on 26 February 2016.
• He was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on 7 August 2018 & he retired on
10 May 2022.
About BCCI :
• President : Sourav Ganguly
Shri Manoj Kumar Assumes Charge as new Chairman Of Khadi And Village Industries Commi ssion
(KVIC)
• Former expert member of marketing at Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Shri
Manoj Kumar has been promoted to take charge as Chairman of the Government of India’s
statutory body KVIC.
• KVIC’s former Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena has moved on to take charge as the
Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
About Shri Manoj Kumar :
• Shri Manoj Kumar, who has worked as an Expert Member (Marketing) at KVIC, has a vast
experience in the areas of marketing and rural development.
About KVIC :
• Founded: 1957
• The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body formed by the GoI,
under the Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956'.
• It is an apex organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.
Aim :
• To develop Khadi and other village industries in rural areas.
Shri. Jayanti Prasad appointed as Whole Time Member of IBBI
• The central Government has appointed Shri Jayanti Prasad as a Whole-time Member of the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) for five years.
About Shri Jayanti Prasad :
• Shri Jayanti Prasad holds a Master of Science degree in the subject of Physics from the
University of Lucknow.
• He belongs to the 1986 batch of Indian Audit and Accounts Service officers, superannuated as
Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General (Human Resources and International Relations).
• He had accomplished 35 years of experience in the civil services, national and international
assignments, having held key positions within the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General of
India and in the United Nations (UN)
• He was the Chief Auditor at the UN for six years and also served as the Custodian under the
Special Court (TORTS) Act, 1992 in the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.
• In addition to being an officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, he holds membership in
the Institute of Public Auditors of India.
Awards & Honors :
• He has been awarded by the UN in recognition of his contributions as Chief Auditor for the Oil
for Food Program resulting in significant impact and cost savings for the UN.
About IBBI :
• Chairperson: Ravi Mittal
Former Army training command Chief Mr. Lt General Raj Shukla appointed as a member of UPSC
• Retired General Officer of the Indian Army Mr. Lieutenant General Raj Shukla was appointed as
a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
• With his appointment, the commission now has a chairperson and six members against its
sanctioned strength of 10.
About Mr. Lt General Raj Shukla :
• Mr. Lt General Raj Shukla is an alumnus of Uttar Pradesh Sainik School Lucknow, National
Defence Academy Khadakwasla Pune, and Indian Military Academy.
• He was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery in December 1982.
• He served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army Training Command (GOC-
in-C ARTRAC).
• He commanded an Infantry Brigade in counter-insurgency operations, the Baramulla Division
along the Line of Control (LOC) in the Kashmir Valley, and a Pivot Corps along the western
borders.
• He has also been Commandant of the Indian Army’s prestigious training establishment and
thinks tank - the Army War College.
• He has authored close to 70 articles/publications and lectured/participated in more than 180
talks/seminars in India and abroad.
Awards & Honors :
• In recognition of his service of the most exceptional order, Shukla was awarded the Param
Vishisht Seva Medal on Republic Day 2021.
About UPSC :
• Chairman : Dr. Manoj Soni
• The commission conducts the civil services exam to recruit the country’s civil servants.
• The UPSC recommends candidates to the government for appointment to the Indian
Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and the
Central Services- Group A and Group B.
RattanIndia Power appoints Mr. Brijesh Gupta as managing director
• RattanIndia Power Ltd has appointed Mr. Brijesh Gupta as a Managing Director.
About Mr. Brijesh Gupta :
• Mr. Brijesh Gupta is an alumnus of Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering, Nagpur.
• He has over three decades of experience in the industrial sector having worked in top
organizations in the Renewable, Steel, Mining, and Commodities sector in India and abroad.
• He has held leadership positions in Adani Enterprises, Essar Group, Welspun, and Atha Group.
• He has global experience having worked across geographies in the USA, Middle East, Iran, and
the Indian Subcontinent.
About RattanIndia Power Limited :
• Founded: 2007
• RattanIndia Power Ltd (RPL) is one of the largest private sector Power Generation companies/
Utility companies.
• RPL has commissioned 2 world-class large coal-based thermal power generation projects in
Maharashtra with a total capacity of 2700 MW.
• The company counts marquee funds like Goldman Sachs and VardePartners, the USA as
investors in the business.
UP government appoints Deloitte India as a consultant to make a $1 trillion economy
• The Uttar Pradesh cabinet appointed Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India as a consultant to achieve
the target of making the state a $1-trillion economy.
• The involvement in this decision was a high power committee headed by Chief Minister Shri
Yogi Adityanath which later recommended the decision of appointment.
• To fulfill the Prime Minister’s resolve to make India a $5 trillion economy, the role of the most
populous state of Uttar Pradesh is important.
Key Highlights :
• The consultant quoted a bid price of Rs 120 crore.
• Others in the fray were Boston Consulting Group and Grant Thorton.
• According to the fresh request for proposal (RFP) document, the selected consultant will have to
critically analyze the macro and micro-economic sectoral data around GSDP, trade, investment,
expenditure, savings, workforce participation, inflation, import & export, etc to identify the
strengths and weaknesses of UP’s economy.
• The tenders for the selection of consultants were invited on March 15, 2022, and the last date
for receipt of tenders was fixed as May 24, 2022.
About Deloitte:
• The firm entered India in 1998, and by then has increased its scope in Delhi, Bangalore,
Mumbai, and Hyderabad.
• In January 2021, Punit Renjen who began his second term at the global helm of Deloitte in 2020
explained the firm’s macro view to expanding India’s positioning to wider attitudes in the global
business environment.
About UP :
Italian Prime Minister Mr. Mario Draghi Resigns
• Italian Prime Minister Mr. Mario Draghi has submitted his resignation to President Sergio
Mattarella after key coalition parties withdrew their support for his government.
• However, Draghi’s government will continue to function under a caretaker Prime Minister until
the new government is formed following the election.
About Mr. Mario Draghi :
• Mr. Mario Draghi is an Italian economist, banker, former professor, and civil servant.
• He has served as prime minister of Italy since February 2021.
• Before PM, he served as President of the European Central Bank (ECB) between 2011 and
2019.
• He was also Chair of the Financial Stability Board between 2009 and 2011, and Governor of the
Bank of Italy between 2006 and 2011.
About Italy :
• President : Sergio Mattarella
• Capital: Rome
• Currency: Euro
Mr. Narinder Batra resigns as FIH, IOA president, and IOC member
• Veteran sports administrator Mr. Narinder Batra has resigned from his positions as the President
of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH),
& also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
About Mr. Narinder Batra :
• Mr. Narinder Kumar was born on October 20, 1967, in Patiala, Punjab, India
• He became the first non-European president of the FIH in 2016 & he was re-elected as the FIH
president for a second term in 2021.
• The 65-year-old Batra took charge of the IOA President for the first time in 2017 and was eligible
to contest for re-election.
• He served as the President of Hockey India from 2014 to 2016 and the Asian Hockey
Association from 2003 to 2013.
• He became an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member in 2019 and later became a
member of its Olympic Channel Commission.
FIH appoints Egypt’s Mr. Seif Ahmed as acting president
• The International Hockey Federation (FIH) appointed Egypt’s Mr. Seif Ahmed as its acting
president following Indian administrator Mr. Narinder Batra’s resignation from the post.
• Mr. Seif Ahmed has been a member of the FIH Executive board since 2001.
Note :
• India will host the next FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in January
2023.
About FIH :
Ms. Droupadi Murmu becomes India’s first tribal w oman president
• Ms. Droupadi Murmu, a tribal BJP leader and former Jharkhand Governor, has been elected as
the 15th President of India.
• She defeated the opposition candidate, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, with 676,803 electoral votes
(64.03% of the total) in 21 of the 28 states (including the union territory of Puducherry).
• She will replace president Shri Ram Nath Kovind whose’s term will end on 24 July 2022.
• She will be administered oath by the CJI, Mr. NV Ramana, and assume the office on July 25,
2022.
• She is the first-ever person belonging to a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community to be elected as the
President of India.
• Murmu is the first person from Odisha and only the second woman after Pratibha Patil to occupy
this post.
• She is the youngest and first individual to have been born after India's independence in 1947,
elected to this post
Note :
• The 2022 Indian Presidential Election was the 16th presidential election that was held in India on
the 18th of July 2022.
About Droupadi Murmu :
• Droupadi Murmu was born on 20 June 1958 in a Santhali tribal family in Uparbeda village of
Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.
• She worked as a junior assistant in the State Irrigation and Power Department from 1979 to
1983.
• As a member of the BJP, she was elected to the state assembly twice in 2000 and 2009 from
the Rairangpur seat.
• In 2000, she became the Chairperson of Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat and also served as the
National Vice-President of BJP Scheduled Tribes Morcha.
• She also served as Minister of State with Independent Charge for Commerce and Transport and
Fisheries and Animal Resources Development.
• She also served as an MLA for four years, from 2000 to 2004.
• On May 18, 2015, Draupadi Murmu took the oath of office to become the first female governor of
Jharkhand (ninth Governor of Jharkhand ) and also becoming the first female tribal leader from
Odisha to be appointed as a Governor of the Indian State.
• The BJP nominated Murmu as the National Democratic Alliance’s presidential candidate for the
June 2022 election.
Awards & Honors :
• In 2007, Draupadi Murmu, received the Nilkantha Award for the best MLA ( Member of
Legislative Assembly) by Odisha Legislative Assembly.
About the Santhals tribe :
• Santhals, are the third largest scheduled tribe community in India after the Gonds and Bhils.
• Their population is mostly distributed in Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
• According to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute
(SCSTRTI), Bhubaneswar, the word ‘Santhal’ is derived from two words; ‘Santha’ meaning calm
and peaceful and ‘ala’ meaning man.
Mr. Rajarshi Gupta was appointed as managing director of ONGC Videsh
• Mr. Rajarshi Gupta has been appointed as Managing Director of ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the
overseas investment arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
• He was recommended for the position by Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB).
• He replaces Mr. Alok Gupta who superannuated as ONGC Videsh's MD in June 2022.
About Mr. Rajarshi Gupta :
• Mr. Gupta holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the prestigious NIT Rourkela and is
also a Gold Medallist in MBA (International Business) from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.
• He has more than 33 years of wide-ranging experience in supervisory, managerial, and strategic
planning capacities in domestic and international operations of ONGC and ONGC Videsh.
• He spent 13 years in ONGC Videsh during 2006-2019, working across the globe in diverse
geographical and fiscal regimes, in business development, etc.
• Before this new appointment, he was Executive Director - Chief of Corporate Strategy &
Planning in ONGC.
About ONGC :
• Founded: 1965
Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena was sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
• Senior Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Member of Parliam ent Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena has
been appointed as the 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
• He succeeds former prime minister Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has been sworn in as Sri
Lanka’s 9th president.
• Gunawardena was sworn in by President Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Prime Minister’s
Office on Flower Road, Colombo, Sri Lanka
About Dinesh Gunawardena :
• Gunawardena was born on 2 March 1949.
• He has served as a member of parliament, cabinet minister, and Leader of the House of the
Parliament of Sri Lanka.
• He was appointed to the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna's (MEP) central committee in August
1973.
• He was appointed Minister of Transport, Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply, and
Deputy Minister of Education after the election.
• He is the current leader of the left-wing Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) party since 1983.
About Sri Lanka :
• President: Ranil Wickremesinghe
• Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo
Harbhajan Singh, Misa Bharti, and Rajeev Shukla are among 28 MPs to be s worn in as Rajya Sabha
members
• Cricketer-turned-politician Harbhajan Singh, Misa Bharti, daughter of former Bihar Chief Minister
Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav, and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla took oath along with nearly 25
other leaders as Rajya Sabha members.
• Others included A Rao Meena, Vijay Sai Reddy, Kheeru Mahto, Shambhala Saran Patel,
Ranjeet Ranjan, Maharashtra Majhi, Aditya Prasad, Praful Patel, Imran Pratapgarhi, Sanjay
Raut, Sasmit Patra, Sandeep Kumar Pathak, and Vikramjeet Singh Sahani, Randeep Singh
Surjewal, P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, R Girl Rajan, S Kalyan Sundaram, KRN Rajesh Kumar,
Javed Ali Khan, V Vijendra Prasad were others among those who took the oath.
• Newly elected members from different political parties took oath on the first day of the Monsoon
session of Parliament.
• Renowned former athlete PT Usha (from Kerala) and legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja
(from Tamil Nadu) could not be present in the Rajya Sabha to take the oath due to some
reasons.
• The Rajya Sabha also paid homage to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, ex-UAE
president Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and former Kenayan president Mwai Kibaki.
IAPH appoints Mr. Ennarasu Karunesan as its representative in India
• The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), the global ports’ forum for industry
collaboration and excellence, has appointed Mr. Ennarasu Karunesan as its official
representative in India.
About Mr Ennarasu Karunesan :
• Mr. Karunesan has over 33 years of leadership experience in the marine and port industries.
• He began his career in the port industry with the Mumbai port and later worked as the general
manager of operations and CEO of the Westport Container Terminal in Port Klang, Malaysia,
from 2001 to 2004.
• He introduced innovative port technologies and developed maritime infrastructure with safe &
sustainable operations.
• He served as Director & Chief Executive Officer, Chennai Container Terminal Ltd.(CCT), Dubai
Ports World (2004 – 2015), and Joint President and CEO of the Adani Ports & Special Economic
Zone, Gujarat, India (2015 – 2019).
• Currently, he serves as an advisor to Indian Ports.
About IAPH :
• MD: Patrick Verhoeven
• The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is the global trade association for
seaports worldwide.
TATA Projects appoints Mr Vinayak Pai as Managing Director
• One of India’s fastest-growing and most admired infrastructure companies, TATA Projects
Limited, has appointed Mr. Vinayak Pai as its Managing Director (MD).
• Pai has taken over the reins from Mr. Vinayak Deshpande who will retire after being at the helm
of affairs for over 11 years.
About Mr. Vinayak Pai :
• Mr. Vinayak Pai holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from the College of Engineering,
Pune.
• Further, he completed his master’ in Management Studies from Symbiosis, Pune, and an
Executive MBA in Business Administration and Management from IIT Bombay Shailesh J. Mehta
School of Management.
• Pai was the group president at Worley, based out of Hague, Netherlands, and was responsible
for their businesses in the EMEA and APAC regions.
• He has over three decades of experience with leading engineering & EPC companies where he
held key positions across various teams working towards engineering design, technology
licensing, project management, business development, and operations.
• He has been associated as a plenary speaker/panel on various forums like the Society of
Petroleum Engineers, Chemtech, etc.
• He has been a member of the Executive Leader World 50 and served as a Commissioner at the
Energy Transition Commission UK.
About Tata Projects :
• It has expertise in executing large and complex urban and industrial infrastructure projects.
• It offers complete services in some industries, including industrial, power, water, metals &
minerals, space & nuclear, transportation, and urban infrastructure.
Vodafone Idea appoints Mr. Akshaya Moondra as Chief Executive Officer
• Telecom firm Vodafone Idea has appointed Mr. Akshaya Moondra as the next Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the company for three years, with effect from August 19, 2022.
• He will replace Mr. Ravinder Takkar, whose tenure as MD & CEO of the Vodafone Idea will end
on August 18, 2022.
• Ravinder Takkar will continue to be on the board as a non-executive and non-independent
director post completion of his tenure.
• Currently, Mr. Akshaya Moondra is the chief financial officer (CFO) at Vodafone Idea.
About Mr Ravinder Takkar :
• Mr. Takkar is an experienced global executive with nearly three decades in the Vodafone Group
and will continue to serve with Vodafone Group.
• He was appointed MD and CEO of Vodafone Idea on August 19, 2019, for a term of three years
which was scheduled to end on August 18, 2022.
• He has been serving as MD & CEO of Vodafone Idea without any remuneration.
About Vodafone Idea :
YES Bank appoints Mr. RS Gandhi as an additional independent director
• Private sector lender YES Bank has appointed Mr. Rama Subramaniam Gandhi as an additional
independent director of the bank for five years.
About Mr. RS Gandhi :
• Mr. R. Gandhi was born in 1956 in Devanallur, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.
• He was a Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India for three years from 2014 to 2017.
• He had been a seasoned and accomplished central banker for 37 years.
• He had a three-year secondment to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the
capital market regulator.
• He held the charge of Director of the Institute for Development and Research in Banking
Technology (IDRBT), Hyderabad.
• He was one of the initial members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
• He was a member of the Basle Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and the Committee
on Global Financial Systems (CGFS), Basle.
• He is an independent director on the boards of several financial sector entities.
• Currently, he is a financial sector policy expert and adviser in that he advises banks, finance
companies, fintech entities, payment system entities, investors, and funds on subjects ranging
from financial regulations to and Indian economy.
About YES Bank :
• Founded: 2004
Kuwaiti emir appoints Mr. Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah as new Prime Minister
• Kuwaiti emir Mr. Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah has issued a decree appointing Mr.
Ahmad Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah as the new Prime Minister of Kuwait.
• He succeeded Mr. Sheikh Sabah Khalid AI-Hamad AI-Sabah who resigned in April 2022.
About Mr Ahmad Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah :
• Mr. Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah was born in 1956.
• He is a son of the 10th ruler of Kuwait, Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
• He is a retired Kuwaiti military officer with the rank of Lieutenant-General at the Ministry of
Interior.
• He has been the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior since March 9, 2022.
• He served as the Kuwait National Guard Deputy Commander between November 2020 and
March 9, 2022.
About Kuwait :
• Capital: Kuwait City
• Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
One97 Communications appoints Mr. Nakul Jain as CEO of Paytm Payments Services
• The parent company of the unicorn fintech company Paytm, One97 Communications has
appointed Mr. Nakul Jain as the CEO of Paytm Payments Services Ltd (PPSL).
• He replaced Mr. Praveen Sharma, who is now serving as the acting CEO of PPSL.
• Mr. Praveen Sharma has been promoted to oversee the organization’s commerce vertical in
addition to his other duties.
About Mr. Nakul Jain :
• Mr. Nakul Jain holds over 22 years of experience in retail banking and has worked in sub-fields
including branch banking, wealth management, product and segmentation, distribution, retail
assets, and acquisition.
• Earlier, he served as managing director of private banking, priority banking, deposits, and
branch banking at Standard Chartered Bank.
About Paytm :
• Founder & CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Mr. Bajram Begaj was sworn in as the new president of Albania
• A retired military officer and politician, Mr. Bajram Begaj, took oath as 9th President of Albania.
• In his first address in front of the lawmakers as the president, the 55-year-old Begaj declared
that he will support and respect both the government and opposition’s work, calling for
cooperation between political parties instead of conflict.
• Mr. Begaj will become the fifth president in the history of Albania to have a military background,
after Ahmet Zogu, Ramiz Alia, Alfred Moisiu, and Bujar Nishani.
• He was the candidate of the Socialist Party (PS), which was in power under Prime Minister Mr.
Edi Rama.
• He was the only candidate nominated for the five-year term.
• A total of 83 lawmakers participated in the voting that took place in the plenary session in the
parliament, where Begaj received 78 votes in favor, while 4 lawmakers voted against and there
was one abstention.
About Mr. Begaj :
• Mr. Begaj was born on 20 March 1967, in Rrogozhinë, Albania.
• He served as the Commander of the Doctrine and Training Command in the Albanian Armed
Forces.
• He held various other posts including Chief of the Military Medical Unit and Deputy Military
Director of SUT, Director of the Military Hospital, Director of the Health Inspectorate, etc.
• He had a long career in the Albanian army, serving as the 26th Chief of General Staff of the
Albanian Armed Forces from July 2020 to June 2022.
About Albania :
• Prime Minister : Edi Rama
• Capital: Tirana
• Currency: Lek
World Bank appoints Indian national Mr. Indermit Gi ll as chief economist & Senior VP
• The World Bank has appointed Indian national Mr. Indermit Gill as the chief economist and
senior vice president for development economics.
• His appointment will be effective September 1, 2022.
• He will succeed American economist Mr. Carmen Reinhart.
• Mr. Gill will be only the second Indian after Mr. Kaushik Basu to serve as chief economist at the
World Bank.
• Mr. Kaushik Basu was the Chief Economist of the World Bank from 2012-2016.
About Mr. Indermit Gill :
• Mr. Indermit Gill has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago, an MA from the Delhi
School of Economics, and a BA in economics from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi.
• He worked at the World Bank from 1993 to 2016, where his assignments included Director of
Development Policy in Development Economics, staff director for the 2009 World Development
Report on Economic Geography, chief economist for Europe and Central Asia, acting chief
economist for East Asia and the Pacific, and Principal Country Economist for Brazil.
• His pioneering work includes introducing the concept of the “middle-income trap” to describe
how developing countries stagnate after reaching a certain level of income.
• He was a professor of public policy at Duke University and a nonresident senior fellow in the
Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution between 2016 and
2021.
• He has published extensively on policy issues facing developing countries, sovereign debt,
green growth, labor markets, poverty and inequality, and managing natural resource wealth.
• Currently, he is the Vice President for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions (EFI) at the
World Bank, where he led work on macroeconomics, debt, trade, poverty, and governance.
About World Bank :
• Membership: 189 countries (IBRD), 174 countries (IDA)
LIC HFL Board appoints Ravi Kishan Takkar as Additional Director
• The Board of Directors of LIC Housing Finance Ltd (LIC HFL) has approved the appointment of
Ravi Kishan Takkar, as an Additional Director (Independent) for five years.
• Takkar was MD & CEO of Kolkata-headquartered UCO Bank for three years till November 01,
2018.
About LIC HFL :
• MD & CEO: Viswanatha Gowd
• LIC HFL is one of the largest Housing Finance Mortgage loan companies in India.
• LIC HFL is a subsidiary company of LIC.
IFS officer Mr. Pranay Kumar Verma appointed as the new Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh
• The Center appointed Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Mr. Pranay Kumar Verma as the next
High Commissioner of India to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
• Mr. Verma will succeed incumbent Mr. Vikram Doraiswami.
• Mr. Sandeep Arya, an IFS officer of the 1994 batch has been appointed as the next Ambassador
of India to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
• Currently, Mr. Arya is posted as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
About Mr. Pranay Kumar Verma :
• Mr. Verma is an officer of the 1994 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
• He has held diplomatic assignments in Hong Kong, San Francisco, Beijing, Kathmandu, and
Washington DC.
• He served as the Joint Secretary of the East Asia Division at the Ministry of External Affairs in
New Delhi.
• He also served as the Joint Secretary for external relations at the Department of Atomic Energy
looking after India’s nuclear diplomacy.
• Currently, he is serving as Ambassador of India to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
About Ministry of External Affairs :
• Cabinet Minister: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
• Minister of State: V. Muraleedharan, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Meenakshi Lekhi
IMPORTANT AWARDS & HONOURS NEWS
IG Drones receives the Global Airwards Best Drone Organization Award:
• The "Best Drone Organization - Start-up Category" award was presented by Airwards to the
Delhi-based, market-leading drone enterprise platform business IG Drones.
• For its strategy of assisting local communities and providing access to technology to many
stakeholders during natural catastrophes and crises, IG Drones has been chosen for the award.
About IG Drones:
• To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of first responders' assistance in emergency
response and catastrophe mapping, IG Drones is creating innovative technology-based disaster
response and mitigation methods.
• In major catastrophes like the Assam Floods, Amphan Cyclone, Fani Cyclone, Jajpur Flood in
Odisha, Maharashtra Flood, and Uttarakhand CloudBurst, they have used a drone and GIS
technologies to save hundreds of thousands of lives.
Airwards Programme:
• The first panoptic global awards program of its type airwards is focused on uncovering,
recognizing, and supporting the diversity of creative, safe, and practical drone use cases from
around the world. 38 drone professionals and business executives evaluated more than 120
entries from across the world to determine the 18 major category winners for this year's
Airwards.
• The winners, who will be revealed during the second-ever Airwards Winners' Week (23–31 May
2022), have been acknowledged by Airwards as the absolute best drone-related projects in
terms of innovation, responsibility, and impact.
Ashok Soota was conferred with CII Quality Ratna Award 2021:
• Happiest Minds Technologies' founder and executive chairman, Ashok Soota, has received the
CII Quality Ratna Award 2021.
• The 2019 CII Quality Ratna Award was established to honor those who have distinguished
themselves through extraordinary leadership, contributions, and dedication to India's quality
movement.
• Given Mr. Soota's substantial contribution to enhancing the competitiveness of the Indian
industry via quality Initiatives, the CII Awards Committee unanimously decided to present him
with the 2021 Award.
Karnataka’s Sini Shetty crowned Femina Miss India 2022:
• The Femina Miss India 2022 title has been won by Sini Shetty.
• She will now compete in the 71st Miss World pageant as India's representative.
• At the JIO World Convention Center in Mumbai, Shetty was named Femina Miss India World
2022 by Manasa Varanasi, Miss India 2020.
• Rubal Shekhawat of Rajasthan is the first runner-up in Femina Miss India 2022, while Shinata
Chauhan of Uttar Pradesh is the second.
Femina Miss India 2022's jury:
• Actors Neha Dhupia, Dino Morea, Malaika Arora, and famous cricketer Mithali Raj made up the
jury for Femina Miss India 2022.
• Shiamak Davar, Rohit Gandhi, and Rahul Khanna were also on the panel.
About Sini Shetty:
• Shetty, a native of Karnataka, was born in Mumbai in 2001.
• The 21-year-old is presently enrolled in a Chartered Financial Analyst program.
• He has a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance (CFA).
UK Parliament honors Tanuja Nesari with the Ayurveda Ratna award:
• The UK Parliament presented Tanuja Nesari, Director of the All-India Institute of Ayurveda
(AIIA), with the Ayurveda Ratna Award.
• She received the award from the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Traditional
Sciences (ITSappg), which recognizes her work to promote the spread of Ayurveda both
domestically and internationally.
• An ITSappg committee led by dignitaries Bob Blackman, MP, UK Parliament and Chair, Virendra
Sharma, MP, UK Parliament, and Chair, and Ambassador for Ayurveda and Yoga in Great
Britain, Amarjeet S. Bhamra, honored Dr. Nesari for her exceptional service of the highest
calibre for the promotion of Ayurveda.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Traditional Sciences:
• To promote understanding of Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Vastu, Unani, and Sangeetam in the UK
and internationally, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Traditional Sciences was
established in 2014.
HCL Technologies bags Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards 2022:
• HCL Technologies received recognition at the 2022 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards for its
creativity and use of Microsoft technologies in client solutions.
• HCL Tech won the 2022 UK Microsoft Partner of the Year Award as well as the Microsoft
Partner of the Year Award for Healthcare and Life Sciences (global winner) (country winner).
• The IT business was also selected as a finalist for the Internet of Things category of the 2022
Microsoft Partner of the Year Award (domain finalist).
Key Points:
• The Awards honor Microsoft partners who over the previous year created and provided
exceptional Microsoft-based products, services, and devices.
• For the yearly Awards, more than 3,900 nominations came from more than 100 different
nationalities.
• Before the company's annual global partner conference, Microsoft Inspire, which will be held on
July 19–20 this year, the Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards are presented.
• With a focus on maximizing business value through sector-leading innovation and transformation
on the Microsoft cloud, the HCL Microsoft Ecosystem Unit helps clients evolve into more agile
and adaptable enterprises.
About HCL Technologies
• CEO: C Vijayakumar
• Headquarters: Noida.
Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska wins prestigious Fields Medal 2022:
• Maryna Viazovska, a math professor from Ukraine, was awarded the Fields Medal in 2022, the
highest honor in mathematics.
• As a result of Moscow's conflict, the Fields Medal celebration was relocated from Saint
Petersburg to Helsinki, where Viazovska and three other mathematicians were awarded the
medal.
• Since the prize was established in 1936 for mathematicians under 40, Maryna is just the second
woman to earn it.
• Only three years after receiving the award, Iran's Maryam Mirzakhani, the other female laureate,
passed away from breast cancer in 2017.
The prestigious prize was given to four individuals, including:
• France’s Hugo Duminil-Copin (36 years)- Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques
• US-based June Huh (39 years) – Princeton University
• Britain’s James Maynard (35 years) – University of Oxford
• Ukraine’s Maryna Viazovska (37 years) – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
About the Maryna Viazovska:
• In 1984, when Ukraine was still a part of the Soviet Union, Viazovska was born in Kyiv.
• Before getting a master's degree at the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany and a Ph.D. at
the University of Bonn, she completed her undergraduate studies at the Taras Shevchenko
National University of Kyiv in Ukraine.
• She has served as the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne's number theory chair since
2018.
• The Swiss institute employs her spouse Daniil Evtushinsky as a physicist.
About Field Medals:
• The Fields medal is the mathematician's greatest accolade.
• Every four years, during the International Congress of Mathematicians, the medal is presented.
• The Fields Medal is given to honor extraordinary contributions to mathematics that have already
been made or that show promise of being made in the future.
• The Fields medal reward consists of a 14-karat gold medal with an image of Archimedes and
money.
• A trust that J.C. Fields created at the University of Toronto provides funding for the Fields medal
and monetary awards.
• Besides outstanding mathematical achievement, the chosen candidate must be below 40 years
before January 1st of the year the Field Medals are awarded.
• The Fields Medals were first awarded in 1936 in Oslo, Norway.
• The Fields medals were conceived by John Charles Fields, a Canadian mathematician.
Michelle Poonawalla received the Prestigious Shiromani Award:
• For her contributions to the arts, Michelle Poonawalla was given the Shiromani Award at the NRI
World Summit 2022 in the UK.
• The Shiromani Award was given to Rita Hinduja Chhabria, Lord Rami Ranger, and Shri Sadhu
Bhramvihari in addition to Poonawalla.
• Keynote speaker Michelle Poonawalla received the Shiromani Award for her contributions to the
realm of art while speaking in the House of Lords.
• On June 23, Poonawalla debuted "Reserve" her latest piece of art, at the JMS Foundation
Charity Gala.
• Her video "Reserve" emphasized pollution and degradation of water reserves and emphasized
water shortage as a worldwide concern.
About the Shiromani Award:
• Mother Teresa, Chief Marshal Manekshaw, Raj Kapoor, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar,
Kapil Dev, PT Usha, Leander Paes, Vishwanathan Anand, The Dalai Lama, Jaya Bachchan, and
Asha Bhosle have all received the Shiromani Award, which was established in 1977.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Memorial Award inception announced by Dr. Jitendra Singh:
• According to Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh in New Delhi, the Dr. Rajendra
Prasad Memorial Award in Public Administration has been established in memory of India's first
president.
• The Indian Institute of Public Administration's (IIPA) Executive Council was led by Dr. Singh
• The institute has to have a vision for the next 25 years to accomplish the goals that Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi has set.
Key Points:
• IIPA can perform and must do so by retaining a large pool of experts and a variety of activities.
• While presiding over the 320th meeting of the Executive Council of IIPA, Dr. Jitendra, who is
also the Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of
State (independent charge) for Earth Sciences, and the MoS for PMO, Personnel, Public
Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space, offered his congratulations to the IIPA
Director-General and staff for receiving the ISO 9001:2015 certification.
Polish government honored maharajas for helping refugees during WW II:
• The maharajas of Jamnagar and Kolhapur, among others, who provided sanctuary to Polish
refugees escaping the Soviet Union’s invasion of Poland during World War II, have received
honors from the Polish government.
• In response to the invitation, the Indian government dispatched a team to Poland that included
former royals from Jamnagar and Kolhapur as well as Yuvraj Sambhaji Raje and Sanyogitaraje
Chhatrapati of Kolhapur.
• Piotr Glinski, the deputy prime minister of Poland, also attended the Warsaw gathering.
• Poles residing there displayed images of the kindness of the Indian monarchs as they recalled
their recollections of living there.
• Germany invaded Poland and the Soviet Union in 1939, both from the west and the east.
• Thousands of Poles were compelled by the Soviet government to move farther into Soviet
territory during the occupation, including Siberia.
• Then, at least 5,000 Poles left their nation and sought safety in Kolhapur.
• They spent many years in the village of Valiwade, which is close to Kolhapur, where a miniature
version of Poland developed, complete with a school, a hospital, and even a fire department.
Gita Gopinath becomes the first woman and 2nd Indian to feature on IMF’s ‘wall of former chief
economists’:
• India-born Gita Gopinath became the first woman and second Indian to feature on the ‘wall of
former chief economists of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• The first Indian to achieve the honor was Raghuram Rajan who was Chief Economist and
Director of Research of IMF between 2003 and 2006.
• Gopinath was appointed as IMF Chief Economist in October 2018 and was later promoted as
the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director in December last year.
• Gopinath had served as the first female chief economist of the Washington-based global lender
for three years.
• Gopinath’s research has been published in many top economics journals.
• Before she was appointed IMF Chief
• Economist, she was the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics in
the economics department of Harvard University.
• Before joining the faculty of Harvard University in 2005, she was an assistant professor of
economics at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Pallavi Singh wins the Mrs. Universe Divine Crown in South Korea:
• Pallavi Singh from India won the Mrs. Universe Divine Title at the competition's Yeosu City,
South Korea, finals.
• She is an Indian who is from Kanpur, and she has represented her nation admirably in this
competition, in which 110 nations took part.
• For India, this is a moment of pride.
• Pallavi Singh, the Mrs. Universe contender from Asia, exemplified the great desire and
dedication of Indian women to achieve success in all spheres of life.
• Pallavi Singh won the 2020 Mrs. India pageant held in Jaipur.
• When the Asia-level competition was conducted in Delhi in October 2021, she went on to win the
title of Mrs. Indo-Asia Universe.
• She competed in the Mrs. Universe competition as the representative of Asia and India, winning
the title.
Narayanan Kumar received the “Order of the Rising Sun” award from Japan:
• In honor of Vice Chairman Narayanan Kumar of the Sanmar Group's work to improve trade ties
between Japan and India, the government of Japan has awarded him with the "Order of the
Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star" award.
• Kumar received recognition from Taga Masayuki, the Japanese consul general in Chennai.
• Masayuki praised Kumar for his tireless efforts to foster peace, friendship, and understanding
between Japan and India.
• The Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry is also led by Kumar .
• He was one of the winners of the "Spring 2022 Imperial Decorations" and had previously served
as the president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Maharashtra Gov presents Mother Teresa Memorial Award to Dia Mirza & Afroz Shah:
• Ms. Dia Mirza, the country's goodwill ambassador for the UN Environment Program (UNEP),
and Mr. Afroz Shah, an environmental activist, were honored with the renowned Mother Teresa
Memorial Awards for Social Justice 2021.
• The Maharashtra Governor, Hon. Bhagat Singh Koshyari presents the prize at Raj Bhavan in
Mumbai.
• For their admirable and noteworthy contributions to environmental sustainability, both received
awards.
• As the Goodwill Ambassador of UNEP, India, Ms. Dia Mirza was recognized for her amazing
and noteworthy contributions to steering important environmental initiatives throughout India.
• Mr. Afroz Shah received recognition for his outstanding and pioneering efforts to steer one of the
biggest beach clean-up projects in the world in India, which served as an inspiration to people all
around the world.
Japan awards Ex-PM Shinzo Abe country’s highest order posthumously:
• Shinzo Abe will receive Japan's highest honor, the "Collar of the Supreme Order of the
Chrysanthemum," posthumously, the Japanese government stated.
• Shinzo Abe will be the fourth former premier to receive the honor under the postwar Constitution.
• Shigeru Yoshida, Eisaku Sato, and Yasuhiro Nakasone, like former prime ministers, received
the honor before him.
• Notably, the Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Japanese Emperor Meiji.
• The Order's Collar was later added to it in 1888.
• In contrast to Europe, Japan has the authority to bestow it after a person's passing. A Japanese
national can only be awarded the grand cordon once in their life.
• Apart from the Imperial Family, up to 44 other Japanese nationals have received the grand
cordon as of right now.
NAARM received the Sardar Patel Award of ICAR:
• The Sardar Patel Outstanding ICAR Institute Award 2021 (in the Large Institute Category) has
been given to the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) in
recognition of its overall accomplishments.
• In New Delhi, Ch Srinivasa Rao, Director of NAARM, accepted the honor from Narendra Singh
Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
• At a celebration honoring the 94th Foundation Day of the ICAR, the prizes were presented.
• In Hyderabad, Telangana, India, there is a national-level Natural Resource Service training
facility for the ARS cadre.
• Its name is the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management.
• To solve problems with agricultural research and education administration in India, it was
founded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 1976.
Australia Tennis star Lleyton Hewitt inducted into Hall of Fame:
• Lleyton Hewitt, a former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner, was admitted into
the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
• Hewitt maintained the top place for 80 weeks, which ranks as the 10th-longest period in history,
before Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic rose to the top of the sport.
• Even after those stars became famous.
• The Australian legend defeated Ivo Karlovic to win the Hall of Fame Open in 2014, which was
his final ATP championship after winning his first in Adelaide in 1998.
• Hewitt won the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002.
Filmmaker KP Kumaran honored with JC Daniel Award 2022:
• KP Kumaran, a Malayalam director, has received Kerala's top cinema honor, the JC Daniel
Award.
• Kumaran received the award in recognition of his contributions to the Malayalam cinema
industry.
• The award consists of a Rs 5 lakh cash reward, a citation, and a plaque.
• Singer P Jayachandran, director Sibi Malayil, film academy chairman Ranjith, and Rani George,
principal secretary of the Department of Cultural Affairs were among the 2021 jury members.
About KP Kumaran:
• The filmmaker made his directorial debut with Athithi in 1975 and rose to prominence with films
such as Rugmini, which won the National Award for Best Malayalam Feature Film and the
Kerala State Film Award in 1989.
• He is well recognized for his roles in films such as Thenthulli, Laxmivijayam, and Thottam.
• Gramavrikshathile Kuyil, the filmmaker's most recent film, was released in 2020.
• Kumaran Asan, a philosopher, poet, social reformer, and businessman, is the subject of the film.
About The JC Daniel Award:
• The JC Daniel Award is Kerala's top honor in Malayalam film.
• The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, a nonprofit organization under the Department of
Cultural Affairs, hosts it each year.
• The award was established in 1992 to recognize individuals for their remarkable contributions to
Malayalam film.
• The prize was designed to honor Indian director JC Daniel, who is widely recognized as the
founder of Malayalam cinema.
• The prize has been given to 27 people since its establishment.
• The inaugural laureate was TE Vasudevan, a film distributor, and producer. P Jayachandran, a
singer, was the most recent laureate - 2020.
68th National Film Awards 2022 Announced:
• In New Delhi, the winners of the 68th National Film Awards were announced.
• Due to COVID-19-related delays, this year's awards presentation included films from 2020 as
well.
• The event is organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's Directorate of Film
Festivals.
• Shri Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, announced the award
winners.
• Soorarai Pottru received three of the night's four main prizes, while Tanhaji The Unsung Warrior
also received notable honors.
68th National Film Awards 2022:
✓ Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru
✓ Best Director: Sachidanandan KR, Ayyappanum Koshiyum
✓ Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Tanhaji
✓ Best Actor: Suriya for Soorarai Pottru and Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji
✓ Best Actress: Aparna Balamurali, Soorarai Pottru
✓ Best Supporting Actor: Biju Menon, Ayyappanum Koshiyam
✓ Best Supporting Actress: Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli, Sivaranjaniyum Innam Sila Pengallum
✓ Best Action Direction Award: AK Ayyappanum Koshiyum
✓ Best Choreography: Natyam (Telugu)
✓ Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir for Saina (Hindi)
✓ Best Male Playback Singer: Rahul Deshpande for Mi Vasantrao and Anish Mangesh Gosavi for
Taktak
✓ Best Female Playback Singer: Nanchamma, Ayyappanum Koshiyam
✓ Best Music Direction: Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, S Thaman
✓ Best film on Social Issues: ‘Justice Delayed but Delivered & Three Sisters
✓ Best Choreography: Natyam
✓ Best Cinematography: Avijatrik
✓ Best Audiography: Dollu, Mi Vasantrao, and Malik
✓ Best Costume Design: Tanhaji
✓ Best Production Design: Kappela
✓ Best Editing: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum
✓ Best Make-up: Natyam
✓ Best Screenplay: Soorarai Pottru, Sudha Kongara, and Mandela, Madonne Ashwin
✓ Best Stunt Choreography: Ayyappanum Koshiyum
Special Jury Award:
✓ Best Feature Film in Hindi: Toolsidas Junior
✓ Best Feature Film in Kannada: Dollu
✓ Best Feature Film in Malayalam: Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam
✓ Best Feature Film in Tamil: Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum
✓ Best Feature Film in Telugu: Colour Photo
✓ Best Feature Film in Haryanvi: Dada Lakhmi
✓ Best Feature Film in Dimasa: Samkhor
✓ Best Feature Film in Tulu: Jeetige
Non-Feature Films:
✓ Best Film on Family Values: Kumkumarchan, Abhijeet Arvind Dalvi
✓ Best Direction: Oh That’s Bhanu, RV Ramani
✓ Best Music Direction: 1232 kms – Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar, Vishal Bhardwaj
✓ Best Cinematography: Sabdikunna Kalappa, Nikhil S Praveen
✓ Best Audiography: Pearl of the Desert, Ajit Singh Rathore
✓ Best Editing: Borderlands, Anadi Athaley
✓ Best Narration Voiceover: Rhapsody of Rains – Monsoons of Kerala, Shobha Tharoor
Srinivasan
✓ Best On-Location Sound: Jadui Jangal, Sandeep Bhati, and Pradeep Lekhwar
✓ Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation
✓ Best Book on Cinema: The Longest Kiss by Kishwar Desai
✓ Best Book on Cinema (Special Mention): MT Anunahvangalude Pusthakam, Anoop
Ramakrishnan, and Kali Paine Kalira Cinema by Surya Deo
✓ Best Film Critic: No winner this year.
✓ Most Film Friendly State: Madhya Pradesh
Feature Film Awards:
✓ Best Hindi Film: Toolsidas Junior
✓ Best Malayalam Film: Thinkalazcha Nishchayam
✓ Best Telugu Film: Colour Photo
✓ Best Bengali Film: Avijatrik
✓ Best Assamese Film: Bridge
✓ Best Tulu Film: Jeetige
✓ Best Tamil Film: Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum
✓ Best Marathi Film: Gostha Eka Paithanichi
✓ Best Kannada Film: Dollu
✓ Best Dimasa Film: Semkhor
✓ Best Haryanvi Film: Dada Lakhmi
Other Awards:
• The Most Film Friendly State award goes to Madhya Pradesh (Rajat Kamal & Certificate), while
Uttarakhand (Certificate) and Uttar Pradesh (Certificate) are given Special Mention.
• The Odia book "Kali Paine Kalira Cinema" and the Malayalam book "MT Anunahvangalude
Pusthakam" both receive special mentions in addition to Kishwar Desai's "The Longest Kiss,"
which receives Best Book on Cinema for the Year.
Kamal Haasan honored by the UAE obtains a Golden Visa:
• The United Arab Emirates has awarded the coveted Golden Visa to Kamal Haasan, a well-
known name in Tamil film.
• Other people besides actor Kamal Hasan have received the Golden Visa.
• Before Kamal Hasan, actors Nasser, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Tovino Thomas, Parthiepan, Amala
Paul, and Shah Rukh Khan all won the award.
Key Points:
• The last time Kamal Haasan was seen, he was in the blockbuster hit Vikram.
• Vikram, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, stars Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi, and Fahadh
Faasil among its major actors.
• Kalidas Jayaram, Narain, Gayathrie, Vasanthi, and Santhana Bharathi were among the
supporting actors.
• The film was made by Raaj Kamal Films International, and it was shown in Tamil Nadu by
Udhayanidhi Stalin's Red Giant Movies.
About UAE Golden Visa:
• The UAE Golden Visa program offers extended residency visas that are valid for five to 10
years.
• The visa is continuously renewed.
• It is offered to professionals, investors, and people with prospective capabilities in addition to
exceptional achievers across a range of industries.
• For individuals who are already UAE citizens, the price of the Golden Visa ranges from AED
2,800 to AED 3,800.
• For applicants outside of the UAE, the cost of the Golden Visa ranges from AED 3,800 to AED
4,800.
• The price will change depending on the service and visa status.
Gen. Naravane and former US Defense Secretary honored for fostering Indo-US relations:
• General Manoj Mukund Naravane, a former head of the Indian Army, has received recognition
from the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) for his efforts to strengthen ties
between India and the US.
• Along with Naravane, Jim Mattis, a former US Defense Secretary General, also received the
public service award.
• Those who made a major contribution to strengthening ties between the US and India received
awards from the USISPF for public service and global leadership.
Key Points:
• While serving as the Defense Secretary, General Mattis made an effort to secure India as a
strategic partner for the US.
• While serving as the Chief of Staff of the Indian Army, Gen. Naravane allegedly strengthened
defense partnerships and expanded cooperation between the US and India.
• On April 30, Gen. Naravane announced his retirement, and since then, he has moved into his
newly designated home in Delhi Cantonment.
• Naravane had the distinction of holding significant command and staff roles in both peace and
conflict, in the North-East and Jammu & Kashmir, throughout his remarkable four-decade
military career.
• He also participated in the Indian Peace Keeping Force's mission in Sri Lanka.
• Former Indian Army Chief was Inspector General of the Assam Rifles (North), headed a Strike
Corps in the Western Theatre, established an Infantry Brigade, and oversaw a Rashtriya Rifles
Battalion.
• His staff positions included spells as a Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade, Defence Attache in
Yangon, Myanmar, and Directing Staff in the Higher Command Wing at the Army War College,
in addition to two terms at the Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Army), New Delhi.
NTPC recognized as the Most Preferred Workplace of 2022:
• NTPC has been recognized as one of the “Most Preferred Workplaces of 2022” in the premiere
edition of “Most Preferred Workplace 2022” organized by Team Marksman in association with
India
• Dilip Kumar Patel, Director (HR), Munish Johri, Raid (West-1), and Anil Kumar Jadli GM HR
received the felicitated award at a function held in Mumbai.
Key Points:
• The award showcases and celebrates organizations that have managed to maximize
organizational performance as well as employee well-being, engagement, and productivity.
• It highlights organizations that have been particularly successful in their overall reorientati on of
the business landscape and have also seen them create an employee experience that is
meaningful, collaborative, and motivating, putting only the needs of the employees first and the
core of the business.
• Creating a caring, learning, and engaging workplace by adopting strategically aligned people
practices for
• Organizations are rated on parameters such as employee centricity, organizational objectives,
intrapreneurial ecosystem, work flexibility, diversity and equity, growth and rewards, and social
cohesion.
Professor Kaushik Rajashekara won Global Energy Prize 2022:
• Mr. Kaushik Rajashekara, an Indian-origin engineering professor at the University of Houston,
has been awarded the renowned Global Energy Prize.
• Rajashekara received the prize in the category of New Ways of Energy Applications for his
contributions to transportation electrification and energy efficiency technologies while lowering
emissions from power generation.
• The event will take place on October 12-14, during Russian Energy Week in Moscow.
• The Global Energy Association selected just three persons from a record 119 nominations from
43 countries to receive the award this year.
• Viktor Orlov, chief specialist of the Centre for Innovative Technologies (Rosatom in Russia) and
pioneer in thermonuclear physics, and Mercouri Kanatzidis, professor of chemistry and materials
science at Northwestern University and senior researcher at the Argonne National Laboratory,
join Rajashekara as 2022 awardees.
About the Rajashekara:
• Rajashekara was born in India and grew up in a tiny hamlet in South India, sharing a room with
his parents and two brothers.
• Even though none of his parents had a formal education, his mother was adamant that her
children would excel in whatever they did.
• From 1971 to 1984, he got his B.Eng., M. Eng., and Ph.D. degrees from the Indian Institute of
Science in Bangalore.
• He served as an assistant professor/senior scientific officer at the Indian Institute of Science
from 1977 to 1984 before earning an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University in the United
States in 1992.
Volodymyr Zelensky was awarded the Winston Churchill Leadership Award from the International
Churchill Society:
• International Churchill Society recognizes the extraordinary personal leadership and bravery of
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by presenting him with The Sir Winston Churchill Leadership
Award.
• Joined by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, members of the Churchill family, and International
Churchill Society Chairman Laurence Geller, President Zelenskyy accepted the award virtually
at an event in Downing Street alongside the Ukrainian Ambassador, Vadym Prystaiko.
• This prestigious award recognizes individuals that have demonstrated extraordinary leadership
characterized by wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill.
About International Churchill Society:
• The International Churchill Society (ICS), founded in 1968 shortly after Churchill’s death, is the
world’s preeminent member organization dedicated to preserving the historic legacy of Sir
Winston Churchill.
Roshni Nadar was re-elected as India's richest woman for a second consecutive year:
• According to the third edition of the 'Kotak Private Banking Hurun - Leading Wealthy Women
List,' HCL Technologies Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra has held her position as India's
richest woman for the second year in a row.
• Roshni Nadar's total net worth was Rs 84,330 crore.
• Roshni Nadar was followed by Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar, who surpassed Biocon's Kiran
Mazumdar-Shaw with a total value of Rs 57,520 crore.
• Falguni Nayar is the ninth richest self-made woman in the world.
• The report highlighted those 25 new faces have made it to the list.
• The other key highlights of the report include that the average wealth of women in 2021 went up
to Rs 4,170 crore as against Rs 2,725 crore in the last edition of the list.
Rank Name Company Wealth/Net worth
(INR)
1 Roshni Nadar HCL 84, 330 crore
Malhotra
2 Falguni Nayar Nykaa 57,520 crore
3 Kiran Mazumdar Biocon 29,030 crore
Shaw
4 Nilima Motaparti Divi’s Laboratories 28,180 crore
5 Radha Vembu Zoho 26, 260 crore
6 Leena Gandhi USV 24,280 crore
Tewari
7 Anu Aga and Meher Thermax 14,530 crore
Pudumjee
8 Neha Narkhede Confluent 13,380 crore
9 Vandana Lal Dr. Lal PathLabs 6,810 crore
10 Renu Munjal Hero FinCorp 6,620 crore
DSF institutes “Dinesh Shahra Lifetime Award for Excellence” in Music:

• The Dinesh Shahra Foundation (DSF) has made significant progress in its mission to popularise
soulful Indian music.
• A first-of-its-kind "Dinesh Shahra Lifetime Award" for Excellence in Music has been established
by the Foundation.
• The Indian Arts & Cultural Society is in favor of the project.
• Mr. Dinesh Shahra, Trustee -DSF, recently announced this novel's recognition during a cultural
event called "Mausiqui" in Mumbai.
• DSF, as a part of its mission to create a value-based social structure, has taken up the cause of
supporting senior artists in cooperation with the Indian Arts & Cultural Society.
• Apart from a trophy or memento, the recognition will also include a significant cash component
IMPORTANT DEFENCE NEWS
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) commissions Advanced Light Helicopter MK III squadron at Porbandar
● The Indian Coast Guard(ICG) commissioned the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)
squadron MK-III (CG)-835 at Porbandar port in Gujarat.
● Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) MK III squadron was commissioned by DG-ICG Mr. Virendra
Singh Pathania & commanded by Commandant Sunil Dutt and manned by 10 officers and 52
men.
● Till now 13 ALH MK III aircraft have been inducted into the ICG in a phased manner, and 4 of
these are positioned at Porbandar, Gujarat.
About ALH MK III squadron :
● ALH MK III helicopters have been indigenously manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL).
● The squadron has flown over 1,200 hours and conducted numerous operational missions,
including the maiden night search and rescue mission off the Diu coast.
● It features state-of-the-art equipment, including advanced RADAR as well as electro-optical
sensors, Shakti engines, a Full-glass cockpit, a High-intensity searchlight, Advanced
communication systems, an Automatic identification system, and Search-and-rescue (SAR)
homer.
● These features enable them to undertake maritime reconnaissance and carry out search and
rescue at extended ranges even while operating from ships, both by day and night.
● The aircraft can switch roles from being an offensive platform with a heavy machine gun to that
of one carrying a medical intensive care unit to facilitate the transfer of critically ill patients.
About ICG :
● Founded: 1 February 1977 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India.
● Director-General: Virender Singh Pathania
● The Coast Guard works in close cooperation with the Indian Navy, the Department of Fisheries,
the Department of Revenue (Customs), and the Central and State police forces.
● It operates under the Ministry of Defence
Indigenously developed Laser-Guided ATGM successfully tested by DRDO & Indian Army
● The Indigenously-developed Laser-Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) was successfully
test-fired from Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun by Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army at KK Ranges near Ahmednagar, Maharashtra with
the support of Armoured Corps Centre & School (ACC&S).
● It is developed by 2 Pune-based facilities of the DRDO’s Armament and Combat Engineering
(ACE) Cluster the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and the High
Energy Materials Research Laboratory(HEMRL) in association with Instruments Research and
Development Establishment (IRDE), Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
About Laser-Guided ATGM :
● The ATGM has been developed with multi-platform launch capability and is currently undergoing
technical evaluation trials from the 120 mm rifled gun of MBT Arjun.
● With the trial, the ATGM's capability to engage targets from minimum to maximum range has
been established.
● The successful development of laser-guided ATGM will enhance the firepower of the MBT Arjun.
● The ATGM uses a ‘tandem’ High Explosive Anti Tank(HEAT) warhead.
● It can defeat the protected armored vehicles in ranges from 1.5 to 5 kilometers which use
Explosive Reactive Armours(ERA)
● The term tandem refers to the missiles using more than one detonation to effectively penetrate
the protective armors of the adversary tanks.
● Defence Secretary: Dr. Ajay Kumar
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) launches Centralized Payment System “PADMA”
● Payroll Automation for Disbursement of Monthly Allowances (PADMA), an automated Pay &
Allowances module for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was inaugurated by Shri Rajnish Kumar,
Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), Ministry of Defence
About PADMA :
● PADMA is an automated platform or Centralized Pay System (CPS).
● It leverages the latest technology which will provide seamless and timely disbursal of pay and
allowances to around 15,000 ICG personnel.
● This module has been developed under the aegis of the Defense Accounts Department and will
be operated by the Pay Accounts Office Coast Guard, Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
● The PayRoll Automation for Disbursement of Monthly Allowances system will strengthen the
Digital India concept.
● It is an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative because the whole module has been designed and
developed by Indian entrepreneurs.
● The CPS one-stop pay accounting solutions for all organizations under the MoD.
About ICG :
● Founded: 1 February 1977 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India.
● Headquarters: New Delhi
● Director-General: Virender Singh Pathania
● The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is the maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency
of India.
● It operates under the Ministry of Defence.
About CGDA :
● CGDA is the head of the Defence Accounts Department.
● CGDA works under the Ministry of Defence.
● It functions as a cadre controlling authority of the Indian Defence Accounts Services
● Secretary: Ajay Kumar
DRDO conducts successful maiden flight of Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator
● The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out the
maiden flight of the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator from the Aeronautical
Test Range, Chitradurga, Karnataka.
● The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development
Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, a premier research laboratory of DRDO.
● It is a major achievement toward autonomous aircraft and will pave the way for ‘Atma Nirbhar
Bharat’ in terms of critical military systems.
● It is powered by a small turbofan engine.
● The airframe, undercarriage, and entire flight control and avionics systems used for the aircraft
had been developed indigenously.
About DRDO :
● Founded: 1958
● Chairman: Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
● DRDO is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in
INS Satpura & P8I maritime patrol aircraft arrive at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii to Participate in Rimpac-22
● INS Satpura and one P8I maritime patrol aircraft from the Indian Navy are participating in one of
the largest multilateral Naval Exercises, the US Navy-led biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC)
exercise 2022.
About INS Satpura :
● INS Satpura is an indigenously designed and built 6000-tonne guided missile stealth frigate
equipped to seek and destroy adversaries in air, surface, and underwater.
● It is currently on an extended operational deployment in the 75th year of India’s Independence.
About P8I maritime patrol aircraft :
● P-8I is a long-range, multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft manufactured by Boeing for the Indian
Navy.
● It replaced the aging fleet of the Indian Navy’s Tupolev Tu-142 aircraft.
● It is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon multimission maritime aircraft (MMA) operated by the US
Navy.
● It was designed to protect the coastline and territorial waters of India.
● It can conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (AsuW), intelligence,
maritime patrol, and surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Virgin Orbit Rocket Launches 7 US Defense Satellites
● A Virgin Orbit rocket carrying seven U.S. Defense Department satellites was launched from a
special Boeing 747 flying off the Southern California coast and streaked toward space.
● The modified jumbo jet took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in the Mojave Desert and
released the rocket over the Pacific Ocean, northwest of Los Angeles.
● The launch was procured by the U.S. Space Force for a Defense Department test program & the
7 payloads will conduct various experiments.
● Virgin Orbit named the mission “Straight Up” after the hit on Paula Abdul's debut studio album
“Forever Your Girl,” which was released through Virgin Records in 1988.
● In late 2022, Virgin Orbit will launch 2 satellites on a mission flying out of Newquay Airport in
Cornwall, England.
● The satellites will conduct radio signal monitoring tests in a joint project of the United Kingdom's
Ministry of Defense and the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
About Virgin Orbit :
● Founded: March 2, 2017
● Headquarters: Long Beach, California, United States
● Founder: Richard Branson
● President & CEO: Dan Hart
Indian Army Organizes Suraksha Manthan-2022
● The Desert Corps of the Indian Army organized the “Suraksha Manthan 2022”, on aspects of
Border & Coastal Security at Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
● The manthan was jointly presided over by Shri Pankaj Kumar Singh, IPS, Director General
Border Security Force (BSF), Director General VS Pathania, Indian Coast Guard, and Lieutenant
General Rakesh Kapoor, General Officer Commanding Desert Corps, and attended by serving
officers of the Army, BSF, and Coast Guard.
● During the discussions, aspects of interoperability, operational cohesion, and logistics were
ironed out to enhance overall security along the International Boundary (IB) and coastal sectors.
● A joint training calendar was also formulated to achieve a higher degree of interoperability and
jointness amongst the security forces.
● Current security threats and challenges, along with joint mitigation response, were deliberated
upon and such scenarios would now form part of the forthcoming exercises.
● It was further decided to create an enabling security environment and develop a tangible
capability development road map.
Indian Navy commissions the first ALH Squadron INAS 324 in Visakhapatnam
● The Indian Naval Air Squadron 324, (INAS 324), was commissioned into the Indian Navy in
Visakhapatnam to boost its maritime surveillance in the presence of Vice-Admiral Biswajit
Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
● It is the first naval squadron on the eastern seaboard operating the indigenously designed and
built advanced light helicopter (ALH) Dhruv MK III helicopters.
● The INAS 324 Squadron is being commanded by Commander SS Dash, who is a highly
experienced ALH Qualified Flying Instructor and has extensive operational experience.
About INAS 324 :
● INAS 324 has been named "KESTRELS”, which are birds of prey and have good sensory
capabilities, symbolizing the envisaged role of the aircraft and the air squadron
● The insignia of the squadron depicts a "KESTREL" searching over vast blue and white sea
waves, which signifies the integral maritime reconnaissance and search-and-rescue (SAR) role.
● These helicopters are indigenously designed and built by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL).
● The ALH MK III helicopters are fitted with state-of-the-art equipment which includes modern
surveillance radar and electro-optical sensors.
● These helicopters can also be deployed for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
(HADR) operations as well as special operations with Marine Commandos.
● The helicopter also has an airborne Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) for use in the air
ambulance role to facilitate the medical evacuation of critically ill patients.
● Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral R. Hari Kumar
● Vice Chief of the Naval Staff: Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade
Akasa Air gets air operator certificate from DGCA
• Billionaire investor Mr. Rakesh Juhunjhunwala-owned Akasa airline received its air operator
certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
• The airline will start its operations at the end of July 2022.
• The airline inducted its first Boeing 737 Max aircraft in June 2022.
• It plans to start its service, connecting metro cities with tier II and III cities, after adding its
second aircraft.
• By the end of the fiscal year 2022-23, the airline will have inducted 18 aircraft and thereafter 12-
14 aircraft every 12 months, which will make up its order of 72 delivered over five years
About Akasa Air :
• CEO: Vinay Dubey
• Akasa Air, a brand of SNV Aviation Private Limited, is an Indian low-cost airline.
The US successfully tests pair of Lockheed hypersonic missiles
• The United States successfully tested two Lockheed Martin Corp hypersonic missiles amid
growing concerns Russia and China have had more success developing their hypersonic
weapons.
About the 2 Lockheed Martin Corp hypersonic missiles :
Missile 1 :
• The U.S. Air Force confirmed it successfully tested its Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon
(ARRW) booster off the California coast.
• The booster was carried into the air under the wing of a B-52H before it was launched.
• Hypersonic weapons travel in the upper atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound
or about 6,200 km (3,853 miles) per hour.
Missile 2 :
• The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) successfully carried out the first
test of its Operational Fires hypersonic weapon at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
• One of Lockheed Martin's concepts for the DARPA weapon is to use an exciting High Mobility
Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher.
• Notably, Operational Fire is a ground-launched system.
• It can precisely engage critical, time-sensitive targets and can penetrate modern air defenses of
the enemy.
• In 2022, DARPA received USD 45 million for OpFires tests.
About the US :
• Capital: Washington, D.C
• Currency: U.S. dollar
About Lockheed Martin Corporation :
• Headquarters: Bethesda, Maryland, U.S
• Chairman, President, and CEO: James D. Taiclet
Ministry of Defence sets up an Apex Committee for Performance and Efficiency Audit
• The Ministry of Defence has set up an institutional mechanism consisting of an Apex committee
with the Defence Secretary as Chairman to conduct a Performance and Efficiency Audit into
various aspects of its activities.
About the Committee :
• The committee is headed by defense secretary Ajay Kumar, IAS.
• The members of the committee include Vice Chiefs of the three Services, Secretary of Defence
(Finance), Chief of Integrated Staff Committee (CISC), Controller General of Defence Accounts
(CGDA), Director General (Acquisition), and other senior officials of Ministry of Defence and
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The Committee will identify specific areas for the conduct of performance and audit by CGDA
and monitor performance audit reports
• It provides valuable inputs to the top management of the Ministry of specific shortcomings, if
any, in the planning and execution of projects, and suggests systemic improvements in internal
controls, soundness of financial procedures, identification of risk factors, etc.
• The broad areas that have been identified for the conduct of Performance and Efficiency Audit
include Defence Capital Procurements, provisioning, logistics, inventory levels, Maintenance of
platforms/ assets, role and performance of Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP), etc.
• The Apex committee can recommend any other specific area for Performance and Efficiency
Audit.
• It also shall advise Raksha Mantri on remedial measures to be adopted as well as measures for
overall improvement in the strengthening of internal oversight and Risk Management
Framework.
Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh Launches Y -3023 Dunagiri, Project 17A frigate at GRSE Ltd in
Kolkata
• Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched Y- 3023 Dunagiri, Project 17A frigate built
by Garden Reach Shipbuilders Limited (GRSE) in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff, and other senior officers from the Indian Navy and
Ministry of Defence were amongst the dignitaries who attended the ceremony.
• Dunagiri is the fourth ship of P17A Frigates.
• It has been designed in-house by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design (DND), New
Delhi.
About Project 17A ships :
• P17A Frigates are a follow-on class of the P17 (Shivalik Class) Frigates with improved stealth
features, advanced weapons and sensors, and platform management systems
• Seven P17A Frigates are under various stages of construction at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL)
and GRSE, namely Nilgiri, Himgiri, Taragiri, Udaygiri, Dunagiri, and Vindhyagiri, Mahendragiri.
• The three preceding ships of Project 17A Frigates had been launched in 2019, 2020, and May
2022 respectively.
About Dunagiri :
• Dunagiri is the reincarnation of the erstwhile ‘Dunagiri’, the Leander Class ASW Fri gate, which in
her 33 years of service from 5 May 1977 to 20 October 2010, had witnessed various challenging
operations and multinational exercises.
About GRSE Ltd :
• Founded: 1884
• Chairman & MD: Cmde P R Hari
• The company was nationalized by the Government of India in 1960.
• It is the first Indian shipyard to build 100 warships.
INS Sindhudhvaj submarine decommissioned after 35 years of service at Visakhapatnam
• The Indian Navy’s submarine INS Sindhudhvaj was decommissioned by the Indian Navy after
35 years of service in Visakhapatnam.
• Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command
was the Chief Guest for the ceremony.
• The Decommissioning event was attended by 15 of the former Commanding Officers including
Cmde SP Singh (Retd), the Commissioning CO, and 26 Commissioning crew veterans.
• With the decommissioning of the INS Sindhudhvaj, the number of Kilo-class boats in the navy’s
fleet is down to 7 from the initial 10 units.
About INS Sindhudhvaj :
• INS Sindhudhvaj means flag-bearer at sea.
• The submarine crest depicts a grey color nurse shark.
• INS Sindhudhvaj also successfully undertook mating and personnel transfer with Deep
Submergence Rescue Vessel.
About Sindhughosh-class submarines :
• Sindhughosh-class submarines are diesel-electric submarines from Kilo-class.
• It displaces 3,000 tonnes, can dive to a depth of 300 meters, have a top speed of 18 knots, and
can operate solo for 45 days with a crew of 53.
• It was the only submarine to be awarded the CNS Rolling trophy for Innovation by the
Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
• The Sindhudhvaj submarine had many firsts during its service, including operationalization of the
indigenised sonar USHUS, Indigenised Satellite Communication systems Rukmani and MSS,
Inertial Navigation System, and Indigenised Torpedo Fire Control System.
• The first submarine from the batch, INS Kalvari, was commissioned in December 2017 while the
sixth and final Scorpene-class submarine INS Vagsheer was launched in April 2022.
ITBP creates 1st mountain-warfare training school in NE
• The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has created its first mountain-warfare training center in
northeast India (Sikkim).
• The training center is the ITBP’s second overall center to skill its troops in high-altitude combat
and survival tactics as part of their mandate to guard the Line of Actual Control with China.
• The center is being commanded by ITBP Commandant and ace mountaineer Ratan Singh
Sonal, who has led numerous expeditions and rescue missions in the hills.
• The facility has come almost five decades after the establishment of its first such school called
mountaineering and skiing institute (M&SI) during 1973-74 at Auli near Joshimath.
About mountain-warfare training center :
• The new center has been established in remote Dombang, abutting the LAC, and is located at a
height of 10,040 ft in Sikkim sharing a 220 km front of the India-China LAC.
• The Dombang center has an ideal mountainous and rocky terrain and its glacier training area
are spread across a height of 14,000-17,000 feet.
Purpose :
• To enhance the capacity to train newly recruited and serving troops in mountain warfare, rock
climbing, high-altitude survival, and patrol even as the need to have one more facility than Auli
was being felt for long, given the increasing engagement of its troops with the Chinese PLA over
the recent years.
Additional Info :
• The M&SI is located at a height of more than 9,000 ft in the Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand
and has trained thousands of ITBP, army, Air Force, and other security personnel in this domain
and that for adventure sports.
PM Shri Narendra Modi Unveils 'SPRINT Challenges' For Indian Navy in New Delhi
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled ‘SPRINT challenges’, during Naval Innovation and
Indigenisation Organization (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’(self-reliance) in New Delhi, Delhi to
engage Indian industry and academia towards achieving self-reliance in the defense sector.
Aim :
• To boost the usage of indigenous technology in the Indian Navy.
• The seminar was organized by the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) and
the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).
• This collaborative project is named SPRINT - Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through iDEX
(Innovations for Defence Excellence), NIIO, and TDAC (Technology Development Acceleration
Cell).
About the Seminar :
• The seminar will provide a platform for leaders from Industry, Academia, Services, and
Government to come together on a common platform to ideate and come up with
recommendations for the Defence Sector.
• Sessions dedicated to Innovation, Indigenisation, Armament, and Aviation will be held.
• The second day of the Seminar will witness outreach to the Indian Ocean Region, in line with the
government's vision of SAGAR
• The NIIO, in cooperation with the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), aims to induct at least
75 new indigenous technologies/products into the Indian Navy in sync with ‘Azadi ka Amrit
Mahotsav’ commemorating 75 years of the country’s Independence.
• Defence Secretary: Ajay Kumar
About ITBP :
• Director General: Sanjay Arora
• The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is India's primary border patrol organization for its border
with China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
• It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India.
Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launches 75 Artificial Intelligence products/technologies
during the first-ever ‘AI in Defence’ symposium & exhibition in New Delhi
• Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched 75 newly-developed Artificial Intelligence
(AI) products/technologies during the first-ever ‘AI in Defence’ (AIDef) symposium and
exhibition, organized by the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi, Delhi, India.
• The products launched as part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations fall under various
domains.
About the various domains :
• These include AI Platform Automation; Autonomous/Unmanned/Robotics systems; Block Chain-
based Automation; Command, Control, Communication, Computer & Intelligence, Surveillance &
Reconnaissance; Cyber Security; Human Behavioural Analysis; Intelligent Monitoring Systems;
Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems; Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Operational
Data Analytics; Manufacturing and Maintenance; Simulators/Test Equipment and speech/voice
analysis using Natural Language Processing.
• Three AI products developed by the DPSUs have dual-use applications and good market
potential, namely
1. AI-enabled Voice Transcription/Analysis software developed by Bharat Electronics Limited
2. Driver Fatigue Monitoring System developed by Bharat Earth Movers Limited
3. AI-enabled evaluation of Welding defects in X-rays of Non-destructive Testing developed by
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers were screened during the event.
• The Raksha Mantri released the physical as well as e-version of the book comprising the details
of these 75 products, showcasing the collective efforts put on by the Services, Defence
Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs),
iDEX start-ups and the private industry in last four years in the field of AI.
Raksha Niryat Ratna awards 2020-21 :
• In consonance with the vision of MoD to achieve defense exports of Rs 35,000 crore by 2025
and provide a boost to the domestic industry, ‘Raksha Niryat Ratna’ awards were conferred on
1. Bharat Electronics Limited from the public sector
2. Indo-MIM from the private sector for achieving the highest defense exports in recent years.
• The top 3 students of the ‘GenNext AI’ Solutions Competition, which was organized to get bright
innovative ideas on futuristic AI solutions, were also felicitated by the Raksha Mantri.
• 3-panel discussions were also organized to stimulate new ideas in the field of AI in Defence,
with active participation from the Services, academia, students, research organizations, and
industry.
• An exhibition was organized which provided a unique opportunity for innovators to display their
capabilities, products, and state-of-the-art technologies.
India & Japan Navies conducts maritime partnership exercise in the Andaman Sea
• A Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) was conducted between Japan Maritime Self Defense
Force and Indian Navy in the Andaman Sea.
Aim :
• To enhance interoperability and streamline seamanship and communication procedures.
• This exercise is part of the ongoing efforts between the two navies toward ensuring safe and
secure international shipping and trade in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)
• From India, an offshore patrol vessel INS Sukanya participated and from Japan JS Samidare, a
Murasame class destroyer undertook various exercises including seamanship activities, aircraft
operations, and tactical maneuvers as part of the operational interaction.
• India – Japan Maritime Bilateral Exercise, JIMEX, between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Japan
Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), which commenced in January 2012, has a special focus
on maritime security cooperation.
• The last exercise was held in the Arabian Sea from October 6-8, 2021.
• Commander-in-Chief: President Droupadi Murmu
About Japan :
• Capital: Tokyo
Indian Navy receives 1st indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant from Cochin Shipyard Limited
• The Indian Navy received the country’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier ‘Vikrant’ from its
manufacturer, Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi.
• Vikrant has been designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house Directorate of Naval Design (DND)
and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi, a Public Sector Shipyard under the Ministry
of Shipping (MoS).
• The aircraft carrier is likely to be commissioned on August 15, 2022.
• With an overall indigenous content of 76 percent, IAC is a perfect example of Atma nirbhar
Bharat and provides thrust to Government's 'Make in India' initiative.
• With the delivery of Vikrant, India has joined a select group of nations having the niche capability
to indigenously design and build an aircraft carrier.
• The carrier is christened after her illustrious predecessor, India's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant,
which played a vital role in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.
• Once the IAC Vikrant is commissioned in the Indian Navy, it will be the Indian Naval Ship (INS)
Vikrant that would bolster India's position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its quest for a
blue water Navy.
About Vikrant :
• The aircraft carrier was built at a cost of around Rs 20,000 crore.
eatures of Vikrant :
• It has a full displacement of close to 45,000 tonnes which is much larger and more advanced
than her predecessor.
• The ship is powered by four gas turbines totaling 88 MW of power and has a maximum speed of
28 knots (56 km/hr;35 mph) and a cruising speed of 18 knots with an endurance of about 8,000
nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi)
• The IAC is 262 meters long, and 62 meters wide and it has a height of 59 meters.
• Its construction began in 2009.
• The IAC project has been implemented under the three phases of a contract between the
ministry of defense and Cochin Shipyard Ltd, concluded in May 2007, Dec 2014, and Oct 2019
respectively.
• The warship will operate 30 aircraft including Russian MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31
helicopters, and MH-60R multi-role helicopters.
• It has over 2,300 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1700 people, including
specialized cabins to accommodate women officers.
MoD approves arms procurement proposals worth Rs 28,732 cr
• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh
approved arms procurement proposals worth a total of Rs 28,732 crore, including bulletproof
jackets, carbines, and swarm drones under Buy Indian Indigenously Designed, Developed and
Manufactured (IDDM) and Buy Indian categories
• This will provide a further boost to ‘AtmaNirbharta’ in Defence.
• These proposals will enhance the overall combat prowess of the armed forces along the
northern and western borders.
List of Arms Received Approval from DAC :
• Bulletproof jackets
• Close quarter battle carbines
• Autonomous surveillance and armed drone swarms.
Bulletproof jackets :
• The council approved bulletproof jackets with Indian Standard BIS VI level of protection because
of the threat of enemy snipers to troops deployed along the Line of C ontrol.
Close quarter battle carbines :
• The approval to procure 4 lakh close-quarter battle carbines was granted to combat the current
complex paradigm of conventional and hybrid warfare” and terrorism at the borders.
Autonomous surveillance and armed drone swarms :
• The DAC has approved the Navy’s proposal to procure an upgraded 1,250-KW capacity marine
gas turbine generator for power generation application onboard the Kolkata class of ships
through the Indian industry.
• This will give a major boost to the indigenous manufacturing of gas turbine generators.
• DAC also approved the proposal of procurement of 14 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for the Indian
Coast Guard under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) with 60 percent indigenous content.
About MoD :
Indian Navy receives two MH-60 R multirole helicopters from the US
• Indian Navy receives two MH-60 R multirole helicopters - Romeo helicopters from the United
States at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), Kerala.
• The third helicopter is scheduled to be delivered in August 2022.
• The delivery of all 24 MH 60R helicopters will be completed by 2025.
About MH-60 Romeo :
• MH-60R helicopter manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation is an all-weather helicopter
designed to support multiple missions with state-of-the-art avionics and sensors.
• India is procuring the choppers as part of an around Rs 15,000-crore deal with the US
government under the framework of foreign military sales.
• The first three MH 60 ‘Romeo’ helicopters were delivered in the US in 2021 and are being used
for training the Indian Navy crew.
• The induction of state-of-the-art mission-capable platforms will significantly boost the integral
anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy
Additional Info :
• The United States Department of State has approved the sale of 24 MH-60R multi-mission
helicopters to India under its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program & the value of the potential is
USD 2.6 billion.
• The approval was made to improve the security of a major defensive partner in the Indo-Pacific
region.
• Commander-in-Chief: President Droupadi Murmu
About the US :
• Capital: Washington, D.C.
• Currency: United States Dollar
IMPORTANT SUMMITS & CONFERENCES
National Conference on Food and Nutrition Security in India to be held:
• The Department of Food and Public Distribution will organize a National Conference on - Food
and Nutrition Security in India in New Delhi.
• The conference is aimed at facilitating cross-learning, disseminating best practices for schemes
under Public Distribution System, and strengthening the focus on nutritional security.
• Consumer Affairs Minister Shri Piyush Goyal will address the one-day conference.
Highlights:
• The key highlights of the conference will include the discussion on Food Fortification,
Diversification of Food baskets, Crop Diversification, and Reforms in the PDS and Storage
sector.
• The conference will serve as a platform to reflect upon the challenges and opportunities in the
true spirit of cooperative federalism for achieving the transformation of the food and nutrition
security ecosystem in the country.
Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi inaugurates Fifth Global Film Tourism Conclave:
• Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, formally opened the fifth Global
Film Tourism Conclave (GFTC) at the Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach in Mumbai
• The Ph.D. Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) organized the fifth GFTC with the
theme "Unleashing the Power of Cinematic Tourism" in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism
and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
Key Points:
• The GFTC provides a unique platform for Film Commissions, Tourism Boards, and Production
Houses to advertise their locations, rewards, and services to the expanding Indian film industry.
• Film tourism is when a viewer is convinced to visit a certain location after seeing it in a movie.
• Mr. Naqvi claims that both Indian and foreign movies have made a big contribution to
disseminating a timely message about the perils of terrorism, violence, and extremism.
• These films are necessary right now since they could not only be enjoyable but also have a big
societal influence.
• The importance of the film sector and its contribution to the local, national, and global economies
were also emphasized by the minister.
• At foreign box offices, the Indian film industry makes roughly Rs. 48 th ousand crores.
• Shri Naqvi also commended the nation's producers, writers, actors, technicians, and directors for
their efforts in introducing Indian films to international audiences.
Ministry of Mines hosts 6th National Conclave on Mines and Minerals:
• According to the Ministry of Mines, the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav epic week celebrations included
the 6th National Conclave on Mines & Minerals.
• The symposium's primary guest was Shri Amit Shah, the Union Minister of Housing, who would
be present at the Dr. Ambedkar International Center.
Attendees:
• In the presence of Minister of State for Mines, Coal, and Railways Shri Raosaheb Patil Danve,
Secretary Ministry of Mines Shri Alok Tandon, and other top ministry officials, Union Minister of
Mines, Coal, and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi formally launched the one-day
conclave.
Key Highlights:
• Some of the highlights of the conclave were the introduction of three Mining Tenement System
(MTS) modules, rewards for 5-Star certified mines for the years 2020–21, and the National Geo
Science Awards–2019.
• The awarding of the Rashtriya Khanij Vikas Puraskar at the national level to the States with the
greatest mining performances was another highlight.
• A technical lecture from the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) and a debate on mining
automation was part of the conclave's opening session.
• The CEOs of various mining companies did come up with significant suggestions for India's
mining sector during the round table discussions.
List of Ministers:
• Union Minister of Housing: Shri Amit Shah
• Union Minister of Mines, Coal, and Parliamentary Affairs: Shri Pralhad Joshi
• Minister of State for Mines, Coal, and Railways: Shri Raosaheb Patil Danve
• Secretary Ministry of Mines: Shri Alok Tandon
PM Narendra Modi attends first virtual I2U2 summit:
• The inaugural virtual I2U2 Summit was attended by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• The I2U2 is a four-nation alliance, with "I" standing for India and Israel and "U" for the US and
the UAE.
• Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, US President Joe Biden, and UAE President Mohammed bin
Zayed Al Nahyan were there with PM Modi.
Key Points:
• The food security crisis and sustainable energy were the primary topics of discussion during the
virtual gathering.
• To combat food insecurity in South Asia and the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
recently announced a USD 2 billion commitment to build several integrated food parks across
India.
• The idea for this I2U2 alliance came up during the meeting of the four nations' foreign ministers
on October 18, 2021.
• To address difficulties, I2U2 will bring together nations, governments, and the corporate sector.
• For the construction of "food parks" around the nation in partnership with Israel, the United
States, and the United Arab Emirates, India would supply "suitable land."
• The I2U2 Group also declared that it will support a “hybrid renewable energy project” in Gujarat,
consisting of 300 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar capacity.
• The project is expected to be another step in India’s quest for “500 GW of non-fossil fuel
capacity by 2030”.
IMPORTANT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NASA’s CAPSTONE mission launches to the Moon
● National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) spacecraft, called Cislunar
Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment
(CAPSTONE), a lunar orbiter was successfully launched on Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from
the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia Peninsula of New Zealand.
● The microwave-oven-sized CubeSat was designed and built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, a
Terran Orbital Corporation.
● It will study a specific orbit where NASA plans to build a small space station for astronauts to
stop before and after going to the moon’s surface.
About CAPSTONE :
● CAPSTONE is a 12-unit CubeSat.
● It will test a navigation system that will measure its position relative to NASA's Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) without relying on ground stations.
● The spacecraft belongs to & will be managed by Advanced Space, a 45-employee company just
outside of Denver.
● CAPSTONE is inexpensive, costing just less than $30 million & performs calculations to
determine 55-pound (25 Kilogram).
● CAPSTONE will provide data about operating in an NRHO and showcase key technologies.
● It is attached to Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon, an interplanetary third stage that will send
CAPSTONE on its way to deep space.
● The mission's Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System, developed by Advanced Space with
support from NASA's Small Business Innovation Research program, is a spacecraft-to-
spacecraft navigation and communications system that will work with NASA’s Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter to determine the distance between the two lunar orbiting spacecraft.
● This technology could allow future spacecraft to determine their position in space without relying
exclusively on tracking from Earth.
About NASA :
● Established: July 29, 1958
● Headquarters: Washington, D.C, United States
● Administrator: Bill Nelson
High-speed Expendable Aerial Target - ABHYAS - successfully flight-tested off the Odisha coast
● India successfully flight-tested the indigenously developed High-speed Expendable Aerial Target
(HEAT), ABHYAS, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the Odisha coast.
● The performance of the aircraft at low altitudes including sustained level and high
maneuverability was demonstrated during the test flight.
About ABHYAS :
● Abhyas is an original Sanskrit word for practice or preparatory exercise
● It is designed & developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment of Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
● It is designed for autonomous flying with the help of an autopilot, under development at ADE.
● It has RCS, Visual, and IR augmentation systems required for weapon practice.
● The air vehicle was launched using twin under-slung boosters which provide the initial
acceleration to the vehicle.
● It is powered by a small gas turbine engine to sustain a long endurance flight at high subsonic
speed.
● The aircraft is equipped with Micro-Electromechanical Systems-based Inertial Navigation
System for navigation along with the Flight Control Computer for guidance and control along with
Indigenous Radio Altimeter.
● The target aircraft was flown from a ground-based controller in a pre-designated low-altitude
flight path, which was monitored by various tracking sensors deployed by ITR, including radar
and an electro-optical targeting system.
Recent News :
● Earlier in June 2022, Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) was
successfully flight-tested by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and
the Indian Navy from an Indian Naval Ship at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the
coast of Odisha.
ISRO successfully launches the PSLV C -53 rocket carrying 3 Singaporean satellites from Satish
Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota
● Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched the rocket PSLV-C53, carrying three
Singapore satellites DS-EO, NeuSAR, and SCOOB-1 in intended orbit from the second launch
pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
● The rocket placed the three customer satellites in the precise orbit of 570 km with a 10-degree
inclination.
● This is the 55th mission of PSLV, often described as ISRO's trusted workhorse, and the 15th
one using the PSLV-Core Alone variant.
● It also marks the 16th PSLV launch from the second launch pad.
About PSLV-C53 :
● The PSLV-C53 is the second dedicated commercial mission of the space agency's commercial
arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
● It is a four-stage, 44.4 m tall PSLV-C53 that has a lift-off mass of 228.433 t.
● The launch vehicle carried the DS-EO satellite along with two other co-passenger satellites.
● The mission proposes to demonstrate the utilization of the spent upper stage of the launch
vehicle as a stabilized platform for scientific payloads after the separation of the satellites.
● The PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) activity performs in-orbit scientific experiments
using the spent PS4 stage as an orbital platform.
● It is the first time that the PS4 stage would orbit the earth as a stabilized platform.
● POEM carries six payloads including two from Indian Space Start-ups M/s Digantara and M/s
Dhruva Space, enabled through IN-SPACe and NSIL.
About 3 Singaporean Satellites :
About DS-EO :
● DS-EO, a 365 kg, and NeuSAR, a 155 kg satellite both belong to Singapore.
● PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM)DS-EO carries an Electro-Optic, multi-spectral
payload that will provide full-color images for land classification, and serve Humanitarian
Assistance and Disaster Relief needs.
About NeuSAR:
● NeuSAR is Singapore’s first small commercial satellite carrying a SAR payload, which is capable
of providing images day and night and under all weather conditions.
About Scoob-1:
● Scoob-1 is a 2.8 kg satellite of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.
● It is the first satellite in the Student Satellite Series (S3-I), a hands-on student training program
from the Satellite Research Center (SaRC) at Singapore’s NTU School of Electrical and
Electronic Engineering.
About ISRO :
● Established: 15 August 1969
● Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
● Chairman: Sreedhara Panicker Somanath
● ISRO is the national space agency of India.
● It operates under the Department of Space (DOS)
Iran launches Zuljanah a solid-fueled rocket into space
● Iran launched a solid-fuelled rocket named “Zuljanah” into space.
About Zuljanah :
● Zuljanah is an Iranian Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) made by the Ministry of Defence and
Armed Forces Logistics (Iran).
● It is the first indigenously designed and indigenously manufactured hybrid fu el satellite launch
vehicle.
● It is capable of carrying a payload or satellite of 220 kilograms, an orbit of 500 kilometers above
the Earth.
● The satellite will gather data in low-earth orbit as well as promote Iran’s space industry.
● Zuljanah is named for the horse of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
● It is the third civilian Satellite Launch Vehicle made in Iran, after the Safir and Simorgh.
Features of Zuljanah :
● Zuljanah measures 25.5 meters (84ft) in length and has a mass of 52 tons (115,000lbs).
● The first and second stages utilize an identical 1.5m diameter solid-fuel engine with 74 tons of
thrust and the third stage is a Safir type 1.25m diameter liquid-fuel engine with a thrust of 3.5
tons.
About Iran :
● President: Ebrahim Raisi
● Capital: Tehran
● Currency: Iranian rial
India’s first Autonomous Navigation Facility - TiHAN, launched at IIT Hyderabad
● Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh
inaugurated the first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art “Autonomous Navigation” facility TiHAN
(Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation) to develop unmanned ground and
aerial vehicles in the IIT Hyderabad campus.
● It is funded by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology with a budget of Rs.130 crore.
● Dr. B.V.R. Mohan Reddy (Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Hyderabad), Prof. B.S. Murty
(Director, IIT Hyderabad), and senior officers, faculty, and students joined the event.
● Also, IIT Hyderabad has established a new Post-Graduation course of M.Tech in “Smart
Mobility”, which is the first of its kind in India.
About TiHAN :
● TiHAN is a multidisciplinary initiative of IIT Hyderabad.
● TiHAN Testbed will provide a unique platform for high-quality research between academia,
industry, and R&D labs both at the national and international levels.
● One such initiative is the setting up of 25 technology innovation hubs by the Department of
Science and Technology (DST) across the country under NM-ICPS.
● The testbed on Autonomous navigation (Aerial & Terrestrial) will allow us to test the next
generation of autonomous navigation technologies accurately and allow faster technology
development and global market penetration.
● It is developing and deploying a real-time CPS system utilizing autonomous UAVs and
ground/surface vehicles for many application sectors of national importance.
● The testbed includes simulation platforms that allow for non-destructive testing of algorithms and
prototypes
● In terrestrial systems, a few examples of these scenarios are Smart Cities, Signalised
Intersections, Autonomous Vehicle Interactions with Cyclists and Pedestrians, Wireless
Networking among vehicles, Road-Side Units, etc.
● It also provides dummy signboards, pedestrians, overpasses, and bikers to test all real -world
conditions.
● Under this national mission, IIT Hyderabad has been awarded the Technology Innovation Hub in
the technological vertical of ‘Autonomous Navigation and Data Acquisition Systems (UAVs,
ROVs. etc.)’.
● National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), TiHAN is a multi-
disciplinary initiative, including researchers from Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and
Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mathematics, Design,
Liberal Arts, and Entrepreneurship at IIT Hyderabad.
● TiHAN is recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
DGDE develops AI-based software to protect defense land from illegal encroachments
● The Center of Excellence on Satellite & Unmanned Remote Vehicle Initiative (CoE-SURVEI) in
collaboration with knowledge partner Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), Visakhapatnam
has developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based software to automatically detect changes on
the ground, including unauthorized constructions and encroachments in a time series using
Satellite Imagery.
● The CoE-SURVEI was established by Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE) at the
National Institute of Defence Estates Management at Meerut Cantonment in Uttar Pr adesh.
● Currently, the tool uses National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) Cartosat-3 imagery with
trained software & the changes are detected by analyzing satellite imagery of different periods.
Background :
● The CoE was inaugurated by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on December 16, 2021.
● The CoE-SURVEI, established by Directorate General Defence Estates at National Institute of
Defence Estates Management, leverages the latest technologies in survey viz. satellite imagery,
drone imagery, and geo-spatial tools for effective land management and urban planning.
About AI-based software :
● The application has been used by CoE in 62 Cantonments in the country.
● It enables Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Cantonment Boards to identify changes on the
ground that are permanent and then enables them to check if such changes are authorized or
without the due sanction of the competent authority.
● The software facilitates better control of unauthorized activities, ensures accountability of field
staff, and helps in reducing corrupt practices.
● Out of 1,133 unauthorized changes detected, action was already taken in 570 cases & in the
remaining 563 cases, wherever legal action is warranted.
● The CoE-SURVEI has also developed tools for vacant land analysis and 3D image analysis of
hill cantonments for land management.
● By leveraging technology, it is trying to ensure optimum use of defense land through Geographic
Information System (GIS)-based land management systems.
IIT Madras develops the AI-based tool “PIVOT” to identify cancer-causing genes
• Indian Institute of Technology Madras(IIT Madras) Researchers have developed an Artificial
Intelligence-based tool, ‘PIVOT’, designed to predict genes that are responsible for causing
cancer in an individual.
• The research was led by Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT
Madras, and Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, Dr. Karthik R aman,
and Ms. MalvikaSudhakar, a Research Scholar, IIT Madras.
• The findings of the research have been published in a peer-reviewed journal Frontier in Genetics
Key Highlights :
• The tool is based on a machine learning model that classifies genes as tumor suppressor genes,
oncogenes, or neutral genes.
• The tool was able to successfully predict both the existing oncogenes and tumor-suppressor
genes like TP53, and PIK3CA, among others, and new cancer-related genes such as P R KCA,
SOX9, and PSMD4.
• The prediction is based on a model that utilizes information on mutations, expression of genes,
and copy number variation in genes and perturbations in the biological network due to an altered
gene expression.
Working Mechanism of PIVOT :
• PIVOT is a machine learning tool that uses different kinds of data, such as mutation and gene
expression, to predict cancer-causing genes, called driver genes, in a patient.
• It uses supervised model learning (ML) algorithms from known driver genes in an individual.
• Patient data and their corresponding personalized driver genes are not known.
• The model is mainly fed with genomic data of cancer patients sourced from the International
Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) as well as The Cancer Genome Atlas Programme (TCGA).
• Generally, traditional methods predict driver genes by analyzing multiple samples from the same
cancer type to identify genes responsible for the progression of tumors for that particular cancer
type.
• Such methods are not capable of identifying rare driver genes.
• IIT Madras researchers have built AI prediction models for three different types of cancer
including Breast Invasive Carcinoma, Colon Adenocarcinoma, and Lung Adenocarcinoma.
• According to the World Health Organization, cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and
accounted for nearly one in six deaths in 2020.
Additional Info :
• Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells that can occur due to mutations in oncogenes or tumor
suppressor genes, or both.
About IIT Madras :
• Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
• Chairman : Pawan Kumar Goenka
• Director : Kamakoti Veezhinathan
CERN scientists discover three ‘exotic’ subatomic particles for the first time
• For the First time, Scientists at the European nuclear research center CERN have discovered
three new exotic subatomic particles with the collaboration of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
using the international Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb)
• These Particles are a new kind of "pentaquark" and the first-ever pair of "tetraquarks" which
includes a new type of tetraquark.
• They will help physicists better understand how quarks bind together into these composite
particles.
About Quarks :
• Quarks are elementary particles that usually combine in groups of twos and threes to form
hadrons such as the protons and neutrons that make up atomic nuclei.
• More rarely, however, they can also combine into four-quark and five-quark particles, or
tetraquarks and pentaquarks.
• There are six kinds of these or “flavors” in physics jargon – up, down, strange, charm, bottom,
and top.
About Large Hadron Collider :
• The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and highest-energy particle collider.
• It was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) between 1998 and
2008.
• The 27-kilometer-long (16.8 miles) LHC at CERN is the machine that found the Higgs boson
particle, which along with its linked energy field is thought to be vital to the formation of the
universe.
About CERN :
• Headquarters: Meyrin, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland
• Director General : Fabiola Gianotti
• Israel is the only non-European country granted full membership.
BITS Pilani Hyderabad incubator supports India’s first reusable rocket start-up
• The Technology Business Incubator (TBI) at BITS Pilani’s Hyderabad campus has incubated
Abyom, a start-up that is working on India’s first reusable rocket.
• Abyom, recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) , is
working on building a liquid propulsion rocket engine and testing system for use on space launch
vehicles.
• The technology will be used to create India’s first reusable sounding rocket which will benefit
areas such as meteorology and agri-tech data.
• It can also be used to conduct experiments in the atmosphere.
• The campus has good infrastructure, which includes additive manufacturing, high-performance
computing for simulation, a petrochemical lab, and a remote engineering lab.
Note :
• Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Abyom : Jainul Abedin
• DPIIT is a central government department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in India.
Samsung develops the world’s fastest graphics DRAM chip
• Samsung has developed a new graphic dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chip with a
faster speed and improved power efficiency.
• The 24-gigabit Graphics Double Data Rate 6 (GDDR6) adopts third-generation, 10-nanometer
technology and boasts a data processing speed that is over 30 percent faster than existing
products.
• The new DRAM chip can process graphic images at a rate of up to 1.1 terabytes per second,
which Samsung claims is the fastest in the world and equivalent to processing 275 full HD
movies in a second.
• Graphics DRAMs are widely used in high-powered 3D games, personal computers, notebooks,
or devices that play videos with a high resolution.
• It is also expected to be used in high-performance computing, electric cars, and autonomous
vehicles.
About Samsung :
• Headquarters: Suwon, South Korea
• President & CEO : Kim Hyun-Suk
• Chairman & Independent Director: Bahk Jae-Wan
Agnikul Cosmos inaugurates India’s First Facility for 3D Printed Rocket Engines
• Indian space-tech start-up Agnikul opened its Rocket Factory-1, India’s first-ever rocket facility
dedicated to 3D printed space engines at scale.
• Mr. N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, and Mr. S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO and
Secretary, Department of Space, inaugurated the unit at the Indian Institute of Technology IIT
Madras Research Park.
• The IIT Madras Research Park, India’s first university-based research park, is a non-profit
organization sponsored by IIT Madras.
• The facility encourages businesses to establish Research & Development R&D facilities in the
Research Park.
About Rocket Factory-1 :
• Agnikul’s Rocket Factory-1 houses an EOS M400-4 metal 3D printer, as well as a slew of other
machines, allowing for the end-to-end production of a rocket engine under one roof.
• The factory is designed to produce two rocket engines per week.
Note :
• Agnibaan is a two-stage launch vehicle that can carry up to 100 kg of payload to orbits 700 km
high (low Earth orbits) and supports a plug-and-play configuration.
• Agnilet is the world’s first single-piece 3D printed rocket engine, designed and manufactured
entirely in India.
About Agnikul Cosmos :
• Founded: 2017
• Headquarters: IIT Madras, Chennai, India
• CEO: Srinath Ravichandran
• AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited is an Indian aerospace manufacturer based in the National
Center for Combustion R&D (NCRD) of IIT Madras, Chennai
DCGI approves India’s first qHPV vaccine to treat cervical cancer
• India’s first indigenous Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical
cancer gets the Drugs Controller General of India’s (DCGI) approval for market authorization,
launched by the end of 2022.
• The vaccine will be manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
• It is for the first time, that there will be an Indian HPV vaccine to treat cervical cancer in women
that is both affordable and accessible.
• Earlier On June 15, the DCGI’s Subject Expert Committee recommended Serum Institute’s
indigenously developed quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine for cervical cancer
patients above 9 years to 26 years of age.
Note :
• Cervical cancer in India ranks as the second most frequent cancer among women between 15
and 44 years of age.
• Every year, 122,844 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 67,477 die from the
disease.
Recent News :
• The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) recently also approved the
qHPV after reviewing the clinical trial data of the vaccine.
About DCGI :
• DCGI is the head of the department of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization of the
GoI.
About SII :
• Founded: 1966
• Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra, India
• CEO: Adar Poonawalla
• Chairman & MD: Cyrus S. Poonawalla
GODI India India’s 1st Company to Receive BIS Certification to Sell Li -ion Cells for Electric Vehicles
• GODI India has become the first Indian company to receive the prestigious Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS) certification for its 21700 cylindrical NMC811 lithium-ion cells with their
homegrown technology.
• As per the BIS requirement, the Godi-designed and made-in-India cells were tested and
qualified by TUV, the third-party testing agency.
• GODI India is innovating in every layer of cell technology.
• For the first time in Indian history, NMC811 21700, 3.65V-4.5Ah cylindrical cells were made-in-
India & Made-for-India.”
About GODI India :
• Founded: 2020
• Founder and CEO: Mr. Mahesh Godi
• GODI India is an innovative cell manufacturer focusing on research and development (R&D),
Giga scale Manufacturing (Indigenous Gigafactory), and Recycling of sustainable green energy
storage technology.
• It is determined to accomplish a zero-carbon footprint by promoting and adopting
environmentally friendly and complaisant technologies in the fastest and safest possible way.
GE Healthcare launches its first '5G Innovation Lab' in India
• GE Healthcare, a leading global medical technology, diagnostics, and digital solutions innovator,
announced the launch of its 5G Innovation Lab in India, the first for GE Healthcare across the
globe.
• It is Situated at the John F.Welch Technology Centre (JFWTC) Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• With the advantage of massive bandwidth, high data speeds, low latency, and highly reliable
connectivity, 5G has the potential to disrupt the patient care continuum, transforming diagnosis,
therapy, and prognosis.
• "The 5G Innovation Lab is designed to position GE Healthcare at the forefront of these
groundbreaking advances in patient care, including potentially bringing cutting-edge technology
to rural and suburban regions,".
• The 5G in Healthcare was valued at an estimated USD 215 million in 2021 and is projected to
reach USD 3,667 million by 2026.
• The Lab will serve as a conduit for the interplay of exponential technologies like AI/ML, IoT, Big
Data, Edge Computing, and Cybersecurity
About GE Healthcare :
• Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
• CEO: Peter J Arduini
NPCI partners with JBIMS to provide master's degrees in digital payments for employees
• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has collaborated with Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of
Management Studies (JBIMS) to co-create a Master’s in Management Studies (MMS) program
in Digital Payments for its employees.
• The degree was launched under NPCI's “learn while you earn" higher education program.
Aim :
• To integrate aspects of technology, finance, BFSI, and information system and management
studies into a single Master’s specialization in digital payments.
• The program is designed in a hybrid model where employees will take weekend classes and
spend only one week on campus per semester thereby allowing them to learn while they
continue to earn at NPCI.
• Additionally, NPCI employees also have the opportunity to pursue super-specialization and
further studies (Ph.D.) after the completion of the Master’s program.
About NPCI :
• Founded: 2008
• Non-Executive Chairman: Biswamohan Mahapatra
• The NPCI is the specialized division of the Reserve Bank of India which is under the jurisdiction
About JBIMS :
• Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Director: Dr. Shrinivasan Iyengar
NASA Releases 78 Kg of Garbage Bag from International Space Station
• For the first time, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) tested a new
waste disposal technology by releasing about 78 kg (172 lbs) of garbage from the International
Space Station (ISS).
• The first-of-its-kind technology to dispose of waste has been developed by Nasa’s Johnson
Space Center and a private company Nano rocks.
• The bag was jettisoned from the station's commercial Bishop Airlock.
Key Highlights :
• The new technology uses a specially designed waste container, which is mounted in the Bishop
Airlock.
• The ISS crew can fill the container with up to 600 lbs of trash.
• The waste bag is then released and the Airlock is re-mounted empty.
• Owing to the atmospheric burn, the baggage also reduced the chances of adding to the space
debris in the low-Earth orbit.
• Currently, astronauts aboard the ISS store their useless materials and wait for the Cygnus cargo
spacecraft to arrive and collect the trash.
About NASA :
• Established: July 29
• NASA is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space
program, aeronautics research, and space research.
About Nanoracks :
• Founded: 2009
• Headquarters: Houston, Texas, United States
• CEO: Dr. Amela Wilson
Union Minister inaugurates IS4OM to safeguard Indian space assets; 60 startups have registered with
ISRO
• Union Minister of State (MoS) for Science and Technology Shri Jitendra Singh inaugurated the
ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Operation (IS4OM) at ISRO Control Centre, in
• Around 60 startups have registered with the Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) since the
agency started promoting the country’s space sector.
• Some of these space start-ups include launch vehicles, nano-satellites, research facilities, and
ground systems.
About the IS4OM facility :
• The IS4OM facility can support all routine operations safeguarding Indian space assets,
mitigating collision threats from space objects through specific collision avoidance maneuvers,
information required for strategic purposes, and research activities in Space Debris and Space
Situational Awareness.
• IS4OM facility will aid India in achieving its SSA (Space Situational Awareness) goals by
providing comprehensive and timely information about the Space environment to users.
• ISRO is an active member of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IDAC),
IAF Space Debris Working Group, IAA Space Traffic Management Working Group, ISO Space
Debris Working Group, and UNCOPUOS long-term sustainability Working Group - all
international organizations contributing to the space debris studies and space situational
awareness.
Importance of radar and optical telescopes :
• The importance of radars and optical telescopes as the main ground-based facilities for tracking
space objects including space debris.
• The long-term sustainability of outer space activities is of utmost importance to ensure that the
technology used for scientific and technological purposes remains relevant to future generations.
• The Infrastructure for Space Weather monitoring and forecast is a critical component of the
country’s space activities, as it can help protect the country’s ground-based infrastructure from
the threat of space objects.
• The vision of the IS40M project is to provide planetary defense and space weather services.
About ISRO :
NASA & SpaceX launches Climate Research Experiments to ISS Aboard Resupply Mission from the
US
• A SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft carrying more than 5,800 pounds of science experiments,
crew supplies, and other cargo is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) from the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Kennedy Space Center in Florida,
United States (US).
• The Cargo Dragon spacecraft was launched through the Falcon 9 rocket.
• This is SpaceX's 25th commercial resupply services mission to the ISS for NASA.
Among the science experiments Dragon is delivering to the space station are:
Mapping Earth’s Dust :
• The spacecraft is loaded with several experiments with one being the Earth's Surface Mineral
Dust Investigation (EMIT) which has been developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Southern California.
• It employs NASA imaging spectroscopy technology to measure the mineral composition of dust
in Earth's arid regions.
• The mineral dust blown into the air can travel significant distances and affect Earth’s climate,
weather, vegetation, and more.
• The EMI will gather images for a year and create maps of the mineral composition of the regions
that produce dust on Earth.
• Apart from this, EMIT will also help in mapping which will help researchers gain a better
understanding of the effects of mineral dust on the human population.
Speedier Immune System Aging
• Immunosenescence is the changes in the immune response associated with aging.
• Microgravity causes changes in human immune cells that resemble this condition, but happen
faster than the actual process of aging on Earth.
• The Immunosenescence investigation, sponsored by the International Space Station U.S.
• National Laboratory, uses tissue chips to study how microgravity affects immune function during
flight and whether immune cells recover post-flight.
Soil in Space
• Dynamics of Microbiomes in Space sponsored by NASA’s Division of Biological and Physical
Sciences examines how microgravity affects metabolic interactions in communities of soil
microbes.
• This research focuses on microbe communities that decompose chitin, a natural carbon polymer
on Earth.
High School Student Weather Study
• BeaverCube is an educational mission that will teach high school students aerospace science by
having them design a CubeSat.
• It will host one visible and two infrared imagers to measure cloud properties, ocean surface
temperatures, and ocean color to study Earth’s climate and weather systems.
• It also will demonstrate an application for the use of shape memory alloy technology via an in-
orbit calibration technique.
Genes, No Cells
• Cell-free technology is a platform for producing protein without specialized equipment for living
cells that need to be cultured.
• Genes in Space-9, sponsored by the National Lab, demonstrates cell-free production of protein
in microgravity and evaluates two cell-free biosensors that can detect specific target molecules.
Better Concrete
• Biopolymer Research for In-Situ Capabilities looks at how microgravity affects the process of
creating a concrete alternative made with organic material and on-site materials, such as lunar
or Martian dust, known as biopolymer soil composite.
• Using resources available where construction takes place makes it possible to increase the
amount of shielding.
About NASA :
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C, USA
About SpaceX :
• Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, United States
• CEO & Chairman: Elon Musk
PM Shri Narendra Modi unveils India’s first human passenger drone - ‘Varuna’
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled India’s first passenger drone Varuna during Naval
Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’ in New Delhi.
• It has been developed by the Indian startup Sagar Defence Engineering along with NTDAC
(Naval Technology Development acceleration cell).
• The drone can carry one person inside.
About ‘Varuna’ :
• Varuna can fly to the range of 25km while carrying a payload of 130 kilograms and has 25-33
minutes of flight time.
• There are four auto-pilot models which help the drone to continue flying even if some fans fail to
function.
• This new vehicle can be used for inter-ship transfer of material and personnel.
• It is capable of carrying out autonomous take-off and landing even when the ships are moving.
• Varuna has been developed in two parts one is the technology, which helps the drone land and
takes off from moving warships, and the second is the platform itself.
• The drone has been specially made for the Indian Navy & 30 Varuna drones that can land and
take off from warships are delivered to the Indian Navy.
• It is the first time that the Indian Navy is inducting drones on warships.
• In June 2022, Sagar Defence Engineering had given a demonstration of the new personal air
mobility vehicle to the Deputy PM of Australia who had visited INS Hansa in Goa.
About Sagar Defence Engineering :
• Founded: 2015
• Founder and CEO : Nikunj Parashar
NASA chooses SpaceX to launch Roman Space Telescope
• American Space Agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected
Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) to launch their new Nancy
Grace Roman Space Telescope mission.
• The mission is targeted to launch in October 2026, as specified in the NASA Launch Services
(NLS) II contract, on a Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy
Space Center in Florida, the United States of America.
• It is named after Dr. Nancy Roman, an astronomer renowned for paving the way for large
telescopes in NASA.
About Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission :
• The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope features a 2.4-meter primary mirror.
• According to NASA, the total cost for the agency to launch the Roman telescope is
approximately USD255 million, which includes the launch service and other mission-related
costs
• The telescope, previously known as the Wide Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST), is
designed to unravel the secrets of dark energy and dark matter, search for and image
exoplanets, and explore many topics in infrared astrophysics.
• The Roman Space Telescope will have a primary mission lifetime of 5 years, with a potential 5-
year extended mission.
• The Roman Space Telescope project is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Maryland.
About Nancy Grace Roman :
• Nancy Grace Roman was the first female executive at NASA.
• She served as NASA's first Chief of Astronomy throughout the 1960s and 1970s,
About NASA :
• Founded: July 29, 1958
DCGI approves India's 1st indigenously developed mRNA vaccine against Covid
• The apex drug regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved India’s first
indigenously developed mRNA vaccine against COVID-19.
• The vaccine is manufactured by Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, based in Pune, and designed for
restricted emergency use for those aged 18 years and above.
• Gennova developed the mRNA vaccine with the support of the Department of Biotechnology
(DBT) under the Ministry of Science and Technology and its PSU, Biotechnology Industry
Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
• The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) has recommended Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA)
for India's first mRNA vaccine meeting.
• While other mRNA vaccines require to be stored at sub-zero temperatures, Gennova’s mRNA
vaccine can be stored at 2-8 degrees.
• The DCGI’s nod came after the subject expert committee on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs
Standard Control Organisation (CSDCO) recommended granting emergency use authorization
to Covovax for the age group of 7 to 11 years and Gennova’s two-dose m-RNA vaccine for 18
years and above.
About DCGI :
• The DCGI is the head of the department of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization of
the GoI.
Purpose :
• It is responsible for the approval of licenses of specified categories of drugs such as blood and
blood products, IV fluids, vaccines, and sera in India.
China launches the second of three space station modules - Wentian to support science experiments
• The Chinese space agency successfully launched the second of three space station modules,
named Wentian needed to complete its new Tiangong space station, the latest step in Beijing's
ambitious space program.
• The uncrewed craft was propelled by a Long March 5B rocket from the Wenchang launch center
on China's tropical island of Hainan.
About Wentian :
• Wentian, which means the quest for the heavens.
• The Wentian lab module is 17.9 meters (59 feet) long and weighs 22 tons (48,500 pounds)
• Wentian features an airlock cabin that is to be the main exit-entry point for extravehicular
activities when the station is completed.
• It will also serve as short-term living quarters for astronauts during crew rotations on the station,
designed for the long-term accommodation of just three astronauts.
• The Tiangong space station will be around 20% as massive as the International Space Station
(ISS), which has a mass of about 460 tons.
• China has been excluded from the International Space Station since 2011, when the United
States banned NASA from engaging with the country, so China is setting up its space station.
• Until the final module arrives, the space station will have a rather unusual L-shape.
• Once all the three modules are complete, the Tiangong space station will acquire T-shape.
Note :
• The first and central module called Tiangong, which means “heavenly palace”, was launched in
April 2021.
• The third and final module, named Mengtian,("Dreaming of the Heavens") is scheduled to be
launched in October 2022.
• China's space program has already landed a rover on Mars and sent probes to the Moon.
• In addition to a space station, Beijing is also planning to build a base on the Moon and send
humans there by 2030.
About China :
ISRO starts Human Space Flight Expo at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru
• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) organized a unique three-day Human Space
Flight Expo at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The expo commemorates Indian achievements in space and has been organized as part of the
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations marking 75 years of Independence.
• It was inaugurated by ISRO Chairman Mr. S. Somanath, former ISRO chair A.S. Kiran Kumar,
director of the U.R. Rao Satellite Center, M. Sankaran, and director of the human space flight
program, R. Umamaheswaran.
About the Expo :
• The Expo offered how astronauts will travel during India's first-ever manned space flight mission
“Gaganyaan.”
• Exhibits at the expo include an interactive Gaganyaan (proposed project for India’s first crewed
spaceflight) model, scaled models of rockets and satellites, simulations of a Mars rover, a space
toilet, and a space suit, among others.
• The expo’s highlight will be a movie in the planetarium’s sky theatre “The Indian Space Odyssey
– Sounding Rockets to Gaganyaan”.
• The movie will offer viewers an opportunity to get immersed in visuals of the assembly of the
launch vehicle, astronaut training, and the mission sequence of Gaganyaan.
• Apart from Gaganyaan, ISRO is planning three other major missions: Moon-bound rover
Chandrayaan-3, Aditya L1 to study the Sun, and Shukrayaan-1 to orbit Venus.
About ISRO :
China launches six satellites with a new solid propellant rocket
• China successfully launched 6 new satellites into space with its new solid-propellant rocket, ZK
1A, from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in north-western China.
• The rocket is a major project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed under China's
14th Five-Year Plan and "another innovative attempt in the field of aerospace science and
technology."
• The satellites included a new space technology test satellite and a test satellite for probing
atmospheric density.
Note :
• The ZK 1A became China’s largest and most powerful solid-propellant rocket.
About ZK 1A :
• The ZK 1A has a length of 30 meters, a diameter of 2.65 meters, and a lift-off weight of 135
metric tons.
• It is capable of sending satellites with a combined weight of 1.5 tons to a typical sun-
synchronous orbit about 500 km above the Earth
• The ZK 1A replaces the Long March 11 rocket which is 20.8 meters tall, with a diameter of 2
meters and a liftoff weight of 58 tons.
• Meanwhile, China’s Tianzhou-3 cargo craft which had detached from the under-construction
space station re-entered the atmosphere in a controlled manner.
• The Tianzhou-3 cargo craft launched in September 2021 and delivered about six tonnes of
supplies to China's space station, which is under construction.
About China :
Indus International School in Hyderabad introduces India’s 1st teaching robot – Eagle
• Indus International School in Hyderabad, Telangana has introduced India’s first Teaching Robot
Eagle to teach students and also assist teachers in teaching.
• These robots were developed by the school, as part of a collaborative learning model at its
schools.
• It was introduced by the Indus Trust.
• 21 Eagle Robots have been deployed across three of the Indus Schools, 7 each in Hyderabad,
Bangalore, and Pune.
• Recently the school management demonstrated the performance of Eagle robots to Education
Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy.
About Eagle :
• Eagle Robot is highly interactive, making the experience personalized along with emotional
emulation through the digital face.
• It is capable of teaching students of grades 5 to 11, in the classroom along with the human
teacher and also in a stand-alone mode.
• Students can access these robots at the end of class and receive instruction in 30 different
languages.
• Eagle robots are programmed to teach all the science and humanities subjects including
languages.
• Children can connect with the assessment and content of the robot through devices like mobile,
tab, or laptops.
• These robots, made with the help of artificial intelligence, will clarify the doubts of the students.
• These robots will bridge the gap of lack of teachers in government schools and improve the
quality of education.
Note :
• Founder and CEO : Arjun Ray
About Telangana :
IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENT NEWS
India TO add 315 taxa and 540 species to its inventory of animal species: ZSI
• The number of animal species in India's faunal database increased by 540 in 2021, bringing the
total to 1,03,258.
• The Indian flora now has 315 more taxa, increasing the total number of floral taxa in the country
to 55,048 as of 2021.
• Of the 540 species of fauna, 406 are discoveries, while 134 are new records for India.
• Thirteen new genera were discovered in 2021 as well.
• Among the newly discovered species are 19 species of fish, 35 species of reptiles, and one
species of mammal.
Key Points:
• The newly discovered mammal species is a white-toothed shrew from the Andaman and Nicobar
group of islands called Crocidura narcondamica.
• Whitaker's cat snake, commonly known as Boiga whitakeri, was one of the extraordinary reptiles
discovered in 2021.
• It was discovered in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu.
• The Hymenoptera order of insects, which includes ants, bees, sawflies, and wasps, was the
source of the newest species discoveries, accounting for 80 species and one new genus.
• 68 percent of new animal species discoveries were produced in 2021 by scientists from the
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), which marked its 107th foundation anniversary on July 1.
• While the COVID-19 epidemic severely hampered expeditions, she emphasized that they have
since fully recovered.
• With 1.03 lakh species, India accounts for 6.1% of the world's total faunal diversity.
• The 315 new flora taxa include 298 new species and 17 intraspecific taxa that are unique to
Indian flora.
• Among these, 204 taxa are brand-new to science and 125 taxa have unique distributional data
from India.
Two species of fish were discovered along the Tamil Nadu coast:
• The Indian Council for Agricultural Research - National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources
(NBFGR) has identified two new species of marine fish in Tamil Nadu.
• One of them, a sardine variety from Pattinapakkam fish landing center in the city, was named
‘Dussumieria modakandai’.
• It is consumed by the local population.
• The discovery was published in the international journal Fish Biology in December 2021.
• Description of a new congrid eel, Ariosoma albimaculata sp. nov. (Anguilliformes: Congridae),
from the southwest coast of India, Arabian Sea’— was authored by Paramasivam Kodeeswaran,
Deepa Dhas, Thipramalai Thangappan Pillai Ajith Kumar and Kuldeep Kumar Lal.
About the Species:
• A species of eel, belonging to the congrid eels group, was discovered from the specimen
collected at Colachel fish landing center in Kanniyakumari district.
• It has been named ‘Ariosoma albimaculata’ (white spotted stout conger). Albimaculata is derived
from the Latin words: Albus, meaning white, and maculatus, meaning spotted, denoting the
white spot on the dorsal-fin origin.
• The eel is 240-487 mm long and has a grey, shiny body with dark marks or spots on the
posterior dorsal margin of the eyes.
• It was non-poisonous, living in unusual habitats such as continental slopes and underwater
seamount crevices.
• The species is possibly distributed along the southwest coast of India, so far only in the coastal
waters of Kanniyakumari.
• It is the eighth species of congrid eels to be documented in Indian waters, all of which were by-
catch in trawl landings.
• The bureau, after a taxonomic and molecular analysis, confirmed the novelty of the species and
published its findings in the international journal Ichthyological Research.
ZSI Scientists Discover a New Kind of Eel from Petuaghat Fishing Harbour, West Bengal:
• Scientists and research scholars of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new
eel species based on two specimens collected from Petuaghat fishing harbor, Purba Medinipur,
West Bengal.
• The new species has been termed Bengal conger, stated Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Director, ZSI.
• The species belong to the family Congridae and order Anguilliformes.
• The recently discovered species has been named Ariosoma Bengalense in the name of the
collection locality.
• The species is distributed in the northern part of the Bay of Bengal.
• The color of the species is brown.
• The species has larger eyes in comparison to similar congeners.
• The species has total vertebrae 146-149.
• Both supratemporal pores and myorhabdoi are absent in the new species.
• The species has a total length of 316-304mm.
• This species is currently known from the northern part of the Bay of Bengal (West Bengal), India,
197 km away from the Deshpran fishing harbor, at a depth of 168 m (21047.752’N,
87052.869’E), within the Exclusive Economic Zone of India.
Key Points:
• The new species differs from four of the seven species reported from India: Ariosoma majus, A.
melanospilos, A. maurostigma, and A. Indicum with the absence of supratemporal pores vs.
three in all the species mentioned.
• While collecting Eel samples from the East coast of India, the scientists collected two specimens
of the genus Ariosoma from the Petuaghat fishing harbor, West Bengal and while identifying
those specimens it was found to be an undescribed species.
• Herein, the scientists described the new species of the genus Ariosoma based on two
specimens collected from the northern part of the Bay of Bengal, India.
• The discovery got good mileage as the story has been published in Zootaxa, published by
Magnolia Press, New Zealand recently.
Sakurajima Volcanic Eruption: Volcano Erupts for three days:
• A volcanic eruption occurred in Kyushu, Japan's main southern island.
• Locals have been urged to escape as quickly as possible so that no one is impacted by the
volcanic eruption.
• The eruption was followed by a showing of red-hot rocks and dark fumes from the Sakurajima
volcano in Kagoshima Prefecture.
• Sakurajima is located on Japan's major southern island of Kyushu, and it was an island with the
largest number of active volcanoes in Japan that erupted regularly.
• It is around 1000 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.
• In 1914, Sakurajima saw a devastating volcanic eruption that killed 58 people, after which it
became peninsular.
IMPORTANT APPS & SERVICES NEWS
BESCOM develops ‘EV Mitra’ mobile app:
• The EV Mitra smartphone app was created by the Bengaluru Electricity Company BESCOM to
give details about EV charging stations in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The app also includes details on the charges at each station where electric vehicles may
recharge.
• Users of electric vehicles can reserve a spot in the station in advance using the user-friendly
app.
• The EV Jagruthi Web portal was previously introduced by BESCOM as a collaborative project of
NITI Ayog and the UK.
• The website provides information particular to each state about the availability of electric
vehicles, incentives, support systems, and state government efforts related to electric mobility.
Key Points:
• In Bengaluru, BESCOM has launched 136 charging stations, and 152 more will do the same
shortly.
• For the establishment of 1000 charging stations around the state, bids have been requested
under the Public-Private Partnership model.
• The EV Abhiyan will last for a week, from July 1 to July 6, while the EV Expo will run from July 1
to July 3.
• To encourage EV use in Bengaluru, a rally will be held on July 2nd from Vidhana Soudha to
Palace Grounds.
Microsoft announces ‘Viva Engage’ app in T eams to help build community:
• Microsoft has announced the launch of Viva Engage, a new app in Teams that helps develop
community and connection while also giving tools for creative expression.
• Viva Engage, built based on Yammer, connects employees across the organization to interact
with leaders and coworkers, get answers to issues, share their unique stories, and feel a sense
of belonging at work.
About the Microsoft Viva:
• Microsoft Viva is intended to provide workers in a variety of jobs and responsibilities with the
tools they need to feel connected – no matter when or where they work.
• Employee experience, though, is more than that. According to the organization, it is about
assisting individuals in excelling at their jobs, whether they are in sales, marketing, finance, or
information technology.
• The social app for digital communities, dialogues, and self-expression tools expands on the
current Communities app for Teams and Microsoft 365 features.
• Microsoft Viva Sales, the first of a new dimension of Viva built to satisfy these vertical, role-
specific objectives, was announced last month.
About Microsoft
• Founders: Bill Gates, Paul Allen
• CEO: Satya Nadella
• Headquarters: Washington, United States.
IMPORTANT RANKINGS & INDEX NEWS
NITI Aayog Launches Report on India's Gig and Platform Economy
● National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog’s Vice Chairman Suman Bery, CEO
Amitabh Kant, and Special Secretary Dr. K Rajeswara Rao launched a report titled ‘India's
Booming Gig and Platform Economy’.
● The report is a first-of-its-kind study that presents comprehensive perspectives and
recommendations on the gig–platform economy in India.
Key Highlights of the report :
● The report estimates that in 2020–21, 77 lakh (7.7 million) workers were engaged in the gig
economy.
● They constituted 2.6% of the non-agricultural workforce or 1.5% of the total workforce in India.
● The gig workforce is expected to expand to 2.35 crore (23.5 million) workers by 2029–30.
● Gig workers are expected to form 6.7% of the non-agricultural workforce or 4.1% of the total
livelihood in India by 2029–30.
● At present, about 47% of the gig work is in medium-skilled jobs, about 22% in high skilled, and
about 31% in low-skilled jobs.
● When workers are classified by industries, the report said that 26.6 lakh gig workers were
involved in retail trade and sales in FY20, and about 13 lakh were in the transportation sector.
● 6.2 lakh persons were in manufacturing and another 6.3 lakh in the finance and insurance
activities.
● The report however notes that this is an estimation, and there is no official data to authoritatively
estimate the extent of gig work in the country “thereby rendering the gig workforce invisible.”
Recommendations :
● The recommendations in this report will serve as a crucial resource for ministries, state
governments, training providers, platform companies, and other stakeholders to work in
collaboration for promoting growth and employment opportunities in this sector.
● Further, to harness the potential of the gig-platform sector, the report recommended accelerating
access to finance through products specifically designed for such workers, linking self-employed
individuals engaged in the business of selling regional and rural cuisine or street foods with
platforms to enable them to sell their products to wider markets in towns and cities.
About NITI Aayog :
● CEO: Parameswaran Iyer
● Vice Chairperson : Suman Bery
Asia Pacific Sustainability Index 2021: Bengaluru ranks 14th among 20 cities in the APAC region
• According to the Asia Pacific Sustainability Index 2021, released by Knight Frank Four Indian
cities Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai made it to the list of top 20 sustainable cities.
• Bengaluru l ed the sustainability index amongst the top Indian cities and ranked 14th in the
APAC region.
• Bengaluru was the only Indian city to achieve the ‘Gold’ standard category.
• Delhi ranked second amongst the Indian cities (ranked 17th in the APAC region) followed by
Hyderabad (ranked 18th) and Mumbai (ranked 20th).
Key Highlights :
• Global property consultant Knight Frank’s APAC Sustainably Led Cities Index rated 36 cities
based on urbanization pressure, climate risk, carbon emissions, and government initiatives.
• Singapore, Sydney, Wellington, Perth, and Melbourne were the top five green-rated cities in
commercial real estate in the Asia-Pacific region.
Note :
• Standard refers to the willingness of the cities in accepting and adapting to ESG (Environmental,
Social, and Governance) metrics.
• Platinum Standard indicates that the city is very advanced and extremely open to accepting and
adapting to ESG metrics from all stakeholders to a high degree.
• Gold Standard indicates that the city is slightly advanced and somewhat open to accepting and
adapting to ESG metrics from all stakeholders to a certain degree.
• Silver Standard indicates that the city is advanced and open to accepting and adapting to ESG
metrics from all stakeholders to a limited degree.
India’s Performance :
• New market dynamics have propelled the growth of sustainable development in India.
• The global commitment to carbon neutrality and net-zero is firmly focused on creating
environmentally-friendly premises has led Indian developers to augment their products to meet
the requirements.
About Knight Frank India :
• Founded: 1896
• Chairman and Managing Director: Shishir Baijal
QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2023: London ranks the greatest metropolis for college students, and
Mumbai tops in India
● Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released the list of Best Student Cities ranking for 2023, with
London (United Kingdom) emerging as the top city for students looking to study abroad.
● India’s highest-ranked pupil metropolis is Mumbai at 103 spots which scored for affordability
however struggles with pupil combination and desirability.
● Bengaluru ranked at 114, Chennai and Delhi have made their entries 125 and 129, respectively.
● The greatest pupil metropolis within the Arab Region is Dubai, which ranks 51st globally.
● Buenos Aires takes Latin America’s highest spot, rating 23 on the earth.
Top 10 ranked cities in QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2023 :
1. London, United Kingdom
2. Seoul, South Korea
2. Munich, Germany
4. Zurich, Switzerland
5. Melbourne, Australia
6. Berlin, Germany
7. Tokyo, Japan
8. Paris, France
9. Sydney, Australia
10. Edinburgh, United Kingdom
About QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2023 :
● QS ranks 140 cities worldwide.
● The QS Best Student Cities Ranking gives college students impartial knowledge relating to a
spread of things related to their examination choices: affordability, high quality of life, the usual
of college, and the views of earlier college students who have studied in that vacation spot.
About Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) :
● Founded: 1990
● Headquarters location: London, United Kingdom
● CEO : Nunzio Quacquarelli
● Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is specializing in the analysis of higher education institutions around
the world.
India's green bonds’ issuance 6th largest in the Asia-Pacific region
● According to the Knight Frank Report, Active Capital Asia Pacific - Raising Capital in Uncertain
Times India’s Green Bonds issuance increased 523 percent Year on Year (YoY), from $1.1
billion in 2020 to $6.8 billion in 2021.
● Now, India is the sixth-largest country in APAC in terms of the total amount of green bonds
issued in 2021.
Aim of the report :
● To provide an insight into how the real estate market in Asia-Pacific performed historically and
how it is predicted to play out in 2022, thereby acting as a guide for investors
● The report highlights an important theme – Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) for
investors that are looking to expand their ESG foothold in their portfolios.
Key Highlights :
● The issuance of green bonds, which are fixed-income financial instruments used to finance
projects that have positive environmental and or climate benefits, was negatively impacted by
the pandemic in 2020.
● However, it recovered in 2021, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and posting an increase of
116.9% from the $3.1 billion raised in 2019.
● According to statistics provided by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), APAC issued $126 billion
in green bonds in 2021, with China issuing the largest amount, USD 68 billion, exceeding the
combined value of the other APAC nations.
Global startup ecosystem index 2022: Bengaluru strongest startup ecosystem in India
● According to the Global S tartup E cosystem Index ( GSEI) b y Is rael -based S tartupBlink,
Bengaluru is the “strongest startup ecosystem in India” and ranked 8th globally.
● Globally, New Delhi ranks 13, Mumbai is 17, Pune i s 9 0 , H yderabad i s 9 7, C hennai i s 1 02,
Jaipur is 212 and Ahmedabad is 223.
Top 10 cities on the ranking :
1. San Francisco Bay (United States)
2. New York (United States)
3. London (United Kingdom)
4. Los Angeles Area (California)
5. Boston Area (United States)
6. Beijing (China)
7. Shanghai (China)
8. Bangalore (India)
9. Tel Aviv Area (Israel)
10. Paris (France)
Key Highlights :
● In the country-wise rankings for 2022, India is among the top 20 startup ecosystems globally and
has been ranked 19th.
● In the Asia Pacific region, India is 4th after Singapore, Australia, and China.
● At the city-level in the Asia Pacific region, Bengaluru’s startup ecosystem has been ranked the
3rd best, improving its position by two spots in 2022, and is behind Beijing (1) and Shanghai (2).
● The Karnataka capital’s ranking in the global startup ecosystem has been going up since 2020.
● It was ranked 14th in 2020 and 10th in 2021.
● Bengaluru overperforms in Edtech and Transportation with a global rank of 5 in both sector-wise
startup rankings.
● The city is ranked 12th in Ecommerce & Retail, ranked 12th in Software & Data Ranking, ranked
14th in Foodtech, ranked 19th in Hardware & IoT, and ranked 20th in Fintech.
● Bengaluru houses 364 education startups, 128 transportation startups, and 126 eCommerce &
retail startups
About Global startup ecosystem index 2022:
● The Index has been updated annually since 2017 and is the world’s most comprehensive startup
ecosystem ranking 100 countries and 1,000 cities globally.
● The GSEI is built using hundreds of thousands of data points processed by an algorithm that
takes into account several dozens of parameters.
About Startup-Blink :
● Headquarters: Tel Aviv, Israel
● CEO: Eli David
UN-Habitat World Cities Report 2022: India’s urban population to stand at 675 million in 2035
● The United Nations-Habitat’s World Cities Report 2022, India’s urban population is estimated to
stand at 675 million in 2035, the 2nd highest behind China’s 1 billion.
● The report stated that rapid urbanization was only temporarily delayed by the pandemic but the
global urban population is back on track to grow by another 2.2 billion people by 2050.
● As per report, India’s urban population is projected to be 675,456,000 in 2035, growing from
483,099,000 in 2020 to 542,743,000 in 2025 and 607,342,000 in 2030.
● By 2035, the percentage of the population in India at mid-year residing in urban areas will be
43.2 percent.
● China's urban population in 2035 is projected at 1.05 billion while the urban population in Asia
will be 2.99 billion in 2035 and that in South Asia 987,592,000.
● As per the report, big economies like China and India had a large share of the world's population
and their development trajectories had greatly influenced global inequality.
● In the last two decades, In Asia, China and India experienced rapid economic growth and
urbanization, which led to a massive reduction in the number of people living in poverty.
● The urban population is forecast to grow from 56 percent of the global total in 2021 to 68 percent
by 2050.
● The report stated that tackling urban poverty and inequality is one of the key priorities for
building inclusive and equitable urban futures
About UN-Habitat :
● Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
● Executive Director : Maimunah Mohd Sharif
NITI Aayog & World Food Program Launches Report- ‘Take Home Ration: Good Practices across the
State/UTs
● National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog Vice Chairman Suman K. Bery and the
World Food Program released a report titled 'Take Home Ration (THR) -Good Practices Across
States/Union Territories.
● The launch was attended by Indevar Pandey, Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child
Development, Senior Advisor Rajib Sen, and Eric Kenefick, Deputy Country Director of the
United Nations World Food Programme.
● The report presents a set of good and innovative practices used by the states and UTs in the
implementation of the Take Home Ration value chain.
● The report will provide opportunities for cross-learning among states and Union territories.
About Take Home Ration :
● The Government of India provides Take Home Ration under the Supplementary Nutrition
component of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to fill the gap in nutrition
among children as well as pregnant and lactating women (PLW).
Aim :
● To provide supplementary food products to children aged 6 to 36 months and pregnant and
lactating women (PLW) for use in their homes.
● Under ICDS, there is a Supplementary Nutrition Programme(SNP) component.
● SNP is delivered through two modalities – Hot-Cooked Meal at Anganwadi Centers and Take-
Home Ration(THR).
● The State Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Odisha are currently receiving
assistance from the United Nations World Food Programme in India to improve the composition
and establish decentralized production of fortified nutritious THR.
● This support was conducted in 2019 following mapping of THR across India
About NITI Aayog :
● Chairperson: Narendra Modi (Prime Minister of India)
About WEP :
● Headquarters: Rome, Italy
● Executive Director: David Beasley
● The WEP is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest
humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security.
● It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its Executive Committee.
Indian-origin engineer Jayshree Ullal ranked among America's top self-made women billionaires
● According to Forbes' 8th annual list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women, President and
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Arista Networks, Jayshree Ullal, a computer networking firm, is
one of only five Indian-Americans on Forbes’ list of America’s richest self-made women.
● With her net worth reaching $2.1 billion in 2022, she ranked 15th on the list.
Other Indian-Americans on Forbes’ list :
● Neerja Sethi, co-founder of Syntel is ranked 24th on the list with a net worth of $1 billion.
● Neha Narkhede, the co-founder of cloud company Confluent, is ranked 57th on the list with a net
worth of $900 million.
● Indra Nooyi, the former chairperson, and chief executive officer of PepsiCo ranked 85 with a net
worth of $320 million.
● Reshma Shetty cofounder of Gingko Bioworks is the last Indian-American on Forbes’ list of
America’s richest self-made women with a net worth of $220 million.
● Diane Hendricks, co-founder, and chairman of ABC Supply topped the list for the fifth year with a
net worth of $12.2 billion
States' Startup Ranking 2021: Gujarat, Karnataka & Meghalaya Become the Best States
● According to the 3rd edition of the States' Startup Ranking 2021 by the department for the
promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT), Gujarat and Karnataka have been ranked as
the best performers in developing startup ecosystems for budding entrepreneurs.
● The state’s startup ranking 2021 was released by Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush
Goyal during an event held at The Ashok, New Delhi, Delhi, India.
● For the third year in a row, Gujarat has bagged the title of Best Performing state by Startup
India.
● In the report accompanying the rankings, the initiative was taken by the Student Startup and
Innovation Policy Cell (SSIP) of Gujarat's education department.
Key Highlights :
● A total of 24 states and 7 UTs participated, which ranked them under 5 classes.
● These classes were
1. Best performers
2. Top performers
3. Leaders
4. Aspiring leaders
5. Emerging startup ecosystems.
● The states and union territories (UTs) were divided into two categories – Category A and
Category B.
● The first category consists of states and UTs with a population of over 1 Crore, while the second
category consists of states and UTs with a population under 1 Cr.
➢ Top performers included 4 states from Category A: Telangana, Kerala, Maharashtra, and
Odisha.
● In Category B: Jammu and Kashmir
➢ Startup leaders included five states from Category A (Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh,
Punjab, and Assam)
● Two states and a UT from Category B (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Andaman, and the Nicobar
Islands).
➢ Aspiring leaders included four states from Category A (Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan)
● Category B: Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur,
Nagaland, and Tripura were included.
➢ Emerging startup ecosystems included Andhra Pradesh, Bihar
● Category B : Mizoram and Ladakh.
● They were evaluated across 7 reform areas consisting of 26 action points, ranging from
institutional support, fostering innovation, access to market, incubation, and funding support.
● The Commerce and Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal, declared the result at an event and
mentioned that India currently features 70,809 startups recognized by the government.
Note :
● India Observes January 16 as National Startup Day.
About DPIIT :
● Founded: 1995
● Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
● The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is a central government
department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in India.
NITI Aayog Report: Green Hydrogen Is Critical to India’s Economic Development and Net-Zero
Ambitions
● A new report titled Harnessing Green Hydrogen: Opportunities for Deep Decarbonisation in India
provides a pathway to accelerate the emergence of a green hydrogen economy, which is critical
for India to achieve its net-zero ambitions by 2070.
● The report was co-authored by National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).
● The green hydrogen produced by renewable energy through the electrolysis of water will be
crucial for achieving decarbonization of harder-to-abate sectors such as fertilizers, refining,
methanol, maritime shipping, iron & steel, and transport.
● India can emerge as the least cost producer and bring down the price of green hydrogen to US$
1 per kg by 2030.
About the report :
● The report highlights that green hydrogen can substantially spur industrial decarbonization and
economic growth for India in the coming decades
● The report concludes that hydrogen demand in India could grow more than fourfold by 2050,
representing almost 10% of global demand.
● The majority of the demand could be met with green hydrogen in the long term, the cumulative
value of the green hydrogen market in India could reach the US $8 billion by 2030.
Mitigation strategies :
● Near-term policy measures can bring down the current costs of green hydrogen to make it
competitive with the existing gray hydrogen (hydrogen produced by natural gas) prices
● Medium-term price targets should be set to guide the industry towards making green hydrogen
the most competitive form of hydrogen.
● Governments can encourage near-term market development by identifying industrial clusters
and enacting associated viability gap funding, mandates, and targets.
● Opportunities around research and development and manufacturing of components like
electrolyzers need to be identified and appropriately encouraged with adequate financial
mechanisms such as production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes to enable 25 GW of
manufacturing capacity of electrolyzers by 2028.
● A globally competitive green hydrogen industry can lead to exports of green hydrogen and
hydrogen-embedded low-carbon products like green ammonia and green steel that can unlock
95 GW of electrolysis capacity in the nation by 2030.
About NITI Aayog :
● Chairperson: Narendra Modi
About RMI :
● Headquarters: Basalt, Colorado, United States
● CEO : Jules Kortenhorst
● RMI works for the transformation of global energy systems through market-driven solutions to
align with a 1.5°C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all.
● It works in the world’s most critical geographies and engages businesses, policymakers,
communities, and NGOs to identify and scale up energy system interventions that will cut
greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030.
Odisha, UP, and AP emerge as the top three States in the 1st Edition of ‘State Ranking Index for
NFSA’ 2022
● Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Textiles and Commerce and
Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal released the First Edition of ‘State Ranking Index for NFSA’ during
the conference of Food Ministers of States/UTs on ‘Food Nutrition and Security in India’
organized by Department of Food and Public Distribution.
● Ms. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and
Rural Development along with Secretary DFPD, Shri Sudhanshu Pandey along with Food
Ministers and senior officials of 8 states were present at the daylong conference.
● The conference was organized to deliberate and discuss nutritional security, food security, best
practices followed in the Public Distribution System, crop diversification, and reforms in the PDS
and storage sector.
About State ranking Index for NFSA :
● The “State ranking Index for NFSA” attempts to document the status and progress of
implementation of NFSA and various reform initiatives across the country, post consultation with
states.
● It highlights the reforms undertaken by States and UTs and creates a cross-learning
environment and scale-up reform measures by all states and union territories.
● The Index is largely focused on NFSA Distribution and will include procurement, and PMGKAY
Distribution in the future.
● The Index for ranking the states and UTs is built on three key pillars which cover the end-to-end
implementation of NFSA through TPDS.
1. NFSA- Coverage, targeting, and provisions of the Act
2. Delivery platform
3. Nutrition initiatives.
● Shri Goyal stated that India is now 100% connected under the One Nation One Ration Card
(ONORC).
● 45 crore transitions have taken so far providing the beneficiaries the freedom to collect ration
from any State/UT in the country
● The system of digitized, Aadhaar linked Public Distribution will be used to issue Ayushman
Bharat Card.
● Uttar Pradesh is using the system to issue Ayushman Bharat cards.
● The deadline to submit claims of pending dues till the year 2019-20 is August 15, 2022.
● The absence of states includes Telangana, Orissa, Jharkhand, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, West
Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Nagaland.
Ranks and scores obtained by general category states and union territories :
Rank State/UT Index Score
1 Odisha 0.836
2 Uttar Pradesh 0.797
3 Andhra Pradesh 0.794
4 Gujarat 0.790
5 Dadra & Nagar 0.787
Haveli and Daman
Diu
20 Goa 0.631
● The UT of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu is covered under both categories for urban
areas under the DBT category and other areas under the non-DBT category.
Ranks and scores obtained by states and union territories belonging to special categories (North-
Eastern states, Himalayan states, and the Island Regions)
1 Tripura 0.788
2 Himachal Pradesh 0.758
3 Sikkim 0.710
4 Nagaland 0.648
5 Uttarakhand 0.637
14 Ladakh 0.412
Ranks and scores obtained by union territories operating in DBT (cash transfer) mode
Rank UT Index Score
1 Dadra & NH and Daman Diu 0.802
2 Puducherry 0.709
3 Chandigarh 0.680
Comprehensive country-level Index
1 Odisha 0.836
4 Gujarat 0.790
5 Tripura 0.788
34 Ladak 0.412
● DBT cash UTs-Chandigarh and Puducherry have not been listed in the country-level index due
to variation in the scoring criteria, however, separate ranks and scores have been generated for
these UTs in all categories.
● The National Food Security Act (NFSA) was enacted on July 5, 2013.
About Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution :
● Cabinet Minister: Piyush Goyal
● Minister of State: Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Ashwini Kumar Choubey
Jharkhand tops Rurban Mission's delta rating:
• With a composite score of 76.19, Jharkhand topped the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Rurban
Mission's delta rating for June, according to a formal declaration.
• As a consequence, in the mission's overall rating, the state has climbed to eighth place.
• The state saw the largest gain among the 34 states and union territories in its delta ranking
score, rising 1.93 points from the previous month.
Key Points:
• The Center launched the mission in 2016 with the objectives of fostering local economic
development, updating critical services, and creating well-planned Rurban clusters.
• Dr. Manish Ranjan, the secretary of the state's rural development department, claims that
Jharkhand's ranking has increased due to the better work done in each of the areas.
• The Union Ministry of Rural Development has released the delta rating for June, and Jharkhand
came in first nationally in the delta ranking and ninth overall, according to state MGNREGA
commissioner Rajeshwari B.
India is ranked 135th internationally in the WEF's Gender Gap Report for 2022:
• In the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Gender Gap Index 2022, India is ranked 135th out
of 146 nations
• In the "health and survival" sub-index, where it is placed at 146, it has the lowest results globally.
• India also does poorly among its neighbors, ranking in last place after Bangladesh (71), Nepal
(96), Sri Lanka (110), Maldives (117), and Bhutan (126).
• In South Asia, only Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan (143, 145, and 146, respectively) fare worse
than India
Key Points:
• Iceland retained its place as the world's most gender-equal country, followed by Finland,
Norway, New Zealand, and Sweden, as per the annual Gender Gap Report 2022 of the World
Economic Forum (WEF) released in Geneva.
• According to the research, Afghanistan has the poorest performance.
• Only 11 countries are ranked below India on the index of 146 nations, with Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Congo, Iran, and Chad being the worst-five.
• India is ranked 48th in political empowerment, 107th in educational attainment, 146th in health
and survival, and 143rd in economic involvement and opportunity.
4 key dimensions:
• The Global Gender Gap Index measures gender parity in four key areas, or sub-indices,
including political empowerment, health and survival, educational achievement, and economic
involvement and opportunity.
• It provides scores on a scale from 0 to 100, which represent the amount of progress made
toward parity or the proportion of the gender gap that has been closed.
About the Global Gender Gap Report 2022:
• The 16th edition of the WEF's annual report, the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, was released
this year.
• The World Economic Forum originally established the Global Gender Gap Index in 2006 to
assess gender differences across nations across four categories: political leadership, economic
opportunity, education, and health.
About WEF:
• Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland
• Founder: Klaus Schwab
• Chairperson: Borge Brende
Ahmedabad & Kerala features in TIME Magazine’s The World’s Greatest Places of 2022:
• Two sites in India have been included in TIME Magazine's list of "50 remarkable spots to
discover" for this year.
• Two Indian locations made the list of the top places in the world in 2022: Kerala, a state in the
south, and Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat.
Key Points:
• Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates; Park City, Utah; Seoul; the Great Barrier Reef, Australia;
the Arctic; Valencia, Spain; the Trans Bhutan Trail, Bhutan; the International Space Station;
Bogota; the Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia; Istanbul; and Kigali, Rwanda are also on the
list.
• The World's Greatest Places list is created by TIME Magazine's global network of journalists and
contributors, "with an eye on those delivering unique and thrilling experiences," according to the
publication.
About Kerala:
• One of India's most beautiful states in Kerala.
• It is referred to as "God's land" with good reason because of its magnificent beaches, verdant
backwaters, temples, and palaces, according to TIME Magazine.
About Ahmedabad:
• As India's first UNESCO World Heritage City, Ahmedabad "boasts both ancient landmarks and
contemporary innovations that make it a mecca for cultural tourism, from the tranquil Gandhi
Ashram that sits on 36 acres on the banks of the Sabarmati River to Navratri, a vibrant nine-day
celebration billed as the longest dance festival in the world," according to TIME Magazine.
NIRF Rankings 2022: the list of all Top Colleges, Universities
• Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, the union education minister, published the 7th edition of the
National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings.
• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Bangalore is India's top two higher education institutions overall, according to the most recent
NIRF rankings published by the Education Ministry.
National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings Categories:
(a) Overall Category
(b) Pharmacy Colleges
(c) Top Medical Colleges
(d) Top Management Colleges
(e) Engineering Colleges
NIRF India Ranks 2022: Overall Category
1. Indian Institute of Technology Madras
2. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore
3. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
4. Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
5. Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
6. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
7. Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
8. Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
9. All India Institute of Medical Sciences
10. Jawaharlal Nehru University
Top Pharmacy Colleges
1. Jamia Hamdard
2. National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Hyderabad
3. Panjab University
4. National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali
5. Birla Institute of Technology and Science – Pilani
6. JSS College of Pharmacy
7. Institute of Chemical Technology
8. JSS College of Pharmacy
9. Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal
10. National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Ahmedabad
Top Medical Colleges
1. All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi
2. Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research
3. Christian Medical College
4. National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences, Bangalore
5. Banaras Hindu University
6. Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research
7. Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences
8. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
9. Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram
10. Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
Top Management Colleges
1. Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
2. Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
3. Indian Institute of Management Calcutta
4. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
5. Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
6. Indian Institute of Management Lucknow
7. Indian Institute of Management Indore
8. Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI)
9. National Institute of Industrial Engineering
10. Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Top Engineering Colleges
1. IIT Madras
2. IIT Delhi
3. IIT Bombay
4. IIT Kanpur
5. IIT Kharagpur
6. IIT Roorkee
7. IIT Guwahati
8. NIT Tiruchirapalli
9. IIT Hyderabad
10. NIT Surathkal
2.3 billion people severely or moderately hungry in 2021: U.N.
• World hunger rose in 2021, with around 2.3 billion people facing moderate or severe difficulty
obtaining enough to eat and that was before the Ukraine war, which has sparked increases in
the cost of grain, fertilizer, and energy, according to a U.N. report
• Ukraine and Russia together accounted for almost a third of the world’s wheat and barley
exports and half of its sunflower oil, while Russia and its ally Belarus are the world’s No. 2 and 3
producers of potash, a key ingredient of fertilizer.
• According to the report, of the estimated 2.3 billion people who were moderately or severely
“food insecure” in 2021, the number facing severe food insecurity rose to about 924 million.
• The prevalence of “undernourishment” where food consumption is insufficient to maintain an
active and healthy life is used to measure hunger.
• Undernourishment continued to rise in 2021, and the report estimates that between 702 million
and 828 million people faced hunger last year.
Expat Insider Rankings for 2022- India ranks 36th:
• India is placed 36th out of 52 nations in the Expat Insider Rankings for 2022, which were just
published by InterNations.
• Mexico is ranked first and has a high affordability score.
• The ranking's worst country for ex-pats is Kuwait.
Ranking Orders:
Top 10:
Mexico, Indonesia, Taiwan, Portugal, Spain, UAE, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, and
Singapore.
11 to 20:
Estonia, Oman, Kenya, USA, Bahrain, Brazil, Russia, Malaysia, Switzerland, and
Czechia.
21 to 30:
Philippines, Netherlands, Canada, Austria, Hungary, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Poland,
Belgium, and Denmark.
31 to 40:
France, Finland, China, Norway, Egypt, India, UK, Ireland, Sweden, and South Korea.
41 to 52:
Greece, Germany, Malta, Italy, Turkey, South Africa, Japan, Luxembourg, Cyprus,
Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Kuwait.
About the Expat Insider Rankings:
• Every year, InterNations, a network for expatriates, conducts the Expat Insider poll.
• The poll looks at some of the finest potential ex-pat locations worldwide, which provide the
highest quality of life for those who relocate overseas to do so.
• 11,970 people were polled as part of the Expat Insider 2022 survey report to get their opinions
on life abroad.
• These responders came from 177 different nations and 181 different territories.
• On the list, a total of 52 nations have been ranked.
India’s International Economic Resilience Improves To 2nd Position in 2022 From 3rd Position in 2021:
Ph.D. Chamber
• In the International Economic Resilience, the Indian Economy improved from 6th position in
2019 to 4th position in 2020, 3rd in 2021, and 2nd in 2022 among the top ten leading
economies, according to the industry body PHDCCI.
• Despite the massive disruptions in both demand and supply side factors caused by the COVID -
19 pandemic and further geopolitical distress, India, through its effective dynamic policy
environment, is the only economy among the top ten leading economies which has shown
consistent improvement in its macroeconomic performance during the last four years despite
global economic crisis of COVID-19 and recent geopolitical developments.
Ranking of International Economic Resilience (IER) of the Top 10 Countries in each of the years 2019,
2020, 2021, and 2022:
Top 10 Leading IER Rank (2019) IER Rank (2020) IER Rank (2021) IER Rank
Economies (2022)
USA 7 8 10 6
China 2 1 1 3
Japan 8 5 8 5
Germany 1 2 2 1
India 6 4 3 2
UK 3 9 9 5
France 4 7 5 6
Canada 2 6 7 1
Italy 5 6 4 4
Brazil 9 3 6 7
Key Points:
• The report released by PHDCCI, titled ‘Pre and Post COVID Economic Dynamics of Leading
Economies’, (attached) is based on the comparative analysis of the leading economies’
resilience conducted based on the five leading economic parameters viz., Real GDP Growth
Rate parameter, Merchandise Export Volume Growth rate, Current Account Balance (% of
GDP), General government net lending/borrowing (% of GDP), and Gross Debt to GDP ratio
• As per the IMF estimates of April 2022 WEO, India’s real GDP growth rate and merchandise
export growth rate for 2022 are projected to be the strongest at 8.2% and 7.0% respectively
Henley Passport Index 2022: India ranks 87 th
• The list of the world's most potent passports for 2022 was been published by the Henley
Passport Index.
• Japan, Singapore, and South Korea, three Asian countries, took the top three spots on the list,
reversing the pre-pandemic ranks that were dominated by European countries.
• According to the most recent Henley Passport Index from immigration consultant Henley &
Partners, India's passport would be the 87th most valuable in the world in 2022.
Key Points:
• According to the Henley Index, Pakistan, a neighbor of India, has the fourth-worst passport in
the whole world.
• While Singapore and South Korea both allow entrance to 192 countries, the Japanese passport
allows hassle-free travel to 193 of them.
• India is rated 87th out of all Asian nations, ahead of Tajikistan, and Mauritius, and has access to
67 nations through its passport.
• China shares the 69th position with Bolivia, and both countries' passports provide travel to 80
different places.
• Bangladesh is five positions ahead of Pakistan in the rankings, taking up position 104.
• After Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, Pakistan has the fourth-worst passport in the whole world.
Top 10 countries
1. Japan
2. Singapore
3. South Korea
4. Germany
5. Spain
6. Finland
7. Italy
8. Luxemburg
9. Austria
10. Denmark
About the Henley Passport Index:
• According to the number of places its holders can go to without a previous visa, Henley Passport
Index has rated all 199 passports in the world.
• The International Air Transport Association, which manages the biggest collection of travel
information in the world, provided the data for the rating, which was then further improved by a
substantial and continuous study by the Henley & Partners Research Department.
Tamil Nadu tops in Smart City Fund utilization:
• According to the government's flagship Smart City Mission, Tamil Nadu leads the list of states in
terms of how well the money is being used.
• Uttar Pradesh is in second place with the use of Rs 2699 cr out of the Central share allocation of
Rs 3142 cr, while Tamil Nadu has spent more than Rs 3932 cr of the Rs 4333 cr provided by the
Centre.
• As of 8 July 2022, the Center has released Rs 30,751.41 crore for 100 Smart Cities; of that
amount, Rs 27,610.34 crore (90 percent) had been used.
About the Smart Cities Mission (SCM):
• The Smart Cities Mission (SCM) was introduced by the central government on June 25, 2015.
• From January 2016 to June 2018, 100 Smart Cities were chosen following four rounds of
competition.
• According to SCM guidelines, the Central government would provide up to Rs 48,000 crore over
five years, or an average of Rs 100 crore per city every year, in financial support.
• The state government or urban local authority should give an equal amount on a matching basis.
Key Points:
• According to government statistics, states including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka have also invested significant sums of money in initiatives
related to the Smart City Mission.
• While Maharashtra utilized more than Rs 2453 crore out of a total release of Rs 2454 crore by
the Centre, Karnataka registered usage of Rs 2420 crore from the Central grant of Rs 2618
crore.
• As of 8 July 2022, these Smart Cities have awarded contracts for 7,822 projects totaling Rs.
1,90,660 crore; issued work orders for 7,649 projects totaling Rs. 1,80,996 crore; and finished
4,085 projects totaling Rs. 66,912 crores.
• Up to June 2023, SCM will be in effect, and all Smart Cities are required to finish their initiatives
by that date.
Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List: Gautam Adani surpasses Bill Gates
• According to the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List, Gautam Adani, the richest man in India, has
passed Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to move up to the fourth-richest position in the world.
• This increase coincided with Gates' announcement that he would be giving the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation $20 billion of his money.
The top three richest businessmen:
1. Tesla CEO Elon Musk: $234.4 billion
2. Bernard Arnault: $154.9 billion,
3. Amazon chief Jeff Bezos: $143.9 billion
Key Points:
• With a net worth of $230 billion, Elon Musk tops the list of richest people, followed by Jeff Bezos
of Amazon and Bernard Arnault of Louis Vuitton.
• On the Forbes list, Mukesh Ambani (net worth: $88 billion) came in at number ten.
• Due to the increase in his wealth, which gave him the world's highest wealth gainer this year,
Adani surpassed fellow countryman Ambani in February to claim the top place in Asia.
India Innovation Index 2021: Karnataka, Manipur, and Chandigarh topped:
• The third version of the NITI Aayog's India Innovation Index, which rates the states and the
union territories on their innovation performance, placed Karnataka, Manipur, and Chandigarh at
the top.
• In the presence of Dr. VK Saraswat, CEO Parameswaran Iyer, and senior advisor Neeraj Sinha
from the apex public policy think tank, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery unveiled the India
Innovation Index 2021.
The innovation index is based on 7 pillars:
1. Human capital
2. Investment
3. Knowledge workers
4. Business environment
5. Safety and legal environment
6. Knowledge output
7. Knowledge diffusion
Key Points:
• In the category for "Major States," Karnataka came top, whereas in the category for "North East
and the Hill States," Manipur took first place. In the category of "Union Territories and the City
States," Chandigarh came out on top.
• Karnataka's impressive record in getting FDI and a sizable number of venture capital
agreements may be credited for its high ranking. Delhi topped the business environment and
investment pillars, while Chandigarh topped the knowledge worker pillar.
Major States:
Rank States III 2021
1 Karnataka 18.01
2 Telangana 17.66
3 Haryana 16.35
4 Maharashtra 16.06
5 Tamil Nadu 15.69
6 Punjab 15.35
8 Kerala 13.67
10 Jharkhand 13.10
North-East and Hill States:
Rank States III 2021
1 Manipur 19.37
2 Uttarakhand 17.67
3 Meghalaya 16.00
4 Arunachal Pradesh 15.46
5 Himachal Pradesh 14.62
6 Sikkim 13.85
7 Mizoram 13.41
8 Tripura 11.43
9 Assam 11. 29
10 Nagaland 11.00
UT and City-States:
Rank UT and City States III 2021
1 Chandigarh 27.88
2 Delhi 27.00
3 Andaman and Nicobar 17.29
Islands
4 Puducherry 15.88
5 Goa 14.93
6 Jammu and Kashmir 12.83
7 Dadra and Nagar Haveli 12.09
& Daman and Diu
8 Lakshadweep 7.86
9 Ladakh 5.91
NITI Aayog: India’s R&D expenditures are one of the lowest worldwide
• India has among the lowest R&D spending worldwide, according to research by the government
think tank NITI Aayog and the Institute for Competitiveness.
• Spending on R&D has declined in India, going from 0.8 percent of GDP in 2008-09 to 0.7
percent in 2017-18.
• India has a smaller GERD than the other BRICS nations, according to statistics.
• Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa all had spending rates of 1.2 percent, 1.1 percent, over 2
percent, and 0.8 percent, respectively.
• The average worldwide rate is close to 1.8 percent.
Key Points:
• The India Innovation Index 2021 indicates that India has often made very modest investments in
R&D.
• This was reflected in the total proportion of gross expenditures on R&D (GERD), which was
around 0.7 percent of GDP.
• Developed countries like the United States, Sweden, and Switzerland spend about 2.9 percent,
3.2 percent, and 3.4 percent, respectively.
• Israel spends the most on R&D as a percentage of GDP, at 4.5 percent.
• One of the reasons offered for the low spending on R&D in developing countries like India is the
fact that R&D investments take time to pay off.
• Because these issues are more common in countries like India, where they entail lowering
hunger and battling
India and declining research output:
• India has to considerably increase its GERD and raise it to at least 2 percent to achieve its goal
of a $5 trillion GDP.
• India has one of the lowest rates of GERD in the world, at $43 per person. India ranks far lower
than its ASEAN and BRICS competitors Brazil, Malaysia, and Russia.
• Only Mexico, at $0.31, has a smaller share of GERD as a percentage of GDP, according to the
statistics.
• Numerous companies, experts, and even the RBI have raised concerns about the poor R&D
performance over the years.
• In addition, the survey finds evidence of a mismatch between what is taught in universities and
what is required in the industry.
The report titled “Digital Banks” released by NITI Aayog:
• The NITI Aayog document "Digital Banks" provides a justification for a licensing and regulatory
framework for digital banks as well as a template and a method for putting it into practice.
• It puts a strong emphasis on preventing any regulatory or policy arbitrage and offers equal
playing time for both established players and upstart competitors.
• Suman Bery, CEO of NITI Aayog, Parameswaran Iyer, and Senior Advisor Anna Roy presented
the report for release in front of other officials.
• Because it is essential to effectively utilize technology to satisfy India's banking expectations,
this paper looks at the present gaps, the underserved niches, and the worldwide regulatory best
practices for licensable digital banks.
Key Points:
• India's recent significant achievements in financial inclusion have been fueled by the Pradhan
Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and India Stack.
• However, credit penetration remains a policy priority, especially for the nation's 63 million or
more MSMEs, which contribute 30% to GDP, 45% to manufacturing output, 40% to exports, and
employ a sizable number of the workforce.
• Indians now have access to financial inclusion thanks to digitalization, which was made possible
by the Jan Dan-Aadhar-Mobile (JAM) trinity and Aadhaar, during the past several years.
• This has been further supported by the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), whose adoption has
reached historic levels.
• More than 4.2 billion transactions totaling $7.7 trillion were recorded by UPI in October 2021.
• UPI has benefited from the creation of valuable payment solutions on top of it because of the
platform approach the government utilized while creating it.
• As a result, payments can now be done with a click at retail places as well as peer-to-peer,
drastically changing how money is transferred between individuals.
Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index June 2022: India ranks 118
• According to Ookla's Speedtest Global Index, India's ranks in terms of median mobile speeds
dropped by three positions.
• In May of this year, India was ranked 115th, but in June, it fell to 118th.
• India's mobile broadband speeds increased in April and May.
• However, the data shows that in June 2022, India's median mobile download speeds dropped
from 14.28 Mbps in May to 14.00 Mbps.
• The average fixed broadband download speed in India increased to 48.11 Mbps in June 2022
from 47.86 Mbps the previous month.
• This raised the nation's position in the world rankings three spots, from 75th in May 2022 to
72nd in June 2022.
Speedtest Global Index:
• While Chile has recaptured the top rank from Singapore, which fell to No. 2 in terms of overall
worldwide fixed broadband speeds, Norway continues to hold the top spot for overall global
median mobile speeds.
• In terms of the median mobile download speed index for June, Norway comes in first place with
126.96 Mbps, while Chile comes in top place with 213.73 Mbps.
• In terms of fixed broadband speeds and mobile download speeds, respectively, Papua New
Guinea and Gabon had the fastest growth rates in June 2022.
• Each month, Ookla's index analyses speed test results from all across the world.
WHO Report: India was the top remittance recipient in 2021 receiving $87 bi llion
• According to World Health Organization research, among the low- and middle-income nations,
India received the most remittances inflows in 2021, measured in current US dollars.
• 87 billion US dollars’ worth of remittances were sent to India in 2021, according to the "first
World report on the health of refugees and migrants."
Key Points:
• The top five countries on the list were China ($53 billion), Mexico ($53 billion), the Philippines
($36 billion), and Egypt ($33 billion).
• The United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland were the top
remittance source nations in 2020.
• Remittances boost or sustain consumer spending and lessen the impact of tough times, like the
COVID-19 epidemic, on the economy.
About the WHO World report:
• One billion people, or one in eight people worldwide, are migrants, according to the inaugural
WHO World Report on the Health of Refugees and Migrants.
• According to research by the UN organization with particular responsibility for international public
health, the top five countries that received remittances in 2021 in current US dollars were India,
China, Mexico, the Philippines, and Egypt.
• The durability of remittance flows observed in 2020, which fell by a small 1.7% to USD 549
billion in the face of one of the worst global recessions, was followed by the economic rebound
in 2021.
About WHO
• Director-General: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
World Airport Traffic Dataset 2021: New Delhi is among the top 20 b usiest airports
• The top 20 aviation sectors' worldwide air traffic rankings for the entire year 2021 are revealed
by the annual World Airport Traffic Dataset from the Airports Council International (ACI) World.
• The most complete airport statistics collection in the market, the World Airport Traffic Dataset
includes airport traffic for over 2,600 airports across more than 180 nations and territories.
• It gives an overview of the demand for air travel at airports throughout the globe in three
categories: passengers (domestic and international), air cargo (freight and mail), and aircraft
movements (air transport movements and general aviation).
Key Points:
• In terms of passenger footfall in 2021, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) was
in first place with 7.6 crore passengers.
• The 13th busiest airport in India is Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi, which
has been listed in the top 20. 3.7 crore passengers passed through IGIA in 2021, up 30.3
percent from 2.8 crores in 2020, when IGI was ranked 16th.
• The top 20 busiest airports contribute 19% of all traffic worldwide (863 million passengers).
• The ranking gives an overview of the demand for air travel at airports throughout the globe in
three categories: passengers (domestic and international), air cargo (freight and mail), and
aircraft movements (air transport movements and general aviation).
List of top 20 busiest airports:
Parle is still India's largest FMCG firm:
• According to Kantar India's annual Brand Footprint research, locally created biscuit brand Parle
remained the most popular fast-moving consumer goods brand in India in 2021, topping the
rankings for the eleventh consecutive year.
• The analysis examined the FMCG brands that consumers will pick in 2021 based on Consumer
Reach Points (CRPs).
• CRP is calculated based on real consumer purchases and the frequency with which they occur
for a year.
• After Parle, the other top brands on the list are Amul, Britannia, Clinic Plus, and Tata Consumer
Products.
• For a record-breaking tenth year in a row, Parle is in first place with a CRP score of 6531
(million).
• According to Parle, CRP increased by 14% from the prior year’s ranks.
• Comparing the present ranks to the same time last year, Amul‘s CRP improved by 9%, while
Britannia’s increased by 14%.
• Anmol (a brand of cakes and biscuits) also joined the CRP club.
• Based in London, England, Kantar Group is a data analytics and brand consultancy firm.
• It was established in 1992
IMPORTANT BOOKS & AUTHORS
A new edition of Viswanathan A nand’s memoir ‘Mind Master’ released soon:
• Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world chess champion, has released an enhanced paperback
edition of his critically acclaimed autobiography "Mind Master: Winning Lessons from a
Champion's Life," according to Hachette India.
• On July 15, the book—which includes an extra chapter on how to deal with uncertainty and
quickly shifting reality in the aftermath of the pandemic—will be available for purchase.
• Anand co-wrote it with journalist-author Susan Ninan.
• In "Mind Master," Anand takes stock of a lifetime of games played, opponents faced, and
problems overcame and extracts useful insights that will aid every reader in overcoming life's
obstacles.
• Anand touches on some pearls throughout the book with his signature humor, unassuming
insight, and disarming candour.
A new book titled ‘Getting the Bread: The Gen-Z Way to Success’ by Prarthna Batra:
• Launched by sports legend Sakshi Malik is the debut book by young YouTuber Prarthna Batra,
titled "Getting the Bread: The Gen-Z Way to Success."
• Prarthna Batra discusses her perspective in Getting the Bread: The Gen-Z Way to Success, as
well as her experiences interviewing notable figures in business, journalism, and politics for her
well-known YouTube channel.
The book's basic objective:
• This book offers young millennial readers insightful advice on pursuing their goals and
succeeding in a cutthroat society without losing sight of their humanity.
• Getting the Bread: The Gen-Z Way to Success is a thoroughly researched, intelligent, and very
enjoyable book that redefines success for today's young.
About the Prarthna Batra:
• Prarthna Batra is the owner of the YouTube channel "Power People and Prarthna" and a fierce
advocate for women's empowerment, sustainability, and animal rights in India.
• In 2020, she started a YouTube series about entrepreneurship with successful people from
various industries. She chatted with Sakshi Malik, Prajakta Koli, and Barkha Dutt in this series.
• These talks are documented in her book.
• She is also a founding member of Lajja Diaries, an online forum dedicated to promoting gender
equality in discussions on feminism and women's rights in India.
• Her piece on gender prejudice appeared in The Hindu, and she was profiled in Blub World's
emerging entrepreneurs’ section in the February 2021 issue.
The book "Swadhinta Sangram Na Surviro" was released by Meenakshi Lekhi:
• Meenakshi Lekhi, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture released a Gujarati
book honoring the efforts of liberation warriors at an event.
• In the book "Swadhinata Sangram Na Surviro," 75 independence warriors are honored, and it
tells the tales of the sacrifices they made for the nation.
About the Book:
• The book is a component of the "Swadhinta Ka Amrit Mahotsav," which commemorates the
nation's 75th anniversary of independence.
• The book honors the contributions made by our freedom heroes who fought imperialism and
gave their lives in service to Maa Bharati.
• Bhagyesh Jha, a poet and the head of the planning committee for the book release event, said
the book is an effort to honor the freedom warriors who gave their lives for the country's
liberation.
Dr. S Jaishankar launches ‘Connecting through Culture’ at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in Delhi:
• At Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in New Delhi, India, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar released
"Connecting through Culture," an anthology of essays on many facets of India's soft power
strengths.
• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan will be the Guest of Honour at this function to be held at
Sushma Swaraj Bhavan in the national capital.
• Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President ICCR, and Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary of the
IGNCA have jointly edited this book which contains a total of 23 articles.
• In terms of diplomacy, the Minister referred to the book as the "good cop" and suggested that it
may be used to persuade countries to cooperate with India since "it builds a comfort about
India."
• It gives out the knowledge of many features of India by taking distinct characteristics of India.
• The anthology makes a significant contribution to understanding, respecting, and generally
valuing India in many different ways.
Himachal Governor Rajendra Vishwanath unveils book ‘The McMahon line’:
• A book titled "The McMahon line: A century of strife" was released by the governor of Himachal
Pradesh, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
• The book was written by General JJ Singh (Retd), a former Chief of Army Staff and former
Governor of Arunachal Pradesh (CoAS).
• General JJ Singh's experiences and study on the India-China boundary issue are the foundation
of the book.
• There was also a screening of a short movie about the McMahon line.
• This is the second book that he wrote.
About the book:
• General JJ Singh (Retd) had written down his expertise, research, and experience, which could
be useful.
• A book about a touchy subject was authored by General JJ Singh (Retd).
• The politics, history, organization, and geography of the McMahon line were highlighted in the
book.
• The book unearthed numerous fascinating details that were still applicable to the current
diplomatic talks.
• The book was based on six years of study and research on the India-China boundary issue,
according to General JJ Singh (Retd).
• He gave a thorough explanation of the book's principal points.
Uttarakhand CM Dhami released th e book “BEYOND THE MISTY VEIL”:
• The book "BEYOND THE MISTY VEIL," authored by Ms. Aradhana Johri (Senior IAS) and titled
"Temple Tales of Uttarakhand," was published by the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
• This book will be considered an authentic introduction to Uttarakhand's sacred temples both
domestically and abroad.
• Aradhana Johri, a former IAS official who formerly held the position of Nainital District
Magistrate.
About the book:
• Our culture and mythology are explained in the book based on the mythical temples of
Devbhoomi Uttarakhand.
• In addition to Chardham, religious tourism needs also be promoted.
• The temples of Uttarakhand are discussed throughout the book, as well as their historical
significance and folklore surrounding them.
• Expanding them into circuits will link the major temples that are located around the state and
encourage religious tourism.
A book titled “Dilip Kumar: In the Shadow of a Legend” by Faisal Farooqui:
• Author Faisal Farooqui just published a new book about Yusuf Khan, also known as Dilip
Kumar, a great actor in Indian film.
• The title of the book is "In the Shadow of a Legend: Dilip Kumar."
• More than Dilip Kumar the actor, Dilip Kumar the man is honored in this book.
• One of India's top review and rating websites, Mouthshut.com, was founded by Farooqui and he
serves as its CEO.
About the Book:
• The author of Dilip Kumar: In the Shadow of a Legend creates a close-up portrayal of the actor
in the book by shedding light on some little-known tales from his long career.
• The book shows us, Dilip Kumar, as he is, away from the big screen where his admirers first fell
in love with him.
• Dilip Kumar was much more than just the actor we have long admired.
• The book honors Dilip Kumar's extraordinary acting range. Dilip Kumar held the audience riveted
with his portrayals of the drunken Devdas, the lover who always seems to lose his woman, the
Salim who challenges Akbar, the endearing figure from Ram Aur Shyam, and the dacoit from
Ganga Jamuna.
• He was one of the few actors who could carry a whole movie by himself.
• He was a natural actor who excelled in every character he portrayed.
• He genuinely performed the part.
Union Minister Shri Anurag Thakur releases three books by DPD:
• Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur released three books
published by the Directorate of Publications Division.
• Upon release, the Minister presented the first copy of the books to President of India Shri Ram
Nath Kovind in presence of Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, President-elect Smt.
Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
The three books are:
1. Moods, Moments and Memories - Former Presidents of India (1950-2017) A Visual History
2. First Citizen - Pictorial Record of President Ram Nath Kovind's Term
3. Interpreting Geometries - Flooring of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
About the Books:
• The first book is a pictorial history that chronicles all the Presidents of India from Dr. Rajendra
Prasad to Shri Pranab Mukherjee and contains rare photographs sourced from Rashtrapati
Bhavan archives.
• These photographs highlight some unique aspects of our Presidents’ lives in the historic
building, both personal & public.
• The second book is dedicated to President Shri Ram Nath Kovind's tenure and contains rare
photographs from Shri Kovind's village and his school days.
• It traces his journey from his village to Rashtrapati Bhavan and will educate the readers on how
a boy from humble beginnings went on to occupy the highest office in India.
• The third book is a pictorial volume put together by the Chandigarh College of Architecture and
contains the historic & one-of-a-kind flooring of Rashtrapati Bhavan shown with its unique,
repetitive motifs and designs & use of rare stones.
• These 3 volumes published by the Publications Division of the Ministry take the total count of
books about The Presidents of India & the historic residence in which the President of India
resides to 17 books.
IMPORTANT SPORTS NEWS
World Cup-winning captain leaves international cricket: Eoin Morgan
• The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed that Eoin Morgan will immediately retire
from international cricket (ECB).
• The men's white-ball team from England was led by Morgan.
• During his 13-year international career with England, the 35-year-old captained England Men to
their first-ever ICC Men's Cricket World Cup win at Lord's in 2019.
• Additionally, he represented England at the 2010 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup in the
Caribbean.
About Morgan:
• Morgan has earned the most caps for England Men and has scored the most runs throughout all
ODI and T20I matches.
• During his seven years as the Men's ODI captain, he helped England to the top of the ICC global
rankings by winning notable series against all the major nations.
• He accumulated 6,957 runs throughout that period, including 1300 runs at an average of 39.75,
earning a record-breaking 225 ODI caps.
• Morgan led England to 76 triumphs in 126 games with a win percentage of 60%, the best victory
total of any men's ODI captain in the history of the sport.
• He and MS Dhoni of India held the record for the most Men's T20 International team captain
appearances with 72.
• He made 2,458 runs overall while playing 115 times for England.
• Over three years, he was given 16 Test cricket caps, earning two centuries.
• He also owns the record for the most sixes ever in an ODI inning with 17 against Afghanistan at
the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Sydney McLaughlin, an Olympic champion, smashes her own 400-meter hurdles world record:
• At the American championships in Eugene, Oregon, Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin
shattered her own women's 400-meter hurdles world record by taking the title in 51.41 seconds.
• In front of a cheering audience, the 22-year-old took the lead early and never gave the rest of
the field a chance to catch up, securing her place in the global championships.
• With Shamier Little coming in third in 53.92 seconds, Britton Wilson came in 1.67 seconds
farther back.
• Sydney had held the record with a performance in the U.S. Olympic trials in 51.90 seconds, but
Tokyo broke that mark by winning gold in 51.46.
Novak Djokovic becomes 1st player to win 80 matches in all four Grand Slams:
• Novak Djokovic became the first player in history to win 80 matches at all four Grand Slams on
Centre Court, defeating Kwon Soon-woo 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
• The former world number one tennis player has established history by winning his 80th match at
Wimbledon.
• The six-time winner is the only male player in the Open Era to win 80 or more matches at each
of the four grand slams.
• A seventh triumph would tie him with Pete Sampras' record and place him only one title behind
Roger Federer as the second-most successful male singles player in the history of the oldest
grand slam.
No. of matches won by Novak Djokovic at each Grand Slam:
➢ Roland Garros – 85
➢ Australian Open -82
➢ US Open – 81
➢ Wimbledon -80
Adani Sportsline is the principal sponsor of the Indian Olympic Association:
• The Indian Olympic Association and Adani Sportsline, the Adani Group's sports division, have
signed a long-term major sponsorship agreement (IOA).
• At the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, the Hangzhou Asian Games in
2022, and the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, it will serve as the Indian team's official partner.
• The group has previously been linked to the Indian team competing in the Tokyo Olympics in
2021.
Key Points:
• Through its athlete support program, #GarvHai, Adani Sportsline has helped more than 28
athletes compete in a range of sports.
• The wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya was one of six of these athletes that competed for India in the
Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and won a silver medal.
• Aside from these leagues, Adani Sportsline also owns clubs in the Pro Kabaddi League,
Ultimate Kho Kho League, Big Bout Boxing League, and International League T20 (cricket).
Neeraj Chopra clinches silver medal at prestigious Diamond League meet:
• Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra clinched his first-ever medal at the prestigious
Diamond League meet in Stockholm as he broke his national record for the second time in a
month.
• Chopra finished 2nd at the Stockholm Diamond League with a massive throw of 89.94 meters.
• Reigning world champion Anderson Peters won the event with a best throw of 90.31 meters.
• Chopra broke his national record of 89.30m that he set at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku
earlier this month.
• The prestigious one-day meet at the Swedish capital is Chopra's biggest event ahead of the
World Championships in Eugene, USA, next month.
• Chopra is the first Indian to win a gold medal in athletics at the Olympics.
Jasprit Bumrah smashes Broad for 29 runs, shattering Lara's world record:
• Jasprit Bumrah, the captain of India, surpassed the famous Brian Lara's record by one run when
he battered the helpless Stuart Broad for 29 runs to set a new global record for the most runs
scored in a single over in Test cricket.
• Lara held the global record for the longest time (18 years).
• In a Test match in 2003–04, he scored 28 runs against South African left-arm spinner Robin
Peterson, including four fours and two sixes from six legal deliveries.
• In the 84th over of the Indian first innings in the fifth rescheduled Test here, Broad, who was
previously blasted for six sixes in an over by Yuvraj Singh in the first World T20 in 2007,
conceded 35.
• Six additional runs were made, with five wideouts and one no-ball.
• With four boundaries and two sixes off of 16 balls, the Indian captain was not out at 31.
Carlos Sainz won the British Grand Prix Title 2022:
• At the British Grand Prix in 2022, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari became the first Spaniard to win a
Formula One race.
• He finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Sergio Perez of Red Bull.
• In his 150th race, Carlos Sainz won his first Formula One race.
• Max Verstappen, the leader of the world championship, battled with his vehicle after getting a
puncture early on, finishing in P7, while Charles Leclerc, who had been leading the race until lap
43, was unable to hang on to his older set of hard tyres and slid to finish P4.
• Six drivers did not complete the Silverstone race, with Fernando Alonso, Lando N orris, Mick
Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and Kevin Magnussen rounding out the top 10.
Boxers Alfiya Pathan and Gitika clinch gold medals: Elorda Cup
• Alfiya Pathan and Gitika, the current Youth World Boxing champions, took home gold in the
Elorda Cup in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
• Silver medals were won by two more female boxers from India, Kalaivani Srinivasan, and
Jamuna Boro.
• Alfiya defeated Lazzat Kungeibayeva, the 2016 world champion and a strong contender for the
championship, with a score of 5-0 in the women's 81-kilogram final.
• In an exciting all-Indian women's 48-kg final, Gitika defeated Kalaivani by a score of 4-1.
• The last day's addition of two gold, two silver, and ten bronze medals gave the 33-member
Indian delegation a total of 14 medals, bringing their campaign to a successful conclusion.
• Leading athletes from nations including India, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, the host nation, Cuba,
China, and Mongolia competed in the competition.
Malaysia Open Badminton Tournament 2022:
• The Petronas Malaysia Open 2022 was the official name of the 2022 Malaysia Open, which took
place in the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• The tournament's total prize money was US$675,000.
• The 2022 Malaysia Open, which was a part of the Malaysia Open competitions that had been
going on since 1937, was the twelfth event on the 2022 BWF World Tour.
• The Badminton Association of Malaysia arranged this competition with approval from the BWF.
List of Winners:
Category Winner
Men’s singles title Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
Women’s singles title Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand)
Men’s doubles champions Takuro Hoki / Yugo Kobayashi of Japan
Women’s doubles champions Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva
Ramadhanti of Indonesia
Mixed doubles China’s Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong
36th National Games to be held in Gujarat from Sep 27 to Oct 10:
• Gujarat's chief minister, Shri Bhupendra Patel, announced that the 36th National Games will be
hosted in his state for the first time from September 27 to October 10.
• The famous event is being held following a seven-year break; the previous one was in Kerala in
2015.
• This is due to a multitude of issues, including the coronavirus epidemic since 2020.
• In a different tweet, the chief minister asserted that Gujarat has top-notch athletic facilities and
that sports are enjoying a rebirth.
• To make the national games the greatest sporting event ever, the government will take all
reasonable measures.
Key Points:
• The national games, which will take place in six locations, will feature more than 34 sports.
• Athletes from all over the country are expected to demonstrate their talent in sports including
athletics, hockey, football, volleyball, lawn tennis, table tennis, judo, wrestling, kabaddi, kho -kho,
mallakhambha, and yoga in both indoor and outdoor tournaments.
• In addition to Gujarat, Goa was a strong contender for the destination this year.
• The "Khel Mahakhumbh" program was introduced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2010
while he was the chief minister of Gujarat.
• Gujarat has developed a thriving sports environment as a result of Khel Mahakhumbh's huge
popularity.
Wimbledon 2022: Novak Djokovic wins the seventh title:
• Serbia Novak Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios in four sets to win his seventh Wimbledon men's
title and 21st Grand Slam title.
• Despite Kyrgios' best efforts, he was only able to win one set against the more seasoned
opponent in his maiden Major final, allowing Djokovic to win his 21st Major title.
Women Singles:
• After falling behind, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina won the Women's Singles championship at
Wimbledon by defeating Tunisian third-seed Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
• Rybakina is the Kazakh woman with the most WTA-level victories during the Open Era.
• She also became the first Kazakh player to ever win a WTA championship on grass (3).
• Since Petra Kvitova in 2011, the 23-year-old also became Wimbledon's youngest female
champion.
About 2022 Wimbledon Championships
• In Wimbledon, London, the All-England Lawn Tennis, and Croquet Club host the Wimbledon
Championships 2022, a Grand Slam tennis competition.
• All main draw matches will be contested at Wimbledon's All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet
Club from June 27, 2022, to July 10, 2022, on grass courts.
Winners List:
S.No Category Winner Runner up
1 Men’s Singles N. Djokovic N. Kyrgios
2 Women’s Singles E. Rybakina O. Jabeur
3 Men’s Doubles M. Ebden & M. Purcell N. Mektić & M. Pavić
4 Women’s Doubles K. Siniaková & B. S. Zhang & E. Mertens
Krejčíková
5 Mixed Doubles D. Krawczyk & N. Skupski M. Ebden & S. Stosur
India’s Arjun Babuta wins first gold medal at ISSF World Cup in South Korea:
• In Shooting, India’s Arjun Babuta won his first gold medal at the International Shooting Sport
Federation (ISSF) World Cup stage at Changwon in South Korea.
• He defeated Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Lucas Kozeniesky of the USA 17-9 in the final.
• Arjun Babuta had also topped the eight-men ranking round with a score of 261.1 ahead of Lucas
Kozeniesky’s 260.4.
• Israel’s Sergey Richter settled for bronze with a score of 259.9 while India’s Paarth Makhija
managed 258.1 for a fourth-place finish.
• Arjun Babuta had qualified second to make it to the eight-man ranking round behind Sergey
Richter.
• Paarth Makhija had qualified in fifth place from the 53-strong field.
• The third Indian shooter in the mix, Shahu Tushar Mane finished 30th.
• This was India’s first medal under new national foreign rifle coach Thomas Farnik.
About ISSF:
• The International Shooting Sport Federation is the governing body of the Olympic shooting
events in rifle, pistol, and shotgun disciplines, and several non-Olympic Shooting sports events.
• Headquarters location: Munich, Germany
• President: Vladimir Lisin
• Founded: 1907
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc wins Austrian Grand Prix 2022:
• To win the Austrian Grand Prix 2022, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc defeated world champion Max
Verstappen.
• Max Verstappen of Red Bull had to settle for second place, as seven-time world champion Lewis
Hamilton of Mercedes finished well behind in third after starting ninth for the third straight race.
• Leclerc, who did not start on pole position for his maiden Formula 1 victory, has already cut
Verstappen's lead in the drivers' championship standings to 38 points.
• The Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria hosted the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix, a Formula One
event, on July 10, 2022.
• In 2022, the Formula One sprint format was used for the second Grand Prix weekend.
Marizanne Kapp and Jonny Bairstow were named ICC Players of the Month for June:
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the June 2022 ICC Player of the Month
honors.
• Jonny Bairstow of England won the Men's Player of the Month award for his strong play, and
Marizanne Kapp of South Africa was named the Women's Player of the Month.
Key Points:
• After his outstanding efforts against New Zealand last month, Jonny Bairstow won the award.
• He won the "Player of the Month" title over his teammate Joe Root and the New Zealand
batsman Daryl Mitchell.
• Marizanne Kapp, a South African batter, put on a string of strong displays over the past month.
• By using a classic stroke play, Kapp received more votes than Nat Sciver of England and
Shabnim Ismail from her side.
• Kapp's achievement makes her the first South African woman to win the ICC Women's Player of
the Month award since Lizelle Lee did it in March 2021.
About ICC:
• Chairman: Greg Barclay
• CEO: Geoff Allardice
• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
GM D. Gukesh of India wins the Gijon Chess Masters:
• The Gijon Chess Masters was won by D. Gukesh of India with eight points after nine rounds.
• International Master Pedro Antonio Gines of Spain came in third with six points, followed by GM
Alexandr Fier of Brazil in second place with 6.5 points.
• Gukesh increased his FIDE rating to 2693 with the victory. Gukesh could surpass the 2700 Elo
mark, joining Viswanathan Anand, Krishnan Sasikiran, P. Harikrishna, Vidit Gujarati, and B.
Adhiban as the sixth Indian to do so.
About FIDE:
• President: Arkady Dvorkovich
In Finland, 94-year-old Bhagwani Devi won a gold medal in the 100-meter sprint:
• At the Tampere, Finland, World Masters Athletics Championships, 94-year-old Indian sprinter
Bhagwani Devi Dagar took home the gold medal in the 100-meter sprint.
• With a time of 24.74 seconds, she won the gold and the bronze in the shot-put events.
• The World Masters Athletics Championships are a track and field championship held for
participants 35 years of age and beyond.
• Bhagwani Devi received congratulations from Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Petroleum
and Natural Gas and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, through Twitter.
• Both the governor and chief minister of the 94-year-home old's Haryana, Bandaru Dattatreya,
sent their greetings.
• At 94 years old, she is now a source of inspiration for everyone, according to Khattar.
Indian women’s cricket team for upcoming Commonwealth Games announced:
• The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has named the Indian women's cricket team for
the upcoming Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August
8.
• Harmanpreet Kaur will serve as the team's captain.
• Sneh Rana, Harleen Deol, and Taniya Bhatiya served as the team's wicketkeepers.
• The team's primary choice for a wicketkeeper is Yastika Bhatia.
Key Points:
• Simran Bahadur and Poonam Yadav were chosen as reserve competitors for the event. India is
in Group A with Pakistan, Australia, and Barbados.
• It will play Australia in the opening match of the competition on July 29.
• Group B is composed of South Africa, Sri Lanka, England, the host country, and New Zealand.
• All matches will be played at Birmingham's Edgbaston Cricket Ground for the first time during
the CWG, which will feature women's cricket.
• The men's 50-over tournament, which South Africa won at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games, is
the most notable instance of cricket being played in the past.
About BCCI:
• The Board of Control for Cricket in India is the governing body for cricket in India. Its
headquarters are situated at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
• The BCCI is an autonomous organization and does not fall under the purview of the National
Sports Federation of India.
Birmingham World Games 2022: Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam win bronze in archery:
• At the World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and
Abhishek Verma, the Asian Games gold and bronze medalists in archery, respectively, won
bronze.
• In the bronze medal match, the Indian archery team defeated Mexico's Andrea and Miguel
Becerra 157-156.
• At the Archery World Cup in Paris, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Abhishek Verma won gold.
Key points:
• At the first set's conclusion, Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Abhishek Verma had a 40-39
advantage.
• Thanks to a comeback by Andrea Becerra and Miguel Becerra, who took home the bronze
medal at the World Championships, the match was knotted 78-78 in the second set.
• In the third set, the Indian team again took the lead, and they struck four tens in the pivotal set to
win it by a narrow margin.
• Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam lost to Colombia's Daniel Munoz and women's
world No. 1 Sara Lopez 159-157 after overcoming New Zealand 156-155 in the eighth round.
Rohit Sharma sets a world record and becomes the first captain to win 13 straight T20I matches:
• India's skipper, Rohit Sharma, made cricket history by becoming the first captain to win 13
straight T20Is.
• Rohit achieved this in Southampton's first Twenty20 encounter in a three-match series against
England.
• After taking over as captain from Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma guided the Men in Blue to victory
against New Zealand, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and now England.
Key Points:
• India's score in the first innings increased to 198/8 because of Hardik Pandya's all -around
performance.
• Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rohit Sharma each added 24 runs, 39 runs, and 33
runs.
• For England, Topley, Tymal Mills, and Parkinson each took one wicket, while Moeen Ali and
Chris Jordan each took two.
• Arshdeep Singh, a young spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, and one each from Bhuvneshwar Kumar
and Harshal Patel brought an end to the English innings at 148.
• Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan were the top two hitters, scoring 36 and 26* runs respectively.
India bagged 22 medals in Asian U -20 Wrestling Championships in Manama, Bahrain:
• As many as 22 medals were eventually won by Indian wrestlers at the U20 Asian Wrestling
Championships in Manama, Bahrain.
• The brilliant group of grapplers put on a solid performance and put up a good battle against
deserving rivals from Iran and Kazakhstan, among other powerful nations, winning 4 gold
medals, 9 silver medals, and 9 bronze medals.
• The Indian team placed second in both the men's and women's wrestling competitions, and
seventh in the men's Greco-Roman competition.
Indian medallists from the U20 Asian Wrestling Championships:
• Gold: Priyanka (65kg), Aainrju (68kg), Antim (53kg), Sujeet (65kg)
• Silver: Sweety (50kg), Reena (55kg), Bipasha (72kg), Priya (76kg), Mulaym Yadav (70kg),
Ashish (97kg), Mohit Kumar (61kg), Jaideep (74kg), Mahendran Gaikwad (125kg)
• Bronze: Sito (57kg), Tanu (59kg), Sarika (62kg), Aman (57kg), Deepak (79kg), Jointly Kumar
(86kg), Akash (92kg), Rohit Dahiya (82kg), Ankit Gulia (67kg)
Mohammed Shami becomes fastest Indian bowler to take 150 ODI wickets:
• In the opening ODI between India and England at the Kennington Oval, Mohammed Shami
became the Indian bowler to reach 150 ODI wickets the quickest.
• To get 150 ODI victories, the seamer needs 80 games.
• With his second wicket of the game, Shami accomplished the feat.
• Shami is the third-fastest overall with 150 ODI wickets.
• Along with Rashid Khan of Afghanistan, Shami surpassed the milestone of 150 ODI wickets in
the third-fastest time ever.
• Mitchell Starc of Australia (77 matches) and Saqlain Mushtaq of Pakistan (78 matches) are the
two bowlers who have accumulated 150 ODI wickets the fastest.
British Parliament felicitated BCCI President Sourav Ganguly:
• Sourav Ganguly, a former captain of India and the current president of the BCCI, received
recognition from the British Parliament.
• Exactly 20 years after leading India to victory in the Natwest final in 2002, the Indian cricket icon
was honored on the same day, in the same place.
• In 2019, he was chosen to lead the BCCI.
About Sourav Ganguly:
• As the 39th and current president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Sourav Chandidas
Ganguly, often known as Dada, is an Indian cricket administrator, pundit, and former captain of
the national cricket team. He is revered as the Indian cricket Maharaja.
• In 2004, Ganguly received the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors.
• On May 20, 2013, the West Bengali government presented Ganguly with the Banga Bibhushan
Award.
• Ganguly is now a member of the Justice Mudgal Committee inquiry panel for the IPL spot-fixing
and betting scandal, which was established by the Supreme Court of India.
Singapore Open 2022: PV Sindhu wins first Super 500 title
• In the Singapore Open final, PV Sindhu defeated China's Wang Zhi Yi to win the tournament's
first Super 500 title.
• The score was 21-9, 11-21, and 21-15. She hasn't achieved a 500 since winning the world
championship in 2019.
• Her first 500-or-better final in 2022 is this one.
• While the standings are currently locked, this is a significant milestone for world No. 7.
• At the Singapore Open for badminton in 2022, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting won the men's singles
competition.
• In a fiercely contested final, Indonesian Olympian Ginting defeated unseeded Japanese player
Naraoka Kodai.
Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa wins Paracin Open Chess title in Serbia:
• In Chess, young Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has won the Paracin Open 'A' chess
tournament 2022 in Serbia.
• The 16-year-old remained unbeaten and finished half a point ahead of the field.
• Second-seeded, Praggnanandhaa scored 8 points from nine rounds.
• Top seed, Alexandr Predke took the second spot with 7.5 points ahead of Alisher Suleymenov
and India's AL Muthaiah, who both scored 7 points .
• Suleymenov grabbed third place based on a better tie-break score.
• The teenage prodigy will be part of a strong India 'B' team in the 44th Chess Olympiad to be
held near Chennai from July 28.
Murali Sreeshankar becomes first Indian to enter men's long jump final at World Athletics
Championships:
• In the World Athletics Championships, Murali Sreeshankar has become the first Indian to enter
the men's long jump final in Oregon, USA.
• He leaped meters in the qualification round.
• The 23-year-old from Kerala finished second in qualification round Group B and seventh overall.
• Sreeshankar could not touch the automatic qualification mark of 8.15 meters but made it to the
finals nonetheless as one of the best twelve performers.
• The Indian contingent at the Championships witnessed mixed results.
Key Points:
• Avinash Sable in Men's 3000-meter steeplechase and Murali Sreeshankar in Men's Long Jump
qualified for the final in their respective events.
• Sable finished third in Heat 3, clocking 8:18.75.
• Sreeshankar will be in action in the men's long jump final while MP Jabir will also compete in the
men's 400-meter Hurdles qualification round.
• The World Athletics Championships is a congregation of over 2000 athletes from 200 countries
around the world.
• The 10-day biennial event will conclude on the 24th of July.
• The championships are being held in the United States of America for the very first time at the
Hayward Field Stadium at the University of Oregon.
India top ISSF Shooting World Cup medal ta lly at Changwon in South Korea:
• In the ISSF Shooting World Cup, India topped the medal tally at Changwon in South Korea.
• India finished the tournament with eight medals including three golds, four silvers, and one
bronze, and was way ahead of hosts Korea and Serbia in the medal tally.
• The day began on a brilliant note for India when the troika of Arjun Babuta, Shahu Tushar Mane,
and Paarth Makhija helped the country bag its third gold medal beating Korea 17-15 in the 10-
meter air rifle team event.
Key Points:
• Earlier, Arjun Babuta had won the gold medal in the men’s air rifle category, while the duo of
Mehuli Ghosh and Shahu Tushar Mane bagged gold in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team category.
• Arjun, Makhija, and Mane fought neck to neck and staged a comeback, leading through the final
to claim the top prize ahead of the Korean team of Seungho Bang, Sangdo Kim, and Hajun
Park.
• In the men's 10m air Pistol team event final, the Indian team put up a spirited fight against the
experienced Italian trio of Paolo Monna, Alessio Torracchi, and Luca Tesconi before going down
15-17, ensuring another silver for the country.
• India's third silver of the day came in the 10m air pistol team women's event when the new-look
team of Rhythm Sangwan, Yuvika Tomar, and Palak faced a 2-10 drubbing against a quality
Korean side comprising Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Kim Minjung.
IOA announces 322-member strong squad for Commonwealth Games 2022:
• Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has announced a 322-member strong Indian squad for the
Birmingham Commonwealth Games (CWG), beginning 28th of July.
• The contingent includes 215 athletes and 107 officials and support staff.
• The CWG games are set to take place from 28 July to 8th August this year in the British city.
• In the 2018 CWG at the Australian city Gold Coast, India finished third behind Australia and
England.
Key Points:
• Some prominent names in the squad besides Neeraj Chopra include Olympic medallists PV
Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, Lovlina Borgohain, Bajrang Punia, and Ravi Kumar Dahiya.
• Defending CWG champions Manika Batra, and Vinesh Phogat as well as 2018 Asian Games
Gold medallists Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Hima Das, and Amit Panghal are also part of the squad.
• Rajesh Bhandari, Vice President, Boxing Federation of India, has been appointed the Chef de
Mission of the squad.
• Team India will compete in 15 sporting disciplines as well as four disciplines in the Para Sports
category.
• The CWG village will officially open its doors to contingents on the 23rd of July.
Indian GM Aravindh Chithambaram won the tournament in Spain:
• The 41st Villa De Benasque International Chess Open was won by Indian Grandmaster
Aravindh Chithambaram in Spain.
• R B Ramesh, Chithambaram's coach, commended his pupil for winning.
• Based on a tie-break score, he defeated Raunak Sadhwani and Robert Hovhannisyan of
Armenia.
• In third place, after the Armenian, was Sadhwani. Chithambaram has won national competitions
in the past.
• Through the 10 rounds, the 17-year-old Sadhwani was unblemished, recording six victories and
four ties.
• His prospects of winning the top slot were hampered by a low tie-break score.
Mairaj Ahmad Khan becomes first Indian shooter to win a gold medal in men’s skeet event at ISSF
World Cup:
• In Shooting, two-time Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan created history by becoming the first Indian
shooter to win the gold medal in the men’s skeet event at the ISSF World Cup in Changwon,
South Korea.
• Mairaj Ahmad Khan recorded 37 hits out of a possible 40 in the final to win gold.
• South Korea’s Minsu Kim struck 36 for silver while Ben Llewellin of Great Britain won bronze
with 26 hits.
Key Points:
• In the qualifying round, Mairaj Ahmad Khan shot 119 from 125 over two days of the men’s skeet
shooting event. In the ranking round, Mairaj Ahmad Khan was up against Germany’s Sven
Korte, Minki Cho of South Korea, and Nicolas Vasilou of Cyprus for another round of 30 targets.
• Mairaj Ahmad Khan topped the round with 27 hits. Sven Korte followed Mairaj Ahmad Khan to
the medal round with 25 hits.
• Apart from the gold by Mairaj Ahmad Khan at the ISSF World Cup Changwon 2022, India also
won a bronze in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team event.
• Anjum Moudgil, who won individual silver, combined with Sift Kaur Samra and Ashi Chouksey to
win the bronze medal.
• The two medals on the day helped India stay on top of the medal standings with five gold, five
silver, and three bronze medals with two more days of competitions left.
2025 World Athletics Championships: Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium to host an event
• Tokyo (Japan) will host the 2025 World Athletics Championships, according to the World
Athletics Council.
• The 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships will be hosted in Medulin and Pula in
Croatia, while the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships will be held in
Tallahassee, Florida, the World Athletics Council said during their meeting in Oregon, USA.
Key Points:
• The 18th World Athletics Championships will get underway in Oregon, USA, while the 2023
competition will take place in Budapest, Hungary.
• The 2021 edition was initially slated to take place in 2021 but was postponed by one year owing
to the COVID-19 epidemic.
• The 2022 iteration is presently being arranged in Oregon, USA.
Los Angeles to host 2028 Summer Olympic Games:
• The United States city of Los Angeles will play host to the 2028 Summer Olympic and
Paralympic Games.
• The Los Angeles Olympics' opening ceremony will begin on July 14, 2028, and last until July 30.
• Los Angeles did, however, previously hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1984.
• More than 800 events in more than 40 sports will be included over the LA28 Games' more than
3,000 hours of live competition.
• According to LA 28, 15,000 competitors are anticipated to compete in the Olympic and
Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
• The Paralympic Games, however, will start on August 15 and finish on August 27 in Los
Angeles.
• The Paralympic Games are being held in Los Angeles for the first time.
• It should be remembered that Paris, France will host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes announces ODI retirement:
• Ben Stokes, an all-rounder for England, has abruptly announced his retirement from one-day
international cricket.
• Three formats are just no longer viable for him, he declared.
• At his home stadium in Durham, the 31-year-old will play his final ODI match against South
Africa.
• Because of his Player-of-the-Match performance in the 2019 World Cup final at Lord's versus
New Zealand, Stokes' ODI career will live on in infamy.
• Stokes has amassed 2919 runs, including three centuries, and 74 wickets in ODIs since making
his debut against Ireland in 2011.
West Indies Cricketers Lendl Simmons & Denesh Ramdin Announce Retirement:
• Denesh Ramdin, a former captain of the West Indies, announced his immediate retirement from
international cricket.
• In a T20I in December 2019, he participated in his final game for the West Indies.
• He will still play franchise cricket, though.
• He participated in 139 ODIs, 71 T20Is, and 74 Test matches.
• In July 2005, he made his Test cricket debut in Colombo against Sri Lanka.
• He contributed to the 2012 and 2016 West Indies T20 World Cup victories.
• Lendl Simmons, a West Indies hitter, also declared his retirement from international cricket in
the meanwhile.
• Trinbago Knight Riders, the player's Caribbean Premier League team.
• In an ODI against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 2008, Simmons made his debut for the United
States. After that, in 2007 and 2009, respectively, he made his T20I and Test debuts.
• The right-handed hitter scored 278, 1958, and 1527 runs in 68 ODIs, 68 T20Is, and 8 Tests,
respectively, with the assistance of 2 centuries and 25 half-centuries.
Bangladeshi Cricketer Tamim Iqbal A nnounces Retirement from T20Is:
• Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh ODI captain, announced his retirement from T20Is immediately
after his team's 3-0 victory over the West Indies in the three-match ODI series.
• In March 2020, he participated in his final T20 International.
• The 33-year-old has participated in 78 T20 Internationals and has scored 1758 runs at a 24.08
average.
• Tamim, who has scored 5082 runs in tests and 7943 runs in one-day internationals, is one of the
finest openers to have come out of Bangladesh.
• Tamim is the only batter from Bangladesh to have recorded a century in T20Is.
• Against Oman, he accomplished an outstanding achievement at the 2016 T20 World Cup in
India.
• He finished his T20I career as the third-highest run-scorer for his nation in the format, behind
Test captain Shakib Al Hasan and current skipper Mahmudullah Riyad.
Indian GM Iniyan finishes second i n a chess tournament in France:
• India's teenage Grandmaster P Iniyan finished second in the La Plagne International Open
Chess Tournament 2022 in La Plagne in France.
• The 19-year-old GM scored seven points from nine rounds to tie for the top spot with Ukraine
GM Vitaly Sivuk.
• The Ukrainian won the first prize based on a better tie-break score.
• India's Sayantan Das, with 6.5 points, took third place.
• Iniyan remained unbeaten through the nine rounds, winning five games and drawing four.
• He started with a win and scored 4.5 after five rounds, but three straight draws in rounds six,
seven, and eight pegged him back.
• The field for the tournament comprised 95 players from 19 countries, including nine GMs and 18
International Masters.
Indian Men’s team bags silver medal at ISSF World Cup:
• The Indian men’s 25m rapid fire pistol team comprising Anish Bhanwala, Vijayveer Sidhu, and
Sameer won the silver medal on the last day of the ISSF World Cup Changwon 2022 in South
Korea.
• The medal helped India retain the top spot on the medals table with five gold, six silver, and four
bronze.
• South Korea managed just one bronze on the final day and finished with four golds, five silver,
and three bronze medals.
• The Indian trio had made the final after coming through two rounds of qualification, finishing
second with 872 points in the first and topping the second round with 578 for a shot at gold.
• India started strongly to take a 10-2 lead.
• This is the second time this year that the Indian shooters had topped the ISSF World Cup
medals table.
• India finished with four gold medals at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo.
Indian students bag three Gold, sixteen Silver, and five Bronze medals in international Olympiads:
• Indian students bagged three Gold, sixteen Silver, and five Bronze medals in various
international Olympiads in Mathematics, Physics, Biology, and Chemistry.
• While the Mathematics Olympiad was held in Norway and Biology Olympiad in Armenia, the
other two, hosted by Switzerland and China, were held virtually.
Key Points:
• In the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) the Indian team got one gold and five bronze
medals.
• Pranjal Srivastava scored a hat trick with his 3rd consecutive Gold medal at the IMO.
• He is the first Indian to win 3 Gold medals in the IMO.
• In the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) all five students who participated in the competition
won medals.
• Deevyanshu Malu won the Gold medal, Abhijeet Anand, Anilesh Bansal, Dheeraj Kurukunda,
and Harsh Jakhar bagged silver medals.
• All the four Indian participants of the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) also emerged
victorious as Mahit Rajesh Gadhiwala, Nivesh Aggarwal, Tanishka Rameshchandra Kabra, and
Chinmay Khokar bagged a silver medal e ach.
• Meanwhile, all the four students who participated in the International Biology Olympiad (IBO)
also won medals.
• While Mayank Pandhari bagged a Gold medal, Amritansh Nigam, Prachi Jindal, and Rohit
Panda bagged silver medals.
BCCI announces Asia Cup tournament in T-20 format to be held in UAE from Aug 27:
• Board of Control for Cricket in India, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has confirmed that the
Asia Cup, which was scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka, would be played in the UAE.
• After the Board's Apex Council meeting in Mumbai, Ganguly said, Asia Cup will be in UAE, as it
is the only place where there will not be rain.
• Earlier, Sri Lanka Cricket informed the Asian Cricket Council that the board will not be in a
position to host the upcoming edition of th e Asia Cup.
• Asia Cup is slated to be held from the 27th of August to the 11th of September and will be
played in the T-20 format.
About UAE:
• Capital: Abu Dhabi
• Currency: Dirham
• President: Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
• Prime minister: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Sports Authority starts the "Create for India" campaign to cheer for Team India:
• A 215-member Indian athlete contingent across 16 disciplines is all set to participate in the
Commonwealth Games beginning on July 28 in Birmingham .
• Sports Authority of India has started a new initiative to cheer for Team India with the campaign
"Create for India."
• Participants can submit their creative entries by July 26th, 2022, using the hashtags
#create4India and #cheer4India.
Neeraj Chopra, the first Indian to win a Silver medal at World Athletics Championships:
• Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra created history by winning a Silver medal in the
men's javelin throw event at World Athletics Championships.
• In the prestigious competition held at Eugene in Oregon, United States, the champ grabbed the
second position with his best throw of 88.13 meters.
• Grenadian javelin thrower Anderson Peters won the gold medal with a throw of 90.54 meters.
• Neeraj Chopra is the first ever Indian to win a silver medal at World Athletics Championships.
• He is the second Indian after former long jumper Anju Bobby George, who won a bronze medal
in the long jump in 2003 in Paris.
First Khelo India Fencing Women’s League has begun:
• The Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New Delhi will serve as the host venue for the first Khelo India
Fencing Women's League, which will get off on July 25, 2022.
• According to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the nation's first-ever women's national
fencing tournament will last until the 29 th of July.
• Three steps will be taken in each.
Key Points:
• A total of Rs. 1 crore 54 lakh has been approved by the Sports Authority of India for the league's
activities.
• Each phase's reward money totals more than 17 lakh rupees.
• Over 300 ladies from over 21 States have signed up to compete in the competition.
• Bhavani Devi, a competitor from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme and the Tokyo Olympics,
will take part in the league's Senior category Sabre competition.
• She is representing the State of Tamil Nadu by performing.
About Bhavani Devi:
• Sundhararaman Chadalavada Bhavani Devi, an Indian sabre fencer, goes by the name of
Bhavani.
• She became the first-ever Indian fencer to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
• The Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Program, managed by the GoSports Foundation, supports
her. C.A.
• In addition to becoming the first Indian to compete in the sport at the Olympic Games in Tokyo,
she also won the solo women's sabre category at the Charlellville National Competition in
France.
Max Verstappen wins the title of 2022 French Grand Prix:
• Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the race at Paul Ricard after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed
out on lap 18 but walked away unhurt.
• Mercedes' George Russell came in fourth, followed by Lewis Hamilton in third.
• Tire management was crucial at Le Castellet because of the hot track.
• Verstappen pitted on lap 17, leaving Leclerc to carry the load.
• His race was ended abruptly by oversteering at Turn 11, which also made him yell angrily and
signaled the deployment of the Safety Car.
• After the restart, Hamilton and Sergio Perez of Red Bull pitted and began pursuing Verstappen.
Verstappen picked up the pace and gained the lead.
Key Points:
• When the race resumed on lap 22, Verstappen, who is presently in the lead in the
championship, had a sizable advantage.
• He had established a four-second lead over Hamilton by lap 30 of 53 and went on to win by a
margin of more than 10 seconds.
• At the start of the race, Perez fell to P3 and was unable to overtake Hamilton.
• Verstappen extended his championship lead at Paul Ricard as Mercedes won their first double
podium of the year, but Leclerc and Ferrari's difficulties in France will dominate the story.
• The 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix will wrap off this two-race series the weekend of July 29–31,
with Leclerc behind Verstappen by 63 points and Ferrari attempting to reduce Red Bull's 82-
point lead.
BCCI introduced a new A+ category for umpires:
• Nitin Menon and 10 other officials have been placed in the new A+ category for umpires that the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has created.
• For a first-class game, umpires in categories A+ and A receive daily pay of Rs 40,000 while
those in categories B and C receive daily pay of Rs 30,000.
Key Points:
• The other international umpires in the A+ category are K N Ananthapadmabhanan, Virender
Kumar Sharma, Madangopal Jayaraman, and Anil Chaudhary.
• The A+ category also includes Rohan Pandit, Nikhil Patwardhan, Sadashiv Iyer, Ulhas Gandhe,
and Navdeep Singh Sidhu.
• Twenty umpires, including C Shamshuddin, make up the A group, followed by 11 in Group D,
which includes 60-65-year-olds, 60 in Group B, 46 in Group C, and 60 in Group D.
About BCCI
• President: Sourav Ganguly
• Secretary: Jay Shah
• Founded: December 1928.
AR Rahman unveils anthem ‘Vanakkam Chennai’ for 44th International Chess Olympiad:
• The forthcoming International Chess Olympiad, 2022, will have a welcome anthem called
"Vanakkam Chennai," composed by Grammy and Oscar-winning musician AR Rahman.
• The music video, which was directed by Vignesh Shivan, stars the chief minister MK Stalin, the
grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand, and the music legend AR Rahman, who wrote and sang the
theme song.
• Additionally, the Bharatanatyam performer in the music video is filmmaker Shankar's daughter.
• The fantastic music video has received appreciation from online users for effectively displaying
Tamil Nadu culture.
About the 44th International Chess Olympiad:
• The 44th International Chess Olympiad will be held this year in Chennai, the state capital of
Tamil Nadu, under the auspices of the Federation International des Échecs.
• The largest chess tournament in the world, the 44th International Chess Olympiad, will take
place at Poonjeri Village in Mamallapuram from July 28 to August 10.
• The location, which is around 50 kilometers from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
• The premier chess competition has created a lot of talks online.
• With each social media post, the anticipation for the event grows.
India will host ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025:
• According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), India will host the ICC Women's ODI World
Cup in 2025.
• To make it a memorable occasion for everyone involved, BCCI would stop at nothing.
• The World Cup will have a successful edition since the infrastructure is in place.
• A Board subcommittee led by Martin Snedden and comprised of Ricky Skerritt, Clare Connor,
Sourav Ganguly, and Martin Snedden conducted a competitive bidding procedure to choose the
hosts.
• The committee and ICC administration thoroughly examined each offer, and the committee's
recommendations were adopted by the ICC Board.
• The four hosts for ICC women's white-ball competitions from 2024 to 2027 are India,
Bangladesh, England, and Sri Lanka.
• The 2024 Women's T20 World C up will be hosted in Bangladesh, and the 2026 tournament will
be placed in England.
• As long as Sri Lanka qualifies for the tournament, it will host the Women's T20 Champions
Trophy in 2027.
Cambodia, Uzbekistan, and Cote D’Ivoire receive membership status: ICC
• Three nations have been granted membership status by the International Cricket Council during
the current ICC Annual Conference in Birmingham.
• Cote D'Ivoire from Africa, Cambodia from Asia, and Uzbekistan from Asia were all granted
Associate membership status, bringing the overall number of ICC members to 108, including 96
Associates.
• The two Asian teams bring the total number of Asian nations to 25, while Cote D'Ivoire is the
twenty-first African nation.
Criteria to gain ICC Memberships:
• Clause 2.1 (d) of the ICC Membership Criteria, under the heading "Participation and domestic
structures," describes one of the key requirements for becoming an ICC Member.
• This entails putting in place a suitable framework with minimum team specifications for 50-over
and 20-over competitions and distinct junior and women's routes.
• The Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan's (CFU) women's cricket strategy, which involves 15
teams competing in organized events with a pathway program for their Under-19 and Under-17
players, demonstrated that the three additional countries met these requirements.
Key Points
• Although Ukraine's application for ICC membership has been postponed until domestic cricket
matches can be played in safety once more, the ICC will continue to assist the Ukraine Cricket
Federation during this procedure.
• Cricket The suspension of Russia at the 2021 AGM has been terminated since it failed to
address the problems and show compliance after the suspension.
Casper Ruud defeats Matteo Berrettini in the finals: Swiss Open
• The 2022 Swiss Open Tennis Tournament was won by Casper Ruud of Norway in Gstaad,
Switzerland.
• In the championship match, he outlasted Matteo Berrettini of Italy 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2. Ruud won his
ninth ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) championship.
• Ruud won the Buenos Aires Open and Geneva Open before in 2022, making the Swiss Open
his third victory overall.
• Additionally, Ruud won the 2021 Swiss Open.
• Ruud ends Berrettini's 12-match-winning run.
• Berrettini won awards in Stuttgart and London earlier this year.
• Casper Ruud has won his ninth ATP title.
• Ruud came in second place behind Rafael Nadal of Spain in the French Open earlier this year.
Four times world champion Sebastian V ettel announced his retirement:
• Four times world champion German racer Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from
Formula One at the end of the season.
• The 35-year-old said, his goals had changed and he wanted to focus more on family and
interests outside the sport.
• Sebastian will end his final season with Aston Martin after winning a total of 53 Grand Prix and
122 podium finishes.
• Vettel made his debut in 2007.
• His first title win came in 2010 which also made him the youngest title winner.
• He won four titles for Red Bull between 2010 to 2013.
• Vettel who is a legend of the sport is third on the list of all-time Grand Prix winners with 53
victories to his name.
• Only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have more titles than him.
• Sebastian made the announcement ahead of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, the 13th
round of the season and the last race before the August break.
American sprinter Allyson Felix joined the International Olympic Committee's athletes' commission:
• American sprint great Allyson Felix and a refugee cyclist originally from Afghanistan joined the
International Olympic Committee's athletes' commission.
• Felix is the most decorated female track and field athlete in Olympic history with seven gold
medals and joins the commission after winning her 14th career world championship title.
• Felix came out of retirement last week to run the prelims of the 4x400-meter relay.
• The American team went on to win the final at the world championships in Eugene, Oregon.
• Also appointed was cyclist Masomah Ali Zada, who was born in Afghanistan and competed in
the women's cycling time trial on the IOC's refugee Olympic team last year in Tokyo.
• Ali Zada is now studying in France and will be the first refugee athlete on the commission.
• The other two new members are two-time Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee of
Britain and Canadian athlete Oluseyi Smith, who has competed at both the Summer Olympics in
track and the Winter Olympics in bobsled.
• The new members were all appointed to the IOC athletes' commission, which has a mix of
members elected by other athletes and those appointed directly by IOC President Thomas
Bach.
• Only the elected members typically also serve on the full IOC, which decides on Olympic host
cities and will elect a new president to replace Bach in 2025.
Reliance Industries and Indian Olympic A ssociation (IOA) announced a long-term partnership to
support Indian athletes:
• Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries and Indian Olympic Association (IOA)
announced a long-term partnership to support Indian athletes in major multi-sport events,
including the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and the Olympics Games.
• Under this partnership, RIL and IOA will also establish the first-ever India House at Paris
Olympics 2024.
• Furthermore, in the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, India will also be hosting the 140th IOC
Session in June 2023 at the newly-developed multi-level center Jio World Centre in Mumbai.
• The IOC Session, which coincides with the 75th year of Independence, will highlight the role of
sport in India and celebrate the contribution of India to the Olympic Movement.
About Olympic Hospitality House:
• Nations from across the world strengthen their Olympic Movement involvement during the
Olympic Games, with the official Olympic Hospitality House that provides a vision and an
understanding of the country and also serves as an avenue to engage officials, sportspeople,
and their families and the public.
• The 2024 Paris Olympics will have India’s first house.
• At the 2016 Rio Olympics, over 50 nations had set up their country-specific Hospitality House,
bringing to the games a combination of their country’s cultural and sporting history.
Coca-Cola launched a no-fizz low-sugar lemon drink in India with Neeraj Chopra as the brand
ambassador:
• Coca-Cola’s lime beverage is all set to attract health-conscious customers.
• The latest addition, called Limca Sportz, brands itself as a low sugar variant energy drink with
Neeraj Chopra as the ambassador.
• The move comes amid a surge in launches into the health space by food and beverage
companies globally, as consumers choose these products, especially after the pandemic.
• The electrolyte and glucose beverage is a sports drink, a broad base for the company’ s portfolio
beyond soft drinks.
England’s Leicester Cricket Ground named after Sunil Gavaskar:
• The Leicester C ricket Ground in England is named for the renowned cricketer from India, Sunil
Gavaskar.
• The Leicester Cricket Ground, which is owned by Bharat Sports and Cricket Club, has chosen to
rename the venue in honor of Gavaskar in recognition of his enormous commitment to raising
Indian cricket to a particular level.
• There is already a field named after Sunil Gavaskar in the Kentucky region of the United States
of America (USA), and another field with the same name is being completed in Tanzania's
Zanzibar region.
• Gavaskar was a former Indian opener.
About Gavaskar:
• Gavaskar, a former captain of the Indian cricket team, is frequently recognized as one of the
greatest hitters in history.
• He set the record for the most centuries (34), becoming the first cricketer to reach 10,000 runs.
• Gavaskar was impressed with his outstanding technique against the Windies' fast bowlers
throughout the 1970s and 1980s when West Indies ruled world cricket.
• He was also a member of the Indian World Cup-winning squad in 1983.
• Later, Sunil Gavaskar achieved another milestone by scoring 10,000 runs for the first time in test
cricket history.
Weightlifter Sanket Sargar wins silver: Commonwealth Games 2022
• Sanket Sargar of India made history by being the country's first athlete to take home a medal at
the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
• He finished second to Malaysia's Aniq Mohamad, who won gold with a total of 249 kg, in the
men's 55 kg event with a total weight of 248 kg.
• Sanket Sagar, who set a new Commonwealth and national record at the Asian qualifiers in
Singapore in February 2022 (snatch – 113kg; clean and jerk 143kg – total of 256kg), was at his
best as he cleared all his 3 weights in his first attempt in snatch.
• Sanket Sargar of Maharashtra, who began wrestling at the age of 13, has consistently finished
on the podium at major international tournaments, including the Commonwealth Weightlifting
Championships 2021 in Tashkent.
IMPORTANT OBITUARIES NEWS
Malayalam actress Ambika Rao passes away
● Renowned actor and filmmaker, Ambika Rao passed away in Kochi at the age of 58.
About Ambika Rao :
● Ambika Rao was born on 6 July 1963 in Ernakulam, Kerala.
● She entered the film industry as an Assistant Director in 2000.
● She assisted several directors, including Anwar Rasheed, Balachandra Menon, Shafi, and
Vinayan.
● In her career of 2 decades in the industry, she has worked as an assistant director for
Mammootty starrers Rajamanikyam and Thommanum Makkalum, Dileep starrer Meesha
Madhavan and Prithviraj Sukumaran's film Vellinakshathram among many others.
● Ambika Rao also acted in the movies and made her mark in her performances in hit films such
as Kumbalangi Nights and Virus.
Billionaire Ray-Ban Owner Leonardo Del Vecchio Passes away
● Leonardo Del Vecchio, Billionaire Ray-Ban Owner Passed away in Milan, Italy at the age of 87.
About Leonardo Del Vecchio :
● Leonardo Del Vecchio was born in Milan, Italy on May 22, 1935.
● He founded his own company, Luxottica, in 1961, supplying the optical industry with
components.
● In 2018, Luxottica merged with France's Essilor to become EssilorLuxottica, with Del Vecchio
serving as chairman.
● According to Forbes' 2022 World's Billionaires List, His fortune was worth an estimated $27.3
billion.
● At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at US$24.1 billion, the second richest
person in Italy, and 54th in the world.
Additional Info :
● Luxottica is the world's largest producer and retailer of glasses and frames, with 77,734
employees and over 8,000 stores
Visionary British theater director Peter Brook passes away
● A British theater and cinema director Peter Brook passed away at the age of 97.
About Peter Brook :
● Brook, was born in London in 1925, in Chiswick, England.
● He worked in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theater, from 1947 at the Royal
Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
● He was often referred to as "our greatest living theater director".
● He established the International Center for Theater Research after relocating to Paris in the
1970s.
● He brought a stunning nine-hour adaptation of the Sanskrit epic “The Mahabharata” from France
to New York in 1987.
Awards & Honors :
● He received two Tony Awards for best Directions in 1966 for his staging of Peter Weiss’
Marat/Sade and in 1970 for the staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William
Shakespeare.
● He won multiple Emmy Awards, a Laurence Olivier Award, the Japanese Praemium Imperiale,
and the Prix Italia.
● In 2021, he was awarded India's Padma Shri.
Veteran film director Tarun Majumdar passes away
● Veteran filmmaker Tarun Majumdar passed away in Kolkata at the age of 91.
About Tarun Majumdar :
● Tarun Majumdar is Born on 8 January 1931 in Bogra (now in Bangladesh).
● He was known for his sensitive portrayal of middle-class life and the human condition.
● Majumdar directed his first film Chawa Pawa (1959), starring Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen
when he was only 27 years old.
● Some of Notable his works are 'Kancher Swarga' (1962), 'Palatka' (1963), 'Kuheli' (1971),
Shriman Prithviraj (1972), 'Balika Badhu' (1976), 'Thani' (1974), 'Ganadevata' (1978), Dadar Kirti
(1980), 'Bhalobasa Bhalobasa' (1986) and Apan Amar Apan (1990).
Awards & Honors :
● He is the recipient of 4 National Awards, 7 BFJA(Bengal Flim Journalist Association Awards), 5
Filmfare Awards, and an Anandalok Award.
● He received his first National Award for the 1962 Bengali film Kancher Swarga.
● He received a National Award, a BFJA Award, and a Filmfare Award for Nimantran (1971).
Ganadevata (1979) won him a National Award and a Filmfare Award.
● In 1990, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian
award.
Former India footballer EN Sudhir passes away
● Former India goalkeeper E N Sudhir who played as a goalkeeper for India in the 1970s Passed
away in Mapusa, Goa at the age of 76.
About EN Sudhir :
● Sudhir was born in Kozhikode in Kerala.
● Sudhir made his international debut against Indonesia in Rangoon (currently Yangon) in the
Olympic qualifiers in 1972, representing India in nine matches.
● He was also part of the national team in the 1973 Merdeka Cup and the Asian Games squad in
1974.
● At the domestic level, he played for three different states in the Santosh Trophy- Kerala (1969
and 1970), Goa (1971, 1972, 1973), and Maharashtra in 1975.
● Sudhir also played for Young Challengers (Kerala), Vasco Sports Club (Goa), and Mahindra &
Mahindra at the club level.
Freedom fighter P. Gopinathan Nair passes away
● Freedom fighter, Gandhian Padmanabha Pillai Gopinathan Nair (P.P Gopinathan Nair) Passed
away at the age of 100 in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
About P. Gopinathan Nair :
● Gopinathan Nair was born on 7 July 1922, in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram district of the
south Indian state of Kerala.
● He was an Indian social worker, Gandhian, and independence activist.
● He was a former chairman of Kerala Mahatma Gandhi National Memorial Trust, popularly known
as Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, a trust managed by the Union government.
● He participated in the Quit India movement of 1942.
Awards & Honors :
● He was a recipient of the Jamnalal Bajaj Award
● The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honor of the Padma Shri, in
2016, for his contributions to society.
OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo Passes away
● A Nigerian politician and secretary-general of the oil producer group Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC), Mohammad Barkindo passed away at the age of 63 in Nigeria.
About Mohammad Barkindo :
● Barkindo began his career with the Nigerian Mining Corporation in 1982
● He served as Acting Secretary-General in 2006, represented Nigeria in OPEC's Economic
Commission Board from 1993 to 2008, and led the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
from 2009 to 2010.
● He headed Nigeria's technical delegation to UN climate negotiations beginning in 1991.
● Barkindo had headed the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) since 2016
and was scheduled to be replaced by Kuwait's Haitham Al-Ghais.
● He also served as deputy managing director of Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas.
● He was a frequent speaker at the Atlantic Council's global energy forum.
About OPEC :
● Founded: 14 September 1960
● Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
● Membership: 13 Member Countries ( Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq,
Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and
Venezuela)
● OPEC is an intergovernmental organization.
Former Bihar Agriculture Minister and Veteran Socialist Leader Narendra Sing Passes away
● Former Bihar agriculture minister and a veteran socialist leader, Narendra Singh passed away in
Patna at the age of 75.
About Narendra Singh :
● Narendra Singh is one of the prominent political personalities to emerge from the state's "JP
movement" in the 1970s.
● He began his political career as an MLA from Chakai in Jamui in the 1980s.
● Singh worked with all three stalwarts of state politics – Nitish Kumar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)
chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and the late Ram Vilas Paswan of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).
● He was the most famous upper-caste Rajput leader in Jamui and Banka region after former
Union Minister Digvijay Singh.
● He served as Bihar agriculture minister in Nitish Kumar’s cabinet till 2014.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Passes away
● Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Passed away after being shot by a 41-year-old
man while campaigning for a parliamentary election in Nara, western Japan.
About Shinzo Abe :
● Shinzo Abe was born on 21 September 1954 in Tokyo, Japan.
● He served as Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2005 to 2006 under Junichiro Koizumi.
● He served as prime minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from
2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.
● He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history.
● He was the first Japanese PM to be the chief guest at India's Republic Day parade in 2014.
Former Angolan president Jose Eduardo dos Santos Passes away
● Angola's former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Africa's second-biggest oil
producer (2 million barrels per day) after Nigeria, for nearly four decades passed away at the
age of 79 in Barcelona, Spain.
About Eduardo dos Santos :
● José Eduardo dos Santos, born on 28 August 1942
● He joined the Movimento Popular de Libertacao de Angola (MPLA) in 1961.
● He ruled Angola for 38 years.
● He served as the president of Angola from 1979 to 2017.
● He retired from the presidency in 2017 and was succeeded by João Lourenço in the 2017
Angolan general election.
● He was the commander in chief of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and President of the
People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).
● Dos Santos became foreign minister and later planning minister and deputy prime minister.
● The MPLA elected dos Santos at 37 as president upon the death of Agostinho Neto, Angola’s
first leader, in 1979.
● He was the second-longest-serving president in Africa, surpassed only by President Teodoro
Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea.
About Angola :
● President : João Lourenço
● Capital : Luanda
● Currency : Kwanza
Oscar-nominated 'Godfather' actor James Edmund Caan Passes away
• Hollywood actor James Edmund Caan passed away at the age of 82 in California, United States
of America (USA).
About James Edmund Caan :
• Caan was born on March 26, 1940, in The Bronx, New York City, USA.
• He worked in Hollywood for over 60 years.
• He is best known for his Oscar-nominated performance in The Godfather film.
• His work after 1980 was more sporadic, with performances including Thief (1981), Gardens of
Stone (1987), Misery (1990), Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Bottle Rocket (1996), Mickey Blue
Eyes (1999), The Yards (2000), City of Ghosts (2002), Elf (2003), and Get Smart (2008).
Awards & Honors :
• The Godfather (1972) a performance that earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actor.
• Caan received Golden Globe Award nominations for his performances in the drama The
Gambler (1974), and the musical Funny Lady (1975).
• He won the Saturn Award for Best Actor for the movie Rollerball.
• He was nominated for several entertainment industry honors, including an Academy Award, two
Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and a motion pictures star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978.
Former VSNL chief, 'father of internet in India', B K Syngal Passes away
• Brijendra Kumar (BK) Syngal, former chairman of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, (VSNL)
About B K Syngal :
• BK Syngal was born in 1940,Ambala.
• He was an Indian telecommunications executive who was referred to as the ‘Father of Internet &
Data Services in India’.
• As the Chairman of VSNL, he was unofficially known as the ‘bulldozer’ for his ability to push
through bureaucratic hurdles.
• One of Syngals’ biggest challenges and accomplishments was bringing the Internet to India in
1995.
• Until then India had a rudimentary version of the internet, called ERNET, but this was limited to
educational institutes.
• He also served as Chairman, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (London);
Governor, INTELSAT Board, Washington DC; and as a Councilor for the INMARSAT Council in
London.
• Syngal was Senior Principal, Dua Consulting, New Delhi, India.
• He headed the Consulting and Advisory team of Telecom Experts in the disciplines of Licensing,
Regulation, Policy Formulations, and Government Affairs.
Awards & Honors :
• He received the Telecom Man of the Decade Award by Wisitex Foundation, India, Partners in
Progress Award by the Government of Maharashtra for his contributions to the
telecommunications sector both in India and abroad.
• He has been the recipient of the Ambrose Fleming Medal for Achievement in Communications
conferred by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), UK.
• He received the ``Partners in Progress" award, by the Govt. of Maharashtra, and the
"International Excellence Award – in 1994" in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the
field of telecommunications both in India and abroad.
Former Mexican President Luis Echeverria Passes away
• The former president of Mexico, Luis Echeverria Alvarez Passed away at the age of 100 in
Cuernavaca, the capital city of Morelos state located in south-central Mexico.
About Luis Echeverria :
• Echeverría was born in Mexico City to Rodolfo Echeverría and Catalina Álvarez on 17 January
1922.
• He was a Mexican lawyer, academic, and politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary
Party (PRI).
• He would become known for his authoritarian and repressive character before his presidency in
1970.
• He initiated the establishment of diplomatic relations with China in February 1972.
• He served as the 57th President of Mexico from 1970 to 1976.
• Previously, he was Secretary of the Interior from 1963 to 1969.
• In 2022, he was his country's oldest living former head of state.
Awards & Honors :
• Grand Master of the Order of the Aztec Eagle, Mexico (1970–1976)
• Honorary Knight Grand Cross of The Most Honorable Order of the Bath (1973)
• Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Italy (1974)
Renowned archaeologist Padmashree Enamul Haque passes away
• Eminent archaeologist and historian Dr. Enamul Haque passed away at the age of 85 in Dhak,
Bangladesh.
About Enamul Haque :
• Enamul Haque was born on 1 March 1937, in Bogra, Bengal Presidency, British India.
• He was a scholar, museologist, cultural activist, freedom fighter, songwriter, and TV personality.
• He served as the professor of national culture and heritage at the Independent University,
Bangladesh, and the president, chairman, and academic director of the International Centre for
Study of Bengal Art.
• His TV program ‘Amader Oitirjo’ or ‘Our Heritage’ brought out the rich historical past of the
country to the common people.
• He joined Dhaka Museum (later Bangladesh National Museum) in 1962.
• Later he became the principal in 1965, director in 1969, and Director General during 1983–1991
in Dhaka Museum.
• He was also elected as the President of the International Council of Museums Asia-Pacific
Organization for the period 1983–86.
Awards & Honors :
• During his illustrious career, he was awarded the Ekushey Padak (the Second highest civilian
award in Bangladesh) in 2016.
• In 2020, he was awarded Swadhinta Padak, the highest civilian award in Bangladesh.
• In 2020, Haque was also awarded the Padma Shri award (India's 4th Highest civilian award) for
his tremendous contribution to the field of archeology and museology by the Government of
India.
Noted social worker, Padma Shri awardee Avdhash Kaushal Passes away
• Noted social worker and Padma Shri awardee Avdhash Kaushal Passed away at the age of 87.
About Avdhash Kaushal :
• Avadesh Kaushal was a native of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
• He was an Indian academic, environmentalist, and activist.
• He was an Associate professor for seven years at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of
Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand.
• Kaushal who founded an NGO named Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (Dehradun,
Uttarakhand) fought for human rights and the conservation of the environment.
• He is credited with bringing mining activities to an end in Mussoorie in the 1980s.
• In 2003, Kaushal was invited by the United Nations to the World Summit in Geneva, to chair the
panel on a discussion on the importance of local content within information and communication
technology.
• He had claimed to have played a significant role in preparing the drafts of different Acts,
including the Environment Conservation Act 1986.
• He had been close to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Awards & Honors :
• Avadesh Kaushal was awarded a Padma Shri in 1986.
Former New Zealand cricket captain Barry Sinclair Passes away
• Former New Zealand cricket captain and batter Barry Sinclair has Passed away at the age of 85.
About Barry Sinclair :
• Sinclair was born on 23 October 1936 in Wellington, New Zealand.
• He was the third Kiwi batter after Bert Sutcliffe and John R Reid to score 1,000 runs in Test
cricket.
• He played 21 Tests for New Zealand between 1963 and 1968, scoring 1148 runs at 29.43,
including three centuries against South Africa, Pakistan, and England.
• He captained the side in three Tests, initially taking over the reins from an injured Murray
Chapple on the morning of the second Test against England at Dunedin in 1966, retaining them
for the final Test of the series at Auckland, and the next Test against India.
• In total, he played 118 first-class games, making 6114 runs at 32.87, including six centuries.
• He was also a stalwart of the Kilbirnie club, for whom he scored 6000 runs at an average of 50.
• In 2008-09 he became the inaugural Patron of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association.
• In the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honors, Sinclair was appointed a Member of the New Zealand
Order of Merit for services to cricket.
• His career was captured in a biography written by Bill Francis, Auckland broadcaster & it was
published in 2016 as “Pursuit of Excellence: The Barry Sinclair Story.”
James Bond's iconic theme composer Monty Norman passes away
• British composer Monty Norman, who was the man behind the iconic James Bond theme,
About Monty Norman :
• Monty Norman was born in 1928, in London.
• He was a composer, singer, writer, and lyricist.
• He got his first guitar when he was 16.
• Producer Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli had hired Norman to compose a theme for the first James
Bond movie ‘Dr. No’ which was released in 1962.
• In the 1950s, he started singing and composing songs for performers such as Tommy Steele
and Bob Hope.
• He also composed various musicals including ‘Poppy’, ‘Expresso Bongo’, ‘Make Me An Offer,
‘Songbook’
Awards & Honors :
• Norman won England’s prestigious Ivor Novello Award from the Performing Rights Society in
1977 for the ‘James Bond’ theme.
Malayalam actor-director Pratap Pothen passes away
• Malayalam actor and filmmaker Pratap Pothen passed away at the age of 70 in Chennai, Tamil
Nadu.
About Pratap Pothen :
• Pratap was born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 13 August 1952.
• He was an Indian actor and filmmaker who acted in about 100 films and directed 12 films.
• He appeared in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu as well as Hindi films.
• He began his acting career in Malayalam cinema with the legendary director Bharathan, through
movies like Aavaram, Thakara, and Lorry.
• He also worked in the film industry as a scriptwriter and producer.
Awards & Honors :
• In 1985 his first movie Meendum Oru Kathal Kathai won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut
Film of a Director.
• In 1984, he won National Film Awards for Best Debut Film of a Director for the film Meendum
Oru Kaathal Kathai.
• In 2014, he received the Kerala State Film Awards the category of Special Jury Award for acting
in the film Once Upon a Time There was a Kallan.
Renowned Singer Bhupinder Singh Passes Away
• Renowned Indian ghazal singer Bhupinder Singh passed away at the age of 82.
About Bhupinder Singh :
• Bhupinder Singh was born on 6 February 1940 in Amritsar, Punjab.
• He began his career working in the All India Radio, Delhi, as a singer and musician.
• In his five-decade-long career, he had worked with the biggest names in the music industry,
including Mohammed Rafi, R.D. Burman, Madan Mohan, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle,
Gulzar to Bappi Lahiri, among others.
• He is known for crooning classics like "Naam Gum Jayega" and "Dil Dhoondta Hai,” "Do Diwane
Shehar Mein", "Ek Akela is Shehar Mein", "Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Aasman", "Duniya Chhute
Yaar Na Chhute" and "Karoge Yaad Toh", and other popular songs.
• He was also the guitarist on several popular tracks, including "Dum Maaro Dum", "Chura Liya
Hai", "Chingari Koi Bhadke" and "Mehbooba O Mehbooba", among others.
Noted artist Achuthan Kudallur passes away
• Noted artist Achuthan Kudallur passed away in Chennai at the age of 77.
About Achuthan Kudallur :
• Achuthan Kudallur was born in 1945 in Kerala.
• He was a well-known artist known for his experimental and fusion of contemporary styles.
• He pursued a degree in Civil Engineering and reveled as an Indian Asian Modern and
Contemporary painter.
• His works were exhibited in all the noted galleries in the country.
• He also conducted solo exhibitions in many parts of the world including in the famous Paris Art
gallery.
Awards & Honors :
• Kudallur received prestigious awards like the National Academy Award and Tamil Nadu Lalit
Kala Akademi Award.
Former Punjab speaker and senior SAD leader Nirmal Singh Kahlon Passes away
• Former Punjab Assembly Speaker and senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Nirmal Singh
Kahlon passed away at the age of 79 in Amritsar, Punjab.
About Nirmal Singh Kahlon :
• Kahlon was the minister for rural development and panchayat in the Akali government from 1997
to 2002.
• He was elected MLA from Fatehgarh Churian constituency in Gurdaspur district in 1997 and
2007.
• He was also the speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha from 2007 to 2012.
• In 2011, he was acquitted in a case about the recruitment scam registered by the Vigilance
Bureau in June 2002.
Noted Scientist & ILS Director Dr. Ajay Parida Passes away
• Noted scientist and Director, Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar Dr. Ajay Parida has
Passed away at the age of 58 in Guwahati, Assam
About Dr. Ajay Parida :
• Dr. Parida was born at Bhagabanpur village in Odisha’s Jajpur district.
• He has done a Ph.D. from Delhi University and post-doctoral research from University College of
Wales, UK, University of Naples, Italy, and International Rice Research Institute, Philippines.
• He was an Indian biologist noted for his contributions in the fields of agriculture, plant molecular
biology, and biotechnology.
• He has used advanced biotechnological tools for crop improvement for this he made
contributions in identifying stress tolerant genes specifically for salt and drought stress.
• He served as the Executive Director of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai
from 2009-2016.
• He was an elected fellow of the National Academy of Agriculture Sciences (NAAS) and the
National Academy of Sciences of India (NASI).
• He was elected as President of the Agriculture Science and Forestry section of the Indian
Science Congress in 2012.
• He was the President of the Biological Sciences Session of the National Academy of Sciences
India in 2014.
• In 2017, he joined ILS, one of the 10 labs of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium
(INSACOG) set up to monitor genomic coronavirus variations.
Awards & Honors :
• He was conferred with Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2014 by the then
President Pranab Mukherjee for his contribution to the field of Science and Technology.
Renowned Marathi writer Anant Yashwant Khare passes away
• Renowned Marathi writer and novelist Anant Yashwant Khare passed away in Pune at the age
of 76.
About Anant Yashwant Khare :
• Anant Yashwant Khare was born in 1946 in Nagpur, British India.
• He was popularly known by his pen name, Nanda Khare.
• He was a member of the Marathi Science Council.
• For 34 years, he was Partner/Managing Director of ‘Khare and Tarkunde’.
• He had also worked on the editorial board of ‘Aajcha Sudharak’ newspaper for close to 11 years
• He wrote 19 books on various topics like science, sociology, and geography with some of his
most noted works being ‘Antajichi Bakhar’, ‘Bakhar Antakalachi’, and ‘Udya’.
• Between 1981 and 1992, he was an active member of the Marathi Vidnyan Parishad and
conducted programs in schools to spread awareness about Science.
• From 1998 to 2017, he served on the Editorial Board of the publication ‘Aajcha Sudharak’ of
which he was Editor-in-Chief from 2000 to 2011.
• Some of the best-known and acclaimed works of Nanda Khare include ‘Antajichi Bakhar’,
‘Kahani Manavpranyachi’, ‘Jeevotpatti, Aani Nantar’, ‘Bakhar Antakalachi’, ‘Waarulpuraan’,
‘2050’, ‘Samprati’ etc.
• His autobiography ‘Evaji’ came in 2018 and was received with great enthusiasm in literary
circles.
• He had written the novel ‘Udya’ in 2012 but it was published in 2014.
Awards & Honors :
• He received numerous awards from foundations like Granthali, Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh,
Lokmangal, and Shabd: The Book Gallery.
• In 2010, he received the state government’s Bhai Madhavrao Bagal Award for his book ‘Kahani
Manav Pranyachi’.
• He was offered the Sahitya Akademi award for his novel 'Udya' in 2020 but he politely refused
as by then he had decided not to accept any awards.
A key architect of the Good Friday Agreement & Nobel Peace Prize Winner David Trimble Passes
Away
• The Nobel peace prize-winning former first minister of Northern Ireland David Trimble Passed
away at the age of 77.
About David Trimble :
• David Trimble was born on 15 October 1944 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
• He served as Vice Chairman of the Lagan Valley Unionist Association from 1983 to 1985 and
was named chairman in 1985.
• He served as chairman of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Legal Committee from 1989 to 1995
and as honorary secretary of the Ulster Unionist Council from 1990–96.
• He was the First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002.
• He was the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1995 to 2005.
• He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Upper Bann from 1990 to 2005 and a Member of the
Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Upper Bann from 1998 to 2007.
• In 1997, he became the first unionist leader to negotiate with the Irish republican party Sinn Fein
• He was the key architect of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
• On 8 December 1999, Trimble was appointed an Officer in the Légion d'Honneur by the French
Government.
Awards & Honors :
• In October 1998, Trimble and John Hume were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts
to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland.
• In 2002, he was awarded the Golden Plate Award by the American Academy of Achievement.
Padma Shri awardee doctor Sushovan Bandyopadhyay passes away
• Sushovan Bandyopadhyay, famous as Bengal's 'one rupee doctor', (Ek Takar Daktar) died at
the age of 84 in Kolkata, West Bengal.
About Sushovan Bandyopadhyay :
• Banerjee was from Bolpur, West Bengal.
• He was an Indian physician and politician.
• He is an ex-MLA from the Bolpur seat and had contested on a Congress ticket in 1984.
• After the Trinamool Congress was formed, he became the first district president of the Trinamool
in Birbhum.
• In 2020 he held his name in the Guinness World Records for treating the maximum number of
patients in a lifetime (He treated More than 20 lakh patients).
Awards & Honors :
• In 2020, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian Government for his contribution to the
field of medicine.
• He has got a gold medal from R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital
Renowned Assamese writer Atulananda Goswami passes away
• Veteran Assamese litterateur and winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award, Atulananda Goswami,
has passed away at the age of 87.
About Atulananda Goswami :
• Atulananda Goswami was Born in 1935, in Jorhat, Assam.
• He had retired as a state government official and settled in Guwahati.
• He was known as a short story writer, a litterateur, and a novelist par excellence.
• He translated many English, Bengali, and Odia texts into Assamese and also Assamese texts
into English.
• Goswami's other notable works include 'Namgharia' 'Hamdoi Pulor Jon', 'Rajpaat', 'Polatok' and
'Ashray'.
Awards & Honors :
• Goswami received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2006 for his short story collection ‘Seneh Jarir
Ganthi’
• He was also bestowed with the Ambikagiri Roy Choudhury Sahitya Award, the Kumar Kishor
Memorial Award, and the Sneha Bharati Sahitya Samman, among other honors.
• In 1992, he also won the Katha award for creative writing for his work Boliya Hathi'.
UK-based Punjabi singer Balwinder Safri Passes away
• Popular UK-based Punjabi singer Balwinder Safri Passed away at the age of 63.
About Balwinder Safri :
• Safri was actively involved in the Bhangra music scene since the 1980s.
• He also formed his band named Safri Boyz Band in 1990.
• Some of the famous songs from his band were Boliyan, Ik Dil Karey, Rangle Punjab, O Rabba,
Maa, Boli Boli, and many more.
• He was known for his popular tracks like 'O chan mere makhna', 'Pao Bhangra', 'Gal Sun
Kuriye', 'Nachdinu', Rahaye Rahaye” and “Chan Mere Makhna” etc.
Oscar-Nominated Director of 'Five Easy Pieces' Bob Rafelson Passes away
• Bob Rafelson, co-creator of "The Monkees" and director of the film "Five Easy Pieces" Passed
away at the age of 89.
About Bob Rafelson :
• Robert Jay Rafelson was born on February 21, 1933, in New York City, U.S.
• He was an American film director, writer, and producer.
• He was also one of the creators of the pop group and TV series The Monkees with BBS partner
Bert Schneider.
• Rafelson directed the 1987 film Black Widow, starring Debra Winger, and Mountains of the
Moon (1990); and two more films starring Nicholson in Man Trouble (1992) and Blood and Wine
(1997).
Awards & Honors :
• Rafelson and Schneider won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series as producers in
1967.
• In 1971, he earned two Oscar nominations for the film Five Easy Pieces for best picture and
screenplay
Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule – June 2022
12. Important Schemes News 326
14. Important Environment News 356
20. Cabinet Approval 442
IMPORTANT DAYS
Global Day of Parents- 1st June
• Every year on June 1st, the world celebrates Global Day of Parents.
• The Global Day of Parents is an annual event that honors the role of parents in the lives of their
children.
• The theme for Global Parent Day 2022 is “Appreciate all parents throughout the world”.
• The goal of the Global Day of Parents is to raise awareness and appreciation for the important
role that parents play in their children's lives.
• It also strives to increase awareness about the value of good parenting and happy family life.
HISTORY:
• During the 1980s, the United Nations began to pay attention to family-related concerns.
• In its resolution on the Role of the Family in the Development Process (1983/23) in 1983, the
Commission for Social Development requested the Secretary-General to increase awareness
among decision-makers and the general public of the problems and needs of the family, as well
as effective ways to meet those needs, based on the recommendations of the Economic and
Social Council.
• The United Nations General Assembly declared 1 June 2012 to be the Global Day of Parents, to
be commemorated yearly to honor parents all across the world.
World Milk Day -1st June
• The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization designated June 1 as World Milk Day.
• The purpose of the day is to recognize milk as global food and to honor the dairy sector.
• The purpose of the day is to draw attention to activities related to the dairy industry.
• Since 2001, the day has been celebrated on June 1 every year.
The theme for world milk day:
• The theme for World Milk Day 2022 is to draw the world’s attention to the climate change crisis
and highlight how the dairy industry could minimalize its impact on the planet.
• The focus is on achieving a "Dairy Net Zero" by cutting down on the greenhouse gas emissions
of the industry over the next 30 years.
Significance Of World Milk Day
• World Milk Day's main purpose is to increase awareness about the importance of milk and dairy
products in our lives.
• Milk and dairy products are not only a terrific source of nutrition, but they also provide income to
roughly a billion people worldwide.
About FAO
• Headquarters: Rome, Italy
• Director-General: Qu Dongyu
Telangana Day or Telangana Formation Day is observed on June 2 .
• The state of Telangana was officially formed on 2 June 2014 from the state of Andhra
Pradesh.
• Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao was elected as the first chief minister of Telangana.
• Telangana, the 28th state of India.
• Telangana celebrates its founding to mark the people's contribution to forming a separate state
outside of Andhra Pradesh.
• The 30 districts of Telangana honor this day by raising the national flag.
History:
• On November 1, 1956, Telangana merged with Andhra Pradesh to form a unified Telugu state
by inscribing it from ancient Madras.
• In 1969, the Telangana region saw a protest demanding a new state and in 1972 a separate
state of Andhra Pradesh was created.
• Various civil society organizations, student unions, and government employees all played an
important role in the 1969 unrest.
• After nearly 40 years of opposition, the Telangana Bill was approved by the Parliament Labor
Committee and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) passed it in the Lok Sabha in February 2014.
• The Bill was introduced in the Indian Parliament in 2014 and the Andhra Pradesh
Reorganization Act was passed. It was approved the same year.
• Under the bill, Telangana would include 10 districts in northwest Andhra Pradesh.
World Bicycle Day - 3rd June
• World Bicycle Day is celebrated on June 3rd each year, celebrating cycling as a way to find a
sustainable form of travel that guarantees physical health.
• This day celebrates the cycling tradition and its important role in maintaining our health.
• Cycling is a multifaceted exercise and has many health benefits.
HISTORY:
• World Cycling Day was first celebrated on June 3, 2018, when the United Nations first adopted
the resolution during the 72nd regular session of the United Nations General Assembly in New
York on October 4.
• The Declaration has been adopted by more than 193 Member States, which encourages them to
include bicycles in their regional, international and local development policies and programs.
International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression- June 4 th:
• The International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is an annual United Nations
observance day on June 4th each year.
• According to recent statistics, 536 million children live in countries affected by conflict or
disasters.
• About 50 million children have been displaced from their homes.
• When these children get displaced, it increases their vulnerability to violence and exploitation.
• The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 16 promotes peaceful and inclusive societies for
sustainable development.
• As part of this goal, the UN hopes to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of
violence against children by 2030.
HISTORY:
• On August 19, 1982, the UN General Assembly declared that June 4th would be observed as
the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression.
• The UN decided during an emergency special session on the question of Palestine.
• The day originally focused on the children affected by the 1982 Lebanon War.
• The day also focused on Palestinian children that were victims of other conflicts in the Middle
East.
World Environment Day- 5 th June
• Every year on June 5, the globe celebrates World Environment Day.
• The day's goal is to raise awareness and action for environmental conservation.
• In the year 2022, Sweden is the host of world environment day
World Environment Day 2022 Theme
• The theme of World Environment Day 2022 is "Only One Earth."
• It advocates for policy and lifestyle reforms that will enable cleaner, greener, and more
sustainable living in harmony with nature.
World Environment Day History
• The United Nations created World Environment Day in 1972 during the Stockholm Conference
on the Human Environment.
• The topic of World Environment Day in 1974 was 'Only One Earth.'
• World Environment Day was first recognized in the United States in 1974.
World Environment Day Significance
• World Environment Day has served as a forum for bringing attention to environmental concerns
such as marine pollution, overcrowding, global warming, sustainable consumerism, and wildlife
crime.
• The purpose of the day is to raise awareness about the significance of the environment and to
remind people that nature should not be taken for granted.
• As to the United Nations: "The celebration of this day provides us with an opportunity to broaden
the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises, and
communities in preserving and enhancing the environment."
World Food Safety Day- June 7
• World Food Safety Day (WSFD) is observed annually on 7 June to help prevent, detect and
manage foodborne risks.
• The objective of celebrating the day is to focus on food security and highlight different areas
relating to human health, economic prosperity agriculture, market access, tourism, and
sustainable development, according to the World Health Organisation.
History
• The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed in 2018 that June 7 would be regarded as
World Food Safety Day every year.
• This came into effect after the intergovernmental organization noted that the burden of
foodborne diseases was affecting children under the age of 5 and persons living in low -income
counties.
• Last year, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to further strengthen global efforts of
food safety to reduce the burden of foodborne disease.
Russian Language Day- 6th June
• United Nations Russian Day is celebrated every year on June 6.
• It is one of the six official languages used by the United Nations throughout the Organization.
• The day was created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) in 2010.
• On June 6, the birthday of the great Russian poet A.S. Pushkin, as part of its program to support
and develop multilingualism and cultural diversity, the United Nations celebrates Russian
Language Day.
• One of the goals of this program is to maintain equality of the six official languages of the United
Nations: English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and French.
• The decision to organize language day was made by the Ministry of Public Information (now the
Department of Global Communications) on the eve of International Mother Language Day, which
is celebrated every year on February 21 on the initiative of UNESCO.
International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing: June 5
• The International Day to Fight Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is celebrated every
year on 5 June.
• This day is an opportunity to draw attention to the threats posed by activities.
• IUU fishing activities have on the sustainable use of fishery resources as well as the unremitting
efforts to combat these practices.
• According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), IUU fishing
activities cause between 11 and 26 million tons of fish loss each year, with an estimated
economic value of 10 to 23 billion USD.
• IUU fishing practices threaten the sustainable management of our marine resources, a situation
exacerbated by overfishing.
History:
• In 2015, FAO's Joint Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean proposed that an initiative be
launched to declare an International Day to Fight Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing.
• After extensive consultation, a proposal was submitted for consideration at the Thirty-second
Session of the FAO Fisheries Committee.
• In December 2017, the United Nations General Assembly, in its annual resolution on sustainable
fisheries, declared June 5 as "International Day to Fight Illegal, Unreported and Unreported
Fishing" according to the law.
World Oceans Day- June 8
• World Oceans Day is celebrated every year on June 8 to ponder upon the role and importance
of the oceans.
• This day provides a platform to inspire action and sustainable use of marine resources available
to our planet.
• World Oceans Day reminds us of the role oceans play in our everyday life.
World Oceans Day 2022 Theme
• This year the UN has planned an annual event on World Oceans Day coordinated by the
Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs and supported by
the nonprofit Oceanic Global will focus on the theme of "Revitalization: Collective action for the
ocean”.
• This year, the United Nations will host the first hybrid celebration of the annual event on June 8,
2022, hosted in-person at the UN Headquarters in New York to be broadcasted live.
History
• The concept of World Oceans Day was first proposed by the UN in 1992 at the Earth Summit in
Rio de Janeiro.
• It was suggested that a day be observed to raise awareness about the crucial role oceans play
in our lives and ways in which people can help protect them.
• Since 2002, the World Ocean Network has built support for ocean awareness events on June 8
with the help of sponsorship from UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
• On December 5, 2008, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution to designate this day.
• Apart from UNESCO, other agencies under the aegis of the UN such as the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and FAO also work to protect marine and coastal ecosystems.
World Brain Tumor Day- June 8
• World Brain Tumor Day is observed every year on June 8 as a day dedicated to creating
awareness about brain tumors.
• A brain tumor occurs in brain cells that multiply abnormally and in an uncontrolled way.
• They can be cancerous or non-cancerous depending on their location and grading.
• The grading is given based on the pace at which cells multiply and spread to the adjacent areas.
THEME
• The theme for World Brain Tumor Day 2022 is “Together We Are Stronger.”
HISTORY
• World Brain Tumor Day was first observed on June 8, 2000, by the German Brain Tumor
Association (Deutsche Hirntumorhilfe e.V.), a non-profit organization for serving and offering
support to brain tumor patients.
• The day came into existence with the idea of paying tribute to brain tumor patients and their
families by educating people about the disease.
• According to the International Association of Cancer Registries (IARC), over 28,000 cases of
brain tumors are reported in India every year.
• Of these, 24,000 succumb to the deadly disease.
International Sex Workers' Day: June 2
• International Sex Workers Day is observed on 2 June every year across the world.
• This day is celebrated to highlight the rampant exploitation of sex workers and the terrible
conditions they live in.
• It aims to raise awareness about the abuse and victimization of sex workers.
History:
• It was on 2 June 1975 that approximately 100 sex workers gathered at Saint-Nizier Church in
Lyon, France, expressing their frustration and fury over their criminalized and exploitative living
conditions.
• They also hung a banner from the steeple, which read 'Our children don't want their mothers to
go to jail,' and also launched a media campaign to voice their grievances.
• This event made news on TV channels and newspapers, and soon, strikes were launched all
over France by sex workers, creating a legacy of activism.
• Sex workers at Saint-Nizier Church demanded an end to police harassment, reopening of hotels
for their work, and proper investigation into sex worker murders.
• French sex workers participated in the event and the strike was eight days long.
• This event was a spark that ignited the rights movement in Europe.
World Day Against Child Labour- June 12
• World Day Against Child Labour 2022 is observed all over the world on June 12th as an
awareness event to protect children against labor.
• Every year on June 12th, around 100 countries throughout the world commemorate World Day
Against Child Labour.
• The International Labour Organization established the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002.
Theme
• World Day Against Child Labour Theme 2022 “Children Shouldn’t work in fields, but on dreams” .
• World Day Against Child Labor this year will concentrate on the effect of emergencies on child
work.
History
• In 1919, The International Labour Organization (ILO) was founded to promote social justice and
establish International Labor Standards.
• ILO has 137 states as members.
• Since then, the ILO has enacted additional agreements aimed at improving labor conditions
across the world.
• In 1973, The International Labor Organization (ILO) enacted Convention Number. 138 which
focused on the minimum age for work.
• In 1999, The ILO convention number 182, often known as the "Worst Forms of Child Labour
Convention," was approved.
• Its goal is to take the required and quick steps to end the worst type of child labor.
• In 2002, The World Day Against Child Labor was founded by the International Labour
Organization (ILO), the United Nations entity that oversees the worldwide community of labor.
World Blood Donor Day 2022: June 14
• On June 14th every year, World Blood Donor Day is observed all over the world as an
awareness event to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank
voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
• The day is observed to promote blood donation and to encourage people to donate blood to
save lives.
• The purpose of the event is to raise awareness about the need for safe blood and blood
products, as well as to thank unpaid blood donors for saving lives.
Theme
• For 2022, the World Blood Donor Day slogan is “Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the
effort and save lives” to draw attention to the roles that voluntary blood donations play in saving
lives and enhancing solidarity within communities.
History:
• World Blood Donor Day was established in 2004 by the World Health Organization (WHO) to
bring awareness to the ongoing need for blood donations to save lives.
• June 14 also marks the birth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner who won the Nobel Prize for
Medicine in 1930 for his work in classifying blood types.
• It was his work that revolutionized blood transfusions and led to the practice of transfusing blood
between people with compatible blood types.
Global Wind Day 2022: June 15
• Global Wind Day 2022 is observed all over the world on 15th June.
• On June 15, this day is celebrated all over the world annually and it is marked as a day of
discovering the possibilities of wind power.
• The purpose of the day is to increase public knowledge of wind energy and its uses. On this day,
people all across the world celebrate the importance of wind energy and how it can change the
world.
Theme
• Global Wind Day 2022 is based on the theme is celebrate to enjoy the benefits of wind energy
and providing education to the individual about the power and potential of wind energy to
change the world.
History
• In 2007, The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) organized the first Wind Day.
• In 2009 the EWEA joined forces with the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and made it a
worldwide event.
• In recent years, WindEurope and the GWEC have organized the day together.
• In 2012, the organizations sponsored a photo competition.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2022: June 15
• On June 15th, every year the world commemorates World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
• This day is marked to raise awareness about the plight of the elderly who are abused and
harmed.
• The primary goal of this day is to provide communities all around the world a chance to develop
a better understanding of elder abuse and neglect by raising awareness of the cultural, social,
economic, and demographic factors that influence senior abuse and neglect.
Theme:
• The theme for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2022 is “Digital Equity for All Ages”.
• Adult children and other family members are the leading abusers of the elderly, according to
current studies, demonstrating that violence against the elderly happens mostly at home.
History:
• In 1978, SAGE was formed and the Advocacy and Services for LGBT elders were created.
• In 1983, The first book on elder abuse, “Abuse and Maltreatment of the Elderly: Causes and
Interventions”, was published.
• In1988, The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) was established by the U.S. Administration
on Aging.
• In 2003, A group of UCI professors created the nation’s first-ever Elder Abuse Forensic Center
• The day was officially recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011
bypassing the resolution 66/127 of the United Nations following a request by the International
Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), which first established the commemoration
in June 2006.
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought- June 17
• On June 17th of every year, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed all
over the world as an awareness event.
• This World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2022 aims to inspire people to believe
that the land degradation problem can be solved with collaboration and constructive participation
on their part.
Theme
• The theme of the International Day Against Desertification, and Drought 2022 is “Rising from
drought together”, which emphasizes the need for early action to avoid disastrous
consequences for humanity and the planetary ecosystems.
History
• On January 30, 1995, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 17th as World Day
to Combat Desertification and Drought.
• This day has been observed every year since 1995 to raise public awareness about the
importance of reaching land degradation neutrality across the world.
• This day raises awareness that desertification and drought may be combated via community
collaboration and participation, as well as a variety of alternatives.
• Furthermore, this day strives to enhance the implementation of the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification in countries that are experiencing severe drought, land degradation, and
desertification.
Autistic Pride Day 2022: June 18
• Every year on June 18th, the globe celebrates Autistic Pride Day to raise awareness that autism
is a condition, not a disease.
• The day is celebrated annually and “Autistic pride” stands for pride in autism, about shifting
views of autism from "disease" to "difference".
• It observes the diversity various neurological types express.
Theme
• This year's World Autistic Awareness Day topic is 'Inclusion in the Workplace: Challenges and
Opportunities in a Post-Pandemic World,' and the event will include a moderated roundtable
discussion with people on the autism spectrum who have directly experienced the challenges
and observed these new possibilities in the workplace.
History
• The very first autistic pride day was observed in Brazil in 2005.
• This day was founded by Gareth and Amy Nelson, and it has now become known as Autistic
Pride Day across the world.
• Aspies for Freedom established Autistic Pride Day in 2005 by Aspies for Freedom to improve
public awareness and celebrate the similarities and differences among persons with autism.
• It swiftly grew into a worldwide phenomenon that is extensively seen both online and offline.
• Aspies For Freedom (AFF) is a grassroots advocacy and solidarity organization dedicated to
increasing public awareness of the autism rights movement.
World Sickle Cell Awareness Day 2022: June 19
• Every year on June 19th, World Sickle Cell Day is commemorated to raise awareness of the
human Sickle Cell illness.
• The UN declared the day, and it has served to raise awareness of the condition, its organization,
the care and measures that should be taken, and the treatment that should be given to someone
who is suffering from it.
Theme:
• 'Shine the Light on Sickle Cell' is the theme for World Sickle Cell Awareness Day 2022.
• Sickle Cell Illness Day is observed on this day to promote awareness about the condition's
treatment options and to achieve successful control of the disease across the world.
History:
• The United Nations General Assembly declared World Sickle Cell Day in 2008 to promote
awareness of sickle cell illness.
• As a result, on June 19, 2009, World Sickle Cell Day was commemorated for the first time.
• Sickle cell disease has spread throughout the world and has gradually evolved into a hereditary
and genetic illness.
• Furthermore, correct diagnosis and early therapy aid in the better management and treatment of
the condition.
• In addition to the UN, the WHO now offers several options for treating illness patients more
humanely.
World Fathers’ Day: 19 June
• Every year, World Fathers’ Day is celebrated globally on every 3rd Sunday of June.
• Father's Day always falls on the third Sunday in June which means its actual date changes from
year to year.
History:
• Sonora Smart Dodd is credited for establishing this lovely day in memory of those who gave up
their present for our future (our parents, mom, and dad).
• Dodd was born in the United States of America, in the state of Arkansas.
• Sonora Smart's father, William Jackson Smart, was a Civil War soldier who raised his six
children as a single parent.
• Dodd praised her authoritarian father as a "very rigorous man," claiming that his strictness was
the primary cause for her family's cohesion.
• Father's Day was originally observed in the state of Washington on June 19, 1910, largely to the
efforts of Sonora Smart Dodd.
• President Richard Nixon designated Father's Day a permanent national holiday in 1972.
• The Father's Day Council named "Father's Day" a Second Christmas for all men's gift-oriented
sectors by the mid-1980s.
World Sauntering Day 2022: June 19
• On the 19th of June every year, World Sauntering Day is observed each year all over the world
to encourage people to slow down and appreciate the world around them and connect with
nature.
• World Sauntering Day, sometimes also known as International Sauntering Day.
• The purpose of this day is to remind the public to slow down and enjoy their life.
• Everyone is busy these days, and their frantic daily schedule hurts people.
Theme:
• The theme of World Sauntering Day 2022 is “Everyone is busy these days, and their daily hectic
routine impacts adversely on people”.
• Life nowadays is full of hustle and bustle
History:
• In 1979, W.T. Rabe established World Sauntering Day.
• He was the one who started this holiday in the 1970s.
• This day was created in response to jogging's growing popularity. W.T. Rabe, it appears, has
also devised a few sauntering norms.
• This act must be performed in comfortable clothing, and "some people are just born with it,"
according to W.T. Rabe.
• The purpose of commemorating this day is to encourage people to take a break, enjoy life, and
appreciate what they have.
World Refugee Day 2022: June 20
• Every year on June 20th, World Refugee Day is commemorated to raise awareness of the plight
of refugees and the difficulties they face.
• The major goal of World Refugee Day 2022 is to foster empathy and acknowledge their
commitment and courage in helping people rebuild their lives.
• The UN General Assembly first commemorated World Refugee Day on June 20 , 2001, on the
50th Anniversary of the 1951 Convention.
Theme
• "Together we heal, l earn, and shine" is the theme for World Refugee Day 2022.
History:
• In 1914, World Day of Migrants and Refugees is established by Pope Pius X and is celebrated in
January.
• On December 4, 2000, Resolution 55/76 ie The United Nations General Assembly decides to
observe World Refugee Day from June 2001.
• In 2000, the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees is
observed.
World Hydrography Day 2022: June 21
• Every year on June 21st, World Hydrography Day is commemorated to promote awareness
about the importance of hydrography, safe navigation, and maritime environmental
conservation.
• World Hydrography Day 2022 was established by the International Hydrographic Organization
as an annual celebration to increase awareness about the work of hydrographers and give
education about the field of hydrography and its relevance in people's lives.
Theme:
• The World Hydrography Day 2022 Theme is “Awareness is spread to protect marine life and
safe navigation”.
• It intends to display the past, present, and future of Hydrography, as well as explore and raise
awareness about the role performed by hydrographers in keeping our nation's waterways
secure, safe navigation, and economy robust during the past 100 years.
History:
• The International Hydrographic Bureau was founded in 1921 to provide a forum for states to
confer on issues such as safe navigation, technical standards, and the conservation of the
maritime environment.
• In 1970, the name was changed to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).
• In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the International
Hydrographic Organization to commemorate World Hydrography Day on June 21st.
• The international commemoration of World Hydrography Day began in 2006.
• The day honors hydrographers' efforts and raises awareness about the vital importance of
hydrography in people's lives.
World Music Day 2022: June 21
• On 21st June of this current year, World Music Day 2022 is celebrated all over the globe to
celebrate music among the public.
• World Music Day, also known as the Fete de la Musique in French, is then observed.
• The importance of music in our lives is highlighted on this day, which honors musicians.
Theme
• The theme for the day this year is "Music at Intersections."
• Those who enjoy listening to music might mark the occasion by listening to music and songs.
• It should be highlighted that France's Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, as well as music composer
Maurice Fleure, were among the first to organize music celebrations.
History
• Fête de la Musique was held in Paris in 1982 to commemorate World Music Day.
• This day was arranged by two members of the French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, a French
politician, and Maurice Fleuret, a composer, music journalist, radio producer, and arts
administrator.
• Maurice Fleuret was asked by Jack Lang to become Director of Music and Dance at the French
Ministry of Culture. Maurice Fleuret researched musical practice and evolution.
• Following that, he investigated the French population, discovering that one out of every two
individuals was interested in learning to play musical instruments. As a result, he began to mark
the Summer Solstice as World Music Day to recognize the people and their interests.
• Maurice Fleuret researched the cultural habits of the French and discovered that one out of
every two young people played a musical instrument.
• He intended to get people out of their houses and into the streets by proposing that the summer
solstice (June 21) be designated as World Music Day.
International Yoga Day 2022: June 21
• On June 21st of this current year, International Yoga Day 2022 is celebrated and observed all
over the world as an awareness program.
• Every year on the 21st of June, International Yoga Day is commemorated to create awareness
about the relevance and advantages of yoga in everyone's life.
Theme
• This year, India will have specific events for children, women, individuals with disabilities, and
transgender people under the theme "Yoga for Humanity."
• Thanks to Common Service C entres (CSC) that are promoting the Common Yoga Protocol
(CYP) to disseminate awareness about the advantages of yoga among the masses, a big
turnout is predicted in villages/gram panchayats as well.
History
• On December 27, 2014, The Prime Minister proposed that the UN General Assembly
commemorate International Yoga Day to boost public awareness about the relevance of yoga
around the world.
• Finally, on December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly recognized International
Yoga Day, and 170 member states accepted the proposed draught resolution.
• On June 21, 2015, the first International Yoga Day was observed all around the world.
International Widow’s Day 2022: June 23
• International Widow’s Day is observed all over the universe each year on the 23rd of June to
draw attention to widows' voices and experiences and galvanize the exceptional support they
need.
• International Widows' Day was introduced to address the poverty and injustice faced by widows
and their children in many countries.
Theme
• The theme of International Widow’s Day this current year is “Invisible Women, Invisible
Problems”.
• The theme tends to highlight the fact that for many societies a woman’s identity is attached to
her partner and after his death, the problems faced by her are ignored by policymakers who
don’t give any special attention to the widowed woman.
History
• Widows had to immolate themselves on their late husband's funeral pyre before 1827.
• In 2005, the Loomba Foundation established the International Widow's Day in honor of
Loomba's mother, who became a widow on June 23, 1954.
• Women in diverse countries, according to Loomba, had to fight for their basic wants and rights.
• They are ignored by all organizations, and societies have cursed them for the loss of their
husband.
• Finally, the United Nations General Assembly recognized it on June 23, 2010.
• The main aim of International Widow’s Day is to provide education to the widows’ children,
provide them with healthcare facilities, and develop various resources and policies to empower
widows.
United Nations Public Service Day 2022: June 23
• The United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated on June 23 of every year to celebrate the
value and virtue of public service to the community; highlight the contribution of public service in
the development process; recognize the work of public servants, and encourage young people
to pursue careers in the public sector.
Theme
• The theme of United Nations Public Service Day 2022 is ‘Innovating the Future Public Service:
New Government Models for a New Era to Reach the Sustainable Development Goals.
• People work or volunteer in the public sector for a variety of reasons. Some people do it
because they want to help the general public.
History
• Every year on June 23rd, the United Nations Public Service Day is observed to emphasize the
importance and virtue of public service to the community, to acknowledge their commitment to
the development process through public service, and to encourage youngsters to choose a
career in the public sector.
• By approving resolution 57/277 on December 20, 2002, the United Nations General Assembly
declared June 23rd as United Nations Public Service Day.
• Every year, a host country is chosen to recognize contributions to the development and
strengthening of government institutions and administration.
International Olympic Day 2022: June 23
• Olympic Day Run or International Olympic Day is celebrated on June 23 all around the world.
• The day embraces all through pure Olympic values. Athletes from every nation participate in
sports activities, such as runs, exhibitions, music, and educational seminars on this day.
Theme:
• The theme of International Olympic Day 2022 is “Stay healthy, stay strong, and stay active with
the Olympic Day workout on June 23”.
• The day is observed to encourage more people to attend the Olympic Games, to raise
knowledge about the event, and to promote the Olympic Movement.
History:
• Venezuela, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Portugal, Greece, Austria, the United Kingdom, and
Uruguay commemorated the first Olympic Day on June 23, 1948.
• The origins of Olympic Day can be traced back to 1948.
• In 1947, IOC members in Czechoslovakia presented Doctor Gruss with a report on
commemorating Olympic Day.
• The study was delivered at the International Olympic Committee's 41st Session in Stockholm,
which was supposed to be a day dedicated to promoting the Olympic concept.
• The idea was approved in the IOC's next session, which was held in St Moritz in January 1948.
• The National Olympic Committees picked June 23 to commemorate the International Olympic
Committee's (IOC) formation on the same day in 1894.
International Day against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking: June 26
• Every year on June 26th, the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2022 is
commemorated to raise awareness about the impact and negative consequences that drugs
have on society.
Theme
• The theme of this year's International Day Against Drug Abuse is "Share Drug Facts, Save
Lives."
• The goal, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs a nd Crime (UNODC), is to counteract
misconceptions about drugs by disseminating facts about them, ranging from health dangers
and remedies to evidence-based prevention, treatment, and care.
HISTORY:
• International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a United Nations observation that
takes place internationally.
• On this day, the agenda is to advocate against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade.
• It has been observed annually since 1989.
• The date June 26 commemorates Lin Zexu’s dismantling of the opium trade in Humen,
Guangdong.
• This incident took place on June 25, 1839, just a few days before the First Opium War in China.
• The United Nations instituted the observation on December 7, 1987.
• On June 26, 1987, at the International Conference on D rug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in
Vienna, it was recommended that an annual day should be observed to commemorate the fight
against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
World Asteroid Day: June 30
• As the anniversary of the Tunguska event in 1908 approaches, June 30th is designated as
International Asteroid Day.
• This World Asteroid Day 2022 is commemorated to promote awareness about how asteroids will
be used in the future, how asteroids will pave the path for future exploration, and how we can
protect our planet from asteroid collisions.
Theme:
• The theme of International Asteroid Day 2022, is "small is beautiful,".
History:
• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution A/RES/71/90 in Dec 2016
and designated 30 June as International Asteroid Day to mark every year the Tunguska impact
over Siberia, Russian Federation (30 June 1908) across the globe to bring awareness about the
hazardous impact of Asteroids.
• The decision of the General Assembly was made based on a proposal made by the Association
of Space Explorers, which was espoused by the COPUOS (Committee on the Peaceful Uses of
Outer Space).
• Asteroid Day was co-founded by astrophysicist and a British musician Dr. Brian May together
with Danica Remy, President of B612 Foundation, Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 Astronaut, and
filmmaker Grig Richters, to bring attention and provide knowledge to the global public about the
significance of asteroids in the formation of our universe and the role they play in our solar
system
LIC introduces savings life insurance plan Bima Ratna
● The largest insurer in India Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched a non-linked,
non-participating, individual, savings life insurance plan called Bima Ratna which offers a
combination of protection and savings.
● The product can be purchased through Corporate Agents, Insurance Marketing Firms (IMF),
Brokers, CPSC-SPV, and POSP-LI engaged by these intermediaries viz. Corporate Agents,
Insurance Marketing Firms (IMF), and Brokers
About Bima Ratna plan:
● LIC's Bima Ratna plan offers financial support for the family in case of the unfortunate death of
the policyholder during the policy term.
● Also, it provides for periodical payments for the survival of the policyholder at specified durations
to meet the various financial needs.
● The plan takes care of liquidity needs through a loan facility.
Key features of the plan:
1. Death Benefit
2. Survival Benefit
3. Maturity Benefit
4. Guaranteed Addition
5. Eligibility Conditions and Other Restrictions
6. Date of commencement of risk
7. Settlement Options
8. Premiums Payment
9. Grace Period
10. Revival
About LIC :
● Chairperson : M R Kumar
● Managing Directors: BC Patnaik, Smt. Ipe Mini, Siddharth Mohanty, Rajkumar
IMF raises the weighting of the dollar and yuan in the SDR basket
● The International Monetary Fund(IMF) has increased the yuan’s weighting in the Special
Drawing Rights(SDR) currency basket, prompting the Chinese central bank to pledge to push for
a further opening of its financial markets.
● The IMF raised the yuan’s weighting to 12.28 percent from 10.92 in its first regular review of the
SDR evaluation since the Chinese currency was included in the basket in 2016.
● The weighting of the US dollar rose to 43.38 percent from 41.73 percent, while those of the euro
from 30.93 to 29.31, the Japanese yen from 8.33 to 7.59, and the British pound from 8.09 to
7.44 declined.
● The change will be effective Aug 1, 2022, and the next review will be in 2027.
About IMF :
● Headquarters: Washington, D.C., U.S
● Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva
● Chief Economist: Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas
● Membership: 190 countries (189 UN countries and Kosovo)
Neobanking platform Stashfin introduces a credit line card LiveBoundless for women
● A neo banking platform, Stashfin has launched a credit line card, especially for women called
LiveBoundless.
Key Benefits of LiveBoundless :
➢ 1% cashback on every online spend and POS transaction
➢ Free credit period up to 30 days
➢ Receive 2000 welcome stashcash and benefits worth ₹5000+ in the first year
➢ Exclusive offers on dining, shopping, travel, and more
➢ Instant approvals on personal loans or credit lines. Borrow any amount ranging from ₹1000 to
₹5,00,000
➢ Minimum documentation is required. You only need to fill a KYC in digital or physical form, at
your convenience
➢ No hidden costs at all.
➢ Free ATM cash withdrawals
➢ Instant disbursal
➢ 24*7 access to funds
● According to a Statista study, the Indian credit card market volume was at 37.5 million in
FY2018 and reached 57.7 million in FY2020 & in FY2021, the numbers hit 62 million.
Tata AIA Life debts industry launches first Smart Value Income Plan
● Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited (Tata AIA Life) has launched a 'Smart Value Income
Plan', a non-linked, participating life insurance savings plan where the bonus can be adjusted
against premium payments.
Unique Features :
Cash bonus from Month 1:
● Consumers can choose to receive cash bonuses from the very first month of policy purchase
and continue to accrue bonuses, even if they are unable to pay premiums in case of loss of
pay/income.
Premium Offset feature:
● A policyholder who has chosen a regular premium payment option will be able to adjust the
premium payable against cash bonuses, provided that the frequency and timing of bonus
payments match premium payment.
In-built Sub-Wallet:
● It allows consumers to accrue cash bonuses and facilitates withdrawal of the bonus amount, as
per needs.
● The amount in the sub wallet further accrues returns as daily loyalty additions, which can also be
used to offset upcoming premium payments.
Life Protect feature:
● Tata AIA Smart Value Income Plan comes with a Life Protect feature that allows consumers to
continue with their life covers even if they must postpone premium payments due to loss of
income or when faced with a financial crunch.
● Under this feature, Tata AIA will continue to offer the Sum Assured chosen by the consumer if
the policy becomes paid up due to non-payment of premiums.
A special benefit for SME owners and Women Entrepreneurs:
● A first-of-its-kind feature for small and medium businesses, Tata AIA Life Smart Value Income
Plan offers the additional benefit of a preferential rate on loans against the policy.
● For women entrepreneurs, the policy offers a further special discount of 1% on policy loan
interest rates.
● The plan also offers an attractive maturity benefit.
● Individuals between the age group of 1 and 65 can buy the Smart Value Income Plan, with a
maximum maturity age of 100 years.
● The policyholder may also be eligible for tax advantages under Sections 80 C and 10 (10 D) of
the Income Tax Act of 1961.
About Tata AIA Life :
● Founded: 23 August 2000
● MD & CEO : CEO: Naveen Tahilyani
● Tata AIA Life is a joint venture company established by Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd. and AIA Group Ltd.
(AIA).
SEBI alters Risk Management Review Committee
● Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has restructured its
committee, which reviews the risk management framework for the cash and derivatives,
including commodity derivatives.
● The 14-member committee will be headed by IIM Ahmedabad Professor JR Varma.
Members of the Committee :
● Managing directors of NSE Clearing, Indian Clearing Corporation, Metropolitan Clearing
Corporation of India, Multi Commodity Exchange Clearing Corporation, National Commodity
Clearing, Clearing Corporation of India, and the president of Commodity Participants Association
of India.
● Other members of the committee are: Sriram Krishnan, Managing Director, Head of Securities
Services at Deutsche Bank, Anup Bagchi, Executive Director, ICICI Bank, Kuryan G Stephanos,
Vice President – Finance and MIS at ITC Ltd and Gopalarethinam, Head Commercial and
Bullion Management of Titan Company Ltd.
The committee has been entrusted with the task of
● Recommending changes if required in the margin system
● Consider and suggest measures in reducing the transmission of risk from other segments and
review the investor protection measure in the stock exchanges related to risk management.
● It will be responsible for recommending changes if required in the regulatory framework related
to risk management for the cash and derivatives segment.
About SEBI :
● Established: 12 April 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI
Act, 1992
The US overtakes China to become India's largest trading partner in fiscal year 22:
• The United States has surpassed China to become India's largest trading partner in 2021-22,
reflecting the strong economic ties between the two countries.
• According to Commerce Department data, in 2021-22 two-way trade between the United States
and India will reach 119.42 billion USD compared to 80.51 billion USD in 2020-21.
• Exports to the United States and imports increased to 76 .11 billion USD in 2021-2022 from
51.62 billion USD in the previous fiscal year, while imports reached 43.31 billion USD from about
29 billion USD in 2020-21.
• According to the data, in 2021-22, India's two-way trade with China will reach 115.42 billion
USD, up from 86.4 billion USD in 2020-21.
• Exports to China increased slightly to 21.25 billion USD in the last fiscal year from 21.18 billion
USD in 2020-21, while imports increased to 94.16 billion USD from about 65.21 billion USD in
2020-21.
• The trade deficit increased to 72.91 billion USD in 2021-22 from 44 billion USD USD in the
previous year.
India’s Top Trading Partners 2021-22:
China was India’s top trading partner from 2013-14 to 2017-18 and also in 2020-21.
Before China, the UAE was India’s largest trading partner.
• In 2021-22, the United Arab Emirates is India's third-largest trading partner with $72.9 billion.
• Followed by Saudi Arabia ($42.85 billion) in fourth place, Iraq ($34.33 billion) in fifth place, and
Singapore ($30 billion) in sixth place among trading partners
Govt collects Rs 1.41 lakh crore GST in May:
• GST collection in May at Rs 1.41 lakh crore; 16% lower than April.
• According to the Ministry of Finance, GST revenue in May stood at nearly Rs 1.41 lakh crore, up
44% from the same month last year.
• Revenue from Goods and Services Tax (GST) lagged April's record collection at Rs 1.68 lakh
crore.
• In March, GST turnover was Rs 1.42 lakh crore, while in February it was Rs 1.33 lakh crore.
• The May collection of the April declarations, the first month of the fiscal year, is always lower
than the April ones, which are related to the declarations for March, the end of the fiscal year.
Key Points:
• Total GST revenue collected in May 2022 is Rs 1,40,885 where CGST is Rs 25,036, SGST is Rs
32,001, IGST is Rs 73,345 (of which Rs 37,469 is obtained on import of goods) and tax is Rs
10,502 crore (including Rs 931 obtained when importing goods).
• This is the fourth time the monthly GST collection has crossed the Rs 1.40 lakh crore mark since
the introduction of the GST and the third consecutive month since March 2022.
• The total number of way invoices generated in April 2022 was 7.4 crores, 4% less than the 7.7
crores of way invoices generated in March 2022.
IDFC First Bank Partners with CarTrade Tech to offer financing solutions for used-cars
● Multi-channel automobile buying and selling platform CarTrade Tech Ltd has allied with IDFC
First Bank to offer easy and smart financing for used cars.
● CarWale abSure is the used car platform of CarTrade Tech.
● Under the partnership, IDFC First Bank will become the preferred financier for customers
purchasing used vehicles from CarWale abSure’s dealers with customized offerings to suit their
needs.
● It will ensure a hassle-free experience backed by trust and reliability.
● IDFC First Bank’s scorecard-based loan sanctioning and end-to-end digitized and automated
loan onboarding journey will empower CarTrade/CarWale abSure dealers.
● It will also offer a seamless loan processing experience to customers.
About IDFC First Bank :
● Non-Executive Chairman: Rajiv Lall
● MD & CEO : V. Vaidyanathan
SBI General Insurance launches a new health vertical
● SBI General Insurance has launched a new health insurance vertical, through which the
company plans to focus on new innovative health products, and an in-house claim settlement
process, among others, to boost customer experience.
Objective :
● To make health care available across the length and breadth of the country at an affordable
cost.
● To rank SBI General to be among the top three general insurance companies for health in the
next 3 years.
● The company intends to use its parent company State Bank of India‘s extensive reach and
network to further establish health insurance penetration in Tier 3 and 4 markets across India.
● Through the vertical, it will manage in-house servicing of all health insurance claims to deliver a
superior and hassle-free customer experience.
● It has also recorded a strong performance in the health insurance segment with a 50 percent
growth in GWP in FY 21-22.
● Founded: 2009
● MD & CEO : Prakash Chandra Kandpal
India's GDP grows 4.1% in Q4; expands 8.7% in FY22
● According to the data released by the Statistics Ministry, India’s gross domestic product (GDP)
growth slowed to 4.1 percent in January-March 2021-22 period.
● The growth in the financial year 2021-22 stood at 8.7%.
● In its second advance estimate, the government had estimated the GDP to grow at 8.9% in
FY22.
● GDP at constant (2011-12) prices in Q4 2021-22 is estimated at Rs 40.78 lakh crore, as against
Rs 39.18 lakh crore in Q4 2020-21, showing a growth of 4.1 percent.
● In the previous fiscal 2020-21, the economy had contracted by 6.6 percent as the COVID-19
pandemic disrupted business activities.
Key Highlights :
● In FY22, all sectors except trade, hotels, and communication services were above the pre-
pandemic levels of FY20.
● Growth in private final consumption expenditure, or private spending, decelerated sequentially in
Q4 to 1.8 percent, proving to be the weakest link.
● Government spending, however, picked up to grow at 4.8 percent, supporting overall growth.
● Gross fixed capital formation, which represents investment demand in the economy, slowed to
5.1 percent.
● On the supply side, the manufacturing sector contracted 0.2 percent in the March quarter due to
supply chain disruptions
● Agriculture growth of 4.1 percent remained robust despite the third advance estimates projecting
a decline in wheat output due to the ongoing heat wave.
● The labor-intensive construction sector returned to positive growth in the March quarter (2
percent).
● Growth in services output slowed to 5.5 percent as a result of sluggish performance of trade,
hotel transport, and communications services (5.3 percent), signaling the pent-up demand did
not quite translate to higher growth.
● Gross value added (GVA) at basic prices grew at 3.9 percent in the fourth quarter and 8.1
percent in FY22.
● Real GDP or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at Constant (2011-12) Prices in the year 2021-22
is estimated to attain a level of Rs 147.36 lakh crore, as against the first revised estimate of Rs
135.58 lakh crore for the year 2020-21.
● Nominal GDP or GDP at Current Prices in the year 2021-22 is estimated to attain a level of Rs
236.65 lakh crore, as against Rs 198.01 lakh crore in 2020-21, showing a growth rate of 19.5
percent.
HDFC Ltd Partners with Accenture to digitally transform the lending business
● India’s largest housing finance company, HDFC Ltd., has collaborated with global information
technology services firm Accenture to digitally transform its lending business.
Aim :
● To make HDFC create a paperless lending experience through a new analytics-powered cloud-
native lending platform.
● The collaboration is powered by cloud-native applications, machine learning, automation, and
advanced analytics.
● The tie-up will revamp HDFC’s customer experience and business processes to provide greater
operational agility and efficiency, and drive business growth.
● The platform also includes a mobile application and a web-based portal for customers, which is
developed using human-centric design principles to enable digital-native experiences and
reduce the time taken for customer onboarding.
● It will also offer customers real-time visibility into their home loan application status and other
related service requests anytime, anywhere.
● The mobile application with a specially designed, the gamified user experience would help
HDFC’s large sales field force and channel partners track business leads and service customers
in real-time.
About HDFC Ltd :
● Founded: 1977
● MD: Renu Sud Karnad
About Accenture :
● Founded: 1989
● Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland
● CEO: Julie Sweet
ToneTag emerges the winner in 2 categories in RBI's first global hackathon
● A brand of Naffa Innovations Pvt Ltd, Tone Tag, has been declared the winner in two categories
in the RBI's first global hackathon Harbinger 2021.
Aim of hackathon Harbinger 2021 :
● To encourage entrepreneurs to suggest innovative solutions for smarter digital payments.
● The Reserve Bank had launched its first global hackathon - "Harbinger 2021 – Innovation for
Transformation" with the theme 'Smarter Digital Payments' in November 2021.
About Harbinger 2021 :
● The hackathon had received an encouraging response with 363 proposals submitted by teams
from within India and 22 other countries, including the US, UK, Sweden, Singapore, Philippines,
and Israel.
● The hackathon ran in three phases, with shortlisting of proposals in the first phase, solution
development in the second phase, and the final evaluation in the third phase.
● The third phase of the final evaluation was held on May 26-27, 2022, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
● The winners in each category were selected based on problem comprehension, inventiveness,
solution comprehensiveness, ease of implementation, demonstration/user experience, etc.
● ToneTag won in two categories, namely:
1. Innovative, easy-to-use, non-mobile digital payment solutions for converting small-ticket
cash transactions to digital mode'
2. 'Context-based retail payments to remove the physical act of paymen'.
● In all, there were four categories.
● napID Cybersec Pvt Ltd (INDIA) and TrustCheckr (INDIA) were the winners of the other two
categories.
● The runner-ups were Extolabs LLC (USA); neoEYED (USA); Sperotel Technologies LLP
(INDIA); Ezetap Mobile Solutions Pvt Ltd (India); and Lalit Kumar Pagaria (India).
About Tone Tag :
● Founded: September 2013
● Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
● CEO: Kumar Abhishek
● ToneTag is a voice-based commerce and payments, solution provider.
State Bank of India revises up FY23 economic growth forecast to 7.5%
● The SBI Research has projected the Indian economy to grow at 7.5 percent in 2022-23, an
upward revision of 20 basis points from its earlier estimate.
● The real GDP will incrementally increase by Rs 11.1 lakh crore in FY23.
Key Highlights :
● The economy grew by 8.7 percent in FY22, net adding Rs 11.8 lakh crore in the year to Rs 147
lakh crore, & this was however only 1.5 percent higher than the pre-pandemic year of FY20.
● On rising corporate growth, the report notes that in FY22, around 2,000 listed companies
reported 29 percent top-line growth and a 52 percent jump in net profit over FY21.
● Construction sectors including cement, steel, etc reported impressive growth in both revenues
as well as net income with a 45 percent and 53 percent, rise respectively in revenue.
● Nominal GDP expanded by ₹ 38.6 lakh crore to ₹ 237 lakh crore, or 19.5 percent annualized &
In FY23, as inflation remains elevated in the first half, nominal GDP will grow 16.1 percent to ₹
275 lakh crore
● Given the higher crude prices, trading over $120 a barrel, the report sees inflation averaging at
6.5-6.7 percent in FY23.
Govt ratifies 8.1 pc EPF interest rate for 2 021-22:
• The government has approved an 8.1 percent rate of interest on employees' provident fund
(EPF) deposits for 2021-22 - an over four-decade low - for about five crore subscribers of
retirement fund body EPFO.
• Earlier in March this year, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had decided to
lower the interest on provident fund deposits for 2021-22 to 8.1 percent from 8.5 percent
provided in 2020-21.
• the Ministry of Labour and Employment has conveyed the approval of the central government to
credit an 8.1 percent rate of interest for 2021-22 to each member of the EPF scheme.
• Now, after the ratification of the interest rate by the government, the EPFO would start crediting
the fixed rate of interest for the fiscal into the EPF accounts.
• The 8.1 percent EPF rate of interest is the lowest since 1977-78 when it stood at 8 percent.
• The 8.5 percent interest rate on EPF deposits for 2020-21 was decided by the Central Board of
Trustees (CBT) in March 2021.
About EPFO:
• The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation is the statutory body under the Government of
India’s Ministry of Labour and Employment, which is responsible for the regulation and
management of provident funds in India.
• The EPFO administers the mandatory provident fund.
Govt releases Rs 86,912 crore to states & clears GST compensation dues
● The Government of India has released the entire amount of GST compensation payable to
States up by releasing an amount of Rs.86,912 crores.
● It was taken to assist the States in managing their resources and ensuring that their programs,
especially the expenditure on capital are carried out successfully during the financial year.
● This decision has been taken although only about Rs.25,000 crore is available in the GST
Compensation Fund.
● The balance is being released by the Centre from its resources pending collection of Cess.
Dues Amount (in Rupees)
Dues for April & May, 2022 Rs.17,973 crores
Dues for February and March 2022 Rs.21,322 crores
Balance of compensation payable up Rs.47,617 crores
to January 2022
Key Highlights :
● As per current rules, New Delhi is mandated to compensate states until June 30 for any loss in
revenue under the GST.
● Following the adoption of the GST on July 1, 2017, the government expected a yearly revenue
increase of 14%.
● To compensate governments for lost income, a cess was imposed on a variety of luxury
commodities and so-called sin goods to raise funds.
● Due to the pandemic, economic recovery slowed down & which impacted the cess collections,
resulting in an inadequate balance in the cess fund.
● To meet the resource gap of the states due to the short release of compensation, the Centre has
borrowed and released ₹1.1 lakh crore in 2020-21 and ₹1.59 lakh crore in 2021-22 as back-to-
back loans to meet a part of the shortfall in cess collection.
● Minister of State : Bhagwat Karad, Pankaj Choudhar
Kotak Investment Advisors launches 'Kotak Cherry'
● Kotak Investment Advisors Ltd, a subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank, has launched a curated
tech-led investment management platform, Kotak Cherry.
● It will help investors in choosing from a wide array of offerings beyond the ones manufactured by
Kotak group companies.
● It is a one-stop solution for all investments and has a target to onboard 10 lakh customers in a
year.
About Kotak Cherry :
● Kotak Cherry provides investment solutions ranging from stocks, bonds, mutual funds, fixed
deposits and National Pension Scheme (NPS) to progressive investment opportunities like
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).”
● It is designed to offer holistic investing solutions to users via a robust digital app backed by
experienced investment managers.
● It is enabled as a Do It Yourself (DIY) execution platform with plans to turn it into a subscription
fee-based model in the future.
● The platform also plans to add other financial solutions like stock baskets, Robo advisory, life,
medical, and general insurance, and enable international investing.
● Founded: February 2003
● MD & CEO: Uday Kotak
Kiya.ai launches India’s first banking metaverse - Kiyaverse
● A digital solutions provider serving financial institutions and governments globally, Kiya.ai, has
launched India’s first-ever banking metaverse - Kiyaverse.
About Kiyaverse :
● Kiyaverse will be used by banks and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) to enable virtual
interactions.
● Through Kiyaverse, Kiya.ai enables consumers to transact, access banking information, and
avail of various banking products virtually from the comfort of their homes.
● It will offer services such as virtual relationship managers, peer avatars, and virtual advisors
called Robo-advisors.
● Kiyaverse plans to have tokens as NFTs and support central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to
enable open finance in a Web3.0 environment.
● Kiyaverse will interface its Open API connectors with Aggregators, and Gateways to enable a
Super-App and Marketplace on the metaverse.
● Kiyaverse provides 3-dimensional analysis of data for Banks including CMO Insights, Product
Performance, Risk Analysis, and Channel Analytics.
● It will also interface open API connectors with aggregators and gateways, creating a banking
super app and a marketplace in the Kiyaverse.
About Kiya.ai :
● Founded: 1995
● MD & CEO : Rajesh Mirjankar
India's forex reserves rise above USD 600 billion
● According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, India’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves for
the week ended May 27 rose from USD 3.854 billion to USD 601.363 billion led by a sharp
increase in the country’s foreign currency assets.
● The country's forex reserves have risen sharply for the second consecutive week after falling for
10 straight weeks.
● The forex reserves had jumped by USD 4.23 billion during the week ended May 20.
● According to the Reserve Bank of India's weekly statistical supplement, all the components of
the forex reserves rose during the week ended May 27 led by a sharp jump in the foreign
currency assets.
● India's foreign currency assets, which are the biggest component of the forex reserves, rose by
USD 3.610 billion to USD 536.988 billion during the week under review, the RBI data showed.
● The foreign currency assets had increased by USD 3.825 billion in the previous week.
● The foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-dollar
currencies like the Euro, UK's Pound Sterling, and Japanese Yen held in the foreign exchange
reserves.
● The value of gold reserves rose by USD 94 million to USD 40.917 billion during the week under
review.
● The value of gold reserves had increased by USD 253 million during the week ended May 20.
Easy Home Finance partners with ICICI HFC to Offer Home loans
● Easy Home Finance Ltd (EASY), a tech-based mortgage company, has partnered with ICICI
Home Finance Company Ltd. (ICICI HFC) have entered into a co-lending partnership to
disburse affordable home loans in India.
● The co-origination, underwriting, and disbursement activities from both parties together will
enable a seamless process for new home buyers.
● The Partnership will leverage ICICI HFC's expertise in the affordable housing segment and
EASY's tech capabilities to enable quick disbursement of affordable home loans and make the
dream of owning a home come true, for millions of Indians.
● ICICI HFC has been instrumental in providing a range of Regular Home loans, Affordable Home
loans, Loan Against Property (LAP), Micro LAP, Home Improvement Loans, and Construction
Finance to developers.
● The partnership eradicated the hassle of long home loan procedures and paperwork.
Additional Info :
● Easy Home Finance had earlier announced a MaaS (Mortage as a Service) partnership with
ESAF Bank as it expands as a mortgage tech company.
● The EHFL had raised a Series-A round from domestic private equity Xponentia Capital, as well
as Harbourfront Japan, Finsight VC, RaSa Future Fund, Navida Capital Sweden & Integra
Software.
About Easy Home Finance Limited :
● Founded: 2017
● MD: Mr. Rohit Chokhani
About ICICI Home Finance :
● Founded: 1999
● MD & CEO : Anirudh Kamani
● ICICI Home Finance is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ICICI Bank and is registered with the
regulatory authority of India - National Housing Bank (NHB).
● It provides home and commercial loans, loans against property, gold loans, and accepts fixed
deposits
Rubber Board’s electronic trading platform ‘mRube’ to go live:
• mRube, the e-commerce platform promoted by Rubber Board, will go live on June 8.
• Ahmedabad-based ISourcing Technologies is the technology partner.
• mRube follows simple one-time registration.
• KN Raghavan, Executive Director will launch the beta version of the electronic platform at a
function in the presence of the Rubber Producer Society and other industry representatives.
Key Points:
• The e-rubber market will be a game-changer in the rubber marketing system.
• Although the rubber business has an innate advantage of high business efficiency, the trading
system has not been improved with the changing needs of the consumer sector.
• The rubber market will turn a game into a rubber marketing and advertising system.
• Although the rubber trade has the inherent advantage of being an over-efficient period, the
buying and selling system has not been improved to meet the changing needs of the customer
sector.
• The e-commerce platform is designed to complement the existing buying and selling system by
providing greater transparency and market visibility.
• E-commerce is expected to bring additional business to existing rubber sellers, processors, and
producers by reaching new sellers/customers even in remote locations.
About the Rubber Board:
• The Rubber Board is a statutory body constituted by the Government of India, under the Rubber
Act 1947, for the overall development of the rubber industry in the country.
• Headquarters: Kottayam, Kerala
MS Dhoni invests in Chennai drone company Garuda Aerospace:
• Former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni has invested an undisclosed amount in Chennai-based
Garuda Aerospace, India's leading provider of drones (DaaS).
• He will also be the face and brand ambassador of the company.
• The investment is part of a seed round, ahead of a $30 million Series A round, which the
company is currently in the process of closing at the end of July at a $250 million valuation.
About the Garuda Aerospace:
• Launched in 2015, Garuda Aerospace has made significant inroads into the drone startup
ecosystem.
• The company provides low-cost drone-based solutions and has designed drones for 38 diverse
applications, including sanitation, agricultural spraying, mapping, industrial, security, delivery,
and monitoring.
• Garuda has also made a breakthrough in the defense sector when it won a large order for 33
anti-drone systems for the Ministry of Defense.
• In Uttar Pradesh, under Svamiva, a land survey was carried out to map 1,000 villages.
• This is done to create a digital ownership record, which is made available online.
RBI issues standard assets provisioning norms for upper -layer NBFCs
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a new set of norms for provisioning for standard assets
by large Non-Banking Financial Companies-Upper Layer (NBFC-UL) because of the increasing
role played by such entities in the financial system.
● The new norms on standard asset provisioning will come into effect from October 1, 2022.
● In the case of individual housing loans and loans to Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs), the
rate of provision has been specified at 0.25 percent and for housing loans extended at teaser
rates, it has been fixed at 2 percent.
● NBFC-UL shall maintain provisions in respect of ‘standard’ assets at the following rates for the
funded amount outstanding:
Category of Assets Rate of Provision(%)
Individual housing loans and loans to 0.25
Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs)
Housing loans extended at teaser rates 2.00%, which will decrease to 0.40% after
1 year from the date on which the rates
are reset at higher rates (if the accounts
remain ‘standard’)
Advances to Commercial Real Estate – 0.75
Residential Housing (CRE - RH) Sector
Advances to Commercial Real Estate 1.00
(CRE) Sector (other than CRE-RH)
Restructured advances As stipulated in the applicable prudential
norms for restructuring advances
All other loans and advances not included 0.40
above, including loans to Medium
Enterprises
● In October 2021, RBI issued a framework for scale-based regulation for NBFCs.
● The regulatory structure for NBFCs comprises four layers based on their size, activity, and
perceived riskiness.
About RBI :
● Deputy Governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain] M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar
DBS Bank India launches its 1st credit card in partnership with Bajaj Finance Limited - Bajaj Finserv
DBS Bank SuperCard
● DBS Bank India has launched its first-ever credit card in India in partnership with Bajaj Finance
Limited, co-branded as 'Bajaj Finserv DBS Bank SuperCard', powered by Visa.
● Designed to de-clutter customers' wallets, the SuperCard eliminates the need for having multiple
credit cards.
● The Bajaj Finserv DBS Bank SuperCard was unveiled in the presence of Piyush Gupta (DBS
Group CEO), Surojit Shome (DBS India CEO), and Bajaj Finserv leadership Rajeev Jain (BFL
CEO) and Anup Saha (BFL Deputy CEO), Visa leadership Sandeep Ghosh (Group Country
Manager, India, and South Asia).
Features of Bajaj Finserv DBS Bank SuperCard :
● SuperCard will provide its customers with benefits and rewards across different product
categories and exclusive benefits on Bajaj Finserv's range of products and services available
across the country.
● The SuperCard will be available in 6 variants, offering a welcome bonus of up to 20,000 Cash
Points.
● It also multiplies customers' cash points up to 10x every month on achieving monthly milestone
spending.
● The customers can also enjoy up to 20X accelerated cash points on spending via DBS Card+
mobile app and Bajaj Finserv app.
● Customers can apply for the card from the comfort of their homes through all the digital channels
of Bajaj Finance Limited and get their paperless KYC completed on the same day, allowing them
to start using their Card instantly
● It allows customers to receive up to 5% cashback (up to INR 500 per transaction) on the down
payment of consumer durable loans at Bajaj Finance EMI network stores
● Also, It allows customers to subscribe to various memberships like Disney Hotstar, and Zomato
Pro via DBS Card mobile app and get up to 40% cash back in form of Cash Points
● Other card benefits include a special health plan on Bajaj Finserv Health which offers deeply
discounted teleconsultations from physicians across India, airport lounge access, interest-free
cash withdrawal for up to 50 days, fuel surcharge waiver, and easy to convert spending to EMI
starting from INR 2500
About Bajaj Finserv Limited :
● Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra, India
● MD: Rajeev Jain
● Bajaj Finance Limited (BFL), a subsidiary of Bajaj Finserv, is an Indian non-banking financial
company.
RBI imposes a Rs 27.5 lakh penalty on Punjab & Sind Bank
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 27.5 lakh on Punjab & Sind Bank
for non-compliance with certain directions issued by it on 'external benchmark-based lending'.
● The penalty comes after RBI had carried out a statutory inspection for Supervisory Evaluation of
the bank concerning its financial position as of March 31, 2020.
● The bank linked certain floating rate retail loans and floating rate loans to Micro and Small
Enterprises, extended by it on or after October 01, 2019, to the Marginal Cost of Funds Based
Lending Rate (MCLR) instead of an external benchmark.
● This action is based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to
pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its
customers.
About Punjab & Sind Bank :
● Founded: 24 June 1908
● Headquarters: New Delhi, India
● MD & CEO : Shri Swarup Kumar Saha
Suryoday SFB partners with Mobisafar Services for banking services across India
● Suryoday Small Finance Bank, one of India’s leading small finance banks, has partnered with
Mobisafar Services Private Limited to provide banking services through all Mobisafar’s
franchises and Business Correspondent networks across India.
Aim :
● To strengthen financial inclusion by providing key banking services, digitally to the underbanked
customers even in the remotest parts of the country.
● Mobisafar through its presence in 13000+ pin codes would help facilitate onboarding new
customers in Suryoday Small Finance Bank, digitally through eKYC and enable banking services
like savings to account opening, deposit/withdrawal of money, balance inquiry, etc.
● Through this partnership, Mobisafar would further enable more underbanked customers to take
benefit of schemes like Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Pradhan Mantri
Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) & Atal Pension Yojana (APY).
About Suryoday Small Finance bank :
● Founded: 2017
● MD & CEO : Baskar Babu Ramachandran
SEBI restructures mutual fund advisory committee
● Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has restructured its advisory
committee on mutual funds.
● The 25-member advisory committee will be chaired by former Deputy Governor of the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) Usha Thorat.
● The regulator has inducted Chairman of NJ India Invest Neeraj Choksi into the advisory
committee
Other members include
● Independent Trustee at SBI Mutual Fund Sunil Gulati
● Independent Trustee at DSP Mutual Fund Dharmishta Narendraprasad Raval.
● Tata Asset Management MD and CEO Prathit D Bhobe
● SBI Funds Management MD and CEO Vinay Tonse
● Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) CEO Swarup Mohanty
● Sundaram Asset Management Company MD Sunil Subramaniam
● Motilal Oswal Asset Management Company MD and CEO Navin Agarwal Association of Mutual
Funds in India (AMFI) Chairman A Balasubramanian
● Also, chiefs of BSE, NSE, Computer Age Management Services (CAMS), KFin Technologies as
well as representatives of the finance ministry, and Sebi are part of the committee.
● The committee is mandated to advise Sebi on issues related to regulation and development of
the mutual fund industry.
● It can also advise the SEBI on disclosure requirements and measures required for a change in
the legal framework to introduce simplification and transparency in mutual fund regulations.
About SEBI :
● Established: on 12 April 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI
Act, 1992.
‘Har Time EMI on Time’ is a financial education initiative launched by Bajaj Finance:
• Bajaj Finance Limited, the lending arm of Bajaj Finserv Limited, a global financial services
group, has launched Har Time EMI On Time, a digital campaign to raise awareness of the
importance and benefits of good financial habits for a secure financial future.
• The campaign aims to educate the public about the benefits of making their monthly E MI loan
payments on time, as well as the long-term consequences of underpayments on their overall
financial health.
Key Points:
• The advertisement also emphasizes the importance of developing a disciplined habit of following
through on payment commitments to benefit from the diverse financial products on the market.
• The brand campaign featuring the adorable Gupta Ji of the famous Savdhaan Rahein Safe
Rahein is teaching Tinku Ji, in a catchy and musical style, a simple way to pay his monthly EMI
on time.
• Tinku Ji educates consumers and the public about the various effects of non-payment or late
payment, as well as the importance of paying on time to improve one's credit rating, which can
affect future loan opportunities.
• The multilingual digital campaign will be viewed on the Bajaj Finance Limited website, social
media platforms, customer portal, interactive voice response (IVR), mobile app, and other
multimedia infotainment.
World Bank lowers India's GDP growth to 7.5% for FY 23
● The World Bank In its latest Global Economic Prospects report, lowered its 2022-23 (FY23) real
gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for India to 7.5 percent, from 8 percent, on the
back of inflationary pressures, supply-chain pressures, and geopolitical tensions due to Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine.
● This is the second time the World Bank has revised its GDP growth forecast for India in FY23.
● Earlier in April 2022, WB had trimmed the forecast from 8.7 percent to 8 percent.
● The World Bank also lowered its global growth forecast for the calendar year 2022 to 2.9 percent
from 4.1 percent.
● Further, the Growth is expected to slow to 7.1 percent in 2023-24.
● For FY25, GDP growth has been pegged at 6.5 percent.
● A rise in prices across all items from fuel to vegetables and cooking oil pushed WPI or wholesale
price-based inflation to a record high of 15.08 percent in April and retail inflation to a nearly
eight-year high of 7.79 percent.
Other global rating agencies Projections :
● In May 2022, Moody’s Investors Service trimmed the GDP projection to 8.8 percent for the
calendar year 2022 from 9.1 percent earlier, citing high inflation.
● S&P Global Ratings too had cut India’s growth projection for 2022-23 to 7.3 percent, from 7.8
percent earlier, on rising inflation and longer-than-expected Russia-Ukraine conflict.
● In March 2022, Fitch had cut India’s growth forecast to 8.5 percent, from 10.3 percent, while IMF
had lowered the projection to 8.2 percent from 9 percent.
● Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pegged India’s growth at 7.5 percent, while RBI in April cut
the forecast to 7.2 percent from 7.8 percent
About World Bank :
● President : President: David Malpass
Axis Bank and Indian Oil launches co -branded RuPay Contactless credit card
● Axis Bank and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) in partnership with National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI), have announced the launch of a co-branded contactless INDIAN
OIL AXIS BANK RuPay Credit Card.
Aim :
● To offer innovative as well as customized benefits on the card backed by cutting-edge
technology to provide a safe and rewarding experience to millions of customers.
About INDIAN OIL AXIS BANK RuPay Credit Card :
● Users of this card will receive a 100 percent cashback of up to Rs 250 as an onboarding reward
on all fuel purchases made within the first 30 days of the card.
● It provides a surcharge waiver of 1 percent on fuel spent between INR 200 to INR 5000 and
reward points worth 4 percent for every Rs 100 spent on fuel at Indian Oil fuel outlets.
● Also, this card users will be eligible to receive a
➢ 10 percent instant discount on movie tickets purchased through the BookMyShow website or
app
➢ 20 percent discount at partner restaurants,
➢ 1 percent reward points for every Rs 100 spent on online shopping, groceries, and utility
payments, as well as 1 reward point for every Rs100, spent on all other expenses.
● An annual fee waiver is also attainable if the cardholder spends more than Rs 50,000 in a year.
● The card also offers customers loyalty points in the form of 1 EDGE REWARD point on every
₹100 spent with the card.
About Axis Bank Limited :
● Axis Bank Limited, formerly known as UTI Bank
About IOCL :
● Chairman : Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
● IOCL is an Indian government-owned oil and gas explorer and producer.
● It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, GoI.
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Gets approval from Sebi to Float IPO
● Private sector lender Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) has received capital markets regulator
Securities and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI) nod to launch and raise funds through an initial
public offering (IPO).
● According to the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP), The public issue comprises a fresh
issue of 1,58,27,495 equity shares and an Offer For Sale (OFS) of up to 12,505 equity shares by
shareholders.
● The OFS consists of the sale of equity shares by D Prem Palanivel, Priya Rajan, Prabhakar
Mahadeo Bobde, Narasimhan Krishnamurthy, M Malliga Rani, and Subramanian
Venkiteshwaran Iyer.
● The bank, which filed its preliminary IPO papers with Sebi in September 2021, obtained its
observations on May 30, 2022.
About Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd :
● Founded:11 May 1921
● Headquarters: Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India
● MD & CEO: K. V. Rama Moorthy
● It offers a wide range of banking and financial services primarily to Micro, Small, and Medium
Enterprises (MSME), agricultural and retail customers.
SBI Foundation partners with Khan Academy to launch UpSchool
● SBI Foundation has launched UpSchool, a digital learning program for students from classes 1
to 10 in partnership with Khan Academy, an educational nonprofit in India.
● This program will be available in English, Hindi, and Kannada languages.
Aim :
● To reduce learning gaps and build a solid foundation in math and reading for their current
academic year.
About the Program :
● Students or their parents can register for the program for free by visiting
learn.khanacademy.org/upschool and will receive learning links on WhatsApp for 4-6 weeks.
● The program focuses on revising important concepts from the previous year in Math and
language comprehension, helping them narrow the knowledge gap and build a strong foundation
for the new class.
● Recently, SBI Foundation and Khan Academy partnered to localize high-quality math learning
content so that students can learn in their preferred language.
● The initiation of this partnership took place in Punjab.
● SBI Foundation funded the localization project for creating new math lessons consisting of
videos, articles, and practice exercises in Punjabi aimed at all learners in Punjab’s public
schools.
About SBI Foundation :
● President: Lalit Mohan
CoinSwitch Launches India's First Crypto Rupee Index CRE8
● India’s largest crypto investing app, CoinSwitch, launched the Crypto Rupee Index (CRE8),
which is the country's first benchmark index to measure the performance of the rupee-based
crypto market.
● It is owned and administered by CoinSwitch.
About CRE8 :
● CRE8 tracks the performance of 8 crypto assets that represent over 85% of the total market
capitalization of cryptos traded in the Indian rupee.
● The index constituents are Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Binance Coin (BNB), Ripple (XRP),
Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL), Polkadot (DOT), and Dogecoin (DOGE).
● It is available at coin switch. co/crypto-index is based on real trades on the CoinSwitch app that
has 18 million registered users.
● The CRE8 index is calculated on the weighted market capitalization (square root) methodology.
● It is indicative of the total market value of all the crypto assets relative to a certain base period (1
October 2020) and base value ( ₹1,000).
● The coins in the index are decided based on the fulfillment of the following criteria:
➢ Listed and Trading: The crypto asset must have traded for at least six months on CoinSwitch’s
platform.
➢ Currency: They must be available for trading in INR on the CoinSwitch platform.
➢ Liquidity: The crypto asset should have a minimum daily trading value of Rs 5 lakh for each day
during the last 3 months.
Note :
● In March 2022, CryptoWire launched India’s first crypto index, IC15, which tracks the market
capitalization and liquidity of the top 15 global digital currencies in dollar terms.
About CoinSwitch :
● Founded: 2017
● Co-founder and chief executive officer: Ashish Singhal
● It is a single-window platform to trade in cryptocurrency.
● It expanded into rupee-based crypto trading in 2020.
OECD Slashes India Growth Forecast To 6.9% In FY23
● According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s latest
report, it has forecast India’s GDP progress at 6.9 percent for FY23 & which is 120 basis points
lower than the 8.1 percent projection made in December 2021.
● It is due to the Indian financial system is progressively dropping momentum as inflationary
expectations stay elevated due to rising international vitality and meals costs, financial coverage
normalizes, and international circumstances deteriorate
● Russia's war in Ukraine is also adversely impacting India's growth prospects as the country is a
major importer of energy, fertilizers, and edible oils.
● The RBI hiked the key repo rate by 50 basis points (bps) to 4.9% in a bid to tame soaring
inflation in the country.
● In 2021-22, India’s Gross domestic product (GDP) was 8.7%, which made India the fastest-
growing major economy worldwide.
● OECD expects the policy rate to rise to 5.3% by the end of 2022 and remain there in 2023.
Forecast for various nations by OECD (FY 22-23) :
● Saudi Arabia– 7.8 percent
● India – 6.9 percent
● China – 4.4 percent
● United States – 2.5 percent
● United Kingdom – 3.6 percent
Other Projections in India’s GDP :
● The World Bank estimates, in its recent report, that India's GDP will grow by 7.5% in 2022-23.
● The Reserve Bank of India, in its monetary policy announcement also retained its GDP growth
forecast at 7.2% for FY23.
● International organizations like the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations had
projected India's GDP FY23 growth at 8.2% and 6.4%, respectively.
About OECD :
● Secretary-General: Mathias Cormann
WhatsApp launched SMBSaathi Utsav to support small businesses:
• WhatsApp India announced SMBSaathi Utsav - an initiative that aims to support small
businesses by helping them adopt digital mediums such as the WhatsApp Business App to run
their business.
• SMBSaathi Utsav has kicked off with a pilot in Jaipur’s Johri Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar where
over 500 small businesses are being trained on various aspects of running their business online.
• The SMBSaathi Utsav is the second phase of the SMBSaathi campaign.
• Launched in collaboration with Josh Talks this initiative intends to educate and help small
businesses unlock the potential of their business through WhatsApp.
About WhatsApp
• Founded: 2009
• CEO: Will Cathcart
• Acquisition date: 19 February 2014
• Founders: Jan Koum, Brian Acton
• Parent organization: Facebook
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launches EASE 5.0 'Common reforms agenda' for PSBs
● Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled EASE 5.0 - 5th edition of Enhanced
Access and Service Excellence, a common reform agenda for public sector banks (PSBs).
● EASE 5.0 ‘Common reforms agenda’ of the EASENext program has been developed for Public
Sector Banks and was launched through video-conferencing by the Minister of Finance and
Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman
About EASE 5.0 :
● Enhanced Access and Service Excellence-EASE evolved for four annual editions from Financial
Year 2019 to Financial Year 2022.
● Under EASE 5.0, PSBs will continue to invest in new-age capabilities and deepen the ongoing
reforms to respond to evolving customer needs, changing competition, and the technology
environment.
● EASE 5.0 will focus on digital customer experience, and integrated and inclusive banking, with
emphasis on supporting small businesses and agriculture.
● Simultaneously, all PSBs will also create a bank-specific three-year strategic roadmap.
● It will entail strategic initiatives beyond EASE 5.0.
● The initiatives will be across diverse themes of business growth, profitability, risk, customer
service, operations, and capability building.
About EASENext :
● The EASENext would comprise 2 major initiatives: EASE 5.0 (common PSB reforms agenda)
and Bank specific strategic 3-year roadmap (based on individual bank’s business priorities).
● It is well-positioned to channel reforms with a specific focus on customer-centric initiatives.
● To develop a customer-centric approach banks should engage with their customers to
understand their needs and expectations.
● While upgrading technology initiatives robust security mechanisms should be developed.
About EASE Agenda :
● EASE Agenda was launched by the government in collaboration with PSBs in January 2018.
● It was authored by Boston Consulting Group and commissioned through Indian Banks’
Association.
Fino Payments Bank partners with Go Digit General Insurance Limited for Shop Insurance Policy
● Fino Payments Bank has partnered with one of India's fastest-growing general insurers, Go Digit
General Insurance Limited, to offer shop insurance policies to small and medium business
owners.
● Fino serves as a corporate representative for Go Digit.
● The partnership will allow small and medium businesses to take advantage of Digit's My
Business Policy in the case of a catastrophe.
● The policy, which will be valid for one year, will cover loss or damage to the inventory or stock
due to burglary, earthquake, fire, lightning, storm, flood, or riots, among others.
● It will also include in-built coverages like Money in a safe, transit money, and other coverages
that will be integrated into the policy.
● Customers of Fino Bank will be able to join Go Digit's coverage for Rs 550 per year (for a sum
insured of Rs 3 lakh), which will rise to Rs 2,600 per year (for a sum insured of Rs 15 lakh).
● As per their requirements, shopkeepers can directly enroll under Digit’s My Business Policy
(shop insurance policy) in real-time through a paperless process.
About Fino Payments Bank Limited :
● Headquarters: Juinagar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
● MD & CEO: Rishi Gupta
About Go Digit General Insurance Limited :
● Founded: 2016
ICICI Bank Collaborates with ZestMoney to expand ‘Cardless EMI’ facility
● ICICI Bank has partnered with ZestMoney, a digital EMI/ pay-later platform, to expand its
‘Cardless EMI’ facility for purchases at retail and e-commerce platforms.
● Through this Partnership, Customers can convert transactions up to Rs 10 lakh into EMIs.
● The partnership will enable the bank’s customers to use ZestMoney’s wide merchant base and
the latter’s ‘Pay-in-3’ offering, where they can split the bill into 3 EMIs without any extra cost.
● Moreover, ICICI Bank’s pre-approved customers can avail themselves of the facility for the
brands like Xiaomi, OnePlus, Sugar, Mamaearth, Decathlon, Boat, Yatra, Urban Ladder, and
Vijay Sales, and Titan Eye Plus among others.
● The facility can also be availed across categories such as electronics, home appliances, laptops,
mobile phones, travel, fashion apparel, sportswear, education, and home décor.
● It will enable pre-approved cardless EMI customers to experience ZestMoney’s seamless, all-
digital products and convenience.
Note :
● ICICI Bank was the first bank to introduce the ‘Cardless EMI’ facility in 2020 to offer cashless
purchases.
About ICICI Bank :
● Established: 5th January 1994
About ZestMoney :
● Founded: 2015
● CEO & Co-Founder: Lizzie Chapman
Ather Energy partners with SBI for customer retail finance
● Electric two-wheeler manufacturer Ather Energy has partnered with the State B ank o f In dia to
provide customers with vehicle financing.
● The partnership will enable Ather Energy customers to get pre-approved loan offers from SBI to
avail of instant loans at low-interest rates starting from 9.55% p.a depending on customer c redit
profile.
● The loan can be availed on YONO SBI, without a branch visit.
● With this collaboration, the OEM aims to accelerate the growth of the electric vehicle (EV)
ecosystem in the country.
About Ather Energy :
● Founded: 2013
● Founder: Tarun Mehta & Swapnil Jain
● Ather Energy is an Indian electric vehicle company.
● It manufactures two electric scooters - the Ather 450X and the Ather 450 Plus.
About SBI :
RBI cancels certificate of registration of 3 NBFCs
● The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has canceled the Certificate of Registration (CoR) of three Non-
Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) including 2 Housing Finance Companies (HFCs).
● CoR of Noida-based Malik Motor Finance Limited, Uttar Pradesh has been canceled.
● The Malik Motor Finance Limited shall not transact the business of a Non-Banking Financial
Institution, as defined in clause (a) of Section 45-I of the RBI Act, 1934.
Housing finance companies whose registrations have been canceled are:
● Aizawl-based North East Region Housing Finance Company Limited, Mizoram
● Gurgaon-based Aryarth Housing Finance Limited, Haryana
● As such, the above companies shall neither transact the business of a Housing Finance
Institution nor of a Non-Banking Financial Institution as defined in the National Housing Bank
Act, 1987 and Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, respectively.
2 NBFCs that surrendered the CoR granted to them by the RBI are :
1. Ernakulam-based Empower India Capital Investments Private Limited, Kerala
2. Kolkata-based Mangalmayee Garments Private Limited (presently known as Abhijeet Ferrotech
Limited), West Bengal
RBI cancels license of Mudhol Co-operative Bank, Bagalkot, Karnataka
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has canceled the license of “The Mudhol Co-operative Bank
Limited, in Bagalkot, Karnataka” citing an inadequate capital situation.
The Reserve Bank canceled the license of the bank as:
● The bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Section 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c),
22(3) (d), and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949;
● The continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the interests of its depositors;
● The bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full;
● The public interest would be adversely affected if the bank is allowed to carry on its banking
● The bank is prohibited from conducting the business of ‘banking’ which includes, among other
things, acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits as defined in Section 5(b) read with
Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 with immediate effect.
● On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of
his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of ₹5,00,000/- (Rupees Five Lakh only) from the
Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) subject to the provisions of the
DICGC Act, 1961.
Bharat BillPay onboards CRED as a key agent institution
● Bharat BillPay system (BBPS), the wholly-owned subsidiary of National Payments Corp. of India
(NPCI), has on-boarded CRED as a key agent institution (AI) to provide bill payment solutions to
CRED users.
● AIs are entities that offer or wish to offer bill payment, collection, and aggregation services to
their customers through physical or digital channels.
● With this collaboration, CRED users can make recurring payments on utility bills including
electricity, telecom, DTH, water and gas, education fees, municipal taxes, NETC FASTag
recharge, loan EMIs, insurance premiums, subscription fees, and mobile prepaid recharge,
among other payments by logging into the CRED app.
● This will also be able to check transaction history, set transaction alerts and reminders, and raise
or track complaints about Bharat BillPay transactions using the app.
● As an Agent Institution, CRED will create member touchpoints, provide member assistance
(registration, Quickpay, complaint resolution), instant confirmation, awareness (payment and
charges), BBPS brand visibility, etc.
About NPCI :
● Founded: 2008
● Non-Executive chairman: Biswamohan Mahapatra
● MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe
Public Sector Banks doubled their Net Profit to record almost Rs 66,500 crore in FY22
● Public sector banks (PSBs) have doubled the collective profit of 12 state-owned banks during
the financial year 2021-22 to Rs 66,539 crore, an increase of 110% over Rs 31,816 crore in
FY21.
● Despite the record performance, PSBs continue to lag behind their private peers, which reported
a net profit of over Rs 91,000 crore, 29% higher than the previous year's Rs 70,435 crore.
Reasons for the rise in collective profits of these state-owned banks:
● Bad loans pressure has gone down which has increased profitability
● Easy liquidity during the pandemic by RBI improved opportunities to earn in treasury operations.
● Economies of scale after 10-state owned banks amalgamated
● The rise in high-growth segments like retail has also helped in driving the profits up
● All 12 state-owned banks reported a net profit for the first time in several years.
List of Banks that generated the highest profit:
● The State Bank of India recorded the highest profit of Rs.31,675 crore accounting for 47% of the
total profits of PSBs.
● After SBI, Bank of Baroda, with a net profit of Rs 7,272 crore generated 10% of PSBs' profits,
followed by Canara Bank, which at Rs 5,678 crore was at 8%.
● The highest revenue growth was reported by Bank of Baroda, followed by UCO Bank.
● Bank of Maharashtra became the first bank to record net non-performing assets (NPAs) below
1% followed by the highest growth in deposits & advances driven by the retail sector.
● According to an analysis of key financial parameters of PSBs done by bank unions, the Bank of
Maharashtra has shown the highest improvement in deposits.
● It has also recorded the highest growth in advances of 25%, driven by the retail segment, which
grew 23%.
● Private banks were led by HDFC Bank (Rs 36,961 crore), ICICI Bank (Rs 23,339 crore), Axis
Bank (Rs 13,025 crore), Kotak Mahindra Bank (Rs 8,572 crore), IndusInd Bank (Rs 4,611 crore)
and Federal Bank (Rs 1889 crore).
● In FY21, Central Bank and Punjab & Sind Bank are the two banks that reported a loss dragging
down the overall profits of the public sector banks.
PhonePe Pulse & BCG Report - Digital payments in India projected to reach $10 trn by 2026
● India's leading digital payments company, PhonePe in collaboration with Boston Con sulting
Group (BCG), unveiled a report titled, "Digital payments in India: A $10 trillion opportunity"
● As per the report, India's digital payments market is at an inflection point and is expected to
increase more than threefold from the current US$3 trillion to US$10 trillion by 2026.
● This would translate to digital payments (non-cash) constituting 2 out of 3 payment transactions
by 2026.
Highlights of the report :
● Digital payments will constitute nearly 65% of all payments by 2026, up from 40%.
● UPI adoption will surge from 35% in FY 21 to 75% in the next five years
● This will mean 7x growth from $0.3-0.4 trillion digital merchant payments to $2.5- 2.7 trillion by
2026.
● The report also talks about how the digital payments ecosystem has been positively disrupted by
the entry of multiple new players with diverse offerings driving digital payments adoption at
scale.
● Leading global and Indian fintech players have been key drivers of UPI adoption in India among
end-users.
● This is further supported by user-friendly interfaces, innovative offerings, and an open API
ecosystem.
● The upcoming tech innovations and upgrades including the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, and the
Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) initiative of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) will help
increase the adoption of digital payments.
● UPI has supercharged India’s transition to non-cash payments when it comes to both person-to-
person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions.
● UPI saw about a 9x transaction volume increase in the past 3 years, increasing from 5 billion
transactions in FY19 to about 46 billion transactions in FY22.
● It accounted for over 60 percent of non-cash transaction volumes in FY22.
● PhonePe alone enjoys a share of 47 percent in UPI volumes.
● While Tier 1-2 cities have witnessed the high acceptance of digital payments, penetration in Tier
3-6 cities shows headroom for growth.
About the report :
● The report is an in-depth commentary on the growth of digital payments in India and looks at
factors and enablers that will help unlock the massive growth potential going forward.
Airtel Payments Bank Collaborates With Muthoot Finance To Offer Gold Loans
● Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with Muthoot Finance to offer gold loans through the Airtel
Thanks app.
● With this partnership, Airtel Payments Bank customers can get hassle-free gold loans with Zero
processing fees from Muthoot Finance.
● There will be no-processing charge on the loan and Muthoot Finance will provide up to 75
percent of the pledged gold value as a loan.
● The partnership will give access to secured and affordable credit to customers looking for quick
liquidity against their gold assets.
Key Highlights :
● The loan amount can be used for any personal or work-related requirement.
● Through the Airtel Thanks app, customers can apply for small loans for a small duration starting
from a minimum of seven days.
● The flexible payment option allows the customer to make part payments or complete payments
before the maturity date with no additional charges.
● The loan facility will be available at the 5 lakh banking points for Airtel Payments Bank.
● The gold is kept safe by the institution until the loan is paid off.
● Founded: 2017
● Airtel Payments Bank is a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel.
● On 5 January 2022, it was granted the scheduled bank status by the Reserve Bank of India
under the second schedule of the RBI Act, 1934.
About Muthoot Finance :
● Founded: 1939
● Headquarters: Kochi, Kerala, India
● Chairman: M. G. George Muthoot
● MD: George Alexander Muthoot
● Muthoot Finance Ltd. is an Indian financial corporation and the largest gold loan NBFC in the
country.
Tencent bought a stake in Flipkart worth Rs 2,060 crore:
• Chinese technology major Tencent has bought a stake worth $264 million (Rs 2,060 crore) in
Walmart-owned Flipkart from co-founder Binny Bansal, through its European subsidiary.
• Binny Bansal holds around a 1.84% stake in Flipkart after selling part of his stake to Tencent
Cloud Europe BV.
• The transaction was completed on October 26, 2021, and was shared with government
authorities at the beginning of the current financial year,
• Post the transaction, Tencent’s arm holds a 0.72% stake in Flipkart, which is valued at around
$264 million, as per the last valuation of $37.6 billion disclosed by the e-commerce firm in July
2021.
• Flipkart had raised $3.6 billion at that time in a funding round led by Singapore’s sovereign
wealth fund GIC, CPP Investments, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and Walmart.
About Tencent:
• Headquarters: Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
• Chairman, CEO: Pony Ma
• President: Martin Lau
About Flipkart:
Xpay. life launches India's 1st blockchain-enabled UPI services targeting Rural areas
● Fintech startup XPay.Life launched India’s first blockchain-enabled transaction framework and
launched its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services targeted at rural India, as it completes
three years of operations.
Aim :
● To make financial facilities accessible for people in rural areas who need financial support the
most.
● To digitize various financial offerings and strengthen the Indian financial sector, especially that of
rural India.
● The launch of its UPI services is expected to benefit XPay.Life’s 4 million consumers across
more than 15 states and 1 lakh villages.
● XPay.Life is working closely with the regional rural banks and district co-operative banks to help
them bank better and enable true financial inclusion of the rural populace with security and no
disruption.
● The fintech startup said it works on three models: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) which includes
their mobile app, Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) which includes their website, and Infrastructure-
as-a-Service (IaaS) which refers to their mobile vans.
● Currently, the company has about 100 active mobile vans that facilitate digital banking and aims
to increase it to 200 soon.
● The fintech company along with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD), National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), and the state government is
working towards strengthening digital banking and payments by enabling the last-mile link.
About Xpay. life :
● Founded: 2019
● Founder & CEO: Rohit Kumar
OmniCard launches cash withdrawal facility across all ATMs PAN India
● Payment solutions provider OmniCard became the first Reserve Bank of India (RBI) licensed
PPI (prepaid instruments) to provide cash withdrawal service using a RuPay-powered card from
any Automated Teller Machine (ATMs) throughout the country.
● The move came in after RBI permitted the non-bank licensed entities to enable cash withdrawals
from the digital wallet.
● OmniCard users can withdraw cash from any ATM at their convenience with full security from
frauds like card theft, and card cloning, as the withdrawal facility comes with high safety and
security features and protects the user from exposing their money and bank account details.
● The company started work with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) team to
enable the facility.
About OmniCard :
● Founded: 2018
● Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
● Co-Founder and CEO: Sanjeev Pandey
● Omnicard is a RuPay-powered prepaid card with a mobile app where the users can spend using
swipe, scan, tap, and pay online, avail of in-app offers from partner brands, and get rewarded on
every spends.
HSBC India to offer USD 250 million to startups
● Mumbai-based retail banking and financial services provider, Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking
Corporation Limited, India (HSBC India) announced to lend $250 million to startups in the
country.
● The bank did not specify the timeframe for disbursal of the amount.
● HSBC stated that the lending will be done to high-growth, tech-led startups in the 3rd largest
startup ecosystem in the world.
● The announcement comes at the time when startups' debt needs by financial intermediaries
locally have accelerated amidst 'funding winter' impacting equity funding to the sector.
● HSBC has prepared a credit model and offerings to suit the specific requirements of a wide
spectrum of startups and new-age entities, ranging from growth stage to unicorns.
● In 2021, HSBC's commercial banking vertical in India had registered a growth of 42% in its profit
to $265 million compared to $187 million in 2020.
● Further, the lender's loans to small and medium enterprises have tripled to around $1 billion as
compared to $300 million in 2018.
About HSBC India :
● Founded: 1853
● CEO: Hitendra Dave
● It is a foreign bank under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, and thus is regulated by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Retail inflation for May matches estimates at 7.04%:
• According to data released by the Department of Statistics and Program Implementation, India's
headline retail inflation rate fell to 7.04 percent in May from an almost eight-year high to 7.79%
in 2018.
• April thanks to a favorable base effect. May's drop in inflation is unlikely to slow the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) rate hike cycle.
• Inflation according to the consumer price index (CPI) in April was 7.79%.
• In May 2021, retail price inflation stood at 6.3%.
Key Points:
• Meanwhile, price increases on everything from fuels to vegetables and cooking oils pushed WPI,
or wholesale price inflation, to a record high of 15.08% in April and retail inflation at the highest
level in 8 years is 7.79%.
• Retail inflation is tracked by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which measures price changes
from the retail buyer's perspective.
• The Reserve Bank, which takes into account the CPI in its monetary policy, earlier this month
raised its inflation forecast for the current financial year to 6.7% from its previous estimate of 5.
7%.
BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center signs MoU with BRICS NDB
● The BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) Innovation Center signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) to
facilitate bilateral cooperation and promote the common development of BRICS countries.
Aim :
● To promote the sustainable development agenda, including the delivery of the Sustainable
Development Goals, in BRICS as well as other emerging markets and developing countries.
● The MoU was signed during a conference in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province.
● On behalf of the two sides, Huang Wenhui, executive vice chairman of the BRICS PartNIR
Innovation Center council, and Marcos Troyjo, president of the NDB, signed the MoU.
● According to the MoU, the two sides will give priority to cooperation in such fields as artificial
intelligence, the industrial internet, energy conservation, and environmental protection through
joint research, personnel training, and information sharing on infrastructure and sustainable
programs.
About BRICS :
● BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China, and
South Africa.
● It is home to over 40 percent of the world’s population and about a quarter of the global
economy.
● The BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center was launched in Xiamen in December 2020.
About NDB :
● Formally opened: July 2015
● Headquarters: Shanghai, China
● President : Marcos Prado Troyjo
HDFC Bank signs MoU with 100X. VC to collaborate on start-up support
● Private sector bank, HDFC Bank signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a leading
early-stage venture capital firm, 100X.VC to support start-ups.
● The Bank will extend its full suite of specialized services and facilities tailored for start-ups,
known as Smart-Up, to all the firms associated with 100X.VC.
● It will also extend additional credit facilities and evaluate investment opportunities in these start-
ups.
● The MoU was signed in the presence of Abhishek Deshmukh, Branch Banking Head -
Maharashtra, and Yagnesh Sanghrajka, Founder & CFO, 100X.VC and Sanjay Mehta, founder
& Partner, 100X.VC; Ninad Karpe, Partner,100X.VC, among other senior bank officials.
● Under the agreement, HDFC Bank and 100X.VC will work together in mutually beneficial areas.
● The bank will also assess 100X.VC-recommended start-ups for investment and loan extension
opportunities.
● HDFC Bank and 100X.VC will also collaborate on initiatives such as Master Classes for start-up
enterprises in the country.
● India is among the largest and fastest-growing start-up ecosystems in the world.
● In the first half of 2022 alone, 15 start-ups emerged as unicorns.
About HDFC Bank :
● Founded: August 1994
About 100X.VC :
● Founded: 2019
The trade deficit of India broadens to $24.29 billion in May 2022:
• Trade data released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry showed that India's trade deficit in
May widened to $24.29 billion from $6.53 billion a year ago.
• May's trade deficit widened due to a sharp increase in imports, up 62.83% year-on-year to
$63.22 billion, while exports increased 20.55% to $38.94 billion.
• Despite the uncertainty and volatility caused by the war in Europe, exports of technical goods
increased 12.65% year-on-year, reaching $9.71 billion in May 2022.
• India’s merchandise exports in May rose by 20.55% to $38.94 billion.
• Imports grew by 62.83% to $63.22 billion.
• The trade deficit stood at $6.53 billion in May 2021.
• Cumulative exports in April-May 2022-23 rose by about 25% to $78.72 billion.
• Imports in April-May 2022-23 rose 45.42% to $123.41 billion.
WPI inflation spiked to 15.88% in May 2022:
• Wholesale price inflation peaked at 15.88% in May, the highest since September 1991, as
pressures on rising food and fuel prices outpaced moderation in the dominant manufactured
goods segment position.
• In April, WPI inflation was recorded at 15.08%.
• Inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) has remained in double digits for 14 months
now, reflecting high global commodity prices, particularly oil, according to official data releases.
WPI-based Wholesale inflation in India:
➢ January: 12.96%
➢ February: 13.11%
➢ March: 14.55%
➢ April: 15.08%
Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance rebranded as Canara HSBC Life Insurance
● Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance rebranded and renamed itself as
Canara HSBC Life Insurance and launched its first brand campaign #PromisesKaPartner
aligned to its new positioning - ‘Powering India to re-imagine their dreams and aspirations.
Aim :
● To increase financial inclusion, insurance awareness, and accelerating wealth generation for the
clients.
● All existing policyholders will continue to enjoy the benefits of its existing policies under the new
brand identity.
● The new logo is based on 3 pillars of the Company’s strong parentage, technology, and people.
● Canara HSBC Life Insurance’s product suite offers more than 35 plans under child savings,
long-term savings, retirement solutions, etc
About Canara HSBC Life Insurance :
● Founded: 2008
● Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana, India
● MD & CEO: Anuj Mathur
RBI lifts restrictions on Mastercard 2022
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), lifted the restrictions imposed on Mastercard Asia/Pacific Pte
Ltd on onboarding new domestic clients.
● The RBI has barred Mastercard Asia/Pacific Pete from onboarding new domestic customers
(debit, credit, or prepaid) onto its card network from July 22, 2021.
● The move was a major hit for the US-based company which had earlier commanded roughly 33
percent market share in India.
● The RBI had given almost three years for Mastercard to comply with the regulatory directions,
but it was unable to complete the process
Key Highlights :
● The Central bank had announced restrictions on Mastercard in 2021 for failing to comply with
the local data storage norms.
● Under RBI Mastercard restrictions, the US-based payment gateway was barred from onboarding
the new customers until it complies with the Storage of Payment System Data norms.
● Debit and credit card funds are handled through systems such as Mastercard, Visa, and the
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
Additional Info :
● Mastercard is a payment system operator authorized to operate a card network in the country
under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (PSS Act).
● Mastercard, a major card issuing entity in the country, was the third company to have been
barred by RBI from acquiring new customers after American Express Banking Corp and Diners
Club International over data storage issues.
● In April 2022, the Central Bank had also imposed similar restrictions on the global card
networking giants American Express Banking Corp and Diners Club International Ltd.
About RBI :
● Deputy Governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi
Shankar.
Adani Transmission’s $700 million loan gets a ‘green loan’ tag:
• Adani Transmission Limited's $700 million turnaround facility has been labeled a "green loan" by
Sustainalytics.
• This ensures a green lending framework for a revolving facility. Sustainability analysts have
independently published SPOs on the relevance of the revised framework to current market
standards and the extent to which qualifying project items are credible and impactful.
About the project:
• A revolving loan facility is a flexible financing instrument that provides the borrower with the
option of withdrawing or withdrawing, repaying, and withdrawing.
• $700 million revolving facility-related projects are underway in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• In October 2021, the company, in a regulatory filing, announced it had raised $700 million for a
transmission asset system under construction through definitive agreements signed with banks
major international.
• MUFG Bank acts as a green loan coordinator together with the issuer to organize the SPO on
the green lending framework prepared by Adani Transmission.
About Adani Transmission Limited:
• CEO: Anil Kumar Sardana
• Founder: Gautam Adani
• Headquarters: Ahmedabad
CASHe has launched an industry-first credit line service on WhatsApp:
• Financial wellness platform, CASHe has launched the industry's first line of credit that uses AI-
powered chat on WhatsApp to provide customers with a fast, seamless, and convenient way to
access instant lines of credit by simply entering their name.
• The company offers instant lines of credit without the need for documents, downloading apps, or
filling out tedious application forms.
About CASHe's WhatsApp chat service:
• CASHe's WhatsApp chat service is based on the WhatsApp Business Platform, an enterprise
solution that allows businesses to communicate with new and existing customers on WhatsApp
easily, securely, and reliably.
• Beneath this is an AI-powered bot that matches customer input and automatically facilitates a
formal claim with KYC verification and, once verified, establishes a credit limit with just a few
clicks through a guided conversation flow.
• Borrower details will be generated and displayed based on the name entered - the only key input
the borrower needs to enter at the start of a conversation.
About WhatsApp
• Founded: 2009
• CEO: Will Cathcart
• Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
• Parent organization: Facebook.
• Acquisition date: 19 February 2014
• Founders: Jan Koum, Brian Acton
Female labor participation increased to 25.1% in 2020-2021
• According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report for July 2020 to June 2021, the
female labor force participation rate (LFPR) across India has increased from 2.3% to 25.1% in
2021, compared with 22.8% last year.
• In rural areas, the female labor force participation rate increased by 3% to 27.7%, while in urban
areas, the female labor force participation rate increased by 0.1% to 18.6 %.
• The labor force participation rate (LFPR) is the proportion of people who work in the population.
Key Points:
• A person's customary status was defined as the activity status on which he or she spent the
majority of his or her time in the 365 days leading up to the survey date.
• At the same time, India's worker population ratio (WPR) for people of all ages in normal status is
39.8%.
• The Workforce Participation Rate (WPR) is the proportion of the population that works.
• Finally, India's regular unemployment rate (UR) for persons of all ages is 4.2 percent; in rural
regions, it is 2.1 percent for women and 3.9 percent for males.
• UR, on the other hand, is higher among women in urban areas, at 8.6%, than among men, at
6.1 percent.
47th meeting of GST Council to be held in Srinagar:
• The GST Council's 47th meeting will take place in Srinagar on June 28 and 29, 2022.
• Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman chairs the GST Council.
• The GST Council meeting is being held in Srinagar for the second time.
• The 14th meeting of the Council was conducted in the city on May 18 and 19 before the
implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1, 2017.
• Last year, the Council established a seven-member council of state ministers, led by Karnataka
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, to recommend measures to increase revenue by loweri ng tax
rates.
• The last time the GoM met was in November 2021.
The following are the main topics to be discussed during the meeting:
• The 47th GST Council meeting is significant because it is likely to debate the report of the state
ministerial panel on rate rationalization, as well as the tax rate on casinos, racetracks, and online
gaming.
• The Group of Ministers (GoM) is expected to debate prospective adjustments in tax slabs,
according to sources, adding that the panel's final report will take some time.
• The Council may also propose making changes to the GSTR-3B summary return and monthly
tax payment form to detect bogus input tax credit claims and speed up the processing of
legitimate ones.
• The updated form, according to sources, will provide clarity on the gross input tax credit owing to
the taxpayer, the amount claimed in a given month, and the net amount remaining in the
taxpayer.
Ministerial meeting on GST rationalization fails to reach agreement:
• A team of state ministers working on GST rate rationalization was unable to reach an
agreement, according to insiders, since certain members were opposed to changes to tax slabs
and rates.
• They indicated that the GST Council will receive a status report from the Group of Ministers on
the agreement made at the previous meeting on November 20, 2021.
Key Points:
• The GoM will seek an extension to present its final report, and tax rate issues will be reviewed at
the Council meeting later this month, they said.
• On June 28 and 29, the GST Council, which is chaired by Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala
Sitharaman will meet in Srinagar.
• Last year, the Committee established a seven-member council of state ministers, led by
Karnataka Chief Minister Shri Basavaraj Bommai, to consider tax-rate reductions as a means of
increasing revenue.
• The GoM has been charged with assessing items with an inverted duty structure to limit rebate
payouts and with revising the GST exempt list to increase the tax base and avoid ITC chain
breakage.
• GST has a four-tier system that exempts or taxes basic items at a low rate of 5%, while vehicles
and depreciating products are taxed at a high rate of 28%.
• 12 and 18 percent are the other two tax brackets.
World’s central banks launch their most hawkish campaign: Since 1980
• As they attempt to deal with an unexpected jump in inflation, central bankers around the world
are conducting what could be the most dramatic tightening of monetary policy since the 1980s,
triggering recessions and disturbing financial markets.
• The week began with an unexpected move on Wall Street to price in a 75-basis-point Federal
Reserve rate hike.
• Chairman Jerome Powell stated unequivocally that he is dedicated to lowering inflation, the most
significant move by the US central bank since 1994.
• Part of the reason policymakers are being driven to act is that they underestimated the
persistence with which inflation has climbed to multi-decade highs.
• They were hesitant to respond even when they saw the price pressures were not "transitory".
• Interest rates in the United States remained at zero in 2022, with the Federal Reserve gobbling
up Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities.
Key Points:
• Switzerland unexpectedly raised rates, while the Bank of England raised rates for the fifth time,
this time by 25 basis points, and signaled that the rate will be doubled soon.
• The bond market reacted so forcefully to the concerted removal of stimulus that the European
Central Bank convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday to address increasing yields in
some euro-zone countries.
• From Brazil to Taiwan to Hungary, borrowing costs have risen, with Australia, South Korea,
India, New Zealand, and Canada among those planning further action.
• Only the Bank of Japan rejected the trend, maintaining its ultra-easy monetary policy in the face
of market pressure to join the global bandwagon.
• Inflation expectations in the United States have risen 75 basis points. Interest rates are being
raised by the Federal Reserve.
• Although China is an exception, traders all across the world are bracing for a series of rate hikes
that many will have never seen before.
• The Federal Reserve intends to hike its benchmark rate to 3.8 percent by the end of 2023, up
from the 1.5 percent to 2% range it established last week, and many Wall Street businesses
believe it will reach even higher levels.
Govt to take additional efforts to reduce inflation if required: Mr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad
• India's State Minister for finance, Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, declared that the Finance Ministry
will take additional steps to control inflation if necessary.
• Inflation is a global phenomenon, and India fared better than other nations.
• Inflation is being closely monitored by the government, which is doing everything it can to keep it
under control.
• The crisis between Russia and Ukraine, according to the minister of state, has had a substantial
impact on India's inflation.
Key Points:
• To reduce the retail impact of fuel inflation on customers, the Finance Ministry has already
decreased excise duty.
• Crude oil prices have been continuously rising over the world.
• Following the federal government's drop in excise charges, some states reduced their fuel VAT.
• India has increased the fertilizer subsidy for the Kharif season to help farmers cope with rising
global costs.
• To prevent internal inflation, the government also barred wheat exports.
• The food ministry capped sugar supplies to 100 LMT in anticipation of a shortage in October and
November.
• In April, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 7.9%, significantly beyond the government-
mandated threshold of 4% (+2%).
• The Reserve Bank of India and the Finance Ministry collaborated to bring the CPI inflation rate
down to nearly 7% in May.
• The RBI raised the repo rate twice, the first by 40 basis points and the second by 50 basis
points, to limit liquidity and manage inflation.
China Becomes the Largest Importer of Indian Broken Rice:
• China has surpassed India as the largest importer or buyer of broken rice.
• China has surpassed African countries as the leading importer of broken rice in India.
• China became the leading importer of broken rice in India during the pandemic.
• In the year 2021-2022, 7.7% of India's exports were imported to China, totaling 16.34 lakh metric
tonnes, and India's total exports were 212.10 lakh metric tonnes.
• According to the trade research, broken rice accounted for 96 percent of the 16.34 LMT of rice
exported to China.
• China has overtaken India as the world's largest buyer of broken rice.
• In 2021-2022, overall exports of basmati and non-basmati rice were 212.10 LMT, up 19.30
percent from 177.79 LMT in 2020-2021.
• During this period, India's broken rice exports to China climbed from 3.31 LTM to 16.34 LMT.
Rice exports from India in 2020, 2021, and 2022:
• In the years 2021-2022, India's total rice exports for Basmati rice were 38.48 LMT, down from
46.30 LMT in the previous two years.
• non-basmati rice accounts for the majority of Indian rice exports.
• Other than Basmati rice, rice exports in 2021-2022 totaled 172.56 LMT, up from 131.48 LMT in
2020-2021, a 31.27 percent rise.
• In the years 2021-2022, India sold 38.64 LMT of broken rice to 83 countries, while China
imported 15.76 LMT from these 83 nations, a 476.40 percent increase over 2.73 LMT.
Analysis by Trade Experts
• The unexpected surge in rice imports from China from India, according to trade analysts, is due
to an increase in the manufacturing of noodles and wine.
• Before the outbreak of Covid-19, China sent a delegation to India and visited numerous rice
mills, according to the former president of the All-India Rice Exporters Association, to promote
the import of broken rice from India.
• Other causes for the increase in rice imports from India, according to experts, could be the rising
price of maize.
RBI raises the limit of e-mandates for transactions up to ₹15,000
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) limit from
Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 per transaction for e-mandates on cards, Prepaid Payment Instruments
(PPIs), and UPI for recurring transactions.
● It means that One-Time Passwords (OTPs) or any extra step of authentication would no longer
be required for recurring payments of up to Rs 15,000 made with cards, UPIs, or other prepaid
payment instruments (PPIs).
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has put in place various safety and security measures for card
payments, including the requirement of AFA, especially for 'card-not-present' transactions.
● Under e-mandate, an individual can give standing instruction to the bank to debit a specific
amount automatically regularly.
What is an e-mandate for recurring payments?
● An e-mandate on a debit or credit card means that the cardholder has given a particular
business platform, such as a website or a mobile application, a legal authority to deduct a
specified amount of money for recurrent payments.
● It covers online subscriptions, bill payments, and insurance premiums, among other things.
● A consumer authorizes a business to charge his-her credit or debit card for recurring payments
through an e-mandate.
About RBI :
Equitas Small Finance Bank Launches Savings Account For Kids - ENJOI
● Equitas Small Finance Bank announced the launch of an exclusive savings account called
ENJOI for kids.
● This account introduces "young kids" to the financial world & encouraging them to develop an
early habit of saving.
● The ENJOI account holders will also have access to exclusive deals from ed-techs and online
learning providers.
● ENJOI will allow kids of 0-18 years to open savings accounts under the supervision of their
parents.
● Minors aged 10 and above will also get an option for a personalized Debit Card.
Benefits of ENJOI :
● The account offers "best-in-class" 7 percent interest for savings balances between Rs 5 lakh to
R 2 crore.
● The account will offer flexibility to choose the mode of savings either as a savings account,
balance starting as low as Rs 1,000; RD (Recurring Deposit) for Rs 500 monthly; FD (Fixed
Deposit) for Rs 10,000.
● These offers and tie-ups have been exclusively sourced by the bank to offer maximum
advantages to the account holders.
● The Personalised Debit Card is complimentary for the 1st year and can be enjoyed free for a
lifetime by maintaining the required balances
● ENJOI account will also help the kids to take their first step towards a new age and technology-
oriented banking experience
Tamil Nadu becomes the largest State with outstanding microfinance loans Portfol io
● According to MFIN Micrometer Q4 FY21-22, a quarterly report published by Microfinance
Institutions Network (MFIN), the gross loan portfolio (GLP) of Tamil Nadu as of March 31, 2022,
stood at ₹36,806 crore.
● Tamil Nadu has replaced West Bengal to emerge as the largest State in terms of the
outstanding portfolio of microfinance loans.
● It was followed by Bihar (₹35,941 crores) and West Bengal (₹34,016 crores).
● At the end of Q3FY22, West Bengal topped the chart with the highest outstanding portfolio of
loans at ₹32,880 crores, followed by Tamil Nadu (₹32,359 crores).
● The Top 10 States (based on the total microcredit universe) constitute 82.4 percent of the total
GLP of the industry.
● West Bengal was followed by Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
● As per the report, around 64 percent of the microfinance portfolio is concentrated in the East,
Northeast, and Southern regions
● The 41st issue of the Micrometer report stated the microfinance industry served 5.8 crores,
unique borrowers, through 11.3 crore loan accounts.
Lender-wise distribution :
● Lender-wise distribution of micro-loans shows that 12 banks held the largest share of the
portfolio in micro-credit with a total loan outstanding of ₹1,14,051 crore, or 40 percent of the
total microcredit universe.
● NBFC-MFIs are the second-largest providers of micro -credit with a loan amount
outstanding of ₹1,00,407 crore, accounting for 35.2 percent of the total industry portfolio.
● Small finance banks (SFBs) have a total loan amount outstanding of ₹48,314 crores,
accounting for 16.9 percent, followed by non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) at 6.9
percent share.
● Other MFIs account for 1 percent of the universe.
● The report noted that the proportion of NBFC-MFI portfolios in the universe portfolio
increased by 4.1 percent to 35.2 percent as of March 31, 2022, though banks continued to
be the main contributors.
● The geographical distribution of the portfolio also witnessed a change with a decrease in
the share of the east and northeast by 3.3 percent, while the share of the south and north
regions increased by 1.3 percent each.
About MFIN :
● Founded: 2009
● Located at: Gurugram, Haryana, India
● Chairperson: Manoj Kumar Nambiar
● MD & CEO: Alok Misra
Kotak General Insurance Collaborates with PhonePe to offer Motor Insurance
● Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited (Kotak General Insurance) has partnered
with PhonePe Insurance Broking Services Pvt. Ltd (PhonePe), a digital payments platform to
offers motor insurance to 380 million customers on the PhonePe platform.
● Through PhonePe, Kotak General Insurance will provide quick and seamless car and two-
wheeler insurance policies to its customers.
● This tie-up will empower PhonePe customers to buy the car and two-wheeler insurance end-to-
end online in just a few clicks from the comfort of their smartphones.
About Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Ltd :
● Founded: 2015
● Managing Director & CEO: Suresh Agarwal
BOB Financial and Nainital Bank launch co -branded contactless RuPay credit card
● A wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda, BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL) &
Nainital Bank launched the Nainital Bank – BoB co-branded Contactless RuPay Credit Card
during the centenary year of Nainital Bank
● The card is designed to reward customers for everyday spending categories like grocery and
departmental stores.
About co-branded contactless RuPay credit card :
● Cardholders of Nainital Bank – BoB RuPay Contactless Credit Card will be able to earn 5X i.e. 5
reward points (per Rs. 100 spent) for spending on grocery, departmental stores, and movies.
● For all other spending, cardholders will earn 1 reward point per Rs. 100 spent.
● In addition, cardholders will also benefit from a 1% Fuel Surcharge Waiver on fuel purchases.
● The co-branded credit card offers complimentary Personal Accidental Death insurance.
● The card is offered at zero joining fee and a nominal annual fee that is waived on spends of Rs.
25,000 per year.
● To ensure the quick and simple acquisition of the co-branded card, customers can apply using a
100% digital process.
About BFSL :
● MD & CEO : Shailendra Singh
● It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda and a Non-Deposit Accepting Non–Banking
Finance Company (NBFC).
About Nainital Bank :
● Founded: 1922
● Headquarters: Nainital, Kumaon, India
● Chairman & CEO: Dinesh Pant
● The bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda which is under the ownership of the
Ministry of Finance of the GoI.
RBI Suspends license of millath co -operative bank due to inadequate capital
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has canceled the license of D avangere-Karnataka-based
Millath Co-operative Bank Ltd due to inadequate capital and lack of earning prospects.
● The Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Karnataka, has also been requested to issue an order
for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank.
● On liquidation, every depositor will be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of
his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs 5 lakh from the Deposit Insurance and Credit
Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), subject to the provisions of the DICGC Act, 1961.
The RBI has canceled the license as :
● As such, it does not comply with the provisions of Section 11(1) and Section 22 (3) (d) read with
● The Bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Sections 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c),
22(3) (d), and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.”
● The continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the interests of its depositors
● The bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full;
● The public interest would be adversely affected if the bank is allowed to carry on its banking
● Millath Co-operative Bank Limited, Davangere, Karnataka’ is prohibited from conducting the
business of ‘banking’ which includes, among other things, acceptance of deposits and
repayment of deposits as defined in Section 5(b) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation
Act, 1949 with immediate effect.
Recent News :
● Recently, the RBI also canceled certificates of registration (CoR) of 3 NBFCs, including 2
housing finance companies.
● CoR of Noida-based Malik Motor Finance Limited has been canceled & Housing finance
companies whose registrations have been canceled are Aizawl-based North East Region
Housing Finance Company Limited and Gurgaon-based Aryarth Housing Finance Limited.
Govt declares ICICI, HDFC, and NPCI’s IT resources as ‘critical information infrastructure’
● The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) announced the IT resources of private sector lender
ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and UPI managing entity National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI) as ‘critical information infrastructure’ under Section 70 of the IT Act, 2000 indicating that
any harm to it can influence the national security and any unpermitted person accessing it may
be imprisoned for up to 10 years.
● The Central Government hereby declares the computer resources relating to the Core Banking
Solution, Real Time Gross Settlement, and National Electronic Fund Transfer comprising
Structured Financial Messaging Server.
● The computer resources of its associated dependencies to be protected systems.
● The persons authorized to access IT resources of ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and NPCI are their
designated employees, authorized team members of contractual managed service providers, or
3rd-party vendors who have been authorized by them for need-based access and any
consultant, regulator, government official, auditor and stakeholder authorized by the entities on a
case-to-case basis.
What is critical information infrastructure?
● The Information Technology Act of 2000 defines “Critical Information Infrastructure” as a
“computer resource, the incapacitation or destruction of which shall have a debilitating impact on
national security, economy, public health or safety”.
● The government, under the Act, has the power to declare any data, database, IT network, or
communications infrastructure as CII to protect that digital asset.
● Any person who secures access or attempts to secure access to a protected system in violation
of the law can be punished with a jail term of up to 10 years.
How are CIIs protected in India?
● Created in January 2014, the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre
(NCIIPC) is the nodal agency for taking all measures to protect the nation’s critical information
infrastructure.
● NCIIPC will monitor and forecast national-level threats to CII for policy guidance, expertise
sharing, and situational awareness for early warning or alerts.
About Ministry of Electronics and IT :
● Cabinet Minister: Ashwini Vaishnav
● Minister of State : Rajeev Chandrasekhar
● Secretary : K. Rajaraman
ONDC Partners With NABARD to Initiate E-Commerce In Agritech
● The Government’s Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has partnered with National
Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to bring e-commerce to agriculture.
Aim :
● To establish market linkages for the enabled players with market-ready farmers' producer
organizations (FPOs) in the country.
● It also focuses on promoting the development of innovative solutions that are likely to aid the
adoption of e-commerce in the agriculture domain.
● This is the first initiative to introduce FPOs to technology.
● The hackathon will witness 400 participants, out of which 250 are agritech startups and the rest
are non-agritech ventures.
About ONDC :
● Founded: April 2022
● CEO: T Koshy
● Open Network for Digital Commerce, is a private non-profit Section 8 company established by
the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Government of India
under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
● The pilot phase was launched on 29 April 2022 in five cities; Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Bhopal,
Shillong, and Coimbatore.
About NABARD :
● Chairman : Govinda Rajulu Chintala
● NABARD is an apex regulatory body for the overall regulation of regional rural banks and apex
About RBI :
UPI, Rupay to Soon Be Available In France: NPCI Signs MoU With Lyra Network
● Union Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Shri Ashwini
Vaishnaw announced, that NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) the international arm of
NPCI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France-based payments solution
provider Lyra Network to accept UPI and Rupay cards in France.
● The deal will allow Indians to pay using UPI and Rupay cards at terminals and machines offered
by Lyra Networks, making it easier for Indian students and tourists to make payments.
Other Countries :
● In July 2021, NIPL (the foreign arm of NPCI) partnered with Bhutan’s central bank to launch a
QR code-based UPI payment solution.
● In February 2022, NIPL partnered up with Manam Infotech to enable UPI-based payments in
Nepal.
● In April 2022, NIPL partnered with NeoPay, which is a payments service subsidiary of United
Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Mashreq Bank.
Recent News :
● In April 2022, NPCI signed a deal with NeoPay, a payments subsidiary of UAE’s Mashreq Bank,
allowing Indians in the UAE to make payments using UPI on the payment provider’s terminals
across the country.
● Recently, RBI allowed linking RuPay credit cards with UPI to help boost the usage of both
payment offerings in the country.
About NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) :
● Founded: April 3, 2020
● NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
About NPCI :
● Founded: 2008
● Non-Executive Chairman: Biswamohan Mahapatra
● MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe
RBI spent more to print ₹20, ₹50, ₹100, and ₹200 notes in FY22
● The selling price of banknotes in the denomination of ₹20, ₹50, ₹100, and ₹200 have gone up in
FY22 vs the previous financial year.
● However, for notes in the denomination of ₹500, the prices have remained unchanged.
Key Highlights :
● According to information sourced through RTI from the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran
Ltd (BRBNML), the Selling price for 1,000 pieces of ₹50 recorded a maximum increase of
around 23 percent in FY22 over FY21, while that of ₹20 registered the lowest increase of a little
over 1 percent.
● Although notes of ₹500 denomination are the highest in terms of volume (34.9 percent of all
denominations) among all the paper notes in circulation, and also in terms of value (73.3 percent
of the value of all denominations), their selling price has not seen any change in FY22 and
FY21.
● RBI spent ₹4,984.8 crore, which is 24 percent more than it did in FY21 (₹4,012.09 crores), and
the total supply was lower.
● The overall cost of printing currency in FY22 was the second-highest, after an all-time high of
around ₹8,000 crores during the year of demonetization (2016-17).
Reducing import dependency :
● According to RBI’s annual report, BRBNML achieved production of 1 3 ,350 m illion p ieces o f
banknotes in FY22.
● The two-fold increase in direct remittances by BRBNML to currency chests aided the unfettered
availability of banknotes during the pandemic.
Additional info :
● Selling price refers to the price at which printing presses supply paper currency to their sole
buyer, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

● There are 4 presses, of which two are owned by the RBI through its wholly-owned subsidiary,
BRBNML, while the remaining two come under the ownership of the Central government,
operated through its wholly-owned company, Security Printing & Minting Corporation of India
Limited (SPMCIL).
● BRBNML presses are situated in Mysuru and Salboni (eastern India).
● The government-owned presses are at Nasik and Dewas (central India).
● Coins are minted in four mints owned by the Centre, located in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Calcutta,
and Noida.
About RBI :
● Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi
Shankar
SEBI forms an advisory committee on ‘hybrid’ securities Chaired by KV Kamath
● The Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted an
advisory committee on ‘hybrid’ securities to make recommendations to promote the
development of such instruments including measures focusing on ease of issuance and
attracting domestic and global capital.
● The 20-member committee will be chaired by K V Kamath, Chairperson of the National Bank for
Financing Infrastructure and Development.
About the Committee :
● The committee includes top officials of Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) and Real Estate
Investment Trust (REIT) and finance as well as legal experts and representatives of SEBI.
● It has been entrusted with the task of advising SEBI on issues relating to the development and
regulation of the primary and secondary markets of hybrid securities in the country.
● It will identify aspects related to the use of hybrid securities in the context of infrastructure
financing needs of the Indian economy and make recommendations for developing instruments
to meet the needs of the infrastructure sector.
● The panel will also make recommendations on the financing of infrastructure through capital
markets.
● The panel will also make recommendations for facilitating greater retail participation in hybrid
securities and creating greater awareness about hybrid securities among investors while
ensuring the protection of the interests of investors.
Other members of the Committee :
● Apart from Kamath, the committee has members including Harsh Shah, CEO and Whole-time
Director, India Grid Trust; Sanjay Grewal, CEO and Executive Director, Virescent Renewable
Energy Trust; Tushar Kawedia, CFO, IRB Infrastructure Developers; Mathew George, CFO,
National Highways Infra Investment Managers; Preeti Chheda, CFO, Mindspace REIT; and
Aravind Maiya, CFO, Tata Realty and Infrastructure.
● Samarth Jagnani, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley; Kranti Mohan, Partner at Cyril
Amarchand Mangaldas; Pratichi Mishra, Associate at S&R Associates; Rakesh Vyas, Fund
Manager at HDFC Mutual Fund; and Gopikrishnan M S, Finance Professional are the other
members of the committee.
Key Highlights :
● Besides, Sebi has reconstituted its research advisory committee, which is responsible for the
promotion, development, and maintenance of databases relevant to capital market regulation
research.
● The 16-member panel will be headed by V Ravi Anshuman, Professor at IIM Bangalore.
Other members of the panel :
● Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist, Bank of Baroda; Pawan Agrawal, Chief Risk Officer at Crisil;
Sudhir Bassi, Executive Director at Khaitan & Co; and H K Pradhan, Professor of Finance and
Economics at Xavier School of Management (XLRI)
About SEBI :
Act, 1992
of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
Beneficiaries of the PFRDA pension scheme increased by 24%:
• As of May 31, 2022, the two major pension plans of the PFRDA had 5.32 crore subscribers, an
increase of more than 24% year over year.
• The number of subscribers to the various NPS plans increased to 531.73 lakh by the end of May
2022 from 428.56 lakh in May 2021, a jump of 24.07 percent year over year, according to the
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
Key Points:
• The Atal Pension Yojana (APY), which has contributed the most subscribers to date, increased
to 3.72 crores at the end of May of this fiscal year.
• NPS subscribers increased from 22.97 lakh to 5.28 lakh among federal government employees,
while they increased from 56.40 lakh to 7.70 lakh among state government employees.
• The results show that by the end of May, there were 14.69 lakh NPS subscribers in the business
sector and 23.61 lakh in the category of all citizens.
• The corporate sector's number of subscribers increased by 26.83 percent and 39.11 percent,
respectively.
• The number of subscribers in the NPS Lite category declined by 2.7 percent to 41.85 lakh in
April 2015, when no new registrations were allowed.
• As of May 31, 2022, the two plans’ total assets under management (AUM) had increased by
21.5 percent to Rs 7.38 lakh crore.
About Atal Pension Yojana (APY):
• Atal Pension Yojana, formerly known as Swavalamban Yojana is a government-backed pension
scheme in India, primarily targeted at the unorganized sector.
• It was mentioned in the year 2015 Budget speech by Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley.
• It was launched by Shri Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May 2015 in Kolkata.
• Atal Pension Yojana (APY) is open to all bank account holders.
• The scheme is available to any citizen of India with ages 18-40 Years.
• The subscribers would receive the fixed minimum pension of Rs. 1000 per month, Rs. 2000 per
month
Max Life Insurance Company Ltd Collaborates with Policybazaar to launch life insurance savings plan
● Max Life Insurance Company Ltd has partnered with Policybazaar.com to launch the ‘Max Life
Smart Fixed-return Digital Plan’, a non-linked, non-participating, individual life insurance savings
plan.
● The offer helps customers meet short-term financial goals with a minimum policy tenure of 5
years.
About ‘Max Life Smart Fixed-return Digital Plan’ :
● The plan offers guaranteed tax-free returns up to 6.14% along with life cover protection at
monthly premiums as low as ₹3000.
● It is also available to purchase on Max Life’s website and Policybazaar.com
Key features :
● Simplified on-boarding process along with instant confirmation of issuance after journey
completion
● Fully guaranteed returns payable as a lump sum at maturity
● Flexibility to pay premiums monthly or annually for just 5 years
● Flexibility to choose between different variants, tailored to meet different financial security needs
● Higher benefits offered for higher premiums paid, as per the chosen goals
● Special benefits for women customers: 0.25% additional maturity benefit for 5 years’ policy term;
0.5% for 10 years policy term
● Option of taking a loan against policy to help in case of financial emergencies
● Tax benefits on premiums paid and tax-free maturity benefits, depending on the chosen variant,
as per prevailing tax laws.
● MD & CEO: Prashant Tripathy
● Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana
About Policybazaar.com :
● Founded: 2008
● Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana
● CEO: Sarbvir Singh
Freo tie-up with Equitas small finance bank to launch digital savings account
● Freo, one of India’s leading consumer neo banks, in partnership with Equitas Small Finance
Bank launched its digital savings account ‘Freo Save’.
● With this launch, it has become the first consumer neo bank in the country to provide full-stack
neo-banking products, including smart savings accounts, credit and payments products, cards,
and wealth-growth products.
● The neo bank is planning to open one million new accounts in the next ten months.
About ‘Freo Save’ :
● Freo’s digital savings account has been integrated with Equitas’ infrastructure on the Freo Save
App and has seamless UPI integration, making it a 100 percent digital experience.
● Freo Save will offer quick access to credit & shopping and through its partnership with Equitas
Small Finance Bank.
● It will provide up to 7 percent interest on customer savings for balances above ₹5 lakh up to ₹2
crores.
● Freo Save will be available in multiple Indian languages, including English, Hindi, and Tamil.
About Freo :
● Co-Founder : Anuj Kacker
● Freo is India’s first credit-led neo bank.
● Earlier it was Started as MoneyTap in 2016.
● Currently, it offers a wide range of financial products, including credit lines, credit cards, EMI
cards, deposits & savings, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) products in partnership with banks
and financial institutions.
About Equitas Small Finance B ank :
● Founded: 2016
● MD & CEO: Vasudevan P N
RBI extends the date for implementing provisions on cards by 3 months to Oct 1, 2022
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the deadline to implement three provisions by three
months, as part of new regulatory guidelines for issuing credit and debit cards from July 1, 2022,
to October 1, 2022.
• Regarding card issuers being mandated to seek one-time password-based consent from the
cardholder for activating a credit card, if not activated by the customer for more than 30 days
from the date of issuance
• Card issuers will have to ensure that the credit limit as sanctioned and advised to the cardholder
is not breached at any point in time without seeking explicit consent from the cardholder.
• The issuers shall not capitalize on unpaid charges for the compounding of interest.
• The deadline extension specifically for the aforementioned provisions comes in the wake of RBI
receiving various representations from the industry stakeholders.
Additional Info :
● The central bank had issued the “Master Direction – Credit Card and Debit Card – Issuance and
Conduct Directions, 2022” in April 2022 & the Directions are effective from July 1, 2022.
About RBI :
Shankar
CARD91 enters a strategic partnership with YES BANK and RuPay to help simplify payment
management
● CARD91 is a global payment infrastructure powering Business Business (B2B) payments
announced a strategic partnership with YES BANK and RuPay, the flagship product of the
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
About the Partnership:
● Through this partnership, CARD91 will create a card management system that will allow
companies to launch a variety of co-branded card instruments as well as maintain a real-time
dashboard to generate insights.
● It will enable CARD91 to expand its presence in the Indian payments market.
● The Partnership will enable the company to provide businesses of all kinds across various
sectors with a range of card instruments for managing and securing payments.
● Businesses will now have an option to choose from co-branded or non-branded card
instruments, thereby giving them an innovative solution to address specific use.
Key Features :
● CARD91 is a plug-and-play Payment Issuance Infrastructure designed to help businesses
launch co-branded cards and simplify payments.
● By managing compliance, regulation, infrastructure, lending, issuance, and customer service,
the company offers a seamless process for the launch of co-branded payment cards.
● CARD91 optimizes costs, decreases launch time, and provides real-time insights and data on
card instruments.
● It allows businesses to monitor their payment flows, from onboarding to processing transactions
and data reconciliation.
● Banks can offer their customers access to new-age payment services, as well as support card-
based lending.
About CARD91 :
● Founded: 2020
● Founders : Ajay Pandey, Kush Srivastava, Vineet Saxena
● Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
South Indian Bank Launches EXIM Trade Portal - 'SIB TF Online'
● The South Indian Bank (SIB) has launched a new portal called ‘SIB TF Online’ for its corporate
EXIM (Export-Import) customers.
● The portal provides the customers with a platform for trade-related payments and remittances to
foreign entities without visiting the bank's branches.
● The customer can initiate the payment request over SIB TF Online after uploading the
supporting documents for the transaction.
● Recently, the bank launched an internet banking facility specifically to enable retail savings bank
(SB) and NRE SB customers to initiate foreign remittances without visiting the branch.
● Similar to the internet banking facility, SIB TF Online would offer customers a simplified
transactional experience.
Key Highlights :
● SIB plans to launch SIB TF Online in phases with the initial version allowing for 3 types of import
remittances, namely
1. Advance Remittance for Imports
2. Remittance against Import Bill received from overseas Bank for Collection (Bank-to-Bank
Foreign Inward Collection Bill) and
3. Payment against Import documents received by Importer directly from overseas suppliers
● In the launch of subsequent phases, the portal will facilitate all other forex transactions as well.
● SIB TF Online has been hosted on the home page of Corporate Internet Banking (SIBerNet) and
would allow corporates to transact on the portal digitally and 24x7, in a safe and paperless
manner.
About South Indian Bank :
● Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala, India
● MD & CEO: Murali Ramakrishnan
Liberty General Insurance partners with Peerless Financial Products Distribution
● Liberty General Insurance (LGI), one of the fastest growing General Insurance companies in
India recently entered into a Corporate Agency agreement with Peerless Financial Products
Distribution Ltd (PFPDL).
● The collaboration will enable the distribution of Liberty’s retail and commercial line of products
through Peerless’ extensive network of 42 branches across India.
● The Partnership offers a wide range of health products including Liberty Complete Protect Group
Policy Insurance, which provides annual benefit cover, if the insured is hospitalized with vector-
borne diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, kala-azar,
lymphatic filariasis, and Zika virus.
● It also covers up to 60 critical illnesses including major and minor health conditions under Liberty
Health Connect, Health Prime Connect, and Individual Personal Accident Policy,Comprehensive
Insurance with add-ons for Private car, two-wheeler and commercial vehicles among others is
available under motor insurance policy.
● Liberty will also work with PFPDL to provide training and operational expertise, through
marketing, manpower support and regular insurance and product training.
About LGI :
● Founded : 2013
● Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
● LGI is a joint venture between Liberty Citystate holdings PTE Ltd, Enam Securities, and
Diamond Dealtrade.
Aim :
● To provide comprehensive retail, commercial and industrial insurance solutions.
About PFPDL :
● Founded : 1932
● Headquarters : Kolkata, West Bengal
● CEO : Satyaki Bhattacharya
AU Small Finance Bank launches industry's first customisable Credit Card, AU Bank LIT
● AU Small Finance Bank has launched an innovative Credit Card named AU Bank LIT (Live-It-
Today) which allows customers to choose the features they want in their card and also decide
the time period they want those features for.
● Instead of buying multiple cards for different categories, such as travel, shopping etc, the
customer can opt for the categories of their preference under this offering and can also switch
any of these features when they want
Features of AU Bank LIT (Live-It-Today) Credit Card :
● LIT credit card provides a higher degree of engagement to customers, through the AU0101 app
as they can track their savings/earnings daily to maximize their benefits.
● The card hosts multiple benefits and customers can activate any feature on-the-go in real time
for a small convenience fee.
● LIT provides the cardholder a complete control on its offers and fee that they pay for those offers
in a clear, transparent manner and saves the cardholders multitudes of annual/renewal fee for
benefits they don't use.
● Cardholders can avail the best of both Cashbacks and Reward Points, using the features that
are offered.
● The default validity period for each feature is 90 days.
LIT Credit Card offers five categories of features, namely:
● Lounge Access: Wherein customers can opt for one or two lounge access per quarter
● Milestone Benefits: By which, one can get more reward points or cashbacks
● OTT & Lifestyle Memberships: Wherein they can get free membership to various platforms and
services
● Accelerated Rewards (Online/Offline): Customers can get higher reward points for online and
POS transactions
● Other Features: Including fuel surcharge waiver, cashback on grocery, and much more
● Since the launch of their first credit card in 2021, the bank claims to have enrolled over 2.3 lakh
credit card customers from over 200 districts of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
About AU Small Finance Bank :
● Headquarters : Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
● MD & CEO : Sanjay Agarwal
● It was founded as vehicle finance company AU Financiers (India) Ltd in 1996 and converted to a
small finance bank on 19 April 2017.
● AU Small Finance Bank is the largest small finance bank and one of the fastest-growing retail
banks in India.
Karnataka Bank launches Online SB Account opening facility using V -CIP
● Karnataka Bank has launched Online SB Account opening facility through 'Video based
Customer Identification Process (V -CIP)'.
● The facility, enabled in the corporate website of the bank, empowers prospective customers to
open an SB account through an online process and complete KYC (know your customer)
verification through a video call at their place of convenience.
● The end-to-end paperless digital process leverages the bank’s API (Application Programming
Interface) that auto fills the account opening form, validates PAN/Aadhaar number instantly and
completes the KYC process through a video call.
● The bank is now focusing on taking the digital initiatives to the next level by focusing on ‘KBL
NxT’ concept under wave 2.0 of our transformation journey ‘KBL-VIKAAS’, and many more
initiatives are in the offing to evolve as the ‘digital bank of future’
● Founded : 18 February 1924
● Headquarters : Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
● MD & CEO : Mahabaleshwara M. S
Centre mandates 3-yr health insurance plan for surrogate mothers
● The Central government has made it mandatory for couples planning to become parents through
surrogacy to buy a health insurance plan for 36 months (three years) for surrogate mothers.
● As per the Surrogacy Regulation Act 2021, insurance means an arrangement by which a
company, individual or intending couple undertakes to provide a guarantee of compensation for
medical expenses, health issues, specified loss, damage, illness or death of a surrogate mother
and such other prescribed expenses incurred on such surrogate mother during the process of
surrogacy.
About Surrogacy Rules 2022 :
● Under the Surrogacy Rules 2022, a surrogate mother has to give her consent through an
agreement for giving up all her rights over the child and shall hand over the child/children as
soon as she is permitted to do so by the hospital.
● A surrogate mother may be allowed for abortion during the process of surrogacy in accordance
with the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 in case of any complication as advised by
the doctors.
● As per new rules, the insurance plan should be availed from an insurance company or an agent
recognized by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
Provisions :
● Limited attempts: The government has ensured that the number of attempts of any surrogacy
procedure on the surrogate mother shall not be more than three times.
● Allowed abortion: A surrogate mother may be allowed for abortion during the process of
surrogacy in case of any complication as advised by the doctors
● Regulation of private clinics: Every private surrogacy clinic has to file an application for
registration with a fee of ₹2 lakh which is non-refundable.
● However, facilities under government-run institutes are exempt from such fees.
● Specialist availability: Surrogacy clinics shall have at least one gynaecologist, one anaesthetist,
one embryologist and one counsellor.
● Marriage period: The couple should be married for more than five years.
Additional Info :
● Globally One in six couples have difficulty in conceiving such as medication, IVF and surrogacy.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) forms Building Advisory Commi ttee to advise on
premises related matters.
● Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has formed a Building
Advisory Committee, which will advise and assist it in all the premises related matters such as
planning, acquisition and furnishing.
● The 7 member committee will be headed by B K Katyal, former Chief General Manager at
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), a latest update with Sebi showed.
● The other members of the committee are K. V. Krishna Rao, former head of department Civil
Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai; Rajiv Mishra, Principal, Sir JJ College of
Architecture, Mumbai; K M Soni, former ADG, Central Public Works Department, Delhi; and
Rajesh Bhagwani SE (Electrical), Central Public Works Department.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India SEBI:
● Chairman: Madhabi Puri Buch
● Headquarters: Mumbai
Exim Bank estimates India's merchandise exports at USD 117.2 bn in Q1FY23
● India’s total merchandise export valuation is expected to reach USD 117.2 billion in the first
quarter of FY23 as per India Export import (Exim) Bank.
● The valuation of the total merchandise exports was US$ 95.5 billion in the corresponding quarter
of the previous year.
● The increase in exports is attributed to the continued rise of global commodity prices, driven by
supply shocks, increased price competitiveness due to exchange rate movements, and
advantages from trade diversions.
● Non-oil exports will amount to US$ 93 billion, growing at 12.6%, in the first quarter (April-June) of
2022-23 as compared to US$ 82.6 billion in the previous year.
● However, the growth forecast is subject to commodity price volatility and uncertainties in the
global economy driven by geopolitical tensions.
About EXIM Bank:
● Founded: 1982
● CEO: Harsha Bangari
● Headquarters: Mumbai
GoI collaborates with SBI to create an integrated pension portal
● The Centre’s Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), Ministry of Personnel,
Public Grievances & Pensions, GoI, will collaborate with the State Bank of India (SBI) to create
an integrated pension portal to enhance the ease of living of pensioners.
● The announcement was made at a two-day Bankers’ Awareness Program organized by DoPPW
in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
About the Program :
● The program is mainly for officers of the State Bank of India handling pension-related work,
covering the Northern Region of India.
● The program was the first in a series of Awareness Programs for Central Pension Processing
Centers and field functionaries handling pension-related work in various banks.
● A team of officers from DoPPW took sessions on Pension policy reforms & digitization regarding
the disbursement of pensions to Central Government pensioners, to update the field
functionaries of the State Bank of India.
● Special sessions were organized on Income Tax matters related to pensioners as well as Digital
means of submitting the Annual Life Certificates.
● Digital life certificate and face authentication technology would be a game-changer for
pensioners and banks in the submission of life certificates.
● Along similar lines, awareness programs will be conducted in collaboration with other Pension
Disbursing Banks in the year 2022-23.
About SBI :
LIC introduces ‘Dhan Sanchay’ savings life insurance plan
● The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched a Dhan Sanchay Savings scheme,
which is a non-linked, non-participating, individual, savings life insurance plan that combines life
protection and savings.
● The plan provides guaranteed income benefit during the pay-out period from the date of maturity
and guaranteed terminal benefit.
About Dhan Sanchay's plan :
● The Dhan Sanchay plan is available for a term of a minimum of 5 years to a maximum of 15
years depending on the option chosen by the policyholder.
● Policy Term for Option A & B: 10 and 15 years
● Policy Term for Option C & D: 5, 10, and 15 years
● In case of the unfortunate death of the policyholder during the term policy, after the
commencement of the policy, the plan will provide financial support to the family.
● The death benefits can be paid in a lump sum and/or in installments over 5 years, depending on
the option chosen by the policyholder.
● The installments shall be paid in advance at yearly or half-yearly or quarterly or monthly
intervals, as opted by the policyholder (subject to minimum installment amount).
● Optional riders are available on payment of additional premium subject to conditions.
Key Highlights :
● Under the LIC Dhan Sanchay plan, 4 types of plans have been introduced; these are options A,
B, C, and D.
➢ The minimum sum assured under the option A & B of the plan is Rs 3,30,000.
➢ For option C it is Rs 2,50,000
➢ For option D it is Rs 22,00,000.
● The minimum age at entry is 3 years (complete) and the maximum entry age is as follows:
➢ Options A & B: 50 years (nearer birthday)
➢ Option C: 65 years (nearer birthday)
➢ Option D: 40 years (nearer birthday)
● There is no maximum limit on premium contributions.
● However, the Minimum Annualized / Single Premium limit for different options of the plan is as
follows.
➢ Option A & B: Rs 30,000
➢ Option C & D: Rs 2,00,000
Where to buy LIC’s Dhan Sanchay Plan :
● LIC’s Dhan Sanchay Savings Life Insurance plan can be purchased offline through agents or
other intermediaries including Point of Sales Persons-Life Insurance (POSP-LI), Common Public
Service Centres (CPSC-SPV).
● The plan can be purchased online directly through LIC’s official website www.licindia.in.
About LIC :
● Chairperson : M R Kumar
● Managing Directors: B C Patnaik, Smt. Ipe Mini, Siddharth Mohanty, Rajkumar
ICICI Bank Launches ‘Campus Power’ Digital Platform for The Student Ecosystem
● Private sector lender ICICI Bank has launched a digital platform Campus Power
Aim :
● To address the needs of the students aspiring to pursue higher education in India and abroad.
● The platform caters to the varied needs of the entire student ecosystem comprising students,
parents, and institutes.
About Campus Power :
● Campus Power assists users to explore financial products matching their needs ranging from
bank accounts including overseas accounts, education loans, and its tax benefit, foreign
exchange solutions, payment solutions, cards, other loans, and investments.
● The platform provides information regarding a host of value-added services related to higher
studies in India and foreign countries including Canada, the UK, Germany, the USA, and
Australia.
● The impaneled partners provide value-added services on courses/ universities, destinations,
admission counseling, test preparation, overseas accommodation, and travel assistance.
● The first branch has been set up at IIT Kanpur and seven more will be added to the campus of
top premier institutes across India.
● The ‘Campus Power’ offers a host of banking as well as value-added features to students,
parents, and institutes:
● It offers 360-degree curated solutions to students who are aspiring to go for higher studies in
India and abroad.
● The services include funding education, assistance in finding out the course and the university,
helping students to prepare themselves for tests, offering debit/credit cards, and creating
overseas student accounts.
● To support the child’s education journey, ‘Campus Power’ offers parents education loans and
remittance services.
● Moreover, it has other solutions for them in terms of savings accounts, investment products,
travel, and health insurance.
● It provides institutes and international schools with various products and services under one
umbrella to facilitate all the financial needs including funding, payments, collections,
investments, and insurance
● The private sector lender has collaborated with reputed companies like IDP Education (for
admission counseling, information on universities, and online test prep), the British Council (for
IELTS preparation and English language improvement courses), Casita (for accommodation
solutions), and EaseMyTrip (for travel booking).
About ICICI Bank :
Bharti Airtel (Airtel), has launched Xstream multiplex, India’s first multiplex in the metaverse on the
Partynite Metaverse platform
● Bharti Airtel has launched India’s first multiplex on the Partynite Metaverse platform.
● The Airtel Xstream multiplex is an extension of Airtel’s Xstream Premium offering.
● It is a 20-screen platform with access to content portfolios from leading OTT partners available
on the application.
● Airtel has released a YouTube video for users to check out the multiplex experience.
● Users can download the “Partynite Metaplex” app on Windows and Android devices from their
respective app stores.
● The multiplex will enable sampling of top original shows and movies with content pieces such as
the first episode of an OTT original or the initial minutes of a movie in regional languages,
besides English and Hindi.
● Viewers can get complete access to the subscription with a paid plan.
● According to the company, Xtream Premium recently witnessed a 2-million subscriber milestone
within 100 days of its launch.
IRDAI Extends Use & File Procedure for Life Insurance Products
● Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has extended the 'use and
file' procedure for most life insurance products, thereby allowing insurers to launch new products
without prior approval of the regulator.
● For the use and file procedure for products launching into the market, insurance companies will
have to adopt a board-approved product management and pricing policy (BAPMPP).
● This comes after the insurance regulator extended similar relaxations for all health insurance
products and almost all the general insurance products.
● Previously, it was made mandatory for the insurance companies to take prior approval before
launching any life insurance product
Key Highlights :
● According to the dynamic needs of the market, it will enable life insurers to launch most of the
products (except individual savings, individual pensions, and annuity) promptly
● This will result in improving ‘the ease of doing business for the insurers & also lead to the
expansion of the choices available to the policyholders.
● The board shall also constitute a Product Management Committee (PMC), which shall have an
appointed actuary, chief risk officer, chief marketing/distribution officer, chief technology officer,
and chief compliance officer of the insurance company as members.
● Also, it will have an option to include other members of the senior management as invitees.
● The PMC shall review and approve the products/riders in line with BAPMPP.
About IRDAI :
● Founded: 1999
● Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana
● Chairperson: Debasish Panda
● IRDAI is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI & it is tasked
with regulating and licensing the insurance and reinsurance industries in India.
Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI) launches out-of-network cash advance facility
● Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI) has launched an out-of-network cash advance facility to
help customers with monetary support at any hospital that is not part of EGI’s network.
About the Cash Advance :
● Under the new “Cash Advance" facility, customers will receive money up to Rs. 10,000 to take
care of admission charges or other expenses during the hospitalization.
● The advance is then adjusted at the time of claim.
● The launch of this service has been based on the insights gained from qualitative research
conducted by EGI across 4 cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru & Kolkata.
● Steps to follow in case of any hospitalization to avail of the Out-of-Network Cash Advance:
➢ The insured gets admitted to the nearest available hospital
➢ Insured will then intimate EGI’s customer care team on toll-free number 180012000, select
Option 2, and share all medical details of the case
➢ The EGI claims team gets into action immediately and connects with the hospital
➢ Depending on the case and policy terms, EGI will endeavor to provide a Cash Advance facility
for admissible claims
About EGI :
● Founded: 2017
● CEO & Executive Director: Shanai Ghosh
Tata Projects to construct Noida International Airport at Jewar, UP
● The Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) has selected Tata Projects Limited as
its engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) for the Noida International Airport (NIA) at
Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.
● As part of the agreement, Tata Projects will construct the terminal, runway, airside infrastructure,
roads, utilities, landside facilities, and other ancillary buildings at Noida International Airport
● The new airport is expected to be functional by 2024, as per the developer.
● The Uttar Pradesh government signed the concession agreement with YIAPL on October 7,
2020, to commence the development of the NIA.
About YIAPL :
● CEO : Christoph Schnellmann
● YIAPL is a 100 percent subsidiary of Swiss developer Zurich Airport International AG and has
been incorporated as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to develop Noida International Airport.
About NIA :
● The greenfield facility, spread over 1,334 hectares, will have a single-runway operation in the
first phase with a capacity to handle 12 million passengers per annum at an investment of
₹5,700 crores.
RBI approves SBI’s establishment of operations support subsidiary
● The State Bank of India (SBI) has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) for its proposed operations support subsidiary aimed at bringing down the cost-to-income
ratio.
● The pilot will be launched soon within a quarter or so in a few circles and once the results are
seen, it would be rolled out across India.
● This subsidiary is expected to provide support services mainly for agriculture, micro, small and
medium enterprises, other micro-loans, data entry operations, and activities that can be
undertaken as allowed for Business Correspondents, among others.
Key Highlights :
● SBI’s cost-to-income ratio stood at 53.3 percent in FY22, an improvement of 240 basis points
over FY19 levels.
● In comparison, the cost-to-income ratio of the top 3 private banks is well below SBIs, at 35-40
percent.
● The subsidiary aimed at bettering the operating efficiencies can help India’s largest bank
significantly improve its profitability over time.
● In FY22, SBI’s net interest margin stood at 3.15 percent, while the average for private banks
topped 4 percent in FY22.
● The cost-to-income ratio of SBI has declined to 53.31 percent in 2021-22 from 53.5 percent in
2020-21 and 55.7 percent in 2018-19.
About RBI :
Bajaj Finance partners with Worldline India for POS payments
● Bajaj Finance Limited, the lending arm of Bajaj Finserv Limited, has partnered with Worldline, a
global firm in payment services, to develop point-of-sales (POS) payments acquiring solutions
for its merchant network.
Aim :
● To enhance its relationship with both existing and new networks of merchant partners, by
providing point-of-sale terminals and enabling acceptance of a wide range of payment
instruments such as equated monthly installments (EMI) cards, credit cards, UPI, and wallets on
those terminals.
● The tie-up will provide services like billing integrations, EMI offerings, transactions processing,
data analytics, and fraud management services
About Bajaj Finance :
● Founded: 1987
● Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra, India
● Chairman & Managing Director: Sanjiv Bajaj
About Worldline India Pvt. Ltd :
● Worldline India Pvt. Ltd., is a global leader in the payments industry and the technology partner
of choice for merchants, banks, and acquirers.
● It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Worldline and is a partner to over 40 banks and over 5000
marquee clients comprising e-commerce giants, leading insurance players, and D2C players
across sectors.
SEBI imposes a Rs 30 lakh fine on RIL and two of its compliance officers
● Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has imposed a penalty of ₹30 lakh on Reliance
Industries (RIL) and two of its compliance officers, Savithri Parekh and K. Sethuraman, for failing
to clarify on news or promptly disclose information about stake purchases in the company’s
subsidiary Jio Platforms by FaceBook, Silver Lake and Vista equity partners.
● The fine need to be paid jointly and severally by them within 45 days
● Accordingly, Sebi held them liable for the violation of the provisions of principles of fair
disclosure for purposes of the code of practices and procedures for Fair Disclosure of
unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI) under Listing Obligations and Disclosure
Requirements (LODR) Regulations.
About SEBI :
Act, 1992
IRDAI Reduces Solvency Margin Requirement For General Insurers doing Crop Business
● The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) reduced the solvency
margin requirement for general insurers providing crop insurance, a decision expected to unlock
Rs 1,400 crore of funds for them to undertake more business.
● The decision is part of a series of reforms it has undertaken to increase insurance penetration in
the country.
● Since fiscal 2017-18, it has been relaxing the period of admissibility of premium due from the
government for solvency calculation purposes from 180 days to 365 days.
● It has been decided to extend the above relaxations from FY 2022-23 onwards till further orders.
About IRDAI :
● The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is a regulatory body
under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
● It is tasked with regulating and licensing the insurance and re-insurance industries in India.
● IRDAI is a 10-member body including the chairman, five full-time and four part-time members
appointed by the GoI.
Tata Power commissions India’s largest floating solar power project:
• In Kayamkulam, Kerala, Tata Power Solar Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power,
has achieved an amazing achievement by putting India's largest floating solar power plant
online.
• The backwaters region has a 101.6-Megawatt Peak installed capacity on a 350-acre water body.
• To make the complete solar plant float on water, Tata Power Solar successfully constructed a
scaffolding platform on the water body.
About The Project:
• The Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FSPV) via Power Purchase Agreement initiative is the first of its
kind.
• This facility has a platform for floating inverters with a 5-Megawatt (MW) capacity.
• The solar modules were subjected to strong gusts and gushing tides that frequently reached a
height of roughly 3.5 meters while being hauled for 3 kilometers on a sea-linked National canal
that was 15 meters deep.
• To operationalize the project, Tata Power Solar‘s execution team was successfully able to
synchronize the 33/220 Kilovolts Air Insulated Substation (AIS) with 220 Kilovolts existing Gas
Insulated Substation (GIS).
About Tata Power Solar Systems
• Headquarters: Mumbai;
• Founded: 1989.
NASSCOM: By 2025, AI can boost GDP by $500 billion:
• An integrated AI and data usage strategy, according to NASSCOM, an Indian non-governmental
trade organization and advocacy group, may increase India's GDP by $500 billion by 2025.
• The Nasscom has created an AI Adoption Index to measure sectoral progress on AI adoption in
the country, with help from EY, Microsoft, EXL, and Capgemini.
About NASSCOM:
• India's non-governmental National Association of Software and Service Companies
(NASSCOM) strives to advance the technology industry there.
• NASSCOM is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1988.
• By 2023, 10,000 Indian enterprises will get help under a program that NASSCOM established in
2013.
• Activities focused on Indian startups are supported by NASSCOM.
Key Points:
• The index, which began with four significant industries—banking, financial services and
insurance (BFSI), consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail, healthcare, and industrials &
automotive—was the first thorough review of AI adoption trends in India.
• By 2025, when the GDP of the country is expected to reach between $450 and $500 billion,
these sectors might together provide more than 60% of the potential value that AI could offer to
the economy.
• The top organization claims that over the last two years, investments in AI have grown
dramatically, going from $36 billion in 2020 to a peak of $77 billion in 2021.
• Even though it was predicted that India's current rate of AI investments would increase at a
CAGR of 30.8 percent and reach $881 million by 2023, it would still only represent 2.5 percent of
the $340 billion in total global AI expenditures.
• Encouraging equal growth across all sectors would create a significant opportunity for Indian
enterprises to enhance their investments in and use AI.
RBI grants semi-closed prepaid payment instruments license to Mufin Finance Limited
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted Muffin Finance Limited, a subsidiary of Hindon
Mercantile Limited one of the leading Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) in principal
approval for the issuance of semi-closed prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) to customers in
India.
● A semi-closed PPI license allows digital banks, fintech firms, and large consumer-facing
applications to roll out features such as digital payment solutions for lending.
● With this license, the company can now offer a wider range of complementary products for
customers and build deeper partnerships with consumer companies and corporations.
About PPI :
● PPI can come in the form of digital wallets, smart cards, magnetic chips, and vouchers.
● PPI acts as a store of value against which goods and services can be bought and used to
transfer funds.
● Gift cards, payment wallets, smart cards, and vouchers are all forms of PPIs.
● However, Debit cards need an open PPI license and are issued only to banks.
Note :
● Mufin Finance is the 4th NBFC to receive such a license from the RBI, after leading brands
such as Bajaj Finserv, Manapurram, and Paul Merchants.
Recent News :
● Mufin Finance has acquired APM Finvest, a BSE-listed NBFC, for over Rs 76 crore in a bid
to create India's first financing ecosystem for the fast-growing electric vehicles(EVs) market.
● This comes after Mufin Finance acquired Rupee Circle, a P2P (peer-to-peer) non-banking
financial company, in June 2021.
About RBI :
About Muffin Finance Limited :
● Founders : Kapil Garg and Rajat Goyal
World Bank approves $250 mn loans for India's road safety program
● The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved the financing of $250 million to
support the India State Support Program for Road Safety, and the Government of India’s
Program for Strengthening Road Safety.
● The India State Support Program for Road Safety, financed by the World Bank, will be
implemented in the states of Andhra Pradesh (AP), Gujarat, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana,
Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
● The variable spread loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD) has a maturity of 18 years including a grace period of 5.5 years.
Aim :
● To help participating states reduce road crash fatalities and injuries through improved road
safety management and institutional reform, and results-based interventions on high-risk roads.
● It will also strengthen emergency medical and rehabilitation services for post-crash care.
Key Highlights :
● The project will establish a national harmonized crash database system to analyze accidents
and use that to construct better and safer roads.
● It will fund network expansion of basic and advanced life support ambulances and training of first
responder caregivers to road crash victims on the spot.
● The project will also provide incentives to the States to leverage private funding through Public-
Private Partnership (PPP) concessions and pilot initiatives.
● With only 1% of the world’s vehicles, India accounts for almost 10% of all crash-related deaths.
● Poor households account for a higher proportion of the socio-economic burden of road crashes
due to loss of income (over 70 percent of crash victims in poor households), high medical
expenses, and limited access to social safety nets.
● According to a World Bank study, road crashes are estimated to cost the Indian economy
between 5% and 7% of GDP a year.
● As per Official government data show that each year road accidents in India kill about 1,50,000
people and injure another 4,50,000.
● More than half of the victims are pedestrians, cyclists, or motorcyclists and almost 84% of all
fatalities are among road users between the working ages of 18-60 years.
About World Bank :
● Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States of America
● Membership: 189 member countries
Protean and PayNearby tie-up to offer paperless PAN services
● Protean eGov Technologies Ltd (formerly NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Ltd) and
PayNearby (Nearby Technologies Private Limited) have announced a partnership to offer
Permanent Account Number (PAN) related services for PayNearby’s retail partners through
Aadhaar and biometric or SMS-based One Time Password (OTP) authentication for their
customers.
● The partnership will help improve service delivery for millions of citizens as they enter the formal
financial sector.
● It will facilitate quick and easy access to online PAN services in neighborhood stores at
affordable rates, thus eliminating the submission of physical applications and supporting
documents.
● This partnership is designed to make the entire process seamless, hassle-free, and accessible
across 17,600+ PIN codes in the country through PayNearby’s DaaS (Distribution as a Service)
network of 50+ lakh micro-entrepreneurs.
About Protean eGov Technologies Ltd :
● Founded: 1995
About PayNearby :
● Founded: 2016
● Founder, Managing Director, and CEO: Anand Kumar Bajaj
● PayNearby is a Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) certified
company and India’s leading branchless banking and digital payments network.
Karnataka CM Basavaraj B ommai launches health & wellness app AAYU
● Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai l aunched a new health and wellness app AAYU to
address and help heal chronic diseases and lifestyle disorders through yoga and meditation.
● The app has been developed by Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S -
VYASA) in partnership with RESET TECH, an AI-driven integrated health-tech platform.
Aim :
● To address and help heal chronic diseases and lifestyle disorders through the right approach to
yoga and meditation.
● To reach and impact over five million chronic disease patients within five years.
About AAYU :
● The app AAYU would effectively provide users with personalized wellness solutions and offer
doctor consultations based on individual’s personal history and monitor its progress enabling
them to accelerate healing and recovery
● The app is available in multiple languages.
● It addresses the root cause of the diseases goes beyond temporary care and helps restore lost
health
About Karnataka :
● Chief minister: Basavaraj Bommai
● Governor: Thawar Chand Gehlot
● Capital: Bengaluru
Skill India International Centre is to be established in Varanasi to prepare a skilled workforce for global
markets
● A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Skill Development
Corporation (NSDC) and UAE’s DP World for the development of Skill India International Centre
at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and UAE
minister Dr. Ahmad Belhoul in New Delhi.
● It will impart skilling as per international standards, preparing the candidates for global markets.
● It will provide high-quality training to the Indian youth to skill in various fields like logistics and port
operations and other allied areas to pursue overseas employment.
● The centers will host training facilities, providing skills as per the demand of international
employers in countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Canada, Australia, and other GCC
regions.
● Services like mobilization, counseling, skill training, pre-departure orientation, and many others
will also be provided by the centers.
About NSDC :
● Established: 2008 under the Companies Act, 1956.
● CEO: Mr. Manish Kumar
Maharashtra re-emerges as top sugar producer in India
● After a five-year gap, Maharashtra has overtaken Uttar Pradesh (UP) to regain its position as
India’s top sugar producer.
● Maharashtra's output for the 2021-22 crushing year (October-September) at 138 lakh tonnes (lt)
& is an all-time high, beating the previous 107.21 in 2018-19.
● The first is the bountiful rainfall Maharashtra has been receiving since the 2019 southwest
monsoon season (June-September).
● The filling up of reservoirs and recharge of groundwater aquifers has induced farmers to plant
more area under sugarcane, which is a 12-18 months duration crop.
● The second is higher yields from farmers taking extra care of their crops.
● The third factor is a huge jump in “unregistered” cane cultivation.
● The sugarcane crushing season in Maharashtra generally lasts for 120 to 140 days and a
maximum of 145 days.
● In 2022 around 20 sugar factories in the state will run for 160 days due to the high sugarcane
production.
Additional Info :
● MD of National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories: Mr. Prakash Naiknavare
About Maharashtra :
● Chief minister: Uddhav Thackeray
● Capital: Mumbai
Punjab govt launches e-stamp facility Instead Of Paper Stamp
● Punjab Revenue Minister Mr. Bram Shanker Jimpa launched the ‘e-stamp facility to abolish
physical stamp papers to bring more efficiency and check the pilferage of state revenue.
● The stamp paper of any denomination can now be obtained via e-stamp (computerized print-out)
from any stamp vendor or banks authorized by the state government.
● Earlier the e-stamping facility applied only to values above Rs.20,000.
● As per the new rules, this facility has been extended for all denominations starting from Rs One.
● The decision taken by the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will at least
save Rs 35 Crore annually, which is incurred on printing of stamp papers, besides facilitating the
common public to obtain stamp papers in a hassle-free manner.
● The Punjab government will pay a commission of 2% to the stamp vendors on e-stamps ranging
from Rs 1 to Rs 19,999, while the general public would get stamp paper at the actual rate.
● For instance, they will have to pay only Rs 100 for a stamp paper of Rs 100 and no extra
commission will be levied.
● Also, this step will help in curbing the stamp paper-linked fraud.
● The department has also launched 5 more e-facilities including
1. Loan/Hypothecation Agreement
2. Agreement of Pledge
3. Affidavit & Declaration
4. Demand Promissory Note
5. Indemnity Bond.
● Now, these documents can also be issued through the computer directly.
● This facility has been started with the help of the Union government’s National e-Governance
Services Ltd. (NeSL).
About Punjab :
● Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
● Chief minister: Bhagwant Mann
Special Health Care Abhiyan 'Anchal' launched for pregnant women in Rajasthan
● A Special Health Care Abhiyan 'Anchal' has been launched in the Karauli district o f R ajasthan
for pregnant women.
● More than 13,000 women have benefited from this Abhiyan.
Aim :
● To ensure all necessary medical aid to pregnant women at the pre and post-natal stage so that
maternal and infant mortality rates could be reduced.
About the 'Anchal' Campagin :
● During the campaign, 13,144 pregnant women were tested for their hemoglobin levels, out of
which 11,202 were found to be anemic.
● Tested anemic women were advised to take the right medicine and necessary nutritious diet &
also advised to keep themselves stress-free.
● Under this campaign, it also ensured that the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife and ASHA workers in the
district will keep in constant contact with the pregnant women of their respective areas and
provide them with necessary counseling and treatment as and when required.
About Rajasthan :
● Capital: Jaipur
● Chief minister: Ashok Gehlot
Delhi to rename streets and colonies after Babasaheb Ambedkar
● The Delhi government is set to replace the word ‘Harijan’ from the names of colonies & streets
and name them after Babasaheb Ambedkar instead.
● The proposal has come in the wake of the central government’s guideline advising against the
use of the word “Harijan”, considered derogatory by scheduled caste communities.
● A proposal to this effect has been tabled by Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam.
● The Delhi government under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal strives to uplift
the SC (scheduled caste), ST (scheduled tribe), and OBC (other backward class) communities
living in the national capital.
Additional Info :
● Delhi will be one of the first states in the country to curb the use of the word which many people
claim is “offensive and derogatory.
About Delhi :
● Lt. Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena
● CM: Arvind Kejriwal
Andhra Pradesh CM Launches "ACB 14400" App To File Corruption Complaints
● Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the ACB ‘14400’ app developed
by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), to register corruption-related complaints against officials in
the state.
● The application can be downloaded from Google's Play Store.
About ACB 14400 :
● Once the app is downloaded, an OTP will be sent to the user's phone to authenticate the mobile
number.
● The "ACB 14400" application, once opened, will feature two categories
1. "Live Report"
2. "Lodge Complaint".
● In the "Live Report" section, users can click photographs, record audio or videos of live acts of
corruption using their mobile phones, and submit complaints instantaneously.
● In the "Lodge Complaint" section, users can prepare a complaint by attaching existing
documents, photos, audio, or video files before submitting it.
● The app gives an in-built feature to ensure the evidence is recorded and attached with the
complaint.
● Just like the Disha App, the ACB app is designed to aid people in registering complaints through
the use of modern information technology and also maintain transparency.
About ACB :
● Headquarters: Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
About AP :
● Chief minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
● Capital: Amaravati
● Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
Blue Duke Declared as State Butterfly Of Sikkim
● On the occasion of World Environment Day on June 05, 2022, Sikkim Chief Minister Shri Prem
Singh Tamang has declared Blue Duke the state butterfly.
● Of the 720 species of butterflies found in Sikkim, Blue Duke was selected as the state butterfly
securing 57% votes in a recent online poll conducted by the Forest Department & while Krishna
Peacock (Papilio Krishna) secured 43% votes.
● The idea of a state butterfly was brought by butterfly enthusiast Nosang M Limboo from Darap
as part of The Butterfly Society of Sikkim (TPCF) in 2018.
About Blue Duke :
● Scientific name of Blue Duke - Bassarona durga durga
● It is unique to Sikkim and the eastern Himalayas.
● It was discovered in Sikkim in 1858.
● Blue Duke falls in Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and is a protected s pecies i n
the Himalayas.
● Blue Duke is found at an altitude below 1500 meters in the Himalayas and is commonly found in
places like Pakyong, Passingdong, and Hee Gyathang in Dzongu, Lingee in South Sikkim, a nd
Yangsum in West Sikkim and closer to the State capital in places like Tadong-Ranka.
Additional Info :
● Nosang M Limboo is also known as the Butterfly Man of Sikkim.
About Sikkim :
● Governor: Ganga Prasad
● Chief minister: Prem Singh Tamang
● Capital: Gangtok
Tamil Nadu CM Flags off Luxury Cruise liner Empress From Chennai Port
● Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Shri MK Stalin flagged off the luxury cruise liner “Empress” from
Chennai port.
● Tourism Minister Shri M Mathiventhan and Tourism department secretary Shri B Chandra
Mohan participated in the inaugural function.
● This is considered the first luxury cruise liner to be operated from Tamil Nadu.
About luxury cruise liner “Empress” :
● It is Operated by Cordelia Cruises.
● It is an 11-story tourist vessel that can accommodate up to 2000 passengers and about 800
crew members.
● It has three different packages consisting of two, three, and five days.
● The Empress has 11 decks with 796 cabins, several food pavilions, a dive-in theater, a
swimming pool, and a marquee theater.
● The packages include sailing to the high seas from the city port and returning, as well as
anchoring at the ports of Puducherry and Visakhapatnam.
About Tamil Nadu :
● Governor: R. N. Ravi
● Capital: Chennai
● Chief minister: M. K. Stalin
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot announces Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for sportspersons
● While addressing the inauguration and the player award ceremony at Sawai Mansingh Stadium
in Jaipur, The Chief Minister of Rajasthan Shri Ashok Gehlot announced the Rajiv Gandhi Khel
Ratna Award will be introduced for sportspersons in Rajasthan.
● He inaugurated Rajasthan High-Performance Sports and Rehabilitation Centre, Renovated
Synthetic Hockey Astro Turf and Badminton Indoor Hall, Olympic and also awarded Para
Olympic medalists, Asian Games-2022 and Commonwealth Games-2022 players.
● He also announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympics will start on August 29, 2022, & more
than 27 lakh players of all ages will take part in Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympics.
● The event will become a big platform for the talent hunt in Rajasthan.
● The winners in the Rural Olympics would also be given priority in the recruitment of vacant posts
in the Panchayat cadre.
● He released the torch of Rural Olympics at the ceremony.
● Also, a provision of a 2 percent reservation has been made for the players.
● The pension will be awarded to Arjuna and Dronacharya awardees along with Olympic, Para
Olympic, Asian, and Commonwealth Games medal-winners
About Khel Ratna Award :
● Khel Ratna Award which is formally known as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in sports and
games is the highest sporting honor in India.
● It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
● As of 2020, Khel Ratna Award comprises a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize of Rs. 25
lakh.
Arignar Anna Zoological Park Introduces Use of Plastic Bottles in a Unique Way
● The Arignar Anna Zoological Park (Vandalur Zoo), Chennai, Tamil Nadu has introduced a new
method to check the littering of plastic bottles inside its premises.
● The Park is one such park that is worried about the increasing pollution near the park which is
threatening the animals.
● Meanwhile, the state environment minister Shri Siva. V. Meyyanathan and health minister Shri
Ma. Subramanian in Chennai distributed the traditional cloth bags called “Manchapai,” which
means ‘yellow bags,’ to promote the use of environmentally friendly carry bags instead of
harmful plastic bags.
Key Highlights :
● To encourage the visitors to return these bottles to designated disposal points, Rs. 10/- will be
collected at entry and the same will be refunded once they return the bottle without throwing it
into the zoo premises.
● The zoo officials organized a mass tree-planting event involving 350 zoo employees with a
slogan of 'one person, one tree', to add to the green cover inside the zoo premises.
● To encourage sustainable management practice, the park has introduced fish culture in the
existing deep-water troughs.
About Arignar Anna Zoological Park
● It is the first public zoo in India and was established in 1855 to flourish the flora and fauna of the
state.
● It is the second wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu after the Mudumalai national park.
● It is spread around 1265 acres and has 2553 species of flora and fauna.
● The park has more than 1500 wild species which includes 46 endangered species.
Govt of TN launches Nalaya Thiran skilling program for college students:
● Under the Tamil Nadu Govt’s Naan Mudhalvan (I am the first), it launched the program called
Nalaya Thiran (Tomorrow’s ability).
About Nalaya Thiran (Tomorrow’s ability) :
● Under this Programme, the Tamil Nadu government will train nearly 50,000 college students
with knowledge in computer science, electronics, and IT domains, skilling them in problem-
solving using technologies.
● It is not a pilot program & this will help companies to get a skilled workforce.
● This multi-agency program has been co-created by Nasscom, ICT Academy, and Skill
Development Corporation, giving students access to much-needed cross-cutting skills.
About TN :
Goa CM launches Beach Vigil App for Beach Management:
● The chief minister of Goa Shri Pramod Sawant launched a “Beach Vigil App".
Aim :
● To benefit both the travelers as well as those working in the tourism sector, for holistic
management of the beaches.
● Goa IT and Tourism Minister Shri Rohan Khaunte was also present at the occasion.
About Beach Vigil App" :
● Using the app Drishti workers, police and other stakeholders will be able to raise issues
safeguarding the interest of the travelers.
Benefits :
● The application would redress issues from illegal hawkers, encroachment, and massage
services to cleanliness.
● According to the Public Health Foundation of India, India's tally of rape-related crimes rose by
70.7 percent over the past decades, and Goa recorded the highest increase of 559.4 percent
and 5.6 times the national average.
About Goa :
● Governor: P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
● Chief minister: Pramod Sawant
● Capital: Panaji
● Airport: Goa International Airport
● National Park: Bhagwan Mahavir (Mollem) National Park
Maharashtra gets 12 new conservation reserves and 3 wildlife sanctuaries:

● The 18th Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife (MSBWL) chaired by Chief Minister Shri Uddhav
Thackeray approved 12 new conservation reserves & 3 wildlife sanctuaries in Maharashtra.
● It will have an area of almost 1,000 sq km (around 692.74 sq km for conservation reserves and
303 sq km for wildlife sanctuaries) which is twice the size of Mumbai city’s 482 sq km.
List of 12 new conservation reserves :
Districts Conservation Area (sq km)
Reserves
Dhule Chivatibawri 66.04
Dhule Aladari 100.56
Nashik Kalvan 84.12
Nashik Muragad 42.87
Nashik Trimbakeshwar 96.97
Nashik Igatpuri 88.499
Raigad Raigad 47.62
Raigad Roha 27.30
Pune Bhor 28.44
Satara Dare-Khurd for 1.07
butterflies
Kolhapur Masai Plateau 5.34
Nagpur Mogarkasa 103.92
● So far, 15 conservation reserves have been notified in Maharashtra.
● With these new additions, the number will rise to 27.
List of 3 new wildlife sanctuaries :
1. The extension of the Lonar wildlife sanctuary (0.8694 sq km),
2. Kolamarka in Gadchiroli (180.72 sq km)
3. Muktai Bhawani in Jalgaon (122.74 sq km).
● Kolamarka, which is affected by the presence of Left-wing extremists, has endangered Asiatic
wild buffaloes (Bubalusarnee) & the area was notified as a conservation reserve in 2013.
● Besides, 10 spots have been designated as 'endangered wildlife habitats' in different parts of
Maharashtra.
There are :
1. Mayureshwar-Supe (5.15 square km)
2. Bor (62 square km)
3. Navin Bor (61 square km)
4. extended Bor (16 square km)
5. Narnala (12 square km.)
6. Lonar (3.65 square km)
7. Gugamal National Park (361 square km)
8. Yedshi Ramalingaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (22.37 square km)
9. Naigaon-Mayur Wildlife Sanctuary (30 square km)
10. Deulgaon-Rehekuri Antelope Sanctuary (2.17 square km).
● As per the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, the consent of the wildlife board is a
must before notifying any fresh PAs in the state.
● Meanwhile, the board also approved a 4.5 km elevated corridor from Hotel Fountain on
Ghodbunder road to Gaimukh and the proposal will now be sent to the National Board for
Wildlife (NBWL) for its consent.
Additional Info :
● Currently, Maharashtra has 6 national parks, and 50 sanctuaries.
● It has 6 tiger projects, namely, Melghat, Tadoba-Andhari, Pench, Sahyadri, Navegaon -Nagzira,
and Bor.
● As per the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s ( NTCA) ‘ Status o f T igers i n In dia, 2 018 ’
report, the estimated number of tigers in Maharashtra was 312 as against 190 in 2014.
About Maharashtra :
● CM: Uddhav Thackeray
● Capital: Mumbai
Sital Sasthi festival is being celebrated in Odisha
● A week-long special sacred Hindu festival, Sital Sasthi is being celebrated in Odisha.
● The festival highlights the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
● According to the Hindu calendar, Sital Sasthi is observed on the 6th day of the Jyestha month
during the Shukla Paksha.
● After a gap of two years, In 2022, an assembly of more than 6,000 artists across Odisha as well
as other states are likely to perform at the cultural extravaganza.
● Events like folk music, dance, and other such festivities form the chief attraction of this carnival.
About the Festival :
● Sital Sasthi is a celebration wherein Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are adopted by two
families, and their wedding is solemnized with the involvement of rituals.
● People observing this festival believe that Lord Shiva represents the scorchi ng heat of summer
while Goddess Parvati signifies the first rain.
● So, this holy and lavish wedding is observed for a good monsoon.
About Odisha :
Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik

● Governor: Ganeshi Lal
● Capital: Bhubaneswar
AP CM Jagan Launches YSR Yantra Seva Scheme & flags of the state-level distribution of tractors
● Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched YSR Yantra Seva Scheme
and flagged off the mega distribution of tractors and combine harvesters at Chuttugunta Centre
in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
● Minister Thaneti Vanita, Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Ambati Rambabu, and other officials
were present at the events.
● A total of 3,800 tractors along with 1,140 other farm machinery have been distributed at Rythu
Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) level - Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs).
● A subsidy of Rs 175.61 Crore was also deposited in 5,262 farmer group bank accounts.
● In that, the government is providing a 40 percent subsidy and providing loans for 50 percent of
the machinery cost, and the remaining 10 percent can be paid by the farmer’s group.
● The 10,750 RBKs were brought to assist the farmer fraternity from seed to sale, and farm
equipment like tractors, and harvesters were also made available.
● Also 10,750 YSR Yantra Seva Centres will be set up at each RBK level at Rs 2,016 crore and
1,615 harvesters will be made available at the cluster level where the paddy cultivation will be
high.
● Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the Jindal Waste to Energy Plant in Kondaveedu
of Palnadu district and unveiled the pylon installed at the plant.
● Further, he unveiled a pylon of Jagananna Haritha Nagaralu in Kondaveedu.
About AP :
● CM : Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
● Governor : Biswabhusan Harichandan
● Capital: Amaravati
Assam celebrates the Baikho festival for good rain and harvest
● People in India's northeastern state of Assam celebrated the Baikho festival which is called the
gateway to northeast India.
● The Baikho festival is celebrated by the Rabha tribes in India.
About Baikho festival :
● The Baikho festival is annually celebrated to bring in an auspicious harvest season filled with
abundant crops and good health.
● This is a celebration of a good harvest.
● The tribe smear their faces with rice flour and pour rice beer stored in earthen pots for others.
Who are the Rabhas?
● Rabhas are a Tibeto-Burman community who reside majorly in Lower Assam, Garo Hills, and
West Bengal’s Dooar region.
● They are among the plains tribe in Assam.
● They are an agriculture-based community who have distinctive culture and celebrations.
About Assam :
● Governor: Jagadish Mukhi
● Chief minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
● Capital: Dispur
J&K rolls out accidental insurance cover of Rs 15 lakh for govt employees
● Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha rolled out the ‘Accidental Insurance
Scheme’ for employees of the J&K Government.
About ‘Accidental Insurance Scheme’ :
● Under the scheme, Jammu & Kashmir Bank will extend free group personal insurance cover of
Rs 15 lakh to all the employees.
● The free group personal insurance cover is extended to all permanent employees in J&K, in
addition to the offers that they are entitled to under an agreement between the bank and the
Jammu and Kashmir government.
● The policy for group accidental insurance shall cover personal accidental deaths under all
circumstances including terrorism, on an anytime and anywhere basis.
● The insurance company will be required to settle the claims within 15 working days of
submission of all requisite papers.
● He directed the bank to enhance the insurance amount from Rs.15 Lakh to Rs.25 Lakh from the
next financial year 2022.
● The Lt Governor also launched J&K Bank’s 'Phone Pe Loan' facility for the government
employees.
● Under the ‘Phone Pe Loan’ scheme, the salaried employees can avail of personal consumption
loans and cash credit facilities at a discounted rate of interest.
● Phone Pe Loan' & Accidental Insurance Cover' will ensure hassle-free credit flow and social
security net for employees.
About J&K :
● Capital: Srinagar, Jammu
● LG: Manoj Sinha
● Dance forms: Kud Dance, Dumhal Dance, Rouf Dance, Bhand Pather, Bachha Nagma, Hafiza
Dance, Bhand Jashan
About J&K Bank :
● Headquarters: Srinagar, J&K
● MD & CEO : Baldev Prakash
NABARD Chairman launches My Pad My Right program in Leh
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Chairman Dr. GR Chintala
launched the My Pad My Right program, in Leh
● The program was launched by Nabard’s NabFoundation with machinery and materials for Seven
and a half Lakh rupees.
● Dr. GR Chintala announced to sanction of One more lakh to upgrade the machinery to make
sanitary pads suitable to the demands of women of different age groups.
● It will also help women to participate in the country's economic development.
● Under this unique project, award-winning sanitary pad-making machines will be established
through the network of self-help groups.
About NABARD :
● Chairman : Govinda Rajulu Chintala
● NABARD is an apex regulatory body for the overall regulation of regional rural banks and apex
● It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
Kerala CM inaugurates cancer research center in Kochi
● Karkinos Healthcare, a technology-driven, oncology focussed managed health care platform,
has launched the ‘Advanced Centre for Cancer Diagnostics and Research’ in Kochi.
● The center was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
About ‘Advanced Centre for Cancer Diagnostics and Research’ :
● The center will serve as a central lab for the Karkinos’ global oncology network, analyzing
specimens at the molecular and genomic level to aid in personalized targeted therapy, predicting
possible responses to treatment as well as evaluating response by liquid biopsy.
● It is on early diagnostic tools, and molecular assays for precision medicine, which are not readily
available in the country.
About Karkinos Healthcare :
● Founded: 2020
Vision :
● To improve the cancer care experience and cure.
● Karkinos Healthcare has installed the most advanced high-throughput HPV assay equipment
Cobas 6800 with the ability to test over 1200 Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) assays of all high-
risk types.
● It has partnered with professional organizations such as the Kerala Federation of Obstetrics and
Gynaecologic (KFOG) to support the World Health Organization’s mission of eliminating cervical
cancer by 2030.
● It started its oncology services in the Idukki district in Kerala in April 2021 and since then has
expanded to Ernakulam, Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram, and Kasaragod.
About Kerala :
● CM: Pinarayi Vijayan
● Capital : Thiruvananthapuram
Delhi government Partners with the UNDP to set up an oxygen generation plant at G B Pant Hospital
● Delhi Government in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
India, has set up an oxygen generation plant at G. B. Pant Hospital in Delhi to augment the
oxygen supply capabilities.
● United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the
Pacific, Kanni Wignaraja inaugurated the oxygen plant in the presence of Medical Director G. B.
Pant Hospital Dr. Anil Agarwal.
● The oxygen plant utilizes pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology to produce over one
thousand liters of oxygen per minute.
● It will serve approximately 750 hospital beds, including those supported by ventilators and the
Intensive Care Unit.
● The hospital is a super-specialty tertiary care center and manages referrals from across the
country.
About UNDP :
● Established: 22 November 1965
● Headquarters: New York, United States
● Administrator :Achim Steiner
● The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a UN agency entrusted with assisting
countries in eradicating poverty and achieving long-term economic and human development.
● It is the largest UN development aid agency, with operations in 170 countries.
● UNDP has worked in India since 1951
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin launches Ennum Ezhuthum scheme
● Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched the State government’s ambitious Ennum
Ezhuthum Mission, to bridge the learning gap that was caused due to the COVID pandemic
among students aged below 8 at an event in Azhinjivakkam panchayat union middle school,
Tiruvallur.
Aim :
● To ensure foundational literacy and numeracy by 2025.
Objective :
● To make the classroom suitable for conducting lessons. Lessons have been designed in the
format of dance, songs, storytelling, and puppetry, among others.
About Ennum Ezhuthum Mission :
● Under the program, the education department will distribute workbooks to students from Classes
1 to 3 to assess and bridge the learning gap.
● The program is designed to help each child individually and a high-level committee has been
formed for the purpose.
● The children will be trained in 3 subjects - Tamil, English, and Mathematics.
● A total of 92,386 primary teachers participated in the session organized to provide their opinions
on the scheme.
Recent News :
● Recently Tamil Nadu conducted a special training program for teacher s a nd h andbooks were
distributed & teachers were advised to opt for interactive learning methods and encourage
students to read newspapers and books in the school library.
● The CM of TN had announced a free breakfast scheme for primary school children and a
nutrition scheme for malnourished children
● He also announced a Rs 1,000 incentive for girl students pursuing higher education.
About Tamil Nadu :
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar launches pilot project for ‘Sujal’ initiative to conserve water
● Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched a pilot project the ‘Sujal’ initiative for
Panchkula to monitor the water supply and control its flow in the region.
About ‘Sujal’ :
● Under the initiative, a device will be installed in every drinking water meter, tube well, and
connection of Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) that will store the water usage data
online.
● With this technology, it will become easy to estimate the flow of water in every house and at
every commercial site that falls under HSVP.
● The initiative was unique and environment-friendly, & will prove to be a benchmark in the field of
water conservation by helping them save precious resources.
● It will also help in detecting inactive connections and meters so that they can be turned off.
About Haryana :
● Governor : Bandaru Dattatreya
● CM : Manohar Lal Khattar
UP govt to prioritize 'Agniveers' for recruitment in police, related services
● Uttar Pradesh chief minister Shri Yogi Adityanath announced the government will give priority to
‘Agniveers’—soldiers recruited in the Army, Navy, and the Air Force on short-term contracts
under the special ‘Agnipath’ scheme.
● The Agniveers will get priority in recruitment to police and related services in the state.
● Before this, Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh had unveiled the ‘Agnipath scheme’ of short-
term contractual recruitment, extending a maximum of four years, of soldiers in the tri -services
that include the Army, the Navy, and the Air force.
● The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has decided to give priority to Agniveers who complete 4
years under this scheme for recruitment in CAPFs (central armed police forces) and Assam
Rifles
About UP :
● Governor : Anandiben Patel
● CM: Yogi Adityanath
Himachal Pradesh becomes the 1st Indian state to approve a policy for drones
● Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to formally acknowledge the public
use of drones.
● The ‘Himachal Pradesh Drone Policy 2022’ was approved by the chief minister Shri Jai Ram
Thakur.
Aim :
● To propagate the use of drone-enabled technology in different sectors such as defense,
transport, health, agriculture, and more.
About ‘Himachal Pradesh Drone Policy 2022’ :
● The policy envisions creating a holistic drone ecosystem built upon the foundation of
Governance and Reforms Using Drones (GARUD).
● The policy mainly focuses on creating drone-enabled technology, the creation of manpower
through the establishment of training schools, startup and innovation schemes, and more.
About drone technology :
● Drone technology will be used by the police department for surveillance in remote areas, which
is crucial, especially for a hilly state like Himachal Pradesh.
● The government also will allow the mining, forest, and horticulture departments to use drones for
their respective needs.
Additional Info :
● The Department of Information Technology has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
with Indian drone companies such as Skye Air and TechEagle to deliver medical and Agri
commodities within the HP.
About Himachal Pradesh :
● Governor : Rajendra Arlekar
● CM: Jai Ram Thakur
● Capital: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
MIAL Launches Vertical Axis Wind Turbine & Solar PV System
● Mumbai International Airport, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has
become India’s first airport to launch a one-of-its-kind Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) &
Solar PV hybrid (Solar Mill) to explore the possibility of utilization of wind energy at the airport.
Key Highlights :
● CSMIA has introduced this pilot program in collaboration with WindStream Energy Technologies
India Pvt Ltd, which ensures 24/7 energy generation, harnessing maximum energy through wind
power systems, while enabling a highly efficient and low carbon future for aviation.
● This initiative is expected to reduce the airport’s dependence on conventional electricity and help
meet its net-zero emission goals.
● As per reports, The plant will need minimal maintenance of installation, unlike any other
machines for electrical supply.
Note :
● With this, Mumbai will become the first city in India to establish a one-of-its-kind hybrid power
project at its airport.
About Windstream Energy Technologies India Pvt Ltd :
● Founded: 2013
● Directors: Daniel Louis Bates, Rishi Raj Rishabh, Bhaskar Reddy Dasari, Naga Venkata
Kameswara Kumar Tangirala
● It is classified as a Subsidiary of a Foreign Company and is registered at the Registrar of
Companies
● Windstream Energy Technologies has developed the patented 10 kW hybrid power system that
consists of a 2 kW vertical axis wind turbine and an 8 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system with an
estimated minimum energy generation of 36 kWh/day.
● The hybrid power system aims for 24/7 energy generation based on the airport’s requirements.
Assam Govt joins hands with NLC India to Set Up 1 GW Solar Power Plant
● The state-run thermal energy giant NLC will set up a 1 GW solar project in the Indian state of
Assam in a joint venture with the state government.
● The PV installation will entail an investment of INR 5,000 crore.
● NLC India has been in touch with the State government in connection with the sale of power
from the Ghatampur thermal power project, which is being put up by a joint venture of NLC India
and the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd in Kanpur district.
● NLC India would hold a 51 percent stake in the solar joint venture.
● The electricity from the plant would be bought by Assam at a tariff that would give a 12 percent
return on equity.
Recent News :
● On May 31, 2022, The Assam CM inaugurated a solar power project at Amguri in the Sivasagar
district with a generation capacity of 70 MW.
About Assam :
● Governor : Jagdish Mukhi
● Chief minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
● Capital: Dispur
About NLC India Ltd :
● Founded: 1956
● Headquarters: Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, India
● NLC India Limited (NLC) (formerly Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited) is a government-owned-
fossil fuel miner and thermal power generator under the ownership of the Ministry of Coal,
PM Shri Modi inaugurates B R Ambedkar School of Economics campus in Bengaluru
● Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of Dr. B R Ambedkar School of
Economics (BASE) University.
● He also unveiled a statue of the architect of the Indian Constitution installed on the campus.
● During the event, he also unveiled 150 Technology Hubs' that have been developed by
transforming the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Karnataka.
● Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister
Pralhad Joshi, and several Ministers of the state cabinet were among those present.
About the Technology H ubs :
● The Technology Hub has developed at a cost of over Rs 4,700 crore, & is supported by many
industry partners.
Aim :
● To create a skilled workforce to address Industry 4.0 manpower needs.
● Out of the total cost, the state government has contributed Rs 657 crore while Tata
Technologies Limited (TTL) and its industry partners contributed Rs 4,080 crore.
● The state has also spent an additional Rs 220 crore to create dedicated workshops and
technology labs at these 150 ITIs.
● The residential BASE University was set up in 2017 in recognition of the exemplary contributions
made by Ambedkar to the development of Independent India and as a tribute to his memory on
the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary.
● The BASE University was established in 2017 on 43.45 acres of Bengaluru University land and
the Congress government had allocated Rs 350 crore for the land and infrastructure.
About Karnataka :
UPEIDA signs MoUs with PSBs to boost investment in UP Defense Industrial Corridor
● Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has signed M o Us with
the State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda (BOB), Punjab National Bank ( P NB) , a nd S m all
Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to boost investment in the UP Defense In dustrial
Corridor.
● As per the agreement, the bank will provide financial assistance i n the fo rm o f e ase o f d oing
business to investors in the UP Defense Industrial Corridor.
Key Highlights :
● UPEIDA has also signed an MoU with IIT Kanpur Research and Technology Park Foundation
(Technopark@iitk) to address the growing R&D requirements and opportunities for collaboration
of IIT Kanpur with the domestic Aerospace and Defence ecosystem.
● Companies in the defense sector are preparing to set up their production and manufacturing
units in the state as part of the Defence Industrial Corridor.
● Technopark@iitk is reaching out to companies to set up their R&D units on its premises and
support them in the areas of innovation and research.
● As private investors get support and assistance from the state, there will be an even greater
surge in private participation in the sector & this contributes greatly to India’s goal of achieving
the Defence production target of $25 billion by 2025.
About UPEIDA :
● Founded: 27 December 2007
● Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
● Cabinet Minister: Nand Gopal Gupta
● CEO: Awanish Awasthi
About UP :
● Governor : Anandiben Patel
● CM: Yogi Adityanath
World Bank approves project to promote rain-fed farming in Uttarakhand
● The World Bank has approved a project named Uttarakhand Climate Responsive Rain-fed
Farming worth Rs 1,000 crore to promote rain-fed farming in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand.
● The Project will be implemented by the watershed department.
Aim :
● To reduce greenhouse gas emissions for funding by the World Bank.
About the Project :
● The project will help in springshed management, boosting agricultural productivity, controlling
migration, and promoting cluster-based agriculture.
● It will also boost climate-friendly activities in the agriculture sector so that it becomes an
economically viable option for the youth and farmers.
About World Bank :
● MD & CEO: Anshula Kant
About Uttarakhand :
● Governor: Gurmit Singh
● CM: Pushkar Singh Dhami
● Capital: Bhararisain (summer) Dehradun (winter)
Gujarat becomes 1st state to launch ‘Balika Panchayat’
● Gujarat has become the first state to launch Balika Panchayat (girl Panchayat) in India.
Aim :
● To promote the social and political development of the girls and ensure their active participation
of girls in politics.
About Balika Panchayat (girl Panchayat) :
● This is a unique initiative of the Women and Child Development Welfare department of the
Gujarat Government under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign.
● It has been started in Kunaria, Maska, Motagua, and Vadsar villages of the Kutch district.
Objective :
● To promote the social and political development of the girl child and to remove the evil practices
from the society such as child marriage, and the dowry system.
● Balika panchayat is a panchayat of girls between the age of 10 and 21 years
Note :
● 20-year-old Urmi Ahir has been named the sarpanch of the Balika Panchayat.
About Gujarat :
● Chief minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel
● Governor: Acharya Devvrat
● Capital: Gandhinagar
Gujarat CM launches 17th ‘Shala Praveshotsav’
● The Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendra Patel launched the 17th edition of ‘Shala
Praveshotsav’, an annual drive to enroll students in Class 1 in Gujarat.
Aim :
● To increase the enrollment of students in primary schools in Gujarat.
● The 3 day enrollment drive begins from Memadpur primary school in Vadgam taluka of
Banaskantha district.
Key Highlights :
● During this 3-day drive, Officials and elected representatives would cover nearly 32,000
government primary schools.
● As part of this enrollment for the first time, Vice Chancellors of universities will also be roped in
for Praveshotsav drive.
● The dropout rate of students’ reduced drastically following the mass enrolment drives of the
children.
● Gujarat’s dropout ration was 64.48 percent in 1990-91 & the ratio came down to 3.7 percent in
2020-21.
● Similarly, gross enrollment ratio has gone up to 99.02 in 2020-21 from 95.65 per cent in 2004-
05.
Back ground :
● The Shala Praveshotsav was started by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in the year 2003 to
change the status of school education in Gujarat and to accelerate the elementary education of
the children.
About Gujarat :
● Governor : Acharya Dev Vrat
● CM : Bhupendrabhai Patel
● Capital : Gandhinagar
Karnataka CM Shri Basavaraj Bommai inaugurates India’s largest IKEA store
● Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri Basavaraj Bommai inaugurated IKEA’s Nagasandra store, a
leading Swedish home furnishing retailer in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
● The Bengaluru store is IKEA’s 3rd outlet in India after the ones in Hyderabad and Mumbai.
● Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani, Ambassador of Sweden Klas Molin, IKEA India CEO
Susanne Pulverer were among others present at the inaugural session.
About IKEA’s Nagasandra store :
● The store is Spread over 12.2 acres, 4,60,000 sq. ft.
● The store is the largest IKEA outlet in the country and is located close to the Nagasandra station
of Bengaluru Namma metro.
● With a planned investment of Rs 3,000 crore in Karnataka, IKEA is expecting to attract close to
5 million visitors in 2022.
● IKEA has employed 1,000 co-workers with 72 percent local co-workers and plans to hire more
people from the local neighbourhood.
Features of the Store :
● The store will have over 7,000 home furnishing IKEA products along with home sets.
● The store will also house one of the largest children’s play areas ‘Småland’ along with a 1,000-
seater restaurant and a bistro serving a mix of Swedish and Indian delicacies.
About IKEA :
● Founded : 28 July 1943
● Founder : Ingvar Kamprad
● Headquarters : Delft, Netherlands
About Karnataka :
Karnataka govt signs MoUs to help women SHGs, promote organic farming
● The Government of Karnataka signed 2 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen
economic activities of women self-help groups and facilitate organic farmers to sell their produce
directly to consumers.
● The MoUs were exchanged in the presence of Minister for Livelihood C N Ashwath Narayan.
● On behalf of the government, Sanjeevini – Karnataka State Rural Livelihood Promotion Society
(KSRLPS) and National Rural Economic Transformation Programme (NRETP), exchanged
MoUs with the institutions.
About the MoUs :
● Out of the 2 MoUs, one was with IIM-B a business school to help women self-help groups.
Aim :
● To scale up at least 100-150 existing women-owned/women-led growth-oriented enterprises in
Karnataka.
● The MoU would facilitate creating business models for generating local employment, improving
the creditworthiness of enterprises, enabling access for credit from formal financial institutions,
and allowing women entrepreneurs to run businesses themselves.
● Another one signed with Subhiksha, a vertically integrated multi-state co-operative society which
promotes organic farming.
● It would create a direct linkage with the consumers through the online marketing platform
‘Subhiksha Farmers to Consumers’ App.
● It would fetch 73 percent of the MRP directly to the farmers' account.
● It also provides traceability to consumers of every item that is procured through the platform
along with a 'Note from the Farmer' to introduce the farmer's family to the consumer.
Other advantages :
● It would assist in high-order food processing, supply quality inputs to farmer members at
reasonable costs, provide farm advisory services, incentivise farmers for adopti ng ‘Good
Agricultural Practices’ and enable access to farm data on soil fertility, and moisture levels
Delhi International Airport Limited introduces RFID-enabled baggage tag “BAGG TRAX” at Delhi Airport
arrivals
● Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has introduced Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)-
enabled personalized Baggage Tag “BAGG TRAX”, a first-of-its-kind facility in the country that will
share details in real-time about when and on which belt a passenger’s luggage is arriving.
● The unique BAGG TRAX tags will soon be commercially launched for flyers at Delhi airport.
Presently, as part of the pilot project, BAGG TRAX tags are given to select frequent flyers at
Terminal 3 only. Once commercially launched, flyers can buy it at the Departures.
● It is yet another passenger-friendly initiative by DIAL that will significantly enhance the passenger
experience at the airport. BAGG TRAX will not only help the domestic and international arrival
passengers but also those in transit to track their checked-in baggage.
About Delhi:
● Chief minister: Arvind Kejriwal
● Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena
26th Sindhu Darshan Yatra begins in Leh, Ladakh
● The 4-day 26th Sindhu Darshan Yatra began with festive fervor in Leh, Ladakh.
● Taking forward the theme of “Unity & Integrity” of the nation and the concept of “Ek Bharat-
Shreshtha Bharat”, this national Sindhu festival was inaugurated by Union Territory of Leh-
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor His Excellency Radha Krishna Mathur.
About Sindhu Darshan Yatra :
● On the first day of Yatra, hundreds of pilgrims took a dip in the Sindhu river.
● The Sindhu Darshan Yatra would help in understanding the Ladakh region and the people and
the Army who are guarding the country’s boundaries in the toughest climatic conditions.
● On the occasion, Mr. Mathur also released 50 rupees worth of commemorative envelopes with
Sindhu Ghat and snow-covered mountains.
About Ladakh :
● Lieutenant Governor: Radha Krishna Mathur
● Capital: Leh, Kargil
BLS International inks pact with West Bengal for computerization, e -governance of registration offices
● BLS International Services, a tech-enabled services partner for governments and citizens, has
entered into an agreement with the West Bengal government for the computerization and e-
governance of registration offices in the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in the
Presidency Zone.
● BLS International Services has been selected by the Directorate of Registration and Stamp
Revenue, Govt. of West Bengal.
Key Highlights :
● In this project, the company will procure, install & commission the hardware for 81 offices under
the Presidency Zone.
● Deployment of manpower, management, and maintenance of manpower & hardware will be
done for 5 years.
● In this project, BLS will process 700,000 transactions per annum.
About BLS International :
● Founded: 2005
● MD: Nikhil Gupta
● The company provides services in the domain of visa, passport, consular, citizen, e-governance,
attestation, biometric, e-visa, and retail services
About West Bengal :
● Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar
● Chief minister: Mamata Banerjee
● Capital: Kolkata
Syngenta India launches price guarantee insurance scheme for chili farmers
● Syngenta India has entered into an exclusive agreement with the Agriculture Insurance
Company of India (AIC).
Aim :
● To safeguard Chili farmers from unfavorable price fluctuations due to unpredictable market
conditions.
● This is considered to be the first initiative in the market to ensure the crop against the fluctuation
of prices.
● The agreement will facilitate guaranteeing a fair price to farmers for their produce by
indemnifying them for losses incurred due to a fall in market prices.
● Guntur is the best place to launch the scheme since around 80% of the red dry chili is auctioned
at the Agricultural Product Marketing Committee in Guntur.
● About 2,000 farmers of Atchampet in the Guntur district have been given the insurance cover for
about Rs.1.5 lakh per acre.
● The insurance offered by AIC would protect policyholders against unexpected falls in market
prices.
About Syngenta India :
● MD: Susheel Kumar
● Syngenta India Ltd. manufactures seeds and crop protection products.
● The Company develops new varieties of hybrid seeds for crops such as rice, corn, cotton,
oilseeds, and vegetables.
About AIC :
● Founded: 2002
● Chairman & Managing Director: Sh, Malay Kumar Poddar
● AIC is a nationalized insurance company under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
Israel & Government of Haryana Sign Joint Declaration On Water Cooperation
● Israel and the Haryana government signed a joint declaration on integrated water resources
management and capacity building.
● The joint declaration was signed by Ambassador Eynat Shlein, Head of MASHAV- Israel’s
Agency for International Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of
Israel, and the Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Government of Haryana.
● This is a significant milestone as India & Israel are celebrating 30 years of full diplomatic
relations and water security has always been one of the most important pillars of our relations.
● Under the agreement, Israel will share advanced and cutting-edge water technologies, know-
how, and expertise with the government of Haryana, and work closely with all our partners in
India as we continue enhancing the strategic partnership between our two nations.
● Through this declaration, both sides expressed their willingness
➢ To strengthen their existing friendly relations in the water management sector
➢ Preserve water resources in public water areas in Haryana
➢ Improve public health in the region, and cooperate and coordinate efforts to protect the water
resources.
● As part of this joint declaration, Mashav will share knowledge, capacity building, and Israeli
technologies for the development of Haryana in the water management sector.
About Israel :
● President: Isaac Herzog
● Prime minister: Naftali Bennett
● Currency: Israeli Shekel
About Haryana :
● Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
● Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
Uttarakhand govt Presents Rs 65,571.49 crore budget
● The Uttarakhand Finance Minister Shri Prem Chand Aggrawal has tabled a Rs 65,571.49 c rore
budget for 2022-23 in the state assembly in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Highlights of the Budget :
● The proposed Rs 65,571.49 crore budget includes Rs 49,013.31 crore of revenue expenditure
and Rs 16,558.18 crore of capital expenditure.
● The total estimated receipts during the financial year stood at Rs 63,774.55 crore.
● A provision of Rs 17,350.21 crore has been made in the budget for salaries and allowances of
state government employees, Rs 6,703.10 crore for pensions, and Rs 6,017.85 crore for
payment of interests.
● The highest allocation of Rs 1,500 crore was proposed in the budget for payment of pensions to
the old, widows without anyone to depend on, abandoned women, differently-abled, and
economically weak farmers.
Budget Allocations for Yojanas :
● The budget proposal has allocated Rs 500 crore for Nanda Gaura Yojana.
Aim :
● To improve the gender ratio.
● Under the scheme, the government seeks to pay Rs 51,000 to the parents of a daughter in 7
installments, starting with the year of her birth till she is married.
● The state government also made a provision of Rs 300 crore for the Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand
Yojana.
● Rs 311.76 crore was allocated for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (rural)
● Rs 205 crore allocated for Smart City Yojana
● Rs 112.38 crore allocated for Rashtriya Gramin Ajivika Mission
● Rs 105.41 crore was allocated for Deendayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushal Yojana.
● A provision of Rs 25 crore has been made for a scheme meant to stop migration from the hills
and Rs 20 crore for the development of the border areas.
● The budget has also proposed Rs 15 crore for building sheds to shelter stray cows
● Rs 12.28 crore was allocated to set up Atal Utkrisht Vidyalayas for making quality education
affordable for children from weaker sections.
About Uttarakhand :
● Chief Minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
Assam Cabinet approves JV company with Railways to boost network
● The Assam Cabinet approved the formation of a joint venture Assam Rail Infrastructure
Development Corporation Limited (ARIDCL) between the Assam government and the railway
ministry to increase the railway network in Assam.
● The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
● The state government will hold a share of 51 percent and the railway ministry will hold the
remaining 49 percent.
● The ARIDCL will ensure speedy implementation of ongoing projects, besides working out
possible financing avenues.
● During this, they discussed the issue of resolving the boundary dispute between Assam and
Arunachal Pradesh.
Other Cabinet Approvals :
● The cabinet also approved an additional Rs 126.75 crore for the implementation of the relief
package for ex-employees of Nagaon and Cachar paper mills of Hindustan Paper Corporation
Limited (HPCL).
● The cabinet approved a one-time scheme for reducing the late payment of fitness fees for
vehicles as a Covid relief measure for the transport sector and the owners can apply online
within three months to avail of the benefits.
● It also approved the Assam Motor Vehicle Taxation (Amendment), 2 022 for reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions and streamlining the existing taxation regime by incorporating ‘Green
Tax’ on older vehicles.
● The Council of Ministers also approved the procurement of handloom items directly from
indigenous weavers without involving middlemen through a specially developed portal.
● The Cabinet decided to launch a program ‘Arohan’ for classes 9 to 12 from 2022-23 with an
allocated budget of Rs 5.96 crore to guide talented students in the 13-18 age group.
About Assam :
● CM : Himanta Biswa Sarma
● Capital: Dispur
BSE collaborates with MACCIA to create awareness on SME listing across Maharashtra
● Leading stock exchange Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has collaborated with the Maharashtra
Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA) to promote and create awareness in
Maharashtra on the benefits of listing on its Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) platform.
● Through this partnership, BSE will provide intellectual and manpower support to enterprises
registered with the MACCIA to get listed on the BSE SME platform.
● The BSE SME will provide training and capacity-building programs to MACCIA officials.
● The exchange will appoint a nodal person as single point contact in Maharashtra for providing an
end-to-end solution for registration or listing on its SME platform.
Recent News :
● Recently, BSE signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Federal Bank to promote
the listing of SMEs and startups.
● To date, 375 companies have been listed on the BSE SME Platform and have raised a little over
Rs 3,997 crore from the market.
About BSE :
● Chairman: S.S. Mundra
● MD & CEO : Ashish Chauhan
● Located at: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
● As of January 2022, the BSE is the 8th largest stock exchange with an overall market
capitalization of more than ₹276.713 lakh crore.
About MACCIA :
● Founded: 1927
● President: Lalit Gandhi
Karnataka Govt Launches ‘Kashi Yatra’ Scheme for Pilgrims
● The Karnataka government launched the Kashi Yatra project offering cash assistance of Rs
5,000 to each of the 30,000 pilgrims willing to take up a pilgrimage to Kashi Vishwanath Temple
in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
● For this scheme, the government will be using funds of up to ₹7 crores from the accounts head
of ‘Assistance to Manasa Sarovara Pilgrims’.
Eligibility to apply for the scheme:
● The beneficiary should be a native of Karnataka
● Applicant should be above 18 years old
● Beneficiaries who have already availed of the subsidy once are not eligible
Documents required:
● Proof of beneficiaries' domicile of origin in Karnataka - voter ID, Aadhaar card, or ration card.
● Age proof - Aadhaar card, voter ID, etc.
● Any pilgrim taking up the government-sponsored ‘Kashi Yatra’ would get the benefit only once in
a lifetime.
● Those who took up pilgrimage from April 1, 2022, to June 30, 2022, & want to take benefit of the
‘Kashi Yatra’ scheme would have to furnish proof that they visited Kashi Vishwanath Temple
such as their darshan ticket, waiting list, or their pooja receipt, and submit it to the commissioner
of religious endowment department.
About Karnataka :
Punjab FM presents Rs 1,55,860 crore for Budget 2022
● Punjab finance minister Shri Harpal Singh Cheema presented the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
government's first budget a ₹1,55,859.78-crore which reflects 14.20 percent growth as
compared to 2021-22.
● The state’s outstanding debt would rise to ₹305361.44 crores in the 2022-23 financial year.
● The revenue deficit and fiscal deficit have been pegged at 1.99% and 3.78%, respectively.
● This was for the first time that Punjab presented a paperless budget.
● The government's focus in the first year will be threefold.
1. To restore deteriorating fiscal health
2. To Deliver on the promises of good governance by ensuring effective use of public funds
3. To Concentrate on health and education.
● The finance minister stated that the Janta budget (people's budget), which has been prepared
after receiving 20,384 suggestions on the government portal and through emails, will focus on
various areas, including health and education.
● The revenue expenditure of the state at Rs 1,07,932 crore shows an incremental growth of
5.35% over the previous year.
● Out of this, Rs 66,440 crore is proposed for the committed expenditure
● The capital expenditure is pegged at Rs 10,981 crore showing a growth of 8.95% over the
previous year.
Key highlights of the budget:
● The AAP government is fulfilling its first guarantee (promise) made to the people of Punjab by
providing 300 units of domestic power supply per month free to all citizens from July 1, 2022.
● The state government will provide seed money of Rs 2,000 per student under this program.
● He also announced that the government will set up 16 new medical colleges making a total of
25 such colleges in Punjab over the next 5 years.
● The government has decided to approve fresh recruitment of 26,454 people and regularization
of 36,000 contractual employees
● ₹450 crores will be given as an incentive to paddy growers who adopt non-conventional
methods of direct seeding rice, aimed at saving groundwater by at least 20%.
● On the stubble burning issue, various possibilities and solutions will be explored and for this
Rs 200 crore has been earmarked in the budget.
● The finance minister proposed a budgetary allocation of ₹11,560 crores for the agriculture
sector and ₹6,947 crores for free power to agriculture tube wells.
● The budget outlay for the health sector with an allocation of ₹4,731 crores is an increase of
23.80% over that of FY 2021-22.
● The government plans to set up 117 mohalla clinics for which an initial allocation of ₹77 crores
has been proposed & 75 of these mohalla clinics will be operational by Independence Day on
August 15, 2022.
● ₹100 crores have been allocated for the installation of the rooftop solar panel system in
government schools.
● To help road accident victims, the government proposed a scheme in Punjab on the pattern of
the Farishtey scheme in New Delhi whereby anyone can take a road accident victim(s) and
get them admitted to any hospital.
● The government proposed ₹1,170 crores for the cooperative sector, an increase of 35.67%
compared to the last financial year.
About Punjab :
● Governor : Banwarilal Purohit
● CM: Bhagwant Mann
India’s foremost documentary film festival MIFF 2022 begins:
• The 17th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction, and
Animation Films (MIFF-2022) kicked off with a colorful opening ceremony at Mumbai's Nehru
Centre in Worli.
• MIFF 2022 has received a tremendous response from filmmakers all over the world, with a total
of 808 film entries from 30 countries.
• Out of these, one hundred 2 films will be screened under the Competition Category -35 in
international competition and 67 in the national competition.
• 18 Films will be screened under the ‘MIFF Prism Category’.
About the Best Film:
• The Golden Conch award, together with a monetary reward of Rs 10 lakhs, will be given to the
Festival's Best Film.
• Other prizes include cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, as well as a Silver Conch,
trophy, and certificate.
• At the festival, 11 Bangladeshi films will be screened.
• The 17th MIFF festival is also available to view online, and it is completely free.
• This award was established in honor of great filmmaker V Shantaram, who served as Honorary
Chief Producer for the Films Division during the 1950s.
The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme extended through FY26:
• The Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program (PMEGP) has been extended for another
five years, until fiscal year FY26.
• The PMEGP has been approved for continuation during the 15th Finance Commission Cycle for
five years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26, with a budget of Rs 13,554.42 crore.
• The new scheme will be modified as a result of the extension.
• The government has increased the maximum project cost for manufacturing units from $25 lakh
to $50 lakh, and for service units from $10 lakh to $20 lakh.
• For the scheme, the definitions of village industry and rural areas have also been altered.
• Territories under Panchayati Raj institutions will be classified as rural, while areas under
municipal jurisdiction will be classified as urban.
About the Program:
• The Government of India has approved the introduction of the Prime Minister's Employment
Generation Programme (PMEGP), a new credit-linked subsidy program that combines two
schemes that were in operation until 31.03.2008, namely the Prime Minister's Rojgar Yojana
(PMRY) and the Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP), to create employment
opportunities through the establishment of micro-enterprises in rural and urban areas.
• Its objectives are to establish micro-enterprises in rural and urban areas of the country, to
provide long-term employment to a large segment of traditional and prospective artisans, to
provide long-term employment to rural and urban unemployed youth in the country, and to
encourage financial institutions to participate in the micro sector by increasing credit flow.
Prime Minister Modi to deliver the 11th installment of PM-KISAN benefits:
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) project, Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi will give the 11th tranche of financial benefits of Rs 21,000 crore to over 10
million farmers in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
• Shri Narendra Modi would interact with beneficiaries of 16 schemes and programs run by nine
central ministries via video conferencing as part of a statewide event called Garib Kalyan
Sammelan.
• The national event is part of the year-long Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
• The 11th tranche of the Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, worth Rs 21,000 crores, will be released
by the PM.
• The PM-KISAN program provides qualifying farmer families with a financial incentive of Rs 6,000
per year, payable in three equal installments of Rs 2,000.
• The funds are deposited immediately into the beneficiary’s bank accounts.
• The PM has distributed the tenth installment of over Rs 20,000 crore to over 10 crore farmer
families.
About PM- KISAN:
• The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) or Prime Minister's Farmer's Tribute
Fund, is an Indian government initiative that will provide all farmers with minimum income
assistance of up to 6,000 rupees per year (equal to $6,300 or US$83 in 2020).
• Each year, the scheme, which launched in December 2018, costs 75,000 crores.
• Each qualifying farmer will get $6,000 per year in three installments, which will be deposited
directly into their bank accounts.
EKA launches its First Electric Bus EKA E9
● EKA, an electric vehicle manufacturing, and technology company, and a subsidiary of Pinnacle
Industries have launched its first 9-meter pure electric and zero-emission bus, EKA E9, in Pune.
● EKA E9" is the first electric bus with the "Made-in-India" tag.
● The EKA E9 was unveiled by Aaditya Thackeray, minister of tourism, environment & protocol, the
government of Maharashtra, and Mehta at the Pune Alternate Fuel Conclave.
About the EKA E9 bus :
● The E9's Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is a lot slower than the current generation of buses that
are combustion engine-powered (ICE) and can be seen abundantly on Indian streets.
● The E9 electric bus is powered by an electric motor that delivers maximum energy of 200 KW.
● It is also supported by a 2500 Nm torque with a "regenerative braking system."
Note :
● Chairman of EKA and Pinnacle Industries Ltd: Dr. Sudhir Mehta
Additional Info :
● EKA is a subsidiary of Pinnacle Industries and is one of the only commercial vehicle
manufacturers approved under the Champion OEM Scheme & EV component manufacturing
scheme of the Government of India’s Auto PLI policy.
● EKA will design, manufacture, and supply a complete range of Electric Vehicles, Fuel Cell
Electric vehicles, and alternative fuel vehicles
About the Pune Alternate Fuel Conclave 2022 :
● The Pune Alternate Fuel Conclave (AFC), is an initiative of the Government of Maharashtra.
● It is being organized by Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and
Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), in association with the Maratha Chamber of
Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture (MCCIA) in Pune.
PM announces, The Union Ministry of Ayush has 'Yoga for Humanity' as the theme for the International
Day of Yoga, 2022:
• The theme of the ninth International Day of Yoga, which will be held on June 21 in India and
around the world, is 'Yoga for Humanity'.
The eighth edition of the International Day of Yoga will be organized on June 21, with the main
event being held in Mysuru, Karnataka.
• The theme was chosen after considerable thought and discussion, and it accurately depicts how
yoga assisted humanity in easing pain during the pandemic's peak.
• In his "Maan Ki Baat" broadcast, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi declared the subject.
Objective:
• This year's International Day of Yoga main event will take place in Mysuru, Karnataka.
• This year's theme is 'yoga for humanity,' and specific programs have been created for persons
with disabilities, transgender people, women, and children.
• Human values, which are a key component of yoga instruction in schools, are also stressed.
Additional Info:
• The 8th edition of the International Day of Yoga (IDY) will feature several firsts, one of which is
an innovative program called "Guardian Ring," in which people practicing yoga will participate in
time with the sun's movement across the globe, commencing in the east and marching west.
NCTE launches online portal to Simplify Process of Teacher Education Programme:
• The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has launched an online site to help higher
education institutions recognize teacher education programs.
• The portal, which was created to help speed the process, aims to assist students from the time
they are invited to apply for courses until they are issued recognition orders, which include
inspection of schools.
• This portal will be used to process applications for the recently introduced four-year integrated
teacher education programs (ITEP).
About the National Council for Teacher Education:
• According to NEP 2020, the NCTE, which is under the Ministry of Education, has designed the
curriculum for this course in such a way that a student-teacher can earn a degree in education
as well as a specialized discipline such as History, Mathematics, Science, Arts, Economics, or
Commerce.
About National Council for Teacher Education
• Founded: 1995
• Chairperson: Shri Santosh Sarangi
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announces PM CARES program for children:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi revealed the benefits of the PM CARES for Children program
for children orphaned by the Covid19 pandemic.
• Prime Minister Shri Modi pledged Rs 4,000 per month for basic needs, financial support for
tuition fees, postgraduate scholarships, and free treatment up to Rs 5.
• The Prime Minister has transferred scholarships to students.
• Children's PM CARES booklet and health card by Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan
Arogya Yojana was given to children during the program.
Objective:
• The goal of the program is to ensure sustainable all-round care and protection of children by
providing them with food and shelter, empowering them through education and scholarship, and
equipping them with giving the children a self-sufficient existence with the financial support of
Rs. 10 lakhs when they reach the age of 23 and secure their welfare through health insurance.
• Through the scheme, children are being provided an Ayushman Health Card that will cover
health expenses up to five lakh rupees.

• The portal is a one-stop system that supports the approval process and any other support for
children.
About the PM CARES program:
• The PM CARES for Children program was launched by the Prime Minister on May 29, 2021.
• The goal is to support children who have lost both parents or legal guardians or adoptive or
surviving parents due to the Covid19 pandemic, between March 11, 2020, and February 28,
2022.
Instagram starts rolling out AMBER alerts to help locate missing children:
• Instagram has launched an "alert" function to assist in the search for missing children.
• The photo-sharing app has partnered with various organizations around the world to set up this
feature.
• This feature will display details of missing children on a user's Instagram feed if they are in a
specific area where the search is being conducted.
• In addition to the photo and video sharing platform, Amber Alerts has been on Facebook since
2015.
• Instagram has already started rolling out the Alerts feature and it will be available in 25 countries
in the coming weeks.
About the New Features:
• Alerts on the Metaowned platform will include details such as a child's photo, description, and
location of abduction.
• Instagram will show warnings to users based on information like their IP address and location
services (if enabled), he noted.
• The social media platform says it developed the emergency alert feature for children in
partnership with organizations like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
(NCMEC) in the US, The International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National
Crime Agency in the UK, the Attorney General's Office in Mexico, the Australian Federal Police,
and others.
Union Sports Minister Shri Anurag Thakur Launches Nationwide Fit India Freedom Rider Cycle Rally:
• Union Minister of Youth and Sports Shri Anurag Thakur launched the "National Cycling Race for
Indian Freestyle Cyclists" on World Cycling Day.
• Mr. Thakur says that by cycling we can achieve the goals of it India Movement, Khelo India
Movement, Clean India Movement, and Healthy India Movement.
• You can complete The Fit India movement, Khelo India movement, Clean India, and Healthy
India movement while cycling.
• This will also reduce pollution levels.
• Notably, World Bicycle Day is celebrated on June 3 every year to promote the use of bicycles
and their benefits.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) believes that providing bicycles to the world's poorest
people and communities will help prevent 1.5 million premature deaths and 5 billion pounds of
greenhouse gas emissions each year.
President Inaugurates the Akhil Bhartiya Ayurved Mahasammelan’s 59th Maha Adhiveshan:
• Shri Ram Nath Kovind, President of India inaugurated the 59th Maha Adhiveshan of Akhil
Bhartiya Ayurved Mahasammelan in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
• Ayurveda means the science of life in Sanskrit.
• The term "pathy" is used to describe many types of health systems around the world.
• It refers to the method of treating the disease when the disease has already manifested.
• However, in Ayurveda, disease prevention comes first along with the cure.
Additional Info.
• The Government of India has taken many measures to protect and promote the Indian health
system over time.
• However, this initiative received even more impetus following the establishment of a separate
Department of AYUSH in 2014.
• Various research councils affiliated with the Government of India have accomplished remarkable
things. in the field of Ayurveda.
• Our health is influenced by our diet, lifestyle, and even our daily habits. Ayurveda explains what
should be our daily routine, what should be a seasonal routine, and what to diet before taking
the medicine.
• Mahaadhiveshan, the topic of “Ayurveda Diet – The Foundation of a Healthy India” will be
covered.
Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar launched the Scheme “SHRESHTA”:
• Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar launched the
“SHRESHTA” program for boarding education for high school students in the targeted areas.
• The Student Boarding Education in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) program was built to provide
quality education and opportunities even to the poorest.
Objectives:
• Scheduled Caste students, as per the Constitutional mandate.
• Students from Scheduled Caste communities, long-standing victims of inequality, are left out of
quality education and disadvantaged across generations due to a lack of education complete.
• Government efforts to expand non-discriminatory educational institutions have worked well to
achieve near-universal access.
• However, the goal of providing access to quality education on a level playing field is still far from
reality.
• Accordingly, the Department, as a new initiative, has introduced a program to provide quality
education in primary boarding schools to deserving SC students who cannot afford to attend
school. fees for these schools.
About SHRESHTA
• The government has approved a new scheme named SHRESHTA (Residential Education for
Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas) to provide seats for the meritorious SC boys and
girls in the best private residential schools in the country.
• Every year, it is expected that about (3000) students would be selected for admission in Class 9
and Class 11 under the scheme.
• The objective of the Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted
Areas (SHRESHTA) is as follows:
✓ To enhance the reach of the development initiative of the government.
✓ To fill the gap in service-deprived Scheduled Castes (SCs) dominant areas in the
sector of education by collaborating with voluntary organizations.
✓ To provide an environment for socio-economic upliftment and overall development
of the Scheduled Castes (SCs).
✓ To provide access to high-quality education to bright Scheduled Caste (SC)
students so that they can explore future opportunities.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched the Lifestyle for Environment movement:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched the Global Initiative Lifestyle for the
Environment (LiFE) movement and said his vision is to live a lifestyle that is in harmony with our
planet and without harming it.
• The launch launched the "LiFE Global Call for Papers", inviting ideas and suggestions from
academics, universities and research institutes, and more. to influence and persuade individuals,
communities, and organizations worldwide to adopt environmentally respectful lifestyles.
Attendees:
• Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, NITI Aayog
CEO Amitabh Kant.
• The program also witnessed the participation of Co-Chairman Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation Bill Gates.
• Climate economist Lord Nicholas Stern.
• Author of Nudge Theory Prof. Cass Sunstein.
• CEO and President of World Resources Institute Aniruddha Dasgupta.
• UNEP Global Head Ms. Inger Andersen.
• UNDP Global Head Achim Steiner.
• World Bank President David Malpass among others.
Key Points:
• The idea of LiFE was brought up by the Prime Minister at the 26th Conference of the Parties
COP26 in Glasgow 2021.
• This idea promotes an eco-friendly lifestyle, focusing on conscious and intentional use instead of
mindless and destructive consumption.
• The LiFE mission borrows from the past, operates in the present, and focuses on the future.
President Kovind has Inaugurated Sant Kabir Academy and Research Centre in UP:
• President Shri Ram Nath Kovind has paid tributes to Sant Kabir and inaugurated Sant Kabir
Academy and Research Centre and Swadesh Darshan Yojana at Kabir Chaura Dham, Maghar,
Uttar Pradesh.
• He stated the lifestyle of Kabir is an epitome of human distinctive features and his teachings are
nevertheless applicable even after 650 years.
• He defined Kabir`s lifestyle as a perfect instance of communal solidarity.
Additional info:
• Earlier, the President paid tribute to the great poet and saint of the Bhakti movement at his
Samadhi mausoleum in Maghar.
• He also supplies chadar for his shop and planted a sapling on the grounds of Kabir Chaura
Dham. Governor Anandiben Patel and Premier Yogi Adityanath accompanied the President.
National Food laboratory of FSSAI Inaugurated in Raxaul, Bihar:
• In Raxaul in Bihar, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mr.
Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated the FSSAI National Food Laboratory.
• As part of a bilateral agreement between Indo-Nepal, this laboratory was established to reduce
the testing time of food samples imported from Nepal to Raxaul.
• Food analysis takes a long time because food samples that comply with the law are sent to the
National Food Laboratory in Kolkata.
• The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development of the Government of Nepal, Mahendra
Rai Yadav, was also present at the inauguration of the food laboratory.
Key points:
• The opening of the food laboratory would increase Nepal's ability to import more food products
to India and connect the two countries through more efficient trade.
• The food laboratory will be accredited in July-August this year by the National Accreditation
Board of Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
• The lab will soon begin testing samples of cereals, fats and oils, spices, fruits, vegetables, and
packaged drinks.
• India would assist to achieve National Accreditation Board of Testing and C alibration Laboratory
(NABL) accreditation for Kathmandu Food Laboratory if required.
• The inauguration of the food laboratory in Raxaul is a frequent request of exporters in Nepal,
which the Indian government is currently meeting in 2022.
Prime Minister Modi Virtually Addressed Rotary International Convention 2022:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is the land of Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi, who set
an example of what it means to live for others.
• While giving an electronic speech about the International Rotary Convention, the Prime Minister
made comments.
• The Rotaries have been described as a true union of many “Every Rotary gathering of this scale
is like a mini-global assembly”.
Key Points:
• “There is diversity and vibrancy,” the prime minister said of Rotary’s two mottos, “Serving
Yourself” and “One who gives the most profit to who serves the best”.
• According to the Prime Minister, these are principles important to the well -being of all humanity
and resonate with "the teachings of our saints and sages".
• India is home to one-seventh of the world's population, and any achievement by India will have a
beneficial impact on the rest of the world.
• For example, he references the history of the Covid19 vaccine and the plan to eliminate
tuberculosis by 2025, five years ahead of the global target of 2030.
• Prime Minister Modi urged the Rotary family to support these grassroots activities and celebrate
Yoga Day in large numbers around the world.
Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurates 15 National Highway projects worth over Rs.13,000 cr in Bihar:
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid
foundation stones of 15 National Highway projects in Patna and Hajipur in Bihar with a total cost
of Rs.13,585 crores.
• Mr. Gadkari, Mahatma Gandhi Setu over river Ganga in Patna is the lifeline of Bihar, which
connects North Bihar with South Bihar.
• With this superstructure replacement project, the time taken to cross Mahatma Gandhi Setu has
been reduced from 2 to 3 hours to 5 to 10 minutes.
• Chhapra-Gopalganj section being 2-lane with 4 bypasses will allow the traffic of the highway to
pass through the bypass and the city will get rid of traffic jams.
PM Shri Narendra Modi to inaugurate Biotech Startup Expo - 2022 in New Delhi:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Biotech Startup Expo - 2022 at Pragati
Maidan in New Delhi and address the gathering.
• The Biotech Startup Expo - 2022 is a two-day event to be held on the 9th and 10th of this month.
• It is being organized by the Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research
Assistance Council BIRAC.
• It is being held to mark the completion of ten years of setting up of BIRAC.
• The theme of the Expo is ‘Biotech Startup Innovations: Towards AatmaNirbhar Bharat’.
About the Expo:
• The Expo will act as a platform to connect entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, scientists,
researchers, bio-incubators, manufacturers, regulators, government officials, etc.
• About 300 stalls will be set up at the Expo, which will showcase the applications of
biotechnology in various fields such as healthcare, genomics, biopharma, agriculture, industrial
biotechnology, waste-to-value, and clean energy, among others.
AB PM-JAY Public Dashboard of NHA updated with new features:
• The National Health Authority (NHA) announced the release of its newly revamped public under
its flagship scheme of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)
dashboard that provides a granular view of the PM-JAY scheme implementation data
comprehensively.
• The dashboard will serve as a single source of truth for public and PM-JAY stakeholders
providing a comprehensive view of the scheme’s progress.
• The dashboard is another step in the evolution of the PM-JAY scheme that provides a
transparent view of the scheme’s progress from a state/UT vantage point.
About the Dashboard:
• The newly updated dashboard provides detailed information about the number of Ayushman
Bharat Cards created, empanelled hospitals, and authorized hospital admissions amongst
others at both national and state levels.
• It allows users to further view the data distributed according to gender and age.
• E.g., in the ‘Age Group’ category under the ‘Ayushman Cards Created’ panel, the pie chart
reveals that the highest number of Ayushman Card holders are between the age group of 30 to
44 years while the age groups fall between 15 to 29 years and 45-59 years are trailing close
behind.
PM Modi launches new series of coins with Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav design:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched a special series of coins that are also 'visually
impaired friendly'.
• The coins of Re 1, Rs 2, 5, 10, and 20 denominations will have the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
(AKAM) design.
• They are not commemorative coins and will be part of the circulation.
• These new series of coins will remind people of the goal of Amrit Kal and motivate people to
work towards the development of the country.
• Meanwhile, lenders like HDFC Bank and Axis Bank, these special coins will be distributed
through select branches.
• Mr. Modi also launched the 'Jan Samarth portal' -- a credit-linked portal of 12 government
schemes.
• AKAM is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of
independence.
Govt hikes insurance premiums under PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Suraksha Bima Yojana:
• The government has hiked the insurance premium rates for Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima
Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY).
• The new rates will be effective from June 1, 2022.
• This is the first time the premium rates have been increased since the schemes were launched
seven years ago in 2015.
• The premium rates of both schemes have been revised, with PMJJBY being increased from Rs
330 to Rs 436 and PMSBY being increased from Rs 12 to Rs 20.
• The PMJJBY coverage is only for death, therefore the benefit will only go to the nominee.
• PMJJBY is a pure term insurance policy with no investment component that covers solely
mortality.
PMSBY:
• The Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) is a type of personal accident insurance
that protects you from death or disability as a result of an accident.
• The insurance coverage is for a year, starting on June 1 and ending on May 31.
• The scheme covers a total sum insured of Rs.2 lakh.
PM Shri Narendra Modi opens world’s first nano urea plant:
• PM Shri Narendra Modi has inaugurated the world’s first nano urea liquid plant by Indian
Farmers’ Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) at Kalol in Gujarat.
• The virtual inauguration took place at a ceremony held in Gandhinagar in the presence of Union
home minister Shri Amit Shah, Union minister of chemicals and fertilizers, Dr. Mansukh
Mandaviya, along with the chief minister, Bhupendra Patel.
• The first IFFCO nano urea (liquid) production unit at Kalol has been made w ith an investment of
Rs 175 crore.
• At present, it can produce 1.5 lakh bottles of 500ml capacity of nano urea per day.
About IFFCO:
• Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited, also known as IFFCO, is a multi -state cooperative
society.
• IFFCO is wholly owned by Cooperative Societies of India. Society is engaged in the business of
manufacturing and marketing fertilizers.
• Chairman: Dileep Sanghani
• MD & CEO: Dr. U S Awasthi
Cabinet approves Expanding the mandate of Government e-Marketplace:
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, has approved the expansion
of the mandate of GeM to allow procurement by Cooperatives as buyers on GeM.
• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, inaugurated the Government e-
Marketplace (GeM) on August 9, 2016, to develop an open and transparent procurement
platform for Government buyers.
• A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) by the name of Government e-Marketplace (GeM SPV) was
set up as the National Public Procurement Portal on May 17, 2017.
• All government purchasers can use the platform right now, including central and state ministries,
departments, public sector businesses, autonomous institutions, and local governments.
About GeM:
• GeM is not available to private sector buyers under the existing mandate.
• Suppliers (sellers) might come from any sector: public or private.
• This initiative will assist more than 8.54 lakh registered cooperatives and approximately 27 crore
members.
• The GeM site is available to all buyers and merchants in the country.
• The move will help over 8.54 lakh registered cooperatives, like Amul and IFFCO, and their 27
crore members, as they would get products at competitive rates from the GeM portal.
NTPC releases 'biodiversity policy 2022'
• Power giant NTPC has come out with its "biodiversity policy 2022" for the conservation and
restoration of a balanced ecosystem.
• The power major aims to mainstream the concept of biodiversity across its value chain and
adopt a precautionary approach for sustainable management of biodiversity in all the decision-
making processes to ensure the earth's variety of life in and around the business units of NTPC.
• The policy also aims to adopt systematic consideration of local threats to biodiversity beyond the
company's business activities.
• As part of its capacity building, NTPC is raising awareness among local communities,
employees, and its associates across the supply chain about biodiversity through project-
specific and national level training in collaboration with experts.
• Further, NTPC will be adhering to legal compliances concerning biodiversity by complying with
rules and regulations related to the environment, forest, wildlife, coastal zone, and green cover
during the planning and execution of its projects.
Related Agreement Signed:
• NTPC has signed a five-year agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department for the
conservation of Olive Ridley Turtles on the coastline of Andhra Pradesh.
About Biodiversity:
• It refers to the variety of living species on Earth, including plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi.
• While Earth’s biodiversity is so rich that many species have yet to be discovered, many species
are being threatened with extinction due to human activities, putting the Earth’s magnificent
biodiversity at risk.
Significance:
• Biodiversity Hotspot: India is home to nearly 8% of global biodiversity on just 2.3% of global land
area and contains sections of four of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots.
• Staggering Economic Value: While the precise economic value of all ecosystem services
provided by biodiversity may not be known, estimates suggest that India’s forests alone may
yield services worth more than a trillion rupees per year.
About NTPC:
SC bans mining within a 1-km radius of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries:
• The Supreme Court has ordered that mining within the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries
shall not be permitted.
• Besides this, the top court also directed that each protected forest, that is a national park or
wildlife sanctuary, must have an eco-sensitive zone of a minimum of one kilometer measured
from the demarcated boundary of such protected forest in which the activities proscribed and
prescribed in the Guidelines of February 9, 2011, shall be strictly adhered to.
• For the Jamwa Ramgarh wildlife sanctuary, it shall be 500 meters so far as subsisting activities
are concerned.
• These directions were passed by a Bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, BR Gavai, and
Aniruddha Bose.
• The Court directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests for each State and Union Territory
to make a list of subsisting structures and other relevant details within the respective ESZs and
file a report before it within three months.
Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the new building of the National Tribal Research Institute in New Delhi:
• Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah have inaugurated the National Tribal
Research Institute (NTRI) in Delhi.
• It is being established for 10 crore rupees.
• The NTRI will be the premier national institute for the promotion and preservation of tribal
heritage and culture and the nerve center of tribal research issues and matters in academic,
executive, and legislative fields.
• The institute will collaborate and network with reputed research institutes, universities, and
organizations as well as academic bodies and resource Centres.
About the Tribal Research Institute (TRI):
• Tribal Research Institute (TRI) is the studies frame of the Ministry of Tribal A ffairs on the national
level.
• There are 26 Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) supported via way of means by the Ministry of
Tribal Affairs.
• It will collaborate and community with reputed studies institutes, universities, and groups in
addition to instructional our bodies and aid centers.
• It will reveal the tasks of Tribal Research Institutes, Centres of Excellence, and installation
norms for development withinside the first-rate studies and training.
Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan urges Students to be Nurtured as Future Entrepreneurs:
• Union Education Minister Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan stated that the technology of incremental
extrude is over and entreated better instructional establishments to recognition on exponential
improvement to expand future-prepared workers.
• India has confirmed its technical functionality in lots of programs which includes UPI, Direct
Benefit Transfer, and Aadhar, and that we should construct in this electricity and create a future-
prepared team of workers to just accept the modifications on account of Industrial Revolution
4.0.
Key Points:
• The developing range of unicorns withinside the state is proof of a wholesome entrepreneurial
environment, and he encouraged college students to be organized to be process vendors
instead of process seekers.
• The government`s virtual training plans, emphasize the want of harnessing generation to
similarly decolonize training.
• A more potent alumni community and greater participation in tries to internationalize Indian
training, inclusive of the Study in India program.
• The convention become commenced via way of means of India`s President, Ram Nath Kovind.
Presidential Election 2022 to be held on 18 July:
• The Presidential election 2022 will be held on July 18 and the counting of votes, if required, will
be conducted on July 21, the Election Commission announced.
• The last date of nomination has been set for June 29, the poll panel said at a press conference
held at 3 pm to announce the schedule.
• The term of President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24 and an election for the next president
is to be held before that day.
• The new president has to be sworn in by July 25.
• Ram Nath Kovind received over 65% of the votes in 2017.
• The electoral college for President’s Election comprises 776 MPs and 4033 MLAs, a Total of
4809.
Presidential Election 2022: Full Schedule
• Last date for nomination: June 29
• Last date for withdrawal of candidature: July 02
• Date of election: July 18
• A total of 4,809 electors to vote in the Presidential elections in 2022.
• No political party can issue a whip to its member Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar
• Commission has also directed to ensure the use of eco-friendly and biodegradable materials and
eliminate the use of prohibited plastic/materials, as a part of its endeavor to make elections eco-
friendly.
About Election Commission:
• Formed: 25 January 1950
• Chief Election Commissioner: Rajiv Kumar
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched a new Logo for ‘Ayurveda Aahar’:
• The “Ayurveda Aahar” Logo become released with the aid of using Health Minister Mr. Mansukh
Mandaviya, at the event World Food Safety Day.
• The Ayurveda Aahar Logo will permit smooth identification.
• Thus, it'll assist in growing a unique Identity of “Ayurveda Aahar”.
• The Logo may even improve the best of Ayurvedic products.
• As consistent with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Ayurveda Aahar is
meals organized consistent with the recipes or components or strategies given withinside the
authoritative books of Ayurveda.
Key Points:
• According to FSSAI, the layout of the Ayurveda Aahar brand is such that it consists of
preliminary letters of phrases Ayurveda and Aahar in English and Devanagari.
• In this brand, the Hindi letter Aa, and English letter `A` had been merged in a manner that they
appear like unmarried forms.
• It consists of symbolic five leaves, that represent 5 factors namely; ether, water, air, fire, and
Earth.
• The green color stands for natural, biotic, wholesome, natural, and herbal.
About FSSAI:
NHAI set a Guinness World Record for constructing a 75 -kilometer motorway in 105 hours:
• State-owned NHAI has created a Guinness World Record for the longest continuously laid
bituminous lane of 75 kilometers in 105 hours and 33 minutes on the national highway between
Amravati and Akola districts in Maharashtra.
• The total length of the 75 kilometers of single-lane continuous bituminous concrete road is
equivalent to 37.5 kilometers of two-lane paved shoulder and the work started on June 3 and
was completed on June 7.
• The previous Guinness World Record for the longest continuously laid bituminous was for
building 25.275 kilometers of the road which was achieved in Doha, Qatar in February 2019, and
that task was completed in 10 days.
• Mr. Gadkari commended NHAI and Raj Path Infracon Pvt Ltd engineers , contractors,
consultants, and workers for the project’s efficient execution, which contributed to the world
record’s successful completion.
Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan launches Polyversity:
• IDS launched Bharat Blockchain Network (Academic Blockchain Consortium) & Polyversity
(Educational Metaverse) in the presence of Dharmendra Pradhan – Minister for Education and
Skill and Entrepreneurship, Govt. of India, and AICTE officials at an event organized at AICTE
Auditorium.
About Polyversity:
• Polyversity is India’s largest educational metaverse, with over 100 academic partners setting up
virtual campuses to make education more accessible, immersive, and meaningful.
• Land parcels will be allotted to academic partners in the polyversity.
Key points:
• IDS is building Bharat Blockchain Network (BBN)- India’s Nationwide hybrid blockchain Network
visioned to enable blockchain projects of academic interest around Governance, Issuance of
verifiable credentials, Skill badges, Student transfer & Audit Trail along the lines of NEP
(National Education Policy) 2020.
• IDS is working with 100 plus academic partners.
• The Bharat Blockchain Network (BBN), India’s first nationwide hybrid blockchain network, is bui lt
by IDS.
• Polyversity, a virtual university, is India’s Largest Educational Metaverse, with over 100
Academic Partners establishing virtual campuses, including the AICTE’s campus.
About AICTE:
• Founded: November 1945
• Chairman: Anil Sahasrabudhe.
Government announces hike in MSP for Kharif season:
• The Union Cabinet hiked the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy by ₹100 per quintal for the
2022-23 Kharif season.
• The rates for 14 Kharif crops have been increased, the hikes ranging from 4% to 8%.
• This is similar to the MSP hike given in 2021-22, which was in the range of 1% to 7%.
About the Minimum Support Price policy:
• MSPs are the prices at which the government procures certain crops from farmers to insure
them against any sharp fall in prices.
• It is an integral component of the Agriculture Price Policy and it strives to ensure support prices
for farmers and affordable prices for the consumer.
• Therefore, an MSP provides a powerful signal to the farmer to exercise the choice of sowing a
particular crop because the farmer can back-calculate the expected margin.
• On the other hand, we can stretch the market argument to the limit, we can argue that we do not
even need a token MSP.
Key points:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has
authorized a hike in MSP for all mandatory Kharif crops for the crop year 2022-23.
• The MSP of 14 Kharif crops was decided in the cabinet meeting.
• The support price for ‘A’ quality paddy has been increased from 1,960 to 2,060 per quintal.
• The main Kharif crop is paddy, which has already begun to be sown.
• The meteorological authority predicts that the Southwest monsoon in 2022 will be normal, with a
long-term average of 99 percent.
• For the 2022-23 crop year, the MSP for common grade paddy has been increased to 2,040 per
quintal, up from 1,940 the previous year.
PM Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates IN-SPACe in Ahmedabad:
• The Indian National Center for Space Promotion and Authorization (IN -SPACe) was inaugurated
in Ahmedabad by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• Shri Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, was also present at the ceremony.
• PM Shri Narendra Modi, India is poised to increase its share in the global space industry from
2%.
• Inaugurating the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe)
headquarters in Bopal, Ahmedabad, the PM termed the launch as a 'watch this space' moment
for the Indian space industry as it would be a precursor to many developments and
opportunities.
Additional info:
• The Union cabinet headed by the Prime Minister approved the establishment of IN-SPACe in
June 2020.
• The aim behind setting up this center was to enable non-government entities to use the facilities
of the Department of Space for greater participation of private players in space technology and
related activities.
• Before becoming Prime Minister in 2014, PM Shri Modi held the title of Gujarat’s longest-serving
Chief Minister, holding the position from October 2001 to May 2014.
• According to PM Shri Narendra Modi, the administration has prioritized the poor’s upliftment
during the last eight years.
• Prime Minister Shri Modi lay the foundation stone for several development projects in Gujarat
totaling Rs 3,050 crores.
Smt Nirmala Sitharaman established the National Museum of Customs and GST in Goa:
• Union Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman will dedicate to the nation 'Dharohar', the
National Museum of Customs and GST in Goa here as part of the Centre's 'Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav Iconic Week' celebrations
• As per a release of the Press Information Bureau, 'Dharohar' is housed in Panaji's famous Blue
Building on the banks of the Mandovi River.
• The two-story building, which was earlier known as Alfandega during Portuguese rule, is 400
years old.
• Dharohar is one of its kind museums in the country that showcases not only the artifacts seized
by Indian Customs across the country but also depicts basic Customs procedures for the
knowledge of the general public
About Dharohar:
• Dharohar is a museum like no other in the country that not only displays items seized by the
Indian Customs but also describes various aspects of the work that the Customs Department
does while protecting the economic borders, heritage, flora, and fauna of the country. and social.
• Dharohar has 8 galleries, namely: Introductory Gallery, Tax History Gallery, Guardians of our
Economic Borders, Defenders of our Art and Heritage, Guardians of the Lives plants, Guardians
of our social welfare, indirect taxes on GST, and GST galleries.
• The museum offers a rare opportunity to gain insight into the work of the Department over the
years, resulting in a change in its methodology to meet the challenges that have arisen while
providing exceptional service to the community Nation.
Railways Minister Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw launches “Start-Ups for Railways” in New Delhi:
• Railways Minister Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw launched “Start-Ups for Railways” in New Delhi.
• This Start-Ups policy aims to leverage innovative technologies developed by Indian Startups,
MSMEs, Innovators, and Entrepreneurs to improve the operational efficiency and safety of
Indian Railways.
• The policy which is part Indian Railways Innovation Programme will bring scale and efficiency in
the field of operation, maintenance, and infrastructure creation through the participation of a very
large and untapped startup ecosystem.
Key Points:
• Mr. Vaishnaw, through this platform, start-ups will get a good opportunity to connect with
Railways.
• Out of over 100 problem statements received from different divisions, field offices, or zones of
Railways, 11 problem statements like rail fracture and headway reduction have been taken up
for phase 1 of this program.
• These will be presented before the start-ups to find innovative solutions.
• He requested the startups to use this opportunity and ensured them of support from Railways in
form of a 50 percent capital grant, assured market, scale and ecosystem.
Union Cabinet approves to conduct 5G spectrum auction to be held by end of July:
• The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal from the Department of Telecommunications to
conduct a 5G spectrum auction to be held by the end of July 2022.
• The spectrum will be assigned to the successful bidders for providing 5G services to the public
and enterprises.
• A total of over 72 thousand Mega Hertz of the spectrum with a validity period of 20 years will be
put to auction.
• The auction will be held for spectrum in various Low, Medium, and High-frequency bands.
• It is expected that the spectrum will be utilized by Telecom Service Providers for the roll-out of
5G technology-based services capable of providing speed and capacities which would be about
10 times higher than the current 4G services.
• The Cabinet also decided to enable the development and setting up of Private Captive Networks
to spur a new wave of innovations in Industry 4.0 applications such as machine-to-machine
communications, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) across automotive, health
care, agriculture, energy, and other sectors.
Key Points:
• Digital connectivity has been an important part of the policy initiatives of the Government through
its flagship programs such as Digital India, Start-up India, and Make in India. Broadband,
especially mobile broadband, has become an integral part of the daily lives of citizens.
• This received a big boost through the rapid expansion of 4G services across the country since
2015.
• Eighty-crore subscribers have broadband access today compared to ten-crore subscribers in
2014.
• Spectrum is an integral and necessary part of the entire 5G eco-system.
• The upcoming 5G services have the potential to create new-age businesses, generate additional
revenue for enterprises, and provide employment arising from the deployment of innovative use-
cases and technologies.
• The 4G eco-system created in the country is now leading to 5G indigenous development.
• The 5G test bed set-up in eight top technology institutes of India is speeding up the launch of
domestic 5G technology in India.
Cabinet approves development of new Dholera greenfield airport in Gujarat:
• Union Cabinet has approved the d development of f new Dholera greenfield airport in Gujarat.
• The Airport is planned for operationalization from 2025 to 2026.
• Information and Broadcasting Mr. Minister Anurag Thakur, this airport will be connected through
multi-model connectivity like railways and highways.
• Over one thousand 305 crore rupees will be spent on the first phase and it will be completed
within 48 months.
• The initial passenger traffic is estimated at three lakh passengers per annum.
• The passenger traffic is expected to up to 23 lakh in 20 years.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has directed to recruit ten lakh people in government jobs in
a mission mode in the next 18 months.
GoI launched Agnipath military recruitment scheme:
• The Government of India has introduced the Agnipath Recruiting Plan, a 4 -year plan for military
defense.
• The program will facilitate the introduction of additional troops in a shorter time frame.
• The program is planned and organized by the Department of Military Training.
About the Scheme:
• ‘Agnipath’ is a short-term service youth recruitment scheme for the armed forces that operate
across India.
• Women will be inducted into the ‘Agnipath’ scheme.
• Approximately 45,000 people between the ages of 17.5 and 21 will be inducted into the service
for four years under the scheme.
• The recruitment process will begin in the next 90 days, with the first batch expected to be
completed by July 2023.
• The selection will be made using a centralized online method.
• Agniveers will be required to have the same educational requirements as normal officers in the
armed forces.
India’s first centralized AC railway terminal in Bangalore becomes operational:
• The ultra-luxurious Sir M Visvesvaraya railway station in Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka,
has opened.
• The Ernakulam Tri-Weekly Express train passed through the station to mark the special
occasion.
• According to railway officials, the air-conditioned SMV railway station is a project of Rs 314
crore.
• It has solar panels on the roof and a rainwater collection mechanism.
Key Points:
• The railway station in the city's Baiyappanahalli district, named after Bharat Ratna Sir M.
Visvesvaraya, is equipped with modern facilities and is claimed to have an airport-like
atmosphere.
• It was a moment of joy for crew and passengers as the first to use the city's third main terminal,
located between Banaswadi and Baiyyappanahalli in the city.
• The other two major stations in Bangalore are Bangalore Railway Station and Yashwanthpur
Railway Station.
First Display Manufacturing Plant in India to Be Set Up In Telangana worth Rs 24,000 Crore:
• Elest, a subsidiary of gold retailer Rajesh Exports, will be setting up the country's first display fab
facility in Telangana with investments worth Rs 24,000 crore.
• Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao along with Chairman of Rajesh Exports Rajesh Mehta
announced the setting up of Generation 6 AMOLED Display FAB.
• The Telangana government signed an MoU with Karnataka-based Elest for the proposed
fabrication unit which will manufacture next-generation displays for smartphones, tablet
computers, and laptops.
• Rajesh Exports (Elest), a Fortune-500 company, set up India's first Display FAB to manufacture
the most advanced AMOLED displays, with an investment of Rs 24,000 crore, making it one of
the largest investments in the high-tech manufacturing sector in India.
PM Shri Modi inaugurates Jagatguru Shri Sant Tukaram Maharaj Shila Mandir in Pune:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Jagatguru Sreesanth Tukaram Maharaj
Shila Mandir in Dehu village near Pune, dedicated to the 17th-century prophet.
• Sant Tukaram was a saint and poet of Warkari, known for his devotional poetry Abhanga and his
devotion to Community worship through spiritual songs known as Kirtans.
• He lives in Dehu.
About Shila Mandir:
• The Shila Mandir was built after his death, but it is not formally structured like a temple.
• It was rebuilt in masonry with 36 peaks and also bears the image of Sant Tukaram.
• Earlier, the prime minister visited the Vitthal-Rukmini statues in the main Dehu temple.
• He also worships the iconic Bhagwat Dharma pillar built in front of the Shila Mandir.
• `Palkhi Marg`, which has been granted national road status, will have lanes dedicated to
“warkaris”
• The Prime Minister also announced the upgrading of highways that access the temple town from
all directions, for 1,180 crores.
Rashtriya Puruskar Portal launched by the government:
• To encourage openness and public cooperation, the Union government has developed the
Rashtriya Puruskar portal, which invites nominations for a variety of awards from different
ministries, departments, and sectors.
• The portal aims to facilitate the public to nominate individuals and organizations for various
awards conferred by the Government of India.
Key Points:
• The Rashtriya Puruskar portal has been developed by the government to invite nominations for
various awards.
• These awards include various awards such as Padma Award, Sardar Patel National Unity
Award, Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, Jeevan Raksha Padak Award Series Award,
and Pandit Telecom Skills Award Deendayal Upadhyaya, etc.
• This will bring together all the awards from different Government of India
Ministries/Boards/Agencies under one digital platform, ensuring transparency and public
partnership.
• This portal strives to facilitate the public nomination of individuals and organizations for various
awards conferred by the Government of India.
India’s 1st private train service flagged off under ‘Bharat Gaurav Scheme’:
• Union Railways Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw launched 'StartUps for Railways', a major
innovation initiative.
• Aiming to provide innovative solutions to problems such as railway faults, shortening the time
between trains, and other passenger-related problems.
• The innovation policy is expected to bring scale and efficiency to the operation, maintenance,
and creation of infrastructure through the participation of a very large and untapped startup
ecosystem.
• Indian Railways launched the operation of the theme-based Bharat Gaurav train in November
2021.
• The objective of this theme is to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent
historical places to the people of India and the world, through Bharat Gaurav Trains.
About the Bharat Gaurav train:
• Indian Railways launched the Bharat Gaurav theme train in November 2021.
• This theme aims to introduce India's rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical landmarks
to the people of India.
• Degree and world through Bharat Gaurav Train.
• The program also aims to leverage the core strengths of tourism professionals to operate
themed trains to tap into India's vast tourism potential.
PM Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates Jal Bhushan Building and Gallery of Revolutionaries in Mumbai:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Jal Bhushan building at Raj Bhawan in
Mumbai.
• Maharashtra Minister Mr. Udhav Thackeray, Dy CM Ajit Pawar, Environment Minister Mr.
Aaditya Thackeray, and State Governor Mr. Bhagat Singh Koshyari also attended the event.
• The Prime Minister also inaugurated an underground museum "Gallery of the Revolutionaries"
dedicated to celebrities of the struggle for freedom, at Raj Bhavan.
About the gallery:
• The gallery has come up in the subterranean network of 13 pre-World War-I British era bunkers,
discovered in the Raj Bhavan campus in August 2016 during the tenure of the then Governor C.
Vidyasagar Rao.
• The gallery includes information on the freedom movement heroes, their role in the movement,
sculptures, rare photographs, murals, and details on tribal revolutionaries drawn by school kids.
Government extends upper age limit for Agnipath recruitment scheme from 21 to 23 years:
• The Central government has extended the upper age limit for the Agnipath recruitment scheme
from 21 years to 23 years.
• The age waiver will be given only "one time" for the proposed recruitment cycle for 2022,
informed the Defence Ministry.
• The decision has been taken as no recruitment had taken place in the last two years.
• Agniveers will be given priority in the recruitment of Central Armed Police Forces and State
Police.
Key Points:
• For the agniveers, who wish to study further, a 12th class equivalent certificate will be given.
• Opportunities for youth to serve in the armed forces will increase through the Agnipath scheme.
• In the coming years, recruitment of Agniveers will be around triple of the current recruitment in
armed forces.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the Agnipath recruitment scheme which provides an
opportunity for Indian youth to serve in the regular cadre of the Army for four years.
• Under the scheme, over forty-six thousand youth will be recruited in 2022.
• The Agnipath Scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the Armed Forces.
• The Director-General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Arun
Chawla has said that Agnipath Scheme is an innovative scheme that will strengthen the Armed
Forces.
• Under the scheme, over forty-six thousand youth will be recruited this year.
IIT Madras creates robots to clean septic tanks without humans:
• IIT Madras has developed a robot that can clean septic tanks without the use of people.
• Under the moniker "HomoSEP," ten units are intended to be disseminated across Tamil Nadu,
with researchers in contact with sanitation workers to select where they would be placed.
About Septic tanks:
• The septic tank is a dangerous environment because it is filled with semi-solid and semi-fluid
human feces, which make up around two-thirds of the tank's content.
• Despite bans and prohibition orders, hundreds of people die each year in India as a result of
manual scavenging in septic tanks.
Key Points:
• Gujarat and Maharashtra, according to IIT Madras, are being examined for the deployment of
robots that are supposed to eliminate manual scavenging in the future.
• The first two HomoSEP units were presented to self-help groups led by Nagamma and Ruth
Mary, whose husbands sadly died during sanitation work, thanks to the sponsorship of the NGO
Safai Karamchari Andolan.
• According to Rajagopal, the HomoSEP may use a custom-developed rotating blade mechanism
to homogenize resistant sludge in septic tanks and an integrated suction mechanism to pump
the tanking slurry.
PM Shri Narendra Modi launches torch relay for 44th Chess Olympiad:
• At Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi started the historic
torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad.
• The International Chess Federation, FIDE, has instituted the Chess Olympiad Torch, a
component of the Olympic heritage, for the first time this year.
• The Chess Olympiad Torch Relay is being held for the first time in India.
Key Points:
• FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich passed the torch to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who
then passed it on to Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand.
• In 40 days, the torch will travel to 75 cities before arriving in Mahabalipuram, near Chennai.
• The torch will be presented to state chess grandmasters in each venue.
• From July 28 to August 10, 2022, the 44th Chess Olympiad will take place in Chennai.
About FIDE:
• The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its
French acronym FIDE, is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the
various national chess federations and acts as the governing body of international chess
competitions.
• President: Arkady Dvorkovich
Education Minister Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates National Yoga Olympiad 2022:
• National Yoga Olympiad 2022 and quiz competition was inaugurated in New Delhi by Education
Minister Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan.
• The Ministry of Education and the National Council of Educational Research and Training are
collaborating to host the National Yoga Olympiad.
• Around 600 kids from 26 states and UTs, as well as Demonstration Multipurpose Schools of
Regional Institutions of Education, will compete in the National Yoga Olympiad this year.
Highlights:
• Mr. Pradhan stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has appropriately picked Yoga for
Humanity as this year's theme to encourage healthier choices and bring people closer together.
• Yoga is connecting the world in the pursuit of good health and wellness, according to the
Minister.
• The Minister emphasized that NEP 2020 places a strong emphasis on both students' and
teachers' physical and emotional well-being.
• Mr. Pradhan proposed that NCERT incorporate Yoga's ancient wisdom into the educational
curriculum.
• Yoga, according to Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar, must be popularised as part
of the National Education Policy 2020.
New Delhi to host National summit on cyber security and National security:
• The Ministry of Home Affairs will host a National Conference on Cyber Safety and National
Security at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi (Cyber Apradh Se Azadi, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav).
• According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Union Minister Shri Amit Shah will serve as the
conference's Chief Guest.
• The lecture is part of the country's efforts to enhance public awareness regarding the prevention
of cybercrime.
Key Points:
• The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), in partnership with the Ministry of Culture,
Government of India, organized functions on Cyber Hygiene, Cyber Crime Prevention, Cyber
Safety, and National Security at 75 venues across the country from June 8 to 17 under the name
"Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav".
• Mr. G Kishan Reddy, the union minister for Culture, Tourism, and Development of the North
Eastern Region, will attend the conference, as will Ajay Kumar Mishra, the Minister of State for
Home Affairs, as well as top officials from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Culture, States and
Union Territories, and members from other organizations.
DST launches Geospatial Self Certification Portal:
• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Science and Technology; Minister of
State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Earth Science; MoS of Prime Minister's Office and
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra
Singh has released a book and its e-Version on 8 Years of Administrative and Pension reforms
(2014-2022).
• In what can be called a massive step toward liberalization of the Geospatial industry in India, the
Department of Science and Technology (DST) launched the Self Certification Portal for
conveying adherence to provisions of Geospatial Guidelines by Individuals, companies,
organizations, and government agencies.
• The Government of India, under the aegis of the Prime Minister, has been taking concrete steps
to foster ease of doing business and entrepreneurship in the country, with a focus on data and
technology-driven development.
• The release of new Geospatial Data Guidelines on February 15, 2021, by DST, was part of this
vision and introduced much-needed changes to liberalize the Geospatial industry.
Key Points:
• One of the key developments brought in by the Guidelines was the replacement of the process
of prior approvals, security clearances, licenses, and other restrictions for the collection,
generation, preparation, dissemination, storage, publication, updating, and/or digitization of
Geospatial Data and Maps within the territory of India with a Self-Certification Regime for
conveying adherence to provisions of Geospatial Guidelines by Individuals, companies,
organizations, and government agencies.
• The transformative idea was realized by the Department of Science and Technology with the
launch of the Self-Certification portal
• Using the Portal will essentially cut down time spent on obtaining clearances and approvals
drastically for Geospatial companies, researchers, academia, and innovators for carrying out
Geospatial-related activities.
• The Portal launch is in line with the transformative ideas & announcements in the new
Geospatial Data Guidelines released by DST on February 15, 2021.
• The Portal has been developed in collaboration with NIC.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launches NIPUN for Promoting Upskilling of Nirman workers:
• Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, the minister for housing and urban affairs, has introduced in New Delhi
the National Initiative for Promoting Upskilling of Nirman Workers (NIPUN).
• NIPUN is a project of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under its flagship program, the
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission DAY-NULM, which aims to
train over one lakh construction workers through new skill-upgrading and job-opportunity-
providing programs.
About NIPUN Project:
• The NIPUN Project will give construction employees the ability to look for better employment
possibilities, earn more money, and even explore abroad placements a sign of a new eco-
system.
• By offering upskilling and employment possibilities to urban people, especially the youth, the
National Urban Livelihoods Mission has significantly reduced the vulnerability of urban poor
households.
• The implementation of the NIPUN project is broken up into three phases: international
placement through businesses, developers, and contractors; training through Recognition of
Prior Learning (RPL) at construction sites and training through Fresh Skilling by Plumbing and
Infrastructure SSC.
IISc Centre for Brain Research officially opened by PM Shri Narendra Modi:
• At IISc Bengaluru, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the cornerstone for the Bagchi
Parthasarathy Multispeciality Hospital as well as the Centre for Brain Research.
• According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tweet, the government is happy to open the Centre
for Brain Research at IISC Bangalore.
• The fact that the Prime Minister had the honor of laying the project's foundation stone adds to
the satisfaction.
• This center will be at the forefront of investigations into brain disorders.
Key Points:
• The PM added that projects like the Bagchi Parthasarathy Multispeciality Hospital are crucial at
a time when every country must prioritize healthcare.
• It will increase healthcare capabilities and support ground-breaking research in the future.
• The Centre for Brain Research is a pioneering research facility committed to conducting vital
studies to create evidence-based public health interventions for the treatment of age-related
brain disorders.
• With its eighty-two beds, the Bagchi Parthasarathy Multispeciality Hospital will be constructed on
the campus of IISc Bengaluru, aiding in the combination of science, engineering, and medicine
at the prestigious university.
• It will greatly advance clinical research in the nation and attempt to find innovative solutions that
will help the country's healthcare systems advance.
‘Single-Use Plastic’ use to banned by Union Govt. from 1st July 2022:
• The Union government will ban "Single-Use Plastic" starting on July 1st, 2022.
• Starting on July 1, 2022, all single-use plastics, especially those composed of polystyrene and
expanded polystyrene will be prohibited from being produced, imported, stored, distributed, sold,
and used.
• The Environment Ministry has also established a national task force to make coordinated efforts
in this area.
Background Decision:
• According to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's announcement in June 2018, India will phase
out single-use plastics by 2022.
• At the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly in 2019, India took the lead in crafting a
resolution that acknowledged the pressing need for the international community to pay attention
to this issue.
• Plastic carry bags will be 75 microns thick starting on September 30, 2021, and 120 microns
thick by December 31, 2022.
• Companies are required to manage the disposal of their products once customers have deemed
them worthless under a policy concept called "extended producer responsibility."
• The Center had previously asked that states and union territories establish a special task force
under the leadership of the chief secretary or the administrator to get rid of SUP and
successfully implement the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Identified SUP items list:
• Among the 19 items categorized as SUP are earbuds, plastic balloon sticks, flags, candy sticks,
ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol), plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, and
trays, as well as wrapping or packaging films around sweets boxes, invitation cards, cigarette
packets, and plastic or PVC banners that are less than 100 microns thick.
Key Points:
• Mr. Ashwini Choubey, the minister of state for the environment, stated in a statement to
Parliament that by July 23, fourteen states and UTs have joined the special task force.
• The national capital's 19 single-use plastics ban will be enforced by the Delhi Environment
Department starting on July 1.
• Any manufacturers, suppliers, stockists, dealers, or vendors found to be in breach of the rules
would have their businesses shut down.
• The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, published by the Center, prohibit the
production, importation, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of certain single-use plastic (SUP)
products, including candy sticks, plates, glasses, and cutlery, as of July 1, 2022.
Investment of Rs 7,243 billion made through PMMSY's fisheries program; dashboard launched by the
government:
• The government has made a project investment of Rs 7,242.90 crore has been made in the last
two years under Padhan Mantri Matsya Samapada Yojana (PMMSY) while announcing the
launch of a dashboard of this flagship scheme.
• The total project investment of Rs 7,242.90 crore (FY 2020-22) has been done under PMMSY.
• Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Mr. Parshottam Rupala unveiled the
dashboard recently keeping in view the vast scope of PMMSY
Key Points:
• A Management Information System (MIS) dashboard for PMMSY has been put in place for
aggregating information on one platform.
• The dashboard aims at effective monitoring of PMMSY activities and their progress in all
participating states.
• It also helps strategically utilize the information for informed decision-making.
• As the data is fed into the MIS system at the district level by each participating states/union
territory, the platform is a true indicator of PMMSY’s progress.
• With many other technological development activities in the pipeline for MIS dashboard
improvement, the Department of Fisheries and PMC (project management consultant) team has
been simultaneously making efforts to onboarding all states/UTs through hands-on training on
the platform and creating awareness
About PMMSY:
• PMMSY, launched in May 2020, is a flagship scheme for focused and sustainable development
of the fisheries sector in the country with an estimated investment of Rs 20,050 crore for its
implementation during a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
UDAN celebrating its 5th anniversary in the year 2022:
• The Central Government's dream project, Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) is five years old in
2022.
• Newer airlines, like Star Air, started to investigate this enormous untapped market, which helped
the initiative gain popularity after a sluggish start.
• Analysts claim that UDAN is a game-changer for the aviation industry since it makes it possible
for the common individual to move between smaller cities for a fair price and in minutes as
opposed to hours.
• Over 92 lakh people benefit from the over 415 UDAN routes that connect 66
underserved/unserved airports, including heliports and water aerodromes.
About UDAN:
• The Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) project of the Government of India is a regional airport
development program that is a component of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) for
improving underserved air routes.
• Its goals include promoting inclusive national economic development, job creation, and the
growth of air transportation infrastructure throughout all of India's regions and states while also
making air travel more affordable and pervasive.
• At the commencement of the initiative, 12 out of 18 participating under-served regional
operational airports with regular fixed-wing scheduled flights were operational airports, 27 out of
97 non-RCS airports were well-served airports, and 406 out of 486 airports were participating
under-served airports.
Culture Minister Mr. G Kishan Reddy launched the “Jyotirgamaya” festival in New Delhi:
• Union Culture Minister Mr. G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated Jyotirgamaya, a festival honoring the
talent of unappreciated performers, in New Delhi.
• To showcase the skill of rare musical instruments from all across the country, including street
performers and train entertainers, Sangeet Natak Akademi organized this event as part of Azadi
Ka Amrit Mahotsav and on the occasion of World Music Day.
• The event wants to make participants more conscious of the need of maintaining both the
making and using of unique musical instruments.
• The Sangeet Natak Akademi's initiative to preserve India's disappearing performing arts is
exceptional.
Key Points:
• Music is a universal language, according to Cultural Minister Mr. Reddy, and Indian music is
incredibly diversified, much like its culture.
• The Cultural Minister asserts that music is an essential component of Indian culture.
• Folk music and its instruments should be preserved with the utmost care, and this festival will
help with that effort.
PM Shri Narendra Modi to inaugurate Vanijya Bhawan and the NIRYAT Site:
• The "National Import-Export Record for Yearly Analysis of Commerce" (NIRYAT) portal, which
will give information on India's foreign trade, and the new office complex for the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, "Vanijya Bhawan," will both be formally opened by Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi.
• The building, which will act as an integrated and modern office complex, will be used by both the
department of commerce and the department for the development of industry and internal trade.
About Vanijya Bhawan:
• Vanijya Bhawan is a smart structure that includes sustainable architectural concepts with an
emphasis on energy saving.
• It is being constructed near India Gate on a 4.33-acre land.
• During the building's development, 214 trees—or more than 56 percent of them—were either left
unattended or newly planted.
• The 1,000-person facility has modern conveniences including smart access control, central air
conditioning, video conferencing, and fully networked systems.
About NIRYAT:
• NIRYAT was developed as a "one-stop platform" to provide stakeholders access to all the data
they need on the nation's foreign trade.
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has introduced the "Surya Nutan," a unique indigenous solar cooktop:
• The "Surya Nutan," a patented indigenous solar cooktop created by the oil refiner's Faridabad
R&D center, has been revealed by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
• India's CO 2 emissions will be significantly reduced because of Surya Nutan, which will also
protect our people from the whims of volatile global fossil fuel costs.
• The product was displayed in front of the Uttar Pradesh Minister of Finance and Parliamentary
Affairs Suresh Khanna, Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj HS Puri, Minister of
State for Commerce & Industry Som Prakash, Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs
Kaushal Kishore, and Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) Som Prakash.
About the Surya Nutan:
• The solar cooktop is fixed, portable, and integrated into the kitchen's indoor solar cooking
equipment.
• While charging, it provides an online cooking mode.
• Surya Nutan operates in hybrid mode, allowing it to utilize both solar and backup energy sources
at once. Radiative and conductive heat losses are minimized by the solar cooktop's insulating
design.
• The product was initially priced at Rs 12,000 for the entry-level model and Rs 23,000 for the top
model.
• But with economies of scale, the price is anticipated to drop significantly.
• To determine different operational and commercial elements associated with its implementation,
pilot projects are now being conducted in over 60 locations, including Leh (Ladakh).
About Indian Oil Corporation
• Chairperson: Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
Union Minister unveiled Seismology Observatory in Udhampur:
• The Seismology Observatory in the Dandayal neighbourhood of the Udhampur district was
formally inaugurated by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Jammu and Kashmir.
• The third such Center was established in J&K for 20 lakh rupees by the Ministry of Earth
Sciences.
• India is on the approach of becoming a significant force in the growth and understanding of
seismology.
• These observatories have been built up in J&K, especially in South and North Kashmir, which lies
in the seismic zone.
Key Points:
• The observatory will gather a thorough seismic record for the districts of Udhampur, Doda,
Kishtwar, Ramban, and many more.
• The federal government intends to open 152 earthquake observatories over the following four
months, including three more in the Kashmir region, according to Dr Jitendra Singh.
• Over the following five years, 100 more such seismological centres will open around the country,
enhancing the collecting and monitoring of real-time data.
High carbon emitters to receive incentives to reduce footprint:
• India is putting up several policies to support the construction of carbon capture facilities by high
carbon emission industries including steel, cement, and thermal plants.
• The utilisation of viability gap finance, carbon credits, or production-linked incentive programmes
might all be employed as incentives.
• The government may issue carbon credits that may be traded on carbon markets or a PLI
programme that links incentives to how much carbon is captured and utilised.
Key Points:
• The nation's policy think-tank, Niti Aayog, will soon publish a policy prescription for carbon
capture and use of carbon dioxide generated by the industry as part of the goal to attain Net-Zero
by 2070.
• 6–10% of total carbon dioxide emissions come from these businesses.
• For the carbon dioxide that polluting companies release to be caught, used, and stored for a
range of industrial applications, several ways are being investigated to incentivize them to
develop carbon capture facilities.
RPF rescues 150 girls/women during pan India drive "Operation Mahila Suraksha":
• Railway Protection Force (RPF) and frontline railway staff are relentlessly working to ensure safe
& secure travel of women over the Indian railways.
• Dedicated to this objective of women’s security a pan India drive "Operation Mahila Suraksha"
was launched from 3rd to 31st May 2022.
• During this drive, RPF has arrested more than 7000 persons who were travelling unauthorizedly
in the coaches reserved for women.
• RPF also rescued 150 girls/women from becoming the victims of human trafficking.
• To provide enhanced safety and security to lady passengers travelling by trains for their entire
journey a pan India initiative "Meri Saheli" is also operational.
Key Points:
• 283 teams (covering 223 stations) of trained Mahila officers and personnel with an average total
deployment of 1125 lady RPF personnel per day, are deployed across the Indian railways who
interacted with more than 2 Lakh 25 thousand ladies during this period and provided them end to
end security.
• Train escort duties with a mixed composition of male & female RPF personnel were also widely
deployed during this period.
• To educate the rail users regarding their safety and Dos & Don'ts during their journey, 5742
awareness campaigns were organized.
Centre to set up model schools, to be called ‘PM Shri schools:
• Union education minister Mr Dharmendra Pradhan announced that the government is in the
process of establishing model schools that will be called ‘PM Shri Schools’.
• PM Shri Schools will be the laboratory of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Attendees:
• Among those present at the conference were Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, Goa chief
minister Pramod Sawant, union minister of state for education and skill development, education
ministers of several states, chairperson of the steering committee for developing a new National
Curriculum Framework K Kasturirangan and senior officials from the education ministry and state
governments.
Key Points:
• The minister highlighted the 5+3+3+4 approach of NEP covering pre-school to secondary,
emphasis on ECCE, teacher training & adult education, integration of skill development with
school education and prioritising learning in mother tongue which are steps for preparing global
citizens of the 21st century.
‘Vivatech 2020’ Conference: India recognized as ‘country of the year’:
• India has been named the "nation of the year" at Europe's largest startup conference, "Vivatech
2020."
• Being chosen "nation of the year" at Vivatech 2020 is a great honour for India.
• This is a result of what Indian startups have given the globe.
• This is how Indian startups are recognised.
• Mr Ashwini Vaishnav, the minister of railways, communications, electronics, and information
technology, opened the India pavilion at the Vivatech 2020 technology expo in Paris, France.
• With government assistance, some 65 start-ups from India will attend Vivatech 2022.
Key Points:
• The Indian startup environment has been expanding quickly.
• They currently have over 100 unicorns, which demonstrates the size and recognition of Indian
ecosystems.
• It has been evolving quickly.
• A new set of use cases for technology development in India is made possible by the combination
of billions of cellphones, billions of bank accounts, and billions and billions of digital identities.
Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurates the National Conference on Millets:
• The National Conference on Millets was launched by Mr Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of
State for M/o Food Processing Industries.
• The symposium in New Delhi, organised by the business association ASSOCHAM with
assistance from M/o Food Processing Industries, has as its topic "The Future Super Food for
India."
• The purpose of the conference is to examine ways to ensure food and nutritional security as well
as obstacles in the way.
• According to the union minister, the nation would produce 17.96 million tonnes of coarse grains in
2020–21, up from 14.52 million tonnes in 2015–16, and 10.86 million tonnes of bajra (pearl millet)
over the same period.
• Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana are some of the major millets-producing
states in India.
Additional Info:
• Millets are grown all over the world because India is currently the fifth-largest exporter of millets
worldwide.
• The worldwide year of millets in 2023 will generate value and promote the use of sustainable
goods in dietary choices.
Government to transfer NDPS from Ministry of Finance to Ministry of Home Affairs:
• The government is reportedly considering moving the administration of the Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988, from the finance ministry to the Ministry of Home Affairs to
consolidate all matters relating to narcotics under one department.
Key Points:
• The Department of Revenue (DoR) under the finance ministry is now responsible for
administering the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985 and the
Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1988, with the
Narcotics Control Bureau falling under the jurisdiction of the home ministry.
• There is currently discussion about DoR handing over management of the two Acts to MHA.
• The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), significant law enforcement and intelligence agency
tasked with combating drug usage and trafficking, was established by the NDPS Act.
The Transfer's details:
• According to the Rules, DoR is in charge of "all matters about international treaties, accords,
conventions, etc. about narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursor chemicals,"
except those delegated to MHA.
• The Narcotics Control Bureau is located at MHA, even though it has a drug section.
• By Section 4(3) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985, the MHA is in
charge of "all matters relating to Narcotics Control Bureau established under Section 4(3) of the
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and coordination of all measures for
preventing and combating abuse of and illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances."
About NDPS:
• The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985, or NDPS Act, prohibits the
production, manufacturing, cultivation, holding, sale, purchase, transportation, storage, use, and
possession of any narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.
• The Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act of
1988 provides for incarceration in certain situations to suppress the illegal trade in narcotic drugs
and psychotropic substances.
• The 1961 Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules were followed when considering
the transfer.
Delhi airport becomes India’s first to run entirely on hydro and solar energy:
• In a significant step toward realizing the ambitious aim of being a Net Zero Carbon Emission
Airport by 2030, Delhi Airport, also known as Indira Gandhi International Airport, became the first
airport in the nation to function totally on hydro and solar power as of this month.
• A long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) was signed with a hydropower-producing
company in Himachal Pradesh for the supply of hydroelectricity for the airport until 2036 by Delhi
International Airport Limited (DIAL), a consortium led by GMR Infrastructure Limited that
manages and operates the Delhi Airport.
Key Points:
• Since June 1, the hydropower plant has been providing up to 94 percent of the airport's total
electrical needs, ending its reliance on non-renewable sources of energy.
• Currently, the airport receives around 6 percent of its electricity needs from onsite solar power
plants.
• The Delhi International Airport will be a Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030, far ahead of
the worldwide objective of 2050.
• To do this, DIAL recently approved a program for green transportation, and we have already
reached another milestone for the program for green energy.
7th Anniversary to commemorate the launch of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban celebrated by
MoHUA:
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organized a virtual event to celebrate 7
years of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U), which was launched by Hon’ble Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 25th June 2015.
• The event was presided by Shri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs,
and attended by senior officials of the Ministry, Principal Secretaries of States/UTs, MDs of
States/UTs, and stakeholders from Central and State Governments.
Key Points:
• Seventh-anniversaries celebrations highlighted the important initiatives implemented under the
PMAY-U Mission, which is one of the largest urban housing programs in the world.
• At the outset, a video depicting the glorious 7 years of journey of PMAY-U was showcased
depicting how the Mission is fulfilling the dream of a pucca house for millions of Indians.
• An e-Book encapsulating achievement of the Mission was then released by Secretary, MoHUA.
• The book takes the readers through the initiatives and reforms that have been undertaken by the
Mission to transform the urban landscape of India and more importantly, the impact it has had on
the lakhs of beneficiaries of PMAY-U, who are proud owners of a pucca house with all basic
amenities.
About PMAY:
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is an initiative by the Government of India in which affordable
housing will be provided to the urban poor with a target of building 2 crore affordable houses by
31 March 2022.
• Launch year: 2015
• Launched by (prime minister): Shri Narendra Modi
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chairs the inaugural session of the Seminar on Production & Use of Green
Hydrogen and Green Ammonia in Process Industry:
• Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh
Mandaviya addressed a two-day seminar being organized on the subject ‘Production and use of
Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia in Process Industry’ by the Department of Chemical
Engineering, IIT Delhi, New Delhi.
• Shri Bhagwant Khuba, Minister of State for Chemical & Fertilizers was also present at the
meeting.
Key Points:
• Under the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, we have observed the proliferation
and promotion of usage of non-fossil fuel.
• Hon'ble Prime Minister launched the National Hydrogen Mission on India's 75th Independence
Day.
• The Mission aims to aid the government in meeting its climate targets and making India a green
hydrogen hub.
• The world is looking toward us for our green hydrogen policy and we will soon launch the
document with production, heavy transport logistics industries, and shipping details.
• The main aim is to achieve a 500Gigawatt production target capacity of non-fossil fuel by 2030
India’s 1st Government MLD Desalination Plant for Industrial Use inaugurated in Dahej, Gujarat:
● Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has inaugurated India’s first government desalination
plant only for industrial use at Dahej in Bharuch with a capacity of 100 MLD (million liters per
day), set up for Rs 881 crore.
● The price of 1000 liters of treated water will be Rs 26.
● Bharuch(Bharuch) In dowry (Dahej) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel (CM Bhupendra
Patel)Of the country’s first 100 MLD desalination plant for industrial purposes(Desalination
plant)Dedicated.
● The plant will be able to purify seawater and use it for industrial purposes.
● The plant will purify 30,000 TDS of seawater and make it 200 TDS drinkable.
● The state’s industries have a great contribution to making Gujarat the growth engine of the
country’s development.
● The first 100 MLD of the newly constructed country for industrial purposes was installed at
Dahej-2 Industrial Estate in Wagra Taluka of Bharuch District by Gujarat Industrial Development
Corporation.
GoI Reconstitutes Committee to Examine the Representation of Officials Sacked for Alleged
Corruption:
● In New Delhi, Chemical and Petrochemicals Secretary Arti Ahuja will now be part of a committee
to examine the representation of officials sacked for alleged inefficiency or corruption in the
government service.
● The three-member panel has been reconstituted by the ministry.
PANEL MEMBERS:
● Ahuja has been appointed in place of Leena Nandan, Secretary of the ministry of environment,
Forest and Climate Change.
● Puneet Kansal, Joint Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat has replaced Ashutosh Jindal,
Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat in the panel.
● One member nominated by the cadre controlling authority (under whose administrative control
the alleged corrupt officials come)
Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated nine National Highway Projects in Rajasthan worth
over 1,300 crore rupees:
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated and laid the
foundation stone of nine National Highway Projects in Rajasthan costing 1,357 crore rupees.
• 11 hundred crore rupees have been sanctioned for the repair of the Delhi-Jaipur-Kishangarh
highway.
• An allocation of nine hundred crores in CRIF for Rajasthan and 700 crore rupees for the Setu
Bandhan Scheme has been approved by the Central Government.
Key Points:
• The projects include a road project in the Sri Ganganagar district worth 753 crore rupees, under
which, a two-lane road will be constructed on NH 911 from Sri Ganganagar to Raisinghnagar
with 102.76 km pave shoulder at a cost of about 670.38 crore rupees.
• It will be built as a bypass road of 41.52 km in Sriganganagar, Srikaranpur, Gajsinghpur, and
Raisinghnagar.
• Construction of four-lane flyover with approach road in Bikaner-Suratgarh section of National
Highway 62 at Suratgarh for 26.61 crore rupees
• About 77.90 km of Suratgarh-Sriganganagar section for 56.20 crore rupees is also a part of
these projects.
• These include four National Highway projects in Jalore Sirohi Parliamentary Constituency
costing 247 crore rupees.
• These projects also include the construction of 14 overbridges on the Jaipur-Ajmer-Beawar
Highway, which will reduce the number of accidents on this highway.
Shri Nitin Gadkari approves Draft GSR Notification to introduce Bharat NCAP:
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has approved the Draft GSR
Notification to introduce Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Program), wherein automobiles in
India shall be accorded Star Ratings based upon their performance in Crash Tests.
• Bharat-NCAP will serve as a consumer-centric platform allowing customers to opt for safer cars
based on their star ratings while promoting healthy competition among OEMs in India to
manufacture safer vehicles.
Key Points:
• Star Rating of Indian Cars based on Crash Tests is extremely crucial not only to ensure
structural and passenger safety in cars but to also increase the export-worthiness of Indian
automobiles.
• The testing protocol of Bharat NCAP shall be aligned with Global Crash Test Protocols factoring
in the existing Indian regulations, allowing OEMs to get their vehicles tested at India’s in-house
testing facilities.
• Shri Gadkari said Bharat NCAP will prove to be a critical instrument in making our automobile
industry Aatmanirbhar with the mission of making India the Number 1 automobile hub in the
world.
About NCAP:
• A New Car Assessment Program is a government car safety program tasked with evaluating
new automobile designs for performance against various safety threats
• The overall objective of the NCAP is comprehensive mitigation actions for the prevention,
control, and abatement of air pollution.
Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan completes two years:
• Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA) has completed two years.
• The government of India launched GKRA in 2020 for 125 days with a resource envelope of
50,000 crore rupees to boost employment and livelihood opportunities for returnee migrant
workers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A total of 12 Ministries and Departments of the Government of India participated in the
Abhiyaan.
• A total of 50.78 crore person-days employment was generated during the Abhiyaan.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic period, Union Government has taken several additional
measures for the benefit of workers, such as an increase of wage under MGNREGA to 202
rupees a day from 182 rupees to benefit nearly 13.62 crore families.
The Objective:
• The objectives of the Abhiyaan were to provide immediate employment and livelihood
opportunities to the distressed, saturate the villages with public infrastructure and create public
assets to boost the income generation activities and enhance long-term livelihood opportunities
by giving focus on 25 works in 116 selected districts across six states Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya
Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
• The Government also created 39.51 lakh new job opportunities by crediting 2,583 crores in EPF
accounts under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY).
Centre mandates 3-yr health insurance plan for surrogate mothers:
• The government has issued fresh surrogacy rules, making it mandatory for couples who wish to
become parents through surrogacy to buy health insurance plans for surrogate mothers for 36
months.
Under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Rules 2022, the Union Health Ministry has published a new
notification:
• The intended partners must get a general health insurance policy from an insurer accredited by
India's Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority for 36 months in favor of a surrogate
mother.
• It must include a sum large enough to pay for all costs associated with pregnancy-related
difficulties as well as postpartum delivery-related issues.
• The government has also made sure that no surrogacy process may be attempted more than
three times on the surrogate mother.
• According to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971, a surrogate mother may be
permitted to have an abortion during the surrogacy process if a medical professional
recommends it.
• Every private surrogacy clinic is required to submit an application for registration along with a fee
of 2 lakh, which is non-refundable.
• Facilities owned and operated by government-run institutions are free from these charges.
• If a woman has an atypical or absent uterus, or if the uterus has been surgically removed due to
a medical illness such as gynecological cancer, she may choose surrogacy.
About Surrogacy:
• A woman (the surrogate) agrees to bear and give birth to a child on behalf of another person or
couple (the intended parent(s), or parents), under the terms of a surrogacy agreement.
• Surrogate moms suffer some difficulties, including exploitation, unsanitary living circumstances,
and unjust treatment, hence surrogacy has to be regulated.
Prime Minister to participate in ‘Udyami Bharat’ program in New Delhi:
• Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi will participate in the ‘Udyami Bharat’ program in N ew Delhi.
• During the event, Prime Minister will launch the ‘Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance’
Scheme, ‘Capacity Building of First-Time MSME Exporters’ Scheme, and new features of the
‘Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme’, PMEGP.
• Prime Minister will also digitally transfer assistance to beneficiaries of PMEGP for 2022-23.
• He will announce the results of the MSME Idea Hackathon-2022 and distribute National MSME
Awards.
• Mr. Modi will also issue Digital Equity Certificates to 75 MSMEs in the Self-Reliant India Fund.
• ‘Udyami Bharat’ is reflective of the continuous commitment of the government, right from day
one, to work towards the empowerment of MSMEs.
Key Points:
• The government has launched several initiatives from time to time like MUDRA Yojana,
Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme, and Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of
Traditional Industries.
• This has been done to provide necessary and timely support to the MSME sector, which has
helped benefit crores of people across the country.
• The Prime Minister will launch the ‘Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance’ (RAMP)
scheme, with an outlay of around 6,000 crore rupees.
• It aims to scale up the implementation capacity and coverage of MSMEs in the states, with
impact enhancement of existing MSME schemes.
Arjun Meghwal presented with the holy Kapilvastu relics brought back from Mongolia:
• The four Holy Relics of the Lord Buddha were returned to India after a 12-day exposition at the
Batsagaan Temple on the grounds of Gandan Monastery, Mongolia, in honor of Mongolian
Buddha Purnima.
• In Ghaziabad, the holy relics were given to Union Minister Shri Arjun Meghwal.
• The presentation of the sacred relics had to be delayed by a few days because of the strong
demand from the Mongolian people.
Key Points:
• During a 12-day exhibition at the Gandan Monastery, thousands of people paid their respects to
the revered artifacts, including the President of Mongolia, the Speaker of the Mongolian
Parliament, the Foreign Minister, the Ministers of Culture, Tourism, and Energy, more than 20
Members of Parliament, and High Abbots from more than 100 Monasteries in Mongolia.
• The celebrations on the closing day were attended by the interior minister of culture for
Mongolia.
• Between 18 and 20 thousand worshippers bowed down before the Holy Buddha Relics on the
first day of the exhibition.
• On working days, 5–6 thousand devotees visited Gandan Monastery on average, and 9–10
thousand on closed days.
• On the last day, some 18,000 worshippers came to Gandan to honor the holy relics.
• The last day's rites were witnessed by the interior minister of culture.
• Since they were discovered in Bihar in 1898 and are believed to be from the ancient city of
Kapilvastu, the Holy Buddha Relics are frequently referred to as Kapilvastu Reli cs.
• The Relics have the same climate-controlled case as they have in the National Museum right
now after being granted the status of a State Guest.
• In a special C-17 Globemaster airplane, the sacred relics were brought back to India.
Bangladesh top recipient of Covid vaccines under COVAX- UNICEF
● UNICEF has delivered over 190 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Bangladesh through
COVAX in one year, with Bangladesh being the top recipient of doses under COVAX.
● COVAX is a global initiative that is led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation,
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization with UNICEF.
● Under the COVAX program, more than 62% of the doses have been delivered to Bangladesh.
● More than 117 crore individuals, or 69 percent of Bangladesh‘s population, have received two
doses of the vaccine
The goal of COVAX :
● To ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines globally
● COVID-19 vaccinations started in Bangladesh in February 2021.
● UNICEF delivered the first COVAX shipment of vaccines to Bangladesh o n J une 1 , 2 021 , at a
time when only 4.0 percent of the population in the country was fully vaccinated.
Note :
● UNICEF representative to Bangladesh: Mr. Sheldon Yett
● WHO Representative to Bangladesh: Dr. Bardan Jung Rana
About Bangladesh :
● President: Abdul Hamid
● Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina
● Capital: Dhaka
● Currency: Bangladeshi taka
About UNICEF :
● Headquarters: New York City, USA
● Head: Catherine M. Russell
UN Approves changing Turkey’s official name to ‘Türkiye’
● The United Nations has changed the Republic of Turkey’s country name the organization from
“Turkey” to “Türkiye” after a request from the country's government.
● In December 2021, Turkish President Recep Tayyip E rdogan ordered the use of Türkiye to
better represent Turkish culture and values, including demanding that “Made in Türki ye” be used
instead of “Made in Turkey” on exported products.
● UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated that a letter had been received from the Turkish foreign
minister Mevlut Cavusoglu addressed to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, requesting the
use of “Türkiye” instead of “Turkey” for all affairs.
About Türkiye :
● President : Recep Tayyip Erdogan
● Currency : Turkish lira
● Capital :Ankara
Canadian PM Trudeau announces new law to “freeze” sales on handgun
● Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government introduced new legislation that would put
a freeze on importing, buying, or selling handguns.
● Trudeau invoked a string of mass shootings in Canada over the past decades, as well as recent
attacks in the United States, as part of his government’s impetus to introduce Bill C-21.
About ‘freeze’ handgun ownership :
● The bill would allow for the removal of gun licenses from people involved in acts of domestic
violence or criminal harassment, such as stalking.
● The bill would create a new red flag law allowing courts to require that people considered a
danger to themselves or others surrender their firearms to police.
● The measure would guard the safety of those applying through the process, often women in
danger of domestic abuse, by protecting their identities.
● The law will require rifle magazines to be permanently altered so they can never hold more than
five rounds and will ban the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines under the Criminal
Code.
Additional Info :
● In 2020, Trudeau’s government banned more than 1,500 models and variants of “assault-style”
firearms which include AR-15 & Ruger Mini-14.
● Canada has stronger gun ownership laws than the United States.
● According to the Statistics Canada report, since 2009, the per capita rate of firearms being
pointed at someone in the commission of a crime has nearly tripled, and the rate at which guns
are fired with intent to kill or wound is up fivefold.
About Canada :
● PM: Justin Trudeau
● Capital: Ottawa
● Currency : Canadian dollar ($) (CAD)
● Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area (First-Russia)
NATO Holds Naval Exercise BALTOPS on Baltic Sea With Finland & Sweden
● The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) launched a naval exercise BALTOPS 22 on the
Baltic Sea.
● 14 NATO allies (Türkiye, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia,
Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, the UK, and the US.), 2 NATO partner nations
(Finland and Sweden), over 45 ships, more than 75 aircraft, and approximately 7,000 personnel
will participate in the 51st iteration of the premier maritime-focused exercise from June 5-
17,2022.
● BALTOPS 22 is scheduled to end in the German port of Kiel on June 17, 2022.
Aim :
● To develop the interoperability of the United States, Nato, and partner countries in joint air and
maritime operations and amphibious operations
● As NATO's close partners, Finland and Sweden have participated in the naval drill since the
mid-1990s.
About the BALTOPS exercise :
● BALTOPS exercise, which was initiated for the first time in 1972.
● BALTOPS is an annual exercise that visibly demonstrates NATO's commitment to preserving
regional peace and security by exercising a team of international forces that can rapidly respond
in a time of crisis
About NATO :
● Member States: 30 (27 European, one transcontinental, and two North American)
New York in US Passes World’s First Electronics Right to Repair Law for Digital Electronics
● The New York State Legislature in the United States has passed the world's first 'Right to
Repair' law that will allow digital electronics manufacturers to make parts, tools, information, and
software available to consumers and independent repair shops.
About Digital Fair Repair Act :
● The "Digital Fair Repair Act" passed by New York would require manufacturers of digital
electronics like cellphones and computers to make diagnostic and repair information and parts
available for sale to independent repairers.
● This will prevent manufacturers from creating a monopoly on repair services and forcing
consumers to pay, often inflated prices.
● This bill covers most products containing electronics but has some notable carve-outs.
● It does not include motor vehicles, home appliances, medical devices, public safety
communications equipment like police radios, agricultural equipment, and off-road equipment.
About the US :
● President: Joe Biden
● Capital: Washington, D.C.
● Currency: United States Dollar
Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland elected non-permanent members of the UNSC
● Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland were elected non-permanent members of
the UN Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term.
● The newly elected members will take up their new responsibilities on January 1, 2023, and serve
till December 31, 2024.
● The newly-elected countries will replace India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Norway.
About Selecting Council members :
● The Security Council consists of 15 countries & 5 of them are China, France, Russia, the United
Kingdom, and the United States – which are permanent members with the right to veto.
● The General Assembly, which comprises all 193 UN Member States, elects the 10 non-
permanent members who serve for two-year terms.
● To secure a place on the Council, countries must receive a two-thirds majority, or 128 votes,
even if they run uncontested.
About UNSC Election 2022 :
● Overall, 192 UN Member States participated in the election.
● The five new non-permanent members ran largely uncontested.
● In the African and Asia-Pacific groups, Mozambique received 192 votes, marking its first time
serving on the Council. Japan garnered 184 votes, and Mongolia three.
● Ecuador, the sole candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean, obtained 190 votes, with
two countries abstaining.
● Switzerland will also be a newcomer to the Council.
● The country received 187 votes, and Malta 185 votes, again with two countries abstaining.
● The five newly-elected countries will join Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the United Arab
Emirates around the Security Council’s signature horseshoe table.
About UNSC :
● Headquarters: NewYork, USA
● The council is tasked to maintain international peace and security.
● The UNSC is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions on member states.
● It is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
● The other 5 organs of the United Nations are the General Assembly (UNGA), the Trusteeship
Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.
UNGA adopts resolution on multilingualism, mentions Hindi for the first time
● The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted an India-sponsored resolution on
multilingualism that mentions the Hindi language for the first time.
● The UN resolution also mentions Bangla and Urdu for the first time.
● The resolution encourages the United Nations to continue disseminating important
communications and messages in official as well as non-official languages, including in the Hindi
language.
● Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the six official languages of the
United Nations; English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.
India’s contribution to UN Multilingualism mentions Hindi:
● India has been partnering with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC) since 2018
by providing an extra-budgetary contribution to the mainstream and consolidating news and
multimedia content in the Hindi Language.
● As part of these efforts, the ‘Hindi@UN’ project was also launched in 2018.
Objective :
● To enhance the public outreach of the United Nations in the Hindi Language, and to spread
greater awareness about the global issues among millions of Hindi-speaking populations around
the world.
About Multilingualism :
● Multilingualism is an essential factor in harmonious communication among peoples and an
enabler of multilateral diplomacy.
● It ensures effective participation of all in the Organization’s work, as well as greater transparency
and efficiencies and better outcomes.
Note :
● India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations: TS Tirumurti
About UNGA :
● President: Abdulla Shahid
● Headquarters: New York City
● It is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN)
● The UNGA is the only UN organ wherein all member states have equal representation
India's EXIM Bank extends Sri Lanka USD 55 million credit line for fertilizer imports
● The Indian government has decided to extend a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 55 million to Sri
Lanka for the procurement of Urea Fertilizer.
● A LOC agreement was signed between GOSL and the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM bank)
at Colombo, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe, the
Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera, and the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka
Gopal Baglay.
● The credit line was extended in response to an urgent request from the Government of Sri
Lanka (GOSL), amid the ongoing economic crisis.
● This credit line will help the Sri Lankan government secure urea fertilizer for the ongoing paddy
sowing ‘Yala’ season.
● The LOC will be in line with its ‘Neighborhood First’ policy and as an earnest friend and partner
of Sri Lanka, India has extended multi-pronged assistance to the people of Sri Lanka in the last
few months.
● The support from India ranges from economic assistance of close to USD 3.5 billion to helping
secure Sri Lanka’s food, health, and energy security by supplying essential items like food,
medicines, fuel, kerosene, etc.
About Sri Lanka :
● President : Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa
● Prime Minister : Ranil Wickremesinghe
● Capital : Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
● Currency : Sri Lankan Rupee
The central African Republic becomes 2nd country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender
● The Central African Republic has become the 2nd country in the world to adopt bitcoin as its
official currency, after El Salvador.
● The CAR is the first country in Africa to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender
● This move places the Central African Republic on the map of the world's boldest and most
visionary countries.
● President Faustin Touaderahad signed a bill into law to make Bitcoin a legal tender alongside
the CFA franc.
● Currently, The country uses the French-backed CFA franc as its currency, along with most other
former French colonies in Africa.
About Central African Republic :
● Président : Faustin-Archange Touadéra
● PM : Félix Moloua
● Capital : Bangui
● CAR is one of the world's poorest countries but is rich in diamonds, gold, and uranium.
BIMSTEC celebrates its 25th anniversary in Dhaka, Bangladesh
● The Secretariat of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in Dhaka celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the regional organization
on BIMSTEC Day on June 06, 2022.
● The event included the launch of a publication titled “25 Years of BIMSTEC – Towards a
Peaceful, Prosperous and Sustainable Bay of Bengal Region”.
Background of BIMSTEC :
● On 6 June 1997, a new sub-regional grouping was formed in Bangkok under the name BIST-EC
(Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
● Following the inclusion of Myanmar on 22 December 1997 during a special Ministerial Meeting
in Bangkok, the Group was renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and
Thailand Economic Cooperation).
● In 1998, Nepal became an observer.
● In February 2004, Nepal and Bhutan became full members.
About BIMSTEC :
● The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
is an international organization of seven South Asian and Southeast Asian nations.
● Establishment: 6 June 1997
● Secretary General : Tenzin Lekphell
● Chair: Thailand (2022-23)
● Membership: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar & Thailand
India-EU First-ever Security and Defence Consultations held in Brussels
● The first-ever India-European Union (EU) Security and Defence Consultations took place in
Brussels, Belgium.
● The consultations were held by the decision taken at the India-EU Summit in July 2020.
Key Highlights :
● The consultations were co-chaired by the Ministry of Defence Joint Secretary (IC) Somnath
Ghosh and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Joint Secretary (Europe West) Sandeep
Chakravorty from the Indian side and Joanneke Balfoort, Director of Security and Defence
Policy, from the EU.
● The wide range of discussions covered the evolving security situation in Europe, India’s
neighborhood, and the Indo-Pacific.
● The two sides noted several positive developments in the area of security and defense
cooperation in recent years, including the establishment of a regular maritime security dialogue.
● During the consultations, the two sides also discussed various means of increasing India-EU
cooperation on maritime security, implementation of the European code of conduct on arms
export to India’s neighborhood, cooperation in co-development, and co-production of defense
equipment including India’s participation in Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO).
Maritime Security Dialogue :
● First-ever joint naval exercises between India and the EU were held in June 2021.
● For the second time, the Maritime Security Dialogue met in February 2022.
Note :
● The European Union is India’s third-largest trading partner, it accounted for 1% of total Indian
trade, followed by China (12%) and the US (11.7%).
● The EU is the second-largest destination for Indian exports, after the USA.
● India is the 10th largest trading partner of the European Union, accounting for 1.8% of the total
trade of EU in goods in 2020.
About European Union :
● The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states.
● It has 24 Official languages.
EU Parliament passes ban the sale of new petrol & diesel cars by 2035
● Members of the European Parliament have voted to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars
by 2035.
Aim :
● To step up the fight against climate change through the faster development of electric vehicles.
● The voting was held on an amendment that would have allowed some auto emissions from new
vehicles after 2035, which was rejected by Members of Parliament.
● The vote upholds a key pillar of the EU’s plans to cut net planet-warming emissions by 55% by
2030, from 1990 levels a target that requires faster emissions reductions from industry, energy,
and transport.
● The European Union assembly voted in Strasbourg, France to require automakers to cut carbon-
dioxide emissions by 100 percent by the middle of the next decade.
● The mandate would amount to a prohibition on the sale in the 27-nation EU of new cars
powered by gasoline or diesel.
● To weaken the target to cut CO2 by 90% by 2035 was rejected by some lawmakers.
About European Parliament :
● Founded: 19 March 1958
● Headquarters: Strasbourg, France
● President: Roberta Metsola
● Secretary-General: Klaus Welle
● The Parliament comprises 705 members.
● It represents the second-largest democratic electorate worldwide.
India and Sweden host Industry Transition Dialogue in Stockholm, Sweden
● India and Sweden hosted the Industry Transition Dialogue in Stockholm, as a part of their joint
initiative i.e. Leadership for Industry Transition (LeadIT).
● This high level of dialogue has contributed to the UN Conference ‘Stockholm+50’: a healthy
planet for the prosperity of all –our responsibility, our opportunity, taking place on 2 & 3rd June
2022 and setting the agenda for COP27.
● The event was opened by an address from the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change, India, Shri Bhupender Yadav, and Minister for Climate and the Environment,
Sweden, Ms. Annika Strandhäll.
About LeadIT :
● The LeadIT initiative lays a specific focus on hard-to-abate sectors that are key stakeholders in
the global climate action and require specific interventions.
● It gathers countries and companies that are committed to action to achieve the Paris Agreement.
● It was launched by the governments of Sweden and India at the UN Climate Action Summit in
Sep 2019 and is supported by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
● LeadIT members subscribe to the notion that energy-intensive industries can and must progress
on low-carbon pathways, aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Members :
● Japan and South Africa, are the latest members of the initiative.
● Now the total membership of LeadIT is 37 including countries and companies together.
Key Highlights :
● During the event, India chaired the roundtable dialogues on Priorities for implementation 2022-
23.
● The need for speed and scale in climate action was echoed by all the speakers.
● The countries and companies shared their initiatives, success stories, and plans for the future.
About Stockholm+50 :
● Stockholm+50 is an international meeting convened by the United Nations General Assembly
being held in Stockholm, Sweden from June 2-3, 2022.
● The meeting is commemorating 50 years of the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human
Environment.
About Sweden :
● PM : Magdalena Andersson
● Capital: Stockholm
● Currency: Swedish krona
Japan to participate in NATO summit for the first time:
• Mr. Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, will attend the NATO summit in Madrid later in June,
making him the country's first leader to attend a top meeting of the transatlantic alliance.
• Four months into Russia's war in Ukraine, the gathering on June 28-30 is considered a turning
point for the 30 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
• In coordination with the other Group of Seven countries, Japan, a critical US ally but not a NATO
member, has provided defensive equipment to Ukraine and imposed strong penalties on Russia.
• Sweden and Finland are sending delegates to the summit, and South Korea's new President
Yoon Suk-yeol will be the first leader from his country to attend.
About NATO
• Formation: 4 April 1949
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
• Secretary-General: Jens Stoltenberg
• Total Member: 30
• Last member of NATO: North Macedonia.
About Japan:
• Capital: Tokyo
• Prime Minister: Fumio Kishida
• Emperor of Japan: Naruhito
Russia Becomes India’s 2nd Biggest Crude Oil Supplier overtakes Saudi Arabia
● Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India's second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq
as refiners snap up Russian crude available at a deep discount following the war in Ukraine.
● In May 2022, Indian refiners bought about 25 million barrels of Russian oil or more than 16
percent of all their oil imports.
● For the first time, Russian-origin crude hit 5 percent of India’s total seaborne imports in April
2022 rising from under 1% throughout 2021 and Q1 2022.
● As per data, India imported about 819,000 barrels of Russian oil per day, which accounts for
roughly 16.5% of its total imports.
● Iraq remained the top supplier to India & Saudi Arabia is now the third biggest supplier.
Note :
● After the U.S. and China, India is the world’s third-largest consumer of oil, over 85 percent of
which is imported.
About Russia :
● President: Vladimir Putin
● Prime minister: Mikhail Mishustin
● Capital: Moscow
● Currency: Russian ruble
Nearly 5 million people in India displaced due to climate change, disasters in 2021: UNHCR
● According to the annual Global Trends Report by the UN Refugee Agency United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 5 million people in India were internally displaced
due to climate change and disasters in 2021.
● Asylum seekers submitted 1.4 million new claims i.e The United States of America was the
world’s largest recipient of new individual applications (188,900), followed by Germany
(148,200), Mexico (132,700), Costa Rica (108,500), and France (90,200).
● The latest global trends report reflects the period of January 2021 to December 2021.
Key Highlights :
● The report highlighted that globally 100 million people were forced to flee their homes by 2021
due to violence, human rights abuses, food insecurity, the climate crisis, war in Ukraine, and
other emergencies from Africa to Afghanistan.
● According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), in 2021, there were 23.7
million new internal displacements globally due to disasters.
● This represented a decrease of seven million, or 23 percent, compared to 2021.
● The largest displacements in the context of disasters in 2021 occurred in China (6.0 million), the
Philippines (5.7 million), and India (4.9 million).
● As per the report, at the end of 2021, 89.3 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide,
including 27.1 million refugees, 21.3 million refugees under UNHCR’s mandate, 5.8 million
Palestine refugees under United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East’s (UNRWA) mandate, 53.2 million internally displaced people, 4.6 million asylum
seekers and 4.4 million Venezuelans displaced abroad.
About UNHCR :
● Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
● Head: Filippo Grandi
● UNHCR is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced
communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration,
or resettlement to a 3rd country.
Delhi’s IGI airport best in India and South Asia, 37th among the world’s top 50
● The Skytrax World Airport Awards named Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport the
finest in India and South Asia for the 4th consecutive year.
● The airport raised its overall ranking to 37th from 45th in 2021, and it is the only airport from
India to be featured in the world's top 50 airports.
● The GMR Infra-led airport has also been declared "the cleanest airport" in India and South Asia.
About Skytrax World Airport Awards :
● The Skytrax World Airport Awards are based on an annual global airport customer satisfaction
survey that evaluates customer service and amenities at 500 airports.
● Over 100 nationalities of airport consumers filled out survey questionnaires over 9 months from
September 2021 to May 2022
● It assessed customer satisfaction with airport services and products, including check-in, arrivals,
transfers, shopping, security, immigration, and exit, among others.
About Skytrax :
● Headquarters: London, UK
● CEO: Edward Plaisted
Mongolia's Khuvsgul Lake added to the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves list
● Mongolia's Khuvsgul Lake National Park has been added to the World Network of Biosphere
Reserves of UNESCO.
● The decision of adding Khuvsgul Lake National Park to the UNESCO World Network of
Biosphere Reserves was made during the 34th session of the International Coordinating Council
of the Man and Biosphere Programme taking place in Paris, France.
About Khuvsgul Lake :
● Khuvsgul Lake National Park is located in the Northern Mongolian Province of Khuvsgul near
the Russian border.
● Khuvsgul Lake in Mongolia holds nearly 70 percent of the country’s freshwater or 0.4 percent of
the world’s total.
● Khuvsgul Lake is 1,645 meters above sea level, 136 km long, and 262 meters deep.
● It is the largest freshwater lake in Mongolia, by volume & in terms of area, it is the second-
largest lake in Mongolia.
● The lake is located about 200 km west of Lake Baikal.
● It is nicknamed as “Younger sister” of two “sister lakes”.
● The lake is drained at the southern end by the Egiin Gol, which connects to the Selenge and
ultimately flows into Lake Baikal.
Note :
● A total of 9 sites from Mongolia have so far been registered in the network
UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves:
● The World Network of Biosphere Reserves consists of a dynamic and interactive network of
sites of excellence.
● The network fosters the harmonious integration of the people and nature for sustainable
development through participatory dialogue; knowledge sharing; poverty reduction and human
well-being improvements.
● UNESCO World Network is one of the main international tools to develop and implement the
sustainable development approaches in a wide array of contexts
About Man and the Biosphere Programme :
● The Man and the Biosphere Programme is an intergovernmental scientific program set up by
UNESCO in the early 1970s.
Aim:
● To establish a scientific basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their
environments.
About UNESCO:
● Director-General: Audrey Azoulay
● Membership: 193 member states and 11 associate members
● The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of
the United Nations (UN).
Aim :
● To promote world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts,
sciences, and culture
Pakistan stays on FATF ‘Grey List’ subject to on-site verification
● Pakistan will continue to be on the “Grey List” of countries under increased monitoring of the
Financial Action Task Force (FATF), during a 4-day plenary session of the FATF underway in
Berlin, Germany.
Key Highlights :
● In June 2022 Plenary, the FATF made the initial determination that Pakistan has substantially
completed its two action plans, covering 34 items, and warrants an on-site visit to verify that the
implementation of Pakistan’s AML/CFT reforms has begun and is being sustained and that the
necessary political commitment remains in place to sustain implementation and improvement in
the future.
● The ‘Grey List’ implies “strategic deficiencies” detected in a jurisdiction’s policies to prevent
money laundering and terror financing.
● This makes it difficult for a country to get financial aid from world bodies like the International
Monetary Fund (IMF).
● Only North Korea and Iran are black-listed.
● At the meeting, Malta was removed from the "Grey List" and Gibraltar was added to it.
About FATF :
● Founded: 1989
● President: Dr. Marcus Pleyer
● Membership: 39
● The Financial Action Task Force is an intergovernmental organization on the initiative of the G7
to develop policies to combat money laundering.
● The FATF is a global body that focuses on “setting standards and promoting effective
implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering,
terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system”.
About Pakistan :
● Prime minister: Shehbaz Sharif
● President: Arif Alvi
● Capital: Islamabad
● Currency: Pakistani rupee
Union Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurates 'Mango Festival' in Belgium
● Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, has inaugurated a "Mango
Festival" in Brussels to raise awareness among Europeans and establish a market for Indian
mangoes in Europe.
● India is a big supplier of mangoes to the rest of the globe, but most of the mangoes end up in the
Middle East rather than Europe.
● This is the first time being held in Belgium.
● 7 varieties of mangoes were displayed at the event Banganapalli from Andhra Pradesh,
Malihabad Dasheri from Uttar Pradesh, Amrapali from Odisha, Lakshman Bhog, Himsagar,
Jardalu mango, Langra mangoes, and 12 GI-tagged products.
● The event drew a large number of Europeans, including agricultural attaches and European and
Indian merchants, businessmen, as well as commoners.
About Belgium :
● Prime Minister : Alexander De Croo
● Capital: Brussels
● Currency: Euro
India & Poland signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) on Criminal Matters
● India and Poland have signed a mutual legal assistance treaty on criminal matters (MLAT) to
help both countries in the investigation and prosecution of crimes, related to terrorism.
● The treaty aims to enhance the effectiveness of both countries in the investigation and
prosecution of crime, through cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
● For India, the special secretary (internal security), Ministry of Home Affairs, VSK Kaumudi,
signed the cooperation agreement while for Poland, its ambassador to India, Adam Burakowski,
was the signatory.
● Poland became the 45th country with which New Delhi has signed an MLAT on criminal matters,
other others being Australia, Canada, France, Iran, Israel, Russia, Singapore, Ukraine, the UK,
and the US.
Background :
● In December 2021, the Union cabinet had approved the proposal & however, the signing of the
formal agreement was delayed due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.
About Poland :
● President: Andrzej Duda
● PM : Mateusz Morawiecki
● Capital: Warsaw
● Currency: Polish złoty
US announces $122 million funds for India to address challenges posed by infectious diseases
● The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States has announced a funding
of USD 122 million (USD 122,475,000) to the top 3 Indian medical research institutions ie Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in New Delhi, National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune,
Maharashtra and National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu for five years.
Purpose :
● To prevent avoidable epidemics, early detection of disease threats, and rapid and effective
response.
● To detect and control zoonotic disease outbreaks through a ‘one health’ approach; evaluating
vaccine safety monitoring systems; capacitating the public health workforce in field epidemiology
and outbreak response, and combating antimicrobial resistance
● The fund will accelerate the progress towards an India which is safe and secure from infectious
disease threats through ICMR institutions’ focus on emerging and re-emerging pathogens.
Eligibility :
● Eligibility for funding beginning from September 30, 2022, to Sep 29, 2027.
● The eligibility is limited to ICMR, and ICMR institutions, including the National Institute of
Virology (NIV), Pune, and the National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai.
● These institutions are mandated by the Ministry of Health of Family Health and Welfare
(MoHFW) to provide oversight for laboratory confirmation of priority pathogens in India.
● They will collect and analyze surveillance data for public health actions and work closely with the
state governments where these institutes are located
About Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) :
● Established: July 1, 1946
● Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
● Director: Rochelle Walensky
● Parent Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services
● It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services.
Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh arrives in Vietnam on a three-day visit to strengthen defense
● Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh went on a 3-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of
Vietnam's Minister of National Defence General Mr. Phan Van Giang.
Aim :
● To consolidate the bilateral defense ties as well as the comprehensive strategic partnership.
Key Highlights :
● The defense minister will hold extensive talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, General Phan
Van Giang, with a focus on exploring new initiatives to further strengthen the defense
engagements, besides exchanging views on regional and global issues of shared interest.
● At the Hong Ha Shipyard in Hai Phong, the defense minister will preside over the handing over
ceremony of 12 high-speed guard boats constructed under the government of India’s USD 100
million defense line of credit to Vietnam.
● During his Vietnam tour, Singh will also visit training institutions of the country at Nha Trang,
including the Telecommunication University where an Army Software Park is being established
with a USD 5 million grant from India.
● He will also attend a community event organized by the Embassy of India in Hanoi and interact
with the Indian diaspora.
● The relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of a “strategic partnership”
during the visit of Vietnam’s then-prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to India in July 2007.
● In 2016, during Prime Minister Shri Modi’s visit to Vietnam, the bilateral relations were further
elevated to a “comprehensive strategic partnership”.
● Vietnam has become an important partner in India’s Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision.
● India has oil exploration projects in the Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea.
Note :
● India’s Ambassador to Vietnam: Pranay Verma
● Vietnam, an important country of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), has
territorial disputes with China in the strategic South China Sea region.
Recent News :
● Recently, Mr. Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), visited
Vietnam for the 12th round of political consultations and the ninth round of strategic dialogue in
Hanoi.
About Vietnam :
● President : Nguyễn Xuân Phúc
● PM: Phạm Minh Chính
● Currency: Vietnamese dong
● Capital: Hanoi
Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu to visit Gabon, Senegal and Qatar
● Vice President Shri M Venkaiah Naidu visited a three-nation tour to Gabon, Senegal and Qatar.
● He was on the trip accompanied by a high-level delegation including Minister of State for Health
and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar and three Members of Parliament, Sushil Kumar
Modi, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar and P Ravindhranath.
● This will be the first visit from India at the level of Vice President to all three countries.
● This will also be the first-ever high-level visit from India to Gabon and to Senegal.
Key Highlights :
VP in Gabon :
● During his visit to Gabon the Vice President will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister of
Gabon Mr Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda.
VP in Senegal :
● He visited Senegal and held delegation-level talks with President of Senegal Mr Macky Sall.
● The Vice President will meet the President of the National Assembly Moustapha Niasse and
other dignitaries.
● He will also attend a business round table and address the Indian community.
VP in Qatar :
● The visit to Qatar, as both sides prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment
of diplomatic relations, will further enhance the bilateral ties.
● During his visit to Qatar the Vice President will hold delegation-level talks with Qatar's Deputy
Amir, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Thani and review bilateral cooperation.
● Mr Naidu will meet several other Qatari dignitaries during this visit.
● He will also address a business round table in Qatar.
● The Vice President launched the “India-Qatar Start-Up bridge” to link the start-up ecosystems of
the two countries at the India-Qatar Business Forum in Doha.
● He also addressed members of the business community at India-Qatar Business Forum and
highlighted the strength of India-Qatar ties and called for building an enabling environment and
forging more collaborations for mutual benefit.
● Both sides expressed satisfaction at the continued engagement at the highest levels between
both countries since the landmark visits of Qatar’s Amir to India in 2015 and Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi to Qatar in 2016.
About Gabon :
● President: Ali Bongo Ondimba
● Capital: Libreville
● Currency: Central African CFA franc
About Senegal :
● President: Macky Sall
● Capital: Dakar
● Currency: West African CFA franc
About Qatar :
● Capital: Doha
● Currency: Qatari Riyal
External Affairs Minister D r. S. Jaishankar Visits Slovakia and the Czech Republic
● External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar had an official visit to Slovakia and the Czech
Republic.
Key Highlights :
EAM visits in Slovakia :
● Jaishankar's visit to Slovakia was the first ever visit at the level of EAM since its creation in
1993.
● India and Slovakia share close and friendly ties based on common values of democracy, rule of
law, freedom and equality.
● He will attend the GLOBSEC 2022 Forum and speak on the topic ‘Taking Friendship to the Next
Level: Allies in the Indo-Pacific Region’.
● He also appreciated the mutual recognition of vaccine certificates between India and Slovakia
which has greatly facilitated travel between the two countries.
● Both sides discussed the expanding cooperation in trade, investment and defence sectors.
● He also invited Slovakia to join the International Solar Alliance.
● Both sides also exchanged views on regional as well as multilateral issues, including Ukraine,
the EU and the Indo-Pacific.
EAM visits in Czech Republic :
● During his visit to the Czech Republic Jaishankar will hold discussions with Foreign Minister Jan
Lipavsky.
● During the meeting they discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political,
economic, defence and security.
● Both sides exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine conflict.
● The meeting will provide an opportunity for a comprehensive review of the bilateral cooperation.
● During the delegation level talks, Jaishankar and Lipavsky discussed the entire gamut of
bilateral relations, including political, economic, defence & security, S&T, cultural and people to
people ties.
● Discussions were also held on India-EU relations, including the upcoming Czech Presidency of
the EU and both sides agreed to work towards an early conclusion of the India-EU FTA
● The Czech Republic will be taking over the EU Presidency from 01 July 2022.
● Both sides appreciated that bilateral trade had crossed over USD 2 billion.
● Jaishankar also interacted with Czech Members of the European Parliament and discussed
India’s strong ties with the EU, as well as the Czech Republic.
About Slovakia :
● President : Zuzana Čaputová
● PM : Eduard Heger
● Capital : Bratislava
● Currency : Euro
About Czech Republic :
● President : Miloš Zeman
● PM : Petr Fiala
● Capital : Prague
● Currency : Czech koruna
12th WTO Ministerial Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland
● The 12th WTO Ministerial Conference co-hosted by Switzerland and Kazakhstan at World Trade
Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
● This was taking place after a gap of almost five years and that was attended by the Trade
ministers of 164 nations.
● This conference was chaired by Timur Suleimenov, First Deputy Chief of Staff of Kazakhstan’s
President. Kazakhstan was originally scheduled to host MC12 in June 2020 but the conference
was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Focus:
● The key areas of discussions and negotiations at this year’s conference include WTO’s response
to the pandemic, Fisheries subsidies negotiations, Agriculture issues including Public
Stockholding for Food security, WTO Reforms and Moratorium on Custom Duties on Electronic
Transmission.
● To review the functioning of the multilateral trading system, to make general statements and to
take action on the future work of the WTO and to negotiate deals.
About World Trade Organization (WTO):
● Director-General: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
● The WTO members: 164 members (including European Union)
The European Commission granted candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova
● The European Commission has made a historic step in recommending that Ukraine and Moldova
be granted European Union (EU) candidate status.
● This recommendation was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
● The decision paves the way for EU government leaders to sign off on the recommendation at a
Brussels summit next Thursday and Friday.
● Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the Commission's move, calling i t a "historic
decision."
● "I commend the positive EU Commission conclusion on Ukraine's candidate status. It’s the first
step on the EU membership path that'll certainly bring our victory closer," he wrote on Twitter.
About Republic of Moldova:
● President: Maia Sandu
● Capital: Chisinau
● Currency: Moldovan Leu (MDL)
About Ukraine:
● President: Volodymyr Zelenskyy
● Currency: Ukrainian hryvnia
● Prime minister: Denys Shmyhal
J&K to host G-20 meetings in 2023
● The union territories of Jammu and Kashmir will host the 2023 meetings of the G20 summit.
● The J & K government has set up a 5 member high-level committee for overall coordination of
G20 meetings to be held in the Union Territory.
Members of the Committee :
● The committee was established in response to a notification from the Ministry of External Affairs.
● Principal Secretary to the government, Housing, and Urban Development department, has been
nominated as chairman of the committee.
● He is also nominated as a UT-level nodal officer to coordinate the arrangements for G-20
meetings in Jammu and Kashmir.
● The 4 members of the committee are the Commissioner, Transport Department; Administrative
Secretary, Tourism Department; Administrative Secretary, Hospitality and Protocol Department;
and Administrative Secretary, Culture Department.
Key Highlights :
● This will be the first major international summit in J&K after the state's special status guaranteed
under Article 370 of the Constitution was withdrawn.
● India's representation at G20 summits has been led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi since
2014.
● As per the Ministry of External Affairs, India will hold the G-20 presidency from December 1,
2022, and convene the first G20 leaders' summit in 2023.
● In September 2021, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal were appointed
as India’s Sherpa for the G20.
Note :
● G20, 2024 will be hosted by Brazil
● G20, 2025 will be hosted by South Africa
About G20 :
● The G20 brings together 19 of the world's leading economies and the European Union.
● India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999.
● The G20 countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India,
Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the
United States, and the United Kingdom.
About J&K :
● Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha
Israel signs first Arab free trade agreement with UAE
● Israel signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), its first such
deal with an Arab state.
Signatories :
● Israel's Minister of Economy and Industry Ms. Orna Barbivay and the UAE Minister of Economy
Mr. Abdalla Bin Touq Al-Marri signed the agreement in Dubai.
● With this agreement, the UAE was the first Gulf country to normalize ties with Israel and only the
third Arab nation to do so after Egypt and Jordan.
● For the UAE, the deal with Israel is its second bilateral free trade agreement after signing a
similar accord with India in February 2022.
About the free trade agreement :
● The agreement, which is comprehensive, significant, and ground-breaking, is expected to
increase bilateral trade in goods and services, increase Israeli exports to the United Arab
Emirates and provide customs exemption immediately or gradually on 96% of trade between the
countries: food, agriculture, cosmetics, medical equipment, medication &, etc.
● It also relates to regulatory and standardization issues, customs, collaboration, government
procurement, e-commerce, and intellectual property rights.
● The agreement will accelerate economic growth and strengthen the common belief that the only
way to build durable and sustainable economies in the complex world is together.
About Israel :
● President : Isaac Herzog
● PM: Naftali Bennett
● Currency: New shekel
About UAE :
● President: Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
● Capital: Abu Dhabi
● Currency: UAE dirham
● The UAE is the second-largest economy in the Arab world (after Saudi Arabia)
Nearly 5 mn in India displaced due to Climate Change, Disasters in 2021
● As per United Nations, Five million people in India were internally displaced due to climate
change and disasters in 2021
● Another report by the UN Refugee Agency highlighted that globally 100 million people were
forced to flee their homes last year due to violence, human rights abuses, food insecurity, the
climate crisis, etc.
● In addition to that, there were 23.7 million new internal displacements globally due to disasters
which resulted in to decrease of by23%, compared to the previous year.
● The main cities which observed the largest displacements in the context of disasters in 2021
occurred were China, the Philippines, and India.
● Apart from that, it has also been observed that the number of people forced to flee their homes
has increased every year over the past decade.
● It has been estimated that by the end of 2021, 89.3 million people were forcibly displaced
worldwide, including 27.1 million refugees, and 21.3 million refugees under UNHCR's mandate.
● While considering the latest figures as of May 2022, more than 100 million people were forcibly
displaced worldwide by persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, etc
China Builds a naval facility in Cambodia
● China is secretly building a naval facility in Cambodia that would help extend its military's
currently limited reach in foreign waters.
● With more than 350 vessels, Beijing commands the world's largest naval fleet, by comparison,
the US Navy has 296 ships and submarines.
● However, China currently has only one foreign naval base in Djibouti in East Africa.
● The project in Cambodia would give China a foothold in Southeast Asia and a position in the
western region of the South China Sea, part of Beijing's ambition to grow its military influence
worldwide.
About Cambodia :
● Prime Minister: Hun Sen
● Capital: Phnom Penh
● Currencies: United States Dollar, Cambodian riel
India to host Special ASEAN- India foreign ministers meeting (SAIFMM) 2022
● India hosted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers and
Secretary-General for a Special ASEAN India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (SAIFMM) 2022 in
New Delhi to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the India-ASEAN dialogue relations and the
10th anniversary of the country's strategic partnership with ASEAN.
● External Affairs Minister Shri S Jaishankar and Singapore Foreign Minister Shri Vivian
Balakrishnan, who is India's Country Coordinator, will co-chair the meeting.
● Foreign Ministers of Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia, besides the
representatives of Foreign Ministers from Lao PDR, Thailand, and the Philippines also attend the
event.
Key Highlights :
● The Ministers reviewed the status of the ASEAN-India Partnership and set out the path for the
coming decade.
● Deliberations were held on COVID-19 & Health, Trade & Commerce, Connectivity, Education,
and Capacity Building as well as the implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on
Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
● The Ministers also exchanged views on important regional and international developments and
post-pandemic economic recovery.
ASEAN-India relations :
● The ASEAN-India dialogue relations began in 1992 with the establishment of sectoral
partnership which graduated to full dialogue partnership in December 1995, Summit level
Partnership in 2002, and Strategic partnership in 2012.
● The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
● The SAIFMM will be accompanied by the 12th edition of Delhi Dialogue, a premier Tack 1.5
Dialogue in the ASEAN-India calendar, which will be hosted by India.
● The theme of DD-XII is 'Building Bridges in the Indo-Pacific'.
About ASEAN :
● It is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia.
● These member states promote intergovernmental cooperation and facilitate economic, security,
political, educational, military, and sociocultural integration between member countries and Asia-
Pacific countries.
Objective :
● To accelerate economic growth, social progress as well as cultural development.
● It seeks to promote regional peace and stability following rule of law and the United Nations
charter.
West African states Gabon & Togo join Commonwealth Group of Nations
● At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022, the Commonwealth has
admitted two West African states Gabon and Togo as its 55th and 56th members respectively
held in Rwanda's capital of Kigali with new chairperson Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
● Both countries are former French colonies & they were never British colonies.
● The Central African nation's process of formally joining the Commonwealth started in 2017,
while Togo, located in West Africa, began in 2014.
● Rwanda became a member of the group in 2009.
● While the Commonwealth is an association of former British colonies, Rwanda, like
Mozambique, which joined in 1995, also was never colonized by the British.
● Gabon is a sparsely populated country of 2 million people, bordering Cameroon, also a member
of the Commonwealth and Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of Congo.
● Togo is bordered by Ghana, a Commonwealth member, and Benin and Burkina Faso. It has a
population of approximately 7.8 million people.
About CHOGM 2022 :
● The 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, also known as CHOGM 2022, was
the 26th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations.
● It is held under the theme: "Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating,
Transforming,".
Note :
● Commonwealth Secretary-General: Rt Hon Patricia Scotland
The Gujarat government has signed a soil conservation deal with Isha Outreach:
• Gujarat's Climate Change Department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
participate in the global "Save Soil" program.
• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Ahmedabad by Sadhguru, the Founder and
Spiritual Leader of Isha Outreach, and Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel.
• Jaggi Sadguru has embarked on a 100-day motorcycle journey around the world to raise
awareness about the soil regeneration initiative.
• The 30,000-kilometer trek through Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East aims to raise
awareness about the importance of soil among policymakers.
• As part of this tour, Shri Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev visited Gujarat to sign an MOU on 'Save Soil.'
• On the occasion of the signing of the MOU, members of the State Cabinet, office bearers, senior
secretaries, and members of the Isha Foundation, as well as Shri Sadhguru’s followers, were
present.
Key points:
• Gujarat has become the first state in the country to join this international movement to safeguard
soil.
• To raise awareness about the global loss of soil fertility, the Isha Foundation has launched the
'Save Soil' campaign. Because soil quality has such a big impact on human and other
organisms' health, this movement can help solve the problem by bringing people together from
all over the world.
• Furthermore, excellent soil is necessary for life on Earth to survive. Several micronutrients in the
soil are essential for agricultural crop growth and development.
Additional info:
• In this regard, when Shri Narendra Modi was Gujarat's Chief Minister in 2006-07, the state
initiated a foresight initiative called the "Soil Health Card" to maintain the state's soil's health and
condition.
• There are 115 soil health laboratories in the state that monitor nutrient levels in the soil.
Tata Motors signs potential deal to acquire Ford India plant in Gujarat:
• Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML), a subsidiary of Tata Motors Ltd and Ford
India Private Limited (FIPL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the
Government of Gujarat (GoG) for the potential acquisition of the manufacturing plant of
Sanand's FIPL car.
• The Memorandum of Understanding includes the potential acquisition of the facility's land and
buildings, the plant for the production of vehicles, machinery, and equipment, and the transfer of
all qualified employees involved in the manufacturing operations.
• Vehicle of FIPL Sanand, subject to execution of final agreements and receipt of relevant
approvals.
About Tata Motors Ltd
• Founder: J. R. D. Tata
• Established: 1945.
T.N. signs MoU with IPPB for pensioners’ digital life certificate:
• The Tamil Nadu government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Post
Payments Bank (IPPB) for obtaining life certificates from pensioners through the doorstep
services of the Postal Department.
• Recently, the State government issued orders for five modes of the annual mustering of
pensioners from July to September this year, including the doorstep services of the IPPB, for
obtaining a digital life certificate through Jeevan Pramaan Portal to the void hardship of coming
in person for aged pensioners/family pensioners.
Key Points:
• As per the agreement, the IPPB would render the doorstep services at a cost of ₹70 per digital
life certificate.
• Over 7.15 lakh State government pensioners/ family pensioners submit the certificates During
July, August, and September every year for annual mustering.
Attendees:
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Finance
Secretary N. Muruganandam, Commissioner of Treasuries and Accounts T.N. Venkatesh, Chief
General Manager of IPPB Limited Gurusharan Rai Bansal, Chief Postmaster General - Tamil
Nadu Circle B. Selvakumar, Assistant General Manager, IPPB Ltd- Tamil Nadu Circle N.R.
Divakara, Postmaster General- Chennai City Region G. Natarajan and other senior officials.
India inx and luxse signs agreement to strengthen cooperation:
• BSE's international arm India International Exchange (India INX) and Luxembourg Stock
Exchange (LuxSE) has signed a cooperation agreement through which the two bourses will
enhance the visibility of listed Indian securities to international investors by facilitating admission
of such securities on LuxSE.
• The agreement builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two institutions in
November 2020, which placed a specific focus on advancing green finance in India
About the Agreement:
• Also, the parties announced the admission on LuxSE of a green bond issued by Power Finance
Corporation.
• The EUR 300 million green bonds, which are already listed on India INX, are now registered on
LuxSE's Securities Official List and displayed on the Luxembourg Green Exchange, the world's
leading platform for sustainable securities.
• The green corridor opportunity established with this dual listing cooperation agreement between
India INX and LuxSE will go a long way in attracting more issuers from India and the region and
provides access to green capital from international investors.
IAF signs Mou with Chandigarh govt for Indian Airforce heritage center:
• The UT Administration and the Indian Air Force (IAF) signed an MoU on the Indian Air Force
Heritage Centre coming up at the Government Press building in Sector 18.
• A heritage center to showcase the role of the Indian Air Force in its various wars and joint
operations will be held in Chandigarh.
• The “IAF Heritage Center” will be jointly established by the Chandigarh force and government.
• A Memorandum of Understanding between the Chandigarh Territorial Union and the IAF on the
establishment of the center has been signed.
• The ceremony was attended by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Air Force Chief VR
Chaudhari.
About the Heritage Centre:
• This heritage center will feature artifacts, simulators, and interactive whiteboards to showcase
different aspects of the IAF.
• It will also highlight the important role this service plays in various wars and the support provided
for humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
• This joint project by the UT Chandigarh administration and the IAF is expected to be completed
by October.
India & Canada signed MoU on Climate Action for Stronger Cooperation:
• India and Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen bilateral cooperation
on climate change, conservation, and environmental conservation.
• On the sidelines of the Stockholm+50 summit, EU Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and
his Canadian counterpart Steven Guilbeault signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
• The Stockholm+50 Summit, which will take place in Stockholm in June 2022, will bring together
leaders of state and government to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stockholm
Conference.
• This summit, which is based on the Decade of Action, comes after months of deliberations and
talks with governments, organizations, and civil society participants.
Key Points:
• The gathering was organized to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stockholm Summit, the
first world conference on the environment.
• Under the terms of the agreement, the two countries will work together, share information, and
expertise and support each other in their goals in various areas, including increasing renewable
energy capacity decarbonizing heavy industries, reducing plastic pollution, promoting chemical
safety, and ensuring sustainability consumption.
Stashfin introduced #LiveBoundless, a credit line card for women”
• A neo banking platform Stashfin has introduced a credit line card, especially for women named
#LiveBoundless.
• The #LiveBoundless card aims to give women greater financial freedom.
• It also offers cashback rewards, welcome credits, Free ATM Withdrawals, and deals.
• In recent years, credit card usage in India has grown dramatically.
• According to a Statista study, the Indian credit card market volume was at 37.5 million in
FY2018 and reached 57.7 million in FY2020.
• A similar northward trend was witnessed in FY 2021 when the numbers hit 62 million.
Features:
• The card acts as a virtual and physical vehicle for shopping, travel, and dining and includes a
1% cashback on every spend on benefits worth Rs 5,000 for the first year, and a credit period
Free for certain customers.
• The company also says the card acts as a virtual and physical vehicle for shopping, travel, and
dining, setting it apart from existing players in the market.
Blue Dart signs UNFCCC Climate Neutral Now pledge:
• Logistics services provider Blue Dart has signed the “Climate Neutral Now (CNN)” pledge by the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• The Climate Neutral Now Initiative encourages and supports interested stakeholders to act now
to achieve a climate-neutral world by 2050, as per the Paris Agreement.
• The initiative is a tool to promote voluntary action on climate change, Blue Dart, which is a part
of the Deutsche Post DHL (DPDHL) Group.
Key Points:
• The pledge highlights the organization’s commitment to ambitious carbon emission reduction
targets
• The Group has adopted a package of measures worth up to 7-billion Euros to reduce its
greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, primarily to
expand the use of sustainable technologies and fuels in its fleets and buildings.
• Its long-term goal is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net-zero by 2050.
Tamil Nadu government signs MOUs to convert 71 ITIs into tech centers:
• To provide enhanced training to students at government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), the
State Employment and Training Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Tata Technologies Ltd, Pune, in the presence of Chief Minister of Tamilnadu Mr. MK Stalin
at the Secretariat.
• During the recent Budget session of the Assembly, Labour and Skill Development Minister CV
Ganesan, that infrastructure at government ITIs will be improved, turning them into 'technology
centers' in collaboration with leading industries, to improve students' employability.
About the MoUs:
• The MoU with Tata Technologies is aimed at enhancing infrastructure and bridging the gap
between job seekers’ and employers’ needs.
• The MoU will help turn 71 government ITIs into level 4.0 technology centers, and Rs 2,877.43
crore will be spent to provide machinery, tools, equipment, and software at these institutes.
• Students will be trained in disciplines such as robotics, industrial automation, manufacturing
process control, advanced manufacturing, electric vehicle mechanism, industrial painting, and
advanced welding.
• The department expressed hope that students from these ITIs would get jobs in top firms.
Pontaq Organises Investors Summit, Signs MoU with Tamil Nadu Government to Encourage Budding
Start-Ups:
• Pontaq, an innovation fund that invests in early-stage technology businesses in the UK, India,
US, and Canada, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tamil Nadu Startup and
Innovation Mission, which is backed by the state government.
• Under the terms of the MoU, the government will help Pontaq-supported companies expand
business operations in the State.
• As part of this, Pontaq organized an investors summit in the state.
• Fifty tech-based start-up founders participated in the event.
• Some presented their business ideas during the four-pitch sessions and shared their start-up
journey, vision, and how they are solving a real-world problem using new-age technologies like
AI and IoT.
• KT Rama Rao, IT Minister, Telangana, virtually attended the event and answered the questions
of entrepreneurs related to the business opportunities in the State.
LinkedIn tie-up with UN Women to create employment opportunities for women:
• LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network, is partnering with the United Nations Women
to invest USD 5,00,000 (Rs 3.88 crore) towards advancing women's economic empowerment.
• Through job fairs, mentorship sessions, and peer-to-peer networks, the project will launch a pilot
in Maharashtra to cultivate the digital, soft, and employability skills of 2,000 women and present
them with a variety of career-building options.
• The three-year regional collaboration will digitally upskill women, allowing them to access more
employment and fully engage in the formal economy.
About the collaboration:
• The Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), a collection of effective, actionable principles
that guide businesses on how to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in the
workplace, marketplace, and community, will serve as the foundation for the relationship.
• The online platform and institutional experience of UN Women and LinkedIn will be used to bring
together partners to boost women's economic empowerment.
• They will collaborate on advocacy campaigns and events, as well as bring together key partners
from their separate networks, to promote broadly equitable opportunities and outcomes for men
and women in the workplace.
About LinkedIn Corporation
• Founded: 5th May 2003
• Headquarters: California, United States (US)
• CEO: Ryan Roslansky
Zomato tie-up with Jio-bp to accelerate EV adoption:
• Zomato and Jio-bp have agreed to support Zomato's commitment to "The Climate Group's
EV100 program, which aims to have a 100 percent electric fleet by 2030."
• The partnership is expected to hasten the adoption of electric vehicles in India's fast-increasing
delivery and transportation sector.
• Jio-bp, Reliance Industries Ltd's and bp's fuel and mobility joint venture, would provide Zomato
with EV mobility services as well as access to 'Jio-bp pulse' battery swapping stations for last-
mile delivery.
• Last year, Jio-bp built and inaugurated India's two largest EV charging hubs.
• The company has been collaborating with construction firms and electric vehicle companies to
improve the battery charging environment.
• Customers can use the pulse mobile app to locate nearby charging stations and charge their
electric vehicles.
About Zomato:
• Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana.
• CEO: Deepinder Goyal
DBT and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have renewed MoU to Speed Innovation for Global
Health:
• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has
renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), originally signed in 2012, to support
innovative approaches for developing new preventions, therapies, and interventions needed to
solve health (human and animal), food and nutritional inequities.
• DBT and the Gates Foundation had in 2012 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on
cooperation in the field of health and development for five years, which was further renewed for
5 years till July 17, 2022.
• Under this joint partnership, in the last 10 years, programs in diverse areas under maternal and
child health, nutrition, sanitation, infectious disease, and data science approaches have been
undertaken.
• The renewed MoU partnership pledged a combined $50 million investment to the joint initiative,
to continue to explore and expand funding arenas and mechanisms to support innovators,
focused on early-mid stage research and product development to tackle health and
developmental issues.
NHIDCL and IIT Roorkee sign MoU for sharing knowledge in the field of highway engineering:
• An MoU was signed between MD, NHIDCL, and Director, IIT, Roorkee for sharing knowledge on
innovative ideas and technologies in the field of highway engineering.
• The purpose of this MoU is to establish the basis of collaboration between both the parties such
that the NHIDCL and IIT, Roorkee can take up various activities of common interest such as
sharing knowledge on innovative ideas and technologies in the field of highway engineering and
other infrastructure works as per mutually agreed terms and conditions.
• The MoU provides a formal basis for initiating interaction between NHIDCL and IIT, Roorkee,
and will play a significant role in realizing the aims and objectives of Prime Minister’s GatiShakti,
National Master Plan launched recently.
Key Points:
• National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) promotes
surveys, establishes, designs, builds, operates, maintains, and upgrades National Highways and
Strategic Roads including interconnecting roads in parts of the country that share international
boundaries with neighboring countries including the UTs of J&K, Ladakh and Andaman and
Nicobar Islands and the states o f Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal, and the
seven northeastern states.
• IIT, Roorkee is a premier institute in the country with a vision to be a center of excellence in
education and research, producing global leaders in science, technology, and management
• To be a hub of knowledge creation and technology development that prioritizes the frontier areas
of national and global importance to improve the life of every citizen of the country.
• Both NHIDCL and IIT, Roorkee are leading premier national organizations in their respective
fields and are desirous of working together to work as a team to achieve national objectives,
undertaken with their best abilities and maximum cooperation with the intent of helping each
other.
Spices Board to enable market access to farmers through Flipkart:
• Spices Board, a Ministry of Commerce and Industry establishment, under its initiative Flavourit
Spices Trading Limited (FSTL), has signed a Terms of Understanding (ToU) with e-commerce
platform Flipkart to enhance market access and help promote farmers and grassroots
organizations working in the spices sector.
• The ToU was signed under the Flipkart Samarth Program, which aims to empower MSMEs,
artisans, entrepreneurs, and rural seller and farmer communities selling products associated
with rich cultural heritage through Flipkart’s e-commerce platform
About Flipkart:
NCMRWF and Indian Navy singns MoU for “Cooperation on Numerical Model-Based Applications in
Meteorology and Oceanology.”
● The Indian Navy and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) of
the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), signs MoU for “Cooperation on Numerical Model-Based
Applications in Meteorology and Oceanology.”
● The MoU was signed in a ceremony at NCMRWF in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, by Dr. Ashis K. Mitra,
Head of NCMRWF, and Commodore G. Rambabu, Head of the Indian Navy’s Directorate of
Naval Oceanology and Meteorology (DNOM), Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence
(Navy).
Significance of this MoU:
● The Indian Navy and NCMRWF under this collaboration will share expertise in the domains of
weather and ocean modelling, coupled modelling, data assimilation, ensemble forecasting, and
satellite data utilisation, with the intent of keeping both organisations up to date with rapid
development.
● This would also promote meaningful interactions that leverage on the professional strengths of
both organisations.
Features of this MoU:
➢ The NCMRWF, with its highly skilled scientists and cutting-edge facilities, would render support to
two of the Indian Navy’s premier establishments in Kochi, Kerala:
● The Naval Operations Data Processing and Analysis Centre (NODPAC), and
● The Indian Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre (INMAC)
● This will help to develop advanced numerical weather prediction systems, including coupled
models that will have greater reliability and accuracy over the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and
global regions.
● This MoU would benefit both NCMRWF and the Indian Navy in the future by fostering meaningful
interactions and professional exchanges.
Bharat Electronics signed an MoU with Belarusian Company for the supply of Airborne Defence Suite :
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)
and Defense Initiatives Aero Pvt Ltd. of India and Belarus (a subsidiary of DI Belarus).
• The MoU was inked to foster collaboration between the three businesses for the delivery of the
Airborne Defense Suite (ADS) for the helicopters of the Indian Air Force.
• Helicopter protection is achieved via ADS.
• To meet the requirements of the "Make in India" initiative, BEL will serve as the prime contractor
and DI will assist it with manufacture and maintenance.
• The MoU also intends to investigate other commercial possibilities for India and international
ADS markets.
• The alliance has developed under the direction of the Indo-Belarusian Joint Commission (IBJC)
on Military Cooperation and Sanjay Jaju, Additional Secretary, Department of Defense
Production.
About Bharat Electronics Limited
• Founded: 1954
• Chairman & Managing Director: Anandi Ramalingam
• Executive Director: Vinay Kumar Katyal.
Adani Group buys Ambuja Cements & ACC for $10.5 billion
● The Adani Group has agreed to buy Swiss building materials maker Holcim Ltd’s India assets
Ambuja Cements and ACC Ltd for $10.5 billion ( ₹80,000 crores) in one of the largest ever
acquisitions by an Indian group.
● With this, the Adani Group became the second-largest cement producer in the country after the
Aditya Birla Group-owned UltraTech Cement.
● Holcim owns 63.19 percent in Ambuja Cement and 4.48 percent in ACC.
● Ambuja Cement, in turn, owns 50.05 percent of ACC.
About Adani Group :
● Chairman & MD: Gautam Adani
● CEO : Karan Adani
Ruchi Soya Acquires Patanjali's Food Retail Business For Rs 690 Crore
● Edible oil major Ruchi Soya Industries acquired Patanjali Ayurved’s food retail business for Rs
690 crore as part of its strategy to focus on non-food, traditional medicine, and wellness
business.
● The acquired food business comprises 21 major products namely ghee, honey, spices, juices,
atta, etc., the company informed in an exchange filing.
● This is expected to fast-track Ruchi Soya’s shift to the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG)
category.
● The food retail business consists of manufacturing, packaging labeling, and retail trading of
certain food products along with manufacturing plants located at Padartha, Haridwar, and
Newasa, Maharashtra.
● The board also approved the change in the company's name from 'Ruchi Soya Industries
Limited' to 'Patanjali Foods Limited”.
Key Highlights :
● Ruchi Soya will pay an annual royalty to Patanjali Ayurved, estimated at 1 percent of the gross
turnover of the products under the transfer agreement
● It’s a debt-free transfer and Ruchi Soya will fund the acquisition through internal accruals.
● Ruchi Soya's stock closed 10 percent higher at Rs 1,192.15
About Patanjali Ayurved :
● Founded: 2006
● Headquarters: Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India
● Chairperson, MD & CEO: Balakrishna
About Ruchi Soya :
● Founded: 1985
● Headquarters: Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
● Ruchi Soya would focus on four business verticals - edible oil, food and FMCG, nutraceuticals,
and oil palm plantation.
Abu Dhabi's ADIA invests Rs 2,200 cr in IIFL Home Finance for a 20% stake
● The sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has picked up a 20 percent
stake in IIFL Home Finance for Rs 2,200 crore.
● The deal completion is subject to regulatory approvals.
● It will be one of the largest equity investments in the affordable housing finance segment in India
by a financial investor.
● Avendus Capital and IIFL Securities were financial advisors to IIFL Home Finance for the deal.
● IIFL Home Finance Limited proposes to use the additional capital to continue its granular
expansion strategy into new markets to address the significant and growing demand for housing
loans.
About ADIA :
● Founded: 1976
● Headquarters: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
● Chairman: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
● MD: Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
About IIFL Home Finance Limited :
● Established in 2006 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of IIFL Finance.
● Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana
● CEO: Monu Ratra
CCI approves the acquisition of a shareholding in Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd
● The Competition Commission of India ( CCI) approves the a c q uisition o f a s h areholding in
Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. by H C JI H oldings G.K., C itrus In vestm ents, HCJ
Holdings 2 G.K., Japan Industrial V – GP K.K., and other investors.
● Citrus Investments LLC (Citrus), a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Corporation ( " Itochu” ) ,
HCJ Holdings 2 G.K. (HCJ Holdings/HCJ HD2), Japan Industrial - GP, Manalsu, Primrose GP,
Shepherds Hill Partners III Ltd., and Sonora Partners III Ltd. through HCJI Holdings G.K. (HCJI).
● The investors propose to acquire 26% in the Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
(HCM/Target) from Hitachi Ltd., on a fully diluted basis.
● Currently, HCJI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan Industrial Partners Inc.
● HCJI was established as a limited liability company to hold shares in Target and undertake all
business incidental to the same.
● Before the Proposed Transaction, HCJI will be jointly held on a 50:50 basis by (a) Citrus; and (b)
HCJ HD2, and will change its corporate form to a stock company.
● The ITOCHU Group operates in a comprehensive array of business domains, from upstream
areas, such as transactions involving raw material, to downstream domains, such as retai l.
● Itochu does not have any subsidiaries/ investee companies active in India
● HCM is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
● Its major shareholder and controlling parent company is Hitachi (holding 51.5 % of the shares in
HCM).
● HCM is engaged in the manufacturing of mining and construction machinery and solution
business (such as development, production, distribution of parts, and service solutions as part of
the after-sales services for mining facilities and equipment) globally.
HCM also operates in India through the following subsidiaries and affiliates:
● Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Pvt Ltd
● H-E Parts International LLC
● Bradken India Private Limited.
About CCI :
● Chairman: Ashok Kumar Gupta
● It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and is responsible for enforcing the
Competition Act, 2002
Tencent Acquires stake worth $264 mn in Flipkart from Binny Bansal
● Tencent, a Chinese technology conglomerate, has bought a stake worth USD 264 million
(approx. Rs2,060 crore) in Flipkart.
● Tencent has bought this stake from Flipkart’s co-founder Binny Bansal via its European
subsidiary.
● Binny Bansal now holds about 1.84 percent in Flipkart after selling part of his stake to Tencent
Cloud Europe BV.
● After this transaction, the Tencent arm holds 0.72 per stake in Flipkart, valued at around $264
million.
● The corporate’s valuation surged to USD 37.6 billion after elevating USD 3.6 billion (about
₹26,805.6 crores) in funding spherical led by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, CPP
Investments, SoftBank Imaginative and prescient Fund 2, and Walmart.
● Flipkart stated that the transaction does not fall under the purview of ‘Press Note 3,’ which calls
for scrutiny of investment that any Indian company receives from countries sharing a land border
with India.
● Singapore-headquartered e-commerce agency Flipkart has operations in India solely.
● Tencent has invested over $2 billion in Indian startups since 2016.
● In 2021, Tencent invested over $200 million in the Indian social media platform ShareChat.
● The Indian government has prohibited using specific gaming applications, including PUBG
Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite, both of which were published by Tencent Group.
About Tencent :
● Headquarters: Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
● Chairman & CEO: Pony Ma
● President: Martin Lau
About Flipkart :
● Founded: 2007
● Founder : Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal
● CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy
● Flipkart is an Indian e-commerce company, headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, and
incorporated in Singapore as a private limited company.
DBS Bank India acquires 9.9% stake in NBFC Svakarma Finance
● DBS Bank India Ltd (DBIL) has acquired a 9.9% stake in Svakarma Finance, a non-banking
financial company, for delivering financial solutions to micro-enterprises through a combination
of direct lending and co-lending.
● DBS will continue to identify opportunities to support lending to micro-enterprises in a cost-
efficient manner through its own expanded franchise as well as through partners.
About Svakarma Finance:
● Svakarma Finance is a non-deposit-taking non-banking financial Company (NBFC), set up by
former bankers to target Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) using an
industry segment and cluster-focused delivery model leveraging smart technology and data.
● It is currently present across Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
Mission :
● To democratize access to cash and information to empower businesses.
About DBS Bank India Ltd :
● MD & CEO: Surojit Shome
● DBS Bank India Ltd is among the first foreign banks in India to start operating as a wholly-
owned, locally incorporated subsidiary.
CCI approves a 24.98% stake acquisition in IIFL Wealth Management by BC Asia Investments
● The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of up to 24.98 percent
shareholding of IIFL Wealth Management Limited by BC Asia Investments X Limited.
Key Highlights :
● The fair trade regulator has cleared the transaction involving the sale of the global biosimilars
portfolio of Viatris Inc (parent entity of Mylan) to Biocon Biologics Limited and its subsidiary.
● It also approved the proposed equity infusion in Biocon Biologics by Biocon and Serum Institute.
● The transaction involves cash and stock consideration and the acquisition of one common equity
share and compulsorily convertible preference shares convertible into common equity shares,
representing at least 12.9 percent of the fully diluted equity of Biocon Biologics by Mylan.
● In addition, the antitrust watchdog has approved the corporate restructuring of GlaxoSmithKline
Consumer Healthcare Holdings Ltd (JVCO) under a green channel route.
● The proposed combination involves the corporate restructuring of JVCO through acquisition by
Haleon via demerger and the share exchange steps, involving the JVCO shareholders.
● Following the completion of the demerger and share exchange steps, the shareholding of
Haleon will be held by a combination of GSK, its affiliates, and GSK’s shareholders (together
representing 68 percent of Haleon's voting rights) and Pfizer (representing 32 percent of
Haleon's voting rights).
Note :
● JVCO was established in 2019, combining the respective legacy consumer healthcare business
worldwide of GSK and Pfizer.
● Haleon is a newly incorporated entity and at present does not have any business operations.
● GSK is involved in the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of prescription
pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products.
● Pfizer is a US-based biopharmaceutical company.
About IIFLWM :
● IIFL Wealth Management Limited is a private wealth management firm in India.
● IIFLWM serves the highly specialized and sophisticated needs of high net-worth and ultra-high-
net-worth individuals, affluent families, family offices, and institutional clients through a
comprehensive range of tailored wealth management solutions.
About BC Asia :
● BC Asia is an investment holding company incorporated under the laws of Mauritius.
● Objective: To hold long-term investments.
● It is indirectly held by funds or vehicles controlled by Bain Capital Investors, Bain Capital Credit
Member, Bain Capital Member II, and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).
About CCI :
● Chairman: Ashok Kumar Gupta
● It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Zomato to acquire Blinkit for Rs 4,447 crore in an all-stock deal
The Board of the food delivery company Zomato approved the acquisition of quick commerce
start-up Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd (formerly known as Grofers India Pvt Ltd) for Rs 4,447.5 crore
($570 million) for Rs 13.45 lakh per equity share in an all-stock deal.
● Zomato would acquire up to 33,018 equity shares of Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd.
● Zomato also acquired Blinkit warehousing and ancillary services business HOTPL for $8 million.
● In August 2021, Blinkit (then Grofers) had raised $100 million from Zomato in a round that gave
the company a Unicorn status.
Key Highlights :
● The latest filing by Zomato has revealed Blinkit annual turnover in the last three fiscals: Rs. 263
crores in FY22, Rs. 200 crores in FY 21, and Rs. 165 crores in FY20.
● Blinkit's largest shareholder SoftBank will receive 28.71 crore shares of Zomato, Tiger Global
will take home 12.34 crore shares, BCCL will get 1.5 crore shares, and South Korean investors
DAOL will get 3.66 crore shares of the food delivery major.
● Zomato had also a lifeline to cash-strapped Blinkit through a loan of $150 million to parent
company Grofers India Private Limited (GIPL).
About Zomato :
• CEO: Deepinder Goyal
About Blinkit :
• CEO: Albinder Dhindsa
Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain elected as IBA’s Athletes’ Committee Chair
● International Boxing Association (IBA) announced that Indian boxer and Tokyo Olympics Bronze
medallist Lovlina Borgohain has been elected as the chair and a voting member on the Board of
Directors for the Athletes’ Committee
● Borgohain received the highest number of votes during the election held at th e 2 022 W om en’s
World Championships.
● Indian male boxer Shiva Thapa has also been elected as a member of the IBA Athletes
Committee, during the corresponding elections held during the 2021 IBA Men’s World
Championships.
● The duo, who are both under the Sports Authority of India ’s (SAI) Target Olympic Podium
Scheme (TOPS) have confirmed that they have accepted their roles and look forward to
representing India and other boxers at the Board of Directors’ meeting.
About Lovlina Borgohain :
● Borgohain was born on 2 October 1997 and hails from the Golaghat district of Assam.
● She is the first female athlete and the second boxer from Assam to represent the state in the
Olympics.
● She won the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 in the women's welterweight event, becoming only
the third Indian boxer to win a medal at the Olympics.
● She has been appointed as Deputy Superintendent of police by Assam Government.
Awards & Honors :
● Asom Sourav, 2nd highest civilian award of Assam, 2021
● Arjuna Award, presented by President Ram Nath Kovind virtually for her outstanding
performance in boxing.
● Khel Ratna Award in 2021, the highest sporting honor in India
About IBA :
● Founded: 1946
● Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
● President : Umar Nazarovich Kremlev
● The International Boxing Association (IBA), previously known as the Association Internationale
de Boxe Amateur (AIBA), is an independent sports organization that sanctions amateur
(Olympic-style) boxing matches and awards world and subordinate championships.
● It was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

● IBA consists of five continental confederations : AFBC, AMBC, ASBC, EUBC, OCBC.
Indian-origin academic Dr. Swati Dhingra was appointed as an External Member of the Bank of
England
● Leading UK-based Indian-origin academic Dr. Swati Dhingra has been named as the first Indian-
origin woman to be appointed as an external member of the Bank of England's interest rate-
setting committee, Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
● On August 9, 2022, she will join the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) for a three-year term.
● Dhingra will replace current external member, Michael Saunders, who has been on the MPC
since August 2016.
Role of MPC :
● The MPC is responsible for deciding what monetary policy action the Bank of England will take
to keep inflation low and stable.
● It meets eight times a year to set the Bank of England’s interest rate.
● Each member of MPC specializes in the field of economics and monetary policy.
About Dr. Swati Dhingra :
● Dr. Swati Dhingra is an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics.
● She is an elected member of the Council of the Royal Economic Society.
● She is on the Editorial Board of the Review of Economic Studies and is an Associate Editor for
the Journal of International Economics.
● She is a Research Associate in the Trade Programme at the Centre for Economic Performance
and a Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research.
● She was a member of the UK’s Trade Modelling Review Expert Panel and LSE’s Economic
Diplomacy Commission.
● Currently, she is a Director of The Royal Mint Museum and a member of the Steering Group for
The Economy 2030 Inquiry.
About Bank of England :
● Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom
● Governor: Andrew Bailey
Vandita Sharma appointed as Karnataka’s new Chief Secretary
● The Karnataka government appointed senior IAS officer Ms. Vandita Sharma as the state’s new
Chief Secretary till November 2023.
● Ms. Sharma took over from P. Ravi Kumar, who retired on May 31.
About Ms. Vandita Sharma :
● Ms. Sharma, a 1986-batch IAS officer.
● Currently, She is the Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner .
Note :
● Ms. Sharma will be Karnataka’s 39th chief secretary and will be the fourth woman to occupy the
post, after Teresa Bhattacharya in 2000, Malathi Das in 2006, and K Ratna Prabha in 2017.
Ex SBI senior executive Mr. Natarajan Sundar appointed as CEO of NARCL
● Former State Bank of India (SBI) executive Mr. Natarajan Sundar has been appointed managing
director and CEO of National Assets Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL).
● NARCL has also appointed former MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank Karnam Sekar as the
independent director and non-executive chairman of the board.
● Also, the retired executive director of RBI Malvika Sinha joined the board as an independent
director.
About Mr. Natarajan Sundar :
● In his career spanning over 40 years, Mr. Sekar served in SBI for over three decades.
● He has rich experience in corporate banking policies and products.
● Before this new post, Sundar was deputy managing director and chief credit officer of SBI.
About Mr Karnam Sekar :
● Mr. Karnam Sekar was MD and CEO of Dena Bank from Sep 2018 until its merger in April 2019.
● From July 2019 to June 2020, he was the MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank.
About NARCL:
● NARCL has been incorporated under the Companies Act and it has applied to the Reserve Bank
of India for the license as an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC).
● It has been set up by banks to aggregate and consolidates stressed assets for their subsequent
resolution.
● PSBs will maintain 51% ownership inNARCL.
● It is a special purpose vehicle set up as a joint initiative of Public and Private Sector Banks and
is expected to take over bad loans from banks and focus on resolution and recoveries.
● NARCL has shareholding from 15 Indian Banks and Canara Bank is the sponsor bank of this
ARC.
Mr. Rajesh Gera was appointed as DG of the National Informatics Centre
● According to the order issued by the Personnel Ministry, Senior scientist Mr. Rajesh Gera has
been appointed as the Director-General, National Informatics Centre (NIC).
● Currently, Gera is Deputy Director-General in the NIC.
● Kimbuong Kipgen has been appointed as Secretary, Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB)
post-retirement on a contractual basis for one year up to May 31, 2023
● The central deputation tenure of Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Department of Health & Family
Welfare has been extended for a period up to August 2023 or until further.
● Agarwal is a 1996 batch IAS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre.
About National Informatics Centre(NIC) :
● Director-General: Dr. Neeta Verma
● The NIC, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Aim :
● To provide technology-driven solutions to central and state governments.
Center appoints DFS Joint Secretary Mr. Pankaj Sharma as a part-time member of PFRDA
● The Center has appointed Mr. Pankaj Sharma the Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial
Services (DFS) as a part-time member of the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development
Authority (PFRDA).
● Sharma has come in the place of erstwhile DFS Additional Secretary Vandita Kaul.
● PFRDA has a Chairman besides three full-time members and three part-time members (only two
are filled up posts).
● Anne George Matthew, Additional Secretary in the Finance Ministry is the other part-time
member of the PFRDA Board.
● The Center has appointed Suchindra Mishra, Additional Secretary in the Department of
Financial Services as a member of the Board of International Financial Services Authority
(IFSCA).
● Also, it has appointed Shashank Saxena, Senior Economic Advisor in the Department of
Economic Affairs as a member of IFSCA, which is currently the Gift City regulator.
About PFRDA :
● Chairman: Supratim Bandyopadhyay
● PFRDA is the regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of
India for the overall supervision and regulation of pensions in India.
S L Thaosen was appointed as Director-General of Sashastra Seema Bal
● Senior IPS officer S L Thaosen has been appointed as the new Director-General of the
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) up to Nov 30, 2023.
● Dr. Sujoy Lal Thaosen is the 21st Director General of SSB.
● The post of SSB chief has been lying vacant after incumbent DG Kumar Rajesh Chandra retired
on December 31, 2021.
Other appointments :
● Also Senior IPS officer Zulfiqar Hasan has been appointed as the new director-general of the
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
● Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) DG Sanjay Arora has been holding the additional charge of
the SSB.
● Hasan, a West Bengal-cadre IPS officer, has been serving as the special director-general of the
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Delhi.
About S L Thaosen :
● Thaosen, a Madhya Pradesh-cadre IPS officer, has been serving as the Special Director
General of the Border Security Force (BSF).
● Dr. Thaosen also served the United Nations as part of the International Police Task Force
(IPTF).
● He was deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1999 to 2000.
● He supervised important events like Republic Day, Independence day celebrations in Delhi, and
Commonwealth Games 2010.
About SSB :
● Director-General: Sanjay Arora
● Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is a border guarding force of India deployed along its border with
Nepal (1,751 km) and Bhutan (699 km).
● It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces under the administrative control of the Ministry
of Home Affairs (MHA).
About BCAS :
● BCAS is the regulatory authority for civil aviation security in India.
● It is headed by an officer of the rank of Director General of Police
● The DG of BCAS is responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the
National Civil Aviation Security Programme.
Ex SBI MD Ashwani Bhatia appointed as Whole Time Member at SEBI
● Former managing director at the State Bank of India (SBI), Ashwani Bhatia was appointed as a
whole-time member (WTM) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
● With this appointment at SEBI, the regulatory body now has three WTMs.
● He took charge as a WTM after the post remained vacant for nearly 7 months.
● He will handle the department of debt and hybrid securities (DDHS), alternative investment fund
and foreign portfolio investors department (AFD), market intermediaries regulation and
supervision department (MIRSD), corporation finance investigation department (CFID), and
office of investor assistance & education (OIAE).
About Ashwani Bhatia :
● In August 2020, he was elevated to MD of SBI, where he joined as a probationary officer in
1985.
● Also, he was working as the MD and chief executive officer of SBI Mutual Fund.
● He has vast experience in Treasury Operations, Retail Banking, Credit, Investment Banking, and
Asset Management.
Additional Info :
● For the last 7 months, the regulator had operated with only two full-time members, S K Mohanty
and Anant Barua.

About SEBI :
1992.
Sachin Tendulkar to continue as UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassador for the 20th year
● The legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will continue as UNICEF’s ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ for
a record 20th year, working for the welfare of underprivileged children.
● In 2003, he was chosen to take lead in the initiative to create awareness and promote polio
prevention in India.
● In 2008, he was roped in to create and promote hygiene and sanitation among communities
● In 2013, he was appointed UNICEF Ambassador for South Asia to advocate good hygiene and
sanitation across the region.
● In 2019, he went on a three-day trip to Nepal to raise awareness for UNICEF Nepal’s ‘Bat for
Brain Development’ campaign.
● He had a two-decade-long partnership with UNICEF, he has been vital in furthering the
campaigns, especially the ones aimed at providing a better future for underprivileged children.
● He was awarded the “Most Effective Swachh Bharat Ambassador” award by the President of
India during an awards function in 2020.
About UNICEF :
● Founded: 11 December 1946
● Headquarters: New York, USA
● Head: Catherine M. Russell
● UNICEF is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and
developmental aid to children worldwide.
Govt appoints A Manimekhalai as MD of Union Bank
● The government has appointed Canara Bank executive director A Manimekhalai as managing
director (MD) of Union Bank of India (UBI).
● Manimekhalai replaced Rajkiran Rai G, who retired on May 31 after a five-year stint.
About A Manimekhalai :
● Manimekhalai, a Master of Business Administration degree holder from Bangalore University,
joined erstwhile Vijaya Bank as Officer in 1988.
● She was also General Manager of Vijaya Bank and headed the Bangalore north region.
● She was instrumental in devising and implementing strategic policies, covering core areas like
strategic planning, setting organizational goals, growth strategies, action plans, compliance,
internal control, etc
Note :
● Manimekhalai became the first woman managing director of Union Bank of India.
● Swarup Kumar Saha has been appointed as the MD & CEO of Punjab & Sind Bank.
● Saha, who is the executive director of Punjab National Bank (PNB), replaced S Krishnan, who
also superannuated on May 31.
About Swarup Kumar Saha :
● Saha, is a graduate of Science from the University of Calcutta, Kolkata.
● He started his career in banking in the erstwhile Oriental Bank of Commerce in the year 1990 as
Probationary Officer.
● In a career spanning over three decades, he has vast experience and expertise in Human
Resource Development, Treasury, International Banking, Credit, Risk Management,
Organization Restructuring, and Board matters.
● Executive Director of the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) Ajay Kumar Srivastava has been
appointed as MD & CEO of IOB.
● He will succeed Partha Pratim Sengupta who retires at the end of 2022.
● The Banks Board Bureau (BBB), had recommended their names for the appointment of MD &
CEO.
About BBB :
● Founded: 28 February 2016
● Chairperson: Bhanu Pratap Sharma
About UBI :
● MD & CEO : Rajkiran Rai G
About PNB :
● Headquarters: Dwarka, Delhi, India
About IOB :
● Founded: 10 February 1937
● MD & CEO: Partha Pratim Sengupta J
EC appoints Cricketer Yash Dhull as State Icon
● The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed cricketer Yash Dhull as the "state icon"
for the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi to motivate youngsters to get enrolled to
exercise their right to vote.
● During the meeting, various issues related to electoral registration, especially for young and new
voters, and the role of Yash Dhull to educate and motivating the youngsters to enroll themselves
in the electoral roll were discussed.
● Dhull made his first-class cricket debut for the Delhi Cricket Team in the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy.
● He was also the Captain for India for the 2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in the West
Indies.
Note :
● Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi: Dr. Ranbir Singh
About ECI :
● ECI is a constitutional body under the ownership of the Ministry of Law and Justice, GoI.
● Chief Election Commissioner of India: Rajiv Kumar
● Election Commissioner of India: Anup Chandra Pandey
SAI DG Sandip Pradhan gets another tenure extension of 2 years till 2024
● The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has been granted to extend the service
center of Sports Authority of India (SAI) Director General Sandip Pradhan to another two years
till September 30, 2024.
● It's the second extension granted to Pradhan.
● In May 2020, his tenure was extended by two years.
● The deputy director-general of SAI, Pradhan replaced Neelam Kapoor as DG on August 1,
2019.
About Sandip Pradhan :
● Pradhan, an Indian Revenue Services officer of the 1990 batch, was to end his current tenure on
July 6 but he has been granted the extension.
About Sports Authority of India :
● Headquarters: Delhi, India
● The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is the apex national sports body of India under the Ministry of
Youth Affairs and Sports of GoI.
Punjab & Sind Bank MD & CEO Shri S Krishnan retires
● An Indian nationalized bank, Punjab & Sind Bank Limited, announced that its Managing Director
& Chief Executive Officer Shri S Krishnan to retire from the role.
● He took charge as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of Punjab & Sind
Bank on 4th September 2020.
● Punjab & Sind Bank MD, CEO Swarup Kumar Saha
About Shri S Krishnan :
● Shri S Krishnan is a post-graduate in Commerce (M.Com) and qualified Cost Accountant
(ICMA).
● He started his career in Indian Bank in January 1983.
● He has a long and varied field of banking and administrative experience of nearly 38 years.
● Before joining Punjab & Sind Bank as MD & CEO, Krishnan was Executive Director of Syndicate
Bank and Canara Bank.
● His experience in Risk Management is for over a decade and was the Chief Risk Officer of the
Indian Bank.
● He was the head of the HR Department at Indian Bank.
● He was also a member of IBA’s Sub-Committee on Performance Management System in Public
Sector Bank.
● He is the Alternate Chairman of the IBA Standing Committee on Agri & Allied Activities.
About Punjab & Sind Bank :
● Founder: Vir Singh
● MD &CEO: Swarup Kumar Saha
Mr. Javier Olivan becomes Meta's next COO
● Meta Platforms veteran Mr. Javier Olivan is taking over as the company's chief operating officer
(COO).
● He will replace Ms. Sheryl Sandberg & however, and she will continue to serve on Meta’s board
of directors.
● He was appointed after playing a crucial but largely behind-the-scenes role in stoking the social
media company's explosive growth for 15 years.
● In his new job, he will be responsible for advertising and business products while continuing to
head infrastructure and corporate development.
● Before his promotion as COO, Mr. Olivan’s designation was chief growth officer in Meta
Platforms.
About Mr. Javier Olivan :
● Mr. Olivan grew up in a small town in the Pyrenees Mountains of northern Spain but now lives in
Palo Alto, California.
● He studied electrical and industrial engineering at the University of Navarra and also holds a
Master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University.
● Before joining Facebook, he worked with several companies such as Siemens, NTT Data, etc.
● He also worked for Japan’s NTT Data.
● Also, Mr. Olivan pushed Facebook’s expansion into countries such as India, Japan, Russia,
Indonesia, and Brazil.
About Meta :
● Founded: January 4, 2004
● Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, U.S.
● Chairman & CEO: Mark Zuckerberg
● The company is the parent organization of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, among other
subsidiaries.
General-Major Bajram Begaj elected as the new Albanian president
● Albanian lawmakers elected General-Major Bajram Begaj, as the country’s new president after
no candidates were nominated in three rounds of voting.
● He won the post after the 140-seat Parliament voted 78 in favor, four against and one abstained.
● He will take the oath as the new president on July 25, 2022, to replace Ilir Meta, who will be in
office until July 22, 2022.
Note :
● General-Major Bajram Begaj is post-communist Albania’s 8th president and the 3rd from the
military ranks.
About General-Major Bajram Begaj :
● Born in Rrogozhina on March 20, 1967.
● He graduated from the Medical Faculty of the University of Tirana.
● He served as the 26th Chief of General Staff of the Albanian Armed Forces from July 2020 to
June 2022.
About Albania :
● President: Edi Rama
● Capital: Tirana
● Currency: Albanian lek
International Aluminium Institute appoints Mr. Satish Pai as the new Board Chairman
● The International Aluminium Institute (IAI), the only body representing the global primary
aluminum industry, has appointed Mr. Satish Pai as its new Chairman.
● Earlier serving as Vice Chairman, he succeeded Ben Kahrs, Chief Innovation Officer, Alcoa
Corporation.
About Mr. Pai :
● Mr. Pai became the Managing Director of Hindalco Industries (one of the world’s largest
integrated producers of aluminum) in August 2016.
● He took over as the CEO of Hindalco’s Aluminium Business in August 2013.
● In February 2014, he was appointed as the Deputy Managing Director of Hindalco Industries &
was also entrusted with Hindalco’s copper business.
● He serves as Director on the boards of Aditya Birla Management Corporation Pvt. Ltd. and ABB,
Zurich.
● He is the Chairman of the International Aluminium Institute, the Vice President and Chairman -
of Non-Ferrous, Indian Institute of Metals, and Vice President & Chairman of the Government
Affairs Committee of the Aluminium Association of India.
● He worked with Schlumberger, based out of Paris, where he was responsible for Schlumberger’s
operations globally.
Awards & Honors :
● He received the ‘Distinguished Alumni Award’ by IIT Madras in 2017.
● He was conferred the Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa (D. Litt) by Ajeenkya DY Patil University
in 2020.
About International Aluminium Institute :
● Founded: 1972
● Headquarters: London, UK
Purpose :
● To promote the sustainable development of the aluminum industry and to increase demand for
aluminum products by raising awareness of their unique and valuable properties
● IAI members are engaged in the production of bauxite, alumina, aluminum, the recycling of
aluminum, or the fabrication of aluminum in all major producing regions.
Alok Kumar Choudhary appointed as SBI Managing Director
● The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the
Department of Financial Services for the appointment of Shri Alok Kumar Choudhary as the new
Managing Director (MD) of State Bank of India (SBI) for a two-year term with effective from 30th
June 2022 to 30th June 2024.
● He succeeds former MD Ashwani Bhatia, who was appointed to the Securities and Exchange
Board of India as a full-time member (SEBI).
● As the new MD of SBI, he will be handling the Retail Business & Operations of the lender.
● With this new appointment, SBI will have 4 MDs
1. CS Setty, MD in charge of retail banking
2. Swaminathan Janakiraman, MD in charge of stressed assets, risk, and compliance;
3. Ashwini Kumar Tewari, MD in charge of international banking
About Shri Alok Kumar Choudhary :
● Choudhary has been associated with SBI for three and a half decades.
● He started his career with SBI in 1987 as a Probationary Officer.
● He has worked as DMD (HR) & Corporate Development Officer at SBI.
● Previously, He was Deputy Managing Director (Finance) at the SBI.
● He had a stint as the Chief General Manager (CGM) of the SBI’s Delhi Circle for 3 years.
● His past roles and profiles at SBI include GM, Network I, Ahmedabad; DGM, B&O, Delhi; as well
as DGM & CDO, North-East Circle.
About SBI :
Former registrar of MSU Mr. N J Ojha appointed MGNERGS ombudsman
● The former in-charge registrar and university engineer for MS University, Mr. N J Ojha has been
appointed as ombudsman under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme (MGNERGS) for a 2-year term.
● An ombudsman has the power to receive complaints from MGNREGA workers, consider such
complaints, pass awards within 30 days from the date of receipt of the complaint, and issue
directions for conducting a spot investigation.
● Based on the recommendation of the ombudsman state selection committee, the state
government approved Ojha’s appointment for Vadodara district, Sajjansinh Amarsinh Padwal’s
appointment for neighboring Panchmahal district, as well as Dr. Ranjitsinh Nayak and Bhargav
Trivedi for Dahod and Chhota Udepur districts of Central Gujarat.
About MGNERGS :
● National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 or NREGA was later renamed as the Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or MGNREGA in 2009.
● It is a demand-driven wage employment scheme under the Ministry of Rural Development
● Women are guaranteed one-third of the jobs made available under the MGNREGA
Indian national Mr. Krishna Srinivasan appointed as director of IMF’s Asia-Pacific department
● International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Mr. Kristalina Georgieva has appointed
Indian national Krishna Srinivasan as Director of the Asia and Pacific Department (APD) from
June 22, 2022.
● He will succeed Mr. Changyong Rhee.
About Mr. Krishna Srinivasan :
● Mr. Srinivasan holds a Ph.D. (Honors) in Economics from Indiana University, a Master's in
Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, and a Bachelor's (Honors) in Economics from
the University of Delhi.
● He was an Assistant Professor of Economics and International Finance at Indiana-Purdue
University and a consultant at the World Bank in DC and the Center for Policy Research and
Planning Commission in New Delhi.
● His wide research on Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, climate, and other economic and
development issues has appeared in books, academic journals, and media publications.
● He has more than 27 years of Fund experience, starting in 1994 in the Economist Program.
● Currently, he is a Deputy Director in APD where he oversees the department's surveillance work
on some large and systemically important countries such as China and Korea, and smaller
states in the Pacific such as Fiji and Vanuatu.
About IMF :
● MD : Kristalina Georgieva
● Membership: 190 countries (189 UN countries and Kosovo)
Doordarshan's DG Mr. Mayank Agrawal appointed as CEO of Prasar Bharti
● The director-general of Doordarshan & Doordarshan News, Mr. Mayank Kumar Agrawal, has
been given additional charge as the CEO of the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati.
● He succeeded Mr. Shashi Shekhar Vempati, who stepped down as CEO following a five-year
tenure.
About Mr. Mayank Kumar Agrawal :
● Mr. Mayank Kumar Agrawal is a 1989-batch Indian Information Service (IIS) officer.
● He has over a three-decade-long experience in the field of public communication with broadcast
and digital media being his strong suits.
● He was appointed as CEO of the public broadcaster in June 2017, on the recommendation of a
three-member committee headed by the then Vice-President.
Note :
● Mr. Vempati was the youngest and first non-bureaucrat to hold the Prasar Bharti public office
since its creation in 1997.
About Prasar Bharti :
● Prasar Bharati is India's public broadcaster & It is a statutory autonomous body set up by an Act
of Parliament and comprises the Doordarshan Television Network and All India Radio
Mr. AR Rahman appointed as ambassador of India-UK culture platform
● Legendary musician Mr. A R Rahman has been appointed as the ambassador of the British
Council’s ‘India-UK Together Season of Culture, which marks the 75th anniversary of India's
independence.
● It was officially launched by Britain's Deputy High Commissioner to India Jan Thomson and
Director (India) of the British Council Barbara Wickham.
About Season of Culture’ :
Aim
● To build on the British Council’s work in India and strengthen India-UK collaboration in the areas
of arts, English, and education.
● Over 1,400 artists will showcase their collaborations to millions of audiences across India,
Britain, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, through a variety of arts such as theatre, dance,
visual arts, literature, music, architecture, design, fashion, tech-art, and new media art.
UN Chief Appoints Indian Diplomat Mr. Amandeep Singh Gill As Envoy On Technology
● Senior Indian d iplomat M r . A man deep S ingh Gill w as a ppointed a s th e U nited N ations
Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres's envoy o n technology to c o ordinate p rogr ams fo r
international digital cooperation
● The UN described Amandeep Singh Gill as a “thought leader on digital technology”.
About Amandeep Singh Gill :
● Amandeep Singh Gill joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1992.
● He holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Learning in Multilateral Forums from King's College, London, a
Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Electrical Communications from Panjab University in
Chandigarh, and an Advanced Diploma in French History and Language from Geneva
University.
● He has been India's permanent representative at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva
from 2016-to 2018.
● He was the Executive Director and Co-Lead of the United Nations Secretary-General's High-
Level Panel on Digital Cooperation (2018-2019).
● Currently, Gill is serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Digital Health and
Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative project, based at the Graduate Institute of
International and Development Studies, Geneva.
Mr. Subramaniakumar appointed as new MD & CEO of RBL Bank
● The Reserve Bank of India has approved the appointment of Mr. R Subramaniakumar as
Managing Director and CEO of RBL Bank for three years.
● The announcement comes nearly 6 months after RBL Bank’s long-term MD & CEO Mr.
Vishwahir Ahuja had stepped down.
● Following Ahuja’s exit, Mr. Rajeev Ahuja was appointed to helm the lender for an interim period
which was scheduled to expire on June 24, 2022.
● Mr. Subramaniakumar’s tenure will begin from the date of his taking charge, under Section 35B
of the Banking Regulation Act 1949.
● His appointment as the RBL Bank chief comes in the backdrop of the RBL bank reporting a net
loss of Rs 74.74 crore in FY2022, as against a profit of Rs 50.77 crore in FY2021.
About Mr R Subramaniakumar :
● Mr. R Subramaniakumar is a veteran Banker with 40 years of experience.
● His career started with Punjab National Bank (PNB) in 1980, where he worked for 35 years & he
has eventually elevated to the bank's general manager a position he held for three years
between 2013 and 2016.
● He joined the Indian Overseas Bank in October 2016 as its MD and CEO and continued to hold
the charge till June 2019.
● He served as an executive director at Indian Bank.
● In November 2019, Subramaniakumar served as administrator of Dewan Housing Financial
Corporation Limited (DHFL).
● Heis currently a non-executive chairman of India1 Payments Ltd, one of the country's largest
ATM services providers.
● He is also an independent director of the LIC Pension Fund Ltd.
About RBL Bank :
● Founded: 1943
Ambassador Ms. Rabab Fatima appointed as UNs Under-Secretary-General
● Secretary-General Ms. Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of the Permanent
Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, Ambassador MsRabab Fatima, has been
appointed as the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and also the High
Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small
Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).
● She succeeds Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica who was appointed as the Chef de Cabinet.
Note :
● Ambassador Ms. Rabab Fatima is the first woman diplomat from Bangladesh to be appointed as
a UN Under-Secretary-General.
● With her appointment as Assistant Secretary-General to the UN, Rabab Fatima has become the
highest-ranking official of Bangladesh under the UN system.
About Rabab Fatima :
● Ambassador Rabab Fatima is a career diplomat from Bangladesh.
● Rabab Fatima, a career diplomat, joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1989.
● Earlier, she served as the Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan from 2016 to 2019.
● She was the Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangladesh (2015-2016),
Regional Representative for South Asia (2007-2011) and Regional Adviser for South and South-
West Asia, and Regional Advisor for Climate Change and Migration (2012-2015) of the
International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva, and Head of Human Rights at the
Commonwealth Secretariat, London (2006-2007).
● She also served as co-chair of the LDC-5 Preparatory Committee, President of the UNICEF
Executive Board, and Vice President of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS.
● Currently, She is Bangladesh's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United
Nations in New York.
● Headquarters: New York, USA
● Secretary General : António Guterres
● Membership: 193 member states & 2 observer states
Justice Bhimanagouda Sanganagouda Patil sworn in as Karnataka Lokayukta
● On a recommendation by Karnataka Chief Minister Shri Basavaraj Bommai, Former Karnataka
high court judge Mr. Justice B S Patil has been appointed as the new Lokayukta of Karnataka.
● Governor Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot administered the oath of office to the new Lokayukta at a
ceremony in Raj Bhavan, Bengaluru.
● The post was vacant for the last 5 months after the retirement of Mr. Justice Vishwanath Shetty.
● Chief Minister Shri Basavaraj Bommai, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, Home Minister Araga
Jnanendra, and others were present on the occasion.
About Mr Justice Bhimanagouda Sanganagouda Patil :
● Mr Bheemanagouda Sanganagouda Patil was born on June 1, 1956.
● He enrolled as an advocate on September 5, 1980, and has practiced at trial courts and the High
Court as well.
● He was appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Karnataka High Court on October 21, 2004,
rendered service for 14 years, and retired from the post in 2018.
● Mr. Justice Patil, who served as the Upalokayukta of Karnataka, was elevated to the post of
Lokayukta on June 14, 2022.
Indian Origin Miss Aarti Prabhakar to be appointed as US President Mr. Joe Biden's new science
advisor
● United States President Ms. Joe Biden will nominate Indian-origin physicist Ms. Aarti Prabhakar
as his science adviser and nominate her as director of the White House Office of Science and
Technology Policy (OSTP).
● The 63-year-old Aarti Prabhakar will replace Eric Lander, who resigned on February 7 on
grounds of bullying his staff and creating a hostile work environment.
● Her responsibilities as science advisor include addressing problematic science policy issues,
such as how best to position the United States to compete with China.
Note :
● Once the Senate approves the appointment, Ms. Arati would be the first woman and the first
person of color to serve as science adviser to the President of the United States.
About Ms. Aarti Prabhakar :
● Ms. Aarti Prabhakar was Born on February 2, 1959, in New Delhi, Delhi, India.
● She completed her Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in 1984 following which she
spent 7 years as a program manager at DARPA.
● She is the founder and CEO of Actuate, a non-profit organization.
● She headed the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) from 1993 to 1997 and
was the first woman to head the NIS.
● Former US President Barack Obama selected Aarti Prabhakar to head the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
● She served as the head of the United States Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) from July 30, 2012, to January 20, 2017.
● In 2012, Prabhakar became the second woman to lead DARPA serving a five-year stint.
● She also spent more than a decade as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley.
● She is a founder and the CEO of Actuate, a nonprofit organization.
Government appoints 4 non-official directors to RBI central board
● The Central Government has nominated Shri Anand Gopal Mahindra, Shri Venu Srinivasan, Shri
Pankaj Ramanbhai Patel, and Dr. Ravindra H. Dholakia as part-time non-official Directors on the
Central Board of Reserve Bank of India.
● The nominations have been made for four years with effect from June 14, 2022, or until further
orders, whichever is earlier.
About Shri Anand Gopal Mahindra :
● Shri Anand Mahindra is the chairman of the Mahindra Group, the non-executive chairman of
Mahindra & Mahindra and Tech Mahindra.
● He has served on several bodies globally, including the Global Board of Advisors of the Council
on Foreign Relations, New York, and the International Advisory Council of Singapore's
Economic Development Board.
● Currently, he is on the board of Invest India, the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation
Agency.
About Shri Venu Srinivasan :
● Shri Venu Srinivasan is chairman emeritus of two-wheeler maker TVS Motor Company.
● In 1979, TVS Motor Company was born and under Srinivasan's leadership grew to be the third-
largest two-wheeler manufacturing unit in India.
About Shri Pankaj R Patel :
● Shri Pankaj Patel is on the board of various institutions, including Invest India, a member of the
Mission Steering Group (MSG) the highest policy-making and steering body constituted under
the National Health Mission (NHM), and of the Drug Technical Advisory Board by the ministry of
health & family welfare.
● He is chairman and managing director of Zydus Lifesciences.
About Dr. Ravindra H Dholakia :
● Dr. Ravindra H Dholakia was the economics area faculty at IIM Ahmedabad from September
1985 to April 2018 when he superannuated.
● He was a regular visiting faculty at the European Management Institute (ESCP-EAP), Paris from
2002 to 2005.
● He received the Most Distinguished Faculty Award for the year 2017-18 at IIM-A
● With the appointments, the RBI’s central board now consists of 5 official members and 10 non-
official members.
● Revathy Iyer, Sachin Chaturvedi, Satish Kashinath Marathe, Swaminathan Gurumurthy, Ajay
Seth, and Sanjay Malhotra are non-official directors of the central bank.
About RBI :
Shankar
Somalia's President appoints lawmaker Mr. Hamza Abdi Barre as Prime Minister
● Somalia's President Mr. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud appointed lawmaker Mr. Hamza Abdi Barre
as the country's prime minister.
● Mr Hamza Abdi Barre replaces Mr Mohamed Hussein Roble.
About Hamza Abdi Barre :
● The 48-year-old Hamza Abdi Barre is from the southern state of Jubaland.
● Hamza, who served as the chairperson of the Jubaland Independent Boundaries and Electoral
Commission in 2019-20 and worked in the federal government for four years before that, is the
first prime minister to emerge from Somalia's Ogaden clan.
● He has served in several public and political roles and from 2011 to 2017 he was secretary-
general of the Peace and Development Party (PDP), the precursor to the Union for Peace and
Development (UDP) now led by Mohamud.
● The new premier has also been involved in the education sector, co-founding Kismayo
University and leading a community-based network that aimed to rebuild the country's schooling
system after it was battered by the civil war.
About Somalia :
● President: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
● PM: Hamza Abdi Barre
● Capital: Mogadishu
● Currency: Somali shilling
Former SC judge Ms Ranjana Prakash Desai to Be New PCI Chief
● Justice Ms. Ranjana Prakash Desai, a former judge of the Supreme Court, is to be the next
Chairperson of the Press Council of India (PCI).
● The post was lying vacant since Mr. Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad (retd) completed his
term as the PCI chairperson and demitted office in November 2021.
● A committee comprising vice president Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om
Birla, and PCI member Mr. Prakash Dubey approved her appointment as the PCI chairperson.
About Ms Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai :
● Ms. Justice Desai, 72, was a public prosecutor for the State of Maharashtra.
● She is also a former judge of the Bombay high court.
● After she retired from the Supreme Court, she was appointed the Chairperson of the Indian
Appellate Tribunal for Electricity as well as that of the Advance Ruling Authority (Income Tax).
● She also headed the Search Committee for the Lokpal Chairperson and members.
● Recently, Ms. Justice Desai had headed the Delimitation Commission on Jammu and Kashmir,
which was set up to redraw the assembly constituencies of the Union Territory.
About PCI :
● The Press Council of India is a statutory, adjudicating organization in India formed by its
parliament.
● The Council has a chairman traditionally, a retired Supreme Court judge, and 28 additional
members of which 20 are members of the media, nominated by the newspapers, television
channels, and other media outlets operating in India.
● The PCI has issued the "Norms of Journalistic Conduct", which is one of two journalism-related
codes in use in India.
Sowmyanarayan Sampath, an Indian-American, named CEO of Verizon Business:
• Sowmyanarayan Sampath, an Indian American, will be the new CEO of Verizon Business.
• Sampath joined Verizon in 2014 and will stay on as Chief Revenue Officer for Verizon Business
until June 30th.
• Sampath has exhibited strategic planning prowess in many roles during his time with the
organization.
Key Points:
• Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon, will report directly to Sampath.
• With more than two decades of experience in core network infrastructure and digital
transformation, Sampath has a deep understanding of Verizon's products and the company's
role in enabling enterprise expansion and global security.
• Before joining Verizon, Sampath worked at KPMG and Boston Consulting Group.
• He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from St. Xavier's College in Kolkata, as well as a
Chartered Accountancy from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and an MBA from
Boston University.
• Verizon Business is at a crossroads, as the firm recently stated that its customers would soon
benefit from increased capacity and better speeds on the 5G Ultra-Wideband network, thanks to
the inclusion of 5G service using the CBRS spectrum.
COAI Names Jio's President Mr. Pramod Mittal as Chairperson for 2022-23
● Industry body Cellular Operators’ Association of India ( COAI) named Mr. Pramod K Mittal,
President of Reliance Jio Infocomm, as the new Chairperson of the association for 2022-23.
● He will be taking over Mr. Ajai Puri as the chairperson of COAI, who held the for two consecutive
terms.
● To work closely with the members to strengthen the sector, especially for the launch of 5G to
fulfill the vision of Honorable Prime Minister's Digital India initiative".
About Mr. Pramod Mittal :
● Mr. Mittal has 42 years of extensive experience in telecommunications.
● Before joining India's leading telecommunications operator, Reliance President Jio Infocomm
also worked for the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for over 37 years.
● Previously, Mr. Mittal was the Vice-Chairperson of the Cellular Operators' Association of India
(COAI), whose members include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (VIL).
● Mr. P Balaji, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer of Vodafone Idea (VIL), will be the
Vice-Chair of the association.
About Mr. P Balaji :
● Mr. Balaji, who is a member of the core leadership team of Vodafone Idea, leads the telco's
Regulatory, Public Policy, and Government Relations activities along with Industry advocacy,
Corporate Communications, Reputation Management, and CSR.
● Balaji is the Chairman of the Assocham National Digital Communications Council.
● Also, he is a Member of the National Council of apex industry chambers CII, Ficci, Assocham,
and All India Management Association.
● He has the unique experience of holding leadership positions in multiple telecom verticals, with
leading technology, devices companies, and telecom operators.
About COAI :
● Chairman: Ajai Puri
● Director-General: Dr. S.P. Kochhar
● The COAI is an Indian non-governmental trade association and advocacy group focused mainly
on the telecommunications industry.
RBI approves the reappointment of Mr. P.N. Vasudevan as MD & CEO of ESFB
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved a proposal of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB)
to reappoint Mr. Pathangi Narasimhan Vasudevan as managing director (MD) and chief
executive officer (CEO) for one year effective from July 23, 2022.
● Earlier in May 2022, ESFB founder and CEO Mr. Vasudevan P N had asked the lender to look
for his successor as he wanted to step down to pursue "a distinct set of goals".
About Mr P.N. Vasudevan :
● Mr. P.N. Vasudevan holds a bachelor’s degree in science (physics) from the University of
Madras.
● Earlier he was working as the MD of Equitas Holdings Limited.
● He is the Managing Director of Equitas, which began as a microfinance institution in 2007 and
was later converted into a bank in 2016.
● He was also the chairman of the Managing Committee of the South India Hire Purchase
Association for Fiscal 2006.
● Mr. Vasudevan & his wife have created a public charitable trust in their daughter's name,
Varshini Illam Trust, and they have launched a project in the trust to take quality medical and
therapy treatment to rural and semi-urban areas at their doorstep to those in the age group of 0-
3 years.
About ESFB :
● Founded: 2016
● MD & CEO: Vasudevan P N
● Equitas Small Finance Bank is a small-cap company with a market cap of Rs 4,833 crore.
Center Clears Appointment of Chief Justices in Six High Courts
● A month after the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended appointments of new chief
justices to the high courts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gauhati, and
Telangana, the Union Government has approved the proposal of the Collegium.
● 4 of these high courts, including Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gauhati, lack full -time
chief justices and are led by acting chiefs.
● The recommendations proposed by the collegium led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana were
made on May 17, 2022.
Appointments of 6 new chief justices :
● Justice Vipin Sanghi of the Delhi High Court will be appointed as the Chief Justice of the
Uttarakhand High Court while Justice Rashmin M Chhaya of the Gujarat High Court has been
appointed as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.
● Telangana High Court Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma will be appointed to the Delhi High
Court.
● Two judges of the Bombay High Court Justice Amjad A Sayed and Justice SS Shinde will be
elevated as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and Rajasthan High Court
respectively.
● Meanwhile, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan of the Telangana High Court (whose parent high court is
Gauhati High Court) will take over as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.
Mr. Gustavo Petro wins Colombian election to become 1st leftist president
● A former rebel and a longtime legislator, Mr. Gustavo Petro became Colombia’s first leftist
president.
● He defeated Mr. Rodolfo Hernández Suárez in the second round of the 2022 Colombian
presidential election.
● Petro’s vice-president will be Ms. Francia Márquez, a prize-winning defender of human and
environmental rights marking the first time that a black woman fills the post.
● Mr. Petro, 62, received more than 50 percent of the vote, with more than 99 percent counted.
About Mr Gustavo Petro :
● Mr Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego is a Colombian economist, politician, former guerrilla fighter,
senator.
● Mr. Petro had been part of a different rebel group, called the M-19, which demobilized in 1990,
and became a political party that helped rewrite the country’s constitution.
● He served as a senator and a member of the Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA) party following
the 2006 Colombian parliamentary election with the second-largest vote.
● He also pledged to fully implement a 2016 peace deal that ended a 50-year-long conflict with the
communist guerrilla group, Farc, and to seek negotiations with the still-active ELN rebels.
● On 30 October 2011, he was elected Mayor of Bogotá in the local elections, a position he
assumed on 1 January 2012.
● He received the worldwide “Climate and City Leadership” in 2013 for his achievements while in
office.
About Colombia :
● President : Iván Duque Márquez
● Capital : Bogotá
● Currency : Colombian peso
Ms. Ruchira Kamboj appointed Permanent Representative of India to the UN
● Senior diplomat Ms. Ruchira Kamboj has been appointed as the next Permanent Representative
of India to the United Nations in New York. .
About Ms Ruchira Kamboj :
● Ms. Kamboj is a 1987-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
● She was the All India women's topper of the 1987 Civil Services batch and the topper of the
1987 Foreign Service batch.
● She began her diplomatic journey in Paris, France, where she was posted as the 3rd Secretary
in the Indian Embassy to France from 1989-91.
● She was posted as a Counselor at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York
from 2002-2005.
● In December 2014, she was part of the G-4 team that worked on the reform and expansion of
the United Nations Security Council.
● From 2011-2014, she was India’s Chief of Protocol, the first and only woman diplomat so far in
the Indian government to have held this position.
● She has also served in Mauritius, Cape Town in South Africa as India’s Consul General, and at
the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.
● Presently, She is serving as India's envoy to Bhutan.
● Ruchira Kamboj is the first female Ambassador of India to the K ingdom of Bhutan.
About UN :
● Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
● Secretary General : António Guterres
● Membership: 193 member states & 2 observer states
● The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose purpose is to maintain
international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, and achieve
international cooperation.
Mr. P Udayakumar assumes office as Chairman-cum-Managing Director, NSIC
● Mr. P.Udayakumar, Director (Planning & Marketing) National Small Industries Corporation
(NSIC) assumes an additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director, NSIC.
About Mr. P.Udayakumar :
● He is a Mechanical engineer from College of Engg, Guindy with post-graduation from IIM
Bangalore with 12 years of Board experience.
● He is an expert in the MSME domain.
● He was part of many initiatives of the Ministry of MSME.
● He is an Investment Committee member of the PE growth fund namely the SRI Fund, the Fund
of the Ministry of MSME.
● He will be Chairman of NSIC Venture capital fund Ltd.
● He writes on MSME development issues.
About NSIC :
● Founded: 1955
● National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC) is a Mini Ratna government agency
established by the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), GoI.
Former Australia Cricketer Lisa Sthalekar Becomes First Woman President Of FICA
● Legendary Australian cricketer Lisa Sthalekar has become the first woman president of the
Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA).
● Her appointment was made at a meeting of the organization’s executive committee in Nyon,
Switzerland, the first in-person meeting since the start of the Covid pandemic.
● Earlier, Sthalekar had been on the board of FICA as an independent director.
● Notably, former West Indies batter Jimmy Adams and ex-South Africa batter Barry Richards
have also served as president of FICA in the past.
About Lisa Sthalekar :
● Sthalekar represented Australia in 187 international matches across the 3 formats.
● She was part of the Australian teams that won the ODI World Cups in 2005 and 2013 and the
T20 World Cups in 2010 and 2012.
● The all-rounder scored 2,728 runs in ODIs besides picking 146 wickets, and 769 runs in T20Is
apart from claiming 60 wickets.
● Lisa, who received Australia's best woman international cricketer award in both 2007 and 2008,
played 187 matches for the national side from 2001 to 2013.
● She was the first woman to score 1,000 runs and take 100 wickets in ODIs.
● She played 8 Tests and 54 T20 International matches.
● In 2021, she became only the fourth woman to be inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of
Fame.
● She has also worked with the Australian Cricketers’ Association and has experience in player
welfare.
About FICA :
● Founded: 1998
● The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) is an organization that
coordinates the activities of all the national players’ associations that represent professional
cricketers.
NDB appoints Dr D J Pandian appointed to lead India Regional Office in Gift City
● The New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries has appointed former bureaucrat Dr
D J Pandian as the Director-General of its India Regional Office (IRO) in Gujarat International
Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).
● The New Development Bank has approved 20 projects in India.
● The IRO will assist in the effective implementation of these projects and work closely with the
project implementing agencies.
● IRO would play a key role in developing new projects and providing capacity building and
technical assistance to government agencies.
About Dr D J Pandian :
● Earlier he was the Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB) in which India is the 2nd largest shareholder after China.
● During his tenure at the AIIB, he was instrumental in securing USD 6.7 billion in funding for 28
projects in India, stated to be the highest project finance extended by the bank.
● He served as IAS officer of Gujarat cadre and Chief Secretary of Gujarat.
● He was instrumental in establishing the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute and
served as chairman and director.
About NDB :
● Establishment : 2014
● Headquarters : Shanghai, China
● President : Marcos Prado Troyjo
● The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a
multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and
South Africa).
Senior IPS Officer Mr Dinkar Gupta appointed as Director General of NIA
● Senior IPS officer Mr Dinkar Gupta was appointed as Director General of the National
Investigation Agency (NIA).
● The Appointments Committee has approved the appointment of Mr Gupta as the NIA chief till
March 31, 2024, the date of his retirement.
● Mr Swagat Das was appointed Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Home Ministry till
November 30, 2024.
● He is an IPS Officer of 1987-batch and at present posted as Special Director in the Intelligence
Bureau
About Mr Dinkar Gupta :
● Mr Gupta is a 1987-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Punjab cadre.
● He has also served as DIG (Jalandhar Range), DIG (Ludhiana Range), DIG (Counter -
Intelligence), Punjab and DIG (Intelligence), Punjab till 2004.
● He was the only officer from Punjab to be empanelled for appointment to Additional Director
General level post at the Centre in 2018.
● He was on central deputation with the MHA for 8 years, from June 2004 to July 2012.
● He held the position of the Director General of Punjab Police in 2019.
● He also held the post of Director General of Police, Intelligence, Punjab, which involved the
direct supervision of the Punjab State Intelligence Wing, Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU),
and State Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS).
Awards & Honors :
● Mr Dinkar Gupta was decorated with two Police Gallantry Medals in 1992 and 1994.
● He was decorated with the Police Medal for the Meritorious Services by the President and the
President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (2010)
● In 1999, he was awarded the British Chevening Gurukul Scholarship by the British Council at
London School of Economics, London.
About NIA :
● Founded : December 31, 2008
● Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
● NIA is an anti-terror probe agency that was formed after the 26/11 attack in Mumbai.
Mr Ranjit Bajaj appointed as chairman of the Advisory Committee to run All India Football Federation
(AIFF)
● I-League club Minerva Punjab’s former owner Mr Ranjit Bajaj has been appointed as the
chairman of the advisory panel formed by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to oversee the
functioning of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
● The 12-member advisory committee was appointed by the CoA to oversee the day-to-day
matters of various departments of the AIFF & send regular reports to all the members of the CoA
for their information and approval.
Complete list of the advisory committee with their roles:
● Ranjit Bajaj - Chairman of the Advisory Committee and Integrity matters
● Gurslmran Brar - Admin, Legal and Government Liaison matters
● Manoj Gupta - Accounts and Finance matters
● Akshay Rohatgi - Tournament and Logistics matters
● Sankalp Pujari - Player status and Registration matters
● lndranil Oas - Club Licensing and Academy Accreditation matters
● S. Suresh - Refereeing matters
● Savio Medeira - National Teams (men and women) and Coaching matters
● Richard Hood - Grassroots and Futsal matters
● Jaydeep Basu - Media and Communication matters
● Pushpargha Chatterjee - HR matters
● Oebashis Dey - Member of the Advisory Committee.
About AIFF :
● Founded : 23 June 1937
● President : Praful Patel
● AIFF, is the governing body of football in India under jurisdiction of the Ministry of Youth Affairs
and Sports, GoI.
RBI appoints Mr. Venkat Nageswar Chalasani as a member of the advisory committee of SIFL & SEFL
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed Mr. Venkat Nageswar Chalasani, former Deputy
Managing Director of SBI, as a member of the Advisory Committee of Srei Infrastructure
Finance Limited (SIFL) and Srei Equipment Finance Limited (SEFL).
● He Succeeds Former MD & CEO of Indian Overseas Bank, R Subramaniakumar.
● The Advisory Committee shall advise the Administrator on the operations of the SIFL and SEFL
during the corporate insolvency resolution process.
● The other 2 members of the committee are T T Srinivasaraghavan (former Managing Director,
Sundaram Finance Limited) and Farokh N Subedar (former Chief Operating Officer and
Company Secretary, Tata Sons Limited).
● In October 2021, the RBI filed applications for initiation of the corporate insolvency resolution
process against SIFL and SEFL at the Kolkata Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal.
● The RBI had decided that the three-member committee ''shall continue as the advisory
committee'' constituted under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Insolvency and Liquidation
Proceedings of Financial Service Providers and Application to Adjudicating Authority) Rules,
2019.
About Venkat Nageswar Chalasani :
● He holds a Bachelor of Science in Botany, PGDJ from Bhavan’s Institute and CAIIB.
● Nageswar has served as the Chairman of the board of directors of the State Bank of India
(California) since 2018.
● He is also Deputy Managing Director of the International Banking Group (IBG), with the bank.
● With over 34 years of banking experience, He has held various positions across a wide range of
domains including Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, Treasury, Trade Finance, Risk, and
Compliance.
About Srei Group :
● Srei Group, which mainly caters to the MSME and infrastructure sectors, owes around Rs
18,000 crore to around 15 lenders, including Axis Bank, UCO Bank, and State Bank of India,
and another nearly Rs 10,000 crore of external commercial borrowings and bonds.
● Founded: 1989
● Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal
Former Foreign Secretary Mr. Shyam Saran appointed as President of the India International Centre
● Mr. Shyam Saran, a former Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Nuclear
Affairs and Climate Change has taken over as the President of the India International Center.
● He succeeds Mr. N N Vohra.
About Mr. Shyam Saran :
● He headed the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, a prestigious think-
tank focusing on economic issues (2011-2017).
● He was Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board under the National Security Council
(2013-15).
● He is a member of the governing board of the Centre for Policy Research and the Institute of
Chinese Studies.
● His first book, 'How India Sees the World, was published in 2017.
● Recently, he has published his second book, 'How China Sees India and the World.
Awards & Honors :
● Saran was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, in 2011 for his
contributions in the field of civil service.
● In May 2019, he was conferred the Spring Order Gold and Silver Star by the Emperor of Japan
for promoting India-Japan relations.
Mr. Parameswaran Iyer to take over as CEO of NITI Aayog
● The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Mr.
Parameswaran Iyer as the new Chief Executive Officer of the National Institution for
Transforming India Aayog (NITI Aayog) for 2 years.
● He Succeeds Mr. Amitabh Kant, after a 6-year-long stint, as NITI Aayog CEO
About Mr. Parameswaran Iyer :
● Mr. Iyer had joined the Civil Services in 1981 in the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
● He had held various prominent posts and led the World Bank-assisted Uttar Pradesh Rural
Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Project, popular as Swajal.
● He took voluntary retirement from the IAS in 2009, after 17 years in service.
● In 2016, he was appointed as Secretary to the Government of India for Drinking Water and
Sanitation and led the Open Defecation Free India movement.
● He spearheaded the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a campaign to eradicate open defecation by
constructing over 90 million toilets in rural India.
● Earlier he worked as a Senior Rural Water Sanitation Specialist at the United Nations.
● He worked with the erstwhile Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh in the field of education.
● He was also the chairman of Empowered Group-3, one of the 11 groups set up by the Centre to
tackle the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
● Mr. Kant is a 1980-batch retired IAS officer (Kerala cadre), who took over as the NITI Aayog
CEO in 2016 & he last got an extension, by a year, in June 2021.
About NITI Aayog :
● Chairperson: Narendra Modi
● NITI Aayog comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
IRARC's Mr. Avinash Kulkarni appointed as CEO of IDRCL
● The chief govt of India Resurgence Asset Reconstruction Firm ( IRARC), Mr. Avinash Kulkarni
has been appointed as the CEO of the India Debt Resolution Company (IDRCL) for 3 years.
● The IDRCL board has accepted his appointment.
● He joined Piramal Enterprises and Bain Capital-promoted IRARC in 2018.
● Kulkarni's appointment follows another SBI veteran Mr. Natarajan Sundar being selected as
CEO of the NARCL in April 2022 & he took over as the CEO at the end of May 2022.
About IDRCL :
● IDRCL is a personal sector firm managed by non-public sector banks that own a 51% share.
● Its 7-member board is chaired by former SBI govt Diwakar Gupta.
Mr. Tapan Kumar Deka appointed as Director of the Intelligence Bureau
● The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Mr. Tapan Deka as
the new Chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) for a tenure of two years from June 30, 2022.
● He will succeed incumbent Intelligence Bureau Director Mr. Arvind Kumar.
About Mr. Tapan Deka :
● Tapan Kumar Deka, a 1988 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IPS officer.
● He is an expert on North-East Affairs and was sent by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to
Assam after the anti-CAA violence broke out in the state in 2019.
● He was an Additional Director in the Intelligence Bureau when he was promoted to the rank of
Special Director in the Wing in June 2021.
● Currently, Mr. Tapan Deka is the head of the Operations Desk of the Intelligence Bureau
● He has been tracking the terrorists and religious radicalization for the past two decades.
About IB :
● Founded: 1887
● IB is India's domestic internal security and counter-intelligence agency under the Ministry of
Home Affairs.
Mr. Anil Khanna appointed as the acting President of IOA
● The Delhi high court-appointed Mr. Anil Khanna as the acting president of the Indian Olympic
Association (IOA).
● He will replace Mr. Narinder Batra.
● On May 25, 2022, Batra was removed as IOA chief after the Delhi High Court struck down the
post of 'life member' in Hockey India, courtesy which he had contested and won the apex body
elections back in 2017.
● The order of the court was following a contempt petition moved by former hockey player Aslam
Sher Khan
About Anil Khanna :
● Khanna had served as Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) President from 2005 to 2019 and also ITF
Vice President from 2015-19.
● Also, he was nominated as the honorary Life President of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF).
● He has been appointed as the Chairman of the finance committee as well as the co-chairman of
the ATF foundation.
About IOA :
● IOA is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games,
Asian Games, and other international athletic meets
Mr. Samant Kumar Goel was re-appointed as Chief of R&AW
● The tenure of the current chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Mr. Samant Kumar
Goel, was extended by one year up to June 30, 2023.
● It is the second extension of service for Mr. Samant Kumar Goel.
● He is the third RAW chief, to get a tenure of over 3 years & before him, the founder chief of
RAW R N Kao served for 9 years & N F Suptnook served for 6 years.
About Mr. Samant Kumar Goel :
● Mr. Samant Kumar Goel is an IPS officer from the Punjab cadre class of 1984.
● Earlier he was appointed as the Chief of R&AW on 26 June 2019 replacing Anil Dhasmana.
● He is a recipient of the Police Medals for Gallantry and Meritorious Service.
● He also served as Chief of Station, Europe Desk, and as Chief of Station in London.
About RAW :
● Established: 21 September 1968
● RAW is the foreign intelligence agency of India.
● Function: To gather foreign intelligence, counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, advise Indian
policymakers, and advance India's foreign strategic interests.
● It is also involved in the security of India's nuclear program.
IRS officer Mr. Nitin Gupta appointed as the new CBDT Chairman
● The Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Shri Nitin Gupta as
Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
● He will replace Ms. Sangeeta Singh.
● Ms. Sangeeta Singh is a 1986 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer who had been given
additional charge of Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), after incumbent JB
Mohapatra retired as the head of the direct taxes administration body on April 30.
About Shri Nitin Gupta :
● Shri Nitin Gupta is an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the 1986 batch of the Income T ax
cadre.
● He is currently a Member of CBDT handling the charge of Investigation.
● Shri Gupta is the first CBDT Member after 3 years who gets the i ndependent charge of
Investigation.
About CBDT :
● CBDT is the administrative body for the Income Tax department.
● It is a statutory body established as per the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963.
● It is administered by the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance.
● It is headed by a Chairman and can have six members who are in the rank of special secretary.
● There are five members on the Board at present with 1985-batch IRS officer Anuja Sarangi
being the senior-most.
● The other members are Pragya Sahay Saksena and Subashree Anantkrishnan, both from the
1987 batch of the IRS.
Mr. Mohammed Jalood was elected as the new President of the International Weightlifting Federation
● Mr. Mohammed Jalood was elected as the new President of the International Weightlifting
Federation (IWF) at the 2022 IWF Special & Electoral Congress in Tirana, Albania.
● He Succeeds the incumbent interim leader, Michael Irani.
Note :
● Mohammed Jalood is the first Asian became President of IWF.
Other Members of IWF :
General Secretary-Treasurer
● José Quinones (Peru)*

1st Female Vice President
● Ursula Papandrea (United States) ( She is the first & only woman to attain USA Weightlifting’s
highest coaching level)
Vice Presidents
● Attila Ádámfi (Hungary)

● Doris Marrero (Venezuela)
● Petr Krol (Czech Republic)
● Pyrros Dimas (Greece)
Executive Board Members
● Fathi Masmoudi (Tunisia)

● Florian Sperl (Germany)
● Gardencia Du Plooy (South Africa)
● Hiromi Miyake (Japan)
● Matthew Curtain (Great Britain)
● Mohammed Ahmed Alharbi (Saudi Arabia)
● Sam Coffa (Australia)
● Tom Liaw (Singapore)
● Wen Shin Chang (Chinese Taipei)
● Yassiny Esquivel (Costa Rica)
● Forrester Christopher Osei (Ghana)
About IWF :
● Founded: 1905
● Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
● The IWF is the international governing body for the sport of Olympic weightlifting.
Justice Shri Satish Chandra Sharma takes oath as Chief Justice of Delhi HC
● Justice Shri Satish Chandra Sharma took oath as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
● Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena administered the oath to justice Sharma
at a ceremony held in the Raj Niwas.
● The post of Delhi High Court Chief Justice was lying vacant after the retirement of Justice Shri
Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel.
● The ceremony was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party
MLAs Somnath Bharti, and Madan Lal.
About Justice Satish Chandra Sharma :
● Justice Satish Chandra Sharma was born on November 30, 1961, in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
● He became an advocate in 1984 and practiced in Constitutional, Service, Civil and Criminal
matters before the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur.
● He was appointed as the Additional Central Government Counsel in May 1993.
● He was appointed as senior panel counsel by the Government of India in June 2004.
● He was designated as a Senior Advocate by the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2003 at the age
of 42 years & he was one of the youngest among the senior advocates of the High Court.
● He was elevated as a Judge of Madhya Pradesh HC on January 18, 2008, and was appointed
as a Permanent Judge on January 15, 2010.
● He was transferred to Karnataka High Court in January 2021 & later he became the Acting Chief
Justice of the Karnataka HC on August 31, 2021.
● On October 11, 2021, he took oath as the Chief Justice of Telangana HC.
● He is associated with National Law University and is also on the Advisory Board of National Law
Institute University, Bhopal, and has published numerous research articles and papers.
● Recently, the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Justice Satish Chandra Sharma,
Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, as the new Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
● The Collegium had recommended the elevation of Justice Vipin Sanghi, Acting Chief Justice of
the Delhi High Court, as the Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court.
● The Collegium further recommended the elevation of Justice AA Sayed, SS Shinde, Rashmin M
Chhaya, and Ujjal Bhuyan as Chief Justices of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gauhati, and
Telangana High Courts respectively.
● The decision was taken by the Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana.
West Indies cricketer Darren Sammy Honored with Sitara-e-Pakistan award
● West Indies captain Darren S ammy has been awarded Pakistan's third-highes t c ivilian awar d,
Sitara-e-Pakistan, for his “excellent contribution” to the revival of international cricket in Pakistan.
About Darren Sammy :
● Darren Sammy has represented West Indies in all three formats of the game, scoring 1,323 runs
and taking 84 wickets in 30 Tests, including a century and five half-centuries.
● He represented the West Indies in 38 Tests, 126 ODIs, and 68 T20Is.
● He is a two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain.
● Sammy is the only captain to have won the World T20 twice.
● He made his Test and ODI debut for the national team in 2004 and last represented the West
Indies in a T20I match against Pakistan in September 2017.
● In June 2021, Sammy was appointed as a member of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Board of
Directors as an independent non-member director.
● So far as the IPL is concerned, between 2013 and 2017, Darren Sammy played for franchises
such as SunRisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Kings XI Punjab in the IPL.
Awards & Honors :
● On 23 March 2020, Sammy received the highest civilian medal of Pakistan, Nishan-e-Pakistan.
● He was also awarded honorary Pakistani citizenship by the President of Pakistan Arif Alvi.
About Sitara-e-Pakistan :
● The Sitara-e-Pakistan or the Star of Pakistan is a civilian award given by the government of
Pakistan for its service to the state.
● It recognizes individuals who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or
national interests of Pakistan, world peace, and cultural or other significant public endeavors.
Previous Recipients of Sitara-e-Pakistan
● Akhtar Hameed Khan, a social scientist who pioneered microcredit, microfinance, and rural
development initiatives
● Sandy Gall - British journalist
● Habibullah Khan Khattak - For action in Burma during World War II
● Bronte Clucas Quayle CB, OBE, QC - For drafting the Constitution of Pakistan.
● Greg Mortenson - Humanitarian, Central Asian Institute
Young women entrepreneur Mrs. Rashmi Sahoo wins Times Business Award 2022
● At the 3rd Times Business Awards, Director of Ruchi Foodline, Eastern I ndia’s leading food
brand and Odisha’s No.1 spices company, young and dynamic women entrepreneur Mrs.
Rashmi Sahoo has been awarded the prestigious Times Business Award 2022.
● Mrs. Sahoo received the award from renowned Bollywood actor and social activist Sonu Sood.
● The award was given in the category of Eastern India’s Leading READY -TO-EAT brand.
About Mrs. Rashmi Sahoo :
● While working as director of Ruchi Foodline, she started and established Odisha's first frozen
food company Frozit.
● She changes the lives of thousands of women by providing them employment opportunities.
● Sahoo and Frozit have won various accolades across the world for their innovative food product
line, quality, and hygiene standards.
● Frozit serves various food from India as well as traditional Odia foods like Biryani, Pasta, Ghee-
Rice, Mutton Kasa, Laccha Paratha, Mughlai Chicken, Veg Pulao, Kadai Soyabin, Chana
Masala, Fried Rice, Tandoori Mushroom, Garlic Mushroom, Zeera Rice, Mix Veg, Pada Pitha,
and Kheer.
Queen’s Birthday Honours l ist 2022: Salman Rushdie and Quentin Blake made Companions of Honour
● The author of the Booker Prize-winning novel 'Midnight's Children', Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie
leads a list of over 40 professionals and community champions of Indian origin to be honored in
the Queen's Birthday Honours list 2022.
● In the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours list, Mr. Rushdie is named a Companion of Honour & the
list was released to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years of service to the
UK.
About Sir Ahmed S alman Rushdie :
● Salman Rushdie was born in Bombay, India.
● He is also a storied author of non-fiction, an essayist, co-editor, and a noted humanist.
● He is the author of 14 novels & Beginning his career in advertising, 'Midnight's Children' was
twice (1993 and 2008) voted Best of the Bookers by the public.
● He was knighted for services to literature in 2007.
About Companion of Honour (CH) :
● The Companion of Honour is a special award granted to those who have made a major
contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government lasting over a long period.
● CH is an exclusive club with membership limited to just 65 people at any given time, for services
to literature.
About Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2022: :
● The honors list is annually published to coincide with the Queen's official birthday celebrations in
early June 2022.
● A total of 1,134 candidates have been named for honors across different fields by the UK
Cabinet Office - which compiles the list, with 13.3 percent of the successful candidates from an
ethnic minority background.
Meghalaya Wins Best Project Award at UN World Summit
● At the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2022, an initiative of the
Meghalaya government’s primary e -proposal system (part of the Meghalaya Enterprise
Architect) received the prestigious UN Award in the category of “the role of governments in the
promotion of ICTs for development".
● Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Houlin Zhao presented
the award to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma during the World Summit on the Information
Society Forum (WSIS) Prizes 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland.
● Meghalaya was named the finest project in the category, and Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture
(MeghEA) was the only initiative from India to earn the Winner Award in 2022.
Key Highlights :
● The E-Proposal system, which is part of the Government-to-Government component, allows
projects to be processed and tracked more quickly.
● According to the study, a total of 360 projects from various countries passed the UN jury’s test.
● Projects from Australia, China, Argentina, and Tanzania competed against Meghalaya.
About the MeghEA project :
● MeghEA represents a shift in service delivery from a departmental to a citizen-centered
approach.
● MeghEA is all about providing citizen-centric services and reforming internal scheme processing
to be as efficient as possible.
● The Planning Department of the Government of Meghalaya is in charge of implementing the
MeghEA project.
● The initiative contains various components, including services from the government to citizens or
businesses, services from the government to employees, and services from the government to
the government.
About World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2022 :
● The World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2022 represents the world's largest annual
gathering of the ICT for development community under the theme of ICTs for Well-Being,
Inclusion, and Resilience: WSIS Cooperation for Accelerating Progress on the SDGs.
● The WSIS Forum, co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP, and UNCTAD, is in close
collaboration with all WSIS Action Line Facilitators/Co-Facilitators.
● It will provide structured opportunities to network, learn and participate in multi -stakeholder
discussions and consultations on WSIS implementation.
About Meghalaya :
● Capital: Shillong
● Governor: Satya Pal Malik
● Chief minister: Conrad Sangma
Dutch Film ‘Turn Your Body To The Sun’ Bags Golden Conch Award For Best Documentary at Mumbai
International Film Festival
● The Dutch documentary film “Turn Your Body to the Sun” has won the prestigious Golden
Conch award for the Best Documentary Film at the 17th edition of the Mumbai International Film
Festival (MIFF).
● The Golden Conch award was presented by the Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari
at the closing ceremony, held at the Nehru Centre, Mumbai, in presence of the Minister of State
for Information & Broadcasting L Murugan and other dignitaries.
● The award carries a golden conch, a certificate, and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.
● 18 documentary films from Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Panama,
South Korea, UK, and India were in the International Competition section of MIFF 2022.
About Turn Your Body to the Sun” :
● The film was directed by Aliona van der Horst.
● The film Turn Your Body to the Sun” brings to light the incredible life story of a Soviet soldier of
Tatar descent, who was captured by the Nazis during World War II.
Other Categories :
Best Short-fiction: ‘Saakshatkaaram’ (Malayalam) & ‘Brother Troll’
● In the Short Fiction category, the Malayalam film ‘Saakshatkaaram’ shares the Silver Conch
award with Gudmund Helsmsal’s ‘Brother Troll’, a film from the Faroe Islands of Denmark.
● Saakshatkaaram (Malayalam) filmmaker is a Communication Design faculty member at the IDC
School of Design in IIT Bombay, of which he is also an alumnus.
● Saakshatkaaram is a very moving and emotive story that cements humanity by crossing
religious boundaries.
● Faroese language film ‘Brother Troll’ portrays the struggle of two brothers to save their fragile
relationship after the sudden loss of their older brother.
● The awards carry a Silver Conch, a certificate, and a cash prize of Rs. 2.5 lakhs, to be shared
equally between the director and the producer.
Best Animation Film: ‘Prince in a Pastry Shop’ (Poland)
● Prince in a Pastry Shop’ directed by Polish filmmaker Katarzyna Agopsowicz, won the Silver
Conch for Best Animation Film in the International Competition category.
● It is a seemingly humorous story about happiness.
● The award carries a Silver Conch, a certificate, and a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakhs, to be shared
equally between the director and the producer.
Pramod Pati – Most Innovative / Experimental Film - Closed to the Light’
● Italian director and producer Nicola Piovesan won the ‘Pramod Pati – most innovative
/experimental film’ for his movie 'Closed to the Light’ Nicola Piovesan”.
● Nicola Piovesan will get Rs.1,00,000 cash prize along with a trophy and certificate.
Special mention by International Jury :
● “Ghar Ka Pata” by Madhulika Jalali and Films Division production “Who Says The Lepchas Are
Vanishing?” by Abhuydaya Khaitan received special mentions from the international jury.
● Best animation film in the national competition section was awarded to director Adithi
Krishnadas for “Kandittundu” (Seen It)’.
● Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari award for best debut director was awarded to Bimal Poddar for
his film “Radha”.
● The IDPA award for best student film went to “Megha”, a Bengali film directed by Rishi Bhaumik.
About MIFF 2022 :
● The 17th Mumbai International Film Festival 2022 was held from May 29 to June 4 at Nehru
Centre Auditorium in Mumbai.
● The festival featured 400 films from across the world, out of which 102 titles were screened
under the Competition Category 35 in international competition and 67 in the national
competition.
Indian Railways have been awarded in the category of “Best use of Zero-Carbon Technology”
● Indian Railways have been awarded by the UIC International Sustainable Railway Awards
(ISRA) in the category of “Best use of Zero-Carbon Technology” for feeding Solar Energy
directly to a 25 KV AC Traction System in Berlin, Germany.
UIC International Sustainable Railway Awards 2022 winners :
Overall Winner - Dutch Railways (NS)
● 99% circular train modernization and on track for 100% circular trains in Europe
Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Rail - Vera Fioriani, CEO, RFI (Italian Rail Network)
IRS11 Participants Award - Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) Inclusive
Best Diversity & Inclusion Initiative - Network Rail
● Project/Initiative Title - Rough sleeping on rail outreach pilot
Best Contribution to COVID Emergency - French National Railways (SNCF)
● Project/Initiative Title - Medical TGV trains: transport for patients suffering from COVID-19
Best Use of Zero-Carbon Technology - Indian Railways
● Project/Initiative Title - Solar energy directly feeding 25 AC traction system
Best Green Corridor - Network Rail
● Project/Initiative Title - Delivering innovative biodiversity measurement for the benefit of people,
wildlife, and the planet
Best Circular Economy Project - Dutch Railways (NS)
● Project/Initiative Title - 99% circular train modernization and on track for 100% circular trains in
Europe
Best Multimodal Partnership - Italian Rail Network (RFI)
● Project/Initiative Title - StationLAND
Rebuilding Confidence in Railways - Network Rail
● Project/Initiative Title- King’s Cross seating
Best Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience - Indian Railways
● Project/Initiative Title- Indian Railways Mission Electrification
● Railways are an environmentally friendly means of bulk transportation.
● For environment protection, Railways have been continuously taking major initiatives that have a
positive impact on the environment by way of reducing pollution/GHG emissions, promoting
resources and energy efficiency, and contributing to sustainability.
Some of these initiatives are briefly reproduced below:-
● Increasing modal share of Railways in the overall land-based freight transport through network
augmentation and setting up of Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs)
● Improving energy efficiency through energy-efficient technologies and energy-efficient measures
like the use of LEDs
● Increasing the share of renewable energy in the energy mix.
● Use of alternate fuels like CNG.
● Improving water use efficiency through measures like water recycling and rainwater harvesting.
● Afforestation at railway land to increase carbon sink.
● Installation of Bio Toilets on the entire fleet of BG coaches.
● Green Certifications of industrial units, railway stations, and other railway establishments.
● Environment Management System (EMS): ISO 14001 certification of railway stations.
● Consent to Operate (CTO)/Consent to Establish (CTE) for railway stations from CPCB.
● Solid Waste Management.
About UIC International Sustainable Railway Awards :
● The UIC International Sustainable Railway Awards (ISRA) promote and celebrate innovation in
mobility that delivers social (‘people’), environmental (‘planet’), and economic (‘prosperity’)
sustainability.
About Ministry of Railways :
● Minister of Railways: Ashwini Vaishnav
● Minister of State: Raosaheb Danve, Darshana Jardosh
● Chairman and CEO of Railway Board: Vinay Kumar Tripathi
IIFA Awards 2022: Vicky Kaushal and Kriti Sanon win top acting honors
● The 22nd edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2022 was held in Abu
Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates hosted by Salman Khan, Maniesh Paul, and Riteish
Deshmukh.
● Sidharth Malhotra’s Shershaah won as many as five categories & dominated the awards in
2022.
Complete List of Winners in IIFA Awards 2022 :
● Best Actor (Male) - Vicky Kaushal for Sardar Udham
● Best Actor (Female) - Kriti Sanon for Mimi
● Best Director - Vishnuvaradhan for Shershaah
● Best Film - Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Shabbir Boxwala, Ajay Shah,
Himanshu Gandhi for Shershaah.
● Best Playback Singer Female - Asees Kaur for 'Raataan Lambiyan', Shershaah.
● Best Playback Singer Male – Jubin Nautiyal for the song 'Raataan Lambiyan', Shershaah.
● Best Lyrics – Kausar Munir for 'Lehra Do', 83.
● Best Music Direction – A R Rahman for Atrangi Re and Jasleen Royal, Javed-Mohsin, Vikram
Montrose, B Praak, Jaani for Shershaah
● Best Male Debut – Ahan Shetty for Tadap
● Best Female Debut – Sharvari Wagh for Bunty Aur Babli 2
● Best Story Adapted – Kabir Khan, Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan for 83.
● Best Original Story – Ludo by Anurag Basu
● Best Supporting Actor Female – Sai Tamhankar for Mimi
● Best Supporting Actor Male – Pankaj Tripathi for Ludo
Mr. Ramkrishna Mukkavilli becomes First Indian to be recognized as a Global SDG Pioneer by UNGC
● Mr. Ramkrishna Mukkavilli has become the first Indian to be recognized as the Global
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Pioneer for water stewardship by the United Nations
Global Compact (UNGC).
● The United Nations Global Compact has announced 10 new SDG Pioneers business leaders
who are doing an exceptional job to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
through the implementation of the UN Global Compact 10 Principles on human rights,
environment, labor, and anti-corruption.
● The 2022 SDG Pioneers were announced during the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit
2022.
Role of Ramkrishna Mukkavilli’s firm in water stewardship :
● Ramkrishna Mukkavilli’s company’s unique solution- Meghdoot, is based on an alternative water
concept which is known as Atmospheric Water Generation
● This concept taps into a vast, renewable water resource- AIR, which contains six times as much
fresh water as all the rivers on the planet combined.
● The proven technology has already met the requirements of the domestic consumers in water-
scarce locations, top Fortune 500 companies, large-public sector companies, schools, hospitals,
under-served communities, and many others.
● To date, Maithri Aquatech has generated over 100 million liters of fresh water from the air and
has saved an estimated 200 million liters of crucial groundwater resources from exploitation.
About Ramkrishna Mukkavilli :
● Ramkrishna Mukkavilli is the founder and the Managing Director of Maithri Aquatech, a Make-in-
India company.
● He has been recognized for his work in building water security with nature-based water solutions
across India and 27 countries spanning the Middle East, South East Asia, and Africa.
● Also, he was recognized as one of the 10 new SDG pioneers for 2022.
● He has more than 28 years of experience in sales, marketing, and product development, & also
runs GrowthMode and Kistler-Morse Automation, sister companies to Maithri Aquatech.
About UNGC :
● CEO & Executive Director : Sanda Ojiambo
● Headquarters: New York, US
WHO awards PGI Chandigarh Centre for tobacco control:
• The WHO has given the Resource Centre for Tobacco Control (e-RCTC) of the Department of
Community Medicine and School of Public Health at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical
Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh the Regional Director Special Recognition
Award in recognition of its efforts in advancing tobacco control.
• According to e-RCTC Director Sonu Goel, the Resource Centre provides information on tobacco
control in India, including circulars and directives, policies and legislations, and interdisciplinary
publications.
Key points:
• The Resource Centre for Tobacco Control was established in 2018 by 25 organizations engaged
in tobacco control in India, as a collaborative project of the PGIMER and the Union-SEA, to
showcase tobacco control initiatives.
• Besides being a resource hub, the center has achieved heights in capacity building by
organizing more than 50 workshops and webinars for around 3,500 program managers and
academicians.
• The portal has attracted 4.2 lakh visitors from 100 countries in three years.
2nd Edition of the DSDP Excellence Awards held in New Delhi:
• The 2nd edition of Awards for Excellence in District Skill Development Planning, DSDP was
organized in New Delhi.
• Where the top 30 districts were awarded for their innovative best practices in skill development
in the region.
• Rajkot in Gujarat, Cachar in Assam, a nd Satara in Maharashtra ranked top three among all
participating districts.
• District Collectors, District Magistrates, and other representatives from across 30 states attended
the award ceremony and shared their ideas and experiences, and presented the skill
development work done at the grassroots level in their districts.
• Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan asked the
District Collectors, District Magistrates, and other officials to carry out demand-mapping of the
skilled workforce and drive awareness about skill development initiatives at the local level.
• District Collectors should further the entire continuum of skill development and work towards
strengthening the skill development ecosystem through innovative planning at the district level.
Hamad International Airport named World’s Best Airport 2022:
• For the second year in a row, Qatar's Hamad International Airport has been crowned the World's
Best Airport.
• The announcement was made at the Passenger Terminal EXPO in Paris, France, at the Skytrax
2022 World Airport Awards.
The World’s Top 20 Airports:
1) Hamad International Airport
2) Tokyo International Airport
3) Singapore Changi Airport
4) Narita International Airport
5) Incheon International Airport
6) Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
7) Munich Airport
8) Istanbul Airport
9) Zurich Airport
10) Kansai International Airport
11) Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
12) Central Japan International Airport
13) London Heathrow Airport
14) Dubai International Airport
15) Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
16) Madrid-Barajas Airport
17) Copenhagen Airport
18) Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
19) Vienna International Airport
20) Hong Kong International Airport
LIST OF OTHER WINNERS:
• Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) was named the finest regional
airport in India and South Asia.
• Singapore Changi Airport (World’s Best Airport Staff Service and World’s Best Airport Dining).
• Istanbul Airport (World’s Best Airport Shopping and Most Family-Friendly Airport).
• Tokyo Haneda Airport won awards as the World’s Cleanest Airport, the World’s Best Domestic
Airport, the Best Airport in Asia, and the Best Airport PRM & Accessible Facilities.
• King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh secured the award as the World’s Most Improved
Airport.
• Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International Airport was named the World’s Best Regional Airport.
• Copenhagen Airport won the World’s Best Airport Immigration Processing award.
• Zurich Airport repeated its success by winning the World’s Best Airport Security Processing
award.
Prime Minister’s award for outstanding contribution to the promotion of Yoga announced:
• On the occasion of International Yoga Day, the AYUSH ministry announced that two individuals
and two organizations will be honored with the 'Prime Minister's Award for Outstanding
Contribution to the Development and Promotion of Yoga' in 2022.
Award winners:
• Two individuals Bhikkhu Sanghasena from Ladakh, Marcus Vinicius Rojo Rodrigues from Brazil,
and two organizations, “The Divine Life Society” from Uttarakhand and the British Wheel of Yoga
from the United Kingdom have been chosen for the award.
• They will also receive ₹25 lakh as a cash prize, a trophy, and a certificate.
About the Awards:
• On the second International Yoga Day, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi presented these
prizes to individuals and organizations who have had a long-term positive impact on society via
the promotion and growth of yoga.
• On the occasion of the 2nd International Day of Yoga celebrations in Chandigarh on June 21,
2016, the Prime Minister of India awarded the prizes for Outstanding Contribution to the
Development and Promotion of Yoga.
• The winners were chosen through a two-stage process that evaluated the contributions made by
the selected institutions and individuals.
• International individual, international organization, national individual, and national organization
were the four categories in which the selections were made.
Key Points:
• Sanghasena is a social and spiritual worker who founded the Mahabodhi International
Meditation Centre in Leh.
• In 2004, the Gandhi Peace Foundation bestowed upon him the World Peace Award.
• Rojo received his education at Swami Kuvalayananda's Kaivalyadhama School in Lonavla.
• When he returned to Brazil, he became the country's leading proponent of yoga, emphasizing
Swami Kuvalayananda's scientific teachings.
US-Canadian author Ruth Ozeki wins Women’s Prize fo r Fiction:
• Ruth Ozeki, a US-Canadian author, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest has been awarded this
year's Women's Prize for Fiction for her book "The Book of Form and Emptiness."
• The Book of Form and Emptiness, Ozeki's fourth book, is the tale of a 13-year-old boy who,
following the terrible loss of his father, begins to hear the voices of objects communicating to
him.
• She knocked out other nominees Elif Shafak, Meg Mason, and Louise Erdrich to receive the
£30,000 prize at a ceremony in London.
• The 2013 Booker Prize finalist A Tale for the Time Being, as well as the books My Year of Meats
and All Over Creation, are among Ozeki's earlier works.
• She is associated with the Brooklyn Zen Center and the Everyday Zen Foundation and teaches
creative writing at Smith College in Massachusetts.
Shanan Dhaka Of Rohtak Secured 1st Rank in the First Women’s NDA Batch
● Shannain Dhaka, daughter of Sundana v illage o f R ohtak, h a s s ecured th e 1 st r ank i n th e
examination for admission to the country’s first woman NDA batch.
● In the NDA merit list, Shanan has got an All India Rank (AIR) overall o f 1 0 w hile s he i s A IR 1
among girls.
● Selected for lieutenant, Shanan Dhaka, inspired by grandfather Subedar Chandrabhan D haka
and father Nayak Subedar Vijay Kumar Dhaka, joined the army and chose to serve the country.
About Shannain Dhaka :
● Shanan attended Army School, Roorkee for four years, Jaipur for three years, and Army School
in Chandimandir for five years.
● Shanan enrolled for an undergraduate course at Delhi University in 2021.
About NDA :
● Located in: Pune, Maharashtra, India
● Commandant: Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar
● The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defense service training institute of the Indian
Armed Forces, where cadets of the three services i.e. the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the
Indian Air Force train together.
● It is the first tri-service academy in the world.
Union Aviation Minister awards the first Type Certificate under Drone Rules, 2021 to Gurugram-based
IoTechWorld:
• Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, has awarded the first Type Certificate
(TC) under Drone Rules, 2021 to IoTechWorld Avigation Pvt Ltd.
• Gurugram-based company was established in April 2017 and is one of India’s leading
manufacturers of Kisan drones.
• IoTech has received the Type Certify barely 34 days after submitting its online application on the
DGCA’s Digital Sky Platform.
• The Drone Rules, 2021 were notified on 25 Aug 2021 and the ‘Certification Scheme for
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CSUAS)’ for obtaining Type Certificate (TC) for drones was notified
on 26 Jan 2022.
• There are three globally-renowned Certification Bodies (CB) approved by QCI namely – TQ Cert,
UL India and Bureau Veritas.
• Drone manufacturers are free to approach any Certification Body for testing their drone prototype.
• The drone certification scheme of January 2022 was developed by the Quality Council of India in
consultation with drone startups, industry, academia and d efence experts.
• The Government played the role of that of a facilitator and problem solver.
Global drone hub by 2030:
• Drones offer tremendous benefits to almost all sectors of the economy.
• These include- agriculture, mining, infrastructure, surveillance, emergency response,
transportation, geo-spatial mapping, defence, and law enforcement to name a few.
• Drones can be significant creators of employment and economic growth due to their reach,
versatility, and ease of use, especially in India’s remote and inaccessible areas.
• Given its traditional strengths in innovation, information technology, frugal engineering; supportive
policies, monetary incentives and a huge domestic demand base, India has the potential of
becoming a global drone hub by 2030.
The renowned UN Public Service Award was given to the Odisha "Mo Bus" Service:
• A prominent United Nations award has been given to Mo Bus, an Odisha-based public
transportation company, in recognition of their contributions to the global Covid19 response.
• Awarded for "promoting gender-responsive public services to fulfill the SDGs (Sustainable
Development Goals)" is the public transportation system.
• Public service initiatives from Thailand, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Panama, the Philippines,
Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine were among the other winners of this year's awards, which
were announced by Liu Zhenmin, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and
Social Affairs, during a virtual event to commemorate the United Nations Public Service Day
(celebrated on June 22).
Odisha receives UN recognition:
• According to the UN recognition, the "issue" was that "Bhubaneswar's bus services needed
upgrading," which led to "the majority of people using private automobiles, two-wheelers, and
auto-rickshaws to commute instead of utilizing public transit."
• The Odisha government "reorganized the city's public transport systems to establish an
integrated, dependable, and inclusive public bus service system" as the "solution" in 2018.
• The UN stated that Mo Bus has integrated "real-time technology including live tracking, route
planner, and e-ticketing" and that a last-mile feeder e-rickshaw system dubbed "Mo E-Ride" has
been deployed.
About Odisha
• Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
Award program for Hindi-language authors of books Results for 2020–21:
• An award scheme for writing books originally in Hindi on Economics/Banking/Financial issues
was introduced by the Reserve Bank of India.
• Its results are declared.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a press release inviting applications for the program
described in the caption.
• It was decided to honor both Dr. Sagar Sanwariya, an assistant professor at Government Girl's
College in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, and Professor Renu Jatana, a former dean of Mohanlal
Sukhadia University in Udaipur, Rajasthan, for their book Vittiye Prabhand.
Key Points:
• The Reserve Bank of India established an award program for authors of works on banking,
economics, and financial topics that were initially written in Hindi.
• The purpose of this program is to encourage original research and writing in Banking Hindi.
• A similar awards program was also launched in 2018.
• Working or retired academics (including assistant and associate professors, etc.) in Indian
universities recognized by the UGC may be qualified to earn one of three awards for
$125,000.00 for writing works on economics, banking, and finance that were initially published in
Hindi.
Well known filmmaker Sanjit Narwekar was conferred with the V Shantaram L ifetime achievement
award at MIFF 2022
● Noted author and documentary filmmaker Shri Sanjit Narwekar, was conferred Dr. V. Shantaram
Lifetime Achievement Award at the 17th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival of
India (MIFF 2022).
● He was honored for his exquisitely deep, remarkably diverse, and inspiring body of work.
● The V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, a golden
conch, and a citation.
● The award is instituted in memory of legendary filmmaker V Shantaram, who was closely
associated with the Films Division as Honorary Chief Producer during the 1950s.
About Shri Sanjit Narwekar :
● Shri Narwekar is a National award-winning film historian, author, publisher, and documentary
filmmaker with more than 4 decades of cross-media experience in Journalism, Public Relations,
Publishing, and Filmmaking.
● Narwekar has written and edited more than 20 books on cinema, including ‘Marathi C inema: In
Retrospect’, which won him the Swarna Kamal at the National Film Awards in 1996.
Additional Info :
● The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, flagged off the 17th edition of the
Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), with Bangladesh as the 'Country of Focus' at the
Nehru Centre in Worli, Mumbai.
About Ministry of Information & Broadcasting :
● Cabinet Minister : Anurag Thakur
● Minister of State : L. Murugan
Kashmiri RJ Umar Nisar receive a UNICEF award
● Radio Jockey Umar Nisar (RJ Umar), who hails from south Kashmir, has been awarded the ’01
Greatest Content material Award’ and the Immunization Champion award by UNICEF at the
annual Radio4Child 2022 Awards in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
● The award was offered by multi-Grammy Award-winning music composer, environmentalist, and
UNICEF superstar supporter Ricky Kej, OIC UNICEF, UP Dr. Zafrin Chowdhury, chief of
communications and advocacy and partnerships, UNICEF India; Dr. Sachin Desai, State
Immunization Officer, Authorities of Maharashtra; Dr. Sachin Desai, State Immunization Officer,
Authorities of Maharashtra.
● The award has been conferred on him for his excellent work during the Covid pandemic in
building awareness and countering rumors to reach audiences.
● The Radio4Child felicitated radio professionals from non-public FM and All India Radio from
throughout the nation for their commendable work through the COVID-19 pandemic in addition
to routine vaccination.
Note :
● RJ Umar is the only RJ from Jammu and Kashmir to be selected for the UNICEF award.
Utama won the Transylvania Trophy at the 21st TIFF Edition
• At the Awards Ceremony held in Cluj-Unirii Napoca's Square, the 21st edition of the Transilvania
International Film Festival's winners received cheers.
• The filmmaker Alejandro Loayza Grisi's first film, Utama, was selected as this year's main winner
and given the 10,000-euro Transylvania Trophy.
• The Bolivian production also won over the TIFF audience and received the MasterCard
Audience Award, which is worth 2,000 euros and is chosen by festival attendees.
Other Winners:
• Best Director Award went to filmmaker Guomundur Arnar Guomundsson, awarded for the
“credible, original and brilliant universe” he created in Beautiful Beings.
• For their exceptional roles in The Night Belongs to Lovers, actors Laura Müller and Schemci
Lauth, were awarded the Best Performance Award by Conceptual Lab by Theo Nissim.
Odisha govt bags first prize in National MSME Award 2022:
• Awarded first place in the category "National MSME Award 2022 to States/UTs for Outstanding
Contribution in the Promotion and Development of MSME Sector" is the Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Department of the Government of Odisha.
• This is due to the numerous developmental activities that have been undertaken to advance
MSMEs.
• Second and third place, respectively, went to Bihar and Haryana.
Regarding the awards:
• Awards to States, UTs, and Aspirational Districts for their contribution to the MSME were given
based on factors including sector-specific policies and their performance, the effectiveness of
the Facilitation Council, the resolution of grievances, the year-over-year growth in MSME budget
and credit, the use of the cluster approach, Udyam Registration, skill development initiatives,
and awareness campaigns, among others.
Other Winners:
• Kalahandi has been awarded third prize in the category “National MSME Award 2022 to
Aspirational districts for outstanding contribution in the promotion and development of MSME
Sector” as the sectoral development was in the line of award parameters, according to an official
statement issued by the state government.
• Similarly, Sumeet Mohanty M/s Saferisk Insurance Brokers Private Limited, Bhubaneswar has
been awarded first prize in the category “Award for Service Entrepreneurship – Service Small
Enterprise (Overall)”.
• In addition, Sibabrata Rout M/s Amarnath Pest Management Technology, Cuttack has also been
awarded third prize in the category “Award for Service Entrepreneurship – Service Micro
Enterprise (Overall)”.
Indian Navy decommissions INS Gomati at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai
● The Indian Navy decommissioned the Indian Navy Ship (INS) Gomati from the naval dockyard in
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India after 34 years of service.
● It was designed by the Indian Navy and built-in an Indian shipyard, and these were initial steps
toward an Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).
About INS Gomati :
● INS Gomati was named after the vibrant river Gomti.
● INS Gomati was commissioned on April 16, 1988, by then-defense minister K C Pant at the
Mazgaon Dock.
● It was the third ship of the Godavari class guided-missile frigates & also it was the oldest warrior
of the western fleet.
● The ship participated in numerous operations including Cactus, Parakram, and Rainbow, and
several bilateral and multinational naval exercises.
● For remarkable spirit and stellar contribution to national maritime security, IMS Gomati was twice
awarded the coveted Unit Citation, in 2007-08 and again in 2019-20.
Russia successfully test-fires Zircon hypersonic cruise missile
● The Russian defense ministry has successfully test-fired a hypersonic Zircon cruise missile over
a distance of about 1,000 km (625 miles) from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate of the Northern
Fleet in the Barents Sea of the Arctic Ocean.
● The hypersonic missile can travel at 9 times the speed of sound.
● Zircon is intended to arm Russian cruisers, frigates, and submarines and could be used against
both enemy ships and ground targets.
● Additionally, Russian President Putin has emphasized that its deployment will significantly boost
the capability of Russia’s military.
● As part of a new generation of unrivaled arms systems, Russia conducted the first Zircon test in
October 2020.
Recent News :
● In April 2022, Russia test-launched a new nuclear-capable intercontinental missile, the Sarmat,
capable of carrying 10 or more warheads and striking the United States...
About Russia :
● President: Vladimir Putin
● PM: Mikhail Mishustin
● Capital: Moscow
● Currency: Russian ruble (₽) (RUB)
Bharat Dynamics signs deal with Defence Ministry for ASTRA MK -1 BVR missile
● The Ministry of Defence has signed a deal worth ₹2,971 crore with Bharat Dynamics Limited
(BDL) for the supply of Astra Mk-1 Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air to Air Missile (AAM) and
associated equipment for the Indian Air Force & Indian Navy.
Note :
● Astra Mk-1 is the first such indigenous missile to enter the service of the Indian armed forces,
which has always depended on Russian (mainly R 73 and R 77) and French (Mica and Meteor)
air-to-air missiles.
About Astra Mk 1 :
● Astra Mk 1 has a range of about 110 kilometers
● The missile, which cost about Rs 7-8 crore each & has been developed by Defence Research
and Development Organisation (DRDO).
● It has a maximum speed of Mach 4.5 (over 5,500 kmph).
● It is fully integrated into the Su 30 MK-I fighter aircraft.
● The Defence Ministry has cleared the acquisition of 248 Astra Beyond Visual Range air-to-air
missiles (200 for the IAF and 48 for the Navy) marking the first acquisition of the indigenous
DRDO-developed missiles in July 2020.
Additional Info :
● The test for Mk 2, which will bring back India’s air-to-air combat superiority over Pakistan, is
expected will take place within this month.
● For the Astra Mk 2, the DRDO has developed a dual-pulse rocket motor to extend the range to
about 160 kilometers.
● Minister of State: Dr. Ajay Kumar
About BDL :
● Founded: 1970
● Chairman & MD: Commodore Siddharth Mishra
Indian Navy commissions naval air squadron comprising ALH MK III
● Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 325, operating the indigenously built ALH MK III aircraft, was
commissioned into the Indian Navy by Lieutenant General Ajai Singh, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
holder and Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar at an impressive ceremony held at INS
Utkrosh, Port Blair of Andaman & Nicobar island.
● The state-of-the-art multi-role helicopter has been developed and manufactured by Hindustan
Aeronautical Limited (HAL), Bengaluru, Karnataka.
● The newly-inducted helicopters flew for the first time over the Andaman Islands earlier in 2022
and were officially inducted on January 28, 2022.
Key Highlights :
● The squadron derives its name from the nocturnal bird of prey, the 'Eagle Owl'.
● It is commanded by Commander (Cdr) Avinash Kumar Sharma.
● The ALH MK III aircraft is equipped with a glass cockpit, Shakti engines, advanced Maritime
Patrol Radar, Electro-optical payload, and Night Vision Device.
● The helicopter has surveillance radar, EO/FLIR, a homer, a high-intensity searchlight, and a
removable Medical Intensive Care Unit for the Air Ambulance role.
Uses :
● Long-range SAR and maritime recce role
● Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the islands
Additional Info :
● Until Now, over 300 of these aircraft have been delivered by HAL and are being flown by the
Armed Forces.
India-Bangladesh joint military exercise SAMPRITI-X to commence in Bangladesh:
● A joint military training exercise between India and Bangladesh Ex SAMPRITI-X is being
conducted at Jashore Military Station in Bangladesh from 05 June to 16 June 2022.
Aim :
● To strengthen and widen the aspects of interoperability and cooperation between India &
Bangladesh armies & to understand each other’s tactical drills and operational techniques.
● The Indian contingent is represented by a battalion of the Dogra regiment.
About Ex SAMPRITI-X :
● During the joint military exercise, both armies of the Nations will share expertise in multiple
simulated scenarios of Counter-Terrorism, Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief, and the
UN Peacekeeping Force under the UN mandate
● As the exercise progresses, joint tactical exercises will be conducted wherein the joint battle
drills of both contingents will be practiced.
● This exercise is an opportunity for greater cultural understanding to strengthen trust and
cooperation between the armies of both Nations.
● It will benefit both the armies by gaining from each other’s vast experience which will further
contribute to peace and stability in the region
INS Akshay, INS Nishank decommissioned after 32 years
● The Indian Navy decommissioned its two ships, INS Akshay and INS Nishank, after 32 years of
service.
● The decommissioning event was conducted at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai in a traditional
ceremony wherein the national flag, the naval ensign, and the decommissioning pennant of the
two ships were lowered for the last time at sunset.
About the Ships :
● INS Nishank is a high-speed missile craft, that was commissioned on September 12, 1989, &
INS Akshay was commissioned a year later on December 10, 1990, at Poti, Georgia
● INS Nishank and INS Akshay were part of the 22 Missile Vessel Squadron and 23 Patrol Vessel
Squadron, respectively, under the operational control of Flag Officer Commanding, Maharashtra
Naval Area.
● Both ships participated in several naval operations, including Op Talwar during the Kargil War
and Op Parakram in 2001.
● INS Nishank was also deployed post the Uri attacks when tensions between India and Pakistan
were high.
● Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, who commanded INS Nishank from 1995-to 96, also took part
in the event.
● Vice Admiral RK Pattnaik (Retd) and Vice Admiral SPS Cheema (Retd), the first Commanding
Officers of INS Akshay and INS Nishank, were Guests of Honour for the event.
Recent News :
● Recently, the Indian Navy decommissioned INS Gomti after 34 years in service.
Indian Army Participates In Multinational Joint Exercise “Ex Khaan Quest 2022” Commenced in
Mongolia
● A Multinational Peacekeeping exercise “Ex Khaan Quest 2022” featuring participation from
military contingents from 16 countries has commenced at the Five Hills Training Area near
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
● The Hon’ble President of Mongolia, Mr. Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, inaugurated the Exercise.
● The Indian Army is represented by a contingent from the LADAKH SCOUTS.
Aim :
● To enhance interoperability, building military to military relationships, developing peace support
operations, and military readiness among participating nations.
About the exercise :
● Ex Khaan Quest 2022 is the 14-day exercise held from June 6 to June 20, 2022.
● The exercise will enable sharing of best practices between the Armed Forces of participating
nations and will include field training exercises, combat discussions, lectures, and
demonstrations.
● It will enhance the level of defense cooperation between the Indian Army and participating
countries, especially with the Mongolian Armed Forces which will enhance bilateral relations
between the two countries.
Additional Info :
● 2021 marked the 66th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and Mongolia
● Chief of the Army Staff (COAS): General Manoj Pande
Shri Rajnath approves funding under DRDO’s TDF scheme to Rs 50 crore for MSMEs, startups
● Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the enhancement of funding under the
Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme of the Ministry of Defence to Rs 50 crore per
project from Rs 10 crore.
● The TDF scheme, executed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO),
supports the indigenous development of components, products, systems, and technologies by
MSMEs and start-ups.
About TDF Scheme :
Aim :
● To provide a major fillip to the defense manufacturing sector by encouraging the industry to
innovate and develop defense technologies to place India on the self-reliance trajectory.
● The scheme facilitates up to 90 percent of the total project cost and allows the industry to work
in consortium with another industry/academia.
● The enhanced funding is in line with the budget announcement and it will further boost the vision
of 'Atma Nirbharta in defense.
● To date, 56 projects have been sanctioned under the TDF scheme.
Additional Info :
● In the Union Budget for 2022-23, the government had set aside 25 percent of the defense R&D
budget for private industry, start-ups, and academia.
Indian Navy Commissioned Advanced Light Helicopter MK III Squadron INAS 325
● Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 325, operating the indigenously built ALH MK III aircraft, was
commissioned into the Indian Navy in an impressive ceremony held at INS Utkrosh, Port Blair,
Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC).
● The INAS 325 squadron was commissioned into the Navy by Lieutenant General Ajai Singh, the
Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
● The newly inducted aircraft flew for the first time over the Andaman Islands earlier in 2022 and
were officially inducted on 28 Jan 22.
● The unit is the second ALH MK III Squadron commissioned into the Indian Navy.
● The state-of-the-art multi-role helicopter has been developed and manufactured by Hindustan
Aeronautical Limited (HAL), Bangalore, Karnataka.
About ALH MK III aircraft :
● The squadron derives its name from the nocturnal bird of prey, the 'Eagle Owl'.
● The keen sense of observation and tracking of the eagle exemplifies the sensors and advanced
avionics of the helicopter akin to the nocturnal prowess of the owl, personifying the night vision
capabilities of the aircraft.
● These helicopters come with the latest-generation avionics and role equipment.
● They are primarily meant for use in long-range SAR and Maritime recce roles.
● They can be used for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief in the Islands.
● The helicopter has surveillance radar, EO/FLIR, a homer, a high-intensity searchlight, and a
removable Medical Intensive Care Unit for the Air Ambulance role.
● The squadron is commanded by Cdr Avinash Kumar Sharma.
38th India-Indonesia CORPAT begins in the Andaman Sea
● The 38th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the In d ian N avy
Units of Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) and the Indonesian Navy is being conducted in
the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca an 11-day c oordinated p atrol from J u ne 1 3 to 2 4 ,
2022.
● The 38th CORPAT is the first post-pandemic Coordinated Patrol ( CORPAT) between the two
countries.
About 38th INDIA-INDO CORPAT :
● As part of the exercise, Indonesian naval units will visit the ANC headquarters at Port Blair from
June 13-15,2022, followed by a sea phase in the Andaman Sea and then a visit by Indian Navy
units at Sabang in Indonesia from June 23-24,2022.
● As part of the Government of India’s vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the
Region), the Naval Component under the aegis of HQ ANC undertakes coordinated patrols with
other littoral countries of the Andaman Sea along respective Exclusive Economic Z ones ( E EZ)
towards enhancing regional maritime security.
● The IND-INDO CORPAT contributes toward forging strong bonds of friendship across the
Andaman Sea and Malacca Strait
● The two Navies have been carrying out CORPAT along their International M aritim e B oundar y
Line (IMBL) since 2002.
About CORPAT :
● CORPATs help build understanding and interoperability between navies and facilitate the
institution of measures to prevent and suppress Illegal Unreported Unregulated ( IUU) fishing,
drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery, and piracy.
Other Exercises held between India and Indonesia:
● Samudra Shakti: A bilateral maritime exercise.
● Garuda Shakti: A joint military exercise.
● Chief of the Naval Staff: R. Hari Kumar
About Indonesia :
● President: Joko Widodo
● Capital: Jakarta
● Currency: Indonesian rupiah
India - Israel adopts vision statement' to enhance defense cooperation
● To commemorate 30 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, India and Israel
adopted a "vision statement" which will pave the way for strengthening defense cooperation in
the future.
● Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh and his Israeli counterpart Shri Benny Gantz held
bilateral talks in New Delhi, Delhi.
● The two leaders discussed defense cooperation and the prevailing global and regional scenario.
● The year 2022 marks 30 years of diplomatic relations between India and Israel.
Additional Info :
● External Affairs Minister Shri S Jaishankar paid an official visit to Israel from 17-21 October 2021
& during the visit, Israel signed the instrument of ratification of the International Solar Alliance.
● Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met Israeli Prime Minister Shri Naftali Bennett on the
sidelines of the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow on 2 November 2021.
● The annual India-Israel Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence was held in Israel on October
26-27, 2021.
About Israel :
● President : Isaac Herzog
● PM: Naftali Bennett
● Currency: New shekel
Indian Coast Guard inducts New Advanced Light Helicopter Squadron 840 CG
● The Indian Coast Guard inducted the new air squadron known as 840 Squadron with an
Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mark-III aircraft into the Coast Guard Region East.
● While this is the first induction into the newly created '840 Squadron' that is to be based in
Chennai, 3 more choppers of the same variant are to follow.
● The first chopper was received at Coast Guard Air Station, Chennai with a traditional ‘water
cannon salute', in the presence of Inspector General AP Badola, Commander, Coast Guard
Region East.
● An indigenous aircraft designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL),
Key Highlights :
● The ALH Mk3 aircraft represents a tremendous leap toward self-reliance in the field of Coast
Guard aviation.
● The aircraft are having Beyond the Visual Range detection, using modern radars.
● It is equipped for target neutralization operations, using its mounted Heavy Machine Gun.
● The Squadron’s operations area will encompass the entire Eastern Region due to its strategic
importance and geographical location and will boost the air arm of the Indian Coast Guard
Region East.
● Until Now, 13 out of 16 ALH choppers have been delivered by M/s HAL to the ICG This is the
first ALH MK III aircraft to be positioned in Coast Guard Region East.
Defence Ministry approves to establish of ‘BRO Cafes’ at 75 border locations across 12 states/UTs
● The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved the setting up of wayside amenities under the
brand of ‘BRO Cafes’ at 75 locations on different sections of roads with Border Roads
Organisation across 12 states and Union territories.
Aim :
● To provide basic amenities and comfort to tourists and lead to boosting of economic activities in
border areas, besides generating employment for the local people.
● The contract will have a 15-year term that may be later extended for an additional five years.
Key Highlights :
● The BRO has reached the remotest border areas and besides addressing strategic needs, it has
been instrumental in the socio-economic upliftment of the northern and eastern borders.
● The scheme provides for the development and operation of wayside amenities in a public-private
partnership mode with agencies, on a license basis, which will design, build and operate the
facility as per guidelines of BRO.
● Amenities like parking for two and four-wheelers, a food plaza, a restaurant, separate restrooms
for men, women, and differently-abled, first-aid facilities, MI rooms, etc. are proposed to be
provided.
● The selection of licensees will be done through a competitive process.
About BRO :
● Established: 7 May 1960
● Director-General: Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhary
IAF participates i n a tactical leadership program in Egypt
● Indian Air Force (IAF) would be participating in a month-long tactical leadership program at the
Egyptian Air Force Weapon School in Cairo west Airbase.
● Three Su-30MKI fighters, two C -17 transport aircraft, and 57 IAF personnel are participating in
the program.
Aim of the exercise :
● To enhance defense cooperation and exchange of best practices between India and Egypt.
Key Highlights :
● It is a unique exercise with air assets in a large force engagement environment, simulating
various conflict scenarios.
● In the present geopolitical scenario, this exercise provides a unique opportunity to showcase the
reach and capability of the IAF.
● The program will also provide an opportunity to showcase the Su-30 MKI manufactured in India
and the country’s expertise in the deeper indigenization of spares and components.
About the tactical leadership program:
● Tactical Leadership Programme, also known as the Pilot School of North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO), is an international military organization formed by 10 permanent member
countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United
Kingdom, and the United States).
● It is a multinational center of advanced training for pilots and crews.
● Aim: To improve the operability and effectiveness of the Allied Air Forces
About NATO :
● Membership: 30 member states (28 European and two North American.)
About IAF :
Two-day National Education Ministers’ Conference begins in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• The National Education Ministers' Conference will be held in Gujarat for two days.
• Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, as well as other union ministers and state
and union territory education ministers, will attend the meeting.
• During this conference, there will most likely be discussions about how to improve the country's
educational ecology.
• It will focus on the National Education Policy 2020 implementation, school skilling, and digital
projects such as the National Digital Education Architecture and the National Educational
Technology Forum, among others.
ATTENDEES:
• Vidya Samiksha Kendra, BISAG (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and
Geoinformatics), NFSU (National Forensic Science University), and the International Automobile
Centre of Excellence will also be visited by state education ministers.
• Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
as well as Electronics and Information Technology, was joined by Rajiv Chandrasekhar,
Annapurna Devi, Dr. Subhash Sarkar, Minister of State for Education, and senior officials from
the Ministry of Education.
The revenue of Jan Aushadhi outlets topped Rs 100 crore:
• For the first time, Jan Aushadhi outlets exceeded Rs 100 crore in sales.
• Jan Aushadhi locations stock over 1,600 generic medications, 250 surgical equipment,
nutraceuticals, Ayush products, and Suvidha Sanitary pads.
• The Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau (PMBI) of India implements the Pradhan Mantri
Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)
Key Points:
• In May 2021, total sales were Rs 83.77 crore.
• The government has established a goal of raising the number of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya
Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) to 10,000 by March 2024, to provide high-quality drugs at low
prices to the general public, especially the poor.
• Currently, there are 8,735 such businesses dispersed across 739 districts in the country.
Border coordination conference between BSF and BGB begins in Bangladesh:
• The India-Bangladesh Border Coordination Conference was opened in Sylhet by Inspector
General BSF Regional Commander BGB.
• According to an official press release from the Bangladesh Border Guard (BBG), the four-day
workshop will end on June 2.
• The Indian team traveled to Bangladesh through the Integrated Testing Station (ICP) in Dawki,
Meghalaya, where they met with senior BGB staff.
Key Points:
• The conference will feature a five-member BSF team led by IG BSF Sumit Sharan.
• Brigadier General Tanvir Gani Chowdhury, Commander of the Chittagong Region, led the
Bangladesh delegation.
• The Bangladesh delegation also included representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Bureau of Land Surveys and Records, in addition to BGB
staff.
• The conference will cover all aspects of border security and administration.
• Illegal entry, trafficking in drugs and other goods, trafficking in women and children, development
activities within 150 meters of international borders, and efforts to improve mutual trust between
the BGB and the BSF will all be discussed.
IIT Madras develops robot to eliminate Manual Scavenging in India
● Indian Institute of Technology Madras’ ‘HomoSEP,’ a Robot developed by the Institute’s
Researchers to eliminate manual scavenging in India, is all set for field deployment.
● A total of 10 units are planned to be deployed across Tamil Nadu with the Researchers already
in touch with Sanitation Workers to identify locations.
● The robot has been developed over the last several years by a team led by Prof. Prabhu
Rajagopal, Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, IIT Madras, and Faculty, Department of
Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras together with IIT Madras-incubated start-up Solinas
Integrity Private Limited.
About ‘HomoSEP :
● The HomoSEP Robot can homogenize the hard sludge in septic tanks through a custom-
developed rotary blade mechanism and pump the tanking slurry using an integrated suction
mechanism.
● Sanitation Workers will be able to operate the HomoSEP on their own, after being provided with
the relevant training and appropriate guidance along with necessary safety measures.
IMPORTANT SCHEMES NEWS
IRDAI eases capital norms for insurers to offer PMJJBY
● The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has reduced the capital
required by insurance companies offering policies under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima
Yojana (PMJJBY) by almost 50 percent.
● It will enable life insurers to offer more policies under the scheme, and provide financial security
through life insurance.
● Recently, the government has hiked the premium rates for the two flagship schemes – PMJJBY
and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) to make these schemes economically
viable
● The easing of capital requirements by Irdai will accelerate the penetration of life insurance in
India and will support the life insurers in achieving the target set by the government.
● The premium for PMJJBY would increase from Rs 330 to Rs 436 a year effective June 1, and
the PMSBY premium would rise from Rs 12 to Rs 20.
● The premium rate of PMJJBY has been revised upward to Rs 1.25 per day.
About PMJJBY:
● PMJJBY provides life insurance cover worth Rs 2 lakh to all account holders aged 18-50 years.
● According to government data, the number of active subscribers enrolled under PMJJBY as of
March 31, 2022, is 64 million.
● The claims ratio (percentage of the number of claims paid to the premium earned) for PMJJBY
was 145.24 percent as of March 31, 2022.
● Under the PMJJBY as of March 31, 2022, some Rs 9,737 crore has been collected by the
implementing insurers towards premium, and claims of Rs 14,144 crore have been paid.
About IRDAI :
● IRDAI is a 10-member body including the chairman, five full-time and four part-time members
appointed by the GoI.
● IRDAI is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance & is tasked with
regulating and licensing the insurance and reinsurance industries in India.
Karnataka govt launches ‘FRUITS’ software for farmer schemes
● The Karnataka government has launched the Farmer Registration & Unified Beneficiary
Information System or FRUITS software for farmers.
● The FRUITS software facilitates single registration utilizing an Aadhar card and Karnataka's
Bhoomi digitized land record system for authenticating ownership.
● The software was developed by National Informatics Centre, Karnataka unit while the crop
survey application has been developed by Karnataka State Electronics Development
Corporation.
About FRUITS software :
● Through FRUITS software, farmers can access benefits of hosts of schemes such as Direct
Benefit Transfer under PM Kisan, payment for Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for crops,
special financial assistance, caste certificate authentication, and ration cards.
● More than 7.8 million farmers have signed up for FRUITS software, with over 6.2 million of them
registering their land information.
● The state departments of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, revenue, food, civil
supplies, and fisheries departments of the state government are covered under the initiative.
● The software allows several departments to access information on farmers through a single
platform, ensuring greater targeting and efficiency in the implementation of the schemes.
● It reduces the number of registration requirements for farmers for various schemes and
improves targeting.
● It was also integrated with Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, from which daily
weather and rainfall data were provided to farmers based on their locations.
● The horticulture department of Karnataka started to use the software in 2017-18.
About Karnataka :
PMBI and PMBJP have for the first time crossed Rs. 100 Crore sales:
• Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), the implementing agency of
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) has for the first time crossed 100
crore rupees sales in May.
• The government has set a target to increase the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras to 10,000 by
March 2024 with a vision to provide quality medicines at an affordable rate for the common man,
especially the poor.
• More than 15,000 crore rupees have been saved by the general public under this Pariyojana in
the last five years.
• Under the PMBJP, 739 districts of the country have been covered.
• PMBI is committed to ensuring the uninterrupted availability of essential medicines at the
PMBJKs.
• In its journey of the last eight years, starting from the annual turnover of eight crore rupees in the
year 2014-15, PMBI has clocked its highest monthly sales turnover of 100 crore rupees this
month.
• The scheme provides for incentives of five lakh rupees and special incentives of up to two lakh
rupees for various categories including women, SC/ST, Hill districts, Island districts, and the
North-Eastern States.
• Accordingly, PMBI has strengthened the supply chain system by setting up four warehouses at
Gurugram, Chennai, Guwahati, and Surat.
Indian Bank launches KCC Digital renewal scheme
● Public sector Indian Bank has launched Kisan Credit Card (KCC) digital renewal scheme
enabling eligible customers to renew their Kisan Credit Card accounts via digital modes.
● The initiative is part of the bank’s digital transformation under project ‘WAVE’ - World of
Advanced Virtual Experience.
● The account renewals can be done using Indian Bank’s IndOASIS mobile app, internet banking,
and via its website.
● The facility is available through SMS for feature phone users with no internet or with limited
internet access.
About KCC Digital renewal scheme :
● Currently, it is being offered to customers having outstanding loans below ₹1.60 lakh.
● The scheme eliminates the need to visit a branch or submit added physical documents and
would be beneficial to customers unable to renew their KCCs due to paucity of time due to
harvest season.
Recent News :
● In April 2022, the Indian bank launched its first end-to-end digital product - A pre-Approved
Personal Loan.
About Indian Bank :
● MD & CEO: Shanti Lal Jain
IMPORTANT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
World’s Fastest Supercomputer ‘Frontier’ overtakes Japan’s ‘Fugaku’
● On the 59th TOP500 list published by an international conference of computer experts, the
United States of America has built a supercomputer titled ‘Frontier’ as the world’s fastest
machine with 1.1 exaflops of performance that dethroned Japan’s ‘Fugaku’.
● Frontier was built using Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) architecture and equipped with
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) processors.
● The Frontier supercomputer was built for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National
Laboratory (ORNL) and is the first to achieve an unprecedented level of computing performance
known as exascale, a threshold of a quintillion calculations per second.
● The Frontier ranks as the fastest AI system in the world, giving 6.88 ExaFlops of mixed-precision
performance.
● Also, the Frontier is number one on the Green500 list, i.e. the most power-efficient
supercomputer in the world.
Key Features of Frontier:
● Frontier is more than twice as fast as Fungaku
● Frontier’s nearest competitor, Fugaku, has a performance score of 442 petaflops.
● Fugaku was based on Arm’s core designs, US’s Frontier is powered by AMD.
● It is 10 times more powerful than ORNL’s Summit system (which is also housed at ORNL’s Oak
Ridge Leadership Computing Facility)
● It Will enable scientists to develop critically needed technologies for the country’s energy,
economic, and national security & also help researchers address problems of national
importance that were impossible to solve just five years ago.
Additional Info :
● One ExaFlop equals one quintillion floating points operations per second.
PARAM ANANTA Supercomputer commissioned at IIT, Gandhinagar
● Indigenously developed PARAM ANANTA supercomputer under National Supercomputing
Mission (NSM) has been commissioned at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar,
Gujarat by Smt. Sunita Verma, Group Coordinator & Scientist 'G', MeitY.
● 60 percent of the Param Ananta capacity will be used by IIT Gandhinagar and the rest will be
open for use by nearby academic institutes for various research purposes.
● On 12th October 2020, A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between IIT
Gandhinagar and the Centre for Development in Advanced Computing (C-DAC) to establish this
838 TeraFlops Supercomputing Facility under NSM.
● The system is equipped with a mix of CPU nodes, GPU nodes, High Memory nodes, High
throughput storage, and high-performance Infiniband interconnect to cater to the computing
needs of various scientific and engineering applications.
About PARAM ANANTA :
● PARAM ANANTA system is based on Direct Contact Liquid Cooling technology to obtain a high
power usage effectiveness and thereby reduce the operational cost.
● It provides a benefit to IIT Gandhinagar Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Data
Science, Fire Dynamics Simulation; Nanotechnology; Robotics; Applied mathematics;
Astronomy and Astrophysics; Material Sciences; Quantum Mechanics; Studies on Civil
Engineering, etc...
About NSM :
● National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) - is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
● In 2015, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the launch of the National
Supercomputing Mission (NSM).
● It is an estimated cost of Rs 4,500 crore for seven years.
● It was implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C -DAC), Pune, and
the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
● Under NSM, to date 15 supercomputers have been installed across the nation with an aggregate
compute capacity of 24 petaflops.
About Ministry of Electronics & IT :
● Cabinet Minister: Ashwini Vaishnav
● Minister of State : Rajeev Chandrasekhar
● Secretary : K. Rajaraman
Instagram Introduces AMBER Alerts to help find missing children
● Meta-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram has launched AMBER(America's Missing:
Broadcast Emergency Response) Alerts on the platform that will allow people to see and share
notices of missing children in their area.
● It was developed in partnership with organizations like the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the US, the International Centre for Missing and Exploited
Children, the National Crime Agency in the UK, the Attorney General’s Office in Mexi co, the
Australian Federal Police and more.
About AMBER Alerts :
● AMBER Alerts are authorized by law enforcement and broadcast to the general population via
TV, radio stations, and text messages.
● The system was named after Amber Rene Hagerman, a nine-year-old girl abducted and
murdered in 1996 in Arlington, Texas.
● This feature will be fully available in 25 countries, including South Africa, Taiwan, Ukraine, the
UK, the UAE, the US, and more in the coming weeks.
● The alert will include the name and description of the missing child, a description of the
suspected abductor, and a description and license plate number of the abductor's vehicle, if
applicable.
● Also, People can share the alert with friends to further spread the word.
Background :
● Since 2015, AMBER Alerts on Facebook has been successful in helping authorities find and
quickly locate missing children.
Note :
● President and CEO of the NCMEC: Michelle DeLaune
About Instagram :
● Founded: 2010
● Founder : Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger
India’s 1st Liquid Mirror Telescope comes up in Uttarakhand
● The 1st International liquid mirror telescope (ILMT) in the country the largest in Asia - was
commissioned over Devasthal, a hill in Uttarakhand.
● It will identify transient and variable objects such as supernovae, gravitational lenses, space
debris, and asteroids.
● The observatory has been built at an altitude of 2450 meters at the Devasthal Observatory
campus of Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES).
● The telescope was designed and built by the Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems
(AMOS) Corporation and the Centre Spatial de Liege in Belgium.
Features of ILMT :
● The observatory has been developed by scientists from India, Belgium, and Canada and
employs a 4-meter-diameter rotating mirror made up of a thin film of liquid mercury to collect and
focus light.
● Another thin transparent film of mylar protects the mercury from the wind.
● The reflected light passes through a sophisticated multi-lens optical corrector that produces
sharp images over a wide field of view.
● Meanwhile, a large-format electronic camera located at the focus records the images.
● Devasthal Observatory now hosts two four-meter class telescopes - the ILMT and the Devasthal
Optical Telescope (DOT).
● The 3.6 meter DOT, with the availability of sophisticated back-end instruments, will allow rapid
follow-up observations of the newly-detected transient sources with the adjacent ILMT.
About ARIES :
● Director : Prof. Dipankar Banerjee
● Location: Nainital, Uttarakhand
● ARIES is a research institute in Nainital, Uttarakhand which specializes in astronomy, solar
physics, astrophysics, and atmospheric science.
● It is an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of
India.
About Uttarakhand :
● CM: Pushkar Singh Dhami
India's 1st private spacecraft manufacturing facility launched in Bengaluru
● The chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO), Dr. S Somanath inaugurated
the Ananth Technologies Private Limited (ANANTH) Technologies’ spacecraft manufacturing
unit at Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) Aerospace Park, Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
● It will make the private manufacturing of spacecraft in India easier in terms of infrastructure.
● The new state-of-the-art spacecraft manufacturing facility can conduct assembly integration and
testing of four large spacecraft simultaneously.
● The 15,000 sqm facility is capable of conducting the assembly, integration, and testing of four
large spacecraft at the same time, with four separate units present within the facility.
● Since, ISROestablishment in 1992, Ananth Technologies has contributed to the manufacturing
of 89 satellites and 69 launch vehicles built/launched by ISRO, including two satellites for
European customers that ISRO had built in collaboration with Airbus, France.
● Ananth Technologies Private Limited is the leading aerospace and defense manufacturer in
India.
About ISRO :
● Established: 15 August 1969
● It operates under the Department of Space (DOS)
Bengaluru-based Ambee Joins NASA’s Pace Mission as a n Early Adopter
● Datair Technology Pvt Ltd (Ambee), has joined the National Aeronautics & Space
Administration’s (NASA’s) PACE elongates to the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem
mission as an early adopter.
● Ambee’s air quality datasets are primed to become more accurate with access to NASA’s
hyperspectral and polarimetric PACE data.
About NASA’s Pace Mission :
● According to the National Aeronautics Space Administration (Nasa), PACE is currently in the
design phase of mission development.

● It is scheduled to launch in 2024, extending and improving Nasa’s over 20-year record of
satellite observations of global ocean biology, aerosols, and clouds.
● The data collected will be utilized by the scientific community, including universities and
government agencies, to forecast weather and carry out research that can aid in mitigating
climate change.
● PACE’s data assessment on aerosol suspension can also calculate emissions, forecast visibility,
understand extreme weather events, and account for climate risks.
Additional Info :
● According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, as of January 2022, 132 cities
have pollution levels below national standards.
● More than 90% of the country breathes air quality below World Health Organization’s standards.
About Datair Technology Pvt Ltd (Ambee) :
● Founded: 2017
● CTO and co-founder: Madhusudhan Anand
● Datair Technology Pvt Ltd (Ambee) is a global platform for hyperlocal and geospatial datasets
on air quality, weather, pollen, soil, water vapor, fire, and more
India successfully tests nuclear-capable Agni-4 missile from Odisha
● India successfully carried out a night launch of the nuclear-capable Intermediate-Range Ballistic
Missile (IRBM), Agni-4 from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
● The successful test of Agni-4 reaffirms India’s policy of having a ‘credible minimum deterrence
capability.
About the Agni-4 missile :
● Agni-4 is the fourth in the Agni series of missiles earlier known as Agni II prime - developed by
the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
● It is a two-stage surface to surface missile & it has a range of around 4,000 kilometers.
● It can carry a 1,000-kg payload and can go as high as 900 km.
● The test of the Agni-4 Ballistic Missile was part of the routine user training launches that were
carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC).
● In 2021, India successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable strategic Agni Prime missile with the
capability to hit targets between 1,000 to 2,000 kilometers.
Recent News :
● In May 2022, India successfully test-fired an extended range version of the BrahMos supersonic
cruise missile from a Sukhoi fighter jet & it was the first launch of the extended range version of
the BrahMos missile from a Su-30MKI aircraft.
U.S., and South Korea fire missiles to sea, matching North Korea’s launches
● The United States and South Korean militaries launched 8 ballistic missiles into the sea in a
show of force matching a North Korean missile display.
● The allies’ live-fire exercise involved eight Army Tactical Missile System missiles, one American
and seven South Korean that were fired into South Korea’s eastern waters over 10 minutes.
● The South’s military detected North Korea firing eight short-range missiles over 35 minutes from
at least four different locations, including western and eastern coastal areas and two inland
areas north of and near the capital, Pyongyang, North Korea.
● It was North Korea’s 18th round of missile tests in 2022 alone & the country’s first launch of
intercontinental ballistic missiles in nearly five years.
● U.S. and South Korean forces conducted a similar live-fire drill involving an Inter Continental
Ballistic Missile (ICBM) flown on a medium-range trajectory and two short-range weapons.
About South Korea :
● President: Yoon Seok-youl
● Prime minister: Han Duck-soo
● Capital: Seoul
● Currency: South Korean won
China successfully launches a crewed mission to build the Tiangong Space Station
● The China Manned Space A gency ( CMSA) a n nounced C hina s uccessfully l aunched th e
Shenzhou 14 crewed mission to the Tiangong space station, where the 3 astronauts w ent o n a
6-month mission to complete its construction.
● The astronauts lifted off on the Shenzhou 14 spacecraft propelled by a L ong M a rch 2 F r o cket
from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch C entre l ocated in th e Go bi D eser t o f In ner M o ngolia i n
northwest China.
Name of the 3 Astronauts :
Crew Member Position
Chen Dong, PLAAC Commander
Second spaceflight
Liu Yang, PLAAC Operator
Second spaceflight (first Chinese woman
in space)
Cai Xuzhe, PLAAC System Operator
First spaceflight
● Shenzhou 14 crewed mission marks the ninth crewed Chinese spaceflight a nd th e four teenth
flight of the Shenzhou program.
● China began constructing its three-module space station in April 2021 with the launch of Tianhe,
the first and biggest of the station’s three modules.
● The 3-member mission will cooperate with th e g r ound te am to c o mplete the a s sembly a nd
construction of the Tiangong space station, developing it from a single-module s tructure i nto a
national space laboratory with three modules: the core module, Tianhe, a nd tw o l ab m odules
Wentian and Mengtian.
Note :
● Once completion of space station construction, China will be the only country to own a space
station.
About Tiangong space station :
● Tiangong space station was constructed by China in low Earth orbit between 340 and 450 km
(210 and 280 mi) above the surface.
● The construction of the station is based on the experience gained from its precursors, Tiangong-
1 and Tiangong-2.
● The first module, the Tianhe ("Harmony of the Heavens") core module, was launched on 29 April
2021.
NASA launches DAVINCI Mission in 2029
● NASA is set to launch a mission called Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases,
Chemistry and Imaging Mission (DAVINCI Mission) to Venus is scheduled for launch in 2029.
● DAVINCI is set to enter the Venusian atmosphere in June 2031.
● The mission has been named after the Renaissance artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci
● NASA scientists and engineers revealed new details about the mission in a paper recently
published in The Planetary Science Journal.
Aim of the mission :
● To unravel long-standing mysteries around Venus, especially whether it had water and was
habitable like Earth.
About DAVINCI Mission :
● The DAVINCI Mission will be the first mission to study the origin, evolution, and present state of
Venus using both spacecraft flybys and a descent probe.
● The mission will be able to grab measurements of undiscovered gases, which will hopefully
reveal the history of water on the planet, either as oceans or steam.
● The spacecraft will first conduct two gravity assist flybys, during which the mission will study the
cloud tops in ultraviolet light and also examine the heat emanating from the Venus surface on
the planet's night side
● It will be looking for geological clues of the planet's mysterious past by exploring the top of
Venus’s atmosphere and the composition of a mountainous region known as the Alpha Region.
● The DAVINCI spacecraft will thereafter act as a telecommunications hub and will relay
information from the probe to the Earth.
● It will also use its two onboard instruments to study Venusian clouds and map its highland areas
as it flies by the planet.
China releases the world’s ‘most detailed’ map of the Moon
● China has released a new comprehensive geologic map of the moon, the “most detailed” to
date, which is expected to make a great contribution to scientific research, exploration, and
landing site selection on the moon.
● The map was published by Science Bulletin on May 30, 2022.
About the Map :
● The new comprehensive geologic map of the moon is on a scale of 1:2,500,000.
● The moon map includes the 12,341 impact craters, 17 rock types, 81 impact basins, and 14
types of structures.
● The new significant details of the moon map have provided abundant information about the
geology of the moon and its evolution.
● The Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has led the project, along
with other organizations such as the Chinese Academy of Geological Science, China University
of Geosciences, and Shandong University.
● Chinese scientists from multiple research institutes and universities have created the high-
resolution topographic map based on data from China’s lunar exploration Change project and
other data and research findings from international organizations.
Note :
● For the first time, the entire surface of the moon was completely mapped and was uniformly
classified by the scientists.
● Earlier in 2020, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Science Centre
released the map of the moon on a scale of 1:5,000,000.
About China :
● President: Xi Jinping
● Capital: Beijing
● Currency: Renminbi
India set to launch 1st human space & ocean missions in 2023
● Addressing the World Ocean Day (June 08) celebrations in Delhi, Union Minister of State
(Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth
Sciences India Dr. Jitendra Singh will achieve the unique distinction of simultaneously launching
the first Human Space Mission “Gaganyaan” as well a s the first manned Human Ocean Mission
in 2023.
● He also stated that the Government will soon unveil the “Blue Economic Policy” and added that
an estimated 40 million people will be employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.
● Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that trials for both the Space and Ocean manned missions have
reached an advanced stage and the unique feat will be achieved, most likely, in the second half
of 2023.
● The sea trials of 500 meter rated shallow water version of the manned submersible are expected
to take place in the early part of 2023, followed by the MATSYA 6000, the deep-water manned
submersible which will be ready for trials by the second quarter of 2024.
For Gaganyaan, the major missions viz.,
● Test vehicle flight for the validation of Crew Escape System performance and the 1st Uncrewed
mission of Gaganyaan (G1) are scheduled in the 2nd half of 2022 and to be followed by a
second uncrewed mission at the end of 2022 carrying “Vyommitra” a spacefaring human-robot
developed by ISRO and finally the first crewed Gaganyaan mission in 2023.
About Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) :
● The Government had approved the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) in June 2021 to be
implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences at a total budget of Rs. 4,077 crore for 5 years.
● To develop niche technology and collaborate with Industries in carrying out deep ocean
exploration of the non-living resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates,
hydro-thermal sulfides, and cobalt crusts, located at a depth between 1000 and 5500 meters.
Additional Info :
● India has a long coastline of 7,517 km, contributing to the ecological richness, biodiversity, and
economy.
India's First COVID Vaccine For Animals Ancovax Launched
● Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has launched India's first indigenously
developed COVID-19 vaccine for animals, Anocovax
● Anocovax has been developed by the ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE) in
Haryana.
● ICAR Director General Trilochan Mohapatra, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Secretary Atul
Chaturvedi, and ICAR Deputy Director General (Animal Science) Bhupendra Nath Tripathi were
also present.
About Anocovax :
● Anocovax contains inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Delta) antigen and uses Alhydrogel as an
adjuvant.
● According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the immunity elicited by
Anocovax neutralizes both the Delta and Omicron versions of SARS-CoV-2.
● It is safe for dogs, lions, leopards, mice, and rabbits.
● He also launched the 'CAN-CoV-2 ELISA kit', an antibody detection kit against SARS-CoV-2 for
animals.
About Antibody Detection Kits for Animals
● It is a sensitive and specific nucleocapsid protein-based indirect ELISA kit.
● The antibody detection kit has also been indigenously developed in India and a patent has been
filed for it.
● Also, the Surra ELISA kit – a suitable diagnostic assay for “Trypanosoma evansi” infection in
multiple animal species was also launched.
● An Equine DNA parentage testing kit, which is a powerful genomic technology for parentage
analysis among horses, has also been developed.
About NRCE :
● Located at: Hisar, Haryana
● Director: B.N. Tripathi
● The National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE) was established during the 7th five-year plan
under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for research on equine
health and production considering the importance of equines in India.
About ICAR :
● Director : Trilochan Mohapatra
● Located at: New Delhi, Delhi, India
● ICAR is the country's premier agri-research institute that functions under the Union Agriculture
Ministry.
Maruti Suzuki installed Asia’s largest 20 MWp solar plant at Manesar, Haryana
● Maruti Suzuki India has installed Asia's Largest 20 MW solar carport type solar power plant at its
facility in Manesar, Guragam, Haryana.
● The project is expected to contribute 28,000 Megawatt Hour (MWh) per annum to the company’s
energy requirements.
● The power generated from this project will be equivalent to the energy required to produce over
67,000 cars annually.
● The power generation from this initiative will constitute over 11.5 % of the power requirement of
the facility at Manesar.
About solar carport :
● The solar carport is designed with the lowest area per unit of power generation using the East-
West direction concept.
● With the East-West direction concept, the developers can add more rows and panels, providing
greater generation capacity in minimum land area.
● The facility has space to park about 9,000 of the company’s finished vehicles.
Key Highlights :
● With this addition, the company’s cumulative solar power capacity across its plants stands at
26.3 MW, including the 1.3 MW solar plant installed in 2014.
● The expansion will ensure that the company steers clear of at least 20,000 tons of CO2
emissions annually.
● In 2020, Maruti Suzuki commissioned a 5 MW solar carport at its Gurugram facility.
● In March 2022, Maruti Suzuki India’s parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation signed a
memorandum of understanding with Gujarat to invest approximately 150 billion yen (~$1.13
billion) in local manufacturing of battery electric vehicles (BEV) and BEV batteries.
● In June 2022, Suzuki Motor Gujarat, a subsidiary of Suzuki, began procuring power from a 17.6
MW hybrid wind and solar power project installed by ReNew Power through an offsite corporate
power purchase agreement.
India successfully test-fires short-range nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile from Odisha
● India successfully test-fired indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile during
night time as part of a user training trial from an integrated test range, Chandipur, Odisha.
● The Missile was developed by DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation) under
the flagship of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).
● It is considered extremely successful and is capable of hitting the target with a very high degree
of accuracy.
● The missile met all the prescribed operational and technical parameters during the test.
About the Prithvi-II missile :
● Prithvi-2 is a single-stage missile that falls under the liquid fuelling category and is known to
have a maximum warhead mounting capability of 500 kg and a range of 250 km (160 mi).
● It can be launched from a mobile launcher.
● It was developed for the Indian Air Force (IAF) being the primary user.
● The Prithvi-2 missile can carry a weapon ranging from 500 to 1000 kg and is powered by a two-
engine liquid propellant.
About Prithvi missiles :
● It was first test-fired on January 27, 1996, and the development stages were completed in 2004.
● India has 3 Prithvi missiles with Prithvi-1 having a range of 150 km, Prithvi-2 with 250 km range,
and Prithvi-3 with a 350 km range.
● Earlier on February 21, 2018, Prithvi-II also was successfully test-fired during nighttime from ITR
at Chandipur.
● On November 20, 2019, two trials consecutively of Prithvi-II were conducted successfully during
the nighttime from the same base.
About DRDO :
● Founded: 1958
About IGMDP :
● The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) was an Indian Ministry of
Defence program for the research and development of a comprehensive range of missiles.
● The program was managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
and Ordnance Factories Board in partnership with other Indian government political
organizations.
China launches 3rd & most advanced & domestically built aircraft carrier named 'Fujian'
● China launched its 3rd aircraft carrier named 'Fujian' the country's most advanced as well as the
first "fully domestically-built" naval vessel, as an aggressive Beijing sought to project its naval
power in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.
● The 3rd aircraft carrier was built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited & it was
launched at a brief ceremony held at Shanghai's Jiangnan Shipyard.
● Xu Qiliang, a member of the Political Bureau of the ruling Communist Party of China Central
Committee and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the ceremony.
Note :
● The Fujian is China’s first domestically designed and built catapult aircraft carrier.
About Fujian :
● Fujian is the name of China’s eastern coastal province of Fujian.
● It has a displacement of more than 80,000 tonnes and is equipped with electromagnetic
catapults and arresting devices
● After the launch, the carrier will start mooring trials and sea trials
● China plans to have around five aircraft carriers & the next aircraft carrier China plans to build is
expected to be nuclear-powered.
Background :
● The launch of the ship was delayed by two months due to the COVID lockdown of Shanghai.
● It was due to be launched on April 23 around the 73rd anniversary of the People’s Liberation
Army Navy (PLAN).
Additional Info :
● China’s first aircraft carrier, the ‘Liaoning’, was a refit of the Soviet-era ship commissioned in
2012 followed by the indigenously built 2nd aircraft carrier ‘Shandong’ in 2019.
● Liaoning and Shandong are the names of the two provinces of China.
About China :
India’s hyper-sensitive airports to install Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS) by 2023
● The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued a circular that all hyper-sensitive
airports in India will have to install a perimeter intrusion detection system by December 2023.
● As per the circular, the Greenfield Airports that are not part of the government’s Regional
Connectivity Scheme (RCS) will also install the Perimeter Intrusion Detection System.
● The Perimeter Intrusion Detection System is a sensor that helps in alerting the security agencies
of any form of intrusion through the boundary walls of the airport.
● The system monitors the network traffic for suspicious activity and alerts when such activity is
discovered.
● While anomaly detection and reporting are the primary functions of the Intrusion Detection
System.
● Further, non-RCS greenfield airports shall plan the installation of PIDS at the design stage itself
to obtain clearance of design stage security vetting in terms of rule 5 (3) of the Aircraft (Security)
Rules 2011.
● The circular that the directions are being issued to ensure the safety and security of passengers,
crew, ground personnel, and the general public in all matters relating to safeguarding against
acts of "unlawful interference" with civil aviation.
List of Hypersensitivity airports in India :
S.No Airports
1 Amritsar
2 IGI Delhi
3 Jaipur
4 Varanasi
5 Lucknow
6 Agartala
7 Bagdogra
8 Guwahati
9 Imphal
10 Kolkata
11 Raipur
12 Bengaluru
13 Chennai
14 Hyderabad
15 Mumbai
16 Pune
17 Jodhpur
18 Ahmedabad
About BCAS :
● The BCAS was initially set up as a Cell in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) in
January 1978 on the recommendation of the Pande Committee.
● The BCAS was reorganized into an independent department in April 1987 under the Ministry of
Civil Aviation.
● Director-General: Zulfiquar Hasan
Technology Development Board (TDB) set to launch a Rs 1000 crore fund under a Public-Private
Partnership(PPP) model
● The statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science
& Technology, and the Technology Development Board (TDB) are set to launch a ₹1,000 crore
startup fund under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
● The fund that will be live in a month will be launched in two phases.
● In the first phase, a corpus of ₹400 crores will be set up, of which ₹200 crores will be contributed
by a private limited company that has not been named yet.
● In the later phase, TDB will partner with more companies to raise money for the fund and invest
an equal sum of money in tandem with the companies.
About TDB :
● Technology Development Board (TDB), is a statutory body established by the Government of
India under the Technology Development Board Act, 1995.
Purpose :
● To promote the development and commercialization of indigenous technology and adaptation of
imported technology for much wider applications.
● The board consists of 11 Board members.
South Korea ‘successfully’ launches homegrown space rocket Nuri
● South Korea has successfully launched its first domestically developed space rocket, the Korea
Satellite Launch Vehicle II called Nuri, lifted off from the Naro Space Center at a launch site in
Goheung Jeollanam do Province, South Korea.
● The three-stage Nuri rocket has been in development for a decade for 2 trillion won ($1.5bn).
● The launch would make South Korea become the 7th country in the world to have developed a
space launch vehicle that can carry a more than 1-tonne satellite, after Russia, the US, France,
China, Japan, and India.
● South Korea has also launched a preliminary feasibility study for the successor to the Nuri
intending to send a lunar landing module to the moon in 2031
About Nuri :
● Nuri is the first space launch vehicle developed with domestic technology.
● A total of 300 South Korean companies took part in developing the rocket.
● It is a three-stage rocket, more than 47 meters (154 feet) long and weighing 200 tons.
● It is Loaded with a 162.5-kilogram (358-pound) performance-verification satellite, as well as 4
cube satellites for academic research and a 1.3-ton dummy satellite &, and reached its target
orbit of 700 kilometers (435 miles) above the Earth.
● It was topped with five satellites that will carry out Earth observation missions, such as
monitoring the atmosphere, for up to two years.
● South Korean researchers and engineers have developed all parts of the Nuri, including 75-ton
and 7-ton liquid fuel engines and pairings, a cover to protect satellites mounted on the launch
vehicle.
Additional Info :
● Director of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute: Lee Sang-ryul
About Naro Space Center :
● The Naro Space Center is a South Korean spaceport in South Jeolla's Goheung County,
operated by the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute.
About South Korea :
● President: Yoon Suk-yeol
● PM: Han Duck-soo
● Capital: Seoul
● Currency: the Korean Republic won
India's communication satellite NSIL’ GSAT-24 successfully launched from French Guiana
● The GSAT (Geosynchronous Satellite)-24 satellite, for NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), was
successfully launched on-board Ariane-V VA257 flight by French company Arianespace from
Kourou in French Guiana (South America).
● GSAT-24 is a Ku-band 4-tonne class communications satellite built for NSIL by ISRO.
● It is configured on ISRO’s proven I-3k Bus with a mission life of 15 years.
● The satellite was injected into the desired orbit along with Malaysian communication satellite
MEASAT-3D by Ariane-V VA257 flight.
Features of GSAT-24 :
● GSAT-24 is a 24-Ku band communication satellite weighing 4180 kg with pan-India coverage for
meeting DTH (Direct to Home) application needs
● GSAT-24 is the 25th indian satellite to be launched by Arianespace and the 11th of the GSAT
series
● The launcher carried a total payload of approximately 10,863 kg
● It was the first demand driven communication satellite mission undertaken by NSIL post space
sector reforms.
● The satellite will provide high-quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services
and will meet the DTH needs of Indian customers.
About NSIL :
● Established : 6 March 2019
● Headquarters : Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
● Chairman & Managing Director : Radhakrishnan Durairaj
● NSIL, a Government of India company under the Department of Space, has leased the entire
satellite capacity to Tata Play.
Objective :
● To scale up industry participation in Indian space programmes.
Oracle launches OCI dedicated region for India market
● US-based technology major Oracle’s cloud services platform, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)
has launched ‘OCI dedicated region’ for the India market.
Aim :
● To enable customers to leverage public cloud services on their premises while meeting strict
latency, data residency, and data sovereignty requirements.
About ‘OCI dedicated region’ :
● The new OCI Dedicated Region requires 60%-75% less data center space and power on
average, with a significantly lower entry price of around $1 million a year for a typical customer.
● The new offering will help customers meet latency, data residency, and data sovereignty
requirements that are key to many IT modernisation efforts.
● It will allow Oracle to offer customers nearly 100 services within their premises, which were
earlier available only to public cloud consumers.
● It will also help boost the adoption of public cloud in the public sector, banking and other sectors
that were so far restricted to do so due to regulatory and other requirements.
About Oracle :
● Founded : June 16, 1977
● Founders : Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, Ed Oates
● Headquarters : Austin, Texas, United States
● CEO : Safra Catz
● Executive Chairman & CTO : Larry Ellison
China launches new batch of Yaogan-35 Remote Sensing Satellites
● China successfully launched the 2nd batch of the Yaogan-35 series, 3 new remote sensing
satellites by a Long March-2D carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in
southwest China's Sichuan Province.
● The satellites will be mainly used to conduct science experiments, land resource surveys, yield
estimation of agricultural products, and disaster prevention and reduction.
● This launch marked the 424th mission for the Long March series carrier rockets.
● The Long March carrier rocket series, developed by the China Aerospace Science and
Technology Corporation, is responsible for about 96.4% of all the launch missions in China.
● China launched the first batch of three Yaogan-35 satellites on November 6, 2021.
About China :
Ship-borne weapon system VL-SRSAM successfully flight-tested off the Odisha coast
● The indigenously developed shipborne weapon system, Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to
Air Missile (VL-SRSAM), was successfully flight-tested by the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha.
● VL-SRSAM is developed by the Defence R esearch and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and
Research Centre Imarat (RCI), both from Hyderabad, and Research & Development
Establishment (Engineers) based in Pune.
● The launch of the system was conducted against a high-speed aerial target mimicking aircraft,
which was successfully engaged.
About VL-SRSAM :
● The VL-SRSAM, a ship-borne weapon system, is meant for neutralizing various aerial threats at
close ranges including sea-skimming targets.
● The system has been designed to strike the high-speed airborne targets at the range of 40km to
50km and an altitude of around 15km
● Its design is based on the Astra missile which is a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile.
● Two key features of the VL-SRSAM are cruciform wings and thrust vectoring.
● VL-SRSAM is a canisters system, which means it is stored and operated from specially
designed compartments.
● The weapon system will prove to be a force-multiplier for the Indian Navy and is another
milestone towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
About DRDO :
C-DOT collaborates with Galore Networks to develop 5G RAN Products & solutions
● Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has signed an agreement with Galore Networks
for the collaborative development of end-to-end 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) products and
solutions.
Key Highlights :
● This collaborative approach based on achieving synergy and harmony amongst multiple
ecosystem partners will facilitate the evolution of mutually productive and sustainable alliances.
● It will act as a catalyst resulting in indigenous design, development, manufacturing, and
deployment of cost-effective 5G products and solutions.
● This will bring the technical competencies and complementary strengths of Indian R&D and
industry into a single unified platform leading to the creation of indigenous Intellectual Property
(IP) assets that can generate new avenues for wider reach and commercialization of home-
grown technologies at the global level.
● Galore has collaborated with C-DOT to offer its entire suite of commercially field-deployable
4G/5G NSA & SA Macro/Micro Base stations integrated with C-DOT 4G/5G NSA & SA Next-
Generation Core.
About C-DOT :
● Established: August 1984
● The Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) is the premier R&D center of the
Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India.
About Galore Networks :
● Director & MD : Balaji Kulothungan
NASA successfully launches 1st commercial rocket fro m the Australian spaceport
● The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully launched a rocket from
the Arnhem Space Center on the Dhupuma Plateau, near the township of Nhulunbuy, Australia.
● It is NASA’s first launch from a commercial spaceport outside the United States and Australia’s
first launch in more than 27 years.
● NASA launched rockets from Australia in 1995, from the Royal Australian Air Force Woomera
range complex in South Australia.
● The inaugural launch was the first of three scheduled launches to take place in June and July
2021, and the next rocket launch is expected to blast off on July 4, 2022.
About the rocket :
● The rocket is expected to travel more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) into space on its mission
to observe the Alpha Centauri A and B constellations, the nearest star systems to the Earth.
● It will enable astrophysics studies that are only possible in the Southern Hemisphere.
● The rocket is carrying an X-ray quantum calorimeter, which will help scientists at the University
of Michigan to measure interstellar X-rays with precision.
● It will provide new data on the structure and evolution of the cosmos.
● The mission's X-ray camera at that time will help illuminate the secrets of Alpha Centauri A and
B, the closest double-star system to Earth that is located just 4.3 light-years away.
About Arnhem Space Centre :
● The Arnhem Space Centre is being operated by Equatorial Launch Australia.
● It is the first and only commercially owned and run equatorial launch site in the world.
About NASA :
● Headquarters: Washington, D.C, US
● NASA is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civil space
program, aeronautics research, and space research.
IN-SPACe authorizes India’s 1st set of Space StartUps to Launch Payloads
● Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Center (IN-SPACe) has approved 2 space startups
Dhruva Space Private Limited in Hyderabad, Telangana, and Digantara Research &
Technologies Private Limited in Bangalore, Karnataka to launch their payloads in space.
● This is the first time that two privately-owned Indian enterprises will be launching payloads in
space.
● The payloads would fly onboard the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) of PSLV-C53
scheduled to be launched on June 30.
● Dhruva Space's Dhruva Space Satellite Orbital Deployer (DSOD 1U), a technology
demonstration payload, and Digantara's ROBust Integrating Proton Fluence Meter (ROBI), a
Proton dosimeter payload, were authorized.
About PSLV-C53 :
● PSLV-C53 is the 55th mission of ISROs scheduled to be launched on June 30, 2022 IST from
Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota.
● The mission will demonstrate the in-house developed CubeSat Deployers ahead of the launch of
our Satellite Missions, Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2, onboard the PSLV C54 Mission.
● This will also enable Dhruva Space to support international clients with CubeSat Deployers,
Integration, and Launch Services
About IN-SPACe :
● Chairman : Pawan Kumar Goenka
● Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Center (IN–SPACe or INSPACe) is a single-
window autonomous agency under the Department of Space of the GoI.
● IN-SPACe is an autonomous, formed to promote, authorize, monitor, and supervise the space
activities of non-governmental private entities (NGPEs) in India.
About Dhruva Space :
● Founded: 2012
● Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana, India
● CEO : Sanjay Srikanth Nekkanti
● Dhruva Space is a space technology start-up focused on building full-stack space engineering
solutions, involved in building application-agnostic satellite platforms.
About Digantara :
● Digantara offers end-to-end solutions for carrying out sustainable space operations.
● To reduce waste in space, it has developed a space network called Space Situational
Awareness along with platform and data products.
● Co-Founder & CEO: Anirudh Sharma
Bengaluru's ADTL delivers Gaganyan Crew module fairing to ISRO
● The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) has
acquired the crew module fairing (CMF), a crucial construction that may defend the Gaganyaan
module carrying the astronauts throughout the launch, from an Alpha Design Technology
Limited’s (ADTL), Bengaluru, Karnataka.
● The CMF was manufactured by Alpha Design Technology Limited’s (ADTL) owned subsidiary
Alpha Tocol Engineering Services in Peenya, whereas the design and specs got here from Isro.
● Adani Group holds the bulk stake in ADTL.
Key Highlights :
● ADTL is working with Isro on satellites (large and small), floor stations, together in Bhutan,
Andaman, and Nicobar, northeast India, and on launchers equivalent to Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
● Further, Alpha is scheduled to sign a settlement for a switch of expertise of the small satellite
platform Indian Mini Satellite-1 (IMS-1) Bus.
● The bus is the infrastructure of the spacecraft that gives places for payload.
● The IMS-1, developed by Isro’s UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), would allow low-price entry to
the area by offering a devoted platform for payloads for earth imaging, ocean, and atmospheric
research, microwave distant sensing, and area science missions with a fast turnaround time.
About ISRO :
About VSSC :
● Headquarters: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
● Director: Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair
● Vikram Sarabhai is often regarded as the father of the Indian space program.
IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENT NEWS
World's 1st Fishing Cat Survey Pegs Its Population at Chilika Lake At 176:
• A new survey at the Chilika Lake, Asia's largest brackish water lagoon in Odisha, has provided
the world's first population estimation of the fishing cat.
• Conducted outside the protected area by the Chilika Development Authority in collaboration with
The Fishing Cat Project (TFCP), the survey stated that the lake has 176 fishing cats.
• This is the world's longest-running research and conservation project on fishing cats.
• It began in 2010 and is currently underway in two states in India: West Bengal and Odisha.
• West Bengal declared fishing cats the state animal in 2012.
• And the Chilika authorities announced in 2020 that the fishing cat was the lake's ambassador,
according to The Fishing Cat Project.
• The Fishing Cat Project conducted the census in two phases.
• For the first phase in 2021, surveyors focused on the 115 sq. km marshland in the north and
north-eastern section of the lake.
• The second phase was conducted this year on the Parikud side along the coastal part
About Fishing Cat:
• Fishing cats, according to the Chilika Development Authority, are endangered worldwide.
• Within their range of countries, they are classed as vulnerable on the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
• Fishing cats, unlike most felines, enjoy being around water and are noted for their exceptional
hunting abilities in watery environments.
• The fishing Cat is a Schedule I species and deserves conservation measures of the highest
accord in India like the Tiger and Elephant.
• Unfortunately, marshland and mangrove ecosystems, which are Fishing Cat habitats are in
decline
The Marsh’s Original Fishermen:
• The fishing cat, which is twice the size of a house cat, is exactly what its name implies: a cat with
excellent fishing skills and, as a result, an agile swimmer.
• It has black markings — spots and stripes — all over its body, and its paws are somewhat
webbed to help propel it through water and for prowling on muddy, rocky terrain.
• Its principal food source is, once again, fish.
• They are, however, not picky eaters.
• They are referred to as ‘generalists’ by wildlife experts since they graze on whatever is available.
• So, anything available nearby, including fish, small animals, water insects, shellfish, amphibians,
and even lizards, is on the menu.
Huge Stingray breaks the record for the Biggest Freshwater Fish:
• The hunter knew he had never seen a fish bigger than the gigantic stingray Moul Thun had
captured on the end of his line.
• The 42-year-old fisherman from the secluded island of Kaoh Preah in the Mekong River in
northern Cambodia was unaware that the ray would later be named the largest documented
freshwater fish in the world.
About Fish Population:
• Many factors, such as dam construction, overfishing, and climate change, contribute to the
frequent decline of large freshwater fish populations.
• Several huge fish species are also in danger of going extinct.
• Thankfully, recent reports of large fish have not only included stingray information.
• In 2021, a lake sturgeon with a world record weight of 240 pounds was caught and released in
the Detroit River.
• An alligator gar that weighed nearly 300 pounds in May may have broken the Texas state record
for freshwater fish, but the angler chose to release the fish rather than kill it and bring it in to be
weighed.
Key Points:
• The Wonders of the Mekong Project, which is supported by the US Agency for International
Development and aims to preserve the aquatic diversity of the Southeast Asian River, was
initially notified by fishermen in Cambodia that they had caught the largest stingray ever seen.
• Team members went to the little river island known as Koh Preah and lined up three industrial
scales.
• To weigh the stingray, they pulled it out of the water and placed it on the scales.
• The discovery was made less than a month after another large stingray, weighing 400 pounds,
was also collected and released nearby.
• Two additional enormous rays were also caught this year.
India finalized deals for cheetahs from South Africa & Namibia:
• The world's fastest creatures, cheetahs, which went extinct in India, have been acquired by the
Indian government through agreements with South Africa and Namibia.
• They will be reintroduced into the wild at Kuno Palpur, Madhya Pradesh, by the end of 2022.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed initially for ten years, with an option for
an additional five years.
• There will be 8 cheetahs from Namibia and 12 from South Africa, with more to come in
succeeding years.
Key Points:
• The environment ministry is working with the Wildlife Institute of India to carry out a lengthy, one-
time initiative to bring cheetahs from Africa to India to bring back the wild cat, which went extinct
in India in the 1950s.
• Kuno Palpur was approved as a potential place for the translocation of cheetahs by the expert
team that the Supreme Court had formed.
• The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has been preparing a 10 sq km enclosure with 24-hour
surveillance for the reintroduction of cheetahs for the past six months.
India’s newest recorded snail named after the Western Ghats:
• A carnivorous land snail discovered in Maharashtra's western Ghats has made scientific history.
• It has been named after the original site of the species in the northern portion of the Western
Ghats, which is Sahyadri in Sanskrit.
• The Haploptychius sahyadriensis is endemic to the Vishalgad Conservation Reserve in
Maharashtra's Kolhapur district.
• The Haploptychius sahyadriensis, recorded from the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, is
the third member of the genus Haploptychius.
• The other two – H. andamanicus and H. pfeifferi – were recorded in the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands in the 1860s.
About the snail:
• The ‘Sahyadri snail’ is distinguished from other Indian and Southeast Asia’s Haploptychius in
having a sub-oblique helical shell, low spire, and presence of a strong parietal lamella.
• The new species also has a unique genital anatomy.
• Haploptychius sahyadriensis is different from the other Indian and South-East Asian species.
• India has 1,450 snails and slugs with the highest diversity in north-eastern India.
Glischropus meghalayanus: New Species of Bamboo-Dwelling Bat Found in Meghalaya
● Scientists have discovered a new species of bamboo-dwelling bat in the Ri Bhoi district of
Meghalaya.
● It is the first report of a thick-thumbed bat not only from India but also from South Asia.
● The species, found near the forested patch of Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, has been
named Glischropus meghalayanus.
● The newly discovered species is small in size and has a dark brown color with a sulphur-yellow
bell selling bats are a particular kind of bats living in the internodes of bamboos with specialized
morphological characteristics that help them to adapt to the life inside a bamboo.
● With this discovery, the total number of bat species known from India stands at 131.
● Meghalaya, a state with a small geographical area, harbors the highest bat diversity in the
country with 67 species, which is about 51% of the total bat species in the country.
● Dhriti Banerjee, Director of the ZSI, Meghalaya, because of its unique terrain, vegetation, and
climate condition, was a haven for both flora and fauna.
Thiomargarita Magnifica: World's biggest bacterium found i n Caribbean mangrove swamp:
• Scientists have discovered the world's largest bacterium in a Caribbean mangrove swamp - and
it is so big that you can see it with the naked eye.
• The thin white filament, which is approximately the size of a human eyelash, is "by far the largest
bacterium known to date," Jean-Marie Volland, a marine biologist at the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory
• The bacterium is named Thiomargarita Magnifica or "magnificent sulfur pearl" and can reach a
length of 2 centimeters.
• It is roughly 50 times larger than all known giant bacteria.
• Olivier Gros, a co-author and biologist at the University of the French West Indies and Guiana
found the first example of this bacterium clinging to sunken mangrove leaves in the archipelago
of Guadeloupe in 2009.
• Gros also found the bacterium attached to oyster shells, rocks, and glass bottles in the swamp.
• However, Gros immediately did not know that it was a bacterium because of its size.
• Genetic analysis performed later revealed that the organism was a single bacterial cell.
• The researchers have not been able to grow the bacteria in lab culture yet.
• One key difference is that Thiomargarita Magnifica has a large central compartment, or vacuole,
that allows some cell functions to happen in that controlled environment instead of throughout
the cell.
New spider from Thar desert named after Malayali arachnologist:
• A new species of spider discovered in the Thar desert of Rajasthan has been named after a
Malayalee arachnologist.
• The new species of jumping spider, Pseudomogrus sudhii, has been named after Sudhikumar
A.V., Head, Department of Zoology, Christ College, Irinjalakuda, and founder of the Centre for
Animal Taxonomy and Ecology (CATE) in recognition of his contributions to the field of Indian
arachnology.
• The jumping spider was discovered during a joint exploration by Dmitri Logunov Rishikesh
Balkrishna Tripathi and Ashish Kumar Jangid of Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
• This species inhabits the dry grass blades of the desert.
• It is the first report of this genus from India.
• So far 35 species of spiders of this genus have been discovered worldwide.
• The spider is only 4 mm long.
• The dark brown colored head of the male is covered with small white hairs and has a black eye
region.
• The spider is named after Dr. Sudhikumar for his contributions to the field of Indian arachnology.
• He has published more than 200 research articles on the Indian spider diversity in various
international and national journals.
• He is the author of Keralathile Chilanthikal published by the Kerala Bhasha Institute.
Govt launches Rashtriya Puruskar Portal for inviting nominations for various awards:
• The Union Government has launched the Rashtriya Puruskar Portal for inviting nominations for
various awards from the various Ministries, Departments, and agencies to ensure transparency
and public partnership.
• This common portal has been developed by the government to bring together all the awards
under one digital platform.
• The Portal aims to facilitate citizens to nominate individuals and organizations for various
awards instituted by the Government of India.
• Presently nominations and recommendations for Padma Awards are open till the 15th of
September this year for Sardar Patel National Unity A wards, nominations will be open till the
31st of July.
• Nomination for Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award will remain open till the 16th of June
and nomination for the Jeevan Raksha Padak series of Awards will be open till the 30th of
September 2022.
• The individual can be nominated for Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence
Award.
• Individuals and organizations can visit www.awards.gov.in
NCPCR launches “CiSS application” under Baal Swaraj portal to help the rehabilitation of children in
street situations:
• The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has launched a “CiSS
application” under the Baal Swaraj portal to help in the rehabilitation process of Children in
Street Situations. (CiSS)
• Baal Swaraj is a portal launched by NCPCR for online tracking and digital real -time monitoring
mechanism of children in need of care and protection.
• The portal has two functions- COVID care and CiSS.
• COVID Care link caters to the children who have lost either or both parents due to COVID-19 or
otherwise post-March 2020.
• It follows six stages framework for the rehabilitation of children.
✓ The first stage is the collection of the child’s details, which is accomplished through the
portal.
✓ The second stage is Social Investigating Report (SIR) i.e. investigating the child’s
background. This is done under the supervision of the District Child Protection Unit
(DCPU) by the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) by conversing and counseling
the child.
✓ The third stage is formulating an Individual Care Plan (ICP) for the child.
✓ The fourth stage is the order of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) based on the SIR
submitted to the CWC.
✓ The fifth stage is allocating the schemes and benefits that the beneficiary can avail of.
✓ And in the sixth stage, a checklist is made for the evaluation of the progress.
About the Portal:
• This portal, developed by, NCPCR is a first-of-its-kind initiative in India to help children in street
situations.
• The CiSS application is used for receiving data of children in street situations from all the states
and union territories, tracking their rescue and rehabilitation process.
• The initiative is taken under the direction of the Supreme Court of India.
• The program embodies Article 51 (A) of the Constitution of India, as it provides a platform to the
public and organizations catering to the welfare of the children to report any child in need of
assistance.
• The platform serves to collect data and report to the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) for
them to take necessary action.
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw launches Policy & Portal of e -auction for Commercial earning, Non-Fare
Revenue (NFR) contracts:
• Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw launched an e-auction for Commercial earning, Non-Fare Revenue
(NFR) contracts in Rail Bhavan.
• This will not only increase Railway’s earnings but also bolster efforts being taken by the
Government for ease of doing business.
• This policy is in line with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to change the experience of the
common man by the use of technology.
• With this new policy, the tedious process of tendering would get simplified.
• Also, it would give opportunities for youth to join the e -auction process.
• This policy enhances ease of living, promotes transparency, and adds to Digital India initiatives
in Railways
Salient Features of New System:
• The Auction will be conducted online through the ‘E-Auction Leasing’ module of IREPS:
www.ireps.gov.in
• Policy for e-Auction and Standard Conditions of Auction issued by Railway Board:
• The earlier system of physical registration of contractors Division-wise has been done away with,
only financial criteria – based on self-declaration of past turnovers by contractors
• Financial turnover criteria rationalized and standardized – No turnover requirement up to Rs. 40
lacs annual contract estimates
• One-time online self-registration of contractors
• No geographical restrictions for participation in any auction of any Division
PM Shri Narendra Modi to launch national portal for credit-linked government schemes:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will launch the national portal for credit-linked government
schemes- Jan Samarth Portal in New Delhi.
• It is a one-stop digital portal linking Government credit schemes.
• The portal is also a first-of-its-kind platform that directly connects beneficiaries to lenders.
• The main purpose of the Jan Samarth portal is to encourage inclusive growth and development
of various sectors by guiding and providing them with the right type of government benefits
through simple and easy digital processes.
Key Points:
• Mr. Modi will inaugurate the Iconic Week Celebrations of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry
of Corporate Affairs.
• This week is being celebrated as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav from 6th to 11th June.
• Prime Minister will inaugurate a Digital Exhibition which traces the journey of the two Ministries
over the past eight years.
• Prime Minister will also release special series of one, two, five, ten- and twenty-rupees coins.
• These special series of coins will have the theme of the logo of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and
will also be easily identifiable to visually impaired persons.
• The program will also be organized simultaneously at 75 locations across the country and each
location will be connected through virtual mode with the main venue.
IMPORTANT RANKING & INDEX NEWS
Bloomberg Billionaire Index: Mukesh Ambani Becomes Asia's Richest Man Surpasses Gautam Adani
● According to Bloomberg Billionaire Index As of June 3, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)
Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani has regained the position of India as well as
Asia's richest man, replacing Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani.
● Mukesh Ambani's net worth has risen to USD 99.7 billion, while Gautam Adani's net worth stood
at USD 98.7 billion.
● As per the index, Mukesh Ambani is ranked the 8th richest person in the world & Adani is ranked
9th position.
Top 5 in Bloomberg Billionaire Index, As of June 3 :
1. Tesla CEO Elon Musk - $227 billion
2. Amazon's Jeff Bezos - $149 billion
3. LVMH's Bernard Arnault - $138 billion
4. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates - $124 billion
5. Legendary investor Warren Buffett - $114 billion.
About Bloomberg Billionaire Index :
● The Bloomberg Billionaires Index, launched in March 2012, is a daily ranking of the world's 500
richest people based on their net worth.
● The index is updated every day at the close of trading in New York.
7th Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list 2022 Released by Forbes Magazine
● The 7th edition of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List 2022 has released by Forbes magazine
features 30 notable honorees selected for each of the 10 categories, under the age of 30 who
are inspiring change and driving innovation in their respective fields amid the challenges brought
about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
● The list was edited by Rana Wehbe Watson.
● The 2022 list features a diverse set of 30 Under 30 honorees, with 22 countries and territories
represented across the Asia-Pacific region.
● In terms of the number of entries, India tops the list with 61, followed by Singapore (34), Japan
(33), Australia (32), Indonesia (30), and China (28).
List of 10 Categories :
1. The Arts (Art & Style, Food & Drink)
2. Entertainment & Sports
3. Finance & Venture Capital
4. Media, Marketing & Advertising
5. Retail & Ecommerce
6. Enterprise Technology
7. Industry, Manufacturing & Energy
8. Healthcare & Science
9. Social Impact
10. Consumer Technology.
Several Indians from various fields have been included in this list they are:
● Shiv Parekh, Founder - hBits
● Samyak Jain and Sowmay Jain, Cofounders - Instadapp Labs
● Lavika Aggarwal and Sajal Khanna, Cofounders - Akudo
● Rohan Nayak, Cofounder - Pocket FM
● Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju, Content creator
● Vivan Marwaha, Author
● Masoom Minawala, Content creator
● Ranveer Allahbadia and Viraj Sheth, Cofounders - Monk Entertainment
● Soniya Kundnani and Darshan Shah, Cofounders - NewsReach
● Niharika NM, Content creator
● Shreya Patel, Founder - Window Dreams Productions
● Shlok Srivastava, Founder - Tech Burner
● Ravish Agrawal, Swatantra Kumar, and Siddharth Srivastava, Cofounders - Able Jobs
● Shreyans Sancheti and Harish Uthayakumar, Cofounders - Bluelearn
● Jhansi Elango, Co-CEO - Chutney
● Shourya Agarwal, Rajat Gupta, and Malhar Patil, Cofounders - Flam
● Hardik Bansal, Harsh Vardhan Chhangani, and B hanu P ratap S ingh T anwar , C ofounder s -
FRND
● Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash Jonnalagadda, Founder - Bhanzu
● Harshit Awasthi, Ahmad Faraaz, and Sashakt Tripathi, Cofounders - Kalam Labs
● Javed Khatri, Chief Product Officer - eBikeGo
● Arnav Kishore, Founder - Firebolt
● Bhavya Gohil and Atur Mehta, Cofounders - Square Off
● Sujay Suresh Kumar, Cofounder - Lilu
● Pubarun Basu, Photographer
● Alfiya Attarwala and Sarrah Kapasi, Cofounders - D-Alive Health
● Vidur Gupta, Cofounder - Third Eye Distillery
● Harsh Kedia, Founder - A Diabetic Chef
● Osheen Siva, Artist
● Pallav Bihani, Founder - Boldfit
● Raunaq Singh Anand and Rhea Singh Anand, Cofounders - Flexnest
● Anik Bhandari, Siddhant Bhargava, Anirudh Ganeriwal and Devaj Jh unjhunwala, C ofounder s -
Food Darzee
● Abhishek Negi, Cofounder - Eggoz
● Stuti Gupta, Cofounder - Amrutam
● Vedant Lamba, Founder - Mainstreet
● Dawn Thomas, Cofounder - V&RO Hospitality
● Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, Cofounders - Zepto
● Kirti Jangra and Neetu Yadav, Cofounders - Animall
● Shaily Garg, Founder- GlobalFair Technologies
● Ben K George and Nanma Gireesh, Cofounders - NestAbide
● Manav Garg and Kunal Jain, Cofounders - Nexprt
● Anshu Abhishek and Vikram Singh Meena, Cofounders - Techeagle Innovations
● Nikhil Tripathi, Cofounder - Bijak
● Suvrat Bhooshan, Founder - Gan Studio
● Rajit Bhattacharya, Ankit Das, and Aisik Paul, Cofounders - Data Sutram
● Saya Date, Cofounder - Linecraft AI
● Prashant Kumar, Cofounder - BarRaiser
● Milan Singh and Apoorva Verma, Cofounders - Rattle
● Rashid Khan, Cofounder - Yellow.AI
● Namya Mahajan, Siddhant Sachdeva, and Vishal Sunil, Cofounders - Rocket Learning
● Aditi Arora, Country Manager - India, Girl Up
● Abhishek Bhattacharya, Cofounder - Whrrl
● Sahil Bansal and Aayush Goel, Cofounders - Kosh
● Jigyasa Labroo, Founder - Slam Out Loud
● Shubham Gupta and Rahul Kumar, Cofounders - ConnectedH
● Prasanna Date, Research Scientist - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
● Aman Bhandula and Kaishu Sahu, Cofounders - Farmako
● Prasanth Ganesan, Postdoctoral Researcher - Stanford Medicine
● Shrey Jain, Cofounder - HempStreet Medicare
● Mehak Malik, Cofounder - Uvi Health
● Vivek Jaiswal, Anurag Savarnya and Shivansh Shrivastava, Cofounders - Saveo Healthtech
US surpasses China as India’s largest trading partner in FY22
● The US surpassed China to become India’s top trading partner in 2021-22, reflecting
strengthening economic ties between the two countries.
● According to commerce ministry data, in 2021-22, bilateral trade between the US and India stood
at US$ 119.42 billion as against US$ 80.51 billion in 2020-21.
● Exports to the US increased to US$ 76.11 billion in 2021-22 from US$ 51.62 billion in the previous
fiscal, while imports rose to US$ 43.31 billion as compared to around US$ 29 billion in 2020-21.
● Exports to China increased marginally to US$ 21.25 billion in the last fiscal from US$ 21.18 billion
in 2020-21, while imports increased from around US$ 65.21 billion in 2020-21 to US$ 94.16
billion.
● The trade gap widened to US$ 72.91 billion in 2021-22 from US$ 44 billion in 2020-21.
India’s trade surplus with the US :
● The US is one of the few countries with which India has a trade surplus.
● In 2021-22, India had a trade surplus of US$ 32.8 billion with the US.
● Trade experts believe that bilateral trade with the US will continue to grow in the coming years
as New Delhi and Washington continue to strengthen economic ties.
Top trading partners of India :
● China was India’s top trading partner from 2013-14 to 2017-18 and also in 2020-21.
● In 2021-22, the United Arab Emirates was India’s third largest trading partner with US$72.9
billion followed by Saudi Arabia (US$ 42.85 billion) as 4th, Iraq (US$ 34.33 billion) as 5th and
Singapore (US$ 30 billion) as 6th position.
Forbes Global 2000 list - RIL top-ranked Indian firm
● The 20th annual Forbes Global 2000 list of public companies was released, according to that
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) climbed two spots to No. 53 followed
by State Bank of India at No. 105, HDFC Bank at No. 153 and ICICI Bank at No. 204.
Top 10 Indian Companies in Forbes Global 2000 list :
1. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)
2. State Bank of India (SBI)
3. HDFC Bank Limited
4. ICICI Bank Limited
5. Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd. (ONGC)
6. Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited
7. Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.
8. Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)
9. Tata Steel Limited
10. Axis Bank Limited
Top 5 Global companies on the Forbes list :
1. Berkshire Hathaway, USA
2. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), China
3. Aramco, Saudi Arabia
4. JP Morgan Chase, USA
5. China Construction Bank.
Note :
● In 2021, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Beijing, China was ranked 1st
position.
Key Highlights :
● Reliance, which recorded sales of USD 104.6 billion between April 2021 and March 2022,
became the first Indian company to generate over USD 100 billion in annual revenue.
● With a market cap of USD 56.12 billion, SBI grabbed the No. 2 spot on the list.
● Globally State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) at 228 rank, Housing
Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC) at No. 268, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) at
No.357, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) at No. 384, Tata Steel at No. 407 and Axis Bank
at No. 431.
● Some notable newcomers to the list include billionaire Gautam Adani's companies: Adani
Enterprises Limited, Adani Transmission Ltd and Adani Total Gas Ltd.
● Meanwhile, oil, gas and metal conglomerate Vedanta Limited jumped 703 spots on the list, the
highest leap among all Indian companies.
About Forbes Global 2000 list :
● The Forbes Global 2000 is an annual ranking of the top 2000 public companies in the world by
Forbes magazine.
● The ranking is based on a mix of four metrics: sales, profit, assets and market value.
● The list has been published since 2003.
THE Asia University Rankings 2022: IISc Bangalore emerges top Indian University
● According to the 2022 edition of the Asia University Rankings released by the Times Higher
Education (THE), India is the third most-represented country, with 71 institutions.
● In 2021, a total of 62 Indian institutions participated in the rankings.
● The 2022 rankings comprise 616 universities from 31 countries and territories across Asia.
Indian Universities Rankings in THE Asia University Rankings 2022:
● The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, is the only institute to make the top-50 list with
42 ranks.
● In the top 100 rankings, 4 Indian Universities have been placed i.e. Mysore-based JSS Academy
of Higher Education and Research on 65th, IIT Ropar on 68th, IIT Indore on 87th position, and
IISc Bangalore on 42nd.
● As compared to the 2021 rankings, all the Indian institutes in top-100 have slipped down & there
are 17 Indian universities in the top 200 as compared to 18 in 2021.
● Of the 14 that have made it to the ranking in both years, 8 have risen.
Key Highlights :
● The top two universities on this list are from China for the third consecutive year.
1. Tsinghua
2. Peking universities
● In 2022, Japan is the most-represented nation again, with 118 institutions, up from 116 in 2021.
● Overall, there are 97 mainland Chinese universities in the ranking, up from 91 in 2021, making it
the second most-represented nation on the table.
● A Palestinian university is ranked for the first time and Saudi Arabia has increased its
representation in the top 100 from four to six institutions.
Asia University Rankings 2022: Top Indian universities.
Institution 2022 Rank 2021 Rank
Indian Institute of Science, 42 37
Bangalore
JSS Academy of Higher 65 NR
Education and Research
Indian Institute of Technology 68 55
Ropar
Indore
Gandhinagar
Alagappa University 122 NR
Thapar Institute of 127 144
Engineering and Technology
Saveetha University 131 401-450
Mahatma Gandhi University 139 154
Delhi Technological 149 201-250
University
Banaras Hindu University 153 172
Institute of Chemical 158 122
Technology
Jamia Millia Islamia 160 180
Jawaharlal Nehru University 167 187
International Institute of 174 NR
Information Technology,
Hyderabad
Indraprastha Institute of 177 143
Information Technology Delhi
Panjab University 197 175
TCS retains 10th position among global BPM providers in 2021
● According to Everest Group, Tata Consultancy Service (TCS) has retained its 10th position
among the top global BPM (business process management) providers in 2021.
● The ranking is based on a composite score of revenue (more than US$ 3 billion for TCS) and
revenue growth (14-16% over 2020).
Key Highlights :
In terms of revenue, the top five BPM players :
1. ADP
2. Teleperformance
3. Accenture
4. Concentrix
5. Sitel Group.
Top five fastest-growing companies YoY(Year on Year)
1. Tech Mahindra
2. Telus International
3. Majorel
4. Teleperformance
5. Comdata
● Also, Infosys, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra's BPM businesses were ranked 20, 21, and 22,
respectively, with revenue of US$ 1.3 billion, US$1.4-1.5 billion, and US$ 675 million.
● The Everest Group's top 50 rankings are based on both revenue and year-on-year growth.
● In that Revenues comprise 75% of the composite score, and growth 25%.
Growth has two sub-parameters:
1. Absolute growth (measured as change in revenue in US dollar million and accounting for 12.5%
of the composite score)
2. Percentage growth (measured as a percentage change in BPM revenue and accounting for the
other 12.5%).
● The top 50 providers added $11.8 billion in incremental revenue in 2021, an 8-fold increase from
2020.
● The top 10 providers contributed about 60% of the total incremental revenue, the providers
ranked from 11 to 50 added more than $5 billion in revenue in 2021.
About TCS :
● Founded: 1968
● Chairman : Natarajan Chandrasekaran
● MD & CEO : Rajesh Gopinathan
India Ranks Lowest Among 180 Countries - Environmental Performance Index 2022
● In the 2022 Environment Performance Index (EPI), India has been ranked lowest among 180
countries with a total score of 18.9.
● Denmark topped the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) followed by the UK and
Finland.
● China is placed 161st, with an overall EPI score of 28.4.
Top 5 Countries in Environmental Performance Index 2022 :
Rank Country Score 10 Year
Change
1 Denmark 77.90 14.90
2 UK 77.70 23.00
3 Finland 76.50 21.00
4 Malta 75.20 25.20
5 Sweden 72.70 15.80
Bottom 5 Countries :
Rank Country Score 10 Year
Change
176 Sri Lanka 34.70 -2.60
177 Nepal 28.30 -10.30
178 Pakistan 24.60 1.40
179 Bangladesh 23.10 -1.90
180 India 18.90 -0.60
● Only a handful of countries, including Denmark and the UK, are currently slated to reach
greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.
● EPI projections indicate that four countries i.e. China, India, the US, and Russia will account for
over 50 percent of residual global greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 if current trends hold.
About Environmental Performance Index 2022 :
● The Environmental Performance Index 2022 was published by the Yale Center for
Environmental Law and Policy and the Center for International Earth Science Information
Network, Columbia University.
● The EPI provides a data-driven summary of the state of sustainability around the world.
● Using 40 performance indicators across 11 issue categories, the EPI ranks 180 countries on
climate change performance, environmental health, and ecosystem vitality.
Note :
● India has a 19.3 EPI score on the ecosystem vitality on the index & 12.5 on health, and 21.7 on
Climate Policy.
Elon Musk Tops in Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List
● According to Forbes real-time billionaires list, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk continues to
be the richest person in the world with a net worth of $233.7 billion.
Top 5 in Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List:
Rank Name Net Worth Country
1 Elon Musk $233.7 billion United States
2 Bernard Arnault $157 billion France
3 Jeff Bezos $151.2 billion United States
4 Bill Gates $129.1 billion United States
5 Warren Buffett $113.9 billion United States
● As per the list, Mukesh Ambani has ranked 6th position with a net worth of $104.7 billion &
meanwhile, Gautam Adani, is the 9th largest richest man in the world with a total net worth of
$99.9 billion.
● Google's Larry Page is the world's 7th richest person with his wealth summing up to $100.9
billion, while Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, is in the 8th spot with a net worth of $100.8
billion.
● Google's Sergey Brin is the 10th world's richest person with a net worth of $97.1 billion.
Note :
● Only 2 Indians are there on the Forbes real-time billionaire list - Reliance Industries chairman
and managing director Mukesh Ambani and Adani Group's chairman Gautam Adani.
Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya releases the 4th State Food Safety Index 2021-22
● On the occasion of World Food Safety Day, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya released
the 4th State Food Safety Index (SFSI) by FSSAI to measure the performance of States across
five parameters of food safety and felicitated the winning State/UTs based on the ranking for the
year 2021-22.
● Among large States, Tamil Nadu topped the list followed by Gujarat & Maharashtra.
● Among the smaller states, Goa stood first followed by Manipur and Sikkim.
● Among UTs, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh secured first, second and third rank
● Dr. Mandaviya further launched various innovative initiatives by FSSAI including the Eat Right
Research Awards and Grants – Phase II. Eat Right Creativity Challenge – Phase III, a
competition at the school level
● He released a logo for AyurvedaAahar which contains the initials of Ayurveda and Ahara with 5
leaves symbolizing five elements of nature.
● This logo would be beneficial in creating a unique identity, easy identification, and proven
benefits to improve health and wellbeing.
● He released various ebooks that advocate and capture innovative recipes about oil-free cooking
and sugarless desserts.
● He launched various resource books including Khadyanjali, a quarterly magazine published by
the Rajbhasha Division of FSSAI; Guidance Document on Food-Borne Disease Outbreak
Investigation and Microbiological Process Control, Sampling and Testing of Fish and Fishery
Products, etc.
● He also felicitated 11 winning smart cities of the EatSmart Cities Challenge, launched by FSSAI
last year in association with the Smart Cities Mission under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
About State Food Safety Index (SFSI) :
● SFSI was started in 2018-19.
Aim :
● To create a competitive and positive change in the food safety ecosystem in the country.
● The index will help in providing safe and nutritious food to our citizens.
● The index is developed by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) to measure the
performance of states on five significant parameters of Food Safety.
5 Parameter :
1. Human Resources and Institutional Data
2. Compliance
3. Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance
4. Training & Capacity Building
5. Consumer Empowerment.
● The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an
objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.
Note :
● World Food Safety Day 2022, is observed on June 7 every year.
IIM Ahmedabad launches India’s First Agri Land Price Index
● The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) in collaboration with Indian agri-land
marketplace SFarmsIndia has launched the IIMA-SFarmsIndia Agri Land Price Index (ISALPI), a
first-of-its-kind land price index that will record and present ‘quality controlled’ data of prices of
agricultural land across India.
● Presently, ISALPI is based on land listing data from six states: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
● The index could be more valuable in two ways.
1. It will offer a superior representation of the national context.
2. It will offer a more granular index at regional levels.
Benefits of the Index :
● The index can greatly benefit stakeholders across the spectrum including policymakers, local
governments, environmentalists, investors, real estate developers, and financiers.
● It is particularly important in terms of benchmarking land prices in rural and semi-urban areas.
● Investors could use this information to assess the historical risk and return in the past and
predict these metrics for the future to decide on their investment positions.
● Fund managers and producers could use this information to broadly benchmark their
performance.
● Financiers and insurers could use this information to assess the risk in the company related to
the asset class reflected in the index.
● Researchers could use this information to study how economic events and factors are
associated with price movements in a specific asset class.
Additional Info :
● Out of 200 million hectares, India houses just 2% of the world’s cropped land; but feeds over
15% of the world’s population.
About SFarmsIndia :
● CEO: Kamesh Mupparaju
● SFarmsIndia has a strong focus on data warehousing and mining aimed at bringing cutting-edge
agri-realty domain-specific AI capabilities to the market.
QS World University Rankings 2023: IISc Bengaluru Fastest Rising South Asian University, 4 IITs In
Top 200
● The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has emerged as the highest-ranked Indian
institute with the rank of 155 rising 31 places since the 2022 ranking and also the fastest rising
South Asian University in the 2023 edition of the QS World University rankings.
Top 10 Universities :
Rank Name of University Overall
Score
1 Massachusetts Institute of 100

Technology (MIT),
Cambridge, United States (for
the 11th consecutive year)
2 University of Cambridge 98.8
Cambridge, United Kingdom
3 Stanford University 98.5
Stanford, United States
4 University of Oxford 98.4
Oxford, United Kingdom
5 Harvard University 97.6
Cambridge, United States
6 California Institute of Technology 97
(Caltech)
Pasadena, United States
6 Imperial College London 97
London, United Kingdom
8 UCL, London, United Kingdom 95
9 ETH Zurich 93.6
Zürich, Switzerland
10 University of Chicago 93.2
Chicago, United States
India’s Position in QS World University Rankings 2023:
● According to the rankings, 13 Indian universities have improved their research impact relative to
global competitors, seeing a rise in the Citations per Faculty (CpF) score.
● A total of 41 universities from India have been ranked & of these, 12 improve, 12 remain stable,
10 declines, and 7 are new entries.
● Among the 8 public IoEs, 5 (IISc, IIT-B, IIT-D, IIT-Madras, and IIT-Kharagpur) improved their
rankings, while the University of Delhi and University of Hyderabad slipped & Banaras Hindu
University, the only other public IoE, has been ranked outside the top 1,000, in the 1,001-1,200
band.
● 30 of India's 41 ranked universities have suffered declines i n QS' Faculty and Student Ratio
(FSR) indicator, with only four recording improvements
● IISc Bengaluru is the world’s top research university, achieving a perfect score of 100/100 for
this metric.
● IIT Guwahati (37th for CpF), IIT Roorkee (47th for CpF), and the new entry University of Madras
(48th for CpF) are also global top-50 research institutions.
● The number of Indian institutes among the top 1,000 globally has risen to 27 from 22.
● OP Jindal Global University is the highest-ranked private university for the third year.
● IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi are the only two national universities to feature among the world's top -
100 in this crucial metric, ranking 59th and 72nd respectively.
Top Indian Universities in QS World University Rankings 2023:
Name of University QS World Ranking
2023
IISc Bangalore, Karnataka 155
IIT Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra 172
IIT Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi 174
Indian Institute of Technology Madras 250
(IITM), Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur 264
(IITK), Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur 270
(IIT-KGP), Kharagpur, West Bengal
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee 369
(IITR), Roorkee, Uttarakhand
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati 384

(IITG), Guwahati, Assam
Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IIT 396
Indore), Indore, Madhya Pradesh
About QS World University Rankings 2023:
● Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the London-based global higher education analyst, released the
19th edition of the world’s most consulted international university ranking.
● This year's QS World University Rankings is the largest ever, with 1,418 institutions across one
hundred locations, up from 1,300 the previous year.
● QS uses 6 parameters to rank institutions which include
1. Academic Reputation (40%)
2. Employer Reputation (10%)
3. Faculty/Student Ratio (20%)
4. Citations per faculty (20%)
5. International Faculty Ratio (5%)
6. International Student Ratio (5%).
UNCTAD’s World Investment Report: India ranked 7th, US Tops
● The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released the annual
World Investment Report, as per this India is ranked 7th position among the top recipients of
foreign direct investment (FDI).
● As per the report, FDI inflows into India reduced to USD 45 billion in 2021 from USD 64 billion in
2020.
● Among the top 10 economies, only India witnessed a decline in its FDI inflows.
● However, outward FDI from India rose 43 percent to $15.5 billion in 2021.
● The United States remained the top recipient of FDI with an FDI inflow of $367 billion followed
by China with USD 181 billion and Hong Kong with USD 141 at second and third positions.
Top 10 FDI Recipients :
Rank Country FDI
Inflow($billion)
1 United States 367
2 China 181
3 Hong Kong 141
4 Singapore 99
5 Canada 60
6 Brazil 50
7 India 45
8 South Africa 41
9 Russia 38
10 Mexico 32
Key Highlights :
● As per the report, FDI Flows into India declined to $45 billion however, several new international
projects were announced
● The largest number of projects (23) was in renewables.
● Large projects include the construction in India of a steel and cement plant for $13.5 billion by
ArcelorMittal-Nippon Steel (Japan) and the construction of a new car manufacturing facility by
Suzuki Motor (Japan) for $2.4 billion.
● China, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia accounted for
more than 80% of FDI to South Asia.
About FDI :
● A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment in the form of controlling ownership in a
business in one country by an entity based in another country.
● With FDI, foreign companies are directly involved with day-to-day operations in the other
country.
About UNCTAD :

● Secretary-General : Rebeca Grynspan
● It is an intergovernmental organization intended to promote the interests of developing states in
world trade.
● It is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly.
Note :
● Rebeca Grynspan is the first woman to serve as Secretary-General of UNCTAD.
India among 12 economies on currency ‘Monitoring List’ - US treasury report
● As per the United States Department of Treasury’s semi-annual report to Congress on
Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States,
India remained on the US treasury department’s currency “Monitoring List” along with 11 other
major economies that merit close attention to their currency practices and macroeconomic
policies.
● The countries are China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, India, Malaysia, Singapore,
Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Mexico are placed on the Monitoring List.
● All except Taiwan and Vietnam (which were subject to enhanced engagement) were on the
Monitoring List in the December 2021 Report.
● India met two of the three criteria in the December 2021 and the April 2021 Reports.
● India will remain on the Monitoring List until it meets fewer than two criteria for two consecutive
Reports.
Key Highlights :
● According to the report, India (with $569.9 billion) has the fourth largest foreign exchange after
China ($3.2 trillion), Japan ($1.2 trillion), and Switzerland ($1 trillion).
● RBI foreign exchange purchases in recent years have resulted in an elevated level of reserves.
● As of December 2021, foreign exchange reserves totaled $570 billion, equivalent to 18 percent
of GDP and 209 percent of short-term external debt at the remaining maturity.
● In the 2021 External Sector Report, the IMF judged that India’s reserves at the time stood at 197
percent of the IMF’s reserve adequacy metric as of end-2020.
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh releases the 2nd edition of the National e -Governance Service
Delivery Assessment 2021, NeSDA 2021 - Kerala topped among states
● Union Minister of State, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr. Jitendra
Singh released the second edition of the National e -Governance Service Delivery Assessment
2021, NeSDA 2021.
About NeSDA 2021 :
● The NeSDA 2021 framework was finalized after multiple consultative workshops with States,
UTs, and Central Ministries from March 2021 to May 2021.
● The NeSDA 2021 Portal was formally launched in June 2021 to conduct the entire assessment
process online.
● These portals were assessed on 4 parameters, viz., accessibility, content availability, ease of
use, and information security and privacy.
● The Services Portals were assessed on an additional 3 parameters, viz., End-service Delivery,
Integrated Service Delivery, and Status and Request Tracking.
● The report covers services across 7 sectors: finance, labor, and employment, education, local
governance and utility services, social welfare, environment, and tourism sectors.
● The assessment covered 56 mandatory services for each state and UT and 27 services for the
focus Central Ministries.
● The report has been prepared covering the assessment of States, and UTs, and focuses on
Central Ministries on their effectiveness in delivering online services to citizens.
● The report also provides suggestions for governments to further enhance their e-Governance
service delivery systems
● NeSDA has followed the Good Governance Index 2021 grouping of the States and UTs.
➢ 1st group: North-East and Hill States
➢ 2nd group: Union Territories
➢ 3rd group: Remaining States Group A
➢ 4th group: Remaining States Group B.
Overall Ranking :
● Kerala had the highest overall compliance score among all states and UTs.
● Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh had a compliance of more
than 85 percent among the Remaining States category.
● Among the Remaining States, the overall score of Tamil Nadu increased the most in 2021
compared to 2019.
● Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Goa, and Odisha also improved the compliance of their
Services Portals by 100 percent.
● Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan are the leading states with compliance of more than 75
percent across all parameters for their Services Portals.
North-East and Hill States :
● Meghalaya and Nagaland are the leading State Portals with an overall compliance of more than
90 percent across all assessment parameters among the northeast and hill states.
● Among the Services Portals for North-East and Hill States, the highest-ranking states of
Meghalaya and Tripura showed improvement across all six sectors compared to NeSDA 2019
Union Territories :
● Jammu and Kashmir, assessed for the first time, ranked the highest among Union Territories
with an overall compliance of nearly 90 percent for the national e -governance service delivery
assessment (NeSDA).
Ranking of central ministries:
● Home Affairs, Rural Development, Education, and Environment, Forest & Climate Change are
the leading Ministry Portals with an overall compliance of more than 80% across all assessment
parameters.
● The Central Public Procurement Portal, Digital Police Portal, and Bhavishya Portal are the
leading Ministry Services Portals with an overall compliance of more than 85% across all
assessment parameters.
About NeSDA :
● NeSDA is the biennial study that provides suggestions for governments to further enhance their
e-Governance service delivery systems.
● It is Constituted in 2019 by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances
(DARPG).
IMD World Competitiveness Index 2022: India’s rank 37 Denmark Tops
● According to the International Institute for Management Development’s annual World
Competitiveness Index 2022 India has witnessed the sharpest rise among the Asian economies,
with a 6th position jump from 43rd in 2021 to 37th rank in 2022.
● Denmark topped the 2022 IMD World Competitiveness Index featuring 63 economies followed
by Switzerland and Singapore.
Top 10 Countries in IMD World Competitiveness Index 2022:
1. Denmark
2. Switzerland
3. Singapore
4. Sweden
5. Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region)
6. Netherlands
7. Taiwan
8. Finland
9. Norway
10. USA
In 2021 ranking :
● Demark - 3rd Position
● Switzerland - 1st Position
● Singapore - 5th position
Key Highlights :
● China ranked 17th and Australia ranked 19th in the index.
● With the improvement in the ranking, India's economic performance has improved from 37th in
2021 to 28th position in 2022.
● The government efficiency improved from 46 in 2021 to 45 in 2022, while business efficiency
saw a huge improvement from 32nd rank in 2021 to 23rd in 2022 & Infrastructure, India remains
49.
● The challenges that India's faces include managing trade disruptions and energy security,
maintaining high GDP growth post the pandemic, skill development and employment generation,
asset monetization, and resource mobilization for infrastructure development.
● The top 5 attractive factors of India's economy for business are
1. A skilled workforce
2. Cost competitiveness
3. The dynamism of the economy
4. High educational level
5. Open and positive attitudes.
About the World Competitiveness Index 2022:
● The 2022 World Competitiveness Ranking was released by the IMD business school in
Switzerland and Singapore.
● Its think-tank, IMD World Competitiveness Center, ranks 63 economies and assesses the extent
to which a country promotes the prosperity of its people by measuring economic well -being via
hard data and survey responses from executives.
About IMD :
● Location : Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
● Chairman: Michel Demaré
● President : Jean-Francois Manzoni
Transport Research Wing (TRW) Road accidents in India 2020 report: Road Accidents Significantly
Declined by 13% In 2020
● According to the report ‘Road accidents in India 2020’, prepared by the Transport Research Wing
(TRW) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the number of road accidents
has been on the decline since 2016 except for a marginal increase of 0.46 percent in 2018.
● Road accident parameters registered a significant decline in 2020 compared to 2019.
● As per data, Total accidents decreased on an average by 18.46 percent, the number of persons
killed decreased by 12.84 percent and the number of injuries decreased by 22.84 percent.
● For the second consecutive year, the total number of road accident fatalities has declined in
2020.
● Similarly, the number of persons injured has been on the decline since 2015.
● For the 3rd consecutive year in 2020, the fatal road accident victims largely constitute young
people in the productive age groups.
● Young adults in the age group of 18 - 45 years accounted for 69 percent of victims in 2020.
● People in the working-age group of 18 – 60 years share 87.4 percent of total road accident
fatalities.
● A total of 3,66,138 road accidents have been reported by States and Union Territories (UTs)
during the calendar year 2020, which claimed 1,31,714 lives and caused 3, 48,279 injuries.
● A total of 1, 20,806 fatal accidents were reported in 2020, which is 12.23 percent lower than the
2019 figure of 1, 37,689.
The Major States that achieved a significant reduction in road accidents in 2020:
● Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
The major States that achieved a significant reduction in road accident fatalities in 2020 :
● Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh.
About ‘Road accidents in India 2020’ :
● The ‘Road accidents in India 2020’ provides information on various facets of road accidents in the
country during the calendar year 2020.
● It has 10 sections and covers information relating to road accidents in the context of road length
and vehicular population.
● Data/information provided in this report is sourced from police departments of States/Union
Territories collected on a calendar year basis in standardized formats as provided by the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) under the Asia
Pacific Road Accident Data (APRAD) base project.
4 Indian companies join Apple, Google, and Amazon as the world’s 100 best brands
● According to the top 100 ‘Most Valuable Global Brands report released by data analytics and
brand consulting company Kantar, 4 Indian companies namely Tata Consultancy Services
(TCS), HDFC Bank, Infosys, and LIC were featured.
● By 2021, the combined value of the world's Top 100 most valuable brands has increased by
23% to $8.7 trillion, highlighting the importance of brand strength in navigating an uncertain
global economy.
Indian Companies in top 100 ‘Most Valuable Global Brands’ report:
● Among the Indian companies, TCS was ranked as the most firm in the country.
● In the overall rankings, TCS was ranked at the 46th spot, with an estimated brand valuation of
$50 billion.
● HDFC Bank was ranked 61st as the second-largest brand in India with a brand value of $35
billion.
● Infosys, the latest entrant to the list, was in 64th place, while brand value hovered at $33 billion.
● LIC which recently had India’s largest public issuance of ₹21,000 crores was ranked 92nd, with
a brand value of $23 billion.
● TCS was the 2nd biggest brand in the Asia Pacific Region, second only to Samsung which has a
brand value of $54 billion.
● HDFC Bank and Infosys stood at the 3rd and 4th positions on the list, while LIC was in the 8th
spot.
Rank Company Value
46 TCS $50 billion
61 HDFC Bank $35 billion
64 Infosys $33 billion
92 LIC $23 billion
Ranking in World:
● Apple was the most valuable brand in the world, with a brand value of $947 billion, followed by
Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
● Facebook, which recently changed its name to Meta, stood at the eighth position as its brand
value was nearly a fifth of Apple’s.
● Kantar Brandz’s 2022 Most Valuable Global Brands also included IBM, Coca-Cola, Adobe,
Oracle, Starbucks, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Adidas, and Ikea in the top 100.
Top 10 Brands :
Rank Brands Value
1 Apple $947 billion
2 Google $819 billion
3 Amazon $705 billion
4 Microsoft $611 billion
5 Tencent $214 billion
6 McDonald’s $196 billion
7 Visa $191 billion
8 Facebook $186 billion
9 Alibaba $169 billion
10 Louis Vuitton $124 billion
About Kantar Group :
● Founded: 1992
● Headquarters: London, England, UK
● CEO: Chris Jansen
● Kantar Group is a data analytics and brand consulting company.
Coursera Global Skills Report 2022: Switzerland tops, India ranked 68th position
● According to Coursera's latest Global Skills Report (GSR) 2022, India’s overall skills proficiency
has slipped four places to be ranked at the 68th position globally.
● In Asia, India stands at the 19th position.

● For the second consecutive year, Switzerland had the highest-skilled learners followed by
Denmark, Indonesia, and Belgium.
Key Highlights of Coursera Global Skills Report 2022 :
India’s Scenario :
● The report shows an increase in India’s technology proficiency levels from 38% to 46%, with the
country strengthening its position by 6 spots.
● Meanwhile, proficiency in data science has dipped from 38% in 2021 to 26% in 2022, leading to
a 12-rank drop.
Indian learners are focusing on building technology skills :
● With strong proficiency in key tech skills like cloud computing, theoretical computer science, and
web development, India now ranks 56th globally in the domain compared to the 66th ranking in
2021.
● Cloud Computing is India’s strongest technology skill with 74% proficiency.
Indian learners continue to lag in data science skills :
● Slipping by 12 ranks, India scores low on foundational and specialized data science skill s
➢ Data Visualization (10%)
➢ Statistical Programming (14%)
➢ Data Management (22%) among others.
➢ The strongest skill in the domain for India continues to be Machine Learning (41%).
Learners in India are concentrating on financial skills :
● The government, along with online learning platforms, fin-techs, and experts in the financial
sector, have been emphasizing the need for new-age financial skills.
● According to the GSR, learners in India are over-indexed in skills such as investment
management (1.38x), blockchain (1.33x), and risk management (1.22x).
● West Bengal leads the Indian states in terms of skills proficiency with the state showing the
highest levels of digital skills proficiency in the country.
● Andhra Pradesh is among the top three performing states with high proficiency in business and
technology skills.
● The report mentions the government’s efforts toward skill development, public-private
partnerships, and synergy through Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation
(APSSDC) as the learners in AP have 100 percent proficiency in security engineering, operating
systems, and computer networking.
● Industry reports estimate that 28 million new technology jobs will be created in India by 2025.
Global trends in the report:
● Wealthier countries scored higher in overall skills proficiency, matched by those with high levels
of internet access.
● Learners in developing countries were more focused on digital skills through courses like supply
chain systems and mobile architecture.
● Learners also focused on courses that develop the skills needed to understand the COVID -19
pandemic.
About Coursera Global Skills Report :
● The Global Skills Report draws data from 100 million learners in more than 100 countries who
have used Coursera to develop a new skill during the past year.
● The report benchmarks 3 of the most in-demand skill areas driving employment in the digital
economy
1. Business
2. Technology,
3. Data science.
● For the 1st time, the 2022 report also highlights changes in ranking for each country, and state-
specific data for the U.S. and India, where regional variations are notable.
● According to the report, Indian learners in southern states perform better than those in states in
the north across all three domains.
About Coursera :
● Headquarters: California, USA
● CEO : Jeff Maggioncalda
Renewables 2022 Global Status R eport (GSR 2022) - India Ranks 3rd in Renewable Energy
Installations in 2021
● According to a report titled Renewable Energy 2022 – Global Status Report, published by
REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century), India ranked 3rd globally for
total renewable power capacity additions with 15.4 GW in 2021, following only China (136 GW)
and the US (43 GW).
● For the first time, the GSR 2022 provides a world map of renewable energy shares by country
and highlights progress in some of the leading countries.
Key Highlights of the Report :
● India has added 843 MW to its hydropower capacity by 2021, bringing the total capacity up to
45.3 GW.
● India was Asia’s second-largest market for solar PV capacity, and third worldwide (13 GW
additions in 2021).
● For the first time, it surpassed Germany (59.2 GW) for fourth place in total installations (60.4
GW).
● India was rated third in the world for a total installed wind power capacity (40.1 GW), behind
China, the US, and Germany.
● The overall share of renewables in the world’s final energy consumption has stagnated rising
only minimally from 10.6 percent in 2009 to 11.7 percent in 2019 & the global shift of the energy
system to renewables is not happening.
● In the electricity sector, record additions in renewable power capacity (314.5 gigawatts, up 17
percent from 2020) and generation (7,793 terawatt-hours) were unable to meet the overall
increase in electricity consumption of 6 percent.
● In heating and cooling, the renewable share in final energy consumption increased from 8.9
percent in 2009 to 11.2 percent in 2019.
● In the transport sector, where the renewable share went from 2.4 percent in 2009 to 3.7 percent
in 2019, the lack of progress is particularly worrying, as the sector accounts for nearly a third of
global energy consumption.
● In the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021, a
record 135 countries pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
● However, only 84 of these countries had economy-wide targets for renewable energy, and only
36 had targets for 100 percent renewables.
● For the first time in the history of UN climate summits, the COP26 declaration mentioned the
need to reduce coal use, but it failed to call for targeted reductions in either coal or fossil fuels.
● The GSR 2022 makes clear that meeting countries’ net-zero pledges will require massive efforts,
and that the momentum associated with Covid-19 has passed untapped.
About REN21’s Renewables 2022 Global Status Report :
● REN21’s Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (2022 GSR) warns that the global clean-
energy transition is not taking place and that it is unlikely that the world can meet its critical
climate goals in this decade.
● The 2022 report is the 17th consecutive edition annual report.
Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report Q1 2022
● According to the report titled 'Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report Q1 2022,' India
added 513 MW of solar open access capacity, 58 percent higher QoQ compared to 324 MW
installed in Q4 2021.
● Year Over Year (YoY), the installations increased 22 percent compared to 422 MW in Q1 2021.
● As of March 2022, the cumulative installed solar capacity in the open-access market was over
5.7 GW.
Key Highlights :
● The top 5 states contributed 86 percent of all open access installations in Q1 2022.
● According to the report, Karnataka topped in additions by accounting for 30 percent of
installations during the quarter.
● Maharashtra with a 131 percent QoQ rise in installations surpassed Tamil Nadu and Uttar
Pradesh to become the second-largest state for cumulative open access solar installations.
About Mercom Communications India :
● Founded: 2009
● Managing Director: Priya Sanjay
● Mercom Communications India, a subsidiary of the US-based Mercom Capital Group, is a clean
energy research and communications firm with expertise in cleantech markets.
India ranks 4th in gold recycling with a refining capacity of 1,800 tonnes: WGC report
● The World Gold Council launched a report titled ‘Gold refining and recycling, in which India has
ranked 4th in global gold recycling in 2021 with 75 tonnes of gold recycling.
● The report estimated that from 2013 to 2021, India’s gold refining capacity increased by 1,500
tonnes, or 500%, to 1,800 tonnes.
Top 3 in global gold recycling in 2021:
1. China - Recycled 168 tonnes of gold
2. Italy - 80
3. United States of America (USA)- 78
● Over the past five years 11% of the country’s gold supply came from ‘old gold’; driven by
movements in the gold price, future gold price expectations, and wider economic outlook.
Key Highlights :
● In India, the informal sector accounts for as much as an additional 300-500 tonnes
● India’s gold refining landscape has changed notably over the last decade, with the number of
formal operations increasing from less than 5 in 2013 to 33 in 2021.
● The country’s organized gold refining capacity has surged to an estimated 1,800 tonnes
compared to just 300 tonnes in 2013.
● The gold doré’s share of overall imports has risen from just 7% in 2013 to around 22% in 2021.
● India recycles little of its stock of gold, about 8 percent of the global scrap supply.
● There are three sources of gold recycling: jewelry, manufacturing scrap, and end-of-life industrial
scrap.
● The report highlights that amidst India’s growing demand for gold, recycling will continue to be
key and the refining industry, which is currently stabilizing after a period of change, will witness
steady development.
About WGC :
● CEO: David Tait
● Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
● The World Gold Council is the market development organization for the gold industry.
● It works across all parts of the industry, from gold mining to investment, and it aims to stimulate
and sustain demand for gold.
India needs USD 223 billion to meet 2030 renewable capacity goals: BNEF Report
● According to a BloombergNEF (BNEF)’s new report titled' Financing India's 2030 Renewables
Ambition', published in association with the Power Foundation of India, India will need USD 223
billion of investment to meet its goal of wind and solar capacity installations by 2030.
● The government has set a target of increasing non-fossil power capacity to 500 GW by 2030.
● Shantanu Jaiswal, lead author of the report and head of India research at BloombergNEF.
● As per the report, corporate commitments from Indian companies could help India achieve 86
percent of its 2030 goals of building 500GW of cumulative non-fossil power generation capacity.
● The Central Electricity Authority forecasts the country's reliance on coal to drop from 53 percent
of installed capacity in 2021 to 33 percent in 2030, whereas solar and wind together make up 51
percent by then, up from 23 percent in 2021.
● In the short-term, rising interest rates, a depreciating rupee, and high inflation create challenges
for the financing of renewables.
● Scaling up financing to meet 2030 goals requires Independent Power Producers to tap into new
or underutilized sources of capital.
● These could be revolving around construction debt, investment infrastructure trusts, and funding
from retail investors, insurance companies, and pension funds.
● Higher funding requirements also need measures that can increase the availability of financing,
such as de-risking renewable projects to offering contractual terms that provide greater comfort
to investors
Additional info :
● At COP26 in November 2021, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced that India plans to
reduce emission intensity by more than 45 percent by 2030 to below 2005 levels.
● He also announced a net-zero by 2070 target.
● By 2021, 165 GW of zero-carbon generation had already been installed in the country.
About BloombergNEF :
● Founded: 2004
● Headquarters: London, England
EIU Global Liveability Index 2022: Vienna named the world’s most liveable city in 2022
● According to a report Global Liveability Index 2022 published by the Economist Intelligence Unit
(EIU), the Austrian capital Vienna is the world's most livable city for the 3rd time in the past 5
years.
● Vienna snatched the top spot from Auckland, which tumbled down to 34th place due to
coronavirus pandemic restrictions
● In 2021, Vienna was ranked 12th as its museums and restaurants were closed due to the
pandemic & it was ranked 1st position in 2018 & 2019.
Top 10 Most liveable cities:
Rank City & Country Score
1 Vienna - Austria 99.1 points
2 Copenhagen - Denmark 98 points
3 Zurich - Switzerland 96.3 points
4 Calgary - Canada 96.3 points
5 Vancouver - Canada 96.1 points
6 Geneva -Switzerland 95.9 points
7 Frankfurt -Germany 95.7 points
8 Toronto -Canada 95.4 points
9 Amsterdam -Netherland 95.3 points
10 Osaka - Japan & 95.1 points
Melbourne - Australia
Key Highlights :
● The top 10 rankings were dominated by western European cities i.e. 6 cities ranked.
● France's capital Paris came 19th, 23 places up from 2021.
● The Belgian capital Brussels was 24th, just behind Canada's Montreal.
● The United Kingdom's capital London was the world's 33rd most liveable city, while Spain's
Barcelona and Madrid came 35th and 43rd respectively.
● Italy's Milan ranked number 49, the US city of New York 51, and China's Beijing came 71st.
● As for the bottom of the list, Damascus in Syria (172), Lagos in Nigeria (171) and Tripoli in Libya
(170) continue to lag.
● The Ukrainian capital Kyiv was not included after Russia invaded the country in February 2022.
● While Russian cities Moscow and St Petersburg fell in the rankings over "censorship" and the
impact of Western sanctions.
● Lebanon's capital Beirut, which was ravaged by a 2020 port explosion and is battling a crippling
financial crisis, was not included in the ranking of business destinations.
About EIU Index :
● In ELU’s index every city is assigned a rating for relative comfort for over 30 factors across 5
general categories:
1. Stability
2. Healthcare
3. Culture and environment
4. Education
5. Infrastructure.
The rapid transition to clean energy could create 1.5 crore jobs by 2025: Report
● The report titled ‘Creating Jobs and Cutting Bills: the economic opportunities of a clean energy
transition’, published by the ‘We Mean Business Coalition’ and Cambridge Econometrics
released ahead of the G-7 leaders’ summit.
● As per the report, a swift shift from fossil fuels to clean energy could lead to the creation of 1.5
crore new jobs in India by 2025 and increase savings on electricity bills.
Key Highlights :
● According to the report, India could witness an eight dollars or 10 percent reduction in per capita
energy expenditure by 2025 when compared with a business as usual scenario.
● The reduction in per capita energy expenditure in India is projected to be 34 dollars or 31
percent by 2030 and 74 dollars or 52 percent by 2035 from the business as usual scenario.
● The report suggested that the governments set out national action plans in 2022 to eliminate all
fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 and repurpose the monies towards energy efficiency, renewable
energy, and other measures to support a people-centered and equitable clean energy transition.
● It asked G-7 nations to phase out domestic coal-fired power generation by 2030 and rapidly
scale up renewable energy deployment towards achieving 70 percent of power generation by
the next 8 years.
● The report also asked G-7 nations to commit to 100 percent sales of zero emissions by 2035 for
new light-duty vehicles and increase public spending for energy efficiency.
About We Mean Business Coalition :
● Founded: 2014
● Headquarters: Washington, DC, USA
● CEO: Maria Mendiluce
Startup Genome Published 2022 Global Startup Ecosystem Report at London Tech Week: Kerala
ranks top in Asia
● A report released by policy advisory and research firm Startup Genome released the 2022
Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) at the Elevating Founders event of London Tech
Week.
Key Highlights :
● As per a report Bengaluru has moved up to 22 from 23 in 2021.
● Bengaluru’s tech ecosystem value is $105 billion which is higher than that of Singapore at $89
billion and Tokyo at $62 billion.
● Bengaluru is also among the top 15 global ecosystems in funding and is among the top 25
global ecosystems in performance.
● To boost Kerala’s start-up ecosystem, it has been ranked 1st in Asia in Affordable Talent in
Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER).
● Kerala has also been ranked 4th in global ranking in the GSER, drawn up jointly by policy
advisory and research organization Startup Genome and Global Entrepreneurship Network.
About Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) :
● Startup Genome published its first Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) in 2012.
● The GSER is the world’s most comprehensive research on startups, with data from over three
million companies across 280+ entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems.
● The 2022 edition ranks the top 30 and 10 runner-up global ecosystems and includes a top 100
ranking of emerging ecosystems.
● The GSER-2022 is the 10th edition of the report & it was created in partnership with Crunchbase
and Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN).
About London Tech Week 2022 :
● London Tech Week is the UK's flagship tech event.
● The event will focus on the following core topics:
➢ Exploring the next generation of tech innovation
➢ Impactful innovation at scale
➢ Building a thriving tech industry
About Startup Genome :
● Founded: 2016
● Headquarters: San Francisco, California
● Founder & CEO: JF Gauthier
SRS Data: India’s life expectancy at birth rose to 69.7
● According to the data from the sample registration system (SRS) abridged life tables, 2015-19
shows India’s life expectancy at birth has increased up to 69.7 in the 2015-2019 period.
● However, India’s life expectancy at birth, which has inched up after 10 years, is still well below
the global average of 72.6.
● The data was released by the demographic survey.
Key Highlights :
● The Data suggests that high infant mortality and under-five mortality could be one of the reasons
India finds it difficult to raise life expectancy at birth.
● The gap between life expectancy at birth and life expectancy at age one or age five is biggest in
states with the highest infant mortality rate (IMR) – Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
● In Madhya Pradesh, which has the highest IMR of 43, surviving the first year after birth raises
life expectancy by 2.7 years.
● In Uttar Pradesh, with the second-highest IMR of 38, life expectancy jumps the highest, by 3.4
years, on completion of the first year.
● Gaps between life expectancy at birth and year one can also be witnessed in states like
Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Assam, Gujarat, and Odisha.
Top 5 Performers in state-wise :
1. Delhi - 74.3 years
2. Kerala - 75.2 years
3. J&K - 74.2 years
4. Himachal Pradesh - 73.1 years
5. Punjab - 72.8 years
Life expectancy at birth :
● The highest life expectancy at birth has been estimated for the NCT of Delhi at 75.9 years.
● Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh has the lowest life expectancy at birth with 65.3.
● India has added 20 years to its life expectancy at birth from 49.7 in 1970-75 to 69.7 in 2015-
2019.
● Among states, Odisha has seen the highest rise from 45.7 to 69.8, followed by Tamil Nadu,
which has increased from 49.6 to 72.6.
● Uttar Pradesh, having had the lowest life expectancy at birth of just 43 years in 1970-75 has
increased to 65.6 in 2015-2019.
Rural and Urban Divide :
● Urban women from Himachal Pradesh had the highest life expectancy at birth at 82.3 years.
● Rural men of Chhattisgarh had the lowest life expectancy at birth, just 62.8 years.
● There is a gap of 8 years in life expectancy between rural and urban areas of Assam.
● It is followed by Himachal Pradesh with a gap of five years.
● Kerala is the only state where rural life expectancy at birth is higher as compared to urban life for
both women and men.
● Bihar and Jharkhand are the only states where male life expectancy is higher than women in
both urban and rural areas.
About SRS :
● SRS is a large-scale demographic sample survey based on the mechanism of a dual record
system
Objective :
● To provide reliable estimates of fertility and mortality indicators at state and national levels for
rural and urban areas respectively.
● In India, life expectancy in various broad age groups has been estimated through the Sample
Registration System from 1970-75.
CRISIL Report: India’s data center capacity to double by fiscal 2025
● According to the CRISIL Report Data center capacity in India is expected to double to 1,700-
1,800 megawatt (MW) by fiscal 2025 from 870 MW in fiscal 2022 powered by the data boom,
digital adoption, and local data storage mandates.
● This will require investments of over Rs 40,000 crore.
● Of the Rs 40,000 crore investments, a third will be to acquire land, a fifth for substations, and the
balance for civil work, purchase of equipment, and fit-outs.
● As per the agency, electricity accounts for 45-50 percent of the operating cost of data centers.
● The share of renewables in data center power consumption is expected to increase to 35-40
percent by FY25 from under 15 percent in fiscal 2022.
● This will help improve the operators' margins by 200-300 basis points by FY25, which will help
sustain returns on capital employed at 13-15 percent.
About CRISIL :
● Founded: 1987
● Managing Director: Gurpreet Chhatwal
● Director: Nitesh Jain
● CRISIL is an Indian analytical company providing ratings, research, and risk and policy advisory
services and is a subsidiary of American company S&P Global
● It was the first credit rating agency in India.
IISM Launches India’s first Sports Marketing book “The Winning Formula for Success” author by Mr.
Vinit Karnik:
• India’s leading sports and Management institute, the International Institute of Sports &
Management (IISM) has launched India’s first-ever Sports Academic book ‘Business of Sports-
The Winning Formula for Success’ by Mr. Vinit Karnik.
• Mr. Karnik is Head of Sports, Esports & Entertainment at GroupM South Asia.
• Mr. Karnik has over 25 years of experience handling affairs in Media, Entertainment, and Sports
Management.
• This book is published by Popular Prakashan
Launchers:
• The book is launched in June 2022 in the esteemed hands of Shri. Bhagat Singh Koshyari Ji,
Governor of Maharashtra and ((ex-officio) Chancellor of the University of Mumbai, at Raj Bhavan
in the presence of Mr. Nilesh Kulkarni, Founder Director- IISM, the book’s author Mr. Vinit
Karnik, Mr. Harsha Bhatkal, P ublisher at Popular Prakashan and other marketing heads &
academicians from top B-schools of Mumbai.
Objectives:
• The objective of publishing this book in the Indian context of sports management domain is to
guide students on the right path wishing to pursue a career in sports management.
• This book explores the business side of sports and the various verticals of the industry and
poses exciting new challenges for both customers and marketers.
Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan released books titled ‘Loktantra ke Swar’ & ‘The Republican
Ethic’:
• Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan
along with Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Sports Shri Anurag Thakur
released a book ‘Loktantra ke Swar’ and ‘ The Republican Ethic’ having selected speeches of the
President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind.
• This is the fourth volume of the series featuring the fourth year of the presidency of Shri Ram
Nath Kovind.
• The compilation contains speeches on a wide range of subjects.
• E-books were also released on the occasion.
About the Book:
• This book captures the President’s thoughts on varied topics such as public service, ethics,
education, aspirations of our youth, and contemporary global issues.
• The book will enrich public discourse and serve as a guiding light toward taking India forward in
the Amrit Kaal.
PM releases Ram Bahadur Rai’s book ‘Bhartiya Samvidhan: Ankahi Kahani’:
• The book "Bhartiya Samvidhan: Ankahi Kahani" by Ram Bahadur Rai was published by Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• Shri Ram Bahadur Rai's lifelong quest for new ideas and willingness to provide something new
to society was highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• He stated his hope that the book, which was issued, would present the Constitution in its
entirety.
About the book:
• The book by Shri Rai will be in the spirit of New India’s commitment to remember the forgotten
thoughts to ensure that in the India of the future, a consciousness of the past stays strong.
• The book, together with the country's history and untold chapters of the constitution, will inspire
the country's youth to think differently.
A new book titled “Gautam Adani: The Man Who Changed India” by RN Bhaskar
• According to Penguin Random House (PRHI), the biography of industrialist and billionaire
Gautam Adani, titled "Gautam Adani: The Man Who Changed India," will be available in stores
in October.
• The journalist-author RN Bhaskar's book makes the bold claim that it is the first to reveal
previously hidden facets of one of the richest individuals on earth.
• The Ahmedabad-based industrialist currently heads the largest private sector player in the
nation in industries like airports, city gas distribution, power transmission, thermal power, edible
oil, and railway lines.
• He is in charge of a business empire that is now India's largest player in ports and renewable
energy.
• Publishers claim that the book goes in-depth and includes a variety of fascinating anecdotes
from Adani's life, shedding light on his early years, his entry into the business, and the lessons
and possibilities he sought.
‘Shabash Mithu’: A biopic on former Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj:
• The trailer for "Shabaash Mithu," a Taapsee Pannu-starring biopic on former India women's
cricket team captain Mithali Raj, has been released by director Srijit Mukherji.
• The movie will debut in theatres on July 15.
• Priyan Aven, who makes her screenwriting debut with Shabaash Mithu, wrote the screenplay for
the movie.
• With lyrics by Swanand Kirkire, Kausar Munir, and Raghav M. Kumar and sound design by
Academy Award winner Rasool Pookutty, Amit Trivedi provided the music for the movie.
• The video provides glimpses inside the inspirational life of Mithali, who holds the record for most
runs scored in women's international cricket and serves as an example for countless aspiring
Indian women players.
• It depicts Mithali's struggle for equality in a male-dominated sport as well as her development as
a cricket player.
Haryana CM releases a book ‘Ashtang Yoga’ authored by Dr. Sonu Phogat:
• On the eighth International Yoga Day, Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar
published the book Ashtang Yoga authored by Dr. Sonu Phogat.
• Every person, according to Manohar Lal Khattar, should have a resolution for yoga and must
identify with that resolution.
• The Yog to Sehyog Mantra will illuminate a fresh path into the future.
• It is a source of pleasure that the yoga book was published on the eve of International Yoga
Day, recognizing the efforts of author Dr. Sonu Phogat.
• It will help the people, he claimed.
Biography of George Fernandes to hit stands next month
• According to Penguin Random House India, a new biography of one of India's most outspoken
union leaders and former Central minister George Fernandes will follow his journey from the
slums of Bombay to the halls of power in NewDelhi.
• Rahul Ramagundam's book "The Life and Times of George Fernandes" will be published on July
25 under Penguin's "Allen Lane" brand.
Regarding the George Fernandes:
• In 1974, as a trade unionist in Mumbai, Fernandes organized a nationwide rail strike that
brought the nation to a stop.
• Fernandes was born on June 3, 1930, in Mangalore to a Christian family.
• At the age of 88, Fernandes passed away in January 2019 after a protracted illness.
• In 1989, he was appointed minister of rails in V P Singh's National Front coalition government,
which was dominated by left-leaning parties.
• After the Emergency was implemented in 1975 by the then-prime minister, Indira Gandhi,
Fernandes became a crucial player in the struggle to re-establish democracy.
India wins first-ever medal at the IBSA Judo Grand Prix:
• India won its first-ever medal in the IBSA Judo Grand Prix in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan.
• Judoka Kapil Parmar of the Indian Blind and Para Judo Association deserves deep gratitude for
bringing gold to the country.
• 18 of the 21 competing countries took home medals.
• As a result of these, several countries, notably Iraq, Switzerland, and India, received their first
medals in the IBSA Grand Prix.
• Nur-Sultan has already established himself as a worldwide figure.
About the IBSA Grand Prix:
• The IBSA Grand Prix was held in this Kazakh city, and it was here that we saw the universality
of nations come to life, as well as the struggle of winning any medal.
• The 2022 IBSA Judo Grand Prix Kazakhstan came to an end after two days of intense
competition in Nur-Sultan.
• On the first day, more than a hundred judokas from 21 countries contested for gold, with Turkey,
Iran, Uzbekistan, Romania, Japan, Brazil, and Kazakhstan sitting atop the podiums.
• Brazil led the final medal table with five golds and seven other medals, Turkey had three titles
and three silvers, and several countries, such as Switzerland, Iraq, and India, won their first
medals at an IBSA Grand Prix.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez won Monaco F1 Grand Prix 2022:
• Driver Sergio Pérez (Mexican) of the Red Bull team won the Monaco Grand Prix (GP) Formula
One (F1) 2022 with 25 points, held at Circuit de Monaco, Monaco, Europe.
• With this win, Sergio Pérez becomes the first Mexican to win the Monaco Grand Prix , and the
first North American to win it since Gilles Villeneuve in 1981.
• The second place is occupied by Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr (Spanish) with 18 points.
• Third place was taken by Belgian-Dutch driver Max Emilian Verstappen, who drove for Red Bull
Racing.
• Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc drove for Ferrari to fourth in the race.
• The win was Sergio Perez's first of the season, ending the dominance of Verstappen and
Leclerc, and the third of his career, making him the most successful Mexican F1 driver ahead of
Pedro Rodriguez.
Men’s Hockey Asia Cup: India wins bronze with a 1 -0 win over Japan
• India beat Japan 1-0 to win the bronze medal at the 2022 Men's Hockey Asia Cup in Jakarta,
Indonesia.
• Japan had seven corners while India had only two, but India came out on top in circling
penetration index 11-10.
• But she managed to hold her ground and win a second bronze at the Asian Cup.
• This is India's 10th medal out of 11 held at the continental competition so far.
• India, 2003, 2007, and 2017 champions, finished second five times and won bronze twice.
• In the match against Japan, Rajkumar Pal (6') scored the only goal of the match.
• India captain Birendra Lakra was declared man of the match in bronze medal qualifying.
Finals of Asia Cup 2022:
• South Korea has extinguished Malaysia's hopes of the Asian Cup for the first time when they
have crowned champions with a thrilling victory in Round 21 here at GBK Sports Arena.
• This is the fifth time the Korean team has won the prestigious trophy.
• They won the title in 1994, 1999, 2009, and 2013.
Shri Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for an Olympic-level sports complex in Ahmedabad:
• The government wants world-class pitches and venues for all sports for the Ahmedabad Games
with Sardar Patel Sports Complex, Narendra Modi Stadium, Naranpura Sports Complex, and
three complexes for other sports.
• Shri Amit Shah, Union Minister for Cooperation and Housing, laid the groundwork for an
Olympic-level sports complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat for Rs 632 crore.
Key point:
• The world-class sports stadium spans 18 acres in the Naranpura district of Ahmedabad, with
facilities for playing and training in a variety of indoor and outdoor activities, including swimming.
• It can also hold up to 7,000 people at a time.
• This huge sports facility with a construction area of more than 1,150,000 square meters includes
an indoor sports arena, a community sports arena, and an aquatic stadium.
• The BJP-led central and state government hopes that the presence of the world's largest cricket
stadium, the Sardar Patel Sports Complex, and the Naranpura Sports Complex will make
Ahmedabad the city where they prepare for the Olympics.
Indian American Harini Logan Wins 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee:
• Harini Logan was eliminated from the Scripps National Spelling Bee once and was later
reinstated.
• She missed four words during a tough match against Vikram Raju, including one that would
have earned her the title.
• In the first tiebreak, Harini finally won the championship trophy.
• The 13-year-old 8th grader from San Antonio, Texas, who last entered the total bee-shooting
contest 3 years ago and endured the pandemic again, spells 21 words correctly in 90 seconds
and beat Vikram 6 words.
About Harini Logan:
• Harini, one of the most popular artists to come in and an audience favorite for her poise and
positivity, took home more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.
• She is the fifth Scripps champion to be coached by Grace Walters, a former Texas hunter,
fellow, and student at Rice University who is considering retirement from coaching.
French Open Tennis Grand Slam 2022:
• The 2022 French Open is a Grand Slam tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts.
• Taking place at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, F rance, from May 22 to June 5, 2022, and
includes singles, doubles, and mixed doubles match.
• Iga Świątek won the women's singles title, winning the French Open crown for a second time,
while Rafael Nadal won the men's singles, winning a record 14th French Open title.
LIST OF WINNERS:
Title Winner Runner up
Men’s Singles Rafael Nadal (Spain) Casper Ruud (Norwegian)
Women’s Singles Iga Świątek (Poland) Coco Gauff (US)
Men’s doubles Marcelo Arévalo (El Ivan Dodig (Croatian),
Salvador), Jean-Julien Austin Krajicek (US)
Rojer (Netherlands)
Women’s doubles Caroline Garcia (French), Jessica Pegula (US), Coco
Kristina Mladenovic Gauff (US)
(French)
Mixed doubles Ena Shibahara (Japan), Joran Vliegen (Belgium),
Wesley Koolh of Ulrikke Eikeri (Norway)
(Netherlands)
Aman Sehrawat strikes gold at Bolat Turlykhanov Cup Wrestling tournament:
• National champion Aman Sehrawat clinched a gold medal while Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist
Bajrang Punia settled for bronze in the 2022 Bolat Turlykhanov Cup wrestling tournament in
Almaty, Kazakhstan.
• With the two more medals, India concluded the United World Wrestling's ranking series with 11
medals - six golds, one silver, and four bronze.
• Five of the golds were won by women.
India ends their campaign at Bolat Turlykhanov Cup in the second position with 12 medals:
• In Wrestling, India ended their campaign at the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup at Almaty in
Khazakstainon in the second position with 12 medals.
• This included a tally of six golds, one silver, and five bronze medals in total.
• Iran topped the medal tally with 14 medals.
• Out of six gold medals, five were clinched by women.
• World and Asian Championship bronze medallist Sarita Mor grabbed her first gold medal of the
2022 season in 59 kg, while Manisha won her first gold in seniors in 65 kg.
Winners List:
• Mansi Ahlawat won the yellow metal in 57 kg while Sakshi Malik grabbed gold in 62 kg.
• Divya Kakran also won the gold medal in 68 kg.
• Bipasha won Silver in 72 kg while Pooja Sihag in 76 kg and Sushma Shokeen in 55 kg bagged
the bronze medal.
• In Men's category, Aman Sehrawat grabbed gold in 57 kg while Bajrang Punia in 65 kg, Mohit
Grewal in 125 kg, and Neeraj in 63 kg won bronze medals.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia has announced first-ever National Air Sports
Policy 2022:
• Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia has announced first-ever National Air
Sports Policy-2022 in New Delhi.
• The objective of this policy is to include India among the top air sporting nations by 2030.
• It is also aimed at providing a safe, affordable and sustainable air sports ecosystem in the
country.
• Eleven air sports including Aerobatics, Ballooning, Gliding, Parachuting, Powered aircraft, and
Rotorcraft will be promoted through this policy.
Key Points:
• This policy will create a robust ecosystem of air sports activities in the country.
• This will help in the generation of one lakh jobs in the sector and increase the revenue from
existing 100 crore rupees to 10 thousand crore rupees in coming years.
• The Civil Aviation Minister, segregated air spaces will be created in certain locations to allow
uninhibited air sporting activities in the designated areas.
• Domestic manufacturing of air sports equipment will be promoted through this policy.
• Mr. Scindia said a four-tier governance structure, the Air Sports Federation of India has been
formed which will cover all aspects of air sports.
Indian shooter Avani Lekhara strikes gold at Para Shooting World Cup in France with a record score:
• Indian shooter Avani Lekhara won the gold medal at the Para Shooting World Cup in France
with a record score.
• The victory assured Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Lekhara of a spot in the 2024 Paris
Paralympics.
• Avani created a world record by scoring 250.6 in the women's 10-meter air rifle standing SH1
event.
• The 20-year-old shooter broke her world record of 249.6.
• The SH1 category is for athletes with lower limb impairment for competition in rifle events.
BWF confirms cancellation of US open to COVID-19:
• Badminton World Federation has confirmed that the US Open scheduled for 4th to 9th October
has been canceled.
• USA Badminton concluded that it is no longer feasible for them to host their tournament this year
due to organizational complications coming out of COVID-19.
• The US Open is a Super 300 tournament on the BWF World Tour.
• This is the third consecutive time that US Open has been ca nceled.
About BWF:
• The Badminton World Federation is the international governing body for the sport of badminton
recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
• It was founded in 1934 as the International Badminton Federation with nine member nations.
• President: Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen
• Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
India Beat Poland 6-4 to Clinch Inaugural FIH Hockey 5s Title:
• India beat Poland 6-4 in the final to clinch the inaugural FIH Hockey 5s championship in
Lausanne in Switzerland.
• India, who had topped the five-team league standings with three wins and one draw en route
final, ended their campaign with an unbeaten record.
• India had beaten Poland, who had finished second with two wins and as many losses, 6-2 in
their round-robin league match three and half hours earlier
• Earlier, India first outplayed Malaysia 7 -3, pumping in four goals in the second half in a stunning
show before beating Poland 6-2 in the second match of the day.
• India had topped the five-team standings after the round-robin league stage with 10 points from
three wins and one draw.
• India had beaten hosts Switzerland 4-3 and drawn with arch-rivals Pakistan 2-2.
FIH World Ranking: Women's hockey team climbs to 6th position:
• The Indian Women's Hockey team climbed to the sixth position in the FIH World Hockey
Rankings, achieving their best-ever ranking.
• With 2029.396 points, the Indian Women's Hockey Team is now placed in the World Rankings
above Spain.
• Spain dropped one place after losing both their FIH Hockey Pro League 2021-22 matches to
Argentina.
• They have also lost one match each to Belgium and England.
About Ranking:
• With 2029.396 points, the Indian women's hockey team is now placed sixth behind the
Netherlands (3049.495), Argentina (2674.837), Australia (2440.750), England (2204.590), and
Germany (2201.085).
• Spain is seventh with a rating of 2016.149.
• The Indian women's hockey team currently sits in the third position in the FIH Hockey Pro
League 2021-22 table with 22 points from 8 games.
• Australia retained the top spot in the men's rankings with 2842.258 points, with World and
Olympic champions Belgium snapping at their heels with 2764.735 points.
Para-canoeist Prachi Yadav bags bronze in Paracanoe World Cup in Poland:
• Paralympian Prachi Yadav made history for India by becoming the first canoeist from the country
to win a World Cup medal when she bagged a bronze in the VL2 Women’s 200m in the
Paracanoe World Cup held in Poznan, Poland.
• Prachi, the para-canoeist from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh who is the first Indian to qualify for
and reach the final in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo last year, finished third in the VL2
Women’s 200m in 1:04.71 to finish behind Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Susan Seipel of Australia
and Brianna Hennessy of Canada, who bagged gold and silver respectively.
• It was marked by the best performance by Manish Kaurav in KL3 Men 200m and Manjeet Singh
in VL2 Men 200m by reaching the finals for the first time in the history of the sport in India.
Shreyas G Hosur became 1st Indian Railways officer to complete the grueling ‘Ironman’ Triathlon:
• Shreyas G Hosur after he created history by becoming the first officer from the Indian Railways
to complete the 'Ironman Triathlon' – considered to be the toughest single-day sports event in
the world.
• The event includes a 3.8 km swim, 180 km cycling, and 42.2 km running.
• Hosur completed the event - held in Germany's Hamburg in 13 hours and 26 minutes.
About Shreyas G. Hosur:
• Shreyas G. Hosur is the first officer from the non-uniformed Civil Services to complete the event,
making this a proud moment for the Railways.
• Shreyas G. Hosur is an Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) officer of the 2012 Batch.
• He is returned from deputation to National Technical Research Organization (NTRO), Delhi, and
is currently serving as Dy. FA&CAO in Construction/SWR.
Virat Kohli becomes the 1st Indian to Reach 200 million followers on Instagram:
• Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has crossed the 200 million followers mark on the social media site
Instagram.
• Former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain entered the 200m club.
• With this, he became the first Indian to have 200 million followers on Instagram.
• Kohli is also the third most followed sportsperson on Instagram.
• The 33-year-old is only the third athlete to touch the 200 million followers mark on Instagram
after Lionel Messi (334 million) and Cristiano Ronaldo (451 million), who has the most followers
on the app.
About Kholi:
• Kohli has been the most successful Test captain India has ever produced.
• After taking over the reins from MS Dhoni, he has led India in 68 Test matches and secured 40
wins at a win percentage of 58.82.
• Kohli has 27 centuries in Test matches and 43 tons in ODI cricket.
Mithali Raj announces retirement from international cricket:
• Mithali Raj, captain of India women’s ODI and Test teams, announced her retirement from all
forms of international cricket
• Raj is regarded as one of the top Indian players of the sport.
About Mithali Raj:
• She made her international debut in 1999 and has played prolific cricket across all formats.
• In March 2021, she became the first Indian woman cricketer and second internationally to
complete 10,000 runs across all formats.
• Earlier this year, she led the Indian squad at the ODI World Cup in New Zealand.
• The team missed out on qualifying for the semi-finals by just one point.
• In the 2017 edition of the Women’s World Cup, the team lost to England in the final by nine runs
and finished second in the competition.
• Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu will be seen portraying Raj in Shabaash Mithu, a biopic based
on the cricketer.
• The movie is set to be released in July 2022.
Awards:
• The government of India (GoI) honored her with Arjuna Award in 2003 for her outstanding
achievement in cricket and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021.
• GoI honored her with Padma Shri in 2015 for her contribution to sports
Avani Lekhara wins gold with the world record in Para Shooting World Cup:
• Tokyo Paralympics champion Avani Lekhara won gold at the Para Shooting World Cup with a
world record score of 250.6 in women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 in Chateauroux, France.
• The 20-year-old shooter broke her world record of 249.6 to secure her a spot at the 2024 Paris
Paralympics.
• Poland's Emilia Babska bagged the silver medal with a total of 247.6, while the bronze went to
Anna Normann of Sweden after she shot 225.6.
• SH1 category is for athletes with lower limb impairment for competition in rifle events.
• In August last year, Lekhara bagged a gold in the 10m air rifle standing event in the SH1
category at the Tokyo Paralympics.
• She followed it up with a bronze in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event, making her the
first Indian woman to win multiple medals at the Paralympics.
Tamil Nadu CM unveils mascot & logo for FIDE Chess Olympiad to be held in Chennai:
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin unveiled the mascot and the logo named ‘Thambi’ for the
44th Chess Olympiad, in Chennai.
• ‘Thambi’ in Tamil means younger brother.
• The international event will be held at Mamallapuram near Chennai from 28th July to August 10.
• Over two thousand players from 186 countries will be taking part in the event.
• The biggest ever contingent from India is playing in this edition.
• The Chess Olympiad torch will soon be taken around all the states in the country before being lit
in the venue on the inaugural day of the event.
Key Points:
• This is the second major international chess event to be hosted by Chennai, after the World
Championship match between India’s Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen w ay back in
2013.
• Preparations for the international tournament are going on at a frenetic pace.
• Ministers for Health Ma. Subramanian, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P.K.
Sekarbabu, Youth Welfare and Sports Development Siva V. Meyyanathan, and Tourism Minister
M. Mathiventhan were all in attendance.
• Mayor R. Priya of the Greater Chennai Corporation, Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu, and All India
Chess Federation president Sanjay Kapoor, as well as other officials, were in attendance
R Praggnanandhaa won the Norway Chess Group A open chess tournament:
• India's Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa won the Norway Chess Group A open chess tournament
after netting 7.5 points from nine rounds.
• The rising Indian star finished a point ahead of Marcel Efroimski and Jung Min Seo, who tied for
second place.
• The 16-year-old GM, the top seed, remained unbeaten through the nine rounds.
• He finished the tournament with a win over compatriot V Praneeth.
• While, Magnus Carlsen emerged as the winner of the Norway Chess 2022, the competition
celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
• It is the World Champion's fourth straight title at his home tournament and the fifth overall.
• The 10-player round-robin took place at Finansparken in Stavanger, Norway, from May 30 to
June 10.
Max Verstappen won Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022:
• Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Azerbaijan Formula One Grand Prix 2022 (his fifth victory of
the season).
• In the process, Verstappen became the most successful driver in the Red Bull of all time.
• Red Bull’s Sergio Perez came second and Mercedes’ George Russell came at the third spot.
• Lewis Hamilton finished in P4 after battling through the pain barrier caused by his porpoising car
with Alpha Tauri's Pierre Gasly finishing in a season-best result of fifth.
• The win was his 66th appearance on the podium in F1, a record amongst Red Bull drivers as the
Dutchman overtook Vettel in that regard.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix results
Position Driver Team Points
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 25
2 Sergio Perez Red Bull 19
3 George Russell Mercedes 15
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 12
5 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 10
6 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 8
7 Fernando Alonso Alpine 6
8 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 4
9 Lando Norris McLaren 2
10 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1
Angelo Mathews and Tuba Hassan crowned ICC Players:
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that Sri Lankan batting star Angelo Mathews
and Pakistan’s spin sensation Tuba Hasan have been selected as the ICC Men’s and Women’s
Players for May 2022.
• Mathews has surpassed compatriot Asitha Fernando and Bangladeshi Mushfiqur Rahim to win
the award, while Tuba Hasan has surpassed his captain Bismah Maroof and Trinity Smithforf the
jersey.
• Right-handed batsman Angelo Mathews, one of Sri Lanka’s most experienced players, has been
named the ICC Player of the Month (May 2022) for scoring runs during his team’s impressive
ICC World Test Championship series win against Bangladesh.

• Scored 344 runs in two test matches at an average of 172.
• He played a powerful inning of 199 runs in the drawn match at Chittagong and 145 not out in
Mirpur.
• The ICC Player of the Month was started in January 2021 and since then this is the first time
that a Sri Lankan player has won this award.
Haryana won Khelo India Youth Games 2021 title:
• Hosts Haryana won the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2021 title with 52 gold medals, of
which, 10 came in boxing.
• The late surge helped Haryana leapfrog the 2020 champions Maharashtra on the KIYG medals
table.
• Haryana also won 39 silver and 46 bronze medals, taking their overall medal tally to 137 medals
- the highest cumulative haul by any state.
• Maharashtra, meanwhile, managed 45 gold, 40 silver, and 40 bronze medals to come second
with 125 medals.
• Karnataka, with 22 gold, 17 silver, and 28 bronze, finished third with 67 medals.
Key Points:
• The Khelo India Youth Games 2021 started on June 4 across multiple venues with Haryana’s
Panchkula hosting the bulk of the events.
• The Games, which are a part of the Indian government’s Khelo India initiative, concluded on
June 13.
• Earlier, Haryana won 16 gold medals in wrestling which proved vital in the title race. Haryana’s
swimmers and weightlifters also contributed with four gold medals each.
• Maharashtra’s wins, meanwhile, also came in different categories.
• The state bagged eight gold medals in track and field while swimmers, gymnasts, and yogasana
players clinched six each.
• The race for the title extended until the very last day with both Maharashtra and Haryana tied
with 42 gold medals each going into the final day.
Teenager Rahul Srivatshav becomes India’s 74th Grandmaster:
• Rahul Srivatshav P. of Telangana has become India's 74th Grandmaster, achieving the title after
breaking the 2500 (Elo points) barrier in live FIDE ratings during the 9th Cattolica Chess Festival
2022 in Italy.
• The 19-year-old player reached the 2500 Elo live rating mark after drawing his 8th round game
against Grandmaster Levan Pantsulaia in the Cattolica event.
• His current Elo rating is 2468.
• Srivatshav had already secured five GM norms and achieved the title when he crossed the
rating threshold of 2500.
Additional info:
• To become a GM, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2500 Elo
points.
• Bharath Subramaniyam had become the country's 73rd GM in January.
• The legendary Viswanathan Anand is India's first GM, which he became way back in 1988.
IWF Youth World Championships: Saanapathi Gurunaidu wins gold:
• At the IWF World Youth Championships in Leon, Mexico, Indian weightlifter Saanapathi
Gurunaidu won gold in the men's 55 kg ca tegory.
• On the first day of the competition of the IWF, two more Indian weightlifters Vijay Prajapati and
Akansha Kishor Vyavhare also won medals, they also won silver.
Key Points:
• With a total lift of 230 kg, Saanapathi won gold in the men's 55 kg event.
• He won silver medals in the 104 kg jump and gold in the 126 kg jerk and jerk events.
• With a total lift of 175 kg, Vijay placed second in the men's 49 kg event.
• In the recoil category, Vijay lifted 78 kg, while in the push and jerk category, he lifted 97 kg.
• In the women's 40 kg weight category, Akanksha won the gold medal.
• She won the silver medal with a total of 127 kg after finishing first in the 59 kg jerk and third
place in the 68 kg lift.
Neeraj Chopra Sets New National Record With 89.30 Metre J avelin Throw:
• Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra set a new national record by throwing 89.30 meters at the
Paavo Nurmi Olympics in Finland.
• Chopra's previous national record was 88.07m, set by him in Patiala last March.
• He won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.58m on August 7, 2021.
• Neeraj Chopra is India's first Olympic gold medalist in athletics and a medalist. second individual
gold medal at the Olympic Games.
• Chopra's 89.30m effort would put him in fifth place on the season's world-leading list.
• Neeraj Chopra won the silver medal with his throw at the event.
• This was Neeraj’s first competitive outing since winning the historic gold medal at the Tokyo
Games.
• Finland’s Oliver Helander won the gold medal at the event with a throw of 89.83 meters.
Indian para-powerlifters Manpreet Kaur and Parmjeet Kumar win bronze medals in Asia Oceania
Open Championships:
• Indian para-powerlifters Manpreet Kaur and Parmjeet Kumar have won bronze medals on the
opening day of the World Para-powerlifting 2022 Asia Oceania Open Championships at
Pyeongtaek in South Korea.
• Manpreet Kaur won the bronze medal in the 41 kg category.
• She had the best lift of 88 kg and the total lift of 173 kg.
• In the men's category, Parmjeet Kumar also won the bronze medal in the 49 kg category.
• He lifted 160 and 163 kilograms in two rounds which were his lifetime best lifts.
ICC retains Nitin Menon in Elite Panel
• Nitin Menon of India has retained his spot on the ICC Elite Panel and will make his first
appearance as a neutral umpire later this month in Sri Lanka.
• Menon has received a one-year extension from the International Cricket Council.
• In the 11-member Elite Panel of Umpires, the 38-year-old from Indore remains the only Indian.
• At the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Menon was promoted to the Elite
Panel, becoming the third Indian to do so after S Venkataraghavan and S Ravi.
• Due to travel constraints, Menon was constrained to overseeing international matches only
within India, with the ICC authorizing local umpires.
Other umpires on the panel include:
• The Elite Panel remains unchanged, with Aleem Dar of Pakistan, Chris Gaffaney of New
Zealand, Kumara Dharmasena of Sri Lanka, Marais Erasmus of South Africa, Michael Gough,
Richard Illingworth, and Richard Kettleborough (all from England), Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker
of Australia, and Joel Wilson of the West Indies joining Menon.
About ICC
• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Neeraj Chopra to lead 37-member athletics team for Commonwealth Games 2022:
• The Athletics Federation of India has announced that Neeraj Chopra will lead a 37 -member
Indian athletics team at Commonwealth Games.
• As great sprinters like Hima Das and Dutee Chand booked their berths for the Games, which will
be held from July 28 to August 8, the gold medalist from the Tokyo Olympics will be the flag
carrier in Birmingham.
• There were no surprises among the athletes chosen by the selection committee for the CWG.
• There are 18 women among the 37 members.
• Hima Das and Dutee Chand, two of the best sprinters in the world, have already committed to
the women's 4x100m relay team.
• A men's 4x400m relay team was also picked by the selectors.
• Amoj Jacob has been chosen to compete in the men's 4x400m relay.
Men’s Athlete:
• Avinash Sable (3000m Steeplechase); Nitender Rawat (Marathon); M Sreeshankar and
Muhammed Anees Yahiya (Long Jump); Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel, and Eldhose
Paul (Triple Jump); Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put); Neeraj Chopra, DP Manu and Rohit
Yadav (Javelin Throw); Sandeep Kumar and Amit Khatri (Race Walking); Amoj Jacob, Noah
Nirmal Tom, Arokia Rajiv, Muhammed Ajmal, Naganathan Pandi and Rajesh Ramesh (4x400m
Relay).
Women’s Athletes:
• S Dhanalakshmi (100m and 4x100m relay); Jyothi Yarraji (100m Hurdles); Aishwarya B (Long
Jump and Triple Jump) and Ancy Sojan (Long Jump); Manpreet Kaur (Shot Put); Navjeet Kaur
Dhillon and Seema Antil Punia (Discus Throw); Annu Rani and Shilpa Rani (Javelin Throw);
Manju Bala Singh and Sarita Romit Singh (Hammer Throw); Bhawna Jat and Priyanka Goswami
(Race Walking); Hima Das, Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, MV Jilna and NS Simi (4x100m
relay).
FIFA announces 2026 World Cup venues across U.S., Canada, and Mexico:
• FIFA has revealed that matches for the 2026 World Cup will be contested in 11 US cities, as
well as three host locations in Mexico and two in Canada.
• Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami,
Monterrey, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, and
Vancouver are among the 16 cities that will host the event.
Key Points:
• It will also be the first time that the event will feature 48 teams, up from the 32 that will compete
in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which will take place from November 21 to December 18.
• The United States will host 60 games, including all matches from the quarter-finals forward,
while Canada and Mexico will each host ten games.
• In 1970 and 1986, Mexico hosted the FIFA World Cup.
About FIFA:
• FIFA is an international governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was
founded in 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations of
Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
• Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra wins gold at Kuortane Games in Finland:
• Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra won the javelin throw event at the Kuortane Games in
Finland, defeating incumbent world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada for his first top
podium result of the season.
• Chopra's first throw of 86.69m proved to be the winning distance for the 24-year-old.
• Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 Olympic champion from Trinidad and Tobago, came in second with
an 86.64m first-round throw.
• Peters finished third with a best throw of 84.75m, which he threw in the first round as well.
Additional Info.:
• Chopra established a new national record of 89.30m while competing in the Paavo Nurmi
Games in Finland earlier this week, in his first competitive event since winning a historic gold in
Tokyo.
• He broke his mark of 88.07 meters, which he achieved in Patiala last year.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen wins Canadian Grand Prix 2022:
• After holding off pressure from Carlos Sainz of Ferrari in the last laps of the Canadian Grand
Prix, Max Verstappen of Red Bull narrowly won his sixth Formula 1 race of the year.
• For the second time this season, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez was forced to withdraw
from the race owing to engine troubles, while Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won his second podium
this year in third.
• George Russell, Hamilton's teammate, continued his streak of placing in the top five in every
race so far this season by taking P4, and Charles Leclerc, who started from the bottom of the
grid, put in a tremendous performance to finish in P5.
Sunil Chhetri becomes joint 5th highest goalscorer:
• Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian men's football team, tied Ferenc Puskas of Hungary and
Real Madrid for most international goals with his 84th goal against Hong Kong in the Asian
Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers.
• While Ferenc Puskás (who passed away in 2006 at the age of 79) scored 84 goals in 85
international games, Sunil Chhetri has scored 84 goals in 129 appearances.
• Sunil Chhetri is now the third-highest goal scorer in international football, behind Lionel Messi
(86 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (117 goals).
• He also has the most goals scored in a season from Asia and India.
Top 5 International Goal Scorer:
• Cristiano Ronaldo with 117 goals
• Iran’s Ali Daei managed 109 goals.
• Malaysia’s Mokhtar Dahari netted 89 goals.
• Lionel Messi with 86 goals.
• Sunil Chhetri and Ferenc Puskás with 84 goals.
Matteo Berrettini defeats Andy Murray in the championship game to win the Stuttgart Open:
• Matteo Berrettini defeated Andy Murray in the 2022 Stuttgart Open final.
• He overcame Murray 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in a closely fought contest.
• The Italian had earlier missed the clay season after undergoing a minor operation on his right
hand in late March.
• However, he showed his class, getting to a win-loss record of 28-6 on grass.
• The 26-year-old Berrettini now holds a perfect 9-0 record at the ATP 250 event.
About Berrettini :
• Berrettini has now won six ATP titles in his career.
• He has a 13-6 win-loss record in 2022.
• Before this, he had lost in the round of 16 at Indian Wells.
• Notably, he had reached the semis of the 2022 Australian Open.
• He went on to win the title in his only previous appearance in Stuttgart in 2019.
• Berrettini also clinched the crown on the grass at The Queen's Club 2021.
Indian women’s Wrestling team wins Under-17 Asian Championship:
• The Indian women's wrestling team won five medals in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to win the Under-17
Asian Championship with a total of eight gold.
• With a total of 235 points, including eight gold medals, one silver, and one bronze, India won the
championship.
• With 143 points, Japan had to settle for second place, while Mongolia took third place with 138
points.
• Women's wrestling matches were conducted in 5 weight divisions.
List of Winners:
• Ritika earned gold in the 43-kilogram category for Indian women
• Ahilaya Shinde won gold in the 49-kilogram category
• Siksha hoisted the gold medal in the 57-kilogram category
• Priya won the gold in the 73-kilogram category and
• Pulkit won the silver in the 65-kilogram category.
• Additionally, there were three weight divisions in freestyle contests, where Parwinder Singh won
gold in the 80-kilogram division while Narender took home silver in the 71-kilogram division.
Minister of Civil Aviation releases National Air Sports Policy 2022:
• The National Air Sport Policy 2022 was introduced by Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Minister of
Civil Aviation (NASP 2022).
• By 2023, India should rank among the top sporting nations, according to NASP 2022's objective.
• The policy guarantees that there will be air sports that are entertaining, economical, accessible,
and sustainable in India.
• A variety of sporting events that will be held in the air were included in the air sports.
• India, a growing nation, has the potential to overtake other nations as a leader in the field of air
sports.
• India has a huge geographic area, a pleasant climate, and a sizable population, with a large
proportion of young people.
• These factors can help India promote air sports.
• The upcoming young will participate more in air sports, as these sporting activities will take place
in an air-conditioned environment.
Attendees:
• Several ministers assisted in organizing the event including Shri Rajiv Bansal, Secretary,
Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman, Airport Authority of India (AAI),
and Shri Amber Dubey, Joint Secretary, MoCA, Smt. Rubina Ali, Joint Secretary, MoCA, Shri SK
Mishra, Joint Secretary, MoCA, Shri Piyush Srivastava, Senior Economic Advisor, MoCA, Shri
PK Thakur, Deputy Director-General, MoCA, and other dignitaries from AAI, MoCA, DGCA, and
BCAS.
Four government structures have been established for the Air sport s under the Policy, and their names
are as follows:
• Air Sports Federation of India (ASFI) is the apex governing body
• National associations for individual air sports or a set of air sports, as appropriate
• Regional (e.g., West/ South/ North East, etc.) or State and Union Territory level units of the
national air sports associations, as appropriate; and
• District-level air sports associations, as appropriate.
India moves up two points in the FIFA rankings to 104:
• The Indian football team enjoyed a successful harvest as a result of their strong Asian Cup
qualification campaign, moving up two spots to position 104 in the most recent FIFA global
rankings.
• The Blue Tigers have ranked just ahead of New Zealand (103) who lost to Costa Rica 0-1 in the
intercontinental play-off earlier this month and therefore missed out on a position in the 2022 FIFA
World Cup.
• India's position among the AFC's members, however, remained unchanged at 19th.
Overall World Rankings:
• Iran remained the top-ranked nation in the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) (23).
• Three months after Belgium relinquished the top rank to Brazil, Brazil maintained it (2nd).
• Argentina moved up one spot to third, knocking France (4th) off the podium as punishment for
their four consecutive losses in the UEFA Nations League.
• The top 10 is completed by Denmark, England, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, and Portugal.
• On August 25, the newest FIFA global rankings will be released.
About FIFA
Rumeli Dhar retires from all forms of international cricket:
• The 38-year-old Indian all-rounder and seam bowler Rumeli Dhar has declared her retirement
from international cricket.
• In the 2018 tri-nation women's T20I series between India, Australia, and England at Brabourne,
Dhar competed in her final match for her country.
About Rumeli Dhar:
• She played in four Tests, 78 ODIs, and 18 T20Is overall, totalling 1328 runs and 84 wickets
across all forms.
• She also competed for India at the 2005 World Cup, which was held in South Africa.
• When she was called up to the Indian T20 squad for their February 2018 tour of South Africa,
Dhar, who made her international debut against England in Lincoln in 2003, made an improbable
return to the Indian team.
Navjeet D hillon wins gold medal at Qosanov Memorial 2022 athletics meet:
• Indian women’s discus thrower Navjeet Dhillon won the gold medal at the Qosanov Memorial
2022 athletics meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
• Navjeet Dhillon, who is looking to seal her place in the Indian team for Commonwealth Games,
won the women’s discus throw with a 56.24m effort.
• Local athlete Karina Vasilyeva with 44.61m and Uzbekistan’s Yulianna Shchukina with 40.48m
followed Navjeet Dhillon on the podium.
• Dutee Chand, who has been selected in the 4x100m relay team for CWG, clocked 11.49s in the
100m final to finish second behind Olga Safronova of Kazakhstan, who claimed gold in 11.40s.
• India’s MV Jilna came third in 11.61s. India won 14 medals on the day, including seven golds.
• Tokyo Olympian Dhanalakshmi Sekar will also be among the top Indian athletes competing at
the Qosanov Memorial 2022 athletics, which is a World Athletics bronze-level event.
Vijay Amritraj honored with Golden Achievement Award by ITF and International Tennis Hall of Fame :
• India's Vijay Amritraj has been named the 2021 recipient of the Golden Achievement Award.
• The Golden Achievement Award is presented annually by the International Tennis Hall of Fame
and the International Tennis Federation.
• The award is given to a person who has made important contributions internationally to tennis in
the fields of administration, promotion, or education and has devoted long and outstanding
service to the sport.
• The award was presented at a special celebration hosted in Amritraj's honor in London.
• A globally recognized and respected tennis icon as well as a national hero in his native India,
Amritraj was the first Indian player to turn professional on the ATP Tour.
Madhya Pradesh beats Mumbai by six wickets: Ranji Trophy 2022
• At the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Madhya Pradesh defeated tournament giants
Mumbai by six wickets to win their first Ranji Trophy championship.
• The squad, led by Aditya Shrivastava, overcame Mumbai, a 41-time winner.
• Chandrakant Pandit, a former India wicketkeeper and batsman, served as the team's coach.
• Sarfaraz Khan of Mumbai, who finished first in the batting standings with 982 runs at an average
of 122.75, was named "Man of the Tournament" for his outstanding Ranji Trophy 2022
performance with the bat.
• Shahbaz Nadeem of Jharkhand, a spinner, is one of the best bowlers in the 2022 Ranji Trophy
(25 wickets).
About Ranji Trophy:
• The Ranji Trophy is an Indian domestic first-class cricket competition featuring several teams
representing different state and regional cricket bodies.
• There are now 38 teams participating in the league, with at least one squad from each of the 28
Indian states and four of the nine union territories.
• The event is named for Ranjit Singh, popularly referred to as "Ranji," who was the first Indian
cricketer to participate in an international match.
• On November 4, 1934, Madras and Mysore played in the competition's opening game at the
Chepauk field in Madras.
• With 41 victories, including 15 consecutive victories from 1958–1959 to 1972–1973, Mumbai
(Bombay) holds the record for most tournament victories.
Cyclist Ronaldo, first Indian cyclist to win silver at Asian Championship:
• At the Asian Track Championship, Ronaldo Singh created cycling history by becoming the first
Indian cyclist to earn a silver medal in continental competition in the senior category by finishing
second in the sprint race on the penultimate day of the event in this city.
• Ronaldo's achievement was the finest one an Indian cyclist had ever made in a continental race.
• He battled skillful Japanese rider, Kento Yamasaki, valiantly, but he still came away with silver.
About the Tournament:
• The host team won one silver and two bronze medals on the last day.
• Birjit Yumnam, a young Indian cyclist, came in third place overall with 23 points in the 15 km
Points Race.
• Sungyeon Lee of Korea won the silver medal with 24 points, while Farrukh Bobosherov of
Uzbekistan won the gold.
• The 10km Women Scratch Race finals saw Chayanika Gogoi, a 19-year-old Indian, defeat
Rinata Sultanova of Kazakhstan to win bronze, which was the greatest surprise of the day.
• The gold medal went to Youri Kim, while the silver went to Japanese athlete Kie Furuyama.
• The Asian Junior and Para championships were concurrently taking place in the Indira Gandhi
Indoor Stadium Velodrome.
• There were a few collisions on the final day, which featured 10 finals.
• Japan has won the most medals overall with 18 gold, 7 silver, and 2 bronze.
• The Indian cycling team finished sixth in the top field with 23 medals (2 Gold, 6 Silver, 15
Bronze).
• Korea finished second with 12 gold, 14 silver, and three bronze medals, while Kazakhstan
finished third with 4 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze.
Key Points:
• Yamasaki defeated Ronaldo in back-to-back races to take the first position on the podium.
• Kazakhstan's Andrey Chugay won the bronze medal in the tournament.
• In the morning, Ronaldo defeated Kazakhstan's Chugay to get to the final.
• The Indians overcame a deficit to win the following two races and go to the championship event.
• Ronaldo advanced to the men's Elite sprint race semifinals while breaking the 10-second barrier
in the 200-meter flying time trial.
• He also won the global junior championship and set an Asian record.
Dhanalakshmi becomes 3rd fastest Indian woman in 200m:
• At the Qosanov Memorial Athletics, champion sprinter Sekar Dhanalakshmi ran her personal
best time to win the 200-meter gold medal.
• Dhanalakshmi beat her previous personal best of 23.14 seconds set last year by running a
respectable sub-23 second time of 22.89.
• Dhanalakshmi is just the third Indian woman to run under 23 seconds after Hima Das and
Saraswati Saha, who holds the record at 22.82 seconds (22.88s).
• With a time of 23.27 seconds, Dhanalakshmi won the 200-meter gold at the national inter-state
championships in Chennai earlier this month.
• She didn't meet the automatic qualification standard of 22.80s for the Global Championships,
which will be held in Oregon, USA, from July 15 to 24.
• However, she will have to check whether she can qualify for the competition based on her world
ranking.
IWF Youth World Championships: Vizianagaram's Sanapathi Gurunaidu becomes India's first to win
gold
• Sanapathi Gurunaidu of Chandrampeta village in Nellimarla Mandal of Vizianagaram district has
become India's first weightlifter to win gold at the IWF Youth World Championships held at Leon
in Mexico.
• The 16-year-old claimed the top slot with a total effort of 230kg (104kg+126kg) in the boy’s 55kg
event.
• While Gurunaidu, the 2020 Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships bronze medallist, stood on
top of the podium, Saudi Arabia's Ali Majeed 229kg (105kg+124kg) came in second and
Yerassyl Umrov of Kazakhstan 224kg (100kg+124kg) third.
• Besides Gurunaidu, compatriot Soumya S Dalvi bagged the bronze in her event on the second
day of the competition.
• Maharashtra a two-time Khelo India Youth gold medallist, heaved 148kg (65kg+83kg) to claim
the third spot in the 45kg girl’s event.
• India's tally at the word event now stands at four medals.
• On the opening day of the competition, Akansha Kishor Vyavhare and Vijay Prajapati won silver
medals in their respective events.
• India had not participated in the previous edition of the tournament which was held in Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia last year.
Deepak Punia wins bronze in U23 Asian wrestling championships 2022:
• Tokyo Olympian Deepak Punia won a bronze medal after defeating Maksat Satybaldy in the
86kg freestyle weight category at the U23 Asian wrestling championships 2022 in Bishkek,
Kyrgyzstan.
• Despite a win, it was an unimpressive result from him as the Indian contingent was expecting a
better outing from the world championships silver medallist in the tournament.
• In the opening two rounds, the 23-year-old Punia lost to eventual gold medallist Azizbek
Fayzullaev of Uzbekistan and Nurtilek Karypbaev of Kyrgyzstan.
• However, he overpowered Satybaldy of Kazakhstan to settle for the bronze.
• India won 25 medals in the U23 meet in the event, including 10 gold medals.
Bujar Nishani, the former President of Albania, has died:
• Bujar Nishani, a former Albanian President, died of a health ailment.
• He was 55.
About Bujar Nishani
• President Bujar Nishani, who was born in Durrs, Albania, on September 29, 1966, was noted for
his centrist political affiliation with the communist coalition.
• From 2012 until 2017, he was the president of the United States.
• He was elected as the youngest and sixth president of post-communist Albania at the age of 45,
with only parliamentarians from then-Prime Minister Sali Berisha's centre-right Democratic party
supporting him.
Bollywood Singer KK dies after performing at Kolkata concert:
• KK (Krishnakumar Kunnath), a well-known Bollywood singer who has enchanted music fans for
over three decades, has passed away.
• After a live performance in Kolkata, the 53-year-old singer died.
• KK was regarded as one of Bollywood's best singers.
• KK performed in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, and Assamese, among
other languages.
About Krishnakumar Kunnath Career:
• In the various movie, KK sang several successful songs.
• Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai (Gangster), Tadap Tadap Ke Is Dil Se (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam),
Awarapan Banjarapan (Jism), Aankhon Mein Teri Ajab Si (Om Shanti Om), and Khuda Jaane
are some of KK's most popular songs that remain his best tunes (Bachna Ae Haseeno).
• His song Yaaron, which was published in 1999, made him famous.
J&K National Panthers chief Bhim Singh has passed away:
• National Panther Party Chief Professor Bhim Singh died at his residence in Jammu after a long
illness.
• He was 80 years old.
• Singh is the founder and main patron of the Jammu and Kashmir National Press Party (JKNPP),
a political organization seeking "ultimate revolution", based in the union territory of Jammu and
Kashmir of India.
About Bhim Singh:
• Mr. Singh, a lawyer by profession, was ill for some time and was admitted to the Government
Medical College, Jammu.
• Professor Singh was a secular leader who fought tirelessly for the rights of the oppressed and
marginalized sections of society inside and outside the state legislature.
• At a time when polarization and division dominated politics, he campaigned for community
harmony and fought hard against the forces that were trying to divide people and regions along
with the front lines’ community.
Santoor maestro and Padma Shri awardee, Bhajan Sopori has passed away:
• Santoor Maestro and Padma Shri award winner Bhajan Sopori passed away at the age of 73.
• The santoor player was born in Sopore in the Kashmir valley in 1948 and belongs to the Sufiana
Gharana of Indian classical music.
• He was the great-grandson of Pandit Shankar Pandit, who developed the popular style known
as 'Sufi Baaj' (style), based on the classical music of Sufiana Qalam and Hindustani.
About Bhajan Sopori:
• Hailed as 'Saint of Santoor' and 'King of Strings', Sopori won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
in 1992 and the Padma Shri Award in 2004.
• In 2009, he received the Baba Allaudin Khan Award and the MN Award Mathur in 2011 for his
contributions to classical Indian music.
Freedom fighter Anjalai Ponnusamy passes a way:
• Freedom fighter Anjalai Ponnusamy, who fought for India's independence from the British
colony, died aged 102.
• At the age of 21, Anjali joined the Rani of Jhansi Regiment - the women's regiment of the Army
of The nation of India - in the hope of dispelling the yoke of British colonialism over the people of
India.
• A prominent figure in India's struggle for independence, Bose was a contemporary of Mahatma
Gandhi, who shared his dream of an India free from British domination.
• To do this, he formed the Indian National Army in 1943, albeit with Japanese support, during
World War II.
• After the war ended with the defeat of Japan, the Indian National Army was disbanded and Anjali
returned home to continue his life in Malaysia.
Sony ex-CEO Nobuyuki Idei passes away:
• Nobuyuki Idei, who led Japan's Sony from 1998 through 2005, steering its growth in the digital
and entertainment businesses, has died.
• He was 84.
About Idei:
• Idei joined Sony in 1960, after graduating from Tokyo's prestigious Waseda University, and
worked in its audio and video divisions.
• He was appointed president in 1995 and is credited with being behind hit products such as the
Vaio laptop.
• He became chief executive three years later, hand-picked by Norio Ohga, who led Sony in the
1980s and 1990s and was a flamboyant music lover who played a key role in the company's
development of the compact disc.
• After he retired from Sony, Idei established the consulting company Quantum Leaps Corp.
focused on reshaping companies and nurturing the next generation of leaders.
India's Long-Distance Running Legend Hari Chand passes away
● Two-time Asian Games gold medallist in long-distance running Hari Chand passed away at the
age of 69.
About Hari Chand :
● Hari Chand hails from Ghorewaha village, Hoshiarpur district, Punjab.
● Hari Chand, the winner of gold medals in 5000m and 1000m events at the 1978 Bangkok Asian
Games, also took part in two Olympics 1976 Montreal and 1982 Moscow.
● In the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Hari Chand finished 8th in the 10,000 m with a time
of 28:48.72, a national record that stood for 32 years, until Surendra Singh broke it.
● In the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, he came 10th in the 10,000-meter run.
● He also came 22nd in the 1980 Olympic Men's Marathon and completed the race with a timing
of 2:22:08 at Lenin Stadium in Moscow.
Awards & Honors :
● For his contribution to sports, Hari Chand was also conferred with the Arjuna Award.
Note :
● Athletics Federation of India president: Adille Sumariwalla
Asia’s Longest Tusked Elephant Bhogeshwara Dies
● The 70-year-old tusker with the longest tusks among Asian elephants Bhogeshwara died of
natural causes at the age of 60.
● His body was discovered in the D.B.Kuppe Forest Range in the H.D.Kote taluk of the Mysuru
district by forest officers.
● The viscera samples have been sent to the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory of Mysore &
experts see no foul play and stated that it was a natural death.
About Bhogeshwara :
● Bhogeshwara, the majestic elephant, was found dead near the Kabini reservoir in Bandipur-
Nagarhole Reserve Forest.
● He was known as Mr. Kabini.
● The elephant was given the name Bhogeshwara because it was frequently seen around the
Bhogeshwara camp, which is located near the Kabini backwaters.
● Bhogeshwar’s tusks were 2.54 meters (8 feet) long on one side and 2.34 meters on the other
(7.5 feet).
● He was a celebrity elephant for three decades and was the elephant with the most number of
photos clicked by wildlife photographers at Kabini backwaters.
Renowned linguist and critic Professor Gopi Chand Narang passes away
● Eminent Urdu scholar, linguist, literary critic, and former Chairperson of Sahitya Akademi, Gopi
Chand Narang passed away in the United States at the age of 91.
About Gopi Chand Narang :
● Gopi Chand Narang was born in Dukki, now in present-day Balochistan, Pakistan.
● He was Professor Emeritus at the University of Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia.
● He was the president of Sahitya Akademi, which is dedicated to the promotion of Indian
literature in the 24 languages of India.
● Professor Narang was Vice-chairman of the Delhi Urdu Academy (1996-1999) and the National
Council for Promotion of Urdu Language - HRD (1998-2004) and Vice-president (1998-2002)
and President (2003-2007) of the Sahitya Akademi.
● He worked extensively on explaining and analyzing the works of Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir, and later
Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Firaq Gorakhpuri.
● He penned about 60 books, and also designed 10 books for children under the title Let’s Learn
Urdu in English and Hindi.
● He is the only Urdu writer to be honored by the presidents of both India and Pakistan.
Awards & Honors :
● In 1995, professor Narang won the Sahitya Akademi Award for his comprehensive work
Sakhtiyat, Pas-Sakhtiyat aur Mashriqui Sheriyat (Structuralism, Post-Structuralism, and Eastern
Poetics).
● He was awarded the prestigious Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) (2012) by the Government
of Pakistan and Padma Bhushan (2004) and Padma Shri (1990) by the Government of India.
Well-known photojournalist R Raveendran passes away
● Veteran photojournalist R. Raveendran passed away at the age of 69.
About R Raveendran :
● He started his career as a teleprinter operator in AFP 1973.
● Later, he became a photographer in 1984.
● Presently, he was working with ANI as Photo Editor.
● He was the recipient of numerous photography awards and is known for his iconic photo of Rajiv
Goswami setting himself on fire during the Mandal agitation in the Capital.
● Apart from this, his photographs of the Gujarat plague, the Bhopal gas tragedy, and the picture
of Sonia Gandhi and children near the pyre of Rajiv Gan.
Former SAIL chairman V Krishnamurthy passes away
● Venkatraman Krishnamurthy, a former Chairman of steel Public Sector Unit (PSU) SAIL and
Maruti Udyog Ltd (now Maruti Suzuki), passed away at the age of 97 in Chennai.
About V Krishnamurthy :
● Krishnamurthy was born on January 14, 1925, in Tamil Nadu & he was an Indian civil servant.
● He was the Chairman of SAIL from 1985 to 1990.
● He had been the chairman of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), Maruti Udyog, and GAIL.
● He was also a former chairman of IIM Bangalore and Ahmedabad; IIT Delhi; Xavier Institute of
Management, Bhubaneswar; the Centre for Organization Development, Hyderabad; and also the
Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council.
● From 2004-08, he became a member of the National Advisory Council & also served as a
Member of, the Planning Commission, and Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry
of Industry.
● He was also the Chairman of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council and held the
rank of Cabinet Minister till 2014.
● He was one of the founding trustees of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.
Awards & Honors :
● For the civil services category, he received Padma Shri in the year 1973, Padma Bhushan in
1986, and Padma Vibhushan in 2007.
● Business Leadership Award In 1975.
● Businessman of the Year Award in 1987.
● Steelman of the Year Award in 1989.
● Lifetime Achievement Award in Management given by AIMA for the Year 2005
● He was conferred the Special Nakajima Award by JIPM in the year 2007 for his efforts to
promote the Total Productive Management (TPM) Initiative in India.
● He is the recipient of " The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun" in 2009 in recognition
of his outstanding contributions to the promotion of bilateral economic relations and
understanding of Japan in India. H.M.
Noted lyricist Chowalloor Krishnankutty passes away
● Noted lyricist, author, and journalist, Chowalloor Krishnankutty passed away in Thrissur, Kerala
at the age of 86.
About Chowalloor Krishnankutty :
● Chowalloor Krishnankutty was born on July 11, 1936, at Variyath, Chowalloor in Thrissur,
Kerala.
● He began his career as a journalist with 'Navajeevan' which was published out of Thrissur.
● He became a lyricist by writing the famous song ‘Swapnadanam njan tudarunnu’ for the movie
Thulabharamin in 1975.
● He served as the Vice-Chairman of the Kerala Kalamandalam.
● Krishnankutty penned over 3000 devotional songs and authored more than 200 books.
● He joined Malayala Manorama and retired as an assistant editor in 2004.
Awards & Honors :
● He was also a recipient of numerous awards, including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for
Humour and the state award for Best song in drama.
Chairman of Shapoorji Pallonji group, Pallonji Mistry Passes away
● Pallonji Mistry, chairman of Shapoorji Pallonji group, passed away in Mumbai at the age of 93.
About Pallonji Mistry :
● The Indian-born Irish tycoon was the richest person in his nation and had a net worth of $28.90
billion as per the Bloomberg Billionaire index.
● Pallonji was the largest individual shareholder in the Tata Group with 18.4 percent holding in the
conglomerate and is also known as the Phantom of Bombay House within the conglomerate.
● He was the former chairman of Associated Cement Companies and Eureka Forbes.
● Mistry’s life was captured in the form of the biography The Moguls of Real Estate by Manoj
Namburu in 2008.
● He helped in the expansion of the SP Group to the Middle East countries, including Abu Dhabi,
Qatar, and Dubai, in 1970.
● In 1971, the company won its first overseas project to build the palace of the Sultan of Oman,
which was completed in 1976.
Awards & Honors :
● In 2016, Pallonji was conferred with the country’s third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan,
for his contribution to business including Real Estate, Textiles, Power, Shipping, Publications,
and others.
About Shapoorji Pallonji group :
● Founded: 1865
● The Shapoorji Pallonji Group is an Indian conglomerate company.
● It operates in construction, real estate, textiles, engineered goods, home appliances, shipping,
publications, power, and biotechnology.
● The Shapoorji Pallonji Group, under Pallonji Mistry’s watch, has built some of the iconic
structures in Mumbai, including the Reserve Bank of India building, the State Bank of India
building, and The Taj Mahal Palace hotel buildings.
Olympic and World Cup medallist hockey player Varinder Singh Passes away
● Legendary Indian hockey player & and Olympic and world championships medalist Varinder
Singh passed away in Jalandhar at the age of 75.
About Varinder Singh :
● Varinder Singh was an integral member of India's dominant hockey team in the 1970s.
● Singh was also part of the bronze medal-winning team at the 1972 Munich Olympics and the
silver medal at the 1973 World Cup in Amsterdam.
● He was part of the gold-medal-winning Indian team at the 1975 men's Hockey World Cup in
Kuala Lumpur (India's only gold medal at the prestigious tournament).
● He also had to his credit a silver medal at the 1974 and 1978 Asian Games, respectively.
● The Indian hockey stalwart was also featured in the 1975 Montreal Olympics.
Awards & Honors :
● In 2007, Varinder was conferred with the prestigious Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award.
CABINET APPROVEL
CABINET APPROVALS:
(a) Cabinet approves MoU between India and UAE on Cooperation in the field of Industries and
Advanced Technologies:
• The government has approved a proposal for signing a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on cooperation in the field of
industries and advanced technologies.
• The decision was taken by the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• The MoU envisages cooperation on a mutually beneficial basis in areas including strengthening
the supply chain resilience of industries, renewable and energy efficiency, health, and life
sciences, space systems, artificial intelligence, standardization, metrology, conformity
assessment, accreditation, and halal certification.
• The MoU aims at strengthening and developing industries in both nations through investments,
technology transfer, and the deployment of key technologies in industries.
Key Points:
• India-UAE bilateral trade, valued at USD 180 million per annum in the 1970s, has increased to
USD 60 billion at present, making the UAE India's third-largest trading partner after China and
the US.
• The UAE is the eighth largest investor in India with an estimated investment of USD 18 billion.
• Indian investments in the UAE are estimated at around USD 85 billion (Rs 6.48 lakh crore).
• Both the countries have implemented a comprehensive trade agreement to increase bilateral
trade from USD 60 billion to USD 100 billion i n the next five years.
(b) Cabinet approves MoU between NIES, Japan, and ARIES, India for Joint Research on Air Quality
and Climate Change:
• The Union Cabinet has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the
National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan, and Aryabhatta Research Institute of
Observational Sciences (ARIES), India, a professional body for joint research on air quality and
climate change.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has apprised the signing of the
MoU to establish collaborative guidelines between NIES and ARIES.
• No such MoU was signed by the ARIES, Nainital similar areas of research with any other foreign
bodies in the past.
About ARIES:
• The ARIES is an autonomous research Institute established under the Department of Science
and Technology, Government of India.
• ARIES is a center of excellence for research in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Atmospheric
Science researchers on air pollution and climate change on earth, and the formati on and
evolution of the sun, stars, and galaxies.
About NIES:
• The NIES is Japan's only research institute that undertakes a broad range of environmental
research in an interdisciplinary and comprehensive manner.
• The NIES works to produce scientific findings on environmental protection.
• It is working on research projects that include consolidating the institute's research foundation
through basic research, data acquisition, and analysis, and preservation and provision of
environmental samples.
(c) Cabinet approves MoU signed between SNBNCBS, Kolkata, India, and Leibniz-IFW Dresden e.V,
Germany in the Novel Magnetic and Topological Quantum Materials:
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of the
signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between S. N. Bose National Centre for
Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS), Kolkata, India, and Leibniz-Institut fur Festkorper- und
Werkstoffforschung Dresden e.V. Dresden, Germany intended to scientific cooperation in the
field of "Novel Magnetic and Topological Quantum Materials".
• The research on Quantum Materials has received worldwide attention due to their potential for
the development of future quantum technology.
• The goal of this joint venture will be to foster Indo-German collaboration, provide opportunities
and facilitate the advancement of knowledge in the area of magnetic and topological quantum
materials.
• The cooperation, in particular, will include, sharing of experimental and computational resources,
the exchange of technical and professional support, and exchanging of faculty and researchers
to carry out the collaborative research.
About SNBNCBS:
• S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) is an Autonomous Research
Institute established by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India in
1986 as a Registered Society.
• The Centre was established to honor the life and work of Professor S. N. Bose who was a
colossal figure in theoretical physics and has made some of the most fundamental conceptual
contributions to the development of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Statistics.
About IFW:
• IFW is a non-university research institute and a member of the Leibniz Association.
• IFW Dresden is concerned with modern materials science and combines explorative research in
physics, chemistry, and materials science with the technological development of new materials
and products.
• The research programs at IFW are focused on functional materials which hold a key position in
many fields of application: superconducting and magnetic materials, thin-film systems and
nanostructures as well as crystalline and amorphous materials.
(d) Cabinet approves MoU between India and Australia for Technical Cooperation for AIWASI:
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, was apprised of the
Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA),
Government of India and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Government of
Australia for Technical Cooperation in urban water management.
• The MoU has been signed in December 2021.
• MoU would reinforce bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the area of urban water
security.
✓ It would strengthen institutional capacities at all levels for urban water management
✓ To improve accessibility, affordability & quality of water and sanitation services.
✓ To promote the circular economy of water & water-secure cities
✓ To encourage climate-resilient water management practices
✓ To enhance community participation in water management and improve social
inclusion through initiatives for accessible infrastructure.
• MoU will enable both sides to learn about technological advancements gained by the two
nations in key areas of urban water security and will promote the exchange of learning, best
practices, and capacity building of institutions.
• This will help towards the realization of AatmaNirbhar Bharat.
(e) Cabinet approves MoU signed between India, US in the health sector:
• Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding among the Department of Biotechnology, Government of the
Republic of India, and the Indian Council of Medical Research and International AIDS Vaccine
Initiative, US.
• It will contribute to the development of new, improved, and innovative biomedical tools and
technologies to prevent and treat HIV, TB, COVID-19, and other emerging infectious and
neglected diseases.
• This MoU will further strengthen relations between India and the US within the framework of
international scientific and technological cooperation in fields of mutual interest.
CABINET APPROVALS:
(a) Cabinet approves Agreement between GoI and UN on a ‘Way Finding Application’ to be used in the
Palais des Nations, UNOG:
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal
for signing of an agreement between the Government of India and the United Nations on a ‘Way
Finding Application’ to be used in the Palais des Nations, United Nations Office at Geneva
(UNOG).
• The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), consisting of five buildings and 21 floors, is
housed at the historic Palais des Nations.
• A large number of delegates, members of civil society and the general public visit UNOG to
participate in various meetings and conventions.
About the Project:
• The project of development of ‘Way Finding Application’ has been conceptualized aa s donation
from the Government of India and the o UN on the occasion of its 75th anniversary in 2020.
• The estimated financial implication of the development deployment and maintenance of the App
is $ 2 Million.
• The project consists of the development deployment and maintenance of a software-based ‘Way
Finding Application’ to facilitate navigation in the Palais des Nations premises of UNLG.
• The development of the App has been entrusted to the Centre for Development of Telematics (C -
DoT), an autonomous telecom Research & Development Centre of the Department of
Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India.
• The project will be a significant contribution from the Government of India to the UN.
About UNOG:
• UNOG is located at Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It serves as the representative office of the Secretary-General in Geneva.
• It is the biggest department of the United Nations Secretariat outside of headquarters in New
York.
(b) Union Cabinet approves Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Youth Work among the SCO
Member States
• The Cabinet was apprised of the Agreement signed among the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation, SCO, member states on cooperation in the field of youth work among the
authorized bodies of the member states of SCO.
• Consequent to the adoption of the agreement on 17th September last year by the member states
on cooperation in the field of youth work, the agreement was signed by the Indian Minister of
Youth Affairs and Sports.
• The official working language of the SCO Secretariat is Russian and Chinese.
• The objective of the agreement is to strengthen mutual trust, friendly relations, and cooperation
among young people of SCO member States.
• Recognizing the importance of ensuring the development of youth cooperation as an element of
deepening friendly relations among the SCO Member States.
• Seeking to further improve the conditions for youth cooperation based on international
experience.
(c) Cabinet approves MoA by India for the establishment of BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Centre at
Colombo, Sri Lanka:
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved a
Memorandum of Association (MoA) by India for the establishment of the Bay of Bengal Initiative
for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Technology Transfer Facility
(TTF) was signed by the BIMSTEC member countries at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit held at
Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• The main objectives of the BIMSTEC TTF are to coordinate, facilitate and strengthen cooperation
in technology transfer among the BIMSTEC Member States by promoting the transfer of
technologies, sharing of experiences and capacity building.
• The TTF shall have a Governing Board and the overall control of activities of the TTF shall be
vested in the Governing Board.
• The Governing Board shall consist of one nominee from each Member State.
• The expected outcomes of the BIMSTEC TTF are:
✓ Databank of technologies available in BIMSTEC Countries,
✓ Repository of information on good practices in the areas of technology transfer
management, standards, accreditation, metrology, testing and calibration facilities,
✓ Capacity building, sharing of experiences and good practices in development, and
✓ Transfer and use of technologies among BIMSTEC countries.
(d) CCEA approves grant of the moratorium to Cochin Port Authority on repayment of GoI loans for 3
years:
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a moratorium to Cochin Port Authority on
repayment of Central government loans amounting to over 446 crore rupees for three years.
• The moratorium has been approved for 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23.
• The amount was to be repaid in ten instalments commencing from 2018-19.
• However, Cochin Port Authority could pay the instalments of 2018-19 and 2019-20 only.
• From 2020-21, the traffic was badly impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic which adversely
impacted the cash inflow.
• As a result, Cochin Port could not pay the instalments of 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule – November 2022
18
2. Important Banking News
91
3. Important Business News
12. Important Summit and Conference News 295
13. Important Science, Technology & Environmental News 298
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Vegan Day: November 1st
• Every year, World Vegan Day is celebrated on November 1.
• This day is observed to raise awareness of the advantages of veganism for humans, non-human
animals, and the natural environment.
• Vegan Day is an opportunity to raise awareness about the advantages of a vegan diet and
veganism in general.
• Louise Wallis, then-Chair of The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom, established the day in
1994 to commemorate the organization's founding and the coining of the terms "vegan" and
"veganism."
• The date of November 1st was chosen by the Vegan Society's President.
• This is now recognized as the date on which the Vegan Society was founded, as well as the
date on which Vegan Day is observed.
All Souls' Day: 2nd November
• All Souls' Day 2022 is observed on the 2nd of November 2022.
• All Souls Day commemorates baptized Christians who are believed to be in purgatory.
• The day is also known as the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed.
History:
• Roman Catholic doctrine holds that the prayers of the faithful on earth will help cleanse these
souls to fit them for the vision of God in heaven, and the day is dedicated to prayer and
remembrance.
• Requiem masses are commonly held, and many people visit and sometimes decorate the
graves of loved ones.
• From antiquity certain days were devoted to intercession for particular groups of the dead.
• The institution of a day for a general intercession on November 2 is due to Odilo, abbot of Cluny
(died 1048).
• The date, which became practically universal before the end of the 13th century, was chosen to
follow All Saints’ Day.
• Having celebrated the feast of all the members of the church who are believed to be in heaven,
the church on earth turns, on the next day, to commemorate those souls believed to be suffering
in purgatory.
• Priests celebrate mass wearing vestments of varying colors—black (for mourning), violet
(symbolizing penance), or white (symbolizing the hope of resurrection).
Central Vigilance Awareness Week - October 31st to November 6th:
• Vigilance Awareness Week is being held this year from October 31 to November 6, 2022, with
the theme "Corruption-free India for a Developed Nation."
• The week that includes October 31st, late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birthday, is known as
Vigilance Awareness Week and is observed by the Central Vigilance Commission.
• The Central Vigilance Commission conducted a three-month campaign in advance of Vigilance
Awareness Week 2022 to emphasize certain preventative vigilance activities as key areas for all
the Ministries, Departments, and Organizations.
• To raise public awareness about the dangers of corruption and to enlist the support of all the
stakeholders in the anti-corruption campaign, public meetings will be held at the district and
block levels during Vigilance Awareness Week.
• Participants will include students, young people, academics, current and former government
officials, self-help groups, NGOs, and members of civil society.
• According to the Central Vigilance Commission Act of 2003, the Central Vigilance Commission
is responsible for policing public administration for integrity and preventing corruption.
World Tsunami Awareness Day: 5th November
• World Tsunami Awareness Day 2022 is observed on the 5th of November 2022.
• World Tsunami Awareness Day 2022 Theme setup for this year is “Early Warning and Early
Action Before Every Tsunami”
• On November 5th, 1854, Hiromura a little village which is located in the western part of Japan
started celebrating their Traditional Practice, the Burning of Rice Sheaves.
• A farmer who lived in the village anticipated that a big Tsunami would come when he noticed the
lowering of the Tide and the natural decrease in the level of Well Water which is a natural sign
for a Tsunami warning.
• Later the Villager guided the entire village to the hilltop by burning rice sheaves to indicate the
sign of danger.
• Later from the hilltop, they witnessed the tsunami destroy their village.
• They understood that the Fire saved them from the Tsunami.
• Japan proposed this day as World Tsunami Awareness Day because of the intent to protect the
precious lives of people.
International Day for Preventing Exploitation of Environment in War and Armed Conflict: 6th November
• International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
2022 is observed on 6th November 2022.
• On 5th November 2001, the UN General Assembly declared the 6th November of each year as
an International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the environment in War and Armed
Conflict.
• On 27th May 2016 United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to recognize the role
of a healthy ecosystem and sustainably managed resources in reducing the risk of armed
conflict
• The United Nations ensured strong commitment to the full implementation of the Sustainable
Development goals according to the resolution passed on 27th May.
• The United Nations Organisation (UN) and European Nations (EU) have made partnerships to
help countries to identify and prevent the War conflict on natural resources as a part of
peacemaking.
Infant Protection Day: 7th November
• Infant Protection Day 2022 is observed on the 7th of November 2022.
• In 1990 nearly 5 million infants died due to a lack of awareness of protecting Infants.
• So in the early 1900s, many Countries decided that steps should be taken for better child health
care and to reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).
• Europe first started a campaign to improve child health care. Europe Countries established
Infant Protection Day to create awareness among the people about Child Care Services and to
reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).
• The Infant Mortality Rate has decreased from 100 to 10 deaths per 1000 births because of the
awareness created by this day.
• Later America joined in this and started to celebrate Infant Protection Day to create awareness
among the People.
• So Infant Protection Day was celebrated every year on 7th November.
National Cancer Awareness Day: 7th November
• National Cancer Awareness Day 2022 is observed on the 7th of November 2022.
• National Cancer Awareness Day 2022 is celebrated on 7th November after the birth anniversary
of Nobel Prize winner Scientist Marie Curie who discovered Polonium and radium and her
remarkable service for cancer treatment.
• The National Cancer Awareness day celebration was first announced by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the
Indian Union Minister for health and family welfare in September 2014.
• A committee was formed in September 2014 and decided National Cancer Awareness Day will
be celebrated on 7th November every year.
• National Cancer Awareness Day is celebrated every year to create awareness about the early
detection of cancer and prevention methods
• Dr. Harsha launched a state-level cancer control process that encourages early detection and
research in finding a cancer cure.
• In 1975 National Cancer Control Programme was started to arrange treatment facilities for
cancer.
• In 1984-85 some changes were made in the National Cancer Control Programme to make the
Cancer treatment process more efficient and available to all.
World Radiography Day: 8th November
• World Radiography Day 2022 is observed on the 8th of November 2022.
• World Radiography Day 2022 is celebrated every year for one of the great discoveries of a new
Electromagnetic wave called X-ray.
• The day is celebrated worldwide by various national radiographers’ associations and societies.
• The International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists has celebrated 8
November as World Radiography Day since 2007.
• In India, the Radiographers Association of Madhya Pradesh is celebrating this day since 1996
and the theme for this day was raised by Shivakant Vajpai, secretary of the Madhya Pradesh
Radiographers Association.
Guru Nanak Dev’s Birthday: 8th November
• Guru Nanak Dev’s Birthday in 2022 is observed on the 8th of November 2022.
• Guru Nanak Dev was born on 15th April 1469 A.D.
• He was born in Lahore, Punjab.

• Guru Nanak was the son of Mehta Kalu Chand and Mata Tripti Devi.
• He got married to Bibi Sulakhani and was blessed with two sons, Srichand and Lakshmichand.
• He was religious from a small age, so he left the home and went to the woods to meditate.
• He started to Preach about God and the life of humans to reach God.
• His hymns were recorded in Japji Sahib, a holy scripture in Sikhism, which is a part of Guru
Granth Sahib as well.
• It is a description of the stages of a man’s life before he departs this life.
• His first devotee was Mardana, and Baba Nanak travelled across the land to preach to the public
• His birthday anniversary is celebrated in November every year on a special day
• Guru Nanak took his last breath at the age of 69 in 1538 A.D.
National Legal Services: 9th November
• National Legal Services Day 2022 is observed on the 9th of November 2022.
• The Day aims to increase public understanding of the rights of litigants as well as the various
parts of the Legal Services Authorities Act.
• Every year on November 9th, National Legal Services Day is marked to mark the beginning of
the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, which went into effect on that date in 1995.
• State Legal Services Authorities across the nation hold legal awareness events on National
Legal Services Day to inform people about the availability of free legal help.
• Additionally, every year campaigns are held across the country to inform the public of the many
services offered by Legal Services Authorities.
9-15 November 2022: International Week of Science and Peace
• Every year, the International Week of Science and Peace is commemorated from November 9 to
November 14.
• This week is an initiative launched by the United Nations (UN) with the hopes of encouraging
and promoting peace around the world.
• People inspire and promote peace in their countries during this week, as well as produce
breakthrough technology for a better way of life.
• Worldwide, various events and activities are arranged, and individuals from all over the world
participate.
History:
• The International Week of Science and Peace was established in 1986 as part of the
International Year of Peace celebrations.
• The non-governmental organization of events and activities for the week was undertaken; the
International Year of Peace secretariat was notified of the preparatory activities and the final
summary of events that transpired throughout the week.
• The organizers attempted to promote as much international participation in the commemoration
as possible.
World Science Day for Peace and Development: 10th November
• World Science Day for Peace and Development 2022 is observed on the 10th of November
2022.
• World Science Day for Peace and Development 2022 theme is "Basic Sciences for Sustainable
Development"
• The first World Conference on Science was held in 1999 and was coordinated by UNESCO and
the International Council for Science.
• The gathering was held in Hungary, where various delegations concurred on the importance of
educating the public about science.
• It was agreed upon by everybody that science should have a special day or week.
• To establish a strong relationship between science and society, actions were initiated in 2001.
• World Science Day for Peace and Development was first observed in 2002.
National Education Day: 11th November
• National Education Day 2022 is observed on the 11th of November 2022.
• National Education Day is first observed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on
November 11, 2008.
• It is observed every year after the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad who was the
first Educational Minister of Independent India.
• He served as Educational Minister for over Ten Years.
• The Day is celebrated to honour the First Educational Minister of India and his uncomparable
contribution made to the Education system of India.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad helped with the establishment of two major education governing
bodies of India - the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical
Education (AICTE).
• The First National Education Day was celebrated on 11th November 2008 at Vigyan Bhawan,
New Delhi, and was first inaugurated by then President Pratibha Patil.
World Pneumonia Day: 12th November
• World Pneumonia Day 2022 is observed on the 12th of November 2022.
• World Pneumonia Day 2022 Theme for this year is “Pneumonia affects Everyone”.
• The main purpose of observing World Pneumonia Day is to create awareness about the disease
Pneumonia.
• Pneumonia is one of the oldest and deadliest diseases among the children age group less than
5 and older age group more than 50.
• World Pneumonia Day was first observed on 12 November 2009.
• It was observed under the "Stop Pneumonia" initiatives by the Global Coalition Against Child
Pneumonia, a coalition of various institutions all together to fight child mortality due to respiratory
infection.
• Streptococcus Pneumoniae is the most common bacterial Pneumonia in Children.
World Kindness Day: 13th November
• World Kindness Day 2022 is observed on the 13th of November 2022.
• World Kindness Day 2022 Theme set up for this year is “Be Kind Whenever Possible”.
• World Kindness Day is celebrated by nearly 27 countries around the world.
• But yet the UN has not officially celebrated this day.
• Some of the countries which celebrate World Kindness Day are India, Brazil, Australia, Canada,
Japan, Italy, etc.
• World Kindness day was first celebrated in 1998 at the Tokyo Conference.
• World Kindness Day Movement has been started which helped to bring small Organizations
together for the World Kindness day Celebration.
• Now it helped to conduct a mega event to promote Kindness globally.

• Now It turned into a WorldWide Movement which helped to spread Kindness quicker because
kindness among people will help to reduce conflict between Nations.
Children’s Day in India: 14th November
• Children’s Day in India is observed on the 14th of November 2022.
• Jawaharlal Nehru was born to a Kashmiri Brahmans Royal family on November 14th, 1889.
• Later he moved to Delhi and completed his Scholarship.
• His father's name was Motilal Nehru. Jawaharlal was the eldest of four children, two of whom
were girls.
• A sister, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, later became the first woman president of the United Nations
General Assembly.
• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was called Chacha Nehru by the children.
• Jawaharlal Nehru believed that Children are the real strength of the nation and the foundation of
society.
• After the death of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, a resolution was passed in the parliament
unanimously to honor him, declaring his birth anniversary as the official date of Children’s Day.
World Diabetes Day: 14th November
• World Diabetes Day 2022 is observed on the 14th of November 2022.
• World Diabetes Day 2022 theme set by WHO is “access to diabetes education”.
• World Diabetes Day became an official UN day in 2006.
• World Diabetes day was established in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation with
support from WHO for the growing concerns about the health and economic threat posed by
diabetes.
• Diabetes occurs due to insufficient secretion of Insulin by the Pancreas.
• To meet Insulin secretion in the body research took place and finally, Insulin booster Injection
was discovered by Sir Frederick G Banting (pictured), Charles H Best, and JJR Macleod at the
University of Toronto in 1921 and it was later purified by James B Collip.
National Press Day 2022 - Nov 16
● National Press Day is observed on November 16 every year to acknowledge and honour the
Press Council of India (PCI).

● The day marks the presence of an independent and responsible press in India.
● National Press Day 2022 will mark the 56th anniversary of the Press Council's establishment.
World Press Freedom Index 2022:
● According to the World Press Freedom Index 2022, India's ranking dropped to the 150th position
from 142nd rank among 180 nations in 2021.
● Norway (1st) Denmark (2nd), Sweden (3rd) Estonia (4th) and Finland (5th) grabbed the top 5
positions, while North Korea remained at the bottom of the list of the 180 countries and
territories.
Additional Info :
● Press Freedom is protected under article 19(1) (a) of the constitution, which states - "All citizens
shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression".
About PCI :
● Chairman : Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai
● The PCI is a statutory, adjudicating organization in India formed in 1966 by its parliament.
● In 1966 on 16 November, the PCI was formed.
● It is the self-regulatory watchdog of the press, for the press and by the press, that operates
under the Press Council Act of 1978.
● It also examines the quality of reportage of the Indian press and keeps a check on journalistic
activities.
International Day for Tolerance Observed on 16 November
● International Day for Tolerance 2022 is annually observed on the 16th of November 2022 by the
United Nations (UN).
● In 1993, at the initiative of UNESCO, the United Nations proclaimed 1995 as “The Year for
Tolerance”.
Significance :
● The day marks the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Nov 16, 1995.

● In 1995, to mark the United Nations Year for Tolerance and the 125th anniversary of the birth of
Mahatma Gandhi, UNESCO created a prize for the promotion of tolerance and non-violence: the
UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize with an amount of US $100000.
● The prize is awarded every two years to individuals or organizations on International Tolerance
Day.
● This Prize rewards significant activities in the scientific, artistic, cultural or communication fields
aimed at the promotion of a spirit of tolerance and non-violence.
About UNESCO :
● Director General: Audrey Azoulay
● UNESCO is a specialized agencyof theUnited Nations (UN).
Aim :
● To promote world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts,
sciences and culture.
International Students Day: 17th November
• International Students’ Day, is celebrated on November 17th to remember the courage of
student activists during the 1939 Nazi attack at the University of Prague.
• The first observance took place in 1941 at the International Students’ Council in London.
• It was there that students decided to introduce International Students’ Day, to be observed every
November 17.
• The day commemorates the anniversary of the 1939 death of Czech student Jan Opletal, who
was killed by the Nazis during a student protest.
• On International Students Day 2022, Students will organize many events in their Universities
insisting on the right to education and supporting multiculturalism.
• Students will bring different groups together for an engaging day of discussion, film, music, and
art from around the world.
National Epilepsy Day: 17th November
• In India, National Epilepsy Day is observed on November 17 each year to increase

understanding of the condition.
• The Epilepsy Foundation of India created National Epilepsy Day as a national campaign to
reduce the prevalence of epilepsy in India.
• National Epilepsy Day 2022 is observed to raise public awareness of epilepsy. Epilepsy is a
chronic brain disease that is characterised by recurrent "fits" or "seizures."
• National Epilepsy Day will be observed in 2022 by several governmental and non-governmental
organisations to increase public awareness of the causes and symptoms of epilepsy.
• Since 1969, the Epilepsy Foundation has recognized November as National Epilepsy
Awareness Month (NEAM).
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: 18-24 November
• Every year, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) takes place from November 18 to
November 24.
• The subject of WAAW this year is "Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together."
• It's an international campaign to raise awareness about the growing problem of antibiotic and
antimicrobial resistance.
• The goal of the week is to raise awareness of global antimicrobial resistance and to encourage
best practices among the general public, health professionals, and policymakers to prevent the
emergence and spread of drug-resistant illnesses.
• In 2015, the World Health Organization established "World Antibiotic Awareness Week" to raise
worldwide awareness and support action to prevent the emergence and spread of antibiotic-
resistant bacteria.
• In 2020, the campaign was renamed "World Antimicrobial Awareness Week."
• With cause, the World Health Organization (WHO) conveys a sense of urgency surrounding the
worldwide issue of antibiotic resistance.
• You may die if you develop a disease or infection that cannot be treated with antibiotics in a
typical manner.
International Men’s Day: 19th November
• International Men’s Day 2022 is observed on 19th November.

• International Men’s Day 2022 celebration also focuses on Men’s Health.
• International Men’s Day 2022 Theme set up for this year is “Helping Men and Boys”.
• This day is first celebrated in February.
• Then later it was celebrated in November.
• In 1968, an American journalist named John P. Harris communicated that there is a celebration
for International Women’s Day for female workers but failed to deliver a male counterpart
• In the early 1990s Thomas Oaster, the director of the Missouri Center for Men’s Studies, invited
organizations in the U.S., Australia, and Malta to hold small International Men’s Day events
during February.
• Oyster celebrated this small event for two years successfully and later the celebration does not
take place well.
• Malta is the sole country that celebrated this event continuously.
• Teelucksingh understood the importance of a male role in society as his father had been an
excellent example for him and chose to celebrate International Men’s Day on November 19th,
the day of his father’s birthday as well as the day a local soccer team had united his country with
their endeavours to qualify for the world cup.
• After that, all Countries celebrated International Men’s Day on 19th November.
• Malta celebrated in February then changed the celebration day to November.
World Toilet Day: 19th November
• World Toilet Day 2022 is observed on the 19th of November 2022
• It is celebrated to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and help achieve
Sustainable Development Goal 6 which promises sanitation for all by 2030.
• Jack Sim, a philanthropist from Singapore, founded the World Toilet Organization on
November 19, 2001, He declared that day as World Toilet Day.
• Toilets are only the first stage of sanitation apparatuses.
• World Toilet Day was made to spread and increase public awareness of broader sanitation
systems such as wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and hand washing.
• UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 says that waste should be safely processed. Their efforts
to call attention to the sanitation crisis were strengthened in 2010.

• In 2013, the Government of Singapore and the World Toilet Organization led to Singapore’s
first UN resolution called “Sanitation for All.”
• This resolution decided to take action to end the world sanitation crisis by 2025.
• As a result, World Toilet Day was declared an official UN day and the resolution was adopted
by 122 countries at the 67th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Universal Children’s Day 2022 Theme and History: 20th November
• Universal Children’s Day 2022 is observed on 20th November.
• It is celebrated to create awareness of the problems children face in every corner of the globe,
improve the welfare of all children, and promote the education of children, health, proper care,
and nourishment.
• Universal Children’s Day 2022 Theme set for this year is “Equality and Inclusion, for every child”.
• Children’s Day was first officially declared a national holiday by the Republic of Turkey in 1920
on April 23.
• Children’s Day has been celebrated nationally since 1920 by the Turkish government and they
declared as the day for children.
• However, it was decided that an official confirmation was needed to clarify and justify this
celebration and the official declaration was made nationally in 1929 by the founder and the
President of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
• Though Universal Children’s Day was established by the United Nations in 1954, it wasn’t until
November 20, 1959 that the UN General Assembly adopted an extended form of the Declaration
of the Rights of the Child.
• Originally acquired in 1924 by the League of Nations, the UN adopted this document as its own
statement of children’s rights.
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims: 20th November
• World Day of Remembrance for Road traffic Victims 2022 is observed on the 20th of November
2022.
• World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2022 theme set by the WHO this year is
“Remember. Support. Act”.

• Brigitte Chaudhry MBE was living with his husband and her only son. At the age of 26, her son
met with a fatal accident.
• A Van jumps the Red light signal and hits his son at the junction.
• She lost her son due to untimely first aid and negligence in proper medication.
• Chaudhry founded RoadPeace, a British charity for road crash victims. RoadPeace operates a
24/7 helpline, providing emotional support and practical advocacy to the people affected by road
crashes.
• In 1993, RoadPeace founded The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims to give
public recognition to the pain and suffering of millions of people.
• The day has reached more than 30 countries within the last decade and is now a global event,
observed in solemn remembrance of the lives we have lost to the senseless tragedy of road
crashes.
• The remembrance has also helped the U.K. Government change its posture towards the victims
of road crashes and understood the enormity of the crisis.
World Television Day: 21st November
• World Television day 2022 is observed on the 21st of November 2022
• The UN General Assembly decided to name November 21 World Television Day, not to
celebrate the object itself, but the symbol for communication and globalization in the
contemporary world that it represents.
• In 1927, a 21-year-old inventor by the name of Philo Taylor Farnsworth invented the world’s first
electronic television.
• Neither of them knew the television would become the emblem for an international day
promoting the spread of global information.
• On November 21 and 22 in 1996, the United Nations held the first World Television Forum.
• UN leaders recognized that television could bring attention to conflicts, raise awareness of
threats to peace and security, and sharpen focus on social and economic issues.
• Television has an undoubtedly presence and influence on world politics.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: 25th November
• International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2022 is observed on the 25th of
November 2022.
• On November 25, 1960, the Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic were assassinated by
dictator Rafael Trujillo.
• The sisters, who had been active in movements against the Trujillo regime, were beaten and
strangled to death, then placed in a Jeep that was driven off a mountainous road to make their
deaths appear accidental.
• According to a report by the United Nations, 19 per cent of women between the ages of 15 and
49 years of age have experienced physical and/or sexual violence “by an intimate partner.”
• In some cases, this violence ends in the woman's death.
• In December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated November 25 as the
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Constitution Day: 26th November
• Constitution day 2022 is observed on the 26th of November 2022.
• On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the Constitution of
India.
• It came into force on January 26, 1950.
• Constitution Day aims to bring awareness about the importance of the Constitution and Dr. B R
Ambedkar.
• Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, chairman of the drafting committee, is considered to be the chief
architect of the Constitution of India.
• He is also called the Father of the Indian Constitution.
• The Constitution of India was drafted by the members of the Constituent Assembly.
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People: 29th November
• International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2022 is observed on the 29th of
November 2022.
• It has been a long struggle to partition Palestine and Israel into two independent states.
• They are sharing borders with Jerusalem.
• Palestine is an Arab-dominated country and Israel is a Jewish-dominated Country.

• For decades, there has been a need to separate and make both states independent.
• This resulted in the adoption of a New Resolution by the UN.
• The UN Resolution simply meant the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and a
Special International Regime for the city of Jerusalem.
• But it was never fully implemented, however, with the outbreak of a one-year civil war in
Palestine.
• Following that, Israel became independent in 1948, but an Arab state was never formed.
• In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly called for an annual observance of the resolution
on the partition of Palestine, which was to start in 1978.
Healthysure and ManipalCigna Health partner to launch Flexi top-up insurance
• Employee benefits insurance technology Healthysure has partnered ManipalCigna Health
Insurance to launch India’s first Flexi top-up insurance which allows employees to personalize
and upgrade their corporate health insurance plans.

About the first Flexi top-up insurance :
• Flexi-top-up is powered by Healthysure’s technology platform through which a policy is issued
digitally within 30 seconds of making a purchase.
• This policy does not require any extra loading premium for pre-existing diseases, nor does it
have a co-payment clause.
• By paying a nominal add-on premium, employees can upgrade their cover, which can even be
continued in a personal capacity post-employment.
About Healthysure :
• Founded: 2021
• Founder & CEO : Anuj Parekh
About ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Ltd :
• Founded: 2012
• MD & CEO : Prasun Sikdar
Tata AIA Life partners with Medix to offer specialized critical illness cover
• Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited (Tata AIA) has tied up with Medix, a global company
in medical management solutions, to offer consumers access to a local and global network of
accredited medical specialists during serious illnesses.
• This service is complimentary for policyholders who have purchased eligible life insurance
products across the term, savings, and pension plans.
Key Highlights :
• This alliance would offer a Personal Medical Care Management facility in India, bringing world-
class, healthcare advice to consumers.
• This will include a reassessment of the medical case, diagnosis thereof, and tailoring an
optimized treatment plan with quality care including referrals to leading local specialists and
coordination of care.
• Through this service, Tata AIA’s consumers can track, manage, communicate with dedicated
medical teams, and receive updates on their medical journey, ensuring quality-driven continuity
of care.
• According to a study by Harvard University, 5.2 million medical errors occur every year in India.
• Cancer (38%), Vascular events (29%) & Infectious diseases (13%) account for 80% of these
errors.
About Tata AIA :
• MD & CEO : Naveen Tahilyani
• Tata AIA Life Insurance is a joint venture company, formed by Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd. and AIA
Group Ltd. (AIA).
About Medix :
• President and CEO : Ms. Sigal Atzmon

BSE completes India’s first successful EGR transaction
• Leading stock exchange BSE Limited has completed India’s first successful creation,
transaction, and settlement of electronic gold receipts (EGRs).
• EGRs are electronic receipts issued based on a deposit of physical gold.
• This would pave the way for the operationalization of a gold exchange in India.
Key Highlights :
• According to the platform, the first transaction that took place on 24 October 2022 during the
Muhurat Trading session, was successfully settled on T+1 day, as investors benefited from
access to liquidity using the newly created EGRs.
• During Muhurat trading, BSE launched two new EGR products of 995 and 999 purity, and
trading will be in multiples of 1 gram and deliveries in multiples of 10 grams and 100 grams.
• In September 2022, BSE received final approval from the capital markets regulator Securities
and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for introducing the EGR segment on its platform.
About BSE :
• Chairman: Just. SS Mundra
• The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), is an Indian stock exchange and is the leading stock
exchange under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
BSE Technologies launches of KYC Registration Agency
• BSE Technologies Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), launched the
Know Your Customer Registration Agency (KYC KRA), which maintains KYC records of
investors in an electronic form.
• KRA is a SEBI-regulated intermediary that grants the market participants authorization for
investors' Know Your Client (KYC), which is mandatory for investment in the securities market.
• In April 2022 SEBI issued fresh guidelines for KRAs whereby such agencies will have to
independently validate the KYC records of all clients from July 1, 2022.
• Under the guidelines, KRAs need to independently validate records of those clients (existing as
well as new) whose KYC has been completed using Aadhaar as an Officially Valid Document
(OVD).
• The move came after Sebi, in January 2022 notified new norms to make KRAs responsible for
carrying out independent validation of the KYC records uploaded on their system by Registered
Intermediaries.
SEBI clears govt proposal to turn Vodafone Idea dues into equity
• India's capital market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved the
government's proposal to convert dues of over $1.92 billion by telecom operator Vodafone Idea
to equity.
• Among India's 3 major telecom players, including Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries' Jio, the
government package was seen as a bailout for Vodafone Idea, which was on the verge of
bankruptcy.
• The government's stake in Vodafone after the conversion could be more than 30%, the official
added, which would make it one of the largest shareholders in the company along with UK's
Vodafone Group and Aditya Birla Group.
About SEBI :
• Chairman: Madhabi Puri Buch
of the Ministry of Finance within the GoI.
Infibeam Avenues gets RBI in-principle nod for payment aggregator license
• Infibeam Avenues Limited (IAL), which operates CCAvenue, has received in-principle approval
from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a payment aggregator (PA).
• The move will enable its flagship brand, CCAvenue, to scale offerings and help onboard a
greater number of micro-entrepreneurs onto its fold.
• The approval will also allow Infibeam to further expand its reach in multiple business segments
across both online and offline arenas
• Of these, players such as Razorpay, Mswipe, Pine Labs, Stripe, and Cashfree Payments have
already received an in-principle nod for the license.
• The startup’s core payment gateway business claims to offer more than 200 cross-border
payment options enabling payment processing in 27 international currencies across the globe.
About IAL :
• Founded: 2007
• Headquarters: Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• MD & Founder: Vishal Mehta
• The startup provides end-to-end eCommerce payment solutions to enterprises and retailers.
• It also provides marketplace software technology to large enterprises and institutions, including
state-backed Government eMarketplace (GeM) and Jiomart.
RBI launches the pilot project of the Digital Rupee in the wholesale segment
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has commenced India's first Digital Rupee pilot project
to implement the central bank digital currency (CBDC) or digital rupee in the wholesale
segment.
• The first pilot in the Digital Rupee - Retail segment is planned for launch within a month
in select locations in closed user groups comprising customers and merchants.
• RBI has identified 9 banks for participation in the Digital Rupee’s wholesale pilot project
which are
2. Bank of Baroda (BoB)
3. Union Bank of India (UBI)
4. HDFC Bank
5. ICICI Bank
6. Kotak Mahindra Bank
7. Yes Bank
8. IDFC First Bank
9. HSBC.
• The use of the E-Rupee is expected to make the interbank market more efficient.
• The Government of India announced the launch of the Digital Rupee from the fiscal year
2022-23 onwards in the Union Budget tabled in Parliament on February 1, 2022.
What is Digital Rupee?
• A Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) or Digital Rupee is a digital form of currency
notes issued by a central bank.
• Digital currency or the rupee is an electronic form of money that can be used in
contactless transactions.
CBDC can be classified into two types
1) Retail (CBDC-R): Retail CBDC would be potentially available for use by all
2) Wholesale (CBDC-W) is designed for restricted access to select financial institutions.
Difference between the digital rupee and cryptocurrency :
• A cryptocurrency is a decentralized digital asset and a medium of exchange based on
blockchain technology.
• However, it has primarily been controversial due to its decentralized nature, meaning its
operation without any intermediary like banks, financial institutions, or central authorities.
• On the Contrary, Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) issued by the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) will be a legal tender in a digital form.
About RBI :
• Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi
Shankar
HDFC ERGO launches first-of-its-kind satellite index-based Farm Yield Insurance Policy
• HDFC ERGO launched a technology-backed farm yield insurance policy for farmers, a
first-of-its-kind insurance solution, where a satellite-based index will be used to provide
localized farm-level coverage.
Key Highlights :
• It will provide comprehensive coverage across the crop life cycle from sowing to
harvesting, based on satellite-based data.
• The product is targeted at farmers under corporate/farm input company (FIC) contracts
and is valid for food, oilseed, commercial, or horticulture crops.
• A threshold Index value is calculated for every yield by using the historical satellite
imaging data of the specific crop and a remote sensing mechanism available in the
public domain.
• The threshold/benchmark index will be then compared with the actual index value arrived
at by the reference satellite for the insured crop, to determine if the yield is at loss.
• The farm yield insurance cover will provide composite insurance to crops across stages
of the cropping cycle, without the requirement of tedious manual surveys.
About HDFC ERGO :
• MD: Mr. Ritesh Kumar
• HDFC ERGO is a 51:49 joint venture firm between HDFC and ERGO International AG,
one of the insurance entities of the Munich Re Group in Germany.
SEBI Reduces Face Value for Debt Issues to Rs1 Lakh
• The Capital and Commodity markets regulator Securities Exchange Board of India
(SEBI) reduced the face value of debt security and non-convertible redeemable
preference shares issued on a private placement basis to Rs 1 lakh from the current Rs
10 lakh will be applicable from 1 January 2023.
• The face value has been reduced to enhance liquidity in the corporate bond market.
• The issuer thereof will have the option while raising funds through a tranche placement
memorandum, to keep the face value at Rs 10 lakh or Rs 1 lakh.
• Face value is the money amount promised to the holder of the bond upon the maturity of
the bond.
About SEBI :
• Established: 12 April 1988 and it was given statutory status by the SEBI Act 1992 on 30
January 1992.
• It comes under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
• It is the regulator of the Capital market and Commodities market in India.
India donates USD 2.5 million to UNRWA for the welfare of Palestine refugees
• The Government of India (GoI) presented USD 2.5 million (the second tranche of a total
contribution of US$ 5 million for the Financial Year 2022-2023) to the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), to support Palestinian
refugees.
• The UNRWA services for Palestinian refugees involve education, health care, relief,
infrastructure, camp improvement, protection, and microfinance.
• The financial contribution was presented to Ms. Xuran Wu, Associate Donor Relations and
Projects Officer, Department of External Relations, UNRWA at the Representative Office of India
in Ramallah, Palestine.
• India is a dedicated donor to UNRWA, having given USD 20 million in support of core UNRWA
services to Palestine refugees across the Middle East since 2018.
About UNRWA :
• Commissioner-General: Philippe Lazzarini
• UNRWA is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian
refugees.
RBI imposes Rs 5 lakh penalty on LIC Housing Finance
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 5 lakh on LIC Housing
Finance Ltd for non-compliance with certain provisions of the National Housing Bank (NHB).
• The non-banking finance company has not complied with certain provisions of "The Housing
Finance Companies (NHB) Directions, 2010" issued by the NHB on July 02, 2018.
• The penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers vested in the RBI under the provisions
of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 52A read with clause (aa) of sub-section (3) of section
49 of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987 (NHB Act).

• Karnataka's Mysore Merchants Co-operative Bank has been fined Rs 5 lakh for violation of
directions issued under Management of Advances-UCBs (Urban Co-operative Banks).
• The RBI also imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 2 lakh on The City Co-operative Bank Ltd,
Mysore for non-adherence to directions issued under Management of Advances-UCBs.
Zaggle partners with NPCI to issue contactless credit cards on the RuPay network
• Zaggle, a profitable SaaS FinTech company and a pioneer in digitizing business spending, has
collaborated with National Payments Corp. of India (NPCI) to issue contactless credit cards on
the RuPay network.
Key Highlights :
• Zaggle and NPCI along with partner banks would use this platform to launch multiple credit
cards to address the ever-growing demand of corporates, SMEs, and consumers.
• The cards would be enabled for international as well as domestic transactions, making business
travel convenient and easy.
• Also, users would be able to use this credit card for contactless transactions as well.
• Zaggle would focus on enhancing the user journey through digital onboarding and instant
issuance along with intuitive in-app customer experience, spend insights, credit score, etc.
• This would be supplemented by product innovations like gamification, customized partner offers,
and other ancillary services.
• Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) announcement to link credit cards with a Unified Payment
Interface (UPI) will provide a huge boost to this segment.
• Recently India witnessed nearly 9.4 billion transactions of ₹10.25 trillion led by UPI.
About Zaggle :
• Founder and chairman: Raj N
• MD & CEO: Avinash Godkhindi
About NPCI :
• Founded: 2008
• MD & CEO : Dilip Asbe

South Indian Bank launches app-based foreign outward remittance
• South Indian Bank has launched a foreign outward remittance service through the ‘SIB Mirror+’
mobile banking application.
• Non-resident external (NRE) and resident savings bank account holders can make foreign
outward remittances through the bank’s ‘SIB Mirror+’ mobile banking application.
• The service is also available on its Internet banking platform ‘SIBERNET’.
• Customers can transfer foreign currency abroad without visiting the bank’s branch.
• The feature allows outward remittance 24x7 in dollars, and other currencies during market
hours.
• The per day limit for resident customers is $10,000 and in FY $25,000; for NRIs the daily limit is
$25,000 and the FY limit is $100,000, within the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) limit.
• Through this newly launched feature, customers can now initiate foreign outward remittances in
more than 100 currencies across the globe.
About South Indian Bank :
• Founded: 1928
• MD & CEO: Murali Ramakrishnan
• Tagline: Experience Next-Generation Banking
Bank of India launches special deposit scheme: star super triple seven FD
• The Bank of India (BoI) launched a special fixed deposit scheme Star Super Triple Seven Fixed
Deposit which will offer a 7.25% rate of interest (7.75% for senior citizens) on a deposit for 777
days.
Key Highlights :
• Apart from the special deposit scheme, the Bank of India has raised the interest rate on its
existing 555-days fixed deposit scheme to 6.30%.
• On other maturities from 180 days to less than 5 years, it has raised interest rates by 25 basis
points.
• Bank of Baroda has also revised interest rates on “Baroda Advantage Fixed Deposits”.
• Meanwhile, the newly formed digital first Unity Small Finance Bank has launched “Shagun 366,
a 1-year fixed deposit scheme that will fetch depositors an interest rate of 7.80%.
• This is a limited-period offer and is available for deposits booked up to November 30, 2022.
About BoI :
• MD & CEO : Atanu Kumar Das
• Tagline: Relationship Beyond Banking
Aegon Life Insurance Unveils iGuarantee Max Savings Plan
• Aegon Life Insurance Company has launched a traditional insurance policy iGuarantee Max
Savings Plan that offers savings and life cover.
About iGuarantee Max Savings Plan :
• The policyholder can choose a policy term between 5 and 20 years, depending on their savings
goal.
• The minimum monthly contribution for the plan is Rs.500, which can be done online with no
paper works, and subscribers could gain higher tax-free returns on their savings.
• The plan would enable families to meet their medium-to-long-term savings goals “affordably”
while protecting them against financial shocks in the wake of the policyholder’s sudden death.
• Premium payment options on offer are regular pay (pay throughout the policy term), limited pay
(pay for a fixed duration, lower than the policy term), and single pay (pay a lump sum front).
• In the event of the death of the policyholder, if the policy is in force and all due premiums have
been paid, an amount equal to the sum assured on death plus accrued guaranteed additions, if
any, shall be paid.
About Aegon Life Insurance Company :
• Founded: 2008

• MD & CEO: Satishwar Balakrishnan
• It is a joint venture between Dutch Aegon N.V., a multinational insurance, pensions, and asset
management company, and The Times Group (also called Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd), one of
India’s largest media conglomerates.
Aviva Life Insurance launches Aviva Protection Plus policy
• Aviva Life Insurance company has launched the Aviva Protection Plus, a Non-Linked Non-
Participating Individual Life Insurance Savings Plan.
About Aviva Protection Plus :
• Aviva Protection Plus offers attractive features with the Maturity Benefit of return of premiums,
Enriched Protection, and Savings Booster options.
• It ensures that the family is financially secured with a high death sum assured, payable in case
of an unfortunate event.
• Additionally, the plan comes with the flexibility of single or regular premium paying terms.
• Also, one has the option to choose from multiple premium payment frequency modes and avail
benefits like life coverage up to 80 years, direct and indirect tax benefits, and rebate on high
sum assured
SEBI extends the deadline for rules on direct ETF transactions to May 1, 2023
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) extended the deadline for implementation of
the Rs 25 crore-threshold rule for direct Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) transactions with asset
management companies to May 1, 2023.
• This is the second time the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has extended the
deadline.
• Initially, the rule was to come into force from July 1, 2022, and the same was extended till
November 1, 2022.
• To enhance liquidity in units of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) on stock exchange platforms,
Sebi decided that direct transactions with Asset Management Companies (AMCs) will be
facilitated for investors only when the transaction amount is greater than Rs 25 crore.
SEBI to develop the world's First system for securing stock exchanges from cyberattacks
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in collaboration with India’s two largest
stock exchanges the National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange is developing a
system to mitigate the risk of cyber attacks.
• The event was organized by the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB).
About SEBI :
Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund Launches SAHYOG
• Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Limited, a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited and an investment
manager to Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund, has launched SAHYOG, an initiative to empower
its support staff and their families.
• SAHYOG is a first-of-its-kind initiative, by the mutual fund industry, targeted at improving the
financial health of support staff through steady, long-term investments.
• MD & CEO of Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Limited : Mr. A. Balasubramanian
Bank of Baroda launches two Premium Debit Cards with Visa
• Bank of Baroda, one of India’s leading banks, and Visa, the global leader in digital payments,
launched two new premium Debit Cards for Bank of Baroda customers
1. bob World Opulence – a super-premium Visa Infinite Debit Card (Metal Edition)
2. bob World Sapphire – a Visa Signature Debit Card
• PV Sindhu, India’s badminton icon and Bank of Baroda’s brand endorser, unveiled the cards at
the launch event.
Key Highlights :
• The two debit card variants come with a best-in-class and powerful rewards proposition
exclusively designed for the Bank’s High Networth Individual (HNI) customer segment
• The bob World Sapphire card will come in two sub-variants – bob World Sapphire (Male) and
bob World Sapphire (Female), offering customized privileges to customers.
Features & Benefits of BoB World Opulence & BoB World Sapphire :
• Complimentary Airport Pickup and Drop Service
• Airport Lounge Visits
• Complimentary Club Marriott Membership for a year
• Golf Programme: Complimentary sessions at select Golf courses
• Complimentary dining benefits and curated experiences at select hotels
• Room upgrades, late checkouts, and complimentary benefits at select hotels, which are a part of
the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection
• Joining Fee for BoB World Opulence: Rs 9,500/- (for the first year)
• Joining Fee for BoB World Sapphire: Rs 750/- (for the first year)
About BoB :
The credit card base of major issuers erodes in Q2 over RBI's norms
• Credit card issuers saw significant erosion of their card base during the July-September 2022
quarter as the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) norms mandated the deactivation of cards that
have been inactive for a year.
• The second quarter of the current financial year saw an outstanding cards-in-force decline by
2.55 million to 77.7 million.
• HDFC Bank, the largest credit card issuer in the country, saw a net reduction of 1.62 million
credit cards in Q2 of FY23, the highest by any card issuer.
• Its cards-in-force dropped to 16.32 million at the end of September from a high of almost 18
million in July 2022.

• Axis Bank was second in the pecking order as it saw a net reduction of over 1.10 million credit
cards during this period.
• On the other hand, ICICI Bank lost 409,147 cards during this period (Q2).
• In September 2022 alone, ICICI Bank saw a net reduction of over 620,000 cards.
• Among other major players, Canara Bank saw a net reduction of 354,413 cards in Q2.
• YES Bank and Standard Chartered saw a net reduction of 40,567 cards and 104,432 cards,
respectively
• However, SBI Card gained during this period as it saw a net addition of 293,368 cards in Q2.
• The impact of RBI norms on the bank was limited because 95% of its portfolio is dominated by
fee-based cards.
• Similarly, Kotak Mahindra Bank has seen a net addition of 247,813 cards during this period.
• IDFC First Bank, IndusInd Bank, and RBL Bank saw a net addition of 161,443, 108,334, and
92,545 cards, respectively.
• HDFC Bank’s market share has dropped to 21.01%, down 133 basis points from Q1.
• On the other hand, SBI Card has increased its market share to 19.08%, up 90 bps.
Bank of Baroda (BoB) unveils special FD scheme - Baroda Tiranga Plus Deposit Scheme
• The leading public sector lender Bank of Baroda (BoB) launched the “Baroda Tiranga Plus
Deposit Scheme", with higher standard interest rates of up to 7.50% p.a. for 399 days which
includes 0.50% p.a. for senior citizens and 0.25% for non-callable deposits.
• The scheme is applicable on retail term deposits below Rs 2 crore.
• BoB has also increased the premium on Non-Callable Retail Term Deposits from 0.15% per
annum to 0.25% per annum.
• Hence, non-callable deposits will now receive 0.25% per annum extra.
About Baroda Tiranga Plus Deposit Scheme :
• The scheme comes with two specific tenors of 444 days and 555 days.
• On callable deposits maturing in 444 days, BoB is now offering an interest rate of 5.75% to the
general public and 6.25% for senior citizens whereas on callable deposits maturing in 555 Days
will fetch a standard interest rate of 6.00% and 6.505 for senior citizens.
• On non-callable deposits maturing in 444 days, the bank is offering a standard rate of 6.00% and 6.50%
for senior citizens whereas those maturing in 555 days will fetch an interest rate of 6.25% for the general
public and 6.75% for senior citizens under the old Baroda Tiranga Deposit Scheme at Bank of Baroda.
Aditya Birla Health Insurance & IDFC FIRST Bank Partner for Bancassurance
• Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Limited. (ABHICL), the health insurance subsidiary of Aditya
Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), a leading non-bank financial services conglomerate announced its
bancassurance partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank, a new-age bank, for the distribution of
health insurance products through the Bank’s state-of-the-art digital platform and its wide
distribution network.
• This bancassurance partnership will help further strengthen ABHI’s distribution and unlock
growth opportunities through the Bank’s wide network.
• This tie-up will help reach the extended market base with ‘Health First’ insurance solutions
thereby increasing insurance penetration in India.
About Bancassurance :
• Bancassurance is an insurance distribution model where insurance companies partner with
banks to sell policies.
• Both the bank and the insurance company get to benefit from this arrangement.
• While the bank earns a commission from the insurance company, the insurer gains from the
distribution network of the bank.
About ABHICL :
• Founded: 2015
• ABHICL was incorporated as a 51:49 joint venture between MMI Strategic Investments (Pty) Ltd,
MMI Holdings Limited, Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited, and Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL).

• Tagline: Always You First
Niva Bupa and IDFC First Bank partner for bancassurance
• Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited (formerly known as Max Bupa Health Insurance
Company), has partnered with IDFC First Bank to provide best-in-class health insurance
solutions to the bank’s customers.
• It is the first bancassurance partnership of NBHICL for FY 23.
• With this partnership, NBHIC can expand its reach through the bank for its services, and
address the healthcare-related concerns of the bank's customers.
About Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited :
• Founded: 2008
• MD & CEO : Krishnan Ramachandran
Aditya Birla Sun Life partners with Karza to offer insurance on WhatsApp
• Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI) partnered with Karza Technologies (part of Perfios
Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd.) and a few other technology vendors to launch end-to-end
onboarding journeys of customers on the WhatsApp platform.
Key Highlights :
• It will allow customers to select premium amount, term, illustration generation, and premium
payment within the WhatsApp journey only.
• The use of Karza's next-generation tech solutions by Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance to comply
with KYC norms, extract data through APIs, and even get confirmation from customers is a
revolution in itself.
• This solution will enable customers to purchase insurance products using WhatsApp within 5
minutes with secured KYC verification and an encrypted chat option provided by WhatsApp.
About Karza Technologies :
• Founded: 2015

• MD, and CEO : Kamlesh Rao
Chqbook & NSDL Payments Bank tie up to launch a zero-balance digital current account
• Fintech firm Chqbook teamed up with National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) Payments
Bank to open a zero-balance digital checking account for small business owners.
Key Highlights :
• Small business owners like kiranas, and chemists, among others, can open a current account
instantly on the Chqbook App from their smartphone and in a language, they are comfortable
with.
• The current account is available in 8 languages making it more accessible and easy to
understand.
• The account offers all the features including downloading account statements to reconcile
transactions, adding and managing beneficiaries, providing transaction history, ensuring easy
fund transfers, and features enhanced biometric security.
• Further, customers receive the advantage of a zero-balance current account along with a free
debit card.
• The customers can also avail of a Point Of Sale (POS) machine with one single click on the
Chqbook App.
About Chqbook :

• Founder & CEO: Vipul Sharma
• Chqbook is India's first neobank for small business owners offering world-class financial services
through its five pillars of banking, lending, insurance, khata, and rewards.
Bayer, Rabo Partnerships & MasterCard tie up to build a digital ecosystem for agri-finance
• Bayer, Rabo Partnerships, and Mastercard have come together to launch a scalable program to
advance the digitization of the Indian agricultural finance ecosystem.
• This collaboration brings together the expertise of three companies in digital, agri finance, and
payments technology to bear upon the task of expanding access to agronomic knowledge,
products, services, and partnerships.

Key Highlights :
• Over 5 years, the program aims to benefit 10 million smallholder farmers in India by enabling
them to gain access to formal financial services.
• Smallholder farmers account for 86% of India’s agrarian economy but have difficulty sourcing
quality farm products and are often at the mercy of middlemen when it comes to pricing.
• Mastercard’s Farm Pass is a digital ecosystem platform that works offline, even with feature
phones, connecting buyers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and other agriculture
ecosystem players with farmers digitally, and helping them get the best value for their produce.
• The solution, which serves over 600,000 farmers in India and 2 million globally, creates a
standard interface for farmers and buyers that facilitates greater efficiency in the agriculture
value chain.
Benefits :
• Financial Inclusion: Farm Pass provides access to financial services for a customer segment
(farmers) that otherwise couldn’t be reached.
• Inclusive Growth: Farmers build credit profiles and histories.
• Higher Incomes: Farmers gain access to marketplaces and more buyers, improving their
livelihoods.
• Convenience: Payments are disbursed digitally, reducing cost, time, and effort per transaction.
• Transparency: Near real-time visibility of end-to-end value chain transactions.
• Operational Efficiencies: Reduced sourcing costs as Farm Pass aggregates produce through
agents.
• Trust & Transparency: Stronger ties between agri-sector partners and greater visibility of
produce.
About MasterCard :
• Founded: 1966
• CEO : Michael Miebach
• Mastercard Inc. is the second-largest payment-processing corporation worldwide.
India Post Payments Bank conducts India’s First Floating Financial Literacy Camp
• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), conducted India’s First Floating Financial Literacy Camp with
an initiative called ‘Niveshak Didi’ to promote Financial Literacy ‘By the women, for the women,
in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).
• The floating financial literacy camp was conducted under the supervision of Shri Gursharan Rai
Bansal, Chief General Manager & Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, and Shri Vishwanath Divya,
Asst. General Manager (Marketing) along with IPPB & DoP team from Srinagar, J&K.
About ‘Niveshak Didi’:
• As part of the launch of the ‘Niveshak Didi’ initiative, IPPB conducted India’s First Floating
Financial Literacy Camp by a newly appointed ‘Niveshak Didi’.
• The Floating Financial Literacy Camp was conducted among the residents around the world-
famous Dal Lake of Srinagar, J&K.
• Niveshak Didi’ initiative is based on the ideology of women as rural area women feel more
comfortable sharing their queries with a female itself.
• Niveshak Didi, a female dakiya, having a deep social connection to rural masses, will be able to
collaborate and resolve their queries in a comfortable environment, at the same time enhancing
the financial awareness, especially for the women”.
• To take the Financial Literacy drive ahead, IPPB, in collaboration with the Investor Education
and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
(MCA), launched the initiative called ‘Niveshak Didi’ to promote Financial Literacy.
About IPPB :
• MD & CEO : J. Venkatramu
• Chairman & Director: Vineet Pandey
About Ministry of Communications :
• Cabinet Minister: Ashwini Vaishnaw
• Minister of State : Devusinh Chauhan

Asian Development Bank funds the farm efficiency initiative of Smartchem Technologies
• Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced that it would fund the farm efficiency initiative of
Smartchem Technologies Limited (STL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Deepak Fertilisers And
Petrochemicals Corporation Limited (DFPCL), through a $30 million loan facility with a tenor of 5
years.
• This is ADB’s first agribusiness “Blue Loan”, and the first such blue loan in India in the
agribusiness sector across institutions.
• The loan will be used to finance capital expenditure as well as research and development of
enhanced-efficiency specialty fertilizers.
Key Highlights :
• STL was chosen as a suitable candidate for Asian Development Bank (ADB) support because of
its
• Leading market position in the enhanced efficiency specialized fertilizers (EESF) segment, with
advanced technical capability and satisfactory financial performance
• Growth potential from the enhancement of fertilizer production capacity to provide quality inputs
• Actions to encourage the application of EESFs, which will support the sustainable transformation
of agriculture in India while improving its resilience to climate change.
• ADB has also approved a technical assistance grant of USD 5,00,000 for building capacity for
Soil Nutrition Management among Smallholder Farmers and Climate Resilience in India.
About ADB :
• Headquarters : Mandaluyong, Philippines
• Membership : 68 countries
Unity Small Finance Bank Launches increases FD rates to 8.30% for senior citizens
• Unity Small Finance Bank Limited (Unity Bank) has launched Shagun 366, a 1 year, 1 day fixed
deposit, promising retail customers an alluring return of 7.80% p.a., while senior citizens will
earn 8.30% p.a. for a 366-day tenure.
• This deal is only valid for deposits made before November 30, 2022.
Key Highlights :
• Unity Bank has also hiked its interest rates for Callable and Non-Callable Bulk Deposits
(deposits of more than Rs 2 crore).
• Callable Bulk Deposits provide up to 7.75% interest per annum whereas non-callable bulk
deposits give up to 7.85% interest per annum.
• The bank is offering 6% interest on savings account deposits up to Rs 1 lakh.
• For deposits of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 crore, the bank has increased yearly interest to 7%.
• Meanwhile, the Bank of India announced the “Star Super Triple Seven Fixed Deposit scheme”
which provides an interest rate of 7.25% and up to 7.75% for senior citizens on a deposit for 777
days.
About Unity Small Finance Bank :
• Founded: 2018
• MD & CEO: Inderjit Camotra
• Unity Small Finance Bank is a Scheduled Commercial Bank, sponsored by Centrum Financial
Services Ltd and has Resilient Innovations Pvt Ltd as a joint investor.
MUFG Bank partners with M1xchange to digitize corporate trade finance
• MUFG Bank has partnered with M1xchange to facilitate digital invoice financing for the bank’s
clients.
Key Highlights :
• Under M1xchange’s TReDS (Trade Receivables Discounting System), MSME suppliers get
early funding for their receivables under a bidding mechanism, and this is funded by MUFG
Bank, which takes on the credit risk of the corporate buyers.
• This collaboration allows MUFG Bank to leverage the digital ecosystem established by
M1xchange, thereby enhancing the efficiency of its client services.
• The collaboration with M1xchange demonstrates MUFG’s commitment to meeting the growing
trade finance needs of the industry.
• With this partnership, the bank would offer digital trade solutions to clients while adding value to
Micro Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) enterprises who are the end users of this supply
chain."
About MUFG Bank, Ltd :
• President : Katsunori Nagayasu
About M1xchange :
• CEO: Mr. Sundeep Mohindru
RBI Provides approval of C2FO for setting up the TReDS Platform in India
• C2FO, a global on-demand working capital platform, announced that its India arm C2FO
Factoring Solutions Private Limited has got in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India
to set up and operate Trade Receivable Discounting Systems (TReDS) platform in India.
• With this, C2FO has become the 4th platform to get the license to operate TReDS after
Receivables Exchange of India Ltd (RXIL), M1Xchange, and Invoicemart.
Key Highlights :
• The fintech platform C2FO provides working capital to businesses and claims to be serving
more than ten lakh businesses across 160 countries.
• Out of these, 2 lakh businesses are in India with a significant share of micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs).
About TReDS :
• The institutional mechanism TReDS was launched by the central bank in July 2014 to enable
discounting of MSMEs trade receivables through multiple financiers.
• According to the data by the RBI, the value of transactions undertaken on all TReDS platforms in
FY2022 doubled to Rs 34,362 crore from Rs 17,080 crore in FY2021, and more than tripled from
Rs 11,165 crore during FY2020.
• In August 2021, the Government of India amended the Factoring Regulation Act (Amendment)
2021 to permit Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) to register on TReDS for discounting
MSME invoices.
SEBI issues guidelines to standardize the usage of rating scales used by CRAs
• Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) came out with fresh guidelines
to standardise the usage of rating scales used by Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs).
• The new guidelines will come into force from January 1, 2023.
Key Highlights :
• According to Sebi, 'rating outlook' indicates CRA's view on the expected direction of the rating
movement in the near to medium term.
• A 'rating watch' indicates a CRA's view on the expected direction of the rating movement in the
short term.
• SEBI has specified standard descriptors for rating watches and rating outlooks.
The following will be the rating descriptors for ‘rating outlook’ to be used:
• Stable
• Positive, and
• Negative
For ‘rating watch’, the following will be the rating descriptors to be used:
• Rating watch with positive implications
• Rating watch with developing implications
• Rating watch with negative implications
• The rating symbols should have CRA's first name as the prefix.
• Under this, issuers with 'AAA' rating symbols are considered to have the highest degree of
safety regarding the timely servicing of debt obligations.
• While issuers with 'AA' and 'A' rating symbols are understood to have a high and adequate
degree of safety
• Issuers with BBB ratings are considered to have a moderate degree of safety regarding the
timely servicing of debt obligations.
• Those with BB, B, and C ratings are considered to have a 'moderate', 'high', and 'very high risk
of default, respectively regarding timely servicing of debt obligations and issuers with D ratings
are in default or are expected to be in default soon.

• CRAs are rating agencies that undertake ratings of various financial instruments under the
guidelines of different financial sector regulators or authorities.
• They are an important part of the financial industry, as investors and institutions often base their
decisions on the rating and guidance of CRAs.
• Some examples of CRAs in India include Crisil, and CARE, among others.
• The monitoring of the implementation of this circular by CRAs shall be done through a half-
yearly internal audit, which will be conducted by chartered accountants, company secretaries,
and cost and management accountants (CMAs).
About SEBI :
• SEBI is the regulatory body for the securities and commodity market in India under the
ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
RBI conducts special meet to draft report for govt on missing inflation target
• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) convened a special off-cycle meeting to discuss and
draft the content of the report that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has to send to the
government for missing the inflation target.
• The meeting was chaired by RBI Governor Mr. Shaktikanta Das.
• All the MPC members Michael Debabrata Patra, Rajiv Ranjan, Shashanka Bhide, Ashima
Goyal, and Jayanth R Varma attended the meeting.
Key Highlights :
• The report to be sent to the Government by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under the
provisions of Section 45ZN of the RBI Act, 1934 and Regulation 7 of RBI MPC and Monetary
Policy Process Regulations, 2016
• The MPC meeting was held a day after the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 75 basis
points in its fight against inflation.
• Consumer price-based inflation (CPI), or retail inflation, has been above the target range of 2-
6% for three consecutive quarters, or nine straight months from January to September 2022.
• This is for the first time, since the adoption of a new monetary policy framework in 2016, that a
special MPC meeting was called under Section 45ZN of the RBI Act.
• It was the second out-of-turn MPC meeting this year, the first being held in May 2022.
About RBI :
Shankar
Bain Capital sells 16.7 million shares in Axis Bank for Rs 1,497 crore
• Private equity major Bain Capital sold nearly 16.7 million shares, equalling a 0.5% stake in
private sector lender Axis Bank.
• The shares were sold at Rs 891.38 apiece for a total of Rs 1,487 crore by BC Asia Investments,
according to the data provided by stock exchanges.
• Bain Capital holds a 4.24% stake in Axis Bank as of 30 September 2022 through three entities -
BC Asia Investments VII, BC Asia Investments III, and Integral Investments South Asia IV.
• Shares of Axis Bank last closed at Rs 871.75, down 3.8%.
ADB clears $350 million loan to improve road connectivity in Maharashtra
• Multilateral funding agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 350 million (about
Rs 2,900 crore) loan to improve the road connectivity of key economic areas in Maharashtra.
Key Highlights :
• The Connecting Economic Clusters for Inclusive Growth in Maharashtra project will further
develop the state's core road network in the Ahmednagar, Hingoli, Jalna, Kohalpur, Nagpur,
Nanded, Nashik, Pune, Sangli, and Satara districts.
• It will help connect underdeveloped rural communities with off-farm opportunities and markets,
improve access to health and social services and improve agricultural value chains by reducing
transport costs for small and medium-sized enterprises.

• It will build on the Maharashtra State Road Improvement Project approved by ADB in April 2020
to upgrade state highways and major district roads.
About the Project :
• The project will upgrade at least 319 kilometres (km) of state highways and 149 km of district
roads, incorporating climate and disaster-resilient features.
• It will also construct 5 km of major district roads connecting Nanded and Telangana.
• The project will promote gender equality and social inclusion in highway programs, schools,
health, and social services and set up integrated service centres to provide basic sanitation,
education, and other services, adding skills training for enterprises led by poor women and
disadvantaged groups will be conducted to provide livelihood opportunities.
About ADB :
• Membership : 68 countries
HDFC Mutual Fund launches two exchange-traded sectoral indices
• HDFC Mutual Fund has launched two new exchange-traded funds – HDFC Nifty IT ETF and
HDFC Nifty Private Bank ETF to expand their suite of “HDFC MF Index Solutions”, which the
fund house has been managing for the past 20 years.
• These index funds offer a simple way to gain exposure to the growing IT and Private Bank
space.
The objective of the funds :
• To provide investment returns that, before expenses, correspond to the total returns of the
Securities as represented by the Nifty IT Index and Nifty Private Bank Index.
• The captioned new fund offers opened on October 28, 2022, and will close on November 9,
2022.
Key Highlights :
• “HDFC Nifty IT ETF has the potential to capture the Global IT demand/requirements through
India’s leading IT companies.

• HDFC Nifty Private Bank ETF aims to capture the potential of private banks benefiting from
India’s economic growth.
• The HDFC Nifty Private Bank ETF offers exposure to private banks which have better
fundamentals relative to sector peers and valuations below long-term averages.”
• Both the funds consist of the 10 largest stocks in the respective sectors listed on the NSE, and
they are rebalanced semi-annually in March and September.
Emirates NBD invests USD 100 million more in India, opens two more branches
• United Arab Emirates-based bank Emirates NBD announced an additional USD 100 million
investment in its India operations and added two more branches in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and
Gurugram, Haryana
• The lender, having the largest presence in the Middle East region, has so far invested USD 300
million in the last 5 years of its operations in India in three tranches, its group head for
international and group strategy.
Key Highlights :
• The bank does not have a captive development centre in India but has contracted an IT services
vendor here to help drive its global operations.
• India and the UAE have had long-standing strategic and economic ties over the years, which
have further been catalyzed by the recently executed Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement (CEPA).
• Indians constitute the largest expatriate community in UAE and a third of Emirates NBD’s
customer base are Indian expatriates.
• The bank’s 60-second zero-fee digital funds transfer service to India, DirectRemit, has facilitated
2.5 million remittances to India worth nearly USD 2 billion in 2022.
About Emirates NBD :
• Headquarters: Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Emirates NBD is the only UAE-based bank with a strong branch presence in India.
• Its current presence is not as a wholly-owned subsidiary, which is preferred by RBI for units of
foreign lenders.
Max Life ties up with Ditto for Online Life Insurance Distribution
• Max Life Insurance Company Ltd. has announced a life insurance product distribution tie-up with
Tacterial Consulting Private Limited (Ditto).
Aim :
• To leverage Ditto's diversified insurance advisory platform to offer Max Life's plans to online
customers.
Key Highlights :
• In the initial phase, Ditto will sell multiple variations of Max Life's protection plan providing
comprehensive coverage against Death, Disease & Disability along with applicable riders
facilitated via a seamless digital distribution model.
• The tie-up aims to improve Max Life's customer experience by leveraging Ditto's insurance
advisory capabilities and technological prowess to enhance life insurance penetration in the
country.
About Max Life Insurance Company Limited :
• Founded: 2000
• Max Life Insurance Company Limited is a life insurance company in India with a joint venture
(JV) between Max India Ltd and Axis Bank.
• It is a subsidiary of the publicly listed Max Financial Services and is the largest non-bank private-
sector life insurer in India.
SME lending startup ftcash gets NBFC license from RBI
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted ftcash, a startup in Small and Medium Enterprise
(SME) lending, a license to set up a non-banking financial company (NBFC).
Aim :
• To disburse loans worth ₹100 crores in FY23.
• The company has partnerships with Northern Arc, Ugro, and Ambit for providing credit offerings
to their customers.
Key Highlights :
• Nearly 80% of all Micro Small & Medium Enterprise (MSMEs) in India lack access to funding,
despite the government announcing many efforts to improve credit availability for the stressed
MSMEs sector.
• The NBFC license will allow us to bridge this credit gap while offering loans with minimal
documentation along with daily repayment options via PoS with equated daily instalments.
• ftcash has raised $10.2 million in funding and is backed by several investors including Accion,
FMO, and IvyCap Ventures.
About ftcash :
• Founded: 2015
• Founders : Sanjeev Chandak, Deepak Kothari and Vaibhav Lodha.
• CEO : Sanjeev Chandak
• ftcash is an RBI-registered NBFC and one of India's fastest-growing financial technology
companies.
• ftcash has won numerous awards and recognitions since its inception, including a prestigious
award by HRH the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, and Kate Middleton, at the
UK Trade and Investment - Great Tech Initiative
• For recognition for its work in financial inclusion by the former President of India Pranab
Mukherjee in 2017.
About RBI :
AIIB & GEAPP partners to accelerate the energy transition
• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Global Energy Alliance for People and
Planet (GEAPP) announced a collaboration and strategic investment partnership for mobilizing
up to $1 billion for the financing of green energy transition and renewable energy projects, in
both the public and private sectors.

• AIIB’s Vice-President of Policy and Strategy, Sir Danny Alexander, and GEAPP’s CEO, Simon
Harford, signed the documentation.
• Jin Liqun, President of AIIB; Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation; Per
Heggenes, CEO of IKEA Foundation; and Dr. Andrew Steer, President, and CEO of Bezos Earth
Fund joined in the ceremony.
• The partnership sees AIIB and GEAPP cooperating through a shared vision to address the
energy transition challenges in Asia through the identification of co-financing opportunities for
projects and programs of common interest in grid-based renewables, distributed renewables,
and fossil fuel transitioning areas.
• In 2021 AIIB achieved a 48% climate finance share of total approvals in 2021.
About AIIB :
• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• President : Jin Liqun
About GEAPP :
• Founded: 2021
• Headquarters: New York
Bureau of Energy Efficiency signs MoU with SIDBI to finance green MSMEs
• The government body for energy efficiency Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Small Industries Development Bank of India
(SIDBI) for Micro Small & Medium Enterprise (MSMEs).
Aim :
• To promote energy efficiency financing for MSMEs and explore the internet of things (IoT)-based
solutions, greening MSMEs, capacity building of various stakeholders, etc.
• The announcement comes weeks after SIDBI announced partnerships with multiple
stakeholders to help MSMEs become more energy efficient in their operations to support India’s
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 targets.

Key Highlights :
• Meanwhile, BEE and MSME ministry jointly runs a collaborative platform Sameeksha (Small and
Medium Enterprises Energy Efficiency Knowledge Sharing) to pool the knowledge and synergise
the efforts of various organizations for the promotion and adoption of clean energy technologies
and practices among MSMEs.
• As per India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UN’s Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), India has to reduce the emissions intensity of its
GDP by 45% by 2030, from the 2005 level.
• India will achieve 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based
energy resources by 2030.
• SIDBI had signed MoUs with German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH for operating a Risk Sharing Facility (RSF) that
provides credit guarantees to loans from commercial banks or non-banking financial companies
(NBFCs).
• Two other MoUs were signed with the Technology Information, Forecasting, and Assessment
Council (TIFAC) under the Department of Science and Technology and CII to identify and
promote scalable green and clean technologies by MSMEs.
About BEE :
• Established: 1 March 2002
• The BEE is an agency of the Government of India, under the Ministry of Power under the
provisions of the nation's 2001 Energy Conservation Act
About SIDBI :
• It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
• It acts as the principal financial institution for the promotion, financing, and development of
MSMEs.
• It is also a project executing agency for Partial Risk Sharing Facility (PRSF) that guarantees
energy efficiency projects.
MF penetration: Maharashtra, Delhi in lead; Jharkhand in top 10
• According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), Maharashtra, New
Delhi, and Goa have the highest mutual fund (MF) penetration in India, due to high-income
levels, better literacy rates, and high inflows from corporates and net worth individuals. (HNIs).
• However, it is not that all higher-income and developed states have high MF penetration and all
'poorer' states lag.
Top 5 countries with the highest MF penetration :
Level Country Entry Per Capita Average Assets Under Share of Equity Schemes in
Management (AAUM) (Rs) AAUM
1 Maharashtra 60 1,36,280 36%
2 New Delhi 42 1,66,860 47%
3 Goa 28 1,47,410 73%
4 Haryana 21 54,970 40%
5 Gujarat 17 41, 720 63%
Key Highlights :
• Jharkhand is one of the top 10 states with 13% penetration, MF penetration is not 5-6% in
Telangana and Kerala.
• Jharkhand has 79% of the state’s assets under management (AUM) in equity, and companies
mostly invest in credit schemes.
• Jharkhand ranks 16th in terms of per AUM (Rs 10,750) despite high penetration.
• The highest AUMs per capita are in New Delhi, Goa, and Maharashtra.
• The states with the lowest AUM per capita (Rs. 2,300 to Rs. 3,700) are Manipur, Bihar, and
Tripura.
• North-eastern states also have low MF penetration rates.
• The penetration rate is lowest in southern states like Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
About AMFI :
• Founded: 1995
• Chairman : A Balasubramanian
• Members: 44
• The AMFI is the regulatory body for the mutual funds sector in India.
• It is a division of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, Ministry of Finance, GoI.
NPCI introduces BHIM App open source license model
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) an initiative by the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) and the Indian Banks Association (IBA), has announced the launch of the BHIM App open-
source license model.
Aim :
• In a step ahead towards attaining the goal of ‘Digital Payments for All’
• The NPCI will licence the source code of the BHIM app to regulated entities which do not yet
have a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) app of their own, to empower them to launch their own
UPI app.
• NPCI intends to bridge this gap by extending all the readily available features of UPI to these
entities through this BHIM App licensing model which will be an economical and quick-to-market
solution for these entities
• BHIM licensing model will empower these entities to offer the benefits of UPI to their customers
with a ready UPI application that will help reduce time, effort, and costs for the entities.
About NPCI :
• Founded: 2008
NIIFL signs pact with JBIC to boost Japanese investments in India
• The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to promote and
enhance Japanese investments in India.
• The MoU sets a framework for collaboration between NIIFL and JBIC, which is considering the
creation of a bilateral India-Japan Fund (IJF).
Key Highlights :
• JBIC and the Government of India will invest in the India-Japan Fund, which will make equity
investments in environmental preservation and low carbon emission strategies
• The fund will also enhance cooperation between the two countries by investing in strategic
partnerships between Japanese and Indian companies and promoting business collaboration
across multiple sectors in India.
• JBIC will consider providing debt financing under their Global action for Reconciling Economic
growth and Environmental preservation (GREEN) initiative to investee companies of funds
managed by NIIFL.
About NIIFL :
• Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer: Sujoy Bose
• The NIIF is India’s first infrastructure-specific investment fund or a sovereign wealth fund.
Objective :
• To maximize economic impact mainly through infrastructure investment in commercially viable
projects, both greenfield, and brownfield.
• NIIFL is an active investor in sustainable and climate-friendly technologies and solutions through
its investments in Ayana Renewable Power, IntelliSmart Infrastructure, Ather Energy, and the
Green Growth Equity Fund.
About JBIC :

• President & CEO : Tadashi Maeda
• JBIC is a Japanese public financial institution and export credit agency that was created on
October 1, 1999, through the merger of the Japan Export-Import Bank (JEXIM) and the
Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF)
SEBI receives lesser complaints on average till Oct FY23 - SCORES data
• According to data shared by SCORES, the markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI) received an average of 3,011 complaints every month so far in the financial year
2022-23 (FY23).
• Further analysis shows that there is a 15.4% decline over the 3,558 average monthly complaints
in FY21-22.
Key Highlights :
• The average monthly figure was higher in FY21 (4,906), FY20 (4,627), and the pre-pandemic
year of FY19 (3,517).
• There are now over 100 million investor accounts compared to 40 million in FY19.
• Even as complaints decrease, the number of days it takes to resolve one has dropped from 36.8
days in October 2021 to 29 days as of September 2022.
• The lowest average resolution time was in April 2022 when it hit 24 days.
• According to yearly data from the Sebi annual report, The majority of investor complaints are
against stock brokers.
• There were 11,261 complaints filed against stock brokers in FY22.
• The next biggest source of complaints were issues related to refund, allotment, dividend,
transfer, bonus, rights, interest, and redemption matters which accounted for 6,789 complaints.
• Registrars to an issue and share transfer agents were the source of 3,877 complaints; mutual
funds were next with 3,866 complaints followed by depository participants with 3,794 complaints.
About SCORES :
• SCORES - SEBI Complaints Redress System platform
• SCORES is an online platform designed to help investors to lodge their complaints, about the
securities market, online with SEBI against listed companies and SEBI-registered
intermediaries.
• All complaints received by SEBI against listed companies and SEBI-registered intermediaries
are dealt with through SCORES.
About SEBI :
• The SEBI is the regulatory body for the securities and commodity market in India under the
ownership of the Ministry of Finance within the Government of India.
ICICI Lombard launches a range of health insurance products
• General Insurance company ICICI Lombard has launched 14 new Insurance solutions across
Health, Motor, and Corporate segments.
• The offerings are propelled by the recently introduced “Use and File” framework from the
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and new types of risks
emerging in all sectors be it pandemic, climate change, or data privacy.
Key Highlights :
• In the health segment, products like Golden Shield focus on senior citizens who find it difficult to
find health insurance in old age.
• The policy covers expenses related to room rent, intensive care, doctor fees, anesthesia, blood,
oxygen, occupational therapy, and medicines, amongst others.
• Other health insurance policies they have introduced include Health AdvantEdge, giving
worldwide international cover, and BeFit, which is a cashless outpatient policy that covers
common ailments like a cough or cold, and minor injuries that don’t need hospital treatment.
• In the motor segment, Motor floater Insurance allows a single policy with a single renewable date
and premium for all motor policies.
• In the Pay-As-You-Use (PAYU) Plan, the premium for the policy is limited only to the extent the
vehicle is used or estimated to be used by the customer.
• In the Pay-How-You-Use (PHYU) Plan, a customer with good driving behavior can avail of
attractive discounts over the base premium of the policy.
• Voyager Travel Insurance focuses on both domestic and overseas travel for up to one year.
About ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited :
• Founded: 2001
• MD & CEO: Bhargav Dasgupta
HDFC Bank partners with Arzooo to offer Purchase Cards to Retailers with up to Rs 1 Cr credit
● HDFC Bank (India’s largest Private sector Bank) partners with Arzooo (India’s fastest-growing
Retail Tech Platform) to launch Purchase cards that have been exclusively designed for offline
retailers.
Aim :
● To roll out over one lakh such credit cards over the next 12 months.
Key features :
● The card offers interest-free credit for up to a month and a credit limit of up to Rs 1 crore.
● Also, it is integrated with the Arzooo mobile application for ease of use during checkout.
● In 2022, Arzooo disbursed Rs 100 Crore worth of credit to retailers.
● There was a growth of 800% in the number of retailers that took credit this year through Arzooo
Credit.
● Also, the sales on the platform grew by 400% due to access to capital headroom and an
increase in demand.
● Over 40,000 retail partnerswho are already on the Arzooo platform will now be able to manage
their working capital much more efficiently.
● The Purchase Card will play a pivotal role in mobilizing the economy by providing impetus to
small and mid-sized retailers with easy access to capital.
About HDFC Bank :
● Founded : August 1994

About Arzooo :
● Founded : 2018
● Headquarters : Bengaluru, Karnataka
Union Bank of India launches Union Vyom app & various new products on the occasion of 104th
Foundation Day
● Union Bank of India, the country’s 5th largest public sector bank, marked its 104th foundation
day at Mumbai, Maharashtra after being founded on 11 November 1919 and having its first head
office inaugurated by the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi in 1921.
● On this occasion, Bank launched a super app – the Union Vyom app& various other digital
products.
About Union Vyom App :
● Union Vyom App is the super app of the Bank, is a one-stop solution for all financial products.
● It is empowered to deliver a unique experience of banking to customers where customers can
do transactions beyond traditional banking.
● Apart from online transactions, customers can avail of Retail, MSME loan, and credit card, make
investments in 5000+ mutual fund schemes, and buy insurance products without any assistance.
Other Launches :
● Union Sparsh- Touch debit card, specially designed for the visually impaired.
● Union Muskaan- Zero balance saving account for children of 0-18 years ago, having facility of
term insurance, accidental death insurance, SMS banking, NEFT, and IMPS at no cost.
● Also, avail of education loans at a concessional rate.
● Union Channel Finance- A fully automated financing solution for finance to dealers.
● Union Digi-Sahaj- An online account opening platform to open a savings account instantly.
● Union SARAS- A portal named Stressed Asset Recovery Automated Solution, developed for
early resolution and effective management of stressed assets having end-to-end processing
automation of all recovery and legal proceedings.
About UBI :
● Founded : 11 November 1919
● Tagline : Good People to Bank With
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance launches long-term savings product - ICICI Pru Sukh Samruddhi
● ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited has launched a new participating savings
product, ‘ICICI Pru Sukh Samruddhi,’ which provides customers with guaranteed benefits and
growth potential in the form of bonuses.
● Besides, the life cover continues for the entire duration of the policy, including the income
period, providing financial security to the family.
About ‘ICICI Pru Sukh Samruddhi :
● This product also provides a higher maturity benefit to women customers to encourage them to
embark on their savings journey and achieve financial independence.
● To address the varied financial needs of customers, this long-term saving product has been
made available in two variants - income and lump sum.
● ICICI Pru Sukh Samruddhi Income, provides an excellent route to create a supplementary
source of tax-free guaranteed income to meet financial goals, such as a child’s education,
annual vacations, or any other interim income requirement.
● This option provides customers with a guaranteed regular income for the specified time period
selected at the time of purchase.
● ICICI Pru Sukh Samruddhi Lump sum is ideal for customers looking to build a corpus over the
long term and utilize the lump sum maturity amount to achieve big-ticket financial goals such as
purchasing a house, financing children’s higher education, or legacy planning
● The innovative feature of ‘Savings Wallet’ allows customers to accumulate and grow their
income, instead of taking it as payment.
● The unique ‘Save the Date’ feature enables customers to start receiving income on a date of
their choice.
About ICICI Prudential Life Insurance :

● Founded: 2001
● MD & CEO: Narayanan Srinivasa Kannan
● In 2016, the company became the first insurance company in India to be listed on the domestic
stock exchanges.
NPCI enables electricity bill payments on 123PAY for feature phone users
● The National Payments Corp. of India (NPCI) announced that electricity bill payments service for
more than 70 electricity boards has been enabled on 123PAY, an instant payment system for
feature phones.
● It is powered by Bharat Bill Payment System(BBPS), this feature will facilitate a smooth and
quick electricity bill payment service through 123PAY for users to instantly make payments
directly from their bank accounts.
Key Highlights :
● 123PAY was developed by NPCI for feature phone users to allow them to undertake digital
transactions based on four technology alternatives:
1. calling an IVR (interactive voice response) number
2. app functionality in feature phones
3. missed call-based approach,
4. proximity sound-based payments.
● With the launch of electricity bill payments on 123Pay, the need for feature phone users to
conduct a paper check or pay in cash at the utility office will be eliminated.
About NPCI :
● Founded: 2008
● MD & CEO : Dilip Asbe
● The NPCI is the specialized division of the Reserve Bank of India which is under the jurisdiction
RBI approves amalgamation of Shree Sharada Sahakari Bank with the Cosmos Co-operative Bank,
Pune
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the amalgamation of Shree Sharada Sahakari
Bank Ltd., Pune (Maharashtra) with the Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd., Pune
(Maharashtra).
● The Scheme has been sanctioned in the exercise of the powers under the provisions of
Section 44A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 as amended vide the
Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2020 (39 of 2020).
● The Scheme will come into force with effect from October 30, 2022.
● All the branches of Shree Sharada Sahakari Bank Ltd, Pune (Maharashtra) will function as
branches of The Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd., Pune (Maharashtra) with effect from
October 30, 2022.
About RBI :
● Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao,Michael Patra and T. Rabi
Shankar
RBI Revokes Authorisation Certificate of Chennai-Based GI Technology
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revoked the certificate of authorisation (CoA) of Chennai-
based GI Technology Private Limited over governance concerns and non-compliance with
regulatory requirements.
● The company is in the business of issuance and operation of prepaid payment instruments.
● Following the revocation of the CoA, GI Technology cannot transact the business of issuance
and operation of prepaid payment instruments
● However, customers or merchants having a valid claim, if any, on the company as PSO, can
approach the company for settlement of their claims.
SEBI Introduces Regulatory Framework to Facilitate Online Bond Platform Providers
● Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a regulatory
framework to facilitate providers of online bond platforms that are selling listed debt securities.
● The move will also enhance the confidence among investors, particularly non-institutional
investors, as the platforms would be provided by SEBI-regulated intermediaries.
Key Highlights :
● To this effect, SEBI has amended NCS (Issue and Listing of Non-Convertible Securities)
Regulations.
● A person acting as an online bond platform-provider without registration certificate prior to the
date of this regulation coming into force can continue to do so for a period of three months.
● Under the new rules, no person would act as an online bond platform-provider without obtaining
registration certificate as a stockbroker from SEBI.
● The regulator has defined online bond platform as any electronic system, other than a
recognised stock exchange or an electronic book-provider platform, on which the debt securities
which are listed or proposed to be listed, are offered and transacted.
● Further, online bond platform-provider means any person operating or providing such a platform.
About SEBI :
● Established : 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January
1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
● SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity market in India under the ownership of
Ministry of Finance, GoI.
KVG Bank renews bancassurance pact with LIC
● Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB), a Dharwad-headquartered regional rural bank and
Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India have renewed their agreement through a memorandum
of understanding for bancassurance (for selling life Insurance products through the branches of
KVGB) tie-up.
● The bank will market LIC’s products through its 639 branches in Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri,
Belagavi, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.
● The bank is renewing the pact with LIC mainly to increase insurance penetration in rural areas
and to provide better deal to customers on service and premium.
About KVG Bank :
● Founded : September 12, 2005
● Headquarters : Dharwad, Karnataka, India
● Chairman : Puttaganti Gopi Krishna
About LIC :
● Founded : 1 September 1956
● Chairman : M R Kumar
● Managing directors : B C Patnaik, Smt. Ipe Mini, Siddharth Mohanty, Rajkumar
SEBI tweaks takeover code to facilitate disinvestment of PSUs
● The market regulator SEBI has amended its Takeover Code to facilitate transactions involving
change in control of State-owned enterprises or Public Sector Undertakings (PSus).
● Through the latest changes, the earlier requirement of calculating 60 days volume weighted
average market price (VWAMP) for determination of open offer price in case of disinvestment of
PSU Companies, wherein it results in its change in control, has been dispensed with.
● Separately, SEBI notified rules reducing the minimum holding requirement of real estate
investment trust (REITs) units by sponsors to 15% from 25% at present, a move aimed at
encouraging more companies to float REITs.
● The REIT for a period of at least three years from the date of listing of such units pursuant to
initial offer on a post-issue basis
● However, any holding of the sponsor and sponsor group exceeding the minimum holding, would
be held for at least one year from the date of listing of such units.
● In another notification, the regulator has discontinued a separate regulatory framework for
unlisted infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) & this would come into force from 1 January 2023.
State Bank of India signs €150 million solar loan agreement with Germany’s KfW
● The State Bank of India (SBI) has received an additional low-interest loan of €150 million (about
₹1,240 crore) from Germany’s Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) Development Bank to
finance solar projects in India.

● The two banks signed the loan agreement under the Indo-German solar energy partnership.
Key Highlights :
● The loan primarily funds innovative technologies, such as automated dry cleaning of solar
modules to reduce water consumption.
● This loan will further contribute to India’s “Panchamrit” goals announced during COP26.
● This is the second loan SBI has received from the German development bank.
● The first loan of €150 million (~$150.66 million) was granted in 2017, to enable the construction
of larger solar farms with an output between 50 and 250 MW and the infrastructure to connect
them to the electricity grid.
● After securing a Euro 150 million Credit line for solar energy finance from a German financial
institution, State Bank of India is in talks with European Investment Bank for about Euro 200
million to fund climate finance.
● In 2015, the Government of India and the Federal Republic of Germany signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) to foster the use of solar energy in India through technical as well as
financial cooperation.
About SBI :
● Chairman : Dinesh Kumar Khara
IFSCA signs MoU with RBI in the field of regulation, supervision of regulated entities
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the International Financial Services Centres Authority
(IFSCA) have inked a cooperative agreement for the regulation and supervision of regulated
entities in their respective jurisdictions.
• The sharing of information and technical cooperation is made easier by this MoU.
• The agreement intends to improve the security, soundness, and stability of the respective
financial ecosystems while assuring favourable business settings and economic growth.
• The MoU creates opportunities for collaboration between the two regulators, increasing the
security, soundness, and stability of their respective financial ecologies and fostering settings
that are ideal for company development and economic progress, according to the release.
About IFSCA
• IFSCA is a statutory organisation with its headquarters in Gandhinagar's GIFT City and was
founded by the IFSCA Act 2019. Its goal is to create and oversee the financial services, financial
institutions, and financial goods in the international financial services centres (IFSCs).
About RBI :
Shankar
ESAF Bank gets top 'Best in Class' ESG Ratings
• ESAF Small Finance Bank was awarded the “best in class” rating for the environment, social,
and governance (ESG) practices from CareEdge Ratings.
• ESAF is also the first Indian member bank of the Global Alliance on Banking on Values (GAVB).
• ESAF SFB has joined the growing tide of financial corporations worldwide in their fight against
the practice of “greenwashing” or faking ESG credentials.
Key Highlights :
• ESG practice gave 4 out of 5 points for the bank’s commitment towards ESG integration.
• ESAF Bank has been maintaining a well-defined policy towards environmental and social
sustainability and has effectively implemented it across its business verticals.
About Greenwashing :
• Greenwashing refers to a situation wherein a corporation or a firm spends more time and money
on marketing itself as environmentally friendly than on actually minimizing its environmental
impact.
• In other words, it is a marketing ploy intended to mislead consumers who prefer to buy goods
and services from environmentally conscious companies.
About ESAF Bank :

• Headquarters: Mannuthy, Thrissur, Kerala
• MD and CEO: K. Paul Thomas
ICICI Venture invests 360 crores in the cello world
• ICICI Venture, the alternative investment arm of ICICI Bank, has invested ₹360 crores, or
around $44.3 million, in consumer houseware company Cello World, marking its first bet from
the fifth private equity (PE) fund.
Key Highlights :
• ICICI Venture’s fifth PE fund has raised $325 million within a few months from its launch, mainly
from existing investors - large sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, banks, funds of
funds, and family offices.
• The PE major has invested in over 60 companies across all four funds.
• Some of its marquee investments include the recently-listed Go Fashions India, Theobroma
Foods, Metropolis Health Services, Home Solutions (a subsidiary of Pantaloons Retail, owned
by Aditya Birla Group), Bharat Biotech and Epack Durable Pvt Ltd.
• Cello World is the flagship company of Cello Group, which provides consumer houseware
products across steel, plastic, glass, and opalware categories.
About ICICI Venture :
• Founded: 1988
• Executive director: Mr. Mohit Batra
• CEO: Puneet Nanda
• Currently, ICICI Venture manages 4 funds with total PE assets under management (AUM) of
$1.65 billion across four funds, India Advantage Fund (IAF) Series 1, 2,3, and 4.
• The IAF-4 fundraise was closed at $250 million (around ₹1,900 crores) in September 2017.
Max Life launches life insurance plan - Smart Wealth Advantage Guarantee
• Max Life Insurance has launched Smart Wealth Advantage Guarantee Plan, a non-linked, non-
participating individual life insurance savings plan that offers guaranteed returns, life insurance
cover, and financial protection all combined in one product.
• The product offers the receipt of the annual income on a preferred date decided by the
policyholder, and not necessarily at the anniversary of the policy issuance.

Key features :
Enhanced flexibility:
• The plan allows you to choose premium payment terms, deferment periods, and income
duration.
• It has a ‘Save the Date’ feature which allows you to receive annual income on your special date
of the year like birthdays, marriage anniversaries, etc.
Guaranteed income:
• It offers to get easy liquidity with income payout as early as the first month.
• Additionally, the policyholders can get income returns for up to 30-40 years with a lump sum at
maturity.
Comprehensive Financial Security for your loved ones:
• The plan offers a life cover if the life insured dies untimely during the policy term.
• The plan also comes with an in-built accidental death benefit that pays an additional amount if
the insured dies.
Facility to Avail Loans:
• The plan also helps you avail of loans against your policy to meet your urgent financial
requirements.
Secured Retirement:
• The plan offers you to get tax-free income for life.
• The GST is applicable on premiums as per prevailing tax laws.
• Under Selected Variants, policyholders can get returns of 50% of Total Premiums Payable at the
age of 85 years, applicable under select variants only.
About Max Life Insurance Company Limited :
• Founded: 2000
• It is a life insurance company in India with a joint venture (JV) between Max India Ltd and Axis
Bank
RBI imposes Rs 12 lakh fine on six co-operative banks & 3 sahakari banks
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a collective fine of nearly ₹12 lakh on 9 entities,
including 6 cooperative banks and 3 Sahakari banks for violating various banking norms.
Penalties:
• Berhampur Cooperative Urban Bank (Odisha) has been fined ₹3.10 lakh
• Osmanabad Janata Sahakari Bank, Osmanabad (Maharashtra) ₹2.5 lakh,
• Santrampur Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd, Santrampur in Mahisagar district (Gujarat) ₹2 lakh
penalty.
• Jila Sahakari Kendriya Bank Maryadit, Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh); Jamshedpur Urban
Cooperative Bank Ltd, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand; and Renuka Nagarik Sahakari Bank Maryadit,
Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh) have been fined Rs 1 lakh each.
• Krishna Mercantile Co-operative Bank Ltd, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and Kendrapara Urban
Co-operative Bank Ltd, Kendrapara, Odisha were fined Rs 50,000 each.
• The Nawanagar Co-operative Bank Ltd, Jamnagar (Gujarat) is penalized with Rs 25,000
About RBI :
Shankar
Fintech Open gets RBI nod for payment aggregator license
• Open, a neo-banking fintech, has received in-principle approval from the regulatory authority,
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), for a Payment Aggregator Gateway (PA/PG) license.
• A PA provides payment services to merchants and e-commerce sites by accepting payment
instruments from customers.
• In a new set of guidelines in March 2020, the RBI mandated that all PAs be authorized by the
central bank.
• In May 2022 Open became the 100th Indian unicorn, a startup valued at $1 billion or above after
it raised $50 million led by IIFL.
About Open :
• Founded: 2017
• Founders: Anish Achutan, Ajeesh Achutan, Mabel Chacko, and Deena Jacob.
• CEO: Anish Achutan
• Open focuses on small and medium businesses, startups and freelancers by offering them a
business current account and services such as automated accounting, bookkeeping, expense
management, compliance, and payroll.
NABARD sanctions Rs 220.50 crore to Odisha for flood protection projects
● The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned 57 flood
protection projects and 1 rural bridge amounting to Rs 220.50 crore for Odisha under the Rural
Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).
● The project would be implemented by the Department of Water Resources (DOWR- Major &
Medium), Government of Odisha.
Key Highlights :
● The project will help 2 credit-starved districts of Kendrapara and Nuapada, 4 aspirational
districts of Bolangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada and Rayagada, 6 LWE affected districts of Bolangir,
Boudh, Kalahandi, Nayagarh, Nuapada and Rayagada and 8 disaster affected districts of
Bolangir, Boudh, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Khurda, Nayagarh, Nuapada and Sonepur.
● The project envisages protection and restoration of river banks at 57 identified stretches on 32
different rivers/creeks for restoration/ stabilisation of agricultural land, and standing crops and
providing flood relief operations by the construction of one rural bridge.
● The major items of work for flood protection include repairing and strengthening of scoured
banks of the rivers 50.69 km, construction of launching aprons and stone packing of the slope of
embankments, raising and strengthening of embankments (107.74 km), construction of CC
guard wall, etc,
● It also includes the construction of 93 new spurs, the provision of a BT road on embankments for
a total length of 57.78 km.
● The proposal also involves the construction of a Box Cell bridge over Sankha creek in the
Jagatsinghpur district.
About NABARD :
● NABARD was established on the recommendations of the B. Sivaraman Committee (by Act 61,
1981 of Parliament) on 12 July 1982 to implement the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development Act 1981.
● Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra,India
● Chairman: Suchindra Mishra
● It is an apex regulatory body for the overall regulation of regional rural banks and apex
● It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.
Karnataka Bank launches CASA campaign
● Karnataka Bank has launched the CASA (current account savings account) campaign of 2022-
23 for 100 days towards the 100th year of its existence.
● The event was graced by the Directors of the Bank, Justice A V Chandrashekar, Dr. D S
Ravindran, Shri Kalmanje Gururaj Acharya, Chief Business Officer Shri Gokuldas Pai, General
Managers and Top Executives of the Bank.
Key Highlights :
● Under this nationwide campaign starting from 15th Nov 2022 to 24th Mar 2023, the Bank intends
to open more than 3.65 lakhs Current & Savings accounts by the active involvement of all of its
workforce in all 883 branches, across India.
● With this campaign, the Bank aims to introduce its attractive digitally powered savings account
products to its prospective customers.
● As a part of the project 'KBL-VIKAAS' and Digital transformation initiatives, the Bank has
envisioned making available self-initiated digital onboarding platforms to the prospective
customers of the Bank.
● Further, the TAB & Web Banking account opening modes for on-boarding of SB - NTB
customers (New to Bank) will also be extensively utilised during the campaign so as to have a
seamless account opening and customer delight.
● Founded : 18 February 1924
● Headquarters : Mangaluru, Karnataka, India

● MD & CEO : Mahabaleshwara M. S
● Tagline : Your Family Bank Across India
● It is an 'A' Class Scheduled Commercial Bank
Maharashtra to get $400-m ADB loan for 5,000 e-buses
● The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has given in-principle approval for a $400-million loan to
the Maharashtra government to bring in 5,000 electric buses.
● This was announced by the State’s Principal Secretary (Transport & Ports), Parrag Jaiin-
Nainutia.
● He was participating in a discussion at the India pavilion at the COP27 international climate
conference on decarbonising India’s transport sector using e-mobility.
About CESL model :
● Maharashtra would follow the same model as the public sector, CESL (Convergence Energy
Services Ltd), did for the recently-concluded tender for procuring 5,450 e-buses.
● Under this model, bidders offer a per-km price for running buses on routes specified by the state
transport service the best price gets the contract.
● The buses would be run by the winning bidder’s drivers, but the ticketing and collection would be
done by the transport undertaking.
About ADB :
● Established : 19 December 1966
● Headquarters : Mandaluyong, Philippines
● President : Masatsugu Asakawa
● Membership : 68 countries
● The ADB is a regional development bank.
InsuranceDekho partners with LIC to offer latter's products across India
● InsuranceDekho, an insurtech, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Life Insurance
Corporation of India (LIC) through which the latter’s products will be available for all customers
on its platform pan-India.
Key Highlights :
● The partnership will help provide insurance policies and establish 100% penetration in the
remotest towns of the country.
● Currently, InsuranceDekho has more than 330 products from 45 insurers on its platform.
About InsuranceDekho :
● Chief executive officer and co-founder : Ankit Agrawal,
● InsuranceDekho is an online platform that lets people compare insurance quotes from top-rated
insurance companies and purchase the insurance policy that best suits their needs.
● It offers car insurance, bike insurance, health insurance as well as life insurance.
About LIC :
● Chairman : M R Kumar
● Managing directors : B C Patnaik, Smt. Ipe Mini, Siddharth Mohanty, Rajkumar
Tata Power Solar Systems ties up with Union Bank of India to facilitate solar rooftop adoption in the
MSME sector
• Tata Power Solar Systems (TPSSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable
Energy (TPREL), has tied up with Union Bank of India (UBI) to help the MSME (Micro, Small,
and Medium Enterprises) sector switch to solar solutions.
Objective :
• To improve access to green energy and save on the cost of electricity, thus making MSMEs
more profitable.
Key Highlights :
• The association will be implemented under UBI’s solar scheme called Union Solar.
• MSMEs can avail of the dual services of Solar EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction)
by TPSSL, financed through a term loan facility by UBI, wherein industries can avail up to Rs 8
crore of the loan amount at interest rates (exclusive for Tata Power customers) with nil or
minimum collateral.
• The scheme also requires a minimum down payment of only 20% of the project cost.
About TPSSL :
• Founded: 1989
• In 2017, Tata Power Solar became the first Indian company to ship over 1 GW of solar modules
worldwide.
About UBI :
• Tagline: Good People to Bank with
Shriram Life gets PFRDA nod to become the annuity service provider
• Shriram Life Insurance Company (SLIC) is empanelled as an Annuity Service Provider by the
Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA).
• The empanelment will help the insurance major manage the annuity component of the maturity
proceeds under the National Pension System (NPS).
• SLIC’s empanelment as ASP will help it mobilize 40% of the NPS maturity amount which will be
open to investment in annuity schemes.
• The annuity premium mobilization in India is above ₹25,000 crore per year.
About Annuity Service Provider :
• Annuity Service Provider is an IRDA-registered insurance company empanelled by PFRDA for
providing Annuity Services to NPS subscribers upon their exit from the system.
• ASPs will be responsible for managing the funds (allocated for buying annuity) and payment of
the pension after a subscriber attains the age of 60.
• This will also enable customers to choose from an array of insurance providers who provide
rewarding annuity plans according to their needs and lifestyle.
About SLIC :
• Founded: 2005 (commenced operations in 2006).
• Chairman: T.S. Krishna Murthy

• MD & CEO : Casparus Kromhout
HDFC Capital & CREDAI collaborate to accelerate investments into realty projects in tier 2,3 cities
• HDFC Capital Advisors, a subsidiary of India’s largest private mortgage lender HDFC, has
entered into a collaboration with the property developers' body the Confederation of Real Estate
Developers' Association of India (CREDAI) to accelerate investments into real estate projects in
tier II and III cities.
• This announcement was made by CREDAI at the 'NATCON 2022' annual event held at YAS
Island in Abu Dhabi.
Key Highlights :
• The real estate private equity investment manager will be investing in mid-income and affordable
projects in these cities through its $3 billion fund.
• CREDAI also partnered with India’s first and largest integrated incubator and accelerator for
startups – Venture Catalysts & NeoVon – to set up a $100 million fund - ‘Spyre VC Proptech
Fund’.
• The fund shall invest a 100 million dollar fund in the next couple of years across early and
growth-stage startups.
• Additionally, to be able to accelerate the adoption of technology, CREDAI will launch
Credaiverse’ to have a permanent presence in Metaverse for an immersive buying consumer
experience.
• CREDAI has also announced that it’s over 13,000 member developers have taken a pledge to
turn 100% carbon neutral by 2050 in a bid to accelerate its commitment to the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) 2030.
About CREDAI :
• Chairman: Mr. Satish Magar
• President: Harsh Vardhan Patodia
• President Elect : Mr. Boman Irani
Navi Enters Into Co-Lending Partnership With Piramal For Digital Personal Loans
• Navi Group, a technology-driven financial products, and services company has partnered with
Piramal Capital and Housing Finance Ltd to offer digital personal loans in India.
• The partnership would allow the fintech startup to serve 11,000+ pin codes across India.
• Under the partnership, customers can get digital personal loans of up to INR 20 Lakh with a
tenure of up to 72 months via the startup’s app.
• Piramal Finance will fund 80% of the loans generated by the partnership, while the rest will come
from Navi Finserv, a subsidiary of Navi Technologies.
About Navi Group :
• CEO and chairman : Sachin Bansal
Union Bank of India Ranks Second in IBA’s EASE Reform Index
• As per the report on Enhanced Access & Service Excellence (EASE) Reforms Index for Q1 FY
2022-23 by Indian Banks' Association (IBA), Union Bank of India is the 2nd Best Bank in
adopting reforms prescribed for Public Sector Banks.
Top 5 on EASE Reforms Index :
1. State Bank of India (SBI) - 58.4
2. Union Bank of India (UBI) - 58.3
3. Bank of Baroda (BoB)- 52.3
4. Punjab National Bank (PNB) - 41.1
5. Canara Bank - 39.1
Key Highlights :
• Union Bank of India has been doing well in areas related to enabling various
1. Digital journeys for customer convenience
2. Upgrading analytics & big data capabilities for personalized offerings & proactive reach out to
customers
3. Adopting modern technology capabilities for integrated banking experience,
4. Collaborative banking for higher efficiency
5. Employee development and better governance measures
• The performance of PSBs is measured under EASE 5.0 on five themes, with Union Bank of
India setting benchmarks under two themes, i.e., ‘Modern Technology Capabilities’ and
‘Employee Development and Governance.
• The Bank has also secured the first runner-up position in the theme ‘Digital-Enabled Customer
Offering’.
About EASE :
• EASE is an initiative by the DFS (GOI) as part of the PSB Reforms Agenda and is currently
under its fifth iteration which focuses on Enhanced Digital experience, Integrated and Inclusive
Banking.
About Indian Banks’ Affiliation (IBA):
• Chief Government: Sunil Mehta
• Headquarters: Mumbai. Maharashtra
• IBA was formed as a representative body of management of banking in India operating in India -
an association of Indian banks and financial institutions based in Mumbai.
India's economy to grow up to 6.3% in Q2 of FY23: RBI
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expects India's economy to record growth between 6.1% and
6.3% for the second quarter of the financial year FY23.
• RBI stated that if these growth rates are realized then the country is on course for a growth rate
of about 7% in 2022-23.
Over 73% of cryptocurrency users lost money
• According to a working research paper published in the Bank for International Settlements, over
73% of cryptocurrency users lost money.
• After the United States (US). and Turkey, India has the third highest number of registered
downloads of crypto exchange apps.
Key Highlights :
• As of June 2022, there were over 30 million crypto exchange app downloads in India.
• But in terms of downloads per capita, India features among the countries with the lowest number
of downloads.
• This is because of its vast population and crypto awareness being mostly limited to urban
pockets.
• Countries such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. rank much higher in terms of per
capita downloads.
• India also features among those countries with the lowest average monthly app usage per 1 lakh
people.
• According to the study, 73%-81% of the users would have lost money.
About Cryptocurrency :
• Cryptocurrencies are digital or virtual currencies in which encryption techniques are used to
regulate the generation of their units and verify the transfer of funds.
• The first and most famous cryptocurrency, bitcoin was introduced in 2009.
• A median investor would have lost $431, corresponding to 48% of the total $900 invested.
• Most cryptocurrencies of the world are built on blockchain technology.
• Blockchain is a decentralized and distributed database on a peer-peer network that works based
on a consensus mechanism involving every node (computer) on the network.
• Blockchain is a peer-to-peer distributed network that records a public history of transactions
without actually recording the identities of the parties or the transaction details.
ICICI Bank introduces deposit-linked loans and dollar bonds for NRIs
• ICICI Bank Limited has launched two new products namely Loan Against Deposits (LAD) and
Dollar Bonds for Non-Resident Indian (NRI) customers at its branch in Gujarat International
Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), the Gujarat-based emerging global financial and IT services hub.
Note :
• ICICI Bank is the first bank to offer these products in GIFT City.
About LAD :
• The loan against deposits facility is similar to a loan in foreign currency against a deposit in India
and includes non-resident external fixed deposits in rupees.
• Up to 95% of the deposit value can be availed of using this loan and customers can borrow for
flexible tenures at fixed or floating interest rates.
About dollar bonds :
• It is an alternate investment option for NRIs, where they can book dollar bonds through ICICI
Bank in GIFT City.
• For dollar bonds, ICICI Bank is offering over 50 marquee issuers and companies for such
securities.
Other key offerings at GIFT City for NRI customers are:
Global Current Account:
• This is a non-interest-bearing account that does not require any minimum balance.
• It helps NRIs to deposit money in India in foreign currencies such as USD, EUR, and GBP.
Global Savings Account:
• NRIs can deposit money for the short term and earn interest in this savings account.
Term Deposits:
• They are similar to Foreign Currency Non-Resident (FCNR) deposits with a minimum lock-in
period of 7 days compared to one year for FCNR in India.
• Customers can deposit in currencies such as USD, EUR, and GBP.
About ICICI Bank :
Ather Energy partners with IDFC Bank for an electric 2-wheeler financing scheme
• Ather Energy, a smart electric scooter manufacturer has announced its partnership with IDFC
Bank to offer a first-in-the-industry financing option to customers.
Key Highlights :
• Customers can purchase an Ather 450X or 450 Plus electric scooter from the scheme with as
little as a 5% down payment.
• This is the first time IDFC has offered all of this in an electric two-wheeler space.
• This scheme is expected to make Ather scooters more accessible to customers by offering a
lucrative financing option to customers and driving faster adoption of electric vehicles.
• Ather is the first OEM to be granted a 48-month loan term for its scooters.
• Hero MotCorp supported start-up delivered 8,213 units in October 2022, achieving its highest
monthly sales ever.
About IDFC Bank :
• CEO : V. Vaidyanathan
• IDFC First Bank is an Indian Private Sector Bank that is owned by IDFC, an integrated
infrastructure finance company.
About Ather Energy :
• Founded: 2013
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, IndiaFounders: Tarun Mehta, Swapnil Jain
• Ather Energy is an Indian electric vehicle company.
India's GDP growth to slow to 5.9% in 2023 - Goldman Sachs
• As per Goldman Sachs, the economic growth forecast of India has been reduced to 5.9% in
2023, from an estimated 6.9% growth in 2022
• Reason: As the boost from the post-COVID reopening fades and monetary tightening weighs on
domestic demand.
• Goldman Sachs has also expected that inflation will drop to 6.1% in 2023, from 6.8% in 2022.
• Recently, RBI has also pegged the domestic growth rate at 7% for 2022-23.
About Goldman Sachs :
• Founded: 1869
• Chairman & CEO: David M. Solomon
• India economist at Goldman Sachs: Santanu Sengupta
• Goldman Sachs is the second-largest investment bank in the world by revenue.
HDFC Bank partners with Flywire to offer Digitize Education Payments from India
● HDFC Bank Limited has partnered with Flywire Corporation, a global payments enablement and
software company, to help Indian payers to easily pay international education fees to higher
education institutions digitally.
● The collaboration between HDFC Bank and Flywire offers a new method to international
education payments that benefits both students and institutions.
● The connection enables a smooth and digital payment experience.
● The integration also simplifies the compliance procedure for the Reserve Bank of India’s
Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), which allows Indian residents to transmit up to $250,000
USD overseas per fiscal year.
● HDFC Bank works directly with Flywire’s platform, giving Indian students a fully digital checkout
experience for everything from application fees to tuition payments.
● Students can pay in Indian rupees and enjoy a safe and simple payment experience, with the
confidence that the funds will be delivered to the educational institution.
● According to the 2022 Open Doors Report, approximately 200,000 Indian students studied in the
United States during the academic year 2021-2022, a 19% increase over the previous year.
About Flywire Corporation :
● Headquarters : Boston, Massachusetts, United States
● CEO : Mike Massaro
About HDFC Bank Limited :
● Founded : August 1994
● CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
Federal Bank launches NRE deposits with higher interest rates
● Federal Bank launched a deposit scheme for Non Resident Indians (NRIs) titled ‘Deposit Plus’,
which offers higher interest than the existing Non-Residential External (NRE) NRE fixed
deposits.
● The maximum interest rate offered in this scheme is 7.50 percent for a tenure of 700 days.
Key Highlights :
● The interest accrued on this scheme will be added to the principal (reinvestment plan) on a
quarterly basis.
● It is an opportunity for non-residents to invest their funds as the interest earned is exempt from
income tax.
● The deposits cannot be closed prematurely.
● However, customers have the option of availing loans up to 75% of the deposit amount in the
event funds are required prior to maturity.
● Headquarters : Aluva, Kochi, Kerala, India
● CEO : Shyam Srinivasan
● Tagline : Your Perfect Banking Partner
Bank of Baroda opens its first dedicated mid-corporate branch in Kochi
● Bank of Baroda (BoB) has opened its first mid-corporate Branch in Kerala at Kochi.
● The branch was inaugurated by Debadatta Chand, Executive Director in the presence of S.
Rengarajan, GM (Head - Mid Corporate Cluster South) and Sreejith Kottarathil, Zonal Head-
Ernakulam.
● The key focus of the mid corporate branch is to increase corporate book size and income to
improve turnaround time (TAT) for corporate proposals and provide enhanced service to
corporate customers
● The branch will cater to mid-corporate, large corporate, and PSU borrowers and provide
corporate loans, trade finance, forex, and cash management services.
About BoB :
● Headquarters : Vadodara, Gujarat, India
● MD & CEO : Sanjiv Chadha
BillBox unveils wearable device for contactless payments
● BillBox, one of the leading customized solution providers in the payments & merchant
ecosystem in India has launched a disruptive product – TapTap – in association with NSDL
Payments Bank & Visa.
Aim:
● To simplify payments and offer users convenience.
● It has been launched with silicon band, silicon strap and silicon loop which will be available in
white, black and blue colors
Key Highlights :
● TapTap is a program manager & fintech pioneer in prepaid & gift card programs.
● The tap-tap technology will be used to accessorize payments made using wearable contactless
payment devices and will speed up the rollout of co-branded, customized prepaid cards.
About NSDL Payments Bank :
● Founded : Mumbai, Maharashtra
● President : Ashutosh Singh
● MD & CEO : Abhijit Kamalapurkar
Note :
● Managing Director and CEO of TapTap : Viraj Majmudar
Airtel Payments Bank rolls-out e-KYC based on face authentication for opening savings account
● Airtel Payments Bank, a fintech subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, has launched a Face Authentication-
based savings bank account opening for customers.
Note :
● Airtel Payments Bank is the first Payments Bank in the country to offer this facility.
● The Business Correspondents (BCs) of the bank would be able to open an account for the user
just by undertaking the face authentication e-KYC (Know Your Customer).
Features :
● The facility will further ease the account opening process making it seamless & convenient for
customers.
● The authentication is processed using a newly developed mobile application by the Unique
Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
● Airtel Payments Bank will make this service available across all of its 500,000 banking points by
the end of 2022.

● The KYC facility uses Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) based Face
Authentication Registered Device (RD) Application, which helps in the prevention of fraudulent
activities by cross-checking an individual's photo with the image captured in Aadhaar and allows
secure customer onboarding.
● Till now, to open an account with Airtel Payments Bank, the Aadhaar based OTP or fingerprint
biometric authentication was carried out.
Recent News :
● Airtel Payments Bank integrated with the National Payments Corporation of India’s (NPCI) -
National Financial Switch (NFS) to facilitate Micro ATM transactions for debit card users residing
beyond the metro and tier 1 cities in India.
● Founded : 2017
● Headquarters : Gurugram, Haryana
● In January 2022, it was granted the scheduled bank status by the Reserve Bank of India under
the second schedule of the RBI Act, 1934.
SEBI frames guidelines for AIFs for declaring first close of a scheme
● Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) came out with guidelines for
alternative investment funds (AIFs) for declaring the first close of a scheme.
● It has also specified the manner of calculating the tenure of a close-ended scheme of an AIF
and prescribed a fee for change in control of the manager or sponsor.
About the guidelines :
● The first close of a scheme is required to be declared not later than 12 months from the date of
the capital markets regulator's communication for taking the Private Placement Memorandum
(PPM) of the scheme on record.
● In the case of open-ended schemes of Category III AIFs, the first close would refer to the close
of their Initial Offer Period.
● The fee would be paid within 15 days of effecting the proposed change in manager/sponsor or
change in control of manager/sponsor.

About SEBI :
● Established : 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January
1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.
of the Ministry of Finance within the GoI.
OECD - Global growth to slow to 3.1% in 2022, 2.2% in 2023
● According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Economic
Outlook Nov 2022, Global gross domestic product (GDP) growth is projected to slide from 3.1 %
in 2022 to 2.2% in 2023.
Reason :
● Tighter monetary policy, higher real interest rates, soaring energy prices, weak real household
income growth
Key Highlights :
● The United States economy would only grow by 0.5% in 2023, compared with 1.8% in 2022.
● India which is projected to have the world’s second-highest growth rate in 2022, after Saudi
Arabia with a 6.6% but may face a slowdown next year with an estimated 5.7% growth.
● Meanwhile, China is projected to grow just 3.3% in 2022 and 4.6% in 2023.
About OECD :
● Founded : 1961
● Headquarters : Paris, France
● Secretary general : Mathias Cormann
IDFC First Bank launches India’s 1st sticker-based debit card - FIRSTAP
• IDFC First Bank in association with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has
introduced FIRSTAP, India's first sticker-based debit card.
Aim :
• To permit transactions by simply tapping the sticker on a point-of-sale terminal that supports
Near Field Communication (NFC).

About FIRSTAP :
• This IDFC FIRST Bank Sticker debit card has a complimentary personal accidental cover,
round-the-clock concierge services, and a variety of RuPay offers.
• The debit card is one-third the size of a regular debit card.
• Customers can affix the Sticker-based Debit Card on any surface of their choice, such as cell
phones, identity cards, wallets, tabs, AirPods cases, etc.
• The touch-free way to pay enables payments in seconds for transactions up to Rs 5,000 without
a pin, and those beyond that, with a tap and PIN.
About IDFC First Bank :
About NPCI :
• Founded: 2008
Flipkart & Axis Bank partner to launch ‘Flipkart Axis Bank Super Elite’ Credit Card
• Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, and Axis Bank, the third largest private
sector bank in India, have partnered to launch the ‘Super Elite Credit Card.
Purpose :
• To scale the Flipkart SuperCoins reward program and enhance the customer shopping
experience.
Key Highlights :
• With the new credit card, customers on Flipkart can earn a total of eight SuperCoins for every
Rs100 spent.
• The customers can earn a maximum of 200 SuperCoins on every successful transaction.
• The Card bears a fee of 500 rupees per month.
• Flipkart Plus customers earn a total of 16 SuperCoins for every Rs 100 spent and they can earn
a maximum of 400 SuperCoins on every successful transaction on Flipkart.
• For all other transactions outside of Flipkart, customers will earn two SuperCoins with no upper
limit for every Rs 100 spent on all eligible spends.
About Flipkart :
• Founded: 2007
• CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthi
About Axis Bank :
• Tagline : Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi
Federal Bank Partners With JCB India To Finance Heavy Equipment Buyers
• Federal Bank has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with JCB India, a leading
manufacturer of earthmoving and construction equipment to finance the prospective buyers of
heavy construction equipment and boost its loan portfolio.
• Under the arrangement, Federal Bank is the preferred finance partner of the construction
equipment manufacturer, where JCB's customers can avail of loans from the lender at
competitive interest rates.
• This arrangement will boost the financing options for JCB's customers in India
Note :
• CEO and Managing Director of JCB India: Deepak Shetty
India's GDP growth may average 6.3% between 2021 and 2030: S&P report
• The S&P Global Market Intelligence projected India’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth
to average 6.3% annually between financial years 2021 and 2030 in FY 2021-30.
• India will overtake Japan and Germany to become the world’s third-largest economy in nominal
US dollar terms.
• Real income per capita is projected to achieve significant average growth of 5.3%, with Indian
households becoming the greatest spenders among G20 economies.
• The government was banking on production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes as tools to make the
Indian economy more export-driven and more interlinked in global supply chains.
• India’s manufacturing exports have struggled to gain global market share, while the share of
manufacturing in India’s GDP declined from 17% in FY09 to 14% in FY21.
About S&P Global :
• President & CEO: Douglas L. Peterson
Canara Bank Partners with NeSL to Launches Electronic Bank Guarantee
• Canara Bank in partnership with National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) launched an
Electronic Bank Guarantee (e-BG) on its 117th Founder’s day.
About Electronic Bank Guarantee (e-BG) :
• The platform offers several advantages such as greater transparency, better monitoring triggers,
and secured transmission of Bank Guarantees to the beneficiary which shall lead to a higher
degree of compliance.
• Now, Canara Bank offers an API-based digital workflow of Bank guarantees which will eliminate
physical issuance, stamping, verification, and paper-based record maintenance of Bank
Guarantees to pave the way to augment the integration of the Environmental & Social
Governance (ESG) framework into Business.
Note :
• NeSL MD & CEO Debajyoti Ray Chaudhuri
Recent News :
• Canara Bank launched Canara ai1, a mobile banking super app with more than 250 features
with the futuristic vision of “One Bank, One App” and was also ranked 1st under the Digital
Payment performance as on Mar 31, 2022 (i.e. FY 2021-22) by the Ministry of Electronics &
Information Technology (MeitY).
About Canara Bank :
• MD & CEO: Lingam Venkata Prabhakar
RBI Includes GSTN As A Financial Information Provider Under the Account Aggregator Framework
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has included the Goods and Service Tax Network (GSTN) as a
financial information provider (FIPs) under the account aggregator (AA) frame to facilitate cash
flow-based lending to the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• The Department of revenue shall be the regulator of GSTN for this specific purpose and GST
returns, viz. Form GSTR-1 and Form GSTR-3B, shall be the financial information
• As per the latest data, around 2.47 million cumulative accounts have been linked to the AA
network while 2.5 million cumulative counts of consent requests have been successfully fulfilled.
About AA :
• Launched: September 2021
• Account aggregators have licensed Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) that enable the
instant exchange of financial data between Financial Information Providers (FIP) and Financial
Information Users (FIUs).
• So far, there are 6 AAs in India with operating licenses and 9 AAs with in-principle approval from
RBI.
About RBI :
Shankar
BOB Partners with solar start-ups ASPL & AFPL
• Bank of Baroda has allied with Aerem Solutions Pvt Ltd (ASPL) and its subsidiary, Aerem
Finance Pvt Ltd (AFPL) and its subsidiary, Aerem Finance Pvt Ltd (AFPL), for the financing of
Solar Rooftop projects for captive use by Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• Aerem Solutions enables rooftop solar installations for MSMEs, while Aerem Finance is an
NBFC registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

• Under the agreement, the public sector bank will provide collateral-free loans at affordable rates
to MSMEs for the installation of captive solar rooftop projects.
• The collaboration is expected to encourage MSMEs to adopt solar energy, significantly reducing
power bills and increasing the profitability of the business as well as supporting the development
and growth of the renewable energy market in India.
Note :
• Founder and CEO of AEREM: Anand Jain
About BoB :

FDI Equity Inflows decline 14% During April-September To $26.9 Billion- DPIIT
• According to the data of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT),
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflows into India contracted by 14% to USD 26.9 billion
during the April-September FY23.
• The inflows had stood at USD 31.15 billion during the corresponding period of the previous year.
• The total FDI inflows (which includes equity inflows, reinvested earnings, and other capital) too
declined to USD 39 billion during the first 6 months of the current fiscal year as against USD
42.86 billion in the year-ago period.
• During the first half of this fiscal, Singapore emerged as the top investor with USD 10 billion
FDI.
• It was followed by Mauritius (USD 3.32 billion), UAE (USD 2.95 billion), USA (USD 2.6 billion),
the Netherlands (USD 1.76 billion), and Japan (USD 1.18 billion).
• The computer software and hardware sector attracted the highest inflows of USD 6.3 billion
during the 6 months of this fiscal.
• It was followed by services (USD 4.16 bn), trading (USD 3.28 bn), chemicals (USD 1.3 bn),
automobile industry (USD 932 mn), and construction (infrastructure) activities (USD 990 mn).
Absolute & DigiSafe Jointly Launches Digifasal-DIY Insurance for Farmers
● Absolute, a plant bioscience company, in partnership with DigiSafe Insurance has launched
India's first do-it-yourself (DIY) insurance marketplace, Digifasal.
● The product is introduced on Upaj, Absolute's agcloud ecosystem.
● Adverse climatic conditions have resulted in India losing approximately 69 million hectares of
crop area in the last 6 years.
About Digifasal :
● Upaj has been developed by over 100 artificial intelligence and machine learning engineers over
the course of 7 years.
● Digifasal will supplement insurance schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana
by providing farmers with affordable insurance options.
● Insurance penetration in rural India is less than 4% due to pricing, a lack of trust, and lengthy
claim settlement processes.
● Farmers can choose parametric insurance products from several insurers available in their
respective pin codes.
● It serves a million farmers at every stage of crop production with services such as soil testing,
advisory, and now, insurance.
Note :
● Founder & MD of Digisafe : Anupam Shrey
About Absolute :
● Founded : 2015
● Headquarters : Bangalore, Karnataka
Sany Bharat signs MoU with Union Bank of India for Equipment Financing
● Sany Bharat signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Bank of India to
make equipment financing an easy, efficient, and simple process.
Signatories :
● Dheeraj Panda, Chief Operating Officer (Sales, Marketing & Customer Support) Sany Heavy
Industry India Pvt. Ltd.
● C.M. Minocha, Chief General Manager, Micro Small Medium Enterprise (MSME), Union Bank of
India.
● Union Bank of India has opened funding for the retail and construction Equipment Sector from a
10 lakhs loan to Rs. 50 Crores.
About Union Bank of India :
● Founded : 11 November 1919
Honda Cars India signs MoU with IDBI Bank to offer finance schemes
• Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IDBI
Bank to offer a host of finance schemes for its customers.

Key Highlights :
● The collaboration between HCIL and IDBI Bank will allow customers to avail of hassle-free
affordable financing options and schemes for purchasing Honda Car models.
● The partnership will ensure providing a better customer experience in terms of product and
procedures.
● The benefits will include attractive interest rates, minimum processing charges, maximum loan
amount and the maximum repayment period.
About Honda Cars India Limited :
● Founded : 1995
● Headquarters : Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
● President & CEO : Takuya Tsumura
● HCIL is an automobile manufacturer in India owned by Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
About IDBI Bank :
● MD & CEO : Rakesh Sharma
VA Tech Wabag Inks Pact With ADB To Raise Rs 200 Cr Investment
• VA Tech Wabag, a leading player in India’s water industry, has signed a strategic agreement
with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to raise Rs 200 crore through unlisted non-convertible
debentures (NCDs) carrying a 5-year and 3-month tenor.
• This also marks ADB’s maiden investment in a water sector company in India.
• The NCDs will be subscribed by ADB over 12 months.
• The capital raised through this NCD issuance is within the current borrowing limits and will not
increase the company’s debt levels.
• It will help to crowd in urgently needed international and domestic financing for the sector to
ease water stress as demand increases
Note :
• This project is ADB’s first private-sector financing in India’s water sector.
About VA Tech Wabag :
• Founded: 1924
• MD & CEO: Rajiv Mittal
• It is focused on water treatment for municipal and industrial users.
About ADB :
Indian Overseas Bank enters into an agreement with SMC Global for the opening of 3 in 1 account
• Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has entered into an agreement with broking partner SMC Global for
the opening of 3 in 1 account (SB, demat account, and trading account).
• While the SB and demat account will be with IOB, the trading account will be with SMC Global.
• Now, as part of an expansion of services in addition to the existing full-service Brokerage Plan,
SMC Global has offered a new brokerage plan named DISCOUNT BROKERAGE for its
existing/new clients through our Bank.
• Discount Brokerage Plan facilitates the client to do trading at an attractive brokerage with a flat
rate of Rs.15/- per order for intraday trades and Rs.0 on Delivery based trades.
About IOB :
• MD & CEO : Ajay Srivastava J
IMPORTANT BUSINESS NEWS
RIL is the first Indian business to publish an earnings call on Metaverse:
• The events of Reliance Industries Limited's (RIL) Q2 FY 2022–2023 earnings call were posted
on the metaverse.
• A company has used the metaverse to interact with its stakeholders for the first time in the
history of corporate India.
• In collaboration with GMetri, a no-code metaverse creation platform, the RIL metaverse was
created.
• It can be accessed without wearing AR/VR headgear.
• It allows analysts following the company around the world to switch between slides and graphics
displayed on various screens by the various buckets in the presentation of the results.
• Additionally, they can download the RIL Q2 22–23 media release and the media and analyst call
transcript in PDF formats.
• The RIL metaverse also includes a special section with quotes from Mukesh Ambani, the
company's chairman, and managing director.
The Twitter-verified badge will cost $8 per month:
• Elon Musk announced that the Twitter Blue Tick service will cost USD 8 per month, which is
approximately Rs 660.
• The coveted verified badge is included in the Twitter Blue Tick service.
• This is a result of increasing subscriptions and making social media networks less reliant on
advertisements.
• The verified badge, which looks like a blue tick, indicates that Twitter has confirmed that the
account belongs to the person or company claiming it.
• The service is currently free for all current users, and this will be the first time that users will
have to pay fees to keep their verified badge.
• Elon Musk announced in a tweet that prices would be adjusted based on country and purchasing
power parity.
• Musk also stated that subscribers would be prioritized in replies, mentions, and searches, which
is critical in combating spam and scam.
• Publishers who are willing to collaborate with Twitter will receive a paywall bypass, providing
Twitter with a revenue stream to reward content creators.
• There will be a secondary tag beneath the name of public figures, which is already visible on
politicians' profiles.
• Elon Musk purchased Twitter last week for USD 44 billion.
In October, UPI transactions increased by 7.7% to $730 million:
• Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) transactions increased by 7.7 per cent in October to 730
crores using the Unified Payments Interface BHIM-UPI (7.3 Billion).
• The total value for the month exceeded 12.11 lakh crore.
• In October, the number of instant interbank fund transfers via IMPS (Immediate Payment
Service) stood at 48.25 crores, with a value of Rs 4.66 lakh crore.
• According to monthly data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI),
transactions increased by 4.3% compared to September.
• In September, there were 678 crore UPI transactions with a total value of 11.16 lakh crore.
• According to a recent report, digital payments have reached an inflection point and are expected
to triple to $10 trillion by 2026 from $3 trillion.
• According to a joint report by the Boston Consulting Group and Phone Pe, digital payments will
account for nearly 65% of all payments by 2026 as a result of this unprecedented growth.
• According to the report, this means that two out of every three transactions will be digital.
GST revenue exceeded Rs 1.51 trillion in October, ranking second-highest ever:
• The gross GST revenue collected for October 2022 totaled Rs 1,51,718 crore, making it the
second-highest monthly collection in history, according to the ministry of finance.
• Only the revenue in April 2022 is higher in terms of monthly collections, and for the second time,
the gross GST collection has surpassed the Rs. 1.50 lakh crore threshold.
• The government broke down the October GST collections as follows:
• CGST was 26,039 crore, SGST was 33,396 crore, IGST was 81,778 crore (including 37,297
crores collected on import of goods), and cess was Rs 10,505 crore (including 825 crores
collected on import of goods).
• The monthly GST collections have exceeded the 1.4 lakh crore mark for the ninth consecutive
month and eight months in a row.
• 8.3 crore e-way bills were produced in September 2022, a number that was much higher than
the 7.7 crores produced in August 2022.

Subsidy for fertilizer doubles as prices rise:
• The Center announced a doubling of the fertilizer subsidy to Rs 2.15 trillion from the planned
level for FY23 to protect farmers from the high price increases.
• The decision was made as a result of a recent substantial increase in the costs of urea, DAP,
and MoP on the global market.
• They have safeguarded the farmers from such price increases despite growing fertilizer costs
globally.
• An additional sum of Rs. 1.10 trillion is being granted to further support our farmers in addition to
the Budget's Rs. 1.05 trillion fertilizer subsidy.
• Data from the fertilizer ministry show that the cost of imported urea has increased from $380 per
tonne in April 2021 to $930 per tonne in April 2022, a jump of more than 145%.
• In a similar vein, prices for DAP and MoP increased by 66% and 116%, to $924 per tonne and
$590 per tonne, respectively, in April 2022 compared to the same month the previous year.
Adani New Industries installed the largest wind turbine in India:
• Adani New Industries Ltd. has built India's tallest wind turbine in Mundra, Gujarat, as part of its
renewable energy growth goals.
• The wind turbine is taller than the Statue of Unity and has blades that are wider than the
wingspan of a jumbo jet.
• Adani New Industries Limited (ANIL) announced the installation of the largest wind turbine
generator (WTG) in the country in Mundra, Gujarat.
• Mundra Windtech Ltd (MWL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd., installed the
turbine.
• This prototype is also Adani New Industries Ltd.'s (ANIL) first addition to its portfolio, and it has
paved the path for the installation of larger wind turbine generators.
• The proto assembly took a record-breaking 19 days to complete.
• It has been built up and tested, and it will soon apply for type certification.
Morgan Stanley predicts that India would become the world's third-largest economy by 2027:
• According to Morgan Stanley, India is on track to become the world's third-largest economy by
2027, surpassing Japan and Germany, and to have the third-largest stock market by 2030,
thanks to global trends and important investments in technology and energy.
• Overall, India's GDP is expected to more than double from $3.5 trillion today to $7.5 trillion by
2031.
• Over the same period, its proportion of global exports may treble, and the Bombay Stock
Exchange could rise at an 11% annual rate, achieving a market capitalization of $10 trillion.
• "In a world that is currently ravenous for development, the opportunity in India must be on the
radar of global investors," says Chetan Ahya, Morgan Stanley's Chief Asia Economist.
• "From 2023 onwards, India will be one of just three economies in the world that can achieve
more than $400 billion in annual economic production growth, rising to more than $500 billion by
2028."
Wipro was the first company in India to establish a European Work Council:
• The IT giant Wipro announced that it has struck an agreement with employee
representatives about the creation of a European Works Council.
• The first EWC founded by a corporation with its headquarters in India is Wipro.
• The EWC's establishment improves the already fruitful partnership with employee
representations in numerous European nations.
• Wipro strives to deliver the greatest employee experience while also fostering an inclusive
atmosphere that accepts everyone and fosters a feeling of community.
• The EWC will aid us in improving since we regularly take into account employee viewpoints.
• It also shows that Wipro is implementing and embracing European employment standards as
a responsible international employer.
• The EWC formed by Wipro is the first by an Indian-headquartered firm and builds on years of
productive, successful collaboration with works councils at the local and national levels in
several European nations, including Germany, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, and
Finland.
Ministers' Panel Could Suggest 28% GST for Online Gaming:
• The group of state finance ministers is expected to recommend a 28 per cent GST duty on
internet gambling, regardless of whether it is a game of skill or chance.
• Online gaming currently gets an 18% GST.
• The tax is levied on gross gaming income, which is the amount of money paid to online gambling
portals.
• The Group of Minister’s report is nearly complete and will be submitted to the GST Council for
consideration soon.
• However, it is likely to propose a revised formula for calculating the amount subject to the Goods
and Services Tax (GST).
• The Group of Ministers (GoM), chaired by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, proposed
a 28 per cent GST on the full value of the consideration, including the contest entry fee, paid by
the player, without distinguishing between games of skill or chance in its previous report
submitted to the Council in June.

• The Council, on the other hand, has requested that the GoM reconsider its report.
AYUSH increases from US$ 3 billion to US$ 18 billion:
• According to Union Ayush Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, AYUSH revenue increased by
17% between 2014 and 20 to reach US$18.1 billion.
• Speaking at the 'AYUR-UDYAMAH' inauguration in New Delhi, the Minister also unveiled the
RIS study titled 'AYUSH Sector in India: Prospects and Challenges.
• The All-India Institute of Ayurveda - Incubation Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (AIIA
ICAINE), a groundbreaking incubation facility run by the Ministry of Ayush to support startups,
was also unveiled at the event.
• The union minister for Food and Processing Industries, Shri Pashupati Paras Ji, introduced AIIA
ICAINE.
• Despite a decline in economic activity in 2020 due to the pandemic, the industry is predicted to
reach US$ 20.6 billion in 2021 and US$ 23.3 billion in 2022, according to the Research and
Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) report.
India's Current Account Deficit Is Estimated to Be 3–2.2% of GDP in FY23:
• According to Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran, the country's current
account deficit for FY23 is predicted to be between three and three and a half per cent of GDP
due to strong domestic economic growth and an increase in oil import costs.
• In contrast to a surplus of 0.9% in 2020–21, India's current account balance showed a deficit of
1.2% of GDP in 2021–22.
• The Reserve Bank of India anticipates that the CAD will have marginally increased in the first
half of 2022 (April to September), but contract in the second half (October 2022-March 2023).
• For FY23, the total amount of CAD is predicted to be less than 3% of GDP.
• According to India's chief economist, V Anantha Nageswaran, a real GDP growth rate of 6.5-
7.5% in 2022–2023 is feasible to assume at this time, despite new concerns brought on by rising
oil prices.
BSE Appoints TAC Security as a Cyber Security Partner:
• TAC Security, a risk and vulnerability management firm, declared that it is the official cyber
security partner of the BSE stock market.
• The oldest stock exchange and the cyber security firm claim to have inked a contract that will
give the BSE the best degree of cybersecurity.
• The partnership represented a significant development in the two institutions' long-standing
relationship.
• Using TAC Security's ESOF (Enterprise Security in One Framework) BSE will comprehensively
understand their risk-vulnerability management on a single platform.
• It is an honour and a joy to protect Asia's largest and most important stock exchange.
• They intend to provide the highest level of cybersecurity for an organization that defines the
country's stock market.
• It is a significant step toward equipping enterprises around the world with the next generation of
vulnerability management.
India's milk production has increased by 83 MT in the last eight years:
• India's milk production has climbed by 83 million tons in the last eight years, a massive increase.
• In 2013-14, production was 138 million tons, with a projected growth to 221 million tons in 2021-
22.
• According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a thriving dairy sector is an excellent method to
further enhance Nari Shakti.
• Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, has
acknowledged the government's initiatives for a paradigm shift in the Dairy and Animal
Husbandry sector's policy perspective during the last eight years.
• India is the world's greatest milk producer, accounting for 23% of worldwide milk production.
• The situation was drastically different in the 1950s and 1960s.
• For several years, India was a milk-deficit country that relied on imports, and annual production
growth was negative.
• During the first decade after independence, the annual compound growth rate in milk output was
1.64%, but it fell to 1.15% in the 1960s.
• In 1950-51, the country's per capita milk consumption was only 124 grams per day.
• By 1970, this figure had fallen to 107 grams per day, one of the world's lowest and much below
the basic dietary guidelines.
• The dairy business in India was battling to survive.
Gujarat celebrates new year or ‘Bestu Varsh’
• Gujarati New Year, Vikram Sanvat 2079, or Bestu Varsh was celebrated with traditional zeal and
fervor by the Gujarati community across the globe.
• It is celebrated as part of the five-day Diwali Celebrations.
• The Gujarati New Year falls on Shukla Paksha Pratipada of the Kartik month.
• Homes are decorated with Asopalav torans and marigold flowers, and an attractive Rangoli at
the entrance to welcome guests on the new year.
About Gujarat :
• National Park: Vansda National Park, Gir National Park, Marine National Park, Velavadar
National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary, Barda Wildlife Sanctuary,
Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary
Uttar Pradesh’s 2nd elephant reserve to come up in Kheri
• The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) has given its nod to
set up Terai Elephant Reserve (TER) under Project Elephant in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of
Uttar Pradesh (UP).
• The TER is situated on the Nepal India Border.
• The TER would be the 33rd elephant reserve overall in India and the 2nd ER in Uttar Pradesh
• The proposal for it was drafted by Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) authorities in April 2022.
• The first elephant reserve in Uttar Pradesh was notified in Shivalik in Saharanpur and Bijnor
districts in 2009.
About TER :
• The TER would be set up in an area of 3,049.39 square kilometres comprising forest areas of
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), Dudhwa National Park (DNP), Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary
(KWS), Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KGWS), Dudhwa buffer zone and parts of south Kheri
forest division.
• With the TER coming into existence, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) will earn the credit of
protecting and conserving four iconic wild species- tigers, one-horned rhinos, Asian elephants,
and swamp deer.
• The DTR has attracted wild elephants for decades through various domestic and trans-border
corridors, including Basanta-Dudhwa, Laljhadi (Nepal)-Sathiyana, and the Shuklafanta (Nepal)-
Dhaka-Pilibhit-Dudhwa buffer zone corridor.
• While tiger conservation is based on the concept of the protected area, elephants' conservation
envisages landscape-related ecology.
About MoEFCC :
• Cabinet Minister: Bhupender Yadav
• Minister of State: Ashwini Kumar Choubey
Meghalaya signs MoU with Credit Guarantee Fund Trust to facilitate the flow of credit to MSME
borrowers
• The Meghalaya government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Credit
Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGFTMSE) to help facilitate the flow of
credit to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) borrowers.
• The MoU between the state Finance department and the CGTMSE under the Ministry of MSME
was signed to implement the 'Meghalaya Credit Guarantee Scheme'.
Objective :
• To encourage and promote entrepreneurship in Meghalaya.
• The MoU will strengthen the credit delivery system and facilitate the flow of credit to the MSE
sector.
Key Highlights :
• To overcome this major challenge, the launching of the MCGS increases the coverage
guarantee to a maximum of 95% and will minimize the risk and encourage collateral-free lending
by the member lending institutions.
• Through this mechanism, the state government is leveraging the existing CGTMSE scheme of
the Government of India.
• With a contribution of Rs 5 crore, a portfolio of Rs 250 crore would be created
• Considering the average loan size of Rs 1 lakh, more than 25,000 units would be supported
through this state government intervention
• The MCGS will commence tentatively from November 1, 2022, & will continue till the portfolio
reaches a level commensurate with the contribution of the state government
• The total corpus commitment towards the proposed MCGS will be increased taking into account
the initial performance of the scheme with a corpus of Rs 5 crore.
About Meghalaya :
• Chief Minister: Conrad Sangma
J&K: LG Shri Manoj Sinha inaugurates 3-week long cultural festival Jashn-e-Kashmir
• Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha inaugurated a three-week-long
cultural festival “Jashn-e-Kashmir”- New Kashmir New Hope, celebrating tradition, culture, and
heritage at Srinagar.
• The Cultural Festival is being organized by the All J&K Folk Artists Association, Shah Qalander
Folk Theatre, in collaboration with the J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages and the Office
of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir.
• Schemes like ‘Guru Shishya Parampara’ to pass on the valued traditions of Jammu Kashmir to
the coming generations; preservation of folklore, UT writers camp, national theatre festivals,
inter-state cultural exchange programs, international visits and cultural events in far-flung areas
will strengthen our traditional cultural richness,
About J&K :
• National Park: Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Kazinag National Park, Dachigam National
Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
Kerala tourism department launches ‘women-friendly tourism’ project
• The Kerala govt has launched a ‘women-friendly tourism’ project, an initiative of the State
Responsible Tourism Mission (RT Mission).
Aim:
• To establish women-friendly tourism centres and empower women
• The project will be implemented to encourage the participation of women in all tourism activities
and attract more women tourists to Kerala
• Tourism Minister Shri Mohamed Riyas also inaugurated a one-day workshop organized as part
of the project.
Key Highlights :
• Under the project, it will create a network of women’s units and tourism centres manned by
women.
• The project will also ensure that tourism destinations in the State are fulfilling the needs of
women tourists.
• Training will be provided to selected women to work as tour coordinators, storytellers, etc.
MoU between UN Women India and Kerala RT Mission :
• UN Women will sign a memorandum of understanding with the RT Mission for gender-inclusive
tourism.
• As part of the initiative, the Mission will provide training to women at different levels to work as
community tour leaders, storytellers, homestay operators, taxi operators, etc.
About Kerala :

• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Periyar Wildlife
Sanctuary, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary
• National Park: Eravikulam National Park, Silent Valley National Park
• Dance: Kathakali, Mohiniattam, Chakyar Koothu
Gujarat achieves 100% household tap connections under Jal Jeevan Mission
• The Gujarat government has achieved 100% tap water connections in rural areas under the Jal
Jeevan Mission (JJM).
• In Gujarat, a total of 91.73 lakh households in rural areas are provided water through tap
connections under the mission.
• Apart from Gujarat, Haryana, Goa, Telangana, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu,
Puducherry, Andaman, and Nicobar Island have achieved 100% tap water in households as part
of Centre’s Jal Jeevan Scheme.
• Uttar Pradesh ranks at the bottom among states with only 19.41% tap water connections.
About JJM :
• JJM was Launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2019.
• It comes under Jal Shakti Ministry.
Target :
• To make available 55 litres of water per person every day to each rural household through
household tap connections by 2024.
• The motto of the Jal Jeevan Mission is 'no one is left out.
• JJM focuses on water service delivery and not just building water supply infrastructure.
About Ministry of Jal Shakti :
• Cabinet Minister : Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
• Minister of state : Prahlad Singh Patel, Bishweswar Tudu
Arunachal Pradesh to get India’s first Aqua Park & Northeast’s first fish museum at Tarin
• Fisheries Minister Tage Taki announced that a fish museum, the first of its kind in the Northeast
region (NER), would soon be built in Arunachal Pradesh.

• Several Rs 43.59 crore has been sanctioned for the project in the current financial year (FY23)
as the first installment
• The fish museum will be part of India’s first-ever ‘Integrated Aqua Park’ (IAP), sanctioned by the
Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAHD)
• The park will be set up at Tarin (Ziro) in the Lower Subansiri district.
• The existing Tarin Fish Farm (TFF), located at high-altitude Bulla village in the Lower Subansiri
district, would be upgraded as the IAP, where the museum would be built.
• Earlier, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had announced one IAP for each state and union
territory under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampad Yojana (PMMSY) for bringing blue
revolution.
Centre approves Maharashtra’s first Electronics Manufacturing Cluster at Ranjangaon, Pune
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has approved the
Greenfield Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) with a project cost of Rs 492.85
crores to be set up in Ranjangaon Phase III, near Pune in Maharashtra.
Objective :
• To strengthen the electronics manufacturing ecosystem in India.
• The approval for the EMC was given to Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation
(MIDC) and the State government’s State Industrial Agency.
• Other EMCs in India are present in Noida, Tirupati, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu - wherein
both multi-national companies and Indian startups have set up their units.
• The EMC at Ranjangaon, Pune will catalyze investments to the tune of over Rs. 2000
crore shortly & generate employment for over 5,000 people
• The Ministry of Electronics and IT plans to give a boost to the 1000 Crore Semicon India
Future Design program to support Semiconductor Design Startups in Maharashtra.
• The C-DAC, Pune shall be the nodal office for this purpose.
About Maharashtra :
• Capital: Mumbai
Orbital Rail Corridor Project launched in Haryana
• Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of the Orbital Rail Corridor
Project in Faridabad, Haryana.
• Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC) project is part of the Transport Infrastructure Corridor in
Haryana in the approved Master Plan for the National Capital Region.
• The project received in-principle approval from the Haryana Government back in 2018 and the
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for the project in September 2022.
About Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor:
• Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor is a new electrified Double Broad-gauge (BG) rail line of around
126 km from Palwal to Sonipat, via Sohna, Manesar, and Kharkhaouda in Haryana, bypassing
Delhi.
• The Broad Gauge line will have a design speed of 160 kmph.
• It will also have the capacity to carry 60 million tonnes of freight and 40 million passengers each
way annually.
• The project, land acquisition for the Rs. 5,671 crores project is complete, and work on the
ground will begin in the next few weeks.
• Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor Project is expected to be completed by FY 2025-26.

UP CM Shri Yogi Adityanath inaugurates north India's first data centre at Greater Noida
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath inaugurated North India’s first hyper-
scale data centre Yotta D1, built at the cost of Rs 5,000 crore and spread over an area of
3,00,000 square feet at the upcoming Data Centre Park in Greater Noida.
• Yotta D1, in Greater Noida developed by Yotta Infrastructure Solutions, an arm of the
Hiranandani Group.
• Yotta D1 has been set up with an investment of around Rs 1,500 crore and has been
built and made operational in a record time of 20 months.
About Yotta D1 :
• Yotta D-1 will be the first pillar of North India’s 5G revolution.
• Spread over 20 acres by Hiranandani Group, this data centre park will have a total of 06
data centres.
• The seven-story Yotta D-1 is the first part of this episode.
• It is designed as per international quality standards, this exclusive data centre offers
direct fibre connectivity to all major telecom operators from 4 different routes.
• The data centre will increase the data storage capacity of the country, which until now
stood at two percent only even though 1.5 billion mobile phones and 650 million internet
users in the world are from India using 20% of data.
• The data centre park is expected to increase GSDP significantly while creating new
avenues for investment given the proposed Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023
and creating huge employment opportunities
• Also, Memorandums of Understanding worth Rs 39,000 crore were signed between the
UP Govt and Hiranandani Group to be spent on projects in the next 5 years
About Yotta Infrastructure Solutions :
• Founded: 2019
• CEO: Sunil Gupta
About UP :
• National Park: Dudhwa National Park,
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Bird wildlife Sanctuary, Katarniaghat Wildlife
Sanctuary, Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary
Haryana CM launches ‘CM dashboard’ for live monitoring of departments and 'CM Uphaar' portal
• Haryana Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal Khattar launched the “CM dashboard”, a unique IT
platform having real-time data of all the departments.
• “Live monitoring of every department at the block, district, and panchayat levels will be done,”
• Shri Khattar also launched a dedicated e-Upphar portal to auction gifts received by him.
• The base bid amount would be fixed and payment would be directly transferred to the Chief
Minister Relief Fund.
About CM dashboard :
• The dashboard has been developed in-house with state-of-the-art Business Intelligence
software.
• This will enable tracking of methodology and analysis of reports, further helping in the
comparison of old and new data.
• The portal will also have information about decisions taken by the administrative wing on major
schemes.
About Haryana :
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Chhilchhila Wildlife Sanctuary, Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary, Kalesar
Wildlife Sanctuary
Goa CM Pramod Sawant launches the Purple Fest logo
• Goa Chief Minister Shri Pramod Sawant launched the logo of Purple Fest at a function held in
Manohar Parrikar Memorial Hall of Sanjay Centre for Education, Porvorim, Goa.
• Goa would be the first state in India to host India’s first-of-its-kind inclusive festival and assured
all kinds of support on his part to make this festival a grand success and as popular as the
International Film Festival of India.
• The three-day event is to kick start in January 2023.
• The event was organized by the Office of State Commission for Persons with Disabilities Goa in
collaboration with the Directorate of Social Welfare and Entertainment Society of Goa.
About Goa :
• Airport: Dabolim Airport
Madhya Pradesh Government Launches Ladli Laxmi 2.0 Financial Assistance Scheme For Girls
• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the state government's
flagship 'Ladli Laxmi 2.0' financial assistance scheme to encourage girls to pursue higher
education and make them independent.
About 'Ladli Laxmi 2.0' :
• CM Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the 'Ladli Laxmi' scheme in 2007 after he became the
Chief Minister for the first time in 2005.
• The scheme provides monetary benefits to eligible girl children to ensure they get a good
education and change the perspective of society towards the birth of the girl's child.
• Under the scheme, from the day of the birth, money will be deposited into her name that would
total Rs 1.43 lakh when she turns 21 with the condition that her parents not marry her off before
she turns 18 years old.
• On the occasion, Mr. Chouhan also transferred a total of Rs 1.85 crore into the bank accounts of
1,477 Ladli Laxmi scheme beneficiary girls to enable them to pursue higher education.
About Madhya Pradesh :

• Capital: Bhopal
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Bagdara Wildlife Sanctuary, Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Ken Gharial
Wildlife Sanctuary
Meghalaya CM launches “Citizen Engagement and Communication Programme”
• Meghalaya Chief Minister (CM) Shri Conrad Sangma has launched the Citizen Engagement and
Communication Programme at Tura, West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya.
Aim:
• To increase the penetration of all schemes so that governance is improved in all aspects.
• The program will also aim to create much-needed awareness amongst the masses so that
people will have the right information to avail benefits of the schemes being launched by the
Government.
About Meghalaya :
Himachal Assembly polls: 106-year-old Shyam Saran Negi, first voter of Independent India, casts his
postal ballot
• 106-year-old Shyam Saran Negi, the first voter of Independent India, exercised his right to
franchise for the 34th time for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections through a postal ballot
at his residence in the Kinnaur district.
• He cast his vote through a postal ballot for the first time.
About Shyam Saran Negi :
• Negi voted for the first time in 1951 in the general elections of India and has voted 16 times in
Lok Sabha Elections.
• He was popularly known as Master Shyam Saran, has voted in every election since 1951, and
has never missed an opportunity to vote.
• He has also been made a state election icon in 2014.
Vadodara becomes the second city to issue municipal bonds issuance
• Vadodara, Gujarat became the second Indian city to issue a municipal bond with assistance
from the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Technical Assistance.
• This is Vadodara’s first municipal bond that will provide funds for infrastructure in Vadodara.
• Pune was the first city to issue such a bond in 2017.
Key Highlights :
• The successful issuance of the bond was celebrated by the US Embassy and the US Treasury
officials, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Vadodara city, and the
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• The bond was oversubscribed by 10 times ( ₹1007 crore in bids received from 33 bidders) and
was priced at a low yield of just 7.15%.
• A written case study will also be published sharing lessons learned from Vadodara’s bond
issuance that will benefit other Indian cities issuing their municipal bonds in the future.
About Municipal Bonds :
• Municipal Bonds are also known as Muni bonds.
• It is a debt instrument which is issued by Urban Local Bodies in India.
• The fund is used to develop Infrastructure developments in municipal areas.
• The first Municipal bonds were issued in 1997 by the Bangalore Municipal Corporation.
Aibawk cluster in the Aizawl, Mizoram becomes the first cluster to be completed under the Shyama
Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission
• Aibawk cluster in the Aizawl district of Mizoram has become the first cluster to be completed
under the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM).
Key Highlights :
• Under the leadership of the Minister of Rural Development, Shri Giriraj Singh, the Aibawk
Rurban cluster completed all the 48 projects planned under SPMRM.
• Spread over an area of 522 sq. km across 11 villages and covering a population of 10,963, the
Aibawk cluster has the locational advantage due to its proximity to Aizawl City.
• Agri-link roads, pedestrian footpaths, and inter-village road connectivity projects undertaken to
improve market access
• Infrastructure created includes roads, footpaths, drains, water supply, and car parking, and
social infrastructures like a conference centre, and sports infrastructure.
About SPMRM :
• SPMRM was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in February 2016.
Aim :
• To provide amenities to rural areas which are perceived to be urban and have the potential to
stimulate local economic development.
• The mission is of five years duration.
What is a Rurban Cluster?
• A ‘Rurban cluster’ is a cluster of geographically contiguous villages with a population of about
25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and with a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly
or tribal areas.
• Under the Mission, presently, out of 300 selected clusters spread across the country, 109 are
tribal clusters and 191 non-tribal clusters.
Kerala becomes the first state to introduce uniform gold prices based on bank rate
• Kerala becomes the first state in India to launch a uniform gold price based on the bank rate.
• The decision to introduce a uniform price on 916 purity 22-carat gold was taken at a meeting
between officials of Malabar Gold and Diamonds, one of the largest gold and diamond retail
chains in the country, and key members of All Kerala Gold and Silver Merchants Association.
Key Highlights :
• The launch of standardized gold rates across the state to safeguard the interest of the
consumers and bring price transparency to the trade.
• The gold rate should be uniform across the country based on the bank rates.
• However, in most states, gold is priced at Rs 150-300 per gram extra over the bank rate.
• In Kerala, gold used to be sold at different prices on a particular day.
• Uniform gold price based on bank rate offers an opportunity for consumers to purchase gold at a
reasonable and transparent price.
About Kerala :
• Airport: Trivandrum International Airport, Cochin International Airport, Calicut International
Airport, Kannur International Airport
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Aralam Wildlife
Sanctuary
AdaniConneX unveils flagship data centre campus in Chennai, India
• AdaniConneX, a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and EdgeConneX, has announced the
opening of the ‘Chennai 1’ hyperscale data centre campus located at Sipcot IT Park in Chennai,
Tamil Nadu, India.
• The ‘Chennai 1’ campus hosts Tamil Nadu’s first pre-certified IGBC Platinum Rated data centre.
Key Highlights :
• In Phase-1, the campus offers 17 megawatts (IT Load) that will scale up to 33 Mw at full
capacity.
• The facility will also be powered with up to 100% renewable energy, offering enterprises and
hyperscale customers sustainable energy choices.
• ‘Chennai 1’ is designed to offer robust physical protection to IT Infrastructure with seven layers
of the security system and commitment to providing 99.999% availability.
• India’s current data centre capacity is around 600 MW and is expected to grow to around 1300
MW by 2024.
• AdaniConneX is investing capital into the joint venture over the next decade with a mission to
build over 1 GW green data centre platform.
• AdaniConneX is also building hyper-scale campuses in all the big cities of India, including
Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Noida, Pune, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad,

Vishakapatnam.
About AdaniConneX :
• Headquarters: Ahmedabad, Gujarat
• CEO : Jeyakumar Janakaraj
Hyderabad growing green space city hosts India's largest miyawaki forest
• Hyderabadds growing green space city hosts India's largest Miyawaki forest
Key Highlights :
• This is the country's largest Miyawaki forest, followed by one in Gujarat, spread over 14 acres.
• The Miyawaki Method pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki helps build dense, fast-
growing forests with native plants.
• Spread over 18 acres in Kavaguda near the airport, the forest has 126 species of native fruit and
flowering trees and is a birds' paradise.
• It is developed by the Stone Craft Group led by Keerthy Chilukuri and Anusha Podduturi, the 18-
acre Miyawaki forest in Kawaguda is part of their 62-acre real estate venture called The Woods.
• With the help of TRST01 Consultancy, the Stone Craft team has Geographical Indication GI-
tagged every tree in the forest
A two-day dance drama titled Yugpurush Raja Rammohun Roy concludes
• A two-day enthralling and opulent dance drama Titled 'Yugpurush Raja Rammohun Roy', based
on the life of Raja Rammohun Roy, who is called the father of modern Indian society, concluded.
• The dance drama was organized at Kartavya Path and India Gate (Central Vista), New Delhi,
Delhi.
• The program was based on the theme 'Nari Samman', and was organized by the Raja
Rammohun Roy Library Foundation of the Ministry of Culture.
• A one-year-long celebration was launched by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India on
May 22, 2022, on the occasion of the 250th birth anniversary of Raja Rammohun Roy, as part of
the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
About Raja Rammohun Roy :
• Ram Mohan Roy was an Indian reformer who was one of the founders of the Brahmo Sabha in
1828, the precursor of the Brahmo Samaj, a social-religious reform movement in the Indian
subcontinent.
Kerala govt launches scheme to reimburse tech license cost to startups
• The Government of Kerala has launched a Technology Transfer Scheme to reimburse the
expense incurred by the new startup ventures to procure technology licenses from government
research institutions in India to commercialize and scale up their products.
About Technology Transfer Scheme :
• In the Scheme implemented through Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) & the government will
reimburse up to Rs 10 lakh to startups.
• The scheme will help startups in Kerala to gain greater access to the know-how required for
turning their ideas into marketable products.
• As part of the financial support scheme, 90% of the technology fee paid by startups to the
research institutions from where technology licenses are purchased or sourced will be
reimbursed.
• The eligible startups with an active registration with KSUM can submit online applications via the
KSUM portal - https://startupmission.kerala.gov.in/schemes/technology-commercialisation
About KSUM :
• KSUM is the nodal agency of the Kerala government for entrepreneurship development and
incubation activities in the state.
• KSUM CEO : Anoop Ambika
About Kerala :
The world’s first Vedic Clock will be installed in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
• The world’s first Vedic Clock will be installed in Ujjain the city of Lord Malakal, Madhya Pradesh.
• Madhya Pradesh education minister Shri Mohan Yadav laid the foundation stone of the world’s
first Vedic Clock at the 300-year-old Jiwaji Observatory in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
• The Jiwaji observatory was constructed by Maharaja Sawai Raja Jaisingh of Jaipur in 1719.
• The clock to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 1.62 crore aims to make people familiar with the
Vedic time calculation.
About the Vedic clock :
• The Vedic clock will be based on the Vedic calculation of the time, in which the 24 hours of
the day are divided into Muhurats.
• The clock will be synced with the position of the Sun and also with the sunrise and sunset
timings at different places across the world.
• There will be a dedicated mobile application for the readings of the Vedic Clock, and citizens
will be able to use it on their smartphones, computers, televisions, and other devices.
About MP :
• Capital: Bhopal
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary, Panpatha Wildlife Sanctuary, Ralamandal
Wildlife Sanctuary
Goa CM unveils free pilgrimage scheme Mukhyamantri Devdarshan Yatra Yojana
• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Goa formally launched a state-sponsored
pilgrimage scheme for people announced before the Assembly polls held in February 2022.
• Goa Chief Minister Shri Pramod Sawant flagged off a bus carrying passengers to the famous
Tirupati shrine in Andhra Pradesh under the Mukhyamantri Devdarshan Yatra Yojana", which he
had announced before the Assembly polls.
About Mukhyamantri Devdarshan Yatra Yojana :
• The two other destinations promised under the scheme are Velankanni in Tamil Nadu- a popular
pilgrim centre, especially renowned for the Church of Mother Mary- and Shirdi, the famous
shrine of Sai Baba located in neighbouring Maharashtra

• Under the scheme, people over the age of 50 years are eligible to apply.
• The pilgrimages under the scheme are free of cost.
• The Goa government takes care of meals and boarding of pilgrims during the tours,"
About Goa :
Nagaland to host Tokhü Emong Bird Count
• Nagaland hosted the first edition of the Tokhü Emong Bird Count (TEBC) from November 4 to 7,
2022, a four-day documentation event to list birds in Nagaland.
• It is the first avian documentation exercise taken by Nagaland to go beyond the Amur falcons
• This event is being organized in collaboration with the Wokha Forest Division and the Divisional
Management Unit, Nagaland Forest Management Project (NFMP), Wokha, and Bird Count
India.
• The event is being held during the Tokhü Emong post-harvest festival of the Lotha Nagas to
spread awareness about Nagaland’s bird diversity.
• The dates of the Tokhü Emong bird count also coincide with the BNHS Salim Ali Bird Count – a
nationwide event.
The objective of the TEBC :
• To highlight the diversity of bird species in Nagaland and bring to attention the threatened
habitats in the state
What is Tokhü Emong?
• Tokhü Emong is a harvest festival celebrated by Lotha Nagas, a major Naga ethnic group native
to Wokha District in Nagaland.
• The term “Tokhü” means feast (eating food or drinking) and the term “Emong” means the Halt at
the appointed time.
• The 9-day fall festival celebrates the end of the harvest season.
• It is celebrated during the first week of November each year.

About Nagaland :
• Chief Minister : Neiphiu Rio
• Capital : Kohima
Rajasthan govt launches Handicraft Policy-2022 to revive traditional arts
• The Rajasthan government has launched its first Handicraft Policy 2022 to boost investment in
the cultural heritage of Rajasthan.
Objective :
• To provide better marketing arrangements for the upliftment of handicrafts, to revive traditional
and extinct arts as well as to create new employment opportunities.
About Handicraft Policy 2022 :
• The prime objective of the Rajasthan Handicrafts Policy-2022 is to set up the essential
infrastructure in the state for the sector.
• The policy focuses on empowering handicrafts for the growth of the state by ensuring
participation and generating new employment opportunities.
• It is expected to generate more than 50,000 new jobs in the next 5 years.
• In the year 2020-21, Handicrafts worth Rs 6205.32 crore were exported from Rajasthan.
Additional Info :
• In 2016, World Crafts Council (WCC) declared Jaipur as the 'World Craft City' on account of its
Havelis, jharokhas, gates ornamented with handwork, paintings, wall paintings, and the various
types of handicrafts flourishing in the city
About Rajasthan :
• Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot
• Capital: Jaipur
• National Park: Ranthambore National Park, Keoladeo National Park, Mukundara National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Bandh Baratha WL Sanctuary, National Chambal WL Sanctuary,
Jaisamand WL Sanctuary
HRIDC inks pact with REMCL to develop renewable energy in Haryana
• Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HRIDC), a joint venture of the
Haryana government (51%) and the Ministry of Railway (MOR) (49%) signed an agreement with
the Railway Energy Management Company Limited (REMCL) for the development of renewable
energy projects in Haryana.
• The agreement was signed at the HRIDC office at Sector 44 Gurugram, Haryana.
• REMCL is a joint venture between the rail ministry and RITES Ltd.
• Under the agreement, the two companies will collaborate to explore areas of renewable energy
projects (wind, solar and hybrid) related to net-zero carbon emission targets of the Indian
Railways.
• HRIDC would identify green energy projects in Haryana to obtain technical expertise in
consultancy, execution, and implementation through developers by REMC in their territories.
Note :
• HRIDC managing director: Rajesh Agarwal
• Chief executive officer of REMCL: A K Singhal
About MoR :
• Minister of State: Raosaheb Danve, Darshana Jardosh
• Chairman & CEO, Railway Board: Vinay Kumar Tripathi
About Haryana :
Jaipur set to host 11th edition of India StoneMart international exhibition
• The 11th edition of India Stonemart 2022 will be held from November 10 to 13 at the Jaipur
Exhibition and Convention Center (JECC) in Sitapura Industrial Area, Jaipur, Rajasthan.
• India Stonemart will be the biggest international exhibition of the stone industry, in which the
world of natural stones, ancillary products, and services will be showcased.

• The exhibition is being organized by the Center for Development of Stones (CDOS), with the
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) as co-organizer.
• Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation Limited (RIICO) is its major
sponsor.
• More than 350 exhibitors from India and abroad are expected to participate in the exhibition.
Jharkhand Cabinet approves four ambitious schemes for students & youths
• The Jharkhand Cabinet has approved four ambitious schemes to promote education and skill
development of students and youths.
• The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren approved the 4 schemes and
34 other agendas.
• President Droupadi Murmu will officially launch these schemes on Jharkhand's Foundation day on
November 15, 2022.
List of 4 Schemes :
1. Higher and Technical Education department’s Mukhya Mantri Shiksha Prothsahan Yojana
(MMSPY)
2. Eklavya Prasikshan Yojana (EPY)
3. Guruji Student Credit Card Yojana (GSCCY)
4. Labour department’s Mukhya Mantri Sarathi Yojana (MMSY).
About MMSPY :
• Under the MMSPY, class 10 pass students will be provided free coaching at Jharkhand-based
institutions of national repute for entrance examinations of engineering, medicine, common law
admission test, mass communication, fashion designing, hotel management, and chartered
accounting.
• Along with free coaching, a provision of Rs 2,500 scholarship per month has also been decided
for lodging and other expenses of students.
• The only eligibility condition to qualify for the scheme is that the student's parents should not
come under the income tax criteria.
• The department targets to provide the benefit of the scheme to 8,000 students in a year.
About EPY :
• Under EPY, job-oriented free coaching will be provided for various competitive examinations such
as the union public service commission, Jharkhand public service commission, bank PO, bank
clerk, railways, and staff selection commission.
• The department has set a target to provide coaching to 2,700 students in a year.
About GSCCY :
Aim :
• To provide financial help to students, who would be selected for higher education, engineering,
medical, and others.
• Students will be given a credit card, which has a maximum limit of Rs 15 lakh.
• Students can spend 30% of Rs 15 lakh for non-institutional expenses such as lodging, food,
books, laptops, etc.
• This 30% component will go to the student, while the rest of the amount will go to the institution
as fees.
• Students will get this credit at an interest rate of 4% and they will get 15 years to repay the loan.
• The EMI will start one year after completion of the course.
• The cabinet also approved Rs 461 crore for the construction of a 3.5-km high-level bridge over
the Swarnrekha river from Sakchi to Mango and Azad Basti.
• Besides, the cabinet sanctioned Rs 4.40 crore for the construction of Palash Mart at Kanke Road
in Ranchi.
About Jharkhand :
• Governor: Ramesh Bais
• Chief Minister : Hemant Soren
• Capital: Ranchi
Tamil Nadu notifies Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary as its 17th wildlife sanctuary
● The Government of Tamil Nadu (TN) has declared an area of 686.406 sq.km in the reserve
forests of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri as the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
● The newly notified sanctuary is the 17th Wildlife Sanctuary in TN.
Key Details about Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary :
● Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary was notified under Section 26-A of the Wild Life (Protection)
Act, 1972.
● The forest area of 478 sq km in the Anchetty, Urigam and Jawalagiri ranges of Hosur division,
which are contiguous with the Cauvery South will be declared as a wildlife sanctuary.
● It is home to 35 species of mammals, 238 species of birds, Leith’s soft-shell turtles, smooth-
coated otters, marsh crocodiles, and four-horned antelopes.
● The sanctuary will be part of a protected landscape contiguous with the forests that currently
constitute the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary which is shared between Tamil Nadu and
Karnataka.
● The sanctuary is also a large, contiguous network of protected areas, enabling uniform legal
status and protection along both the banks of the river Cauvery for a 50 km stretch.
● The landscape maintains further continuity to the Nilgiri biosphere reserve through Malai
Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve in Karnataka,
and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve along with Erode forest division of Tamil Nadu.
● Two important and large elephant corridors namely, the Nandimangalam-Ulibanda Corridor and
the Kovaipallam-Anebiddahalla Corridor fall in this area.
About Tamil Nadu :
● Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin
● Dance : Bharatnatyam, Karakattam
● National Park: Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf of
Mannar Marine National Park
● Wildlife Sanctuaries: Kalakad Wildlife sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird
Sanctuary
● Tiger Reserve: Anamalai Tiger Reserve
● Biosphere Reserve: Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve
Assam CM Launches Mission Basundhara 2.0
● Assam Chief Minister (CM) Shri HimantaBiswaSarma launched the second phase of Mission
Basundhara 2.0 at an event held at the SrimantaShankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, Assam.
● The Assam government is working towards providing land rights to indigenous people based on
self-certification.
● A self-certification has to state that the claimant has been residing on the land for the last three
generations.
● No hasty decision will be taken in ‘doubtful cases’ about claims made over any land through the
self-certification process.
● Data from the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is yet to be notified, and other such
sources will be considered for taking any decision in such cases.
About Mission Basundhara1.0 :
● The first phase of Mission Basundharawas launched in 2021 to provide a time-bound solution to
several services under the revenue department.
● It wound up in May 2022, with six lakh people benefiting from it.
● It is a transitional mission and the government was looking for sustainable reforms, particularly
by cutting away the role of middlemen and digitalisation of all land-related services.
About Assam :
● Governor :Jagdish Mukh
● Chief Minister :HimantaBiswaSarma
● Capital: Dispur
● Dam : Karbi Langpi Dam, Umrong Dam
● Forts : Badarpur Fort, Cachari Fort
Arunachal Pradesh signs MoU with NHLML for infrastructure development
● The Arunachal Pradesh government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), an SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle)
of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), for infrastructure development in the state.
Signatories :
● The MoU was signed by state Transport department special secretary Parul Gaur Mittal and
NHLML CEO Prakash Gaur in the presence of Union Road Transport and Highways Minister
Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Pema Khandu in Guwahati, Assam.

About MoU :
● Announced in the Union Budget (2022-23) for the construction of ropeways in hilly terrains
across the country for connecting inaccessible areas, decongesting urban areas and improve
tourism in states, the national ropeway programme, the ‘Parvatmala’ project, is being
undertaken by the NHLML as the executing agency.
● The MoU is expected to bring effective implementation, development, construction, operation
and maintenance of the identified projects.
● Governor: B. D. Mishra
● Chief Minister :Pema Khandu
● Capital: Itanagar
● Airport: Along Airport, Daporijo Airport, Itanagar Airport, Tezu Airport
Jammu and Kashmir Admin introduces scheme to promote sheep farming - ISDS
● The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration has introduced an integrated sheep development
scheme (ISDS) for promoting the sheep farming sector.
● Various reforms & initiatives like ISDS were introduced for modernisation and promotion of the
sheep farming sector and strengthening of commercial activities and output of the sector which
provides the means of livelihood to about 12 lakh families in the UT.
Aim :
● To promote the establishment of sheep and goat units in the union territory.
About ISDS :
● ISDS is one of the schemes of Sheep Husbandry Department.
● Under this scheme, financial assistance from the banks has been made available along with
other incentives and subsidies.
Who are eligible to apply for the scheme ?
● Any individual /group of individuals/self-help group/cooperative society/farmers producer
organization.
● The scheme also has the provision of Procurement of Shearing units (Comprising of one
shearing machine, one Genset and shearing accessories/spares), 50% of the unit cost as total
eligible subsidy with a ceiling of Rs 75,000/unit whichever is less.
● High genetic potential breeds of sheep, exotic breeds for crossbreeding, marketing facilities and
preventive mechanism of endemic disease problems is bringing overall improvement in sheep
rearing sector and improving socio-economic status of a vast majority of livestock producers.
About J&K :
● Lieutenant Governor : Manoj Sinha
● Capital : Srinagar, Jammu
● National Park : Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Kazinag National Park, Dachigam National
Park
● Wildlife Sanctuaries : Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
● Dance forms : Hafiza Dance, Bacha Nagma
Assam ties up with IIM Bangalore to train pvt professionals to work in districts
● The Assam government inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute
of Management, Bangalore, Karnataka to train working professionals in Assam.
● The agreement was signed by Chief Minister Sarma; Rishikesha T Krishnan, director of IIM-
Bangalore and the state’s pricipalsecetary Samir Sinha at the state capital Guwahati Assam.
● The training programme aims to prepare professionals with a postgraduate degree to work at
the district level.
Key Highlights :
● The government joined hands with the premier B-school with an aim to bring transformative
changes in health, education, women, and child development in Assam.
● The programme will be a mix of academic and district work and will also feature an off-campus
training programme, to be conducted over 40 days, in Guwahati.
● The training programme will span 2 years and on completion of the course, the candidates will
receive certificates in public policy and management from IIM, Bangalore.
About Assam :
● Governor : Jagdish Mukh
● Chief Minister : HimantaBiswaSarma

● Capital : Dispur
● Dam : Karbi Langpi Dam, Umrong Dam
● Forts : Badarpur Fort, Cachari Fort
● National Parks : Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Nameri National Park
● Wildlife Sanctuaries : Nameri National Park, Garampani Wildlife Sanctuary, Amsang Wildlife
Sanctuary
Rajasthan govt approves Rs 2.60 crore for camel conservation scheme
• The Rajasthan government has approved an outlay of Rs 2.60 crore for the Camel Conservation
Scheme which is aimed at protecting camels.
• The chief minister has decided to implement the camel conservation and development policy in
the budget for the year 2022-23.
• For this provision, Rs 10 crore was allocated.
About Camel Conservation Scheme :
• Under the scheme, each female camel and calf will be tagged by the veterinary doctor and an
identity card will be issued.
• The camel rearer will be given Rs 5,000 while the veterinarian will receive Rs 50 honorarium for
each identity card.
• On completion of one year of the camel calf, the rearer will get another instalment of Rs 5,000.
• The amount of both instalments will be deposited in the bank account of the camel rearer.
About Rajasthan :
• Capital: Jaipur
• National Park: Keoladeo National Park, Ranthambore National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Jaisamand WL Sanctuary, Sajjangarh WL Sanctuary, Fulwari ki Nal WL
Sanctuary, Keladevi WL Sanctuary
Arunachal Pradesh launched the world's first drone-mediated livestock vaccines delivery service -
TechEagle
• TechEagle, a leading drone delivery startup that offers world-class end-to-end drone delivery
solutions, has conducted the world’s first vaccine delivery for Animal Husbandry in Arunachal
Pradesh.
Aim:
• To strengthen the Healthcare ecosystem of the animals by providing rapid and safe delivery of
healthcare-related items, starting from Lower Dibang valley.
• The drone delivery was carried out by TechEagle in collaboration with the Animal Husbandry
department and EY
• It has used its hybrid drone Vertiplane X3 for its maiden flight.
Key Highlights :
• The project was inaugurated by Er. Tage Taki, Minister of Agriculture of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The flight took off from Roing to Paglam, having an aerial distance of 29 km, which was covered
with TechEagle’s Drone in just 20 minutes.
• The road distance from Roing to Paglam is about 120 km which takes around 4 hours to cover.
• TechEagle’s indigenously developed Hybrid Drone- Vertiplane X3 delivered vaccines 12 times
faster than ground transportation.
• TechEagle used its made-in-India – Hybrid e-VTOL Drone, Vertiplane X3.
• It is India’s fastest and longest-range hybrid e-VTOL drone that flies at a maximum speed of 120
kmph for 100km on a single charge.
• In 2018, TechEagle initiated the world’s first tea delivery by drone in Lucknow, UP.
About TechEagle :
• Founder & CEO: Vikram Singh
• Airport: Along Airport, Daporijo Airport, Itanagar Airport, Tezu Airport
J&K L-G Manoj Sinha launches spatial data infra initiative JKRIS 7 g-SAM mobile app
● Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha has launched the Jammu and
Kashmir Remote Sensing Information System (JKRIS), a spatial data infrastructure initiative,
and g-SAM (Gram Panchayat Spatial Assets Mapper) mobile app.
● It was launched at the convention of geographic information system (GIS) government officials,
professionals, and entrepreneurs organised to mark World GIS Day.
Note :
● The World GIS Day was celebrated on 16 Nov 2022.
Key Highlights :
● The Geographic Information System technology ecosystem is offering new communication tools
to different sectors and making a greater impact in areas like weather forecast, urban and
transport planning, security and biodiversity protection.
● He also released reports on the assessment of the inherent vulnerability of climate change and
internal monitoring of Wular Lake and its catchment area.
● About 1,000 GIS applications are being used every day by professionals, researchers, and
common citizens in more than 50 sectors to address various challenges and opportunities.
About J&K :
● Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha
● National Park: Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Kazinag National Park, Dachigam National
Park, City forest (Samil Ali) National Park
● Wildlife Sanctuaries: Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary, Limber Wildlife
Sanctuary
Tamil Nadu introduces India’s first elephant death audit framework
● The Forest Department of Tamil Nadu (TN) has introduced, first of its kind initiative in India,
Tamil Nadu Elephant Death Audit Framework (EDAF).
Aim :
● To document reasons for elephant deaths for better accountability.
Key Highlights :
● It prescribes a “systematic standard protocol for conducting post mortem to determine the
reason(s) for the death of an elephant, to study and understand the circumstances in cases of
preventable and unnatural death of elephants, and to formulate remedial measures for
prevention of unnatural and preventive deaths by conducting periodical death audits and
monitoring those over time.
● The document also helps to study the conditions of avoidable and unnatural deaths, while
preparing and developing preventative strategies.
● It also specifies a methodical standard process for carrying out an autopsy to ascertain the
causes of an elephant's demise.
● The protocol would be applicable for the reported deaths of elephants in the wild and would be
uniformly followed in all wildlife areas and territorial divisions across TN.
About Tamil Nadu :
● Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin
● National Park: Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf of
● Wildlife Sanctuaries: Kalakad Wildlife sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird
Sanctuary
● Tiger Reserve: Anamalai Tiger Reserve
● Biosphere Reserve: Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve

Karnataka to get India's first semiconductor fab facility
• The International Semiconductor Consortium’s (ISMC’s) proposed a $3 billion chip fab in
Mysuru, Karnataka.
• The construction of the fab will reportedly begin by February 2023.
Key Highlights :
• The ISMC will make 40-65 nanometre analogue chips that will cater to "defence and auto
sectors".
• The Centre had announced subsidies of up to 50% of the project costs for semiconductor
manufacturers under its Rs 76,000 crore Production-linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in 2021.
• Earlier in 2022, Foxconn and Vedanta announced setting up a semiconductor facility in

Ahmedabad.
• Singapore's IGSS Ventures will also set up a $3.2 billion semiconductor park in Tamil Nadu.
• All of the projects will be provided with government incentives.
• It would take about 4-5 years, once the construction starts, for the ISMC's plant to become
operational.
About ISMC :
• ISMC is a joint venture between UAE's Next Orbit Ventures and Israel's Tower Semiconductor.
About Karnataka :
• National Park: Bannerghatta National Park, Anshi National Park.Bandipur National park,
Kudremukh National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Arabithittu Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhimgad Wildlife
Sanctuary
Karnataka signs MoU with Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States
• The Karnataka government entered into a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS).
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister and Finance Minister Shri Basavraj
Bommai.
About the MoU :
• Under the GoK-MoU, CEGIS has proposed to provide technical, analytical, and programmatic
support in areas such as enhancement of state revenue including competency mapping and
training of frontline tax officials, designing a strategy for improving Administrative Data Quality
and data use for Education, Health, and Women and Child Development Departments.
• CEGIS shall work closely with departments such as Finance, Education, Social Welfare, and
others to identify mutually aligned areas to provide technical and analytical support.
About CEGIS :
• Founded: 2019
Aim :
• To enable a transformative improvement in the functioning of Indian state governments.
• It works with Indian states in preparing an analytical roadmap for governance and expenditure
reforms and provides strategic implementation support to deliver on this vision.
• At present, CEGIS is engaged with the Governments of Telangana, NCT of Delhi, Bodoland
Territorial Region, Assam, and Tamil Nadu.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Launches Mukhyamantri Siksha Puraskar Yojana Award and Scholarship
Scheme
• Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Shri Naveen Patnaik announced the Mukhyamantri Siksha Puraskar
Yojana Award and Scholarship Scheme.
• The scheme has been introduced to encourage healthy competition between the state schools
and also recognize excellence in education.
About Mukhyamantri Siksha Puraskar Yojana :
• Under the programme, annual awards worth Rs. 100 Crore per year will be given to school
students, educational institutions and principals, teachers, and school management committees
for achieving excellence in Education and Alumni for their contribution.
About Award Scheme :
• The award will be given to 50,000 students, 1,500 principals, School Management Committee,
Alumni, Gram Panchayat, and District Administrators.
• The chief minister also launched a digital locker app for the Council of Higher Secondary
Education and the Board of Secondary Education for safekeeping of certificates, mark sheets,
and other documents.
About Odisha :
• National Park: Simlipal National Park, Bhitarkanika National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Tikarpada Wildlife Sanctuary, Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary, Sunabeda Wildlife
Sanctuary, Kotagarh Wildlife Sanctuary
• Dance : Ghumura Dance, Ranapa Dance
• Tribes : Bagata, Banjara, Munda
Tripura CM Launches ‘Amar Sarkar’ Web Portal To Deliver Benefits Among Citizens
• Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha launched a new portal, ‘Amar Sarkar’, to act as a bridge
between the people and the government at the Muktadhara Auditorium in Agartala, Tripura.
About Amar Sarkar :
• The portal will help people to register their problems and complaints through village committee
officials.
• It is worth mentioning here that various problems and complaints of the people will be registered
through the village and village committee level workers in this URL
https://amarsarkar.tripura.gov.in/
• The web portal will help to bridge the gap between the public representatives at all levels and
the common people of the state.
• A total of 78 departments, including the panchayat department, have been included in the web
portal.
• Earlier in September 2022, the state government launched the ‘Har Ghar Sushasan’ initiative to
mark the birthday of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
About Tripura :
• Governor : Satyadeo Narain Arya
• Chief Minister: Manik Sarkar
• Tribes : Riang, Jamatia
• Festival : Neermahal Water festival, Poush Sankranti fair
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik approves “PRARAMBH” - Odisha State Policy for Children 2022
• The Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik-led State Cabinet approved the ‘Prarambh -
The Odisha State Policy for Children 2022 & Odisha State Port Policy -2022 two major policies
related to port development and children's welfare besides 15 other proposals.
About ‘Prarambh - The Odisha State Policy for Children 2022 :
• The Department of Women and Child Development, in collaboration with other State
departments and organizations, has brought about a policy document for children in the State
called PRARAMBH- the Odisha State Policy for Children, 2022.
The policy has 7 focus areas:
1. Survival- which includes health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene.
2. Education and holistic development.
3. Child Protection
4. Identity, Family/Alternative Care, Birth Registration, and Quality of Life.
5. Special Measures for Vulnerable children,
6. Dispensation of Justice and Legal Provisions for Children.
7. Children’s Participation.
• For this policy, and in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC),
childhood includes the period from conception to 18 years of age.
About Odisha State Port Policy -2022 :
• The Odisha State Port Policy -2022 envisages holistic development of the maritime ecosystem
in the state, promotion of private sector development in the maritime sector, and creation of
employment opportunities for youths.
• The state currently has 14 notified non-major ports
• The Cabinet also approved the implementation of a master plan for the transformation of Odisha
University of Technology and Research with an outlay of Rs 1,500 crore.
About Odisha :
Tripura launches integrated curriculum Mission Mukul for 3-8 age group children
• The Tripura government formally launched Mission Mukul, in a bid to introduce an integrated
curriculum for children aged between 3 and 8 years, as part of the National Initiative for
Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN).
Key Highlights :
• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has accorded the highest priority to Early Childhood Care
& Education (ECCE) to achieve universal acquisition of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
(FLN) based on which NIPUN has been launched centrally.
• In Mission Mukul, at least three Anganwadi centres taking topography, communication, and
other allied factors into consideration would be attached to a government school within a 1.5 km
radius.
• NIPUN Tripura will focus on providing access to and retaining children in the foundational years
of schooling, capacity building of teachers, development of high-quality and diversified student
and teacher resources/learning materials, and tracking the progress of each child in achieving
learning outcomes
About Tripura :
• Governor : Satyadeo Narain Arya
• Chief Minister: Manik Sarkar
• Capital: Agartala
• Tribes: Riang, Jamatia
• Festival : Neermahal Water festival, Poush Sankranti fair
Manipur Sangai festival 2022 begins
• Union Tourism Minister Shri G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the ‘Manipur Sangai Festival 2022’
(Festival of Oneness) at the Sangai Ethnic Park, Moirang Khunou in Bishnupur district, Manipur.
• The theme of the Manipur Sangai Festival 2022 is the ‘festival of oneness’.
• The 10-day-long festival will be held in 13 venues across six districts in the northeastern state till
November 30, 2022.
• ‘Manipur Sangai Festival 2022’ marks the 11th edition of the celebration.
Aim :
• To encourage a sense of belongingness, and pride in ownership of the land among the people.
About Manipur Sangai Festival :
• The ‘Festival’ is named after the State animal, Sangai, the brow-antlered deer found only in
Manipur.
• It started in the year 2010 and has grown over the years into a big platform for Manipur to
showcase its rich tradition and culture to the world.
• Shri Biren Singh also inaugurated the Sangai Ethnic Park wherein replicas of traditional houses
of 34 different tribes of Manipur are being displayed.
• As part of the inaugural function, the Manipur Sangai Festival 2022 Theme Song by Mangka
Laihui was also rendered, and cultural troupes were also performed.
• On the occasion, The dignitaries also released two coffee table books – Manipur Sangai Festival
2022 and Manipur Today Special Edition on Sangai Festival.
• Also, CM Shri N Biren Singh inaugurated the Sangai Ethnic Park.
About Manipur :
• Chief minister: N. Biren Singh
• Capital: Imphal
• National Park : Keibul-Lamjao National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Bunning Wildlife SanctuaryJiri-
Makru Wildlife Sanctuary, Kailam Wildlife Sanctuary
JKRLM signs MoU with Meesho for the empowerment of 1800 SHGs members
• The Jammu & Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (Umeed) and India’s fastest-growing internet
commerce company, Meesho, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the

growth of 1,800 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by providing them with an online platform to launch
and grow their business and empower the rural women entrepreneurs.
• The MoU was signed and exchanged in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha,
here at Raj Bhavan, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).
• The partnership will help in building lives and livelihoods for rural communities and provide
greater access to economic activities, and financial independence to rural women
entrepreneurs.
• It is a significant step in making niche products of Jammu and Kashmir available to the wider
customer base, providing SHGs global market to grow their business, and making them Atma-
Nirbhar
About Meesho :
• Founded: 2015
• Founders: Sanjeev Barnwal, and Vidit Aatrey
Assam Government Launches New Tourism Policy - Assam Tourism Policy 2022
● The Assam Government has decided to launch a new Tourism Policy -Assam Tourism Policy
2022, in a bid to further the growth of the tourism sector in Assam.
● The new tourism policy was unveiled on the sidelines of 'Assam Tourism Road Show 2022',
hosted by the Department of Tourism, Government of Assam.
Goal :
● To promote sustainability by limiting the negative effects of tourism on social, environmental,
and economic sectors while ensuring the positive effects.
About Assam Tourism Policy 2022 :
Mission of the policy :
● To create a framework and strategic roadmap in collaboration with central ministries, various
state government departments, local communities and tourism stakeholders to improve the
tourism sector in Assam
● It aims to guarantee and safeguard the effective standardization of processes and practices to
foster uniformity, which can result in sustainability and an overall improvement in the quality of
tourism products.
About Assam Tourism Development Corporation :
● Headquarters : Guwahati, India
● Chairman : Rituparna Baruah
● MD : Kumar Padmapani Bora
● Slogan : "Awesome Assam.
About Assam :
● Chief Minister : Himanta Biswa Sarma
● Capital : Dispur
● National Park : Kaziranga National Park, Raimona National Park, Manas National Park
● Wildlife Sanctuaries : Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary, Sonai Rupai
Wildlife Sanctuary
Madurai’s Arittapatti village notified as Tamil Nadu’s ‘First Biodiversity Heritage Site’
● The Tamil Nadu government issued a notification declaring the Arittapatti village near Melur in
Madurai district, Tamil Nadu (TN) as a biodiversity heritage site under Section 37 of the
Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
● It is Tamil Nadu’s first & India’s 35th Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS).
Key Highlights :
● The Site spreads in an area of 193.215 hectares in Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram villages in
the Madurai district.
● The notification comes under the Section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and will
strengthen biodiversity conservation and protect from rapid loss of biodiversity.
● Arittapatti village is known to have a rich biological and historical significance with the presence
of around 250 bird species including 3 flagship Raptor species – Laggar Falcon, Shaheen
Falcon, Bonelli’s Eagle, and wildlife like Pangolin, Python, and Slender Loris.
● Arittapatti consists of a chain of 7 barren granite hillocks.

● It supports 72 lakes, 200 natural spring pools, and 3 check dams.
● The region also has historical importance – Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, Jain Beds, and Rock-cut
temples which are 2,200 years old.
● Further, the Government of Tamil Nadu considers that the 7 inselbergs of Arittapatti will be of
adequate biodiversity importance.
● There are 4 Biodiversity Hotspots in India – Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Sunderland, and the
Western Ghats.
What is a Biodiversity Heritage Site?
● Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) are areas that are unique, ecologically fragile ecosystems
having rich biodiversity consisting of any one or more endemic species, keystone species, or
fossil beds or components having cultural or esthetic values.
About Tamil Nadu :
● National Park : Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf of
● Wildlife Sanctuaries : Kalakad Wildlife sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird
Sanctuary
● Tiger Reserve : Anamalai Tiger Reserve
● Biosphere Reserve : Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve
Odisha CM launches AMLAN, mission to eradicate anaemia
• Odisha Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik launched AMLAN (Anaemia Mukta Lakhya Abhiyan)
a multi-pronged approach in a bid to ensure the complete eradication of the anaemia problem
among women and children in Odisha.
• Several departments including Health and Family Welfare, School and Mass Education, Women
and Child Development, Mission Shakti and Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Scheduled Castes (SC)
Development Department will carry out the program.

About AMLAN :
• The program will benefit about 1.37 Crore people, which includes pregnant women, lactating
mothers, women of reproductive age group, adolescents, and children.
• The major interventions of the Programme are
• To strengthen iron and folic acid supplementation
• To test for haemoglobin,
• To the treatment of anaemic cases
• To the capacity building of service providers and social behaviour change communication
• It will be rolled out in 55,000 government and government-aided schools and 74,000 Anganwadi
Centres across Odisha.
About Odisha :
Sanctuary
India’s first private Agri mandi set to come up in Nashik
• The Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company (FPC) becomes the first company in India to bag the
license for setting up a private agricultural mandi at Dindori, in Nashik district, Maharashtra.
• The market will come up over the next three months at Rs 25 crore.
About the Agri Mandi :
• The private agri-mandi will have a 100-acre dedicated market space integrated with world-class
infrastructure, services from banking to storage, processing, and packaging under one roof,
options for offline and online trading, legalization of field trade, and ownership of farmers
• Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) is a statutory market committee constituted by
a State Government in respect of trade in certain notified agricultural or horticultural or livestock

products, under the Agricultural Produce Market Committee Act issued by that state
government.
Note :
• India established its first regulated market, Karanja in 1886.
Odisha CM announces special package for Kendu leaf pluckers
• The Odisha chief minister Shri Naveen Patnaik announced a special package for the welfare of
8 lakh Kendu leaf pluckers and other persons engaged in the trade.
• The central government has imposed 18% Goods & Services Tax (GST) on the kendu leaf
business.
• Odisha is the third largest producer of Kendu leaf next to Madhya Pradesh (MP) & Chhattisgarh
and produces about 20% of the country's annual production.
About the special package :
• In the first phase, Rs 10,000 will be given to each plucker and Rs 15,000 to each seasonal staff
and binder.
• All Kendu leaf pluckers and employees will be issued identity cards and included in Biju
Swasthya Kalyan Yojana.
• The gratuity payment for circle checkers and binding checkers will be increased from 7 days to
15 days and all the kendu leaf pluckers will be provided with the Identity Card.
Women's World Banking signs MoU with Maharashtra to strengthen BC Sakhi program
● Government of Maharashtra has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with United
States(US)-based Women's World Banking, with funding support from MetLife Foundation, to
operationalise and strengthen 5,000 women of self-help (SHGs) to become business
correspondents or BC Sakhis.
● BC Sakhis will provide banking services at the last mile in rural areas of Maharashtra.
● This effort is to achieve the vision of ‘One Gram Panchayat (GP) One BC Sakhi’ under the
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
Key Highlights :
● Under the arrangement, Women's World Banking will provide technical and policy advisory
support to UMED to operationalise the BC sakhis in Maharashtra.
● UMED will be able to scale this program to 15,000 BC Sakhis in the first phase and then to a
total of 25,000 for the entire state by 2025-2026.
Note :
● CEO of Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Mission : Hemant Vasekar
About Women's World Banking :
● Headquarters : New York, United States
● President & CEO : Mary Ellen Iskenderian
● It works for inclusive finance for low-income women across the world.
About Maharashtra :
● Chief Minister: Eknath Shinde
● Capital: Mumbai
● National Park : Tadoba National Park, Navegaon National Park
● Wildlife Sanctuaries : Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Nagzira Wildlife
Sanctuary
● UNESCO Heritage Sites : Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, The Victorian and Art Deco
Ensemble of Mumbai, Ajanta Caves, Elephanta Caves, Ellora Caves
Delhi University launches Financial Support Scheme for economically weak students in UG, PG
courses
● The Delhi University has launched a Financial Support Scheme (FSS) for those students who
come from an economically weaker background and have enrolled in full-time undergraduate
and postgraduate courses at the university.
● This scheme is in line with the spirit of the government’s ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’ motto.
● Interested and eligible candidates can apply for the scheme at the official website
https://shortest.link/dufss.
Eligibility criteria:
● Category 1: Students whose family annual income is less than Rs 4 lakh will get up to 100% of
fee relaxation.
● Category 2: Candidates whose family income is between Rs 4 and 8 lakh will get a fee waiver of
50%
● The students with ER/Arrears of previous exams are eligible for this scheme.
About Delhi :
● Lt. Governor : Vinai Kumar Saxena
● Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal
● Capital : New Delhi
● Wildlife Sanctuaries : Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary
Uttarakhand CM launches Integrated development scheme for border villages
● Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami is set to launch a new scheme named
‘Mukhya Mantri Pratham Gram Samekit Vikas Yojana’ ((CM first village integrated development
scheme)” to accelerate economic activities in Uttarakhand.
● He made the announcement about starting the integrated scheme for the planned development
of border villages at a review meeting of the Panchayati raj department.
Key Highlights :
● For the cleanliness of villages, a ‘Mukhya Mantri Paryavaran Mitra Yojana’ will be started.
● A paryavaran Mitra will be posted in every village under the scheme.
● Besides, ‘Mukhya Mantri Chaupal’ will also be started for the planned development of village
panchayats.
● Uttarakhand has an international border of 625 km - 350 km with China and 275 km with Nepal.
About Uttarakhand :
● Chief Minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
● Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer)
● Mountains: Nanda Devi, Kamet, Sunanda Devi
● Dance : Barada Nati, Ramola
● Festival : Kangdali Festival, Magh Mela
Rajasthan govt launches new scheme gives a boost to businesses of Dalits
● The Rajasthan government’s Department of Industry and Commerce has launched the Dr
Bhimrao Ambedkar Rajasthan Dalit, Adivasi Udyam Protsahan Yojana – 2022.
Aim :
● To ensure effective participation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the
development of non-agricultural sectors (manufacturing, service and trade) of Rajasthan.
About the scheme :
● A resident of Rajasthan origin who belongs to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe category
and is above 18 years of age at the time of application.
● This scheme provides entrepreneurs with a 9% interest subsidy on loans up to Rs 25 lakh and a
7% interest subsidy on loans up to Rs 5 crore, as well as a provision for margin money of up to
25% of the project cost up to Rs 25 lakh.
● Under the Scheme, there were provisions for subsidies and other facilities for eligible people
including first-generation entrepreneurs.
Key Highlights :
● Rajasthan is 7th in regard to India's GDP & its GDP has increased to around Rs 12 trillion.
● In the last three years, the state GDP increased by 3 lakh crore, indicating the state’s
development.
About Rajasthan :
● Chief minister: Ashok Gehlot
● Capital: Jaipur
● National Park : Keoladeo National Park, Ranthambore National Park, Mukundara National Park
● Wildlife Sanctuaries : Bandh Baratha WL Sanctuary, Ramgarh Vishdhari WL Sanctuary,
Jaisamand WL Sanctuary
KSEB develops a common app for e-vehicle charging stations
• The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has developed a mobile app named KeMapp -
‘Kerala E-Mobility App’ which will serve as a common platform for accessing the services of e-
vehicle charging stations.

• Minister for Electricity K. Krishnankutty formally launched the app at ‘ewaTTs ‘22,’ an e-mobility
conclave organized by the KSEB.
• The app is now in test mode, and will soon be available for download on PlayStore.
• KeMapp replaces 4 software solutions for charging-station operations provided by different
vendors who had established the stations for KSEB.
• Motorists can use the app to get the locations of charging stations, book lots and make the
payment after charging.
About KSEB :
• Headquarters: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
• Chairman & MD: Dr. Rajan N. Khobragade
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launches the Har Ghar Gangajal project in Rajgir
• Bihar Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar launched the Har Ghar Gangajal project in Rajgir.
• This is the first time in India that floodwater harvesting has been done for drinking water.
• Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) has been working on the
project since 2019
About Har Ghar Gangajal project :
• Har Ghar Gangajal project is a unique and ambitious initiative to provide Ganga water on tap in
the parched areas of Bihar.
• The scheme will help to harvest the excess water of the Ganga during the monsoon season.
• It is part of the Bihar government’s Jal, Jeevan, Hariyali scheme.
• Under the scheme about 7.5-lakh households of Rajgir (Nalanda), Gaya and Bodhgaya will start
getting piped Ganga water.
• A Rs 4,000-crore scheme has harnessed flood water from the Ganges to take it to reservoirs in
Gaya and Rajgir.
• The second phase will start in 2023 and will cover the Nawada district as well.
• According to estimates made by the government, the scheme will provide every individual
beneficiary with 135 litres about two large buckets of Ganga water every day for drinking and
domestic use.
• The water will first be stored in reservoirs in Rajgir and Gaya.
• It will then be channelled to three treatment-and purification plants.
• The project has been described as a “lift-store-tame-treat-supply” system.
• The 151-km pipeline network will use a railway overbridge and four bridges.
About Bihar :
• Governor : Phagu Chauhan[
• Capital: Patna
Odisha to launch e-detection portal to identify vehicles plying without documents, issue challans
• The Odisha government has developed a new portal named ‘e-detection portal’ to detect
vehicles plying on National Highways (NHs) & State Highways on the road without valid
documents.
• The portal is set to launch by 1 January 2023.
Objective :
• To collect the data from various toll gates on the national highways.
Key Highlights :
• In the first phase, toll gates on NHs have been integrated with the portal.
• Later, data will be collected from mining and industrial areas as well.
• The data will be collected and analyzed with details in the Vahan portal and automatically
challan will be generated for the vehicles plying without valid documents
• The transport department will collect the data with the help of FASTag and images captured
when the vehicle passes through the toll gate.
• The portal will also issue e-challans to the violators of the traffic rules.
Additional Info :
• According to National Crime Records Bureau data, over 1.55 lakh lives were lost in road crashes
across India in 2021, an average of 426 daily or 18 every single hour which is the highest death
figures recorded in any calendar year so far.
About Odisha :
India will provide a $500,000 donation to the UN Trust Fund for Counterterrorism:
• The foreign minister announced that India will contribute half a million dollars to the UN's efforts
to combat international terrorism when new and developing technologies used by terrorist
organizations are posing fresh threats to governments worldwide.
• The declaration was made at the UN Security Council Special Counter-Terrorism Committee
(CTC) meeting in New Delhi's plenary session.
• To support the Office of Counterterrorism's efforts to support member states in preventing and
combating the threat of terrorism, India will make a voluntary contribution of half a million dollars
to the UN Trust Fund for Counter Terrorism this year.
• Jaishankar stressed the need for the international community to take action to address the
threats posed by the misuse of new and emerging technologies for terrorist activities.
• Internet and social media platforms have developed into effective tools in the arsenal of terrorist
and militant groups for disseminating propaganda, radicalizing, and spreading conspiracies
aimed at destabilizing societies.
India's Second National Model Vedic School is opened in Puri by the Union Education Minister:
• The second Rashtriya Adarsh Veda Vidyalaya (RAVV) in India was opened by the Union
Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan in Puri.
• The Rashtriya Adarsh Veda Vidyalaya was established to educate people about the Vedas.
• The National Model Vedic School is also known as Rashtriya Adarsh Veda Vidyalaya.
• The first institution of its kind is located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh: Maharishi Sandipani
Rashtriya Ved Vidya Pratisthan.
• The Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharva are all part of the Rashtriya Adarsh Veda
Vidyalaya's curriculum.
• Students will also have the option to choose from courses in agriculture, English, math, social
science, and computer science at the Rashtriya Adarsh Veda Vidyalaya.
• Veda Bhushan fourth (class 9), Veda Bhushan fifth (class 10), Veda Vibhushan first (class 11),
and Veda Vibhushan second (class 12) admissions will be based on merit (class 12).
• The classes will start during the academic year 2022–2023.
• At Badrinath in Uttarakhand, Sringeri in Karnataka, Dwarka in Gujarat, and Guwahati in Assam,
four additional such schools will open.
Union government plans to launch the second phase of a dedicated program to develop solar parks:
• The Union government plans to launch the second phase of a dedicated program to develop
solar parks across the country that will aim to plug loopholes and overcome slow progress.
• The scheme, ‘Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects, was launched
in December 2014 to help solar project developers set up projects in a plug-and-play model.
• The scheme is valid till the end of this fiscal.
• The government now plans to launch the second phase of this scheme with a focus on floating
solar projects.
• Under the current scheme, the MNRE provides central financial assistance (CFA) of up to ₹20
lakh per MW or 30% of the project cost, including grid-connectivity cost.
• The solar parks are developed in partnerships with state governments and their agencies,
CPSUs, and private entrepreneurs.
• The implementing agency is termed a solar power park developer (SPPD).
PM laid the foundation stone of the C-295 transport aircraft manufacturing plant in Gujarat:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the C-295 transport aircraft
manufacturing plant, in Vadodara, Gujarat.
• The C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force will be manufactured by Tata-Airbus.
• Apart from making 40 aircraft, this facility at Vadodara would be manufacturing additional aircraft
for Air Force requirements and exports.
• By 2025 India aims defence manufacturing scale to cross $25 billion.
• Defense corridors being established in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu would power this scale.
• Apart from making 40 aircraft, this facility at Vadodara would be manufacturing additional aircraft
for Air Force requirements and exports.
• The first Indian Air Force squadron of C-295 transport aircraft would also be based in Vadodara.
• The aircraft built in India would be supplied from 2026 to 2031 and the first 16 fly-away aircraft
are scheduled to be delivered to the IAF between September 2023 and August 2025.
• In September last year, India sealed a ₹21,935 crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to
procure 56 C-295 aircraft to replace the IAF's ageing Avro-748 planes that entered service in the
early 1960s.
• Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in 'fly-away' condition from its final
assembly line in Seville, Spain within four years and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be
manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial
partnership between the two companies.
• The C-295MW is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology.
• The aircraft has a maximum speed of 480 kmph.
• It can also operate on short unprepared airstrips as it is capable of Short Take-off and Landing
(STOL).
Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya to inaugurate India Chem 2022
• Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya will inaugurate India Chem 2022 at Pragati Maidan in
New Delhi.
• The theme of the event is “Vision 2030: Chemicals and Petrochemicals Build India”.
• India Chem 2022 will showcase the Government’s policy for sustainable growth in the sector
and provide a platform for national and international players to interact, exchange knowledge
and forge alliances.
• The event will also highlight the investment opportunities, especially in Petroleum, Chemical,
and Petrochemical Investment Regions, and focus on the “Make in India” initiative for making
the country Atmanirbhar in the sector.

The Supreme Court has prohibited the use of the two-finger test:
• The Supreme Court reiterated its ban on the "two-finger test" in rape cases, warning that those
who use such tests will be found guilty of misconduct.
• Observing that the test was based on a patriarchal mindset that assumed sexually active women
could not be raped, the bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli expressed regret
that such an examination method was still being used today.
• This court has repeatedly condemned the use of the two-finger test in rape and sexual assault
cases.
• The ostensible test has no scientific foundation.
• It, on the other hand, re-victimizes and re-traumatises women.
• The two-finger test should not be performed.
• The test is flawed because it assumes that a sexually active woman cannot be raped.
• This could not be further from the truth.
Ranjangaon Electronics Manufacturing Cluster has been approved by the government:
• Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology,
announced the establishment of an Electronics Manufacturing Cluster in the Maharashtra town
of Ranjangaon.
• The Electronics Manufacturing Clusters will cost 500 crores to build.
• Electronics Manufacturing Clusters are expected to create thousands of jobs and attract over
2,000 crores in investment in the coming years.
• Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced the approval of Electronics Manufacturing
Clusters to transform Maharashtra into an electronics hub.
• This project will receive up to 500 crores in government funding.
• The Electronics Manufacturing Clusters project has joined Tamil Nadu, Noida, and Karnataka in
vying to become a powerful electronic hub.
• The government will invest 207.98 crores in the development of Ranjangaon's Electronics
Manufacturing Clusters.
• The total cost of developing the EMC is expected to be $492.85.

• The Central Government will contribute 207.98 crores, with the rest coming from the
Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), the Maharashtra Government's State
Industrial Agency.
Income Tax Department's HARIT Aaykar Initiative to Promote Greenery and Establish Micro forests:
• The Income Tax Department took part in the Special Campaign for Swachhata, a month-long
initiative of the Indian government that runs until October 31st, 2022.
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born on this day (October 31), which is also known as National
Unity Day.
• To increase the amount of vegetation and establish micro forests, it was introduced on National
Unity Day.
• The Income Tax Department commits to increasing the amount of greenery around its offices
and other public locations by planting trees and establishing micro-forests as part of this effort.
• The tree density and biodiversity are maximized in a micro-forest, which is a small, planted
forest.
• Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist, developed the Miyawaki method in the 1980s as a way to
grow a micro forest on little pieces of land.

UGC suggested celebrating "Bharatiya Bhasha Diwas" on December 11:
• On the occasion of the poet Subramania Bharati's birth anniversary, the committee has
suggested that December 11 be observed as "Bharatiya Bhasha Diwas" or "Bharatiya Bhasha
Utsav."
• After a committee set up by the education ministry last year to promote Indian languages made
suggestions, the University Grants Commission wrote to vice-chancellors and principals of all
universities and colleges in this respect.
• To promote "linguistic harmony" and foster an environment that is favorable to learning Indian
languages, all higher education institutions in India must observe a "Bharatiya Bhasha Divas" on
December 11 every year.
• Bharati pioneered modern Tamil poetry and wrote songs to inspire patriotism during the
Independence movement.
• The commission also provided universities and colleges with a concept note of the proposal,
outlining how they will commemorate the day by holding contests, games, exhibitions, and other
events.
• Indian languages have been promoted by the national government.
• It will soon open 22 bhasha kendras (language centers) to promote Indian languages, which are
protected by the Constitution's eighth schedule.

About University Grants Commission:
• Chairperson: D. P. Singh
• Founded: 1956
The Collins Dictionary's Word of the Year is "permacrisis”:
• The Collins Dictionary has selected the word "permacrisis" as its word of the year.
• The phrase refers to a protracted time of unpredictability and uncertainty.
• According to Collins Learning CEO Alex Beecroft, "Permacrisis encapsulates precisely how bad
2022 has been for so many individuals."
• The word "permacrisis," which Collins defines as "an extended era of instability and insecurity,"
refers to a time when turmoil is constant.
• Collins decided on permacrisis as the word of the year because it "sums up rather simply how
dreadful 2022 has been for so many people
• It comes in first place in Collins' yearly list of the top 10 new or noteworthy words, which is
compiled from its 18 billion word database as well as other sources like social media.
• One of the six new terms on the list that CollinsDictionary.com has introduced is "permacrisis."
• Specifically, permacrisis was The term "permacrisis" was chosen as Britain's word of the year in
acknowledgment of a terrible 2022, topping competition from the likes of "Kyiv," "sports
washing," and "partygate."

The first company in India to receive ResponsibleSteel certification is Tata Steel Jamshedpur:
• Three of Tata Steel's production sites in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, have achieved
ResponsibleSteel accreditation.
• The steelworks, tubes division, and cold rolling mill (Bara) have now obtained accreditation,
joining a select club of other steel-producing facilities worldwide.
• This marks a turning point in Tata Steel's history and advances our sustainability efforts.
• Globally, the steel industry is at a turning point, and we must address the wider effects of how
we make and use steel.
• The other sustainability objectives in the standard, such as effective water management,
establishing a safe and healthy workplace, protecting labor rights, and interacting with local
communities and other stakeholders, must also be fully upheld by certified sites.
• This is a significant accomplishment for Tata Steel and all those involved.
About Tata Steel
• CEO: T. V. Narendran;
• Founded: 25 August 1907, Jamshedpur.

The largest ever coal mine auction of 141 mines is launched by the finance minister:
• The largest-ever coal mine auction, consisting of 141 mines, was started by Union Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• It is anticipated to directly benefit twelve states.
• A fast-growing economy like India needs more investment in coal production and gasification
projects.
• The mines up for auction are located in the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and
Bihar, all of which are producers of coal and lignite.
• India is the second-largest importer of dry fuel despite being the fourth-largest producer in the
world.
• Therefore, several reforms have been made to encourage commercial coal mining in India to
create an "Atma Nirbhar Bharat".
• Commercial coal mining is permitted, with 50 blocks being made available to the private sector.
• Entry requirements will be relaxed as a result of the elimination of the rule requiring "washed"
coal for power plants.

• Instead of being a fixed cost, coal blocks would be made available to private businesses on a
revenue-sharing basis.
• The income share will be reduced as an incentive for coal gasification or liquefaction.
• Rights to extract coal bed methane (CBM) from coal mines owned by Coal India will be put up
for auction.
PM has launched the "Invest Karnataka 2022" Global Investors Meeting:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi delivered a video address at the Global Investors Meet,
Invest Karnataka's inaugural event.
• The meeting's objectives are to draw potential investors and outline the development agenda for
the following ten years.
• More than 80 speaker sessions will take place throughout the three days of the conference,
which will be hosted in Bengaluru.
• The speakers include well-known business figures including Vikram Kirloskar, Sajjan Jindal, and
Kumar Mangalam Birla.
• Additionally, several business shows with over 300 exhibitors as well as national sessions would
take place concurrently.
• The phrase "Invest Karnataka" is likely to get everyone's attention.
• Due to Karnataka's rich environment, international investment is flocking here.
• This will lay a solid basis for Karnataka's growth during the following five years.
• The partner nations of France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Japan, and Australia
would each host a country session, inviting high-level ministerial and business delegations from
their respective nations.

Mangarh Dham was designated a national monument by PM:
• Mangarh Dham in Rajasthan's Banswara District has been designated as a National Monument
by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• India's past, present, and future are incomplete without the tribal community.
• Mangarh Dham is a symbol of tribal perseverance and sacrifice, and it is the shared legacy of
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.
• At the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid respect to Bhil freedom fighter Shri Govind
Guru.
• Manghar is particularly significant to the Bhil Community and other tribes in Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh, and Gujarat.
• Freedom fighters like Shri Govind Guru represented India's traditions and principles.
• He lost his family and his life while battling for his tribe's freedom.
• The slaughter in Mangarh occurred on November 17, 1913, according to the Prime Minister.
About Mangarh
• During the liberation movement, the Bhil people and other tribes were also engaged in a long-
standing standoff with British authority.
• On November 17, 1913, 1.5 lakh Bhil participated in a rally against the British, during which
Britishers opened fire on the crowd.
• The massacre resulted in the deaths of 1500 tribe members.

The National Natural Farming Mission Meeting is presided over by the Union Minister of Agriculture:
• The first meeting of the National Natural Farming Mission committee was presided over by
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar at Krishi Bhawan.
• The NMNF portal was introduced by Shri Narendra Singh Tomar.
• The advancement of natural farming in India would be made possible with everyone's
collaboration.
• The officers were instructed by the Union Agriculture Minister to work with the State
administration and central agencies to promote market linkage so that farmers could readily sell
their goods.
• Surya Pratap Shahi, the minister of agriculture for the state of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Giriraj Singh,
the secretary of agriculture for the union, Shri Manoj Ahuja, and senior officers from other
ministries all attended the meeting.
• The Union Agriculture Minister has introduced the National Natural Farming Mission.
• The portal has all the necessary details about the mission, the implementation plan, the
resources, the progress of the implementation, the farmer registration, the blog, etc.
• The gateway would be for the farmers' welfare and advantage.

• In the initial phase, the ministry of Jal Shakti identified 75 Sahakar Ganga Villages by signing an
MOU with Sahakar Bharti, and training was provided to the farmers.
The River Festival, Ganga Utsav 2022, will be held on November 4th:
• The Ministry of Jal Shakti will hold two different sessions of Ganga Utsav- The River Festivals
2022 on November 4th, 2022 at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi.
• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the Department of Water Resources, River
Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation, and the Ministry of Jal Shakti are working together to
arrange the Ganga Utsav- The River Festivals 2022.
• With the active and inspired engagement of numerous stakeholders, NMGC will make Ganga
Utsav- The River Festivals 2022 more vibrant.
• One of the main goals of Ganga Utsav 2022 is to celebrate rivers and raise awareness about the
importance of river rejuvenation throughout India's river basins.
• The River Festivals 2022, Ganga Utsav, will feature a mix of art, culture, music, knowledge,
poetry, dialogue, and storytelling.
• Dr. G. Padmaja, Padma Shri, Sh. Banerjee, Ms. Megha Nair, and Sh. Bimal Jain will be honored
during the ceremony, which will be placed in New Delhi.

CMIE: The unemployment rate increased from 6.43% in September to 7.77% in October
• According to the CMIE figures, the unemployment rate increased to 7.77% in October from a
four-year low of 6.43% in September.
• According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India's unemployment rate
increased in October as a result of a substantial rise in rural unemployment during the Kharif
harvest season.
• The rate of unemployment increased significantly last month as a result of the sharp rise in rural
unemployment, reversing the reduction seen in September.
• The unemployment rate in rural areas increased to 8.04% from 5.84% in September, while the
rate in urban areas decreased to 7.21% from 7.7% in September.
• Harvest time for Kharif crops, which are planted at the start of the monsoon season, is between
September and the first half of October.
Panchayati Raj's Rural Development Agenda Booklet was unveiled by Giriraj Singh:
• Mr. Giriraj Singh, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj launched the
booklet 'Agenda for Members of Panchayati Raj Institutions for Rural Development.'
• The pamphlet "Agenda for Members of Panchayati Raj Institutions for Rural Development" will
include information on all schemes like as MGNREGA, Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojna- National
Rural Livelihood Mission, PM Awas Yojna- Grameen, PM Gram Sadak Yojna, and others.
• The book 'Agenda for Members of Panchayati Raj Institutions for Rural Development will soon
be available in regional languages.
• The pamphlet, according to the Minister, will be available at each Gram Panchayat in the
country.
• The book can serve as the foundation for an informed conversation among Gram Panchayat
members about the various programs of the Ministry of Rural Development.
• This book will assist everyone, especially Gram Panchayat members, in understanding the
programs and their eligibility, thereby increasing transparency and public engagement.
Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas will be observed by the Ministry of Education:
• The Ministry of Education declared that this year, India will commemorate 'Janjatiya Gaurav
Diwas' in schools and higher education institutes on November 15, 2022.
• The Janjatiya Gaurav Divas was a name granted by the Union Cabinet of the Government of
India on 15 November 2021 to recognize the role of tribal freedom fighters as part of the year-
long celebration of India's 75th anniversary of independence.
• The government designated November 15 as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas,' honouring the memories
of valiant tribal independence fighters.
• The project was launched by Union Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship
Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
• Birsa Munda, who is regarded as Bhagwan by tribal groups across the country, was born on
November 15th.
• Birsa Munda was a historic freedom warrior, social reformer, and beloved tribal leader of the
country who fought heroically against the British colonial government's exploitative system.
UIDAI has launched a new chatbot named 'Aadhaar Mitra.'
• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) introduced the brand-new AI/ML chatbot
Aadhaar Mitra to help citizens use the services.
• The chatbot supports both Hindi and English.
• It also provides the option of seeing related videos on various themes to help viewers learn.
Aadhaar Mitra's features include the ability to monitor the status of Aadhaar PVC cards and
confirm Aadhaar enrollment/update status.
• Locals can utilize the bot to file complaints and follow up on them.
• The organization is dedicated to improving its grievance redressal procedure while also giving
convenience.
• UIDAI is gradually implementing a cutting-edge and futuristic open-source CRM solution.
• A new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system with cutting-edge features has been
developed to increase residents' access to UIDAI services.
About UIDAI Chatbot:
• The UIDAI Chatbot is a chat platform that provides quick, automated answers about Aadhaar
and associated features.
• It is accessible through the front page of the UIDAI website as well as the resident portal.
• By clicking on the blue "Ask Aadhaar" icon, users can initiate a conversation with the chatbot.
The 15th Urban Mobility India Conference is now taking place in Kochi:
• The 15th edition of Kerala's Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference, held in Kochi, has come to
an end.
• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, State Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal
Kishore, and State Transport Minister Antony Raju are among those attending the farewell
celebration.
• During the ceremony, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Minister of Housing and Urban
Affairs Kaushal Kishore will give the Awards for Excellence in Urban Transport.
• Senior officials from the federal and state governments, decision-makers, managing directors of
metro rail companies, chief executives of transportation corporations, and overseas experts will
attend the conference.
• The meeting's major focus will be "Azadi @ 75 - Sustainable Aatmanirbhar Urban Mobility."
The Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of the EWS quota in a 3:2 decision:
• The Supreme Court (SC) affirmed the 10% reservation for economically disadvantaged people
(EWS) among advanced castes in government employment and colleges across India.
• The decision was delivered by a Bench that included Chief Justice of India (CJI) U U Lalit and
Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, S Ravindra Bhat, Bela M Trivedi, and J B Pardiwala.
• Dissenting judgments were issued by Justice Ravindra Bhat and Chief Justice of India Lalit.
• Justice Maheshwari read out the verdict, saying that the 103rd constitutional amendment for the
EWS quota was legitimate and did not contradict the core structure of the Constitution.
• Reservation, he explained, is an affirmative action tool used to assure an all-inclusive march
toward the aims of an equal society.
India's G20 presidency website, logo, and theme are unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
• India's logo, theme, and website for the G20 presidency have been presented by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, and they represent the nation's message and overriding priorities to the rest of
the globe.
• The planet is perched atop a lotus in the G20 logo, which was designed using India's national
flag's four colours.
• The logo's seven petals represent the seven seas and the confluence of the seven continents
during the G20 India 2023 summit.
• The theme of the G20 India 2023 is "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: One Earth, One Family, One
Future," which is derived from how the earth symbolizes India's pro-planet philosophy of life.
• Next month, India will assume the presidency of the G20, marking a "major stride" in the
development of the nation's foreign policy and the prime minister's goal of "undertaking
leadership roles in the world arena."
• India has a special chance to contribute to the global agenda on urgent issues of international
significance during the G20 leadership.
Kerala will host the 18th International Telemedicine Conference (TELEMEDICON 2022):
• The 18th International Telemedicine Conference is being hosted by the Kerala Chapter of the
Telemedicine Society of India (TSI) and Amrita Hospital in Kochi.
• Mr. S. Somnath, chairman of ISRO, Mr. Mohanan Kunnummal, vice chancellor of the Kerala
University of Health Science, and Dr. Rethan Kelkar, secretary of information technology for
Kerala, presented awards during the inaugural ceremony.
• The event's chief guest was Mr. S. Somnath, the ISRO Chairman.
• The primary focus of Telemedicon 2022 is "Strengthening Health Systems Through Sustainable
Telemedicine and Digital Health."
• It seeks to provide platforms for service providers, foreign specialists, financing agencies for
healthcare, and healthcare regulators.
• The scientific seminars on subjects including Telehealth tourism, AI-based Telehealth systems,
and Space Telemedicine Programs are among the event's highlights.
• The occasion will also feature seminars on the legal aspects of telemedicine, moderated by
Justice Devan Ramachandran.
Dehradun hosts the commencement of the 42nd International Congress of the INCA:
• The 42nd International Congress of the Indian National Cartographic Association (INCA) was
opened in Dehradun by Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.), the governor of Uttarakhand.
• The National Hydrographic Office is hosting the 42nd International Congress in Dehradun,
Uttarakhand, on November 9–11, 2022.
• Digital Cartography to Harness Blue Economy is the theme of the 42nd International Congress
of the Indian National Cartographic Association.
• The cause of cartography as a visual form of communication is one that INCA is committed to.
• It includes numerous illustrious academics, professionals, and businesspeople among its
Honorary Fellows, Life Fellows, Members, Associate Members, and Student Members.
• Practicing cartographers from various organizations and universities make up the majority of its
members.
The First National Life Science Data Repository in India is Unveiled by the Center:
• The Minister of Science and Technology, Shri Jitendra Singh, presented India's first National
Repository for Life Science Data.
• India's publically financed research produced the data for the National Repository for Life
Sciences. It was unveiled in Faridabad, Haryana.
• An "Indian Biological Data Centre" (IBDC) was created at the Regional Biotechnology Center.
• The "Brahm" High-Performance Computing facility is located there, and it has a storage capacity
of four petabytes.
• Science data was formerly held in data repositories in Europe and the US until the National
Repository for Life Science Data was announced.
• Researchers interested in doing computationally intensive analysis can now access the IBDC's
computing infrastructure.
• Moreover, IBDC has begun offering nucleotide data submission services through two data
portals, including
• The Center also provided an online "Dashboard" for the INSACOG labs' genomic monitoring
data.
• These INSACOG laboratories offer specialized data submission, access, data analysis services,
and nationwide real-time SARS-CoV-2 variant monitoring.

The Atal New India Challenge program was started by Atal Innovation Mission:
• Under phase II of the second edition of the Atal New India Challenge, the Atal Innovation
Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, has issued challenges focused on women (ANIC).
• Through a grant-based mechanism of up to INR 1 crore, ANIC is an initiative of AIM, NITI Aayog
that seeks out, selects, supports, and nurtures technology-based innovations that address
sectoral challenges of national importance and societal relevance.
• The major concerns that women from all walks of life encounter are addressed by ANIC's
Woman-Centric Challenges.
• These include advancing women's hygiene through innovation, enhancing women's safety
through innovation, providing professional networking opportunities for women, improving the
lives of working mothers through innovation, and improving the quality of life for rural women.
• ANIC created these challenges to address the major problems experienced by women from all
walks of life.
South India's first "Vande Bharat" train was launched by PM Modi:
• At Bengaluru's Krantiveera Sangolli Railway station, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
signalled the departure of the first Vande Bharat Express Train on the Mysuru-Chennai route.
• The "Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan" train, which is run by the Muzrai Department of Karnataka
by the Railways' "Bharat Gaurav" rail policy, was also flagged off by Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi.
• The first semi-high-speed train in India is the fifth Vande Bharat Express Train.
• The Vande Bharat Express Train is exceptional in terms of speed and other cutting-edge
amenities, which will assist shorten travel times and provide passengers with a novel
experience.
• The Vande Bharat Express Train is marketed as an improved version of the trains that the Indian
Railways independently created.
• The 108-foot-tall bronze statue of the city's founder, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, known as the
"Statue of Prosperity," will also be unveiled by PM Modi.

The UMEED Program is Changing the Future of Rural Women in J&K:
• The Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission's (JKRLM) UMEED Scheme supports rural
women's aspirations in the Union Territory to achieve economic independence.
• The Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission seeks to end poverty in Jammu and
Kashmir by creating effective grass-roots institutions for the underprivileged, involving them in
interventions that promote gainful livelihoods and assuring a discernible increase in their income.
• In Jammu and Kashmir, UMEED supports hundreds of women in their efforts to escape poverty
and succeed as business owners.
• UMEED has been a huge aid to female entrepreneurs as they exhibit and advertise their goods.
• The Jammu Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) is accelerating J&K women's
transformation into progressive, independent businesswomen.
• A centrally funded initiative to promote women's independence and self-sufficiency is the
UMEED program under the JKRLM.
• Additionally, it encourages women to start small savings plans to eventually make their self-help
groups (SHGs) bankable at lower interest rates.
Launch of a nationwide campaign for the Digital Life Certificate:
• A nationwide campaign has been launched by the Department of Pension & Pensioners'
Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension, Government of India, to promote
digital life certificates for Central Government Pensioners.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State, introduced the Face Authentication Technique for
submitting a Life Certificate through any Android Mobile Phone in 2021.
• The department is launching a unique, national advertising campaign to promote the life
certificate in digital format this year.
• The promotion of the Digital Life Certificate has been ordered by all of the registered Pensioners
Associations, Pension Disbursing Banks, Ministries of the Indian government, and CGHS
Wellness Centers.
• A central government team will visit the campaign.
• Section officers Deborah Umesh, Andrew Zomawai Karthak, and Tanya Rajput will serve as the
team's leaders.
• All pensioners are welcome to come to the center to submit their life certificates electronically.
Cochin Shipyard to build India’s first hydrogen fuel cell catamaran vessel in Varanasi
● A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was inked between the Inland Waterways Authority of
India (IWAI) and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) to build India’s first hydrogen fuel cell
catamaran vessel for operation in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh and electric hybrid vessels for UP
and Assam.
Key Highlights :
● The air-conditioned hydrogen fuel cell catamaran vessel will have a seating capacity for 100
passengers.
● The vessel will be deployed at Varanasi after test and trial runs in Kochi.
● It will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 250 MT annually.
● The design and development of the vessel will be undertaken by CSL in collaboration with M/s
KPIT, Pune.
● The technology can be adopted for greening of cargo vessels and small country crafts, enabling
significant reduction in pollution levels in the national waterways.
● The introduction of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell passenger catamaran vessels in Kashi will
pave the way for a reduction in the usage of fossil fuels and thereby reduce emissions in our
national waterways.
● CSL has also signed an MoU for the construction of 6 electric catamaran vessels for Uttar
Pradesh and another 2 for Guwahati in Assam.
About CSL :
● Founded : 29 April 1972
● Headquarters : Kochi, Kerala, India
● Chairman & MD : Madhu S. Nair
About IWAI :
● Established : 27 October 1986
● Headquarters : Noida, Uttar Pradesh
● Chairman : Sanjay Bandopadhyay
Govt to launch world's longest river cruise of 4,000 km from Varanasi
● The Union government and the Uttar Pradesh state government is set to launch the world’s
longest luxury river cruise between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Assam’s Dibrugarh in Jan
2023 in a bid to provide impetus to inland waterways development in India.
Key Highlights :
● The Varanasi-Dibrugarh cruise is expected to be run on a public-private partnership (PPP)
model.
● The 50-day cruise will set sail from Varanasi on 10 January and cover 4,000 km, passing
through Kolkata and Dhaka before reaching Bogibeel in Dibrugarh district of Assam on 1 March.
● Ganga Vilas cruise will sail from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in a longest river journey of 50 days
covering 27 river systems and visit over 50 tourist sites including World Heritage Sites.
● This will be the single largest river journey by a single river ship in the world and would put both
India and Bangladesh on the river cruise map of the world
● The cruise is the first set of cruise liners that will run on a PPP model with the memorandum of
understanding signed between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Antara
Luxury River Cruises and JM Baxi River Cruises.
Aquaconnect becomes first Indian fisheries start-up gets ISO 27001 certification
● Aquaconnect, a technology-driven full-stack aquaculture inputs and outputs platform with
embedded fintech, supported by a physical & digital (phygital) distribution network, has received
the ISO 27001 certification for information security management (ISM).
● The certification comes on the back of an ISMS (Information Security Management System)
implementation which makes Aquaconnect the first Indian fisheries startup to earn this
recognition.
Key Highlights :
● Aquaconnect has implemented an Information Security Management System (ISMS) and
achieved conformity with the requirements for the platform development, operations, security,
and delivery of various services to aquaculture stakeholders across the globe.
● ISO/IEC 27001 is the leading international standard focused on information security
● ISO 27001 certification is a significant step towards reassuring farmers, aqua partners, buyers,
and financial institution partners that Aquaconnect takes information security management
seriously.
About Aquaconnect :
● Founded : 2017
● Headquarters : Chennai, Tamil Nadu
● Aquaconnect has also been recognized as the 'Best Agri Startup in Application of Digital
Technologies 2021’& the ‘Most Innovative AgTech Start-up (Mature Stage) 2022’ by FICCI.
● It uses satellite remote sensing andartificial intelligenceto enable aquaculture farmers, retailers,
and seafood buyers to increase access to formal credit, farm inputs and post-harvest markets.
Jaipur International Airport receives an Aerodrome license from DGCA
● Jaipur International Airport Limited has received the Aerodrome license from the Directorate
General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) following which the airport has embarked on an expansion
drive.
● Earlier, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) was the license holder.
● Now the private player, which is operating the Jaipur airport since October 2021, has become
the new license holder.
● The license is given to an airport operator for ensuring complete management of the airport by
the concession agreement.
Key Highlights :
● The airport management has conducted an extensive survey at Jaipur airport which revealed
that present passenger traffic of 50 lakh per annum will reach 1 crore by 2025.
● The management is now planning to reopen the Terminal- 1 which has been non-operational for
the last 10 years.
● Terminal- 1 will be developed on the lines of the presently operational Terminal-2.
● Massive IT-related infrastructure, food and beverage services, and retail outlets, measures for
zero carbon emission and environment sustainability, and security arrangements will be in place
on the lines of T-2
● As per the environment guidelines, the Jaipur airport is developing a mini-forest near Dudu town
where 4,400 trees will be planted and maintained for 5 years.
● At Terminal-2, the airport management has installed new e- boarding gates, an electronic
helpdesk, 50 retail and branded outlets for customers, automated parking and transport
mechanisms where private cab operators like WTI, Ola and Uber have been given a place to
operate.
About DGCA :
● Director General: Arun Kumar
● The DGCA is a statutory body of the Government of India to regulate civil aviation in India.
● It became a statutory body under the Aircraft (Amendment) Act, of 2020.
India Hydrogen Alliance & Kerala govt to build Kochi Green Hydrogen Hub in Kochi
● The India Hydrogen Alliance (IH2A) and the Government of Kerala have jointly evaluated a
proposal for building the Kochi Green Hydrogen (KGH2) Hub, a large-scale green hydrogen hub
with multiple use cases, to the Government of Kerala.
● The proposal envisages a potential capital expenditure of USD 575 mn to build a 60-tonnes per
day (TPD) green hydrogen plant with a 150 MW Electrolyser, Storage and Infrastructure, which
could achieve giga-watt scale and build the hydrogen economy in Kerala.
About Kochi Green Hydrogen (KGH2) Hub :
● IH2A’s KGH2 Hub plan is modelled after the Hydrogen Valley projects in the EU, to create
production, storage, transmission and end-use infrastructure for green hydrogen (in compressed
gas and liquid form) within a 50-km radius cluster in Kochi.
● The plan focuses on the transport use case in the first phase, aligning with the state
government’s plans for zero-emission transport, to power Hydrogen-ICE retrofitted bus fleets of
60 buses and build the required infrastructure.
● In the second phase, industrial demand for green hydrogen from refineries, fertilizer and
chemical plants is expected to drive capacity expansion and scale up the KGH2 hub
● IH2A has also proposed a two-tier KGH2 governance structure, with a public-private advisory
group working with project consortia structures or special purpose vehicles (SPVs), to implement
the proposed plan.
● IH2A will continue to advise the Government of Kerala on hydrogen commercialization and
project development in the state.
● In July2022 IH2A proposed a roadmap for the creation of 25 national green hydrogen projects
and five hydrogen hubsin the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra
Pradesh by 2025.
About Kerala :
● Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
● Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
● Wildlife Sanctuaries: Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Periyar Wildlife
● National Park: Eravikulam National Park, Silent Valley National Park
● Dance: Kathakali, Mohiniattam, ChakyarKoothu
National Commission for Women (NCW) launches the fourth phase of the Digital Shakti Campaign
• The fourth phase of the National Commission for Women's (NCW) Digital Shakti Campaign to
empower and educate girls and women online has begun.
• The goal of Digital Shakti 4.0 is to empower women with the digital skills and knowledge they
need to confront any inappropriate or illegal online behaviour.
• Together with Meta and the CyberPeace Foundation, NCW started the campaign.
• This new stage will prove to be significant in establishing safe online environments for women.
• By teaching them how to utilise technology effectively and to stay safe online, Digital Shakti has
increased the engagement of women and girls online.
• In order to help women across the country increase their level of understanding about the digital
world, develop resilience, and combat cybercrime in the most efficient methods, Digital Shakti
was started in June 2018.
• Through this project, nearly 3 Lakh women in India have learned how to stay safe online, how to
report and address issues, how to protect their personal information, and how to use technology
to their advantage.
About National Commission for Women:
• The National Commission for Women (NCW) is the statutory body of the Government of India,
generally concerned with advising the government on all policy matters affecting women.
4th Edition of Indian Chemicals Council Sustainability Conclave inaugurated in New Delhi
• Arun Baroka, the secretary for chemicals and petrochemicals, officially inaugurated the fourth
edition of theIndian Chemicals Council Sustainability Conclave in New Delhi.
• "Boardrooms to Community-ESG, Carbon Neutrality, Operational Safety, Greener Solutions" is
the theme of the two-day conference.
• The Conclave seeks to advance sustainability in the management of chemicals throughout their
full life cycle.
• With the assistance of the Ministries of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Environment, Forestry,
and Climate Change, it is being organised in collaboration with the United Nations Environment
Program and the International Council of Chemical Associations.
India Becomes the World’s Second Largest Producer of Steel:
• India has replaced Japan to become the world's second-largest producer of crude steel.
• China now produces the most steel, making up 57% of global production.
• The Government of India has announced the National Steel Policy 2017, the Policy for Giving
Preference to Domestically Manufactured Iron and Steel (DMI & SP) in the Case of State
Procurement to support the Domestic Steel Industry.
• These regulations have contributed to the improvement of domestic steel production and
consumption.
• Additionally, the government has issued quality control orders that forbid the production and
importation of steel that is too cheap or of poor quality.
• India has also liberalized the coal mining industry, which will be extremely advantageous to the
steel industry.
Rank Country Qty (mt) Rank Country Qty (mt)
2018 2019
1 China 920 1 China 996.3
2 India 109.3 2 India 111.2
3 Japan 104.3 3 Japan 99.3
4 USA 86.6 4 USA 87.9
5 South 72.5 5 Russia 71.6
Korea
National Anti-Profiteering Authority will be abolished by the Indian government:
• The National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) is poised to merge with the Competition
Commission of India (CCI) as the GST's anti-profiteering watchdog.
• Under CCI, the NAA's investigation division will continue to operate in some capacity.
• The official claimed that because CCI can handle issues on its own, the change will result in
fewer regulators.
• After NAA's term is up, it is intended to transfer cases to CCI.

• The NAA's responsibility is to ensure that the customer receives the benefit of the tax rate
reduction right away.
• Because the GST council has been changing the rates over the past five years, NAA has played
this duty primarily.
• When rates rise, NAA doesn't do much.
• Under section 171 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act of 2017, the National Anti-
Profiteering Authority (NAA) was created.
• The NAA was established to keep track of and supervise whether the receiver is receiving the
benefit or decrease in input tax credit through a proper decrease in pricing.
The first Greenfield Airport Donyi Polo Airport in Arunachal Pradesh will be opened by PM:
• Donyi Polo Airport in Itanagar, the first greenfield airport in Arunachal Pradesh, was opened by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• He also dedicated the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station to the country and 16 airports will
now serve Northeast India.
• The airport's name honours the state's ancient indigenous veneration for the Sun (known as
"Donyi") and the Moon (known as "Polo") as well as the traditions and rich cultural legacy of
Arunachal Pradesh.
• The airport's 2300 m runway is ideally suited for daytime operations in all conditions.
• The Donyi Polo airport would bring the overall number of airports in the Northeast to 16 after
becoming Arunachal Pradesh's third operational airport and the first in the state's capital city
Itanagar.
• Currently, Arunachal Pradesh has two airports—one in Pasighat and one in Tezu.
• In the meantime, PM Modi will dedicate the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station to the
country at the launch event.
• The project, which involved developing the power station at a cost of more than Rs 8,450 crore,
intends to make Arunachal Pradesh a state with a surplus of electricity.
"Homer" was named the 2022 Word of the Year by Cambridge Dictionary:
• "Homer" has been named the Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year for 2022, and it was said
to be influenced by the Wordle, a Wordle-like word game that has become immensely popular
worldwide.
• When "homer" was a possible response in the word game Wordle, it was searched almost
75,000 times during the first week of May 2022.
• "Homer" is a colloquial American English term for a baseball "home run" in the context of the
game.
• It does not refer to the Greek poet and novelist or a Simpsons character.
• The "Wordle effect" also caused additional five-letter terms to rise in search volume in 2022,
according to Cambridge Dictionary.
• The second-highest jump in 2022 was produced by the American spelling of "funny," which was
followed by the third-, fourth-, and fifth-placed spellings of "caulk," "tacit," and "bayou."
• According to Cambridge, the well-known game "Wordle" had an impact on the choice of this
word.
India Unveils Official Website with SCO 2023 Theme:
• India has inaugurated the official website of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
since it will hold the organization's next summit in 2023 as chairman.
• The website emphasizes the events that will take place during India's presidency next year.
• The event's theme is "For a SECURE SCO."
• SECURE was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2018 Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China.
• The Prime Minister defined the SECURE idea as 'S' for citizen security, 'E' for economic
development, 'C' for regional connectivity, 'U' for unity, 'R' for respect of sovereignty and
integrity, and 'E' for environmental protection.
• In Samarkand, Uzbekistan, India assumed the rotating chair of the SCO.
• India will preside over the grouping for a year, till September 2023.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated India on hosting the next year’s 23rd edition of
the summit.
• In addition to Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated India on inheriting the

chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2023.
• "We will support India's presidency next year," Jinping declared at the SCO Summit in
Uzbekistan.
• Notably, India will take over the SCO's rotating annual chairmanship, which is currently held by
Uzbekistan.
Government to Establish 100 Academies to Encourage Archery Among Tribal Children:
• According to Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda, the government has established 100
archery academies across the nation to foster talent in tribal youth by developing their archery
abilities.
• According to Mr. Munda, his Ministry is always working to improve healthcare and educational
services while concentrating on creating jobs in tribal communities.
• He disclosed that the government is establishing the Eklavya Model Residential School and
carrying out the Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojna, which aims to close gaps and provide
essential infrastructure in villages with sizable tribal populations.
• The story of the world-class archer from Ram Chatti, a village close to Ranchi in Jharkhand, is
truly amazing.
• He has made three Olympic appearances and has won a string of medals at World Cups, Asian
Championships, the Commonwealth Games, the World Championships, and the Asian Games.
First Northeast Regional Center for Unani Medicine Opens in Assam:
• In the Assamese town of Silchar, the first Unani medical institute in Northeast India opened its
doors.
• Sarbananda Sonowal, the union minister for Ayush, officially opened the Unani medical institute
in Silchar, Assam.
• The new structure, which took 48 crore rupees to construct, covers 3.5 acres.
• The complex was created by the National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC), a
business owned by the Indian government.
• It was given to the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), a separate entity
within the Indian government's Ministry of Ayush.

• According to Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways and
Ayush, "Ayush system of medicine has reinvigorated its acceptability among people once again
after the proven results have benefited lakhs of people during the pandemic."
• Unani medicine, also known as Unani Tibb, Arabian medicine, or Islamic medicine, is a
conventional medical system practised in South Asia.
• All disorders affecting the body's systems and organs are treated by the Unani system of
medicine.
MoS for Education Subhash Sarkar awards the National Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar for 2021–2022:
• The Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar has been given to 39 schools from all around the nation for the
academic year 2021–2022.
• The National Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2021–22 was awarded in New Delhi by the Minister of
State for Education Dr. Subhash Sarkar.
• Out of the 8.23 lakh entries, 28 government and aided institutions and 11 private schools were
chosen.
• The national selection committee chose 39 schools in total, including 34 in the main category
and 5 in the subcategories, for the national prize.
• Each school will receive an incentive of Rs 60,000.
• Additionally, each school will get a certificate of participation with category-specific scores and
the school's overall rating.
• The Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar was created by the Ministry of Education to honour, encourage,
and celebrate outstanding sanitation and hygiene practices in educational institutions.
• The SVP is intended to recognize educational institutions that have made noteworthy
contributions to achieving the goals of the Swachh Vidyalaya Campaign.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar attends the FIFA world cup inauguration in Qatar:
• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar attended the inauguration of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar
alongside the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and other dignitaries.
• Dhankhar is in Doha for two days to represent India at the opening of FIFA's flagship event.
• During his visit, the Vice President will meet with members of the Indian community as well as
attend the Football World Cup's opening ceremony.
• The opening ceremony will take place on November 20, 2022, at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt
Stadium in Al Khor, right before the first match between host Qatar and Ecuador.
• The Vice President's visit would be an occasion for him to join a close and friendly country,
Qatar, while it stages a major athletic tournament, as well as to recognize the role and support
offered by Indians in this World Cup.
About Qatar
• Capital: Doha
• Currency: Riyal
Shri Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the "53-Hour Challenge”:
• Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs
and Sports, launched the '53 Hours Challenge' for '75 Creative Minds Tomorrow.'
• This is the second edition of 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow, and we have already created a
community of 150 strong individuals united by their mutual passion for cinema, creativity, and
culture.
• The winners of the '75 Creative Minds for Tomorrow' competition will be challenged to create a
short film on their notion of India@100 in 53 hours.
• This is accomplished by the National Film Development Corporation (NDFC).
Key Highlights:
• The '53-Hour Challenge,' which was launched today by Union Minister Anurag Thakur, is being
held in conjunction with the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
• The 75 'Creative Minds' will be challenged to create a short film on their notion of India@100 in
53 hours.
• This IFFI 53 part is sponsored by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in
collaboration with Shorts TV.
• Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, and Apurva Chandra,
Secretary, Ministry of I & B, were among the dignitaries in attendance.

About NFDC:
• Founded: 1975, Mumbai
• Owner: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Government of India
SARAS AAJEEVIKA MELA 2022 was inaugurated by Giriraj Singh in New Delhi:
• Shri Giriraj, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj launched the "SARAS
AAJEEVIKA MELA, 2022" at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
• Shri Singh revealed that the Ministry of Rural Development has received over 60,000
applications from three states for start-up initiatives in speciality products and crafts.
Key Highlights:
• According to Shri Singh, StartUp India was established by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in
2015 from the Red Fort's ramparts, and as of now, there are more than 80,000 start-ups, up
from around 400 in 2014.
• In terms of the startup ecosystem, India is ranked third in the world, and there are currently more
than 100 unicorns operating there.
• As the ministry is actively considering the ideas, women who are SHG members will launch their
businesses.
• According to the rural development minister, NRLM has been making many attempts to help
rural SHG women-run companies that are involved in making food goods, handicrafts,
handlooms, etc.
• Additionally, States/UTs have made attempts to register SHGs products on e-commerce sites
like Flipkart, Amazon, Meesho, etc...
Sarbananda Sonowal establishes India's first Green Port and Shipping Center of Excellence:
• Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, announced India's first
National Centre of Excellence for Green Port and Shipping (NCoEGPS), a major endeavour by
the Ministry of Ports, Shipping to provide greener solutions.
• The Deendayal Port Authority Kandla, Paradip Port Authority, Thoothukudi, and Cochin
Shipyard Limited, Kochi have all shown their support for the establishment of this centre.
• The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is the project's knowledge and implementation
partner.
• India wants to expand renewable energy's contribution to total power consumption at each of its
main ports to 60% from less than 10% currently.
• This will be accomplished through the use of solar and wind energy.
• By 2030, the ports hope to reduce carbon emissions per ton of cargo handled by 30%.
• PM Modi's Maritime Ambition Document 2030 is a 10-year framework for India's vision of a
sustainable maritime sector and booming blue economy.
• India has been chosen as the first country under the IMO Green Voyage 2050 project to perform
a Green Shipping pilot project.
Government Announces Framework To Stop Fake Reviews On Ecommerce Platforms:
• The Union government recently unveiled a thorough set of regulations that would be voluntary
and take effect on November 25 to protect consumers from fraudulent internet product reviews.
• The BIS [Bureau of Indian Standards] developed the IS 19000:2022 standard for us after
consulting with us and the business community. Public hearings have already been held.
• On November 25th, this will be in effect.
• Every online platform that publishes customer reviews will be subject to the rules outlined in
Indian Standard (IS) 19000:2022 Online Consumer Reviews - Principles and Requirements for
their Collection, Moderation, and Publication.
• On June 10, 2022, the Department of Consumer Affairs established a committee to design a
framework for checking fake and deceptive reviews in e-commerce, taking into account the
impact of false and misleading reviews and protecting the interests of consumers in online
shopping.
• The committee was composed of several interested parties, including law chairs, industry
associations, and e-commerce enterprises.
Startup Applications for Registration on the MAARG Portal Have Been Introduced by DPIIT:
• Startup applications for registration on the MAARG site, the National Mentorship Platform by
Startup India, were made available by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT).
• The application's goal is to catalyze the startup culture and create a robust, inclusive ecosystem
for innovation and entrepreneurship in India, thereby enhancing the startup ecosystem.
• A one-stop platform, the MAARG portal (Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience, and
Growth) enables mentorship for entrepreneurs across various industries, roles, stages,
locations, and backgrounds.
• Three steps, including mentor onboarding, startup onboarding, the launch of the MAARG portal,
and mentor matching, make up the operationalization of the MAARG.
• The onboarding process for businesses in Phase II has started, according to the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, with the final launch where the mentors will be matched to the startups.
In July–September 2022, India's unemployment rate declines to 7.2%:
• According to the National Statistical Office (NSO), the unemployment rate for people aged 15
and over in urban areas decreased from 9.8% in July to September of last year to 7.2% in July–
September of this year.
• According to the National Statistical Office's most recent Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS),
India's urban unemployment rate decreased to 7.2% for the fifth consecutive quarter in the July
to September 2022-23 (FY23) period.
• Since the NSO began conducting India's first computer-based poll in April 2017, the
unemployment rate in current weekly status terms for all ages in the September quarter (second
quarter or Q2) of FY23 has been at its lowest level.
About Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS):
• In April 2017, NSO released PLFS.
• A quarterly bulletin is published based on the PLFS and provides estimates for the following
labour force indicators: the unemployment rate, the worker population ratio (WPR), the labour
force participation rate (LFPR), the distribution of workers by broad status in employment, and
the industry of work in the CWS.
India's government releases its first suicide prevention strategy:
• The National Suicide Prevention Strategy, the first-of-its-kind government initiative to make
suicide prevention a top priority for public health, was unveiled by the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare.
• The government claims that the strategy will lay the groundwork for promoting mental health and
preventing suicides in the ensuing ten years.
• By 2023, the policy hopes to reduce suicide mortality in the nation by 10%.
• The strategy offers a framework for numerous stakeholders to carry out initiatives for the nation's
suicide prevention.
• In the first three years, it aims to create reliable suicide surveillance systems.
• In addition, it aims to create psychiatric outpatient units that will offer suicide prevention services
through the District Mental Health Programme in all districts over the course of the following five
years.
• Thirdly, within the next eight years, it wants to implement a mental health curriculum in every
educational setting.
• The National Suicide Prevention Strategy's fourth goal is to increase program quality by
enhancing suicide surveillance and further evidence creation through evaluation.
Prasar Bharati commemorates its Silver Jubilee, or 25 years:
• Prasar Bharati celebrated its silver jubilee, or 25 years since it was founded.
• It was established as a legally independent body by a Parliamentary Act on this day in 1997.
• It includes All India Radio and Doordarshan. According to Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi,
during the challenges that the nation and the world have faced, Prasar Bharati has steadfastly
stood with the people.
• It was founded in 1997 and is currently India's largest statutory autonomous public broadcasting
organization.
• It was created by a Parliamentary Act and comprises the All India Radio and Doordarshan
Television Network.
• The Prasar Bharati Act, which established the Indian Broadcasting Corporation, was approved
by Parliament in September 1990.
• This act included provisions for the creation of Prasar Bharati, the Broadcasting Corporation of
India.
About Prasar Bharati
• CEO: Gaurav Dwivedi
Railways intend to export Vande Bharat trains by 2025–2026:
• According to a senior official, by 2025 or 2026, the railways hope to become a significant
exporter of Vande Bharat trains to markets in Europe, South America, and East Asia.
• The latest iteration of the domestic trains with sleeper coaches will also be running by the first
quarter of 2024.
• To make 75 Vande Bharat trains export-ready, he added that the railways planned to run 10–12
lakh kilometres on them over the following several years.
• Over the next two to three years, the environment for exporting trains needs to be developed.
• They want to produce 475 Vande Bharat trains over the next three years, and if they are
operationally successful, our product will enjoy confidence in the international markets.
• To give the locally produced semi-high speed trains even more of a boost, the Union Budget for
2023–24 is likely to announce the addition of 300 more Vande Bharat trains.
• In the next five years, the nation will construct 800 trainsets if fiscal support materializes.
• As part of the national government's preparations to commemorate 75 years of independence,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has requested that the Railways create at least 75 Vande Bharat
trains by August 2023 to commence the services connecting 75 important towns.
India Creates Panel to Redesign the Government Job Guarantee Program:
• The Union Rural Development Ministry of India has established a panel to restructure its sole job
guarantee program in the hopes of distributing more work to the nation's poorer regions.
• As India's rural communities recovered from the epidemic amid skyrocketing prices and few non-
farm job possibilities, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, or
MNREGA, was in high demand.

• However, residents of relatively wealthy states would have done better in finding employment
under the important anti-poverty job program, prompting calls for modifications to the program.
• The panel would offer institutional mechanisms, such as governance and administrative
structures, for more efficient use of finances, particularly to alleviate poverty.
• The panel will study spending patterns across several states and pinpoint the causes of
variances in its report, which is anticipated to be submitted by January.
• According to official data, states with lower per-capita incomes—such as Bihar and Odisha—
spend less under the employment program than states with higher per-capita incomes, like
Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan Has Released 'India: The Mother of Democracy'
• In New Delhi, Union Education & Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan
launched the book 'India: The Mother of Democracy,' which was prepared and published by the
Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
• The book is an attempt to highlight the democratic attitude that has been instilled in India since
the birth of civilization.
• This book demonstrates that India has been permeated with democratic ethos since the dawn of
civilization.
• According to the Minister, the foundations of democracy may be traced back to the fourth
century in India.
• Thanjavur's stone inscriptions are a living testament to this.
• Evidence of societal systems in place during the Kalinga and Lichchhavi periods also speaks
volumes about India's democratic DNA.
• In his address to the 76th United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
stated that India is not only the oldest democracy but also the mother of democracy.
Egypt's President has been invited to be the chief guest for Republic Day 2023:
• Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has been invited to be the primary guest for India's
Republic Day in 2023, indicating New Delhi's continued focus on the Arab world as it prepares
for a year of high-profile diplomatic engagements.
• According to the sources, the formal invitation was handed over when External Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar met Sisi in Cairo on October 16 on an official visit to Egypt.
• Egypt is one of nine guest countries invited to the G20 Summit in 2023, which India will preside
over.
• An invitation to be the top guest at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26 is a significant
honour reserved for the country's closest allies and partners.
• There were no chief guests at the celebrations in 2021 and 2022, because of disruptions caused
by the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the final chief guest to attend the 2020
celebrations.
Key Highlights:
• The 68-year-old general-turned-politician will be the first Egyptian leader to be invited by India
for Republic Day celebrations, although the two nations have had strong ties for decades,
particularly as founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961.
• Egypt was dealing with substantial domestic political challenges such as the Arab Spring
protests and a severe economic crisis at a time when India's attention was shifting to the Gulf
countries due to interests such as oil, trade, investments, and the presence of millions of
expatriates.
The 14th edition of Aero India 2023 will be held in Bengaluru from February 13-17, 2023:
• The 14th Aero India will be hosted at the Air Force Station in Yelahanka from February 13-17,
2023, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• Due to Covid, the previous edition of the biennial event was organized in a hybrid model in 2021.
• Asia's premier air show, which was previously conducted over five days, was reduced to three
days.
• The 14th iteration will last five days and will be open to the general public.
• The event will be organized by Bengaluru-based defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL), with exhibitors from all around the world slated to attend.
• Over 500 companies from more than 35 countries participated in the previous edition.
• The Aero India show is a prominent worldwide trade fair that allows the international weapons
industry to showcase their goods, technology, and solutions to Indian military and decision-
makers and engage with India's burgeoning Aerospace and Defense industry.
The Ministry of Rural Development has launched the 'Nai Chetna' Gender Campaign:
• 'Nai Chetna' is a month-long campaign intended to be a 'Jan Andolan,' or people's movement.
• The Ministry of Rural Development initiated the 'Nai Chetna' program, which emphasizes
sensitizing women, particularly in rural regions.
• It aims to help women recognize, prepare for, and accept help in situations of vulnerability.
• According to the Union Minister, the 'Nai Chetna' campaign focuses on women.
• Women in rural communities are sometimes ignorant of the different channels via which they
might voice their concerns.
• The campaign's goal is to raise awareness about gender-based violence and to educate women
about their rights and the mechanisms available to help them resolve their complaints.
• The 'Nai Chetna' campaign was launched on November 25, 2022, the International Day for the
Elimination of Violence Against Women.
• The campaign's goal is to create awareness about the institutional resources available to women
to combat gender-based violence.
KVIC Chairman Manoj Kumar officially launched the RE-HAB project:
• Shri Manoj Kumar, Chairman of KVIC, launched the ambitious Reducing Human Attacks Using
Honey Bees (Re-Hab) Project.
• The Khadi and Village Industries Commission launched the Re-Hab Project (Ministry of Micro,
Small, and Medium Enterprises, Government of India).
• In addition to the honey extractor, Shri Manoj Kumar distributed 330 bee boxes, bee colonies,
and toolkits to rural beneficiaries in Chausla village.
• The Chairman of KVIC stated that the Re-Hab Project is being managed by the Khadi and
Village Industries Commission, which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The Re-Hab Project is currently active in seven states: Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal,
Assam, and Odisha.

• Bee box fencing around elephant movement routes obstructs the travel of wild elephants.
• Elephants can be kept from assaulting humans and destroying farmers' crops by using bees.
• The KVIC will manage the Re-Hab Project for a year in a specific area.
1st ASEAN-India Start-up Festival 2022 held in Indonesia
• The 1st ASEAN-India Start-up Festival (AISF) was inaugurated by Dr. Srivari Chandrashekhar,
Secretary of, the Department of Science and Technology in Bogor, Indonesia.

• The four-day event was organized with the Indonesia Research and Innovation Expo (INA-RIE)
from October 27 to 30, 2022 at the Innovation Convention Centre, Sibinong Bogor, Indonesia.
• The inaugural event was felicitated by Mr. Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General for
ASEAN Economic Community, and Ambassador, Mr. Jayant Khobragde, Indian Mission to
ASEAN (IMA).
About ASEAN-India Start-up Festival :
• The ASEAN-India Startup Festival is a flagship initiative that aims to improve cooperation and
collaboration in science, technology, and innovation between ASEAN Member States and India.
• The first-ever ASEAN-India Start-Up Festival was launched to commemorate the 30th
anniversary of ASEAN and India's partnership.
• The festival was part of the overall ASEAN-India Science, Technology, and Innovation
Cooperation program between the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation
(COSTI) and the Department of Science and Technology (Govt of India). ∙
About ASEAN :
• ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is a regional organization that was set up in
1967.
• Headquarters of ASEAN: Jakarta, Indonesia.
• Chairmanship of ASEAN: Cambodia
• Secretary-General: Lim Jock Hoi
• It is an association of 10 countries in Southeast Asia namely; Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei,

Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
India and California agree to collaborate on zero-emission vehicles
• India has entered into a collaboration with the US state of California for research and innovation
in the field of zero-emission vehicles to boost the development of its nascent Electrical Vehicle
(EV) industry and address climate risks through the California-India ZEV Policy program.
• The Programme will showcase best practices in EV adoption from India on international
platforms and unlock strategic dialogues on international climate finance for a ZEV transition.
Key Highlights :
• California has the world’s most advanced zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) policies.
• It has an ambitious 100% ZEV mandate by 2035.
• As part of the collaboration, the University of California, research institute Davis Institute of
Transportation Studies, established a new India ZEV Research Centre.
• While ZEV policies have been implemented in various parts of the world, the State of California
is probably the only regional government to have the most comprehensive and oldest ZEV policy
ecosystem.
• The California-India ZEV Partnership provides a unique opportunity for sub-national policy
design as a lever for vehicle electrification.
Note :
• India prepares to host both the Clean Energy Ministerial and the G20 next year in 2023.
About California :
• Capital: Sacramento
Adaptation efforts not consistent with climate risks: UNEP
• The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Adaptation Gap Report 2022 titled “Too
Little, Too Slow: Climate adaptation failure puts the world at risk”, the report has pointed out that
global efforts in adaptation planning, financing, and implementation are not keeping pace with
the growing risks.
Key Highlights :
• The flow of international adaptation finance to developing countries grew 4% from 2019 to reach
$29 billion in 2020, 34% of overall climate finance.

• The estimated annual adaptation needs are $160-$340 billion needed by 2030 & USD 315-565
billion by 2050.
• According to the UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report, Nationally Determined Contributions under the
Paris Agreement point toward global warming of 2.4-2.6°C by the end of the century.
• Research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that climate risks will
intensify with each tenth of a degree.
• Combined adaptation and mitigation finance flows in 2020 fell at least $17 billion short of the
$100 billion pledged to develop countries
• A third of the 197 countries that are party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) have incorporated quantified and time-bound targets on adaptation.
About UNEP :
• Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
• Executive Director: Inger Andersen
FAO's annual flagship publications - State of Food and Agriculture 2022
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released the 2022
edition of the State of Food and Agriculture,(SOFA) which oversees in agrifood system to
contribute to reaching Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• The State of Food and Agriculture, one of FAO's major annual flagship publications, aims at
bringing to a wider audience balanced science-based assessments of important issues in the
field of food and agriculture.
About State of Food and Agriculture 2022 :
• The State of Food and Agriculture 2022 looks into the drivers of agricultural automation,
including the more recent digital technologies.
• Based on 27 case studies, the report analyzes the business case for the adoption of digital
automation technologies in different agricultural production systems across the world.
About FAO :

• Headquarters: Rome, Lazio, Italy
• Director General : Qu Dongyu
• Membership: 195 members (including 194 countries and the European Union)
• Parent Organization: United Nations Economic and Social Council
• The FAO is an international organization that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and
improve nutrition and food security.
WTO to deepen presence at COP 27
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) is set to deepen its presence at the UN Climate Change
COP 27 in Egypt with Director General Ngozi Okonjo Iweala participating, including the launch
of WTO’s 2022 World Trade Report on ‘Climate Change and International Trade.’
Key Highlights :
• At COP 27, the WTO DG will speak at the ‘roundtable on food security co-convened by Egypt
and the World Economic Forum on November 7, 2022
• Iweala will address a session on ‘accelerating adaptation in Africa’, co-organized by the African
Union and Global Center for Adaptation.
• On November 9, 2022, Iweala will speak on ‘ Implementing trade-related contributions to the
global response to climate change and launch of World Trade Report on Climate Change.
• According to Article 3.5 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
“Measures taken to combat climate change, including unilateral ones, should not constitute a
means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade”.
About WTO :
• Director-General: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
• Membership: 164 members (160 UN member states, the European Union, Hong Kong, Macao,
and Taiwan)
• The WTO is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade.
Europe approves the world's first one-dose drug to protect babies against RSV
• The European Commission has authorized the world's first one-dose drug against a respiratory
virus that sickens millions of babies and children globally every year.
• Drugmakers Sanofi and AstraZeneca announced that the European Commission had given the
green light to nirsevimab, a laboratory-developed antibody designed to protect infants during
their first exposure to RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, a highly contagious common infection
that infects nearly all babies by age 2.
• At the moment, babies at high risk of the disease can be given monthly shots to protect them
during RSV season.
• Nirsevimab was developed to give newborns and infants immediate protection against RSV
through an antibody to prevent infections in their respiratory systems
• RSV kills about 100,000 babies annually, mostly in developing countries.
About European Commission :
• President of the European Council: Charles Michel
• President of the Commission: Ursula von der Leyen
• Currency: Euro
• Membership: 27 members
Netherlands turns top buyer of Indian petro-products amid Ukraine war
• The Netherlands has emerged as the top destination for India’s petroleum product exports such
as petrol and diesel in the first half of the current fiscal year (FY22).
Key Highlights :
• India is a key Asian refining hub, with an installed capacity of nearly 250 million tonnes per
annum across 23 refineries
• This bump in exports has also resulted in the Netherlands becoming the third biggest market for
India’s overall exports, thereby replacing China.
• South Africa and Brazil also ramped up refined petroleum product purchases including those of
ATF from India in H1, making it to the top 10 petroleum product export markets for Indian
refiners
• The Netherlands accounted for nearly 9% of India’s total petroleum product exports in the April
to September period at ₹4.5 trillion, a growth of 180% over the corresponding period of 2021.
About the Netherlands :
• Prime Minister: Mark Rutte
• Capital: Amsterdam
• Currency: Euro
Russia Becomes India’s Top Oil Supplier in October 2022
• According to data from energy cargo tracker Vortexa, Russia has become India’s top oil supplier
in October 2022, surpassing traditional sellers Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
• Russia now makes up for 22% of India’s total crude imports, ahead of Iraq’s 20.5% and Saudi
Arabia’s 16%.
• Russia supplied 935,556 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil to India in October 2022 even as it
made up for just 0.2% of all oil imported by India in the year until March 31, 2022.
• Iraq slipped to the No.2 slot with 888,079 bpd of supplies in October 2022 followed by Saudi
Arabia at 746,947 bpd.
Key Highlights :
• India imported 68,600 bpd of Russian oil in March, and the import increased to 266,617 bpd in
the following month and peaked at 942,694 bpd in June.
• In June 2022 Iraq was India's top supplier with 1.04 million bpd of oil & in that month Russia
became India's second biggest supplier.
• For the April-Sept period of this fiscal year (FY23), Russia became the biggest exporter of pig
iron to India.
• During this period, nearly 31,700 tonnes of pig iron was imported to India, of which nearly 84%
was from Russia.
About Pig Iron :
• Pig iron is crude iron and is the direct product of the blast furnace.
• It is refined to produce steel, wrought iron, or ingot iron.
• Pig Iron is the main steel-making raw material.
• In 2020, the top exporters of Pig Iron were Russia, Brazil, and Ukraine while the top importers of
Pig Iron were China, the United States, and Turkey.
About Russia :
• Prime Minister: Mikhail Mishustin
• Capital: Moscow
Novartis has signed the world's first-ever agreement for the cancer drug Nilotinib.
• A Swiss-American multinational Pharmaceutical giant Novartis has signed a licensing
agreement increasing access to vital leukaemia treatment, marking the first-ever such
agreement for a cancer drug.
• It is the first time a voluntary license has been granted for a patented cancer drug as part of a
public health initiative.
• The announcement by Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and Novartis were made on the final day of
the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)´s flagship event, the World Cancer Congress
held this week in Geneva, Switzerland.
• This is the first license that MPP has signed for cancer treatment, and the first time a company is
licensing a patented cancer medicine through a public health-oriented voluntary licensing
mechanism.
• The drug is listed on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines for the
treatment of adults and children over the age of one suffering from CML.
• The oral drug, nilotinib, is used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).
• The license includes seven middle-income countries, namely Egypt, Guatemala, Indonesia,
Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tunisia, where patents on the product are pending or in
force.
Lewis Hamilton becomes an honorary Brazilian Citizen & named eight-time F1 world champion
• Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton was officially declared an honorary citizen of Brazil
in a ceremony at the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
• Congressman Andre Figueiredo first suggested this in November 2021 after Hamilton won the
Brazilian GP for a third time at Interlagos.
• The British driver carried a green and yellow Brazilian flag on his victory lap and at the podium to
celebrate with local fans.
About Lewis Hamilton :
• Hamilton was born on 7 January 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England.
• He is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes.
• In Formula 1, he has won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles ( (2008, 2014,
2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) (tied with Michael Schumacher).
• He holds the records for the most wins (103), pole positions (103), and podium finishes (190).
US Treasury removes India from its Currency Monitoring List
● The United States Department of Treasury removed India along with Italy, Mexico, Thailand and
Vietnam from its Currency Monitoring List of major trading partners that merit close attention to
their currency practices and macroeconomic policies.
● Along with India, Italy, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam have also been removed from the list.
● India had been on the list for the last two years.
● The move came on a day when Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen visited New Delhi and
held talks with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Key Highlights :
● In its biannual report to the US Congress, the country’s Department of Treasury stated that
China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan are the seven economies that
are part of the current monitoring list.
● In this report, Treasury reviewed and assessed the policies of major US trading partners,
comprising roughly 80% of US foreign trade in goods and services, during the four quarters
through June 2022.
Currency Monitoring List: Three Criteria
1. A “significant" bilateral trade surplus with the US - at least $20 billion in 12 months.
2. A material current account surplus equivalent to at least 2% of gross domestic product (GDP)
over a 12-month period.
3. “Persistent", one-sided intervention - when net purchases of foreign currency totalling at least
2% of the country’s GDP over a 12-month period are conducted repeatedly, in at least 6 out of
12 months.
● Once a country meets all three criteria, it is labelled as a ‘currency manipulator’ by the US
Department of Treasury.
● Notably, Switzerland once again exceeded the thresholds for all three criteria, which is a
parameter for being labelled as a "Currency Manipulator".
● A country that meets two of the three criteria in the US’ Trade Facilitation and Trade
Enforcement Act of 2015 is put under the Currency Monitoring List.
North Korea Fires "Unidentified Ballistic Missile" into the Sea of Japan
• A short-range ballistic missile was fired by North Korea towards the Sea of Japan just hours
after it promised "fiercer" military retaliation against the United States for stepping up its security
cooperation with allies South Korea and Japan.
• It was the most recent in North Korea's string of tests in recent months and its first ballistic
missile launch in eight days.
• The North Korean missile launched flew about 240 kilometers (150 miles) at a maximum altitude
of 47 kilometers (29 miles)
DGCA grants aerodrome license to Jaipur International Airport
• Jaipur International Airport Limited has received the Aerodrome license from the Directorate
General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) following which the airport has embarked on an expansion
drive.
• The license was previously held by the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the government body
which was earlier operating the airport.

• Furthermore, the license has been granted to the airport operator to provide full access to the
management and control operations of the airport by the concession agreement.
Key Highlights :
• The airport management has conducted an extensive survey at Jaipur airport which revealed that present
passenger traffic of 50 lakh per annum will reach 1 crore by 2025.
• Considering future requirements, the management is now planning to reopen Terminal- 1 which
has been non-operational for the last 10 years.
About Terminal- 1 :
• Terminal- 1 will be developed on the lines of the presently operational Terminal 2.
• Massive IT-related infrastructure, food and beverage services, and retail outlets, measures for
zero carbon emission and environment sustainability, and security arrangements will be in place
on the lines of T-2
• The Jaipur airport, as per the environmental guidelines, is developing a mini-forest near Dudu
town where 4,400 trees will be planted and maintained for 5 years
• A requirement of about 240 CISF security personnel has also been raised by the airport
administration for making T-1 operational.
About Terminal-2 :
• At Terminal-2, the airport management has installed new e- boarding gates, an electronic
helpdesk, 50 retail and branded outlets for customers, automated parking, and transport
mechanisms where private cab operators like WTI, Ola, and Uber have been given a place to
operate.
About DCGA :
• Director General: Arun Kumar
• Minister of Civil Aviation: Jyotiraditya Scindia
• The DCGA is a statutory body of the Government of India to regulate civil aviation in India.
• It became a statutory body under the Aircraft (Amendment) Act, of 2020.
Qatar signs world's 'longest' gas supply deal with China
● QatarEnergy announced a 27-year natural gas supply deal with China calling it the “longest”
ever seen as it strengthened ties with Asia while Europe scrambles for alternative sources.
● The state energy company will send 4 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually from its
new North Field East project to China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec).
● The deal “marks the longest gas supply agreement in the history of the LNG industry”.
● Asian countries led by China, Japan and South Korea are the main market for Qatar’s gas,
which is increasingly being sought by European countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Note :
● Qatar's energy minister and QatarEnergy's chief executive : Saad Sherida al-Kaabi
Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi To Be Chief Guest on Republic Day 2023
• President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day
celebrations on 26 January 2023.
• This is the first time that the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt will be the Chief Guest on
our Republic Day.
• Also, this is the first time India has invited a foreign dignitary to the event after the gap of the last
two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who won the last elections to Luiz Inácio Lula da
Silva in October, was the chief guest in 2020.
Key Highlights :
• The year 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Egypt.
• Egypt has been invited as a 'Guest Country' during India's Presidency of G20 in 2022-23.
• In April 2022, Egypt announced the inclusion of India in the list of accredited countries which can
supply wheat to Egypt, thus ending a long pending Non-Tariff Barrier.
• The first ever IAF-EAF Joint Tactical Air Exercise, Desert Warrior, was held in October 2021.
• The first-ever Special Forces exercise “Cyclone 1” between India and Egypt planned in Jodhpur
in January 2022 stands postponed.
• Egypt has shown interest in acquiring arms produced by India, including the Akash missile
systems capable of intercepting hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones, and subsonic cruise missiles
at a range of 25 km.
About Egypt :
• President : Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
• Prime Minister: Moustafa Madbouly
• Capital: Cairo
• Currency: Egyptian pound
Mahatma Gandhi’s bust to be inaugurated at UNHQ during India’s Presidency of Security Council
• A bust of Mahatma Gandhi will be inaugurated as a gift from India to the United Nations during
India’s presidency of the Security Council in Dec 2022, the first sculpture of the Mahatma to be
installed at the world body’s headquarters.
• The bust was made by renowned Indian sculptor Padma Shree awardee Ram Sutar, who has
also designed the ‘Statue of Unity in Gujarat.
• It will be inaugurated on December 14, 2022, during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s
visit to the UN for India’s Presidency of the Council for Dec 2022.
• The only other gift from India on display at the UN Headquarters is an 11th-century black-stone
statue of ‘Surya’, the Sun God, donated on July 26, 1982.
• The statue, dating from the late Pala period and which is currently displayed in the Conference
Building, was presented as a gift by then Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi to the UN.
• Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar accepted the sculpture on behalf of the United
Nations.
Note :
• India’s Permanent Representative to the UN: Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj
• President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly Csaba Kőrösi.
• Secretary General : António Guterres
Malabar, a major retailer of jewelry, is the first jeweler in India to import 25 kg of gold from the UAE:
• Malabar Gold and Diamonds, a major retailer of jewelry in India, is the first jeweler to import 25
kg of gold as part of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between
India and the UAE.
• According to the agreement, the gold was imported through ICICI Bank with a 1% duty rebate.
• For the first time in India, the group has successfully utilized the duty benefits of the agreement
for both import and export.
• The Company was also one of the first few jewelers to be approved by this agreement in May
2022 to export jewelry to the UAE with tax benefits.
• Malabar Gold and Diamonds received permission to export jewelry from India to the UAE with
tax breaks in May 2022, making it one of the first companies to benefit from the India-UAE
CEPA.
• The five percent import duty into the UAE has been waived as per the agreement.
• After being signed in Delhi in February 2022 by UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al
Marri and Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, the CEPA between India and
the UAE went into effect on May 1, 2022.
Dharmendra Pradhan signs an agreement for Football4Schools with FIFA and AIFF:
• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between FIFA and the All India Football
Federation for the "Football4Schools" initiative in India by Union Minister of Education, Skill
Development, and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
• Mr. Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, and Shri Kalyan Chaubey, President of the All India
Football Federation, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of their respective
organizations.
• Nitish Pramanik, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Youth Affairs, and Sports; Deepak Kesarkar,
Minister of School Education and Marathi Language-Maharashtra; Vinayak Garg, Commissioner
of the Nayodaya Vidyalaya Samiti; and representatives of the All India Football Federation
presented awards at the event.

• According to Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, the Football4Schools program upholds the NEP 2020
spirit and sports have been given a prominent place in it.
• In NEP 2020, sports are given pride of place.
• The Football4Schools program uses football, a hugely popular sport in India, as a motivating tool
to encourage kids and ensure their overall development.
About AIFF:
• President: Kalyan Chaubey
• Vice-President: N. A. Haris
About FIFA:
• Founded: 21 May 1904, Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, France
TATA Power and the Indian Army work together to deploy EV charging stations:
• The Indian Army joined with Tata Powers to build 16 EV charging stations as part of its "Go
Green Initiative."
• Charging stations have been built in several areas throughout Delhi Cantonment.
• Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding Delhi Area, officially opened the installation of
charging stations in collaboration with the nation's largest integrated utility in the presence of
army officials and senior TATA Power and TATA Motors executives.
• The GOC also urged everyone to support this environmentally friendly order to maintain the
environment for future generations.
• TATA Power's head of business development, Virendra Goyal, spoke about the company's
partnership with the Indian Army at the event.
• In October of this year, the Indian Army revealed its plan to introduce electric vehicles in Ladakh.
• According to Army officials, a percentage of selected units' light vehicles (approximately 25%),
buses (38%), and motorbikes (48%) would be replaced with EVs with appropriate charging
infrastructure.
• Depending on the necessity for the viability of the vehicles, the Army may also provide EVs to
select peacekeeping troops.
BEE and SIDBI will collaborate to promote financing for energy efficiency for MSMEs:
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for MSMEs has been struck between the Small
Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and the government agency for energy efficiency,
the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the Ministry of Power.
• The MoU will examine internet of things (IoT)-based solutions, greening MSMEs, capacity
building of various stakeholders, etc., and encourage energy efficiency finance for MSMEs,
according to BEE.
• To persuade MSME businesses to make energy-saving improvements to their facilities and
equipment to cut down on their energy use, increase their energy efficiency, lower their carbon
dioxide emissions, and boost their long-term profitability.
• To achieve India's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 targets, SIDBI established
partnerships with numerous stakeholders to assist MSMEs in becoming more energy efficient in
their operations.
• SIDBI and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH have signed
memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to operate a risk-sharing facility (RSF) that provides
credit guarantees to loans from commercial banks or non-banking financial businesses
(NBFCs).
Under DAY-NRLM, MoRD signs an agreement with the Veddis Foundation:
• To aid in the development of efficient governance frameworks for the DAY-NRLM, the Ministry of
Rural Development (MoRD) and Veddis Foundation have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission is referred to as
DAY-NRLM.
• The three-year collaboration with MoRD and Veddis Foundation is non-financial.
• The MoU was signed by the Veddis Foundation in Gurugram and the MoRD.
• Joint Secretary for Rural Livelihoods, Ms. Nita Kejrewal from the MoRD, and Mr. Murugan
Vasudevan, CEO of the Veddis Foundation, all signed the MoU.
• Shri Nagendra Sinha, Secretary for Rural Development, presided over the meeting.
• According to Ms. Nita Kejrewal, Joint Secretary for Rural Livelihoods, engaging with different
stakeholders toward a common goal will allow MoRD to advance.
• According to the MoU, the Veddis Foundation will set up a PMU in the Ministry of Rural
Development's Rural Livelihood (RL) Division over the subsequent five years.
• PMUs have been implemented by the Veddis Foundation in the State Rural Livelihoods Mission
(SRLM) programs of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Manipur.
JBIC and NIIFL signed a contract to increase Japanese investment in India:
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the National Investment and Infrastructure
Fund (NIIFL) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has been signed to
advance and strengthen Japanese investment in India.
• The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sets a framework for collaboration between NIIFL
and JBIC, which is proposing the creation of a bilateral India-Japan Fund (IJF).
• The India-Japan Fund, which will make equity investments in environmental protection and low-
carbon emission solutions, will receive funding from JBIC and the Government of India.
• By supporting business collaboration across a variety of sectors in India and investing in
strategic alliances between Japanese and Indian companies, the fund will also improve ties
between the two nations.
• Through its investments in Ayana Renewable Power, IntelliSmart Infrastructure, Ather Energy,
and the Green Growth Equity Fund, NIIFL actively supports green technologies and solutions.
• In addition, the India-Japan Fund will help NIIFL have a bigger effect in this area.
An MOU has been signed between the National Museum and the Kolding Museum:
• The joint exhibition "Silver Treasures from Denmark and India" will debut in early March 2023 at
the Museum Kolding and the National Museum in New Delhi.
• The National Museum in New Delhi, India, and the Museum Kolding in New Delhi signed and
exchanged an MoU for the show.
• In March 2023, the exhibition will feature the finest silver pieces from the Museum Kolding and
the National Museum in New Delhi.

• The collaboration and exhibition are part of a newly agreed-upon cultural exchange initiative
between India and Denmark from 2022 to 2026.
• The exhibition "Silver Treasures from Denmark and India" focuses on Danish and Indian silver
artifacts, with both institutions displaying their best silver artefacts.
• The exhibition will feature the best selection of 200 artifacts in total, elucidating the beauty and
splendor of silver craftsmanship in both countries.
• Visitors to the National Museum will be able to see the parallel traditions of Indian and Danish
silver objects for the first time.
India and the EU have signed an agreement to collaborate on high-performance computing:
• The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the European
Commission's Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG
CONNECT) signed an "Intent of Cooperation on High-Performance Computing (HPC), Weather
Extremes & Climate Modeling, and Quantum Technologies."
• The agreement builds on both sides' agreements to strengthen technology cooperation on
quantum and high-performance computing during the May 8 India-EU leaders meeting.
• Moreover, the signing of the agreement is significant in light of the April 25 decision to establish
the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC).
• The agreed partnership aims to facilitate collaboration on high-performance computing
applications using Indian and European supercomputers in fields such as bio-molecular
pharmaceuticals, Covid-19 therapies, mitigating climate change, predicting natural disasters,
and quantum computing.
• According to MeitY secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma, high-performance computing is addressing
some of the world's most pressing concerns, and demand for such systems is growing rapidly
across multiple disciplines.
• Under this collaboration, India and the EU will pool their experience to optimize high-
performance computing to produce breakthrough technology solutions in a variety of industries.
Zee-Sony merger: Groups agree to sell 3 Hindi channels to address anti-competition concerns
• Media groups Sony and Zee have voluntarily agreed to sell three Hindi channels Big Magic, Zee
Action, and Zee Classic to address possible anti-competition concerns arising out of their
proposed mega-merger deal.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI), cleared the deal, subject to certain modifications on
October 4, 2022.
• CCI has approved the “amalgamation of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) and
Bangla Entertainment Private Limited (BEPL) with Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited
(CME), with certain modifications”.
• CME was earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt Ltd (SPNI).
• The Zee-Sony combine will become India’s second-largest entertainment network by revenue
with over 75 television (TV) channels, along with two video streaming services ZEE5 and
SonyLIV.
LIC picks up over 2% additional stake in Capri Global for ₹257 cr
• The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has raised its stake in Capri Global Capital Limited
(CGCL), a nonbanking financial company (NBFC) by 2% over the last few months at an
investment of ₹257.37 crores.
• Its shareholding in Capri Global has increased from 1,24,00,000 to 1,59,51,171 equity shares.
• This results in the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) increasing its stake from 7.052% to
9.072% of the paid-up capital of the company.

• Capri Global caters to different segments like MSME, construction, finance, affordable housing,
and indirect retail lending segments.
• Capri Global's market capitalization stands at ₹13,014 crores.
About LIC :
Google buys artificial intelligence avatar startup 'Alter' for $100 mn
• Tech giant Google has acquired Alter, an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar startup that was
working on using AI to generate avatars for social media users and brands to express their
virtual identity
• According to TechCrunch, Google buys the startup for about $100 million to improve its content
game and compete with TikTok.
• Alter started as Facemoji, a platform that offered plug-and-play technology for helping game and
App developers add avatar systems to their Apps.
• Among its investors are Play Ventures, Roosh Ventures, and Twitter, which invested $3 million
in the startup.
• Later Facemoji rebranded as Alter.
About Google :
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, U.
LIC buys additional stake, in Voltas for Rs 635 crore
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has increased its shareholding in Voltas by buying an
additional 2% stake.
• LIC has acquired Voltas' shares worth Rs 634.50 crore through open market transactions during
the period from August 10 to November 4, 2022.
• The LIC increased its shareholding from 2,27,04,306 shares (equivalent to 6.862%) to
2,93,95,224 (8.884%) in Voltas.
• Voltas is engaged in the business of air conditioning, refrigeration, and electro-mechanical
projects as an EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) contractor both in the
domestic and international markets.
• The stock of LIC closed at Rs 633.30 apiece on BSE, up by 0.84%, while Voltas scrip ended
1.24% lower at Rs 834.40 apiece.
About LIC :
• The LIC is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of
Finance, GoI.
Adani Power inks pact to sell 100% stake in SPPL to ACX for Rs 1,556 cr
• Adani Power Ltd has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to sell its 100
percent equity stake in its wholly-owned subsidiary Support Properties Private Ltd (SPPL) to
AdaniConnex Private Ltd (ACX)," at an enterprise value of Rs 1,556.5 crore.
• ACX is a 50:50 joint venture between Adani Enterprises Limited, which is a promoter group
company, and EdgeConneX.
• It is engaged in the business of developing world-class data centers and providing co-location
hosting and ancillary services.
• The proposed transaction falls within the ambit of related party transactions.
• The proposed transaction is done on an arm's length basis.
• The expected timeline for completion of the sale/disposal is the end of January 2023.
About Adani Power Ltd :
• Founded: August 22, 1996
• Chairman: Gautam Adani
• MD & CEO : Anil Sardana
Government To Sell Its Entire 1.55% Stake In Axis Bank for Rs 4,000 cr
• The Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI), under the Central Government, will
sell up to 1.55% stake or 4.65 crore shares in Axis Bank via an offer for sale (OFS).
• Around 4.65 crore shares of Axis Bank will go on the block on 10 and 11 November, at a floor
price of ₹830.63 per share.
Key Highlights :
• As of September 2022, SUUTI held 4,65,34,903 shares representing a 1.55% stake in the bank.
• Shares held in dematerialized form in one or more demat accounts with the relevant depository
participant will be offered for sale on November 10, 2022, ('T day') for non-retail investors only
and on November 11 (T+1 day) for retail and non-retail investors.

• Only mutual funds that are registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and
insurance companies under the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
shall be allocated more than 25% of the OFS.
• ICICI Securities, Citigroup Global Markets India, and Morgan Stanley India will be acting as
brokers on behalf of the seller.
• In May 2021, the government sold a 1.95% stake in Axis Bank held through SUUTI for a
consideration of about Rs 4,000 crore.
About Axis Bank :
RBI approves DSP Mutual Fund’s 10% stake buy in Equitas SFB
• DSP Investment Managers Private Ltd (DSPIM) has acquired a 9.99% stake in Equitas Small
Finance Bank for an undisclosed amount following approval from the Reserve Bank of India.
• DSP Investment Managers will acquire up to 9.99% of the paid-up equity capital of the bank
through the schemes of DSP Mutual Fund, following the amalgamation of parent company
Equitas Holdings Limited with the bank.
Key Highlights:
• The proposed acquisition of shares by DSPIM would be consequent to the Scheme of
Amalgamation of Equitas Holdings Limited with the Bank taking effect.
• In May 2022 Equitas Holdings and Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) were approved by their
respective boards for their merger.
• The merger is aimed at meeting the RBI’s licensing conditions to bring down the shareholding of
the holding company to 40% within five years from the date of commencement of business of
the bank, which was completed by September 4, 2021.
• The promoter holds a 74.50% stake in the bank.
About Equitas SFB :
• Founded: 2007
• MD & CEO : Vasudevan P N
Softbank to sell 4.5% stake in Paytm for $ 200 million
• SoftBank Group Corp sold a 4.5% stake in Indian digital payments giant Paytm’s One97
Communications for about USD 200 million (around ₹1,627 crores) in a block deal.
Key Highlights :
• Softbank is the second largest shareholder with a 17.5% stake in Paytm.
• Softbank has offered to sell shares in the price band of Rs 555 to Rs 601.55 apiece that are held
through its subsidiary SVF India Holdings.
• Softbank expects to raise around USD 200 million at the lower end of the price band, Rs 555.
• Paytm shares closed at Rs 601.45 at BSE.
• The current holding of Softbank at closing price is valued at around USD 835 million.
• Bank of America is the sole book runner for the deal.
About SoftBank Group Corp :
• Founded : 3 September 1981
• Chairman & CEO : Masayoshi Son
LIC increases stake in Tech Mahindra to 6.874%
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has announced an increase in stake in Tech Mahindra
Limited from 4.863% to 6.874%.
Key Highlights :
• LIC's shareholding in Tech Mahindra has increased from 4,73,44,343 to 6,69,25,392 equity
shares in Tech Mahindra taking its shareholding from 4.863% to 6.874% in percentage terms.
• The average cost of the transaction was ₹1,042.24 apiece.
• LIC bought 1,95,81,049 shares, or 2.011% equity, at an average cost of Rs 1,042.24 via open
market purchase during the period from 30 Nov 2021 to 21 November 2022.
About LIC :
About Tech Mahindra :
• MD & CEO : C.P. Gurnani
Punjab National Bank gets govt approval to dilute stake in UTI Mutual Fund
● State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has received government approval from the
Department of investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), Ministry of Finance, to divest
its entire stake in UTI Asset Management Company Limited.
● The bank, which holds 15.22% stake in UTI AMC, will divest its entire stake in the mutual fund
company in single or multiple tranches for realization of gain on investment.
● Its current valuation stands at ₹1,329 crore.
● Meanwhile, the private lenders had reported a 62.8% dip in net profit to ₹411.3 crore for the July
to September quarter, against a net profit of ₹1,105.2 crore in the year-ago period.
● The bank's net interest income (NII) grew by 30.2% to ₹8,271 crore in the quarter under review
from ₹6,352.8 crore a year ago.
About PNB :
● Founded : 19 May 1894
● Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi
About UTI Asset Management Company Limited :
● Founded : 2002
● Director : Narasimhan Seshadri
PhonePe to acquire ZestMoney for USD 200-300 million
● Walmart-backed digital payments company PhonePe is set to acquire buy now, pay later
(BNPL) company ZestMoney in a deal pegged at $200 million- $300 million.
● After the acquisition, ZestMoney will continue to operate as a separate entity.
● With this acquisition, PhonePe will strengthen its lending services.
● ZestMoney disburses around Rs 400 crore a month in lending.
About PhonePe:
● Founded : 2015
● Headquarters : Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
● CEO : Sameer Nigam
About ZestMoney:
● Founded : 2015
● Founders : Lizzie Chapman, Priya Sharma and Ashish Anantharaman,
● It is the fastest growing consumer lending fintech company.
Tata consumer products to acquire bisleri for Rs 7000 crore
• Tata Consumer Products Limited (TCPL) is set to acquire India’s largest packaged drinking
water company, Bisleri, for an estimated Rs 6,000-7,000 crore.
• The current management will continue for two years as part of the deal.
• The management team is led by a professional team headed by CEO Angelo George
• Originally an Italian brand, Bisleri was acquired by the Chauhans in 1969.
About TCPL :
• Headquarters: Kolkata, India
• Chairman : Natarajan Chandrasekaran
• CEO & MD: Sunil D’Souza
• Tata Consumer Products is an Indian fast-moving consumer goods company.
• It is the world's second-largest manufacturer and distributor of tea and a major producer of
coffee.
About bisleri :
• Chairman: Ramesh J Chauhan
• CEO: Angelo George
Govt appoints spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi Devi as C20 chairperson
• Spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma) has been appointed the Chair of the
country's Civil 20 (C20), an official engagement group of the Group of 20 (G20), by the union
government.
• The G20 is the premier inter-governmental forum for the world's developed and emerging
economies to address financial stability on a global basis.
• The C20 is its platform for civil society organizations (CSOs) to bring forth non-government and
non-business voices to the G20 leaders
• India will assume the Presidency of the G20 for 1 year from December 1, 2022, to November 30,
2023.
About G20 :
• The G20 consists of 19 countries plus the European Union, and India has been a member since
its inception in 1999.
• Overall, the G20 accounts for about 80% of gross world product (GWP), 59-77% of international
trade, two-thirds of the world's population, and roughly half of its land area.
About Mātā Amritānandamayī Devī :

• Mātā Amritānandamayī Devī is an Indian Hindu spiritual leader, guru, and humanitarian, who is
revered as 'the hugging saint' by her followers.
• In 2018, she was felicitated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the largest contribution
to the Government of India's Clean India Campaign Swachh Bharat Mission.
Award & Honors :
• She was the first recipient of Vishwaratna Puraskar (Gem of the World Award) by the Hindu
Parliament.
Dr. Rajesh Ranjan was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
• Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Dr. Rajesh Ranjan has been appointed as the next Indian
Ambassador to the West African nation of Cote d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast.

About Dr Rajesh Ranjan :
• Dr. Rajesh Ranjan joined the Indian Foreign Service in December 2001.
• He has served in the Indian Embassy in Moscow as Second/Third Secretary dealing with
Political and Commercial issues (August 2003-July 2004).
• From August 2004 to July 2007, he was posted at the Consulate General of India in St.
Petersburg as Consul dealing with Commercial and Consular issues.
• He was the Director of the Americas Division at the Ministry of External Affairs.
• He was further posted to Indian Embassy in Addis Ababa (August 2007-July 2010) where he
served as First Secretary dealing with India-Africa Political and Commercial issues including the
first India-Africa Forum Summit and bilateral relationship with Ethiopia and Djibouti.
• He assumed the charge as High Commissioner Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to
Botswana on March 24, 2018.
• Presently, he is serving as the High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Botswana.
About Ivory Coast :
• President : Alassane Ouattara
• Prime Minister: Patrick Achi
• Capital : Yamoussoukro
• Currency: West African CFA franc
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva elected as the new president of Brazil
• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been elected as the new president of Brazil.
• He defeated incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro.
• Lula da Silva secured 50.83% of the votes, whereas his opponent Bolsonaro managed to get
49.17% votes.
• He will be sworn in on 1 January 2023 as the 39th president of Brazil
About Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva :
• Luiz Inácio da Silva was born on 27 October 1945 in Caetés, Pernambuco, Brazil.
• He known mononymously as Lula, is a Brazilian left-wing politician, trade unionist, and former
metalworker.
• This will be his third term, after previously governing Brazil for two consecutive terms between
2003 and 2010.
• Lula was arrested in April 2018 and spent 580 days in jail for corruption & money laundering.
About Brazil :
• Presidente: Jair Bolsonaro
• Capital: Brasília
• Currency: Brazilian real
Jay Y. Lee Appointed as Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman
• The Board of Directors of Samsung Electronics approved the appointment of Jay Y. Lee as
Executive Chairman of the company.
• The Board approved the appointment, which was recommended by Independent Director and
Board Chairman Han-Jo Kim
• He takes over a position previously held by his father, Lee Kun-hee, who died 2 years ago after
being incapacitated by a 2014 heart attack.
• The 54-year-old Lee has been vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, the crown jewel of South
Korea’s biggest business conglomerate, since 2012.
About Samsung Electronics :
• Headquarters: Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea
• President & CEO : Kim Hyun-Suk
Dr. G Hemaprabha Takes Charge as the First Woman Director of ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute
• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research -Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR - SBI) in
Coimbatore has appointed Dr. G. Hemaprabha as the first-ever woman director in its 111-year
existence.
• Dr. G Hemaprabha was appointed Director of the institute up to 2024 on the recommendations
of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board, New Delhi, under the Union Minister of
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
About Dr. G Hemaprabha :
• She has more than 34 years of research experience in sugarcane genetic improvement.
• She has so far developed 27 sugarcane varieties and registered 15 sugarcane genetic stocks.
• She has made substantial contributions to the expansion of the genetic base, “Co” varieties, and
molecular markers, including DNA fingerprinting of superior sugarcane clones and true seed
development.
• She served as the Director (Acting) of ICAR- Sugarcane Breeding Institute
Awards & Honors :
• She has won numerous awards and recognitions, including the Sir T.S. Venkatraman Award,
The Society for Sugarcane Research and Promotion's Lifetime Achievement Award (National
Academy of Agricultural Sciences) &, etc.
Mr. Vetsa Rama Krishna Gupta takes over the additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director of
BPCL
• Mr. Vetsa Rama Krishna Gupta has taken over the additional charge of Chairman and Managing
Director (CMD) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL).
• He succeeds Mr. Arun Kumar Singh, who superannuated on October 31, 2022.
• He will superannuate in June 2031.
• Mr. Gupta also holds the additional charge of Director (HR).
Note :
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) becomes the second 'Maharatna' oil Public Sector
Undertaking (PSU) to get an interim head in the absence of a regular appointment.
About Mr. Vetsa Rama Krishna Gupta :
• Mr. Gupta has an illustrious career spanning over 24 years at the company, in various Finance
roles.
• He was also a Board member in the recently amalgamated companies BORL (Bharat Oman
Refineries Limited) & BGRL (Bharat Gas Resources Limited), as well as, MAFFL (Mumbai
Aviation Fuel Farm Facility Private Limited).
• He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (1998 batch) and a Bachelor
of Commerce.
• He is also a member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.
• Currently, he is a Board member of BPRL (Bharat Petro Resources Limited) and Fino Paytech
Limited.
About BPCL :
• BPCL is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India.
• BPCL is India's second-largest government-owned downstream oil producer
Energy Efficiency Services Limited appoints Mr. Vishal Kapoor as CEO
• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has appointed Mr. Vishal Kapoor as its chief
executive officer (CEO).
• He Succeeds Mr. Arun Kumar Mishra.
• He takes charge as CEO of EESL after having completed his tenure as Joint Secretary at the
Ministry of Power, Government of India.
About Mr. Vishal Kapoor :
• Mr. Kapoor played an instrumental role in formulating the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme
for Operational and Financial turnaround of distribution utilities
• He worked with the Indian Railways in various capacities in the design, operations, and
maintenance of the Rolling Stock Indian Railways.
• He introduced the high-capacity car carrying freight cars in India and the export of more than a
dozen locomotives to Tanzania and Myanmar.
• He also spearheaded the cyber security and IT initiatives in the power sector
About EESL :
• Chairman: K Sreekant
• EESL is a joint venture of Public Sector Undertakings under the Ministry of Power, Government
of India.
CRPF appoints 2 women cadre officers as IG of RAF, Bihar sector
• The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has appointed two women officers from its cadre as
Inspectors General (IG) of its specialized anti-riots unit RAF and the Bihar Sector.
• Annie Abraham has been appointed as the IG of the blue duangree donning Rapid Action Force
(RAF) while Seema Dhundia has been posted as the IG of the Bihar Sector.
• This is the first time that the RAF will be headed by a woman's IG.
• Both officers joined the paramilitary force in 1987 as the first batch of women officers.
• They have also commanded an all-women Indian police contingent at the United Nations.
• They have been decorated with the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service, Police
Medal for Meritorious Service, and the 'Ati Utkrisht Sewa Padak' during their service.
About CRPF :
• The CRPF is a federal police organization in India under the authority of the Ministry of Home
Affairs (MHA) of the GoI.
• It was the first Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to induct women in combat in 1986.
• It has six such battalions at present with women constables filling more than 6,000 posts in
these.
FICCI announces Mr. Subhrakant Panda is its president-elect
• Industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) announced Mr.
Subhrakant Panda as its president-elect (2022-23), who is currently serving as FICCI's Senior
Vice President.
• He is the first industrialist from Odisha to take up a leadership role in FICCI.
• He will succeed Mr. Sanjiv Mehta as president of the FICCI after the 95th Annual General
Meeting (AGM) to be held on December 16th-17th, 2022.
About Mr. Subhrakant Panda :
• Mr. Panda is the managing director of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA), the country’s
leading, fully integrated producer of ferroalloys with captive mining and power generation.
• Currently, he leads the FICCI National Manufacturing Committee and has been associated with
FICCI for two decades.
• He also served as the organization's first chairman of the Odisha State Council
• He was also President of both the International Chromium Development Association in Paris
(ICDA) and the International Chamber of Commerce (India Chapter).

About FICCI :
• Founded: 1927
• President: Sanjiv Mehta
• Director-General: Arun Chawla
• The FICCI is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group based in India.
Israeli PM Yair Lapid Concedes Defeat; Benjamin Netanyahu Set To Become Next Prime Minister
• Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has won the 25th elections of the Israeli
Parliament defeating the interim PM Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid, a center-left political party.
• Benjamin Netanyahu won the election by capturing 64 seats in Israel's 120-member Knesset.
About Benjamin Netanyahu :
• Netanyahu was born in 1949 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
• Between 1984 and 1988, Netanyahu served as the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations.
• He served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021.
• He is the longest-serving prime minister in the country's history, having served for 15 years.
• He was also the first prime minister to be born in Israel after its Declaration of Independence.
About Israel :
• President : Isaac Herzog
• Currency : New shekel
Ajit Mohan quits as head of Meta India; Manish Chopra interim chief
• Meta Platforms Inc's (formerly Facebook) vice-president and managing director (MD) of the
India unit, Ajit Mohan, has quit the company after a 4-year stint.
• Mohan will join Snap Inc’s president of the Asia-Pacific Region (APAC).
• Manish Chopra, Director, and Head of Partnerships for Facebook India (Meta) will lead the
company on an interim basis.
About Ajit Mohan :
• Mohan was the founding chief executive officer of Star India's streaming media platform Hotstar.
• He was a consultant for the firms Arthur D. Little and McKinsey & Company.
• He is a member of the Internet and Mobile Association of India and the Museum of Art &
Photography, among other organizations.
• Ajit Mohan was appointed managing director of Meta India (formerly Facebook) in January 2019.
• Apart from this, Mohan is currently serving as the vice chairman of the Internet and Mobile
Association of India (IAMAI), an industry body that represents the top domestic and multinational
internet companies and tech platforms.
• He is also on the advisory board of the advocacy group US–India Strategic Partnership Forum
(USISPF).
Centre appoints non-executive Chairman in four Public Sector Banks
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), has been appointed Non-Executive
Chairman on the Boards of four Public Sector Banks Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank
(PNB), Union Bank of India, and Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB) respectively.
Appointments :
• Mr. Vijay Srirangam has been appointed as a part-time Non-Official Director as well as Non-
Executive Chairman of Canara Bank for three years.
• Mr. K G Ananthakrishnan has been appointed as part-time Non-Official Director as well as Non-
Executive Chairman of PNB for a term of three years.
• Mr. Srinivasan Varadarajan has been appointed as part-time Non-Official Director as well as
Non-Executive Chairman of Union Bank of India for a term of three years
• The Centre has also appointed Mr. Charan Singh as a part-time Non-Official Director as well as
Non-Executive Chairman of Punjab & Sind Bank for a term of two years.
RIL appoints veteran banker Mr. KV Kamath as an independent director for 5 years
• Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) had appointed Mr. KV Kamath, a veteran banker as an
independent director on its board for five years.
• Mr. KV Kamath has also been appointed as an Independent Director and non-executive
Chairman for Reliance Strategic Investment Limited (RSIL)
About Mr. KV Kamath :
• In 2015, he was appointed as the first president of the New Development Bank set up by BRICS
countries & he retired from that position in 2020.
• He served as the MD and CEO of ICICI Bank following the company's merger with that
institution.
• Kamath had served as chairman of Infosys.
• KV Kamath is currently the Chairman of the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and
Development (NaBFID).
About RIL :
• Chairman & MD : Mukesh Ambani
Mr. Vivek Joshi Takes Charge As Financial Services Secretary
• Senior bureaucrat Mr. Vivek Joshi took charge as the Secretary of the Department of Financial
Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance.
• Mr. Joshi replaced Mr. Sanjay Malhotra who is slated to take over as Revenue Secretary.
About Mr. Vivek Joshi :
• Mr. Joshi is a 1989 batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre.
• He was the Registrar General and Census Commissioner under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• DFS keeps a tab on the functioning of banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, and
the National Pension System.
BYJU’S appoints Lionel Messi as global brand ambassador to promote education for all
• BYJU’S, the world’s leading education technology company, has appointed football star and
global sports icon Lionel Messi as the first global brand ambassador of its social impact arm,
Education For All.
About ‘Education For All :
• Byju’s ‘Education For All’ is its attempt to make education equitable, accessible, and free for
millions of underserved kids in India.
• By 2025, the initiative aims to impact 10 million children.

• In 2022, BYJU'S became the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
About Lionel Messi :
• Lionel Andrés Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1
club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team.
• He also holds the record for most international goals by a South American male (90).
Awards & Honors :
• Messi has won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes
About Byju's :
• Founded: 2011
• CEO : Byju Raveendran
• Director: Divya Gokulnath
Asian Hockey Federation CEO Mr. Tayyab Ikram elected as the new FIH president
• Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Mohammad Tayyab Ikram of
Pakistan was elected as the new president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), for two
years
• He has succeeded Mr. Narinder Batra (India) as its full-time chief.
• Mr. Ikram defeated Marc Coudron of Belgium 79-47 in the 48th FIH Congress held.
• Mr. Seif Ahmed was the acting president of the FIH following Batra’s resignation from the top
post after the Delhi High Court asked him to stop functioning as the Indian Olympic Association
(IOA) chief.
• The FIH Executive Board consists of a president, 8 ordinary members: 4 female and 4 male –
one half being renewed every 2 years; an athletes’ representative; Presidents of the Continental
Federations; CEO; any (non-voting) member co-opted onto the Executive Board according to
Article 7.1 (c) of the FIH Statutes.
About FIH :

• CEO: Thierry Weil
Skechers India appoints Kriti Sanon as brand ambassador
• Skechers South Asia Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of Skechers United States of America (USA), has
appointed Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon as the new brand ambassador for Skechers India.
• Sanon will be the face of the fashion and lifestyle categories for the brand and appear in its
upcoming campaign for a line of streetwear sneakers.
• Rating agency ICRA has announced that India is the second largest producer of footwear
globally, accounting for 9% of the global annual production of 22 billion pairs.
About Kriti Sanon :
• Kriti Sanon is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films.
• She made her acting debut with the Telugu psychological thriller 1: Nenokkadine in 2014.
• She won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for her performance in the action film
Heropanti (2014), which marked her first project in Hindi cinema.
About Skechers South Asia :
• Launched: 2012
• CEO: Rahul Vira
Prof. Kishor Basa was appointed as Chairman of the National Monuments Authority (NMA)
• The Ministry of Culture India has appointed Prof. Kishor Basa as the chairman of the National
Monuments Authority (NMA) for three years.
About Prof. Kishor Basa :
• Basa is a Tagore National fellow by the Ministry of Culture of Govt. of India
• He is also a member of the Indian National Confederation and Academy of Anthropologists
(INCAA), which is the largest anthropological association in India.
• He has also served as Vice Chancellor of Fakir Mohan University in Balasore.
• He was the former director of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya in Bhopal, (Ministry
of Culture, GOI (2004–2008), the Director of Indian Museum, Kolkata (2008–2010), and the
Director of Anthropological Survey of India (Additional Charge) (2009-2010).

• Presently, he is serving as Vice Chancellor of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University
in Baripada.
Anant Goenka appointed as interim MD of Zensar Tech
• Technology services company Zensar Technologies Ltd has appointed Anant Goenka, son of
RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka, as interim managing director (MD) of the software &
services company.
• He was appointed because chief executive officer Ajay Bhutoria is undergoing treatment for an
undisclosed health condition.
• He has been appointed for a term up to the next annual general meeting of the company or 31
July 2023 whichever is earlier subject to requisite approvals.
• There will be no remuneration payable to Goenka in his capacity as interim MD.
About Anant Goenka :
• Goenka is also the Managing Director of Ceat and a member of the management board at RPG
Enterprises.
• Zensar and tyre company Ceat are both parts of the RPG Group.
• Currently, Goenka is a non-executive, non-independent director on the board of Zensar.
About Zensar Technologies Ltd :
• Founded: 1991
Mr. Ramesh Kejriwal elected as the new president of the All India Rubber Industries Association
• All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA) has elected Mr. Ramesh Kejriwal of India Oil
Seals and Synthetic Products, Kolkata, as its new president for the year 2022-23.
• Mr. Kejriwal will be succeeding Mr. Sawar Dhanania.
• Mr. Kejriwal will play a key role in leading forward the road map of the apex body for rubber
industries in the country.
• Mr. Shashi Kumar Singh of Osaka Rubber Pvt Ltd., Mumbai, will be the senior vice-president for
the second term & Mr. Sanjeev Sikka of Majestic Rubber Industries, Ghaziabad will be the vice-
president
• The AIRIA has unanimously elected the office bearers for the year 2022-23 in Annual General
Meeting held on 27th September 2022 in Kolkata, West Bengal.
About Mr. Ramesh Kejriwal :
• Mr. Kejriwal was the Managing Committee Member of AIRIA.
• He has served as the Eastern Region Chairman and on various committees of AIRIA.
• He is a Partner of India Oil Seals and Synthetic Products as well as the President of, the
Polymer Division at Hobb International Private Limited, Kolkata.
• Under his leadership, India Oil Seals and Synthetic Products has emerged as one of the most
significant manufacturers of rubber-lined pipe fittings, tanks, and hoses.
• He has a long history in the rubber business and is well-versed in modernization, equipment
selection, and project implementation.
About AIRIA:
• Founded: 1945
• The AIRIA is the largest not-for-profit non-government body serving the rubber industry and
trade.
Justice Shri DY Chandrachud Takes Oath As The 50th Chief Justice Of India
• Justice Shri Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud took oath as the 50th Chief Justice of India
(CJI) after over 6 years as a judge of the Supreme Court.
• He will have a term of over two years till November 10, 2024 - making it one of the longest terms
for a CJI in the recent past.
• President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath at a brief ceremony held at the Rashtrapati
Bhavan.
• Justice Shri Chandrachud succeeds Justice Shri UU Lalit who retired on November 8 after a 74-
day stint.
About Justice Shri DY Chandrachud :
• He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016.
• He is the son of the longest-serving CJI YV Chandrachud (16th Chief Justice of India), who
headed the Judiciary from February 22, 1978, to July 11, 1985.
• Justice Chandrachud and his father are the only father-son duo to have reached the position of
the CJI in the country’s judicial history.
• He was the Additional Solicitor General of India from 1998 to 2000
• He has also served as the judge of the Bombay High Court from 29 March 2000.
About Chief Justice of India :
• The CJI is the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of India as well as the highest-ranking officer
of the Indian Judiciary.
• The CJI and the Judges of the Supreme Court (SC) are appointed by the President under clause
(2) of Article 124 of the Constitution
Qualifications:
• The CJI should be a citizen of India.
• A person has been for at least five years a Judge of a High Court or two or more such Courts in
succession or
• Have been for at least ten years an advocate of a High Court or two or more such Courts in
succession, or
• Be, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist.
• The retirement age of Supreme Court judges is 65 years.
GSMA elects Bharti Airtel Group CEO Mr. Gopal Vittal as Deputy Chair
• GSMA (Global System for MobileAssociation), a global organization covering mobile
ecosystems across countries, has elected Mr. Gopal Vittal, chief executive of Bharti Airtel
Group, as deputy chair of the association's board of directors for a two-year term, beginning 1
January 2023 through 31 December 2024.
• Mr. Mathew Oomen, president of Reliance Jio too has been elected as a board member.
• Mr. Vittal is the second Indian to hold a senior position in the global grouping of mobile
operators.
• Mr. Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete Lopez, CEO of Telefonica Group, will continue to be the Chair at
the GSMA.
• There are 26 members of the GSMA Board. including senior representatives from global mobile
operators as well as smaller independent operators.
About GSMA :
• Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom
• Director General: Mats Granryd
Adidas Appoints Ex-Puma Chief Mr. Bjorn Gulden as New CEO From January 2023
• Adidas AG appointed former Puma Societas Europaea chief executive officer (CEO) Mr. Bjorn
Gulden as its next CEO effective Jan.1, 2023.
• Mr. Gulden will replace Mr. Kasper Rorsted, Adidas’ CEO since 2016.
• Adidas chief financial officer Harm Ohlmeyer will serve as interim CEO until the end of the year,
Dec 31, 2022.
• Puma, a German multinational corporation, appointed Arne Freundt after its CEO Bjorn Gulden
resigned from the post to head Adidas.
About Mr Bjorn Gulden :
• Mr. Gulden, a 57-year-old Norwegian who was once a professional soccer and handball player.
• He has been Puma’s CEO since 2013.
• He worked at Adidas as its senior vice president of apparel and accessories from 1992 to 1999.
• He also has served as CEO of Danish jewellery brand Pandora, managing director of footwear
retailer Deichmann and president of Rack Room Shoes and is board chairman at Danish food
retailer Selling Group.
About Adidas :
• Headquarters: Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany
• It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the world, after
Nike
Olympic Gold Medalist Neeraj Chopra Is The New Friendship Ambassador Of Switzerland
• Switzerland Tourism has appointed Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra as its ‘Friendship
Ambassador’ to showcase and promote locations in the country to Indian travellers.
• Chopra will share his experiences in the country to showcase it as the ideal destination for
outdoors and the best destination for hiking, biking, soft and extreme adventure, and of course
snow sports.
• Tourism in Switzerland occupies rank no. 4 in terms of export revenues following the chemical
and metal industries and luxury watch-making industry.
About Neeraj Chopra :
• Neeraj Chopra was born in Khandra Panipat, Haryana.
• He is the first Asian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in Men's Javelin throw.
• He is the first track and field athlete from India to win at the IAAF World U20 Championships,
where in 2016 he achieved a world under-20 record throw of 86.48 m, becoming the first Indian
athlete to set a world record.
• In July 2022, Chopra won a Silver medal in the 2022 World Athletics Championships with a
throw of 88.13m, making him the second Indian to win a medal at World Athletics
Championships after Anju Bobby George.
• In September 2022 he donated his gold-winning javelin to the museum in Lausanne,
Switzerland.
• The museum was established in 1993 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and it
already consists of Mary Kom‘s gloves and Dhyan Chand’s hockey
Aruna Miller becomes the first Indian American to be Maryland Lieutenant Governor
• Indian American Aruna Miller become the first immigrant to hold the office of Lieutenant
Governor In Maryland after winning the United States midterm elections.
• Miller, 58, a former delegate to the Maryland House, was on the Lieutenant Governor ticket
along with Wes Moore the Democratic Governor-elect.
• Miller will be the first South Asian woman elected lieutenant governor in the United States, & the
first Asian American lieutenant governor and first immigrant to hold statewide office in Maryland,
and the second female lieutenant governor after Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.
• The Lieutenant Governor is the state’s highest official following the Governor and assumes the
role when the Governor is out of state or incapacitated.

About Aruna Miller :
• Aruna Miller was born in Hyderabad on November 6 in 1964 & she migrated to the United States
from India when she was 7.
• She became a US citizen in 2000.
• She spent 25 years working at the local Department of Transportation in Montgomery County.
• She represented District 15 in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2010 to 2018.
• She ran for Congress in 2018 in Maryland's 6th Congressional District and secured the second
spot among eight candidates.
C Anandharamakrishnan takes over as Director of CSIR-NIIST
• Chemical engineering and food processing technology expert and leading scientist C
Anandharamakrishnan has taken over as Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial
Research (CSIR)-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) based
in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
About C Anandharamakrishnan :
• Anandharamakrishnan served as the Director of the National Institute of Food Technology,
Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM-T), formerly known as the Indian Institute of Food
Processing Technology, Thanjavur, since April 2016.
• He served as Senior Principal Scientist at the CSIR-Central Food Technological Research
Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, Karnataka.
• His research areas include the design of engineered nano and micro-scale delivery systems for
controlled and targeted release of food bioactive compounds, 3D food printing, engineered
human dynamic gastrointestinal system and glycemic index studies, spray drying and spray-
freeze-drying of food products and computational modeling of food processing operations.
Greg Barclay re-elected as ICC Chairman for two-year term
● The ICC board has unanimously re-elected Greg Barclay as the Independent Chair of the
International Cricket Council (ICC) for a second two-year term.
● Barclay was unopposed following the withdrawal of Tavengwa Mukuhlani from the process, and
the Board reaffirmed its full support of him to continue as Chair for a further two years.
About Greg Barclay :

● Barclay, an Auckland-based commercial lawyer.
● He was originally appointed as the ICC Chair in November 2020.
● He has been the Chair of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) since 2016.
● He was a director of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2015.
About ICC :
● Headquarters : Dubai, United Arab Emirates
● CEO : Geoff Allardice
● Membership : 108 member
Religare Enterprises appoints Yogeshwar Dutt as brand ambassador
● Financial services company Religare Enterprises Limited (REL) has signed Padma Shri
awardee and Indian freestyle wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, as its brand ambassador.
● He will be the face of the company’s integrated brand marketing campaigns across mediums.
About Yogeshwar Dutt :
● Dutt was born in the Sonipat district of Haryana.
● He is an Indian freestyle wrestler.
● At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won the bronze medal in the 60 kg category.
● He won gold medals at the 2010and the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
● He is one of only 5 male wrestlers in India to win an Olympic medal.
Awards & Honors :
● He was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2012 given by the Government of India
(GoI) & the Padma Shri by the GoI in 2013.
About REL :
● Chairperson: Rashmi Saluja
Senior IAS officer Gaurav Dwivedi appointed as Prasar Bharati CEO
● A 1995-batch officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, Senior IAS officer Gaurav Dwivedi has been
appointed the Chief Executive Officer of public broadcaster Prasar Bharati for five years.
● He succeeds Mayank Agrawal, the Director General of Doordarshan who holds additional
charge as Prasar Bharati CEO.
About Gaurav Dwivedi :
● Mr Dwivedi Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, India.
● He was the CEO of MyGovIndia, the citizen engagement platform of the government, launched
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014.
● He was also a faculty member at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration,
Mussoorie and is a recipient of the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Administration.
● Currently, he is posted as Principal Secretary, Commercial Tax, in the Chhattisgarh government.
About Prasar Bharati :
● Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
● Prasar Bharatiis India's state-ownedpublic broadcaster.
Natasa Pirc Musar Elected Slovenia’s First Female President
● Lawyer Natasa Pirc Musar won the second round of Slovenia's presidential election and will
become the country's first female President of Slovenia.
● Pirc Musar won 54% of the votes, while her rival, right-wing politician and former Foreign
Minister Anze Logar, won 46%.
● While both candidates had run as independents, they were backed by the centre-left and
rightwing political blocs.
● She will succeed President Borut Pahor, a centrist politician who had already served two terms
in office.
About Natasa Pirc Musar :
● Natasa Pirc Musar is a Slovenian Attorney and book author, former Information commissioner,
journalist, and the former President of Slovenia’s Red Cross.
● Musar is best known for her rulings and the books on freedom of information, and high-profile
legal cases, in which she represented Slovenia-born Melania Trump, the Social Democrats
Political Party of Slovenia.
● On June 23, 2022, Natasa Pirc Musar announced her candidacy for the President of Slovenia in
the 2022 Presidential Elections.

● She was also the first to announce her candidacy for President and she has also endorsed the
former Presidents of Slovenia.
About Slovenia :
● Capital : Ljubljana
● Currency: Euro
Jhanvi Kapoor became the brand ambassador of Nykaa Fashion
● Online beauty and fashion retailer Nykaa Fashion has named Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor
as its brand ambassador for its two apps Nykaa Beauty and Nykaa Fashion meticulously cater
to the needs of a discerning customer.
About Nykaa Fashion :
● CEO : Falguni Nayar
● Nykaa is an Indian e-commerce company.
● Nykaa Fashion is amulti-brand e-commerce fashion offering from Nykaa and houses 1600+
brands and 5.1 million SKUs across Women, Men, Kids, Luxe, and Home categories.
● It is one of the fastest-growing fashion platforms in India as of 2022.
● The website and app are focused on being ‘discovery-led’ and ‘high on style’ giving a chance to
browse through the latest trends and collections, along with engaging content.
Misuzulu Zulu crowned as South Africa’s new Zulu king
● King MisuzuluSinqobilekaZwelithini was formally enthroned as the head of South Africa's most
influential traditional monarchy at a colourful ceremony at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in
Durban,South Africa.
● Misuzulu Zulu ascended the throne once held by his late father, Goodwill Zwelithini, who died in
March 2021 after a diabetes-related illness.
● King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini was formally acknowledged as monarch by President Cyril
Ramaphosa, who gave him a certificate of recognition.
● The ceremony was the first Zulu coronation since South Africa became a democracy in 1994.
About MisuzuluZulu :
● Misuzulu Zulu born on 23 September 1974 in KwaZulu (present-day Kwazulu-Natal), South
Africa.
● Misuzulu is the reigning King of the Zulu nation.
About South Africa:
● President: Cyril Ramaphosa
● Capital: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
● Currency: South African rand
Govt nominates Vivek Joshi as Director in RBI's central board
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that the government has nominated Vivek Joshi to
its central board.
● The RBI's affairs are governed by the central board of directors.
● The board is appointed by the government.
● There are 5 official directors, the RBI governor, and not more than 4 deputy governors.
● Besides, the government nominates 16 non-official directors to the board.
● 10 are nominated from different fields, 2 are government officials, and one director each from
the 4 local boards.
● These non-official directors are appointed for a period of four years and are eligible for re-
appointment.
About Vivek Joshi :
● Joshi, a 1989 batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre.
● He took charge as the Secretary of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the
Ministry of Financeon November 1, 2022.
● Between 2014-2017, he served as joint Secretary, of the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of
Finance, Government of India, where his responsibilities included formulation of public
procurement policies for the Central Government and appraisal of publicly funded
projects/schemes.
● He is also currently posted as Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India under the
Ministry of Home Affairs in January 2019.

About RBI :
● Governor :Shaktikanta Das
Shankar
Mary Kom, PV Sindhu, MirabaiChanu and Gagan Narang were elected as the members of IOA
Athletes Commission
● Olympic medallists MC Mary Kom, PV Sindhu, MirabaiChanu and Gagan Narang were
among 10 eminent sports persons elected as members of the Indian Olympic Association
(IOA) Athletes Commission at Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.
● All the 10 elected members of the apex body, five men and as many women won
unopposed in the polls.
● The other six members of the elected panel are Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan, table
tennis player Sharath Kamal, women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal, fencer Bhavani Devi,
rower Bajrang Lal and former shot putter Om Prakash Singh Karhana
● These 10 athletes will choose a Chairperson and Vice-chairperson from among
themselves.
● Former World and Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra and former hockey captain Sardara
Singh will also be part of the athlete’s commission as ex-officio members, for being
members of the athlete’s commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and
the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) respectively.
● The next main task of the athlete’s commission will be to choose eight sportspersons of
outstanding merit (SOM) for which the applications will close on November 15.
About IOA :
● Founded: 1927
● President :AdilleSumariwalla
● Secretary General: Rajeev Mehta

Ghana Assumes UN Security Council Presidency in November
● Ghana assumed the Presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which is a
historic moment in the country’s two-year tenure at the Security Council from Nov 2022.
● Ghana has rolled out plans to address violent extremism and terrorism in Africa after assuming
the Presidency of the United Nations Security Council.
● Council’s events in November will build on the “clear African focus” towards addressing threats
against peace and security.
● The first of the two signature events for the month will be an open debate taking place on
November 3, addressing the theme of “Integrating effective resilience-building in peace
operations for sustainable peace”, and will be chaired by Shirley AyorkorBotchwey, Ghana’s
Minister for Foreign Affairs.
● The second signature event on counter-terrorism in Africa will be held onNovember 10 and will
be chaired by the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Key Highlights :
● Ghana rejoinedthe UN Security Council on January 1, 2022.
● It is the third time Ghana is holding a non-permanent seat on the Council.
● Ghana was first allowed to serve on the council from1962 to 1963,& he was back from January
2006 to December 2007.
Note :
● Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations in New York: Mr
Harold Agyeman
About UNSC :
● The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN)and is charged with
ensuring international peace and security.
● The UNSC is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions on member states.
About Ghana :
● President: Nana Akufo-Addo
● Capital: Accra
● Currency: Ghanaian Cedi
Fossil India signs Anushka Sharma as brand ambassador for Michael Kors watches
● Fossil India Private Ltd.-owned Michael Kors watches has signed on actor Anushka Sharma as
its brand ambassador for its timepieces in India.
● The collaboration will extend to promoting the watch vertical for women, with the actor slated to
appear in its upcoming campaigns launching later Nov 2022.
● Michael Kors currently produces a range of products under the Michael Kors Collection, and
Michael Kors Mens, including accessories, ready-to-wear, footwear, wearable technology,
watches, and a full line of fragrance products.
About Fossil India Private Ltd :
● Managing Director: Johnson Verghese
Govt appoints Shri Arvind Virmani as a full-time member of NITI Aayog
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the appointment of Shri Arvind Virmani,
Founder, Chairman of, the Foundation for Economic Growth & Welfare as a Full-Time Member,
National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog with immediate effect and until further
orders.
About Mr. Arvind Virmani :
• Mr. Arvind Virmani served as the Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance during the
Manmohan Singh-led UPA government from 2007-09.
• In 2009, he was appointed the Executive Director of, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and
he served there till 2012.
• During his tenure at IMF in Washington DC, he represented India (as its Ambassador to IMF),
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan
• He served as a member of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) on Monetary Policy from February 2013 to August 2016.
• He is the founder-chairman of the non-profit public policy organization Foundation for Economic
Growth and Welfare.
About NITI Aayog :
• Chairperson: Narendra Modi (Prime Minister of India)
• Vice chairperson : Suman Bery
• The NITI Aayog, the government’s premier think tank headed by the Prime Minister, at present
has three members Dr. V K Saraswat, Professor Ramesh Chand, and Dr. V K Paul.
PFRDA appoints Mr. Suraj Bhan as chairman of NPS Trust
• Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority has appointed Mr. Suraj Bhan as the
chairman of the National Pension System Trust (NPS Trust), responsible for managing funds
under the National Pension System (NPS).
About Suraj Bhan :
• Suraj Bhan joined the Indian Economic Service in 1983 and retired as Director General of the
Labour Bureau, Chandigarh, in January 2018.
• He has been a Trustee on the Board of NPS Trust since 2018.
• He has varied experience across several sectors with government and public sector
undertakings in the areas of economic policy, business, industry, and finance.
About PFRDA :
• PFRDA is the regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of
India for overall supervision and regulation of pensions in India.
About NPS Trust :
• Founded: 2009
• CEO: Munish Malik

• NPS Trust is a specialized division of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority
which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance of the Government of India.
• The NPS is a voluntary defined contribution pension system in India.
Sharath Kamal becomes first Indian to be elected in ITTF's Athletes' Commission
● Achanta Sharath Kamal, a prominent Indian paddler, is the first Indian to be chosen to the
International Table Tennis Federation’s Athletes’ Commission (ITTF).
● Eight athletes - 4 male and 4 female - were elected from Asia, Africa, Europe, South America,
North America, and Oceania along with the two highest-voted para-athletes.
● The elected players will serve in the ITTF Athletes’ Commission for a four-year term from 2022
to 2026.
ITTF Athletes’ Commission: Full list
● Male: Sharath Kamal (India), Omar Assar (Egypt), Stefan Fegerl (Austria), Jon Persson
(Sweden)
● Female: Elizabeta Samara (Romania), Daniely Rios (Puerto Rico), Melissa Tapper (Australia),
Liu Shiwen (China).
● Para-Athletes: Ingela Lundback (Sweden) and Kelly van Zon (Netherlands).
● The Sharath received 187 votes, trailing Romania’s Elizabeta Samara, who received 212 votes.
● It was a difference of only 8.83% of votes cast from their respective continents, Asia and
Europe.
● Sharath has already been selected for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the country’s
highest sports recognition in 2022.
About Achanta Sharath Kamal :
● He is the first table tennis player from India to win the Senior National Championship ten times.
● He is also the vice-chairman of the Indian Olympic Association’s athletes’ commission (IOA).
● He is one of the 10 accomplished athletes who were recently chosen to the National Olympic
body, which will hold elections in Dec 2022.
About ITTF :
● Founded : 1926
● Headquarters : Lausanne, Switzerland
● CEO : Stephen Dainton
● The ITTF is the governing body for all national table tennis associations.
Health Ministry extends term of Dr V G Somani as the DCGI for 3 more months
● The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued an order further extending the term of Dr.
Venugopal Girdharilal Somani as the Drug Controller General [India] (DCGI) under FR 49(v) for
a period of three months w.e.f.16.8.2022 or until further order, whichever is earlier,
● His term was set to end on 14 August 2022.
● Based on the previous orders, this is the third time the tenure of Somani is getting extended as
the DCGI
● Dr Somani was appointed the DCGI for a term of three years on August 14, 2019.
About DCGI :
● DCGI is the head of the department of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization of the
Government of India responsible for the approval of licences for specified categories of drugs
About the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare :
● Minister of State : Mansukh L. Mandaviya Bharati Pawar
● Health Secretary : Rajesh Bhushan
Former IAS Dr. CV Ananda Bose appointed as new West Bengal Governor
• The President of India Ms. Droupadi Murmu appointed a former Indian Administrative Service
(IAS) officer from Kerala Dr. CV Ananda Bose as the new Governor of West Bengal.
• He will Succeed Shri La Ganesan who was holding the additional charge of West Bengal since
July 2022 after incumbent Jagdeep Dhankhar was nominated as the Vice President Candidate
by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
About Dr. CV Ananda Bose :
• C V Ananda Bose is a 1977 (retired) Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer of the Kerala
cadre.
• He held the rank of secretary to the government of India, chief secretary, and university vice-
chancellor.
• He is chairman of the Habitat Alliance, in consultative status with the UN, and was a member of
the UN-Habitat Governing Council.
• He has also represented India at various international forums and the United Nations has
selected his initiatives as 'Global Best Practice' four times.
• He last served as an administrator in the National Museum before superannuating in 2011.
• He is also the first-ever fellow of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in
Mussoorie.
About WB :
• Chief minister: Mamata Banerjee
• National Park: Sundarban National Park, Jaldapara National Park, Gorumara National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Lothian Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary.
CEC Mr. Rajiv Kumar invited as an international observer for the Nepal elections
• Chief Election Commissioner of India Shri Rajiv Kumar has been invited by the Election
Commission of Nepal as an International Observer for the forthcoming elections to Nepal’s
House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly.
• Elections are scheduled in Nepal on 20th November 2022 for the Federal and Provincial
elections to elect 275 members of the Federal Parliament and 550 seats of the seven Provincial
Assemblies.
Key Highlights :
• CI’s India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) has by far
trained more than 2200 officers from 109 countries of whom 70 officers from Nepal have also
been trained as part of capacity-building initiatives.
• A capacity-building program for 25 officials from the Election Commission of Nepal is also
scheduled to be held from 13th to 24th March 2023 at IIIDEM.
• Representatives from the Election Commission of Nepal participated in the recently held
International Conference hosted by ECI on the Conference on ‘Role, Framework & Capacity of
EMBs.
• ECI had been chairing the Association of World Election Bodies, which is the world's largest
international organization in the field of election management - from Sept 2019 to October 2022.
• A-WEB currently comprises 119 election management bodies (EMBs) from 109 countries.
WhatsApp India head Abhijit Bose & Meta India public policy director Rajiv Aggarwal step down
• WhatsApp’s India head Abhijit Bose and Meta India’s director of public policy Rajiv Aggarwal
have resigned from their respective positions.
• These developments come against the backdrop of Facebook's parent company laying off
11,000 people worldwide.
• Shivnath Thukral, who is currently the director of public policy at WhatsApp India, has been
appointed as the director of public policy for Meta India, which includes Facebook, Instagram,
and WhatsApp.
About Abhijit Bose :
• Bose, who co-founded offline payments startup Ezetap (now part of Razorpay), joined
WhatsApp as the head of WhatsApp India in November 2018.
• Under Bose's leadership, WhatsApp made significant progress in India with its API-based
business products, even as business messaging became more strategic for Meta over the last
12-18 months
• Meanwhile, Aggarwal has exited Meta over a year after leading its public policy division in the
country.
Note :
• Meta Chief Executive Officer: Mark Zuckerberg
Additional Info :
• On November 3, Meta’s India head Ajit Mohan also resigned from his post.
Govt extends tenure of ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra for one year until Nov 2023
• The Central government extended the tenure of Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Sanjay
Kumar Mishra by a year till November 18, 2023.
• This is the third extension given to the officer, with a total tenure as ED chief lasting 5 years.
• In 2021, the government brought an ordinance, and later Parliament passed bills to extend the
tenure of the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED to a maximum of five
years from two years.
About Sanjay Kumar Mishra :
• Mishra is a 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service officer.
• He was appointed the Enforcement Directorate chief on November 19, 2018, for two years.
About ED :
• The ED is a central investigative agency that enforces two central laws the Prevention of Money
Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
Retired BPCL chairman Arun Kumar Singh to be next head of ONGC
• Arun Kumar Singh, the former chairman of the oil refining and marketing company Bharat
Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), is most likely to become the new chairman of ONGC,
India's top oil and gas producer.
• This will be the first time a senior PSU board position has gone to a person over 60.
• If his selection is approved, Singh will get three years as head of the cash-rich PSU (Public
Sector Unit).
• He was already selected to head the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).
Key Highlights :
• ONGC has been without a regular chairman and managing director since April 2021 and the
senior director on the board has been entrusted with the additional charge.
• Eligibility criteria for a board-level position at PSU provide that an internal candidate (applicant
from within the PSU) should not be more than 58 years of age on the date of the vacancy.
• This eligibility for external candidates is the maximum age of 57 years on the date of the
vacancy.
• This made Singh as well as Mukesh Kumar Surana, who superannuated as chairman and
managing director of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) on April 30 this year, and
Subhash Kumar, who retired as acting chairman of ONGC on December 31, 2021, eligible.
About BPCL :
• BPCL is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas, GoI.
• BPCL is India's second-largest government-owned downstream oil producer.
Meta appoints Sandhya Devanathan as India's head
• Facebook parent Meta has appointed Sandhya Devanathan as the head of Meta India with
effect from 1st Jan 2023,
• She Succeeds Ajit Mohan who resigned from Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and
Whatsapp.
• As the head of Meta in India division, Sandhya Devanathan will report to Dan Neary, vice-
president of Meta’s overall APAC business.
About Sandhya Devanathan :
• She served as the country managing director for Singapore and business head for Vietnam.
• Devanathan currently serves as vice president of gaming for Meta’s Asia-Pacific
(APAC) division.
Retired IAS officer Shri Arun Goel takes charge as election commissioner of India
• President Ms. Droupadi Murmu appointed Retired Punjab cadre Indian Administrative (IAS)
officer Shri Arun Goel as the new Election Commissioner (EC) of India.
• There was a vacancy in the EC following the retirement of Shri Sushil Chandra as CEC in May
2022.
• Shri Arun Goel will be in office till December 2027.
• He will join Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup
Chandra Pandey in the Election Commission.
• A person can hold the office of an EC or CEC for six years or till the age of 65, whichever is
earlier.
About Arun Goel :
• He had served as secretary in the Union Ministry of Culture, and vice-chairman of the Delhi
Development Authority.
• He had served as secretary in the Union finance, urban development, and labour & employment
ministries.
• He has also headed the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) in the Prime Minister’s Office.
• He has represented India at many multilateral and bilateral forums.
• Goel served as the secretary of the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries, & he took voluntary
retirement on November 18, 2022.
Real11 appoints Kuldeep Yadav as brand ambassador
• Real11 has announced the appointment of Indian Cricketer, Kuldeep Yadav as its brand
ambassador.
• The association with the cricketer will help it reach a wider audience in the nation.
• This partnership will play a pivotal role for the brand as the game of skill industry is growing at a
brisk pace and the brand strives to set a benchmark in the space in near future.
• Real11 is a fantasy sports platform known for its innovations and creative solutions within the
skill game realm
About Kuldeep Yadav :
• Kuldeep Yadav was born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
• He first came into the spotlight during 2014 Under 19 World Cup where he acquired the
distinction of becoming the only Indian bowler to take a hat trick in the history of the tournament.
• In 2020, in the second ODI against Australia, Yadav became the fastest spin bowler for India, in
terms of innings, taking 100 wickets in ODI cricket, in his 58th innings.
Bob Iger returning to Disney as CEO for two years
• Former Walt Disney Company. Chief Executive Bob Iger is returning to the Walt Disney Co as
Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• He will replace Bob Chapek, who took over as Disney CEO in February 2020.
About Bob Iger :
• Robert Allen Iger served as the President of ABC Television between 1994 and 1995.
• Iger spent nearly his entire career at Disney and served as its CEO for 15 years from 2005 to
2020.
About The Walt Disney Company :
• Founded: October 16, 1923
India takes over as Council Chair of Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) From France
• India assumed the Chair of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), an
international initiative to support responsible and human-centric development and use of
Artificial Intelligence (AI), for 2022-23 from France.
• Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar will
represent the country at the GPAI meeting in Tokyo for the symbolic takeover from France.
• This development comes on the heels of assuming the Presidency of the G20, a league of the
world’s largest economies in Bali, Indonesia in Dec 2022.
About AI & India :
• AI is expected to add USD $967 Bn to the Indian economy by 2035 and USD 450–500 billion to
India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2025, accounting for 10% of the country’s USD 5
trillion GDP target.
About GPAI :
• Founded: June 15, 2020
• 15 founding members: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India,[6] Italy, Japan, Mexico, New
Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, the United States,
and the European Union.
• GPAI is an international and multi-stakeholder initiative.
Aim:
• To advance the responsible and human-centric development and use of artificial intelligence.
• It is a first-of-its-type initiative for evolving a better understanding of challenges and opportunities
around AI.
• India had 2020 joined the group as a founding member.
• It works in collaboration with partners and international organizations, leading experts from
industry, civil society, governments, and academia to collaborate to promote the responsible
evolution of AI and guide the responsible development and use of AI, grounded in human rights,
inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth
Prof. Venu Gopal Achanta Elected as a Member of the International Committee for Weight and
Measures (CIPM)
• Professor Venu Gopal Achanta, Director of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research -
National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi, has been elected as a member of the
prestigious International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM).
• He was declared an elected Member of CIPM in the recently held 27th General Conference on
Weights and Measures (CGPM) meeting during Nov. 15-18, 2022 in Paris, France.
About CIPM :
• The CIPM is a supreme international committee that functions under the authority of the General
Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM), the highest intergovernmental international
organization created as a diplomatic treaty called the Meter Convention signed on 20th May
1875 in Paris.
• At present, CGPM is represented by 64 member countries and meets every 4th year at the
International Bureau of Weight and Measures (BIPM), France.
• Achanta is among the 18 members elected from different countries and he is the 7th Indian to be
elected to the CIPM.
Note :
• The first Indian to be elected as a member of CIPM was Dr. K.S. Krishnan, the founder, and
Director of CSIR-NPL.
• The last Indian to be elected was Prof. E. S. R. Gopal, the then Director, and CSIR-NPL (1991-
1997).
About CSIR-NPL :
• The CSIR-NPL, the National Metrology Institute (NMI) of India was established by the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi on January 4, 1947.
• The Government of India enacted the “Standards of Weights and Measures Act” for the first time
in 1956 to ensure that every citizen has access to uniform standards of weights and measures
that are traceable to the SI units.
• In 1957, India became a member of the CGPM.
Centre appoints Shri Justice Rituraj Awasthi as Chairperson of the Law Commission of India
• The Central Government appointed Shri Justice Rituraj Awasthi, Retired High Court Chief
Justice of Karnataka as Chairperson of the 22nd Law Commission of India along with five
members for the commission.
• Centre also appointed former Kerala High Court judge Justice KT Sankaran, Prof. Anand
Paliwal, Prof. DP Verma, Prof. (Dr) Raka Arya, and M Karunanithi as members of the
Commission.
• 22nd Law Commission was formed in February 2020
• The term of the 21st Law Commission ended on August 31, 2018, and was headed by former
SC judge Justice BS Chauhan.
About Justice Rituraj Awasthi :
• Rituraj Awasthi graduated in law from Lucknow University in 1986.
• He practised civil, service, and educational matters at the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High
Court.
• He was a judge of the Allahabad High Court and retired in July 2022 as the Chief Justice of
Karnataka High Court.
• He also worked as Asst. Solicitor General of India at Lucknow before elevation.
About the Law Commission of India :
• The Law Commission of India is an executive body established by an order of the Government
of India.
• The commission is established for a fixed tenure and works as an advisory body to the Ministry
of Law and Justice.

• The first Law Commission of independent India was established in 1955 for a three-year term.
Indian-American Punit Renjen announces retirement as Deloitte CEO
● Indian American Punit Renjen, who has served as the Global Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Deloitte Global, a leading international professional services network, is set to retire from the
post on December 31, 2022.
● He would be replaced by Joe Ucuzoglu.
About Punit Renjen:
● In 2015, he became CEO of Deloitte Global, the first Asian-born person to lead one of the
world’s biggest professional services firms.
● He was re-elected in 2019.
● He serves on Deloitte’s global board of directors.
● He served as CEO of Deloitte Consulting from 2009 to 2011.
● He served as the chairman of Deloitte LLP (Deloitte US) from 2011–2015.
● He developed and executed a global strategy that resulted in Deloitte’s revenue growing from
USD 35 billion to more than USD 59 billion in 7 years.
● He was named Global Indian of the Year by the Economic Times in 2022.
IIT Guwahati Director Professor TG Sitharam appointed as the new chairman of AICTE
● IIT Guwahati Director, T G Sitharam has been appointed chairman of the All India Council for
Technical Education (AICTE) for three years or till he attains the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
● He replaced UGC chairman Jagadesh Kumar, who was holding the interim charge of the AICTE
chairman after the retirement of Anil Sahasrabuddhe on September 1, 2021.
About T G Sitharam :
● T G Sitharam was a professor in the department of civil engineering at the Indian Institute of
Science, Bangalore.
● He took over as the director of IIT Guwahati in July 2019.
● He is the former research council chairman of CSIR- CBRI (Central Building Research Institute,
Roorkee).
● Since May 2021, he has held the position of Director (additional charge) of the Central Institute
of Technology, Kokrajhar, Assam.
● He is also a member of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).
Awards & Honors :
● He is the recipient of several awards
➢ SP Research Award (SAARC) (1998)
➢ Sir CV Raman State Award for Young Scientists, Government of Karnataka (2002)
➢ Professor Gopal Ranjan Research Award (2014)
➢ The Amulya and Vimala Reddy Lecture Award (2014)
➢ IGS Kueckelmann Award (2015).
About AICTE :
Founded : November 1945
● The AICTE is a statutory body, and a national-level council for technical education, under the
Department of Higher Education.
India win the IEC vice presidency and Strategic Management Board Chair for the 2023-25 term & Mr
Vimal Mahendru elected as IEC Vice President
● India won the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Vice Presidency and Strategic
Management Board (SMB) Chair for the 2023-25 term.
● Mr. Vimal Mahendru will be the IEC Vice President representing India.
● He was elected by securing over 90% of the votes cast by full members of IEC during its
General Meeting held recently in San Francisco, USA.
About IEC:
● Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland

● President : Yinbiao Shu
● General Secretary : Philippe Metzger
● The IEC is an international standards organisation that prepares and publishes international
standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as
"electrotechnology".
● SMB is an apex governance body of the IEC responsible for technical policy matters.
About Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution :
● Cabinet Minister : Piyush Goyal
● Minister of State : Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Ashwini Kumar Choubey
Union Health Ministry appoints Dr. Deepa Malik as Nikshay Mitra ambassador
• The Union Health Ministry designated the President of the Paralympic Committee of India Dr.
Deepa Malik as Nikshay Mitra ambassador in New Delhi.
Key Highlights :
• Deepa Malik expressed her commitment to the TB Mukt Bharat (TB-free India) campaign,
launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2018.
• She participated in TB awareness activities at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Pavilion
at the 41st India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• She has adopted 5 TB patients herself as a Ni-Kshay Mitra and encouraged people to enroll in
this scheme.
About Nikshay Mitra :
• It is an initiative under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
• Ni-Kshay Mitra, an initiative launched by President Droupadi Murmu strives to provide aid to TB-
afflicted patients on three levels of nutritional, additional diagnostic, and vocational support
• This program was brought in the direction of Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan to
eradicate TB by 2025.
• India has the world's highest burden of tuberculosis (TB), with an estimated 2.6 million people
suffering from the disease and nearly 4 million dying from it every year.
• World TB Day: 24 March
About Deepa Malik :

• She is the first Indian woman to win a medal in Paralympic Games and won a silver medal at the
2016 Summer Paralympics in the shot put.
• She is the only Indian woman to win medals in 3 consecutive Asian Para Games (2010, 2014,
2018)
• She is currently the world's number one in the F-53 category.
Awards & Honors :
• She was honoured with the Arjuna award in 2012, at the age of 42 years.
• She has also been conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2017.
NDDB promotes its executive director Meenesh C Shah to managing director
• The Board of Directors of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has promoted the
current acting chairman, Meenesh C Shah to managing director from the executive director.
• After Dilip Rath was appointed Chairman of the NDDB in 2016, the position of managing director
became vacant.
• The position of full-time Chairman of the NDDB has been vacant since December 2020, when
Rath stepped down.
• In 2021, Shah took over the additional charge of chairman of NDDB, whose term ends on
November 30, 2022.
About NDDB :
• Headquarters: Anand, Gujarat
• Chairman: Meenesh C Shah
• It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying of the
K Sivan is one of 67 recipients of the Karnataka Rajyotsava Awards:
• Former ISRO Chairman K Sivan, as well as actors Dattanna, Avinash, and Sihi Kahi Chandru,
are among the 67 people who will receive the Rajyotsava Award this year from the Karnataka
government.
• The award, which includes a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a gold medal, and a citation, will be
presented, on the day the state was formed.
• The Karnataka government has formed an expert committee for the first time to identify
achievers from various fields for the awards.
• Previously, candidates were chosen from a pool of applicants.
• Some have complained that awards are given to those with ties to the BJP and right-wing
organizations.
Overall List of Awardees:
Education-
• Koti Rangappa (Tumkur)
• MG Nagaraj - Researcher (Bangalore)
Sports
• Dattatreya Govinda Kulkarni (Dharwad)
• Raghavendra Annekar (Belagavi)
Judiciary
• Venkatachalapathy (Bangalore)
• Nanjundereddy (Bangalore)
Literature
• Shankar Chachadi (Belagavi)
• Krishna Gowda (Mysore)
• Ashoka Babu Nilagarh (Belgavi)
• Ra Mitra (Hassan)
• Ramakrishna Marathe (Kalaburgi)
Sculpture
• Parushuram Pawar (Bagalakot),
• Hanumanthappa Balappa Hukkeri (Belagavi)
painting
• Sannarangappa Chitrakar-Kinna's Art (Koppal)
• ara Madam (Chamarajanagar)
Soldier
• Subedar BK Kumaraswamy (Bangalore)
Journalism
• H.R. Srisha (Bangalore),
• GM Shirahatti (Gadag)
Agriculture
• Ganesh Thimmaiah (Kodagu),
• Chandrasekhar Narayanpur (Chikkamagaluru)
Science and Technology
• K. Sivan (Bangalore)
• D.R.Baluragi (Raichur)
The environment
• Salumada Ninganna (Ramanagar)
Civil Service Sector
• Mallamma Flower Boat (Vijayanagar)
Administration
• L.H. Manjunath (Shivamogga),
• Madan Gopal (Bangalore)
Abroad
• Devidas Shetty (Mumbai),
• Arvind Patil (Overseas),
• Krishnamurthy Manja (Telangana)
Abroad
• Rajkumar of Gulf Country (Gulf Nation)
Medical
• Dr. H. S. Mohan (Shivamogga)
• Dr. Basavanthappa (Davanagere)

Social service
• Ravishetti (South Kannada)
• Kariappa (Bangalore Rural)
• MS Cory Shetter (Haveri)
• D. Madegowda (Mysore)
• Balbir Singh (Bidar)
The Lakshmir Bhandar scheme in West Bengal wins the SKOCH Award:
• The Lakshmir Bhandar program of the West Bengali government won the SKOCH award for
women and child development.
• The award honours both the state's government and the nearly two crore women who have
been given more power through the program.
• The West Bengal government introduced the program in August 2021 to offer financial
assistance to a woman who is the head of a family and is between the ages of 25 and 60.
• The program provides monthly payments of Rs 500 to women in the general caste category and
about Rs 1,000 to women in the SC and ST categories.
• The state government funds the program with an annual expenditure of approximately Rs
11,000 crore.
• The SKOCH Award was established in 2003, and it is given in recognition of, among other
things, excellent corporate leadership, inclusive growth, technological innovation, change
management, corporate governance, delivery of citizen services, capacity building, and
empowerment.
Edward M. Kennedy receives the 'Friends of Liberation War' award from Bangladesh PM Sheikh
Hasina:
• Former US Senator Edward M Kennedy was posthumously awarded the prestigious 'Friends of
Liberation War honour by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka for his
contribution to Bangladesh's liberation.
• The award was given to his son, Edward M Ted Kennedy Junior.
• Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed gratitude for Edward Kennedy Senior's significant
contribution.
• Despite the US government's role in the 1971 liberation war, she claimed that Kennedy Senior
took a courageous stand against Pakistan's genocide against innocent Bengali people.
• Prime Minister Hasina recalled Kennedy Senior's strong opposition to the US government policy
of supplying arms to Pakistan, saying that Kennedy worked hard to stop US military and
economic aid to Pakistan until the war ended.
• She recalled Kennedy visiting refugee camps in West Bengal, where a large number of people
from then-East Pakistan had fled to avoid Pakistan army brutality.
The 'Union Home Minister's Special Operation Medal' has been awarded to 63 officers:
• For the year 2022, 63 police officers from Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Telangana, Jammu, and
Kashmir have been awarded the 'Union Home Minister's Special Operation Medal.'
• The award was given by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for four special operations they
carried out in the areas of terrorism, border actions, arms control, narcotics smuggling
prevention, and rescue operations.
• On the occasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary, 63 police officers were
awarded the special medal.
• The officers were from Telangana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi, and the Jammu and Kashmir
Union Territories.
• The medals were presented at the 'Run For Unity' event to commemorate Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel's birth anniversary.
• In 2018, the 'Union Home Minister's Special Operation Medal' was established.
• Throughout India, it is bestowed upon state and union territory police forces, central police
organizations, central armed police forces, and security organizations.

Puneeth Rajkumar was posthumously awarded the Karnataka Ratna:
• The Karnataka government presented the late actor with the Karnataka Ratna award.
• Gandhada Gudi, the final film starring the late Kannada Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar, was
released on October 28, 2022.
• Puneeth Rajkumar's wife, Ashwini, accepted the state's top civilian honor on her husband's
behalf.
• Shiva Rajkumar, Appu's older brother, was also present.
• With his posthumous distinction, Puneeth Rajkumar became the ninth recipient of the coveted
award.
• Renowned actors Junior NTR and Rajnikanth presented the honor, along with Sudha Murthy,
chair of the Infosys Foundation.

About Puneeth Rajkumar:
• Puneeth Rajkumar experienced a heart arrest on October 29, 2021, and died at the age of 46.
His unexpected death shocked the nation, according to the news.
• The Sandalwood actor made his film debut as a child in Premada Kanike in 1976.
• He was only six months old when he was chosen for this V. Somashekar-directed thriller.
• He began his career as a child artist, and in 1985, his performance in the movie Bettada Hoovu
earned him a national honor.
The French government awarded Aruna Sairam the Chevalier Award:
• Aruna Sairam, a Carnatic vocalist, composer, collaborator, humanitarian, and speaker, has
received the French government's highest honour, Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
• Aruna Sairam was chosen for this honour not only for her singing abilities but also for her
contributions to the growth of the Indo-French friendship.
• Aruna Sairam began her classical training with Rajalakshmi Sethuraman, her mother.
• She later became a protégé of great vocalist Sangita Kalanidhi T. Brinda, carrying on a historic
line of Tanjore women vocalists that dates back more than eight generations.
• She was afterwards tutored by various renowned maestros from our country.
• When she was the first to mix Abhang, a Western Indian musical genre, into a traditional South
Indian concert, her music transcended geographical boundaries.
• Aruna connects beyond regional constraints by collaborating with national and international
musicians, who use melody as a language of human expression.
Ezhuthachan Award 2022 was given to renowned Malayalam author Sethu:
• Sethu (A. Sethumadhavan), a well-known Malayalam fiction author, has been chosen for the
Kerala government's coveted "Ezhuthachan Puraskaram" this year in honour of his overall
contribution to the Malayalam language and literature.
• By going beyond the concepts of movements and trends, he concentrated on modernizing
literature.
• His well-known works include Pandavapuram, Kaimudrakal, Adayalangal, Kiratam, Araamathe
Penkutty, and Kilimozhikalkkappuram.
• In addition to these, he was the recipient of numerous honours, including those from the Kendra
Sahitya Akademi and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi.
• Numerous of his works have been adapted into films and have been translated into both Indian
and international languages.
Sethu's career:
• The 80-year-old, who works as a banker, is known for his novels "Pandavapuram" and
"Atayalangal," as well as his short stories "Petiswapnangal" and "Sethuvinte Kathakal" (short
story).
• For both novels and short tales, Sethu has won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award and the
Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award.
• The top literary award of the state government is named after the 16th-century devotional poet
Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, who is regarded as the originator of the Malayalam
language.
• The award comes with a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 5,00,000.
Amit Dasgupta received an award from the Order of Australia:
• In recognition of his contributions to the bilateral connection between Australia and India, Amit
Dasgupta was named an Honorary Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia
(AM).
• Dasgupta works tirelessly to advance ties between Australia and India, pressuring both
countries' leaders and citizens to see the benefits of a more solidified bilateral connection.
• Dasgupta's significant and ongoing contributions to the bilateral relationship between Australia
and India are admirable and deserving of formal national recognition through his appointment as
an Honorary Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM).
About Australia
• Prime minister: Anthony Albanese.
KSRTC employee Grama Vandi is recognized on a national level:
• Grama Vandi wins honours at the federal level: The Award of Excellence in Urban Transport
was also won by the KSRTC's "Grama Vandi," which was launched in cooperation with State-
level local self-government organizations.
• The city circle service provided by the Kerala Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) won the
national "Commentation Award in Urban Transport" for "City with the Best Public Transport
System."
• Projects aimed at enhancing public transportation in all Indian cities were taken into
consideration for the prizes created by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.
• At the Urban Mobility India (UMI) conference on November 6 in Kochi, Governor Arif
Mohammad Khan and Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore
will present the awards.
M. T. Vasudevan Nair received a Kerala Jyothi award:
• The first Kerala Jyothi award, which was established by the state government in the spirit of the
Padma awards to honour persons who have made priceless contributions to society, has been
given to renowned Malayalam author and Jnanpith laureate M T Vasudevan Nair.
• Delhi-based The first "Kerala Prabha" awards, announced by the government, will be given to
Malayalam megastar Mammootty Omcheri N. N. Pillai, a dramatist, and T. Madhava Menon, a
former civil officer, and social worker.
• According to a statement made on the eve of Kerala Piravi, the first "Kerry Sree" awards have
been given to the amphibian biologist Sathyabhama Das Biju (Dr. S D Biju), magician Gopinath
Muthukad, sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman, businessman Kochouseph Chittilappilly, scientist M P
Parameswaran, and singer Vijayalakshmi.
The National Florence Nightingale Awards 2021 are presented by President Droupadi Murmu:
• Smt Droupadi Murmu, President of India, gave the National Florence Nightingale Awards
(NFNA) for the year 2021 to nursing workers at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India established the National
Florence Nightingale Awards in 1973 as a symbol of distinction for the meritorious services done
by nurses and nursing professionals to society.
LIST OF WINNERS
S. No Category State Name
1 Auxiliary Nurse Andaman & Ms. Chandra Mallik
and Midwife Nicobar
2 Auxiliary Nurse Bihar Ms. Shabrun Khatun
and Midwife
3 Auxiliary Nurse Delhi Ms. Geeta Rani
and Midwife
4 Auxiliary Nurse Karnataka Ms. Laxmi Metre
and Midwife
5 Auxiliary Nurse Karnataka Ms. Sajeeda Banu
and Midwife
6 Auxiliary Nurse Kerala Ms. Sheelarani VS
and Midwife
7 Auxiliary Nurse Maharashtra Ms. Manisha Bhauso
and Midwife Jadhav
8 Auxiliary Nurse Manipur Ms. Thaimei Sanahanbi
and Midwife
9 Auxiliary Nurse Odisha Ms. Damayanti Rout
and Midwife
10 Auxiliary Nurse Puducherry Ms. V. Angalaisvary
and Midwife
11 Auxiliary Nurse Rajasthan Ms. Indu Laxmi Sankhla
and Midwife
12 Auxiliary Nurse Sikkim Ms. Tika Devi Pandey
and Midwife
13 Auxiliary Nurse Tamil Nadu Ms. E. Mangammal
and Midwife
14 Auxiliary Nurse Tamil Nadu Ms. S. Selvi
and Midwife
15 Auxiliary Nurse Uttarakhand Ms. Ganga Joshi
and Midwife
16 Auxiliary Nurse West Bengal Ms. Dona Das Ghosh
and Midwife
17 Auxiliary Nurse West Bengal Ms. Smita Kar
and Midwife
18 Lady health Arunachal Ms. Longku Yakh
visitors Pradesh
19 Lady health Karnataka Ms. P.S. Kaver
visitors
20 Lady health Maharashtra Ms. Rajeshree Tulshiram
visitors Patil
21 Lady health Manipur Ms. Wairokpam Hemabati
visitors Devi
22 Nurse Andaman & Ms. S. Vijaya Saigal
Nicobar
23 Nurse Andhra Pradesh Ms. Miriyala Jhansi Rani
24 Nurse Bihar Ms. Naziya Parveen
25 Nurse Chandigarh Ms. Harinder Kaur
26 Nurse Gujarat Mr. Dafda Chaturbhai
Khimabhai
27 Nurse Gujarat Ms. Varshaben D. Rajput
28 Nurse Haryana Ms. Savita Rani
29 Nurse Himachal Pradesh Ms. Promila Devi
30 Nurse Jammu & Kashmir Mr. Ahmedullah Wani
31 Nurse Karnataka Dr. Elsa Sanatombi Devi
32 Nurse Kerala Ms. Susan Chacko
33 Nurse Lakshadweep Mohammed Kasim AB
34 Nurse Maharashtra Ms. Alaka Vilas Korekar
35 Nurse Maharashtra Ms. Anjali Anant
Patwardhan
36 Nurse Manipur Ms. Takhellambam
Helena Devi
37 Nurse Meghalaya Ms. Victorealness
Syiemlieh
38 Nurse Mizoram Ms. Vanlalrovi
39 Nurse Odisha Ms. Khulana Barik
40 Nurse Odisha Ms. Sibani Das
41 Nurse Puducherry Ms. Sarasvady V.
42 Nurse Punjab Ms. Surinder Kaur
43 Nurse Rajasthan Mr. Ram Prasad Meena
44 Nurse Sikkim Ms. Tashi Lamu Sherpa
45 Nurse Tripura Ms. Atashi Majumder
46 Nurse Uttar Pradesh Ms. Suman Dubey
47 Nurse Uttarakhand Ms. Shashi Kala Pandey
48 Nurse Gujarat Mr. Jonils Alvin Macwan
49 Nurse Uttar Pradesh Asstt. Comdt. Lissy
Achankunju
50 Nurse Delhi Ms. Meera Mukund Dhote
51 Nurse Rajasthan Brig. Punita A. Sharma
Dr. Subhash Babu, a prominent Indian physician, will receive the Bailey K. Ashford Medal:
• Dr. Subhash Babu, a well-known Indian doctor, and scientist has been honored with the Bailey
K. Ashford Medal and the Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
(FASTMH) awards for 2022.
• He receives this honor in recognition of his remarkable work in tropical medicine and research.
• The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), the largest scientific
organization in tropical medicine in the world, awards the medal every year to one or more mid-
career researchers for outstanding contributions to tropical medicine.
• The prize has never been granted to an Indian scientist or an Indian institution for work
throughout its 82-year history. Dr. Subash Babu is the first Indian to win both the FASTMH
award and the Bailey K. Ashford medal.
• He serves as the International Centre for Excellence in Research's (ICER) Scientific Director for
the India Program.
• He is a pioneer in the study of tuberculosis and helminth infections.

The Kuldip Nayar Patrakarita Samman Award will be given to Arfa Khanum Sherwani in 2022:
• Arfa Khanum Sherwani, the senior editor of The Wire, has been given the renowned Kuldip
Nayar Patrakarita Samman for 2022, according to the Gandhi Peace Foundation.
• The well-known academic and novelist, Ashis Nandy, made the statement at a press conference
held at New Delhi's Press Club of India.
• The award for 2021 went to independent journalist and YouTuber Ajit Anjum, according to
Nandy's announcement.
• The honor is given to journalists who work in Indian languages and contribute to democratic
values and independent media.
• It honors the legacy of journalist, author, and human rights campaigner Kuldip Nayar.
• Later in the year, there will be a formal ceremony where the prizes will be presented.
• One lakh rupees in cash are awarded to the chosen journalists as part of this Gandhi Peace
Foundation award.
• In addition to this, he receives a citation in recognition.
Bihari Puraskar to renowned authors Dr. Madhav Hada and Madhu Kankaria:
• The 31st and 32nd Bihari Puraskars were given to renowned authors Madhu Kankariya and Dr.
Madhav Hada, respectively.
• Hada received the Puraskar for his 2015 book of literary critique, "Pachrang Chola Pahar Sakhi
Ri," while Kankariya received it for her 2018 book, "Hum Yahan The." Indravardhan Trivedi, the
vice-chancellor of Mohan Lal Sukhadia University in Udaipur, presented the awards to the
writers during a program on the campus.
• Hada received the Bihari Puraskar 2022 for his extensive work in literature, media, culture, and
history.
• He is a literary critic and academic.
• He has also served on the Hindi Advisory Board and the Sahitya Akademi's general council.
Bhopal Railway Station awarded ‘Eat Right Station’ certification with a 4-star rating by FSSAI
● The Food Safety and Standard Association of India (FSSAI) awarded Bhopal Railway Station a
4-star ‘Eat Right Station’ certification for providing ‘"high-quality, nutritious food to passengers".
● The other railway stations with this certification include
● Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station; (Delhi)
● Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus; (Mumbai)
● Mumbai Central Railway Station; (Mumbai)
● Vadodara Railway Station (Gujarat)
● Chandigarh Railway Station (September 2021)
About Eat Right Station :
● The 'Eat Right Station' certification is awarded by FSSAI to railway stations that set benchmarks
in providing safe and wholesome food to passengers.
● Its tagline is ‘Sahi Bhojan, Behtar Jeevan’.
● The station is awarded a certificate upon a conclusion of an FSSAI-empanelled third-party audit
agency with ratings from 1 to 5.
● The 4-star rating indicates full compliance by the station to ensure safe and hygienic food is
available to passengers.
● The certification is part of the 'Eat Right India' movement- a large-scale effort by FSSAI to
transform the country's food system to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians.
● Eat Right India adopts a judicious mix of regulatory, capacity building, collaborative, and
empowerment approaches to ensure that our food is suitable both for the people and the planet
About FSSAI :
● Chairperson : Rajesh Bhusan
● CEO : S Gopalakrishnan
● The FSSAI is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,
Indian-origin Nobel Laureate Venki Ramakrishnan was awarded UK’s royal Order of Merit
● Indian-origin Nobel laureate Professor Venki Ramakrishnan has been awarded the Order of
Merit an exclusive mark of honour conferred by the British sovereign in recognition of his
distinguished service to science.
● The 70-year-old UK-based molecular biologist is among 6 appointments made to the historic
order by the late Queen Elizabeth II before her death in September 2022 and the first to be
appointed by King Charles.
● Apart from Venki Ramakrishnan, the new appointments are
➢ David Adjaye, a Ghanaian-British architect
➢ Elizabeth Anionwu, the UK’s first sickle-cell nursing specialist
➢ Floella Benjamin, the broadcaster who chairs the Windrush Commemoration Committee
➢ Margaret MacMillan, a Canadian who is an Oxford University history professor
➢ Paul Nurse, the director of the Francis Crick Institute who is also a Nobel laureate and Venki’s
immediate predecessor as Royal Society president.
About Venkatraman Ramakrishnan :
● Ramakrishnan was born in Chidambaram, Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India.
● In 1999, Ramakrishnan's laboratory published a 5.5-angstrom resolution structure of the 30S
subunit.
● He served as President of the Royal Society from 2015 to 2020.
● He is also the author of the popular book, Gene Machine, which captures his first-hand account
of the discovery.
Awards & Honors :
● In 2007, Ramakrishnan was awarded the Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine and the Datta
Lectureship and Medal of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS).
● In 2008, he won the Heatley Medal of the British Biochemical Society.
● In 2009, Ramakrishnan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Thomas A. Steitz
and Ada Yonath.
● He received India's second-highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2010.
● Venki received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on ribosomal structure and was
knighted in 2012.
● In 2017, he received the Golden Plate Award from theAmerican Academy of Achievement.
About Order of Merit :
● The Order of Merit is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished
service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture.
The Print & Saurabh Shukla wins the International Press Institute India award
● The Print, a news portal, and Saurabh Shukla of the NDTV has been selected for the
International Press Institute (IPI) India Award for Excellence in Journalism, 2022.
● IPI-India instituted the annual award in 2003 to recognise and honour the best work done by an
Indian media organization or journalist working in print, radio, television and internet mediums.
Key Highlights :
● The Print has been recognised for a series of stories that exposed how hospitals, local bodies
and governments in various States mismanaged the support system for the fight against COVID.
● Saurabh Shukla of NDTV has been awarded an entry on the exposure of hate speech made by
religious men in Haridwar.
● The award comprises a cash prize of ₹1 lakh, a trophy and a citation, to each team.
● The selection was made by a distinguished jury of editors headed by Justice Madan B. Lokur,
former judge of the Supreme Court of India.
● The award has been given to 17 media organizations and journalists in the print and electronic
media so far.
About IPI :
● Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
● Chair : Khadija Patel
● IPI is a global organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedomand the
improvement of journalism practices.
President of IFCCI Sumeet AnandConferred with the Legion d'Honneur award
• In Mumbai, Mr. Sumeet Anand, the founder of IndSight Growth Partners and the president of the
Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry, received the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur
(Knight of the Legion of Honour) from Mr. Emmanuel Lenain, the French Ambassador to India.
• The highest civilian award given by France is in honour of Mr. Sumeet Anand's excellent
achievements in business and industry as well as in fostering links between France and India in
the domains of education and business.
• One of India's top corporate strategy advisors, Sumeet Anand, has been instrumental in the
growth of commerce and investment between India and France, particularly with regard to Indo-
French cross-investments.
• He plays a significant role in establishing links between French and Indian businesses as well as
industry leaders.
NTPC team won the Gold prize at the 47th ICQCC-2022:
• The 47th International Convention on Quality Control Circle (ICQCC-2022) has given the
"GOLD" award to the NTPC's QC Team from Unchahar ABHYUDAYA
• From November 15 to 18, the convention will be held in Jakarta.
• ICQCC-2022's theme was "Built Back Better via Quality Efforts."
• On "Frequent Choking of Collecting Tanks of AHP-IV," the NTPC QC Team presented.
• Shri Mahesh Chandra, Shri Virendra Kumar Yadav, Shri Laxmi Kant, and Shri Reyaz Ahamad
(Facilitator) worked tirelessly to develop original, sensible, and superior solutions to the issue at
hand.
• The 30th Session of the World HRD Congress named NTPC the "Dream Employer of the Year"
in March 2022.
• The Association for Talent Development (ATD), USA chose NTPC as a 2022 ATD BEST award
winner in recognition of the company's initiative to develop a workforce that is prepared for the
future.
• The accolades and acknowledgements are proof that NTPC's human resources policies are on
par with those of the world's top corporations.
India was the recipient of the Excellence in Family Planning Leadership (EXCELL) Award:
• At the International Conference on Family Planning held in Thailand, India became the only
nation to earn the Leadership in Family Planning (EXCELL) Awards 2022 in the "country
category."
• India's initiatives to advance family planning show the country's success in reaching the SDG
goals for women's and maternal health.
• The prize honors India's accomplishments in ensuring greater access.
• The use of contemporary contraceptive techniques and a dramatic decline in unmet family
planning requirements.
• India has improved access to and adoption of contemporary contraceptive techniques, allowing
couples to make well-informed family planning decisions.
• From 54 to 67 percent, the nation's overall contraceptive prevalence rate has increased
significantly.
• From 66 percent in 2015–16 to 76 percent in 2019–21, India's currently married women aged
15–49 had their complete demand for family planning satisfied.
Gandhi Mandela Award is given to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama:
• Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the governor of Himachal Pradesh, presented the Gandhi
Mandela Award 2022 to the 14th Dalai Lama at Thekchen Choeling at McleodGanj,
Dharamshala.
• The Tibetan spiritual leader accepted the Gandhi Mandela Foundation's peace award in New
Delhi.
• Justice KG Balakrishnan, a former chief justice of India, and Justice Gyan Sudha Misra, a former
justice of the Supreme Court, both attended the ceremony.
• The Dalai Lama was chosen as the recipient of the prize this time by a jury that also included
former Chief Justices of India KG Balakrishnan and Justice Dipak Misra, former Supreme Court
Judge Gyan Sudha Misra, former Chief Justices of Nepal and Bangladesh, Kedarnath Upadhyay
and MD Tafazzul Islam.
• The Gandhi Mandela Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a government of India
registered trust that was established to promote the nonviolent principles of Mahatma Gandhi
and former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Khalid Jawed is awarded the JCB Prize for Literature in 2022:
• The fifth JCB Prize for Literature went to author Khalid Jawed for his work "The Paradise of
Food," which Baran Farooqi translated from Urdu.
• The novel, which was first released in 2014 under the name "Ne'mat Khana," is the first Urdu-
language work to get the honour and the fourth translation overall.
• With the conflict between his household and the outside world, the narrator of "The Paradise of
Food" strives to find his place in a middle-class Muslim family over the course of fifty years.
• Along with a trophy and the prize money of Rs. 25 lakh, Jawed also received the sculpture
"Mirror Melting" by Delhi artists Thukral and Tagra.
• In addition, Baran Farooqi received Rs 10 lakh for the honour.
• The award was chosen by a team of five judges, which included writer Janice Pariat, translator-
historian J Devika, author Amitabha Bagchi, author-academician Rakhee Balaram, and journalist
and editor AS Panneerselvan.
• The International Booker-winning book "Tomb of Sand" by Geetanjali Shree, which Daisy
Rockwell translated from Hindi, and "Imaan" by Manoranjan Byapari were both included on a
shortlist unlike any other in the history of the award that exclusively contained translation
(translated from Bengali by Arunava Sinha).

• Additionally, Hindi and Nepali books were included in the shortlist of the literary award for the
first time.
• The debut novels "Valli" by Sheela Tomy and "Song of the Soil" by Chuden Kabimo, both
translated from Nepali by Ajit Baral, were also on the shortlist.
Chiranjeevi is named Indian Film Personality of the Year 2022 at the 53rd IFFI:
• Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi was honoured with the Indian Film Personality of the Year 2022
award at the opening ceremony of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
• Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, revealed that megastar
Chiranjeevi will get the Indian Film Personality of the Year award.
• Chiranjeevi has appeared in over 150 films, mostly in Telugu, for his nearly four-decade career.
About Chiranjeevi:
• Chiranjeevi is a well-known Indian actor, film producer, philanthropist, and politician best known
for his work in Telugu cinema.
• Chiranjeevi has appeared in over 150 films during his career.
• He has appeared in films in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi. In 1978, he made his screen debut with
Punadhirallu.
• From 2012 to 2014, he was the Minister of Tourism for the Government of India.
• In 1982, he captivated the audience with his performance in Initlo Ramayya Veedilo Krishnayya.
• He's recognized for his vivacious dancing routines and powerful fight sequences.
• Through his organization, The Chiranjeevi Charitable Foundation, which he formed in 1998, he
actively participates in philanthropy.
Uma Sharma, a Kathak performer, earned the Sumitra Charat Ram Award:
• Dr. Uma Sharma, a Kathak exponent, has earned the coveted 'Sumitra Charat Ram Award for
Lifetime Achievement in appreciation of her contribution to Indian classical music and dance.
• She is a renowned classical dancer who has received the Padma Shri (1973) and the Padma
Bhushan (2001) for her distinctive contribution to India's cultural history.
• She received the award from former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Karan Singh and Sarod
player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan at a ceremony hosted by Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra at
Kamani Auditorium.
About Sumitra Charat Ram Award:
• The Sumitra Charat Ram Award for Lifetime Achievement has been granted for the past 11
years to honour outstanding Artists who have made a lasting contribution to the world of Indian
Classical Music & Dance.
• Pt. Birju Maharaj, the doyen of the kathak dance, received the first award, which was followed by
Smt. Kishori Amonkar (Hindustani Vocal Music), Shri Mayadhar Raut (Odissi Dance), Smt.
Kumudini Lakhia (Kathak Dance), Pt. Jasraj (Hindustani Vocal Music), Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia
(Hindustani Instrumental Music (Indian Classical Dance Guru, Motivational Speaker).
Franca Ma-ih Sulem Yong has been awarded the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize for 2022:
• Franca Ma-ih Sulem Yong of Cameroon, President of the NGOs #Afrogiveness and Positive
Youths Africa, has been awarded the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of
Tolerance and Non-Violence for the 2022 Edition.
• The prize is named after its sponsor, Madanjeet Singh (1924-2013), a prominent Indian artist,
writer, and diplomat who was also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
About Franca Ma-ih Sulem Yong:
• Franca Ma-ih Sulem Yong, a journalist with seven years of experience, worked to shift public
understanding of mental illness.
• She started two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) - Afrogiveness Movement and Positive
Youths Africa - after receiving training in art therapy and psychology (PYA).
• These two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) work to help wounded survivors of religious
and intercultural disputes in African countries heal through the universal language of the arts.
• They have operations in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Mali, Niger,
Nigeria, Sudan, and Togo.
Concerning the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize:
• UNESCO awards the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and
Nonviolence every two years.
• The prize was inspired by UNESCO's Constitution, which declares that "peace if it is not to fail,
must be established on the intellectual and moral unity of mankind."
• It was unveiled in 1996, following the United Nations Year of Tolerance in 1995, and in
conjunction with Mahatma Gandhi's 125th birthday.
• Madanjeet Singh, a former Indian artist, writer, and diplomat who served as a UNESCO Goodwill
Ambassador, donated to fund the award.
Google creates an interactive doodle in honour of American geologist Marie Tharp:
• Google honours Marie Tharp, an American geologist and oceanographic cartographer who
contributed to the validation of continental drift theories.
• She contributed to the first ocean bottom map of the world.
• The Library of Congress recognized Ms. Tharp as one of the best cartographers of the 20th
century on November 21, 1998.
• An interactive biography of Ms. Tharp is featured on Google Doodle.
• Her tale is narrated by three well-known women, Caitlyn Larsen, Rebecca Nesel, and Dr. Tiara
Moore, who are actively continuing Marie Tharp's legacy by making strides in the traditionally
male-dominated fields of ocean research and geology.
• Tharp was exposed to map-making by her father, who worked for the United States Department
of Agriculture.
• She earned a master's degree in petroleum geology from the University of Michigan, which was
noteworthy given the lack of women in science jobs at the time.
• She moved to New York City in 1948 and worked as the first female employee at the Lamont
Geological Observatory.
About Google:
• Parent organization: Alphabet Inc.
Danish Manzoor Bhat received the first JaipurFoot USA Global Humanitarian Award:
• Danish Manzoor Bhat, originating from Kashmir Valley, was honoured this week at the
Consulate General of India in New York with Jaipur Foot USA's first Global Humanitarian Award.
• Consul General Randhir Jaiswal, IAS, and Prem Bhandari, Chairman, JaipurFoot USA accepted
the award at the Indian High Commission in New York.
• Varun Jeph, Deputy Consul General, was also present for the private event.
• The award was created to honour and recognize the selfless work of Indians who, without regard
for their own lives, serve others in need and are always a phone call away when it comes to
humanitarian operations that cross boundaries.
• He was recognized for his dedication and efforts in assisting hundreds of people affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic, notably during the lethal second wave in India.
The renowned Dr. Kalam Seva Puraskar was given to Ravi Kumar Sagar:
• The most prestigious Dr. Abdul Kalam Seva Puraskar was awarded to Ravi Kumar Sagar, one
of the youngest founders and CEO of RK'S INNO group.
• He is one of the youngest entrepreneurs in India, and he was honoured for his steadfast
contribution to society.
• Ravi Kumar Sagar, better known as RK'S, is a young businessman from the twin Telugu states
who made it big as a burgeoning entrepreneur in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ravi Kumar's formative years:
• On April 14, 2000, in Gudur, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, Ravi Kumar was born into a
middle-class family.
• When he was 12 years old, his mother passed away from cancer. Because he had to spend a
substantial amount of money on his mother's care, his father was in serious financial problems.
• But to restore stability, he and his sister were transferred from a private to a public school, and
their father took on numerous jobs.
• He persuaded his father to enrol in the "Diploma in Agriculture" in 2016 after finishing the tenth
grade since he was eager to start.
The Government of India announced the 2021 Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards:
• The National Adventure Award known as the "Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award" (TNNAA) for
the year 2021 was announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
• Four categories—Land Adventure, Water Adventure, Air Adventure, and Lifetime

Achievement—are available for the award.
Key Highlights:
• The Secretary (Youth Affairs) was appointed as the chairman of the National Selection
Committee
• The recipients will collect their honours at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on November 30, 2022, from
the President of India and other recipients of sports awards.
• The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards are presented each year to recognize
individuals who have excelled in the adventure industry.
• The honour promotes the growth of tenacity, boldness, collaborative effort, and quick reflexes.
Award Winners:
S. Name Category
No.
1. Ms. Naina Dhakad Land Adventure
2. Shri Shubham Dhananjay Vanmali Water Adventure
3. Group Captain Kunwar Bhawani Singh Lifetime Achievement
Samyal
Economic Times Inspiring Leaders Award 2022 given to museum creator AP Shreethar:
• The Economic Times Inspiring Leaders Award 2022 was given to museum creator AP.
Shreethar in Delhi.
• Actress Mrunal Thakur delivered the prize in Delhi, the nation's capital. AP Self-taught artist and
museum creator Shreethar.
• Over 72 exhibitions and shows are reported to have been produced by him around the world.
• In addition, Shreethar is credited with founding the first Live Art Museum in history.
• Celebrities like actor Amitabh Bachchan, Padmashree Dr. Kamal Hassan, Sachin Tendulkar,
A.R. Rahman, Padmashree Dr. Bala Murali Krishna, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien
Loong, former French President Mr. Francois Hollande, and former Malaysian Prime Minister
Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdu have praised AP. Shreethar, a recipient of the prestigious Le
Former French President Francois Hollande is known to have personally written a letter of praise
in honour of Shreethar's talent.
Procter & Gamble has named Matrix Partner of the Year for 2022:
• Procter & Gamble (P&G), one of the most valuable corporations in the world, recently
recognized and honoured Chennai-based Matrix Business Services India Pvt. Ltd. as "Partner of
the Year 2022" at an event held in Cincinnati, USA, for their commitment to the transformation of
their business operations.
• From a global network of more than 50,000 EBPs, Matrix was selected as one of the 11 for the
years 2021–2022.
• This is a tremendous recognition of Matrix's abilities to manage an end-to-end business process
in such a difficult and specialized field as Trade Fund Management, let alone across multiple
nations.
• The effort and commitment of team Matrix set the path for this accomplishment, which is the
highest honour a P&G partner can get.
Purnima Devi Barman of India is a 2022 "Champions of the Earth" nominee by UNEP:
• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) named Indian wildlife biologist Purnima
Devi Barman as one of the five "Champions of the Earth" for this year.
• The UNEP bestows the annual awards, which are considered the greatest environmental
honour, on people and organizations whose deeds have a "transformative influence" on the
environment.
• She was recognized for her entrepreneurial vision.
• The other honorees are Sir Partha Dasgupta of the United Kingdom, Arcenciel (Lebanon),
Constantino (Tino) Aucca Chutas (Peru), and Cecile Bibiane Ndjebet (Cameroon).
• For more than a decade, Barman has collaborated with local populations in Assam, particularly
women, to protect the greater adjutant stork, an endangered wetland bird whose numbers have
been falling as a result of habitat loss and the removal of nesting trees.
• The prize is "very humbling" for the entire crew.

Prodapt was the winner of the prestigious 2022 Salesforce Partner Innovation Award:
• Prodapt has been recognized as a winner of the Salesforce Partner Innovation Award in the
"Communications" category.
• Prodapt is a top worldwide consultancy, technology, and managed services provider with a sole
focus on the Connectedness market.
• Prodapt's contributions to Salesforce-driven digital transformation initiatives and the creation of
particular solution accelerators for the communications sector are honoured with the coveted
prize.
• Each year, the Salesforce Partner Innovation Awards honour the important contributions that
Salesforce partners—including consulting companies, digital agencies, resellers, and ISV
partners—have made across clouds, industries, and the larger partner program.
• The nominations were organized and reviewed by IDC, a global provider of industry research
and consultancy services for the IT, telecoms, and consumer technology markets.
• For the CRM transformation of Fiber Network Delivery to support numerous new operating
models, Prodapt submitted its candidacy.
• The recognition recognizes Prodapt's ongoing efforts to provide value to its international
clientele by quickening its transformation initiatives.
Rajendra Pawar receives the FICCI Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022:
• At the 8th FICCI Higher Education Excellence Awards ceremony, the Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) presented Rajendra Singh Pawar, Chairman &
Founder, of NIIT, with the "Lifetime Achievement Award 2022."
• The award honours Pawar for his outstanding work and significant contributions to education as
well as for founding the IT Training sector.
• A high-level jury panel, chaired by Dr R. A. Mashelkar, former director general of CSIR and
professor at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai, made the selection of the award.
• The development of trained labor to fuel the Indian IT industry's expansion has been a major
contribution made by NIIT.
• Through the not-for-profit NIIT University, he is currently working to build an innovative model in
Higher Education in addition to reinventing the IT Training sector.
About FICCI:
• President: Sanjiv Mehta
• Founded: 1927
• Founder: Ghanshyam Das Birla
Govt appoints 10 Executive Directors for public sector banks
● The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of 10
Executive Directors in various Public Sector Banks (PSBs) for a three-year period.
List of 10 Executive Directors :
1. Lalit Tyagi - Executive Director of Bank of Baroda (BoB)
2. Binod Kumar - ED of the Punjab National Bank (PNB)
3. Sanjay Vinayak Mudaliyar - Executive Director in Indian Overseas Bank.
4. Rajendra Kumar Saboo - Executive Director in UCO Bank
5. Malladi Venkat Murali Krishna - Executive Director ni Central Bank of India
6. Subrat Kumar - Executive Director of Bank of India.
7. M. Paramasivam - Executive Director in Punjab National Bank
8. Mahesh Kumar Bajaj - Executive Director in Indian Bank.
9. S Ramasubramanian - Executive Director in Union Bank of India
10. Ashok Chandra - Executive Director at Canara Bank
● The union government decided to increase the term of wholetime directors in public sector
banks, including MD & CEOs, to 10 years, from 5 years, a move aimed to bring in younger talent
in the top position.
IRSEE Vinit Kumar appointed as CEO of KVIC
● Shri Vinit Kumar has taken charge as the chief executive officer of Khadi & Village Industries
Commission (KVlC), Mumbai, Maharashtra.
About Vinit Kumar :
● Shri Vinit Kumar, an IRSEE officer of 1993 batch.
● He has served as the Chairman of Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port, Kolkata (erstwhile Shyama
Prasad Mukherjee Port, Kolkata from 2018-2020.
● He has served as Chief Electrical Engineer in Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd. and
looked after World Bank funded MUTP projects.
● He had served as Secretary, Central Railway and gained experience in general administration.
● He also worked in Pune and Nagpur in independent charge of traction assets and locomotive
workshop.
● He has been instrumental in the growth of regional connectivity comprising neighboring
countries and the North - East region.
● He has focused on excelling in business relations with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar
and Thailand through various strategic initiatives.
About KVIC :
● Founded : 1957
● Chairman : Manoj Kumar
● KVIC is a statutory body under the Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission
Act of 1956'.
● It is an apex organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar awarded 39 schools for 2021-22
• The Ministry of Education awarded the Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar to 39 schools across the
country for the 2021-2022 academic session.
• The schools were chosen from among 8.23 lakh submissions.
• There were 28 government and aided schools and 11 private schools.
• Two Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, one Navodaya Vidyalaya, and three Kendriya
Vidyalayas have been recognized.
• The Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar recognizes schools that have done outstanding work in the
areas of water, sanitation, and hygiene.
• It also serves as a standard and a road map for schools to progress further.
• Water, toilets, soap-free handwashing, operation and maintenance, behavioural change, and
capacity building are the six basic factors used to grade the schools.
• There are 17 elementary schools and 22 secondary/higher secondary schools among the 39
schools.
'Dear Diary,' a film, has won the 53-Hour Challenge for 75 creative minds:
• Team Purple was chosen as the winner of the 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow talent campus,
which is part of the International Film Festival of India.
• The winning film, "Dear Diary," portrayed the narrative of a lady forced to confront her past pain
as she meets with her sister, who wishes to visit the same location where her abuse occurred
earlier.
• A three-member panel chaired by famous filmmaker Mani Ratnam, CEO and Shorts TV founder
Carter Pilcher, and Armstrong Pame, deputy secretary (Shorts-I) at the Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting, judged the films.
About 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow:
• The "53-Hour Challenge" award ceremony closed the second edition of the "75 Creative Minds
of Tomorrow" at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.
• The competition challenged the 75 Creative Minds chosen from around the country to create a
short film on their notion of India@100 in 53 hours.
• The program drew participants aged 18-35 years old from various disciplines of filmmaking and
from around India.
• One of their goals was to work in five teams to create a short film in 53 hours on a budget of no
more than $1,000.
EGramSwaraj and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj have won a gold award in the National Awards for e-
Governance:
• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj's e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (eGramSwaraj and
AuditOnline) has won the GOLD AWARD in the category "Excellence in Government Process
Re-engineering for Digital Transformation" of the National Awards for e-Governance.
• The award recognizes Team e-Governance's excellent and exemplary effort, which was
supported by Team NIC-MoPR.
• Various stakeholders, particularly Panchayati Raj Institutions that quickly embraced e-Panchayat
applications, contributed to the success of the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project by
strengthening the Panchayati Raj System and making it functional, transparent, and efficient.
About e-GramSwaraj:
• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has established e-GramSwaraj, a user-friendly web-
based site, to strengthen e-Governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across the country.
• The goal of e-GramSwaraj is to improve openness in decentralized planning, progress reporting,
and work-based accounting.
Imayam, a Tamil author, was chosen for the Kuvempu national award:
• Rashtraku Kuvempu Prathishtana Kuppali has chosen Tamil poet V Annamalai aka Imayam for
the Kuvempu National Prize for the year 2022, which will be presented at Kuppali's 118th birth
anniversary celebration on December 29 in Thirthahalli taluk.
• The 'Kannada National Poet Kwembu Rashtriya Puraskar Award,' named after the late poet
Kwembu, has been announced by the Writer Institute for the Tamil language.
• The award includes a Rs 5 lakh cash reward, a silver medal, and a citation.
• Annamalai has written seven novels, six short story collections, and a novella under the pen
name Imayam.
• 'Koveru Kazhudaigal,' his debut novel, has been translated into English, French, and many other
Indian languages.
• Through his writings, Imayam has introduced new sensitivities to Tamil literature. Koveru
Kazhudaigal and Pethavan, two of his books, have been translated into English and several
other languages.
• Imayam was unanimously chosen for the award by a committee led by BL Shankar, interim
president of the Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Trust.
• Dr. Krishnaswamy, a retired Tamil professor at Christ University, and Agrahara Krishnamurthy,
former secretary of the Central Sahitya Academy, among others, served on the committee.
Shilp Guru and National Awards were conferred to Master Craftsperson by Vice President:
• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Union Textile Minister Piyush Goyal presented gold
medals to Mohammad Yusuf Khatri and Tamra Patra at Vigyan Bhawan.
• Mohammad Yusuf Khatri of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district has received the Shilp Guru Award
for 3017 for his efforts in preserving the history of Bagh Print handicrafts.
• In New Delhi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar presented Shilp Guru and National Awards to
master craftspeople for 2017, 2018, and 2019.
• Every year, these prizes were given to legendary master craftspeople whose work contributed to
the preservation of India's rich and diverse craft tradition.
• The award's main goal is to recognize exceptional craftspeople in the handicrafts sector.
• The honorees represent nearly all of the country's states and union territories, as well as various
artisan styles from various regions.
• Union Textile Minister Piyush Goyal stated that India is one of the world's leading handicraft
hubs, with handicraft exports expanding steadily.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya has received a UNESCO Award:
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Asia-Pacific
Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation-2022 were given to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS).
• In late 2019, the museum began phasing thorough repairs, restoration, and refurbishing of the
main and extension building, exterior and interiors, and major dome in preparation for its
centennial anniversary on January 10, 2022.
• The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya was founded in 1922 as the Prince of
Wales Museum of Western India.
• The jury this year recognized thirteen projects from six nations for awards: Afghanistan, China,
India, Iran, Nepal, and Thailand.
• Reviewing 50 submissions from 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the jury deliberated in
November.
• The Domakonda Fort in Telangana and Byculla Station in Mumbai are among the recipients of
the "Award of Merit," while the Golconda step wells in Hyderabad have received an "Award of
Distinction."
• Other recipients of the "Award of Merit" include the Topdara Stupa in Charikar, Afghanistan, and
the Nantian Buddhist Temple in Fujian, China.
12th edition of DefExpo to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• The 12th edition of the prestigious Biennial Defence Exhibition - DefExpo 2022 - India’s flagship
exhibition on Land, Naval, and Homeland Security systems held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, to
give impetus to the defence sector.
• The event has been organized on the theme 'Path to Pride'.
Key Highlights :
• The DefExpo 2022 will also mark the celebration of 1 year of the formation of the 7 new defence
companies, carved out of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board.
• All these companies will be participating for the first time at DefExpo.
• DefExpo 2022 is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to achieve self-
reliance in defence and achieve export of $5 billion by 2025.
• The event has been organized in 3 venue formats:
1. Helipad Exhibition Centre - Venue for the exhibition
2. Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre - Venue for the inaugural event and
seminars
3. Sabarmati Riverfront - Live demo

• For the first time, states/Union Territories have been invited to set up pavilions at the event.
• The first-ever ‘Invest for Defence’, from the Ministry of Defence, targeted to promote investment
in the defence sector in India will also be held at the expo.
• The exhibition will host the second edition of the India-Africa Defence Dialogue, in which several
defence ministers from African countries are expected to participate.
• A separate Indian Ocean Region plus conclave has also been planned.
About MoD :
• Union Minister: Rajnath Singh

IAF, French air force participate in bilateral exercise - Garuda VII in Rajasthan
• Indian Air Force (IAF) and French Air and Space Force (FASF) are participating in a bilateral
exercise, named 'Garuda VIl', from 26 October to 12 November 2022 at Air Force Station
Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
• It is the seventh edition of the bilateral exercise, being hosted by India for the fourth time so far.
• This joint exercise will provide a platform for both countries to enhance operational capability
and interoperability, while also sharing best practices
Participants of the exercise :
• FASF will participate with 4 Rafale fighter aircraft, one A-330 Multi Role Tanker Transport
(MRTT) aircraft, and a contingent of 220 personnel.
• The IAF is participating with Su-30 Modernized Commercial Indian (MKI) Jets, Rafale, Light
Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, and Jaguar fighter aircraft, as well as the Light Combat Helicopter
(LCH) and Mi-17 helicopters.
• The IAF contingent will also include Combat Enabling Assets like Flight Refuelling Aircraft,
Airborne Warning & Control Systems (AWACS), and Airborne Early Warning & Control
(AEW&C).
Key Highlights :
• The 1st, 3rd, and 5th editions were conducted in India in 2003, 2006, and 2014 at Air Force
Stations Gwalior, Kalaikunda, and Jodhpur, respectively.
• The 2nd, 4th and 6th editions were conducted in France in 2005, 2010, and 2019.
• In August 2022 FASF contingent, including three Rafale jets, made a strategically crucial
stopover at the IAF's Sulur base in Tamil Nadu as part of a mega military operation it carried out
in the Pacific Ocean.
DefExpo 2022 witnessed 451 MoUs, ToT agreements & product launches
• 451 Memoranda of Understanding, Transfer of Technology agreements, and product launches
took place during the Bandhan ceremony of the 12th DefExpo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• Of the 451, there were 345 MoUs, 42 Major Announcements, 46 Product Launches, and 18
ToTs
• It envisages investment worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

• Indian Air Force and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited concluded a contract for 70 HTT-40
indigenous trainer aircraft worth Rs 6,800 crore
Indian Navy Participates In Maiden Trilateral Military Exercise With Mozambique And Tanzania
• The first edition of the India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Exercise (IMT TRILAT), a joint
maritime exercise between Indian, Mozambique, and Tanzania navies commenced at Dar Es
Salaam, Tanzania from 27th Oct 2022 to 29th Oct 2022.
• The Indian Navy is represented by the guided missile frigate, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tarkash, a
Chetak helicopter, and Maritime Commandos (MARCOS) (Special Forces).
• The exercise has three broad objectives:
1. Capability development to address common threats through training and sharing of best
practices
2. Enhancing interoperability
3. Strengthening maritime cooperation.
• These exercises reflect India's and the Indian Navy's commitment to enhancing maritime
security and cooperation with maritime neighbors in the Indian Ocean Region and promoting
SAGAR, Safety, and Growth for All in the Region
About IMT TRILAT :
• The exercise includes harbor and sea phases.
• As part of the harbor phase, capability-building activities such as Visit, Board, Search, and
Seizure; small arms training; joint diving operations; damage control and fire fighting exercises;
and cross-deck visits are scheduled.
• The sea phase includes boat operations, fleet manoeuvres, Visit, Board, Search and Seizure
operations, helicopter operations, small arms firing, formation anchoring, and Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) patrols.
About Mozambique :
• President : Filipe Nyusi
• PM : Adriano Maleiane
• Capital : Maputo
• Currency : Metical
About Tanzania :
• President : Samia Suluhu Hassan
• Prime Minister : Kassim Majaliwa
• Capital: Dodoma
• Currency: Tanzanian shilling
About MoD :
Australian Navy ships arrive in Visakhapatnam for ex-Indo-Pacific Endeavour with Indian Navy
• Royal Australian Navy ships HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Anzac arrived in Visakhapatnam,
Andhra Pradesh (AP) for Exercise ‘Indo-Pacific Endeavour’ (IPE) 2022 with the Indian Navy.
About IPE :
• Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE), one of Australia’s key regional engagement activities, returns to
Southeast Asia and the Northeast Indian Ocean from September 2022 to November 2022,
visiting a record 14 countries in this iteration.
• IPE 2022 will see engagements with the Maldives, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, the Philippines,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and
Indonesia
• These engagements are supported by an Australian Defence Force Maritime Task Unit of Royal
Australian Navy ships and embarked Army members as well as Royal Australian Air Force air
mobility aircraft for fly-in-fly-out engagements, marking a total composition of 1800 personnel, 5
ships, and 11 helicopter
• IPE began in 2017 as an annual activity coordinated by the Australian Defence Force to deliver
on the promise of the 2016 Defence White Paper to strengthen Australia’s engagement and
partnerships with regional security forces.

Aim :
• To promote security and stability in Australia’s near region through bilateral and multilateral
engagement, training, and capacity building.
About Australia :
• President: Anthony Albanese
DRDO successfully conducts maiden flight test of Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence interceptor off
Odisha coast
• Defense Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful maiden flight
test of Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) interceptor AD-1 missile with a large kill altitude
bracket from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
• The flight test was carried out with the participation of all BMD weapon system elements located
at different geographical locations.
About AD-1 missile :
• The AD-1 is a long-range interceptor missile designed for both low exo-atmospheric and endo-
atmospheric interception of long-range ballistic missiles as well as aircraft.
• It is propelled by a two-stage solid motor and equipped with an indigenously-developed
advanced control system, navigation, and guidance algorithm to precisely guide the vehicle to
the target.
• During the flight test, all the sub-systems performed as per expectations and were validated by
the data captured by several range sensors including Radar, Telemetry, and Electro-Optical
Tracking stations deployed to capture the flight data.
About DRDO :
• Chairman : Dr Samir V Kamat
• The DRDO is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development
in the Ministry of Defence of the GoI.
About MoD :
Indian Army registers IPR of new design and camouflage pattern uniform
• The Indian Army has registered the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of its new design and
camouflage pattern uniform.
• The new digital pattern combat uniform for Army soldiers was unveiled on Army Day on January
15, 2022.
• The process for registration of the new Camouflage Pattern and Design of Improved Combat
Uniform to establish ownership of the Indian Army has been completed by the Controller
General of Patents, Designs, and Trademark, Kolkata, West Bengal.
Key Highlights :
• The Indian army holds exclusive intellectual property rights (IPR) of the design and camouflage
pattern
• Remedies against infringements include interim and permanent injunctions as well as damages.
• The improved uniform has a contemporary look and functional design.
• The fabric has been made lighter, stronger, breathable, quick-drying, and easier to maintain.
• The uniform’s uniqueness is evident with the inclusion of gender-specific modifications for
women’s combat uniform
• “Bulk procurement of 11.70 lakh sets to cater for the issue to Junior Commissioned Officers
(JCOs) and Other Ranks (OR) as part of the individual kit is in progress and is likely to
commence from August 2023.
• Chief of Defence Staff: General Anil Chauhan

About MoD :
Indian Army Approves Five make II Projects Providing Impetus to “Atma Nirbhaarta”
• Indian Army has approved project sanction orders for five Make -2 projects providing Impetus to
Atma Nirbhaarta.
• Indian Army is spearheading actions to provide impetus to “Make Projects” as the prime drivers
of infusion of niche technologies through indigenous development
About Make II projects :
• Make II projects are essentially Industry funded projects involving design, development, and
innovative solutions by Indian vendors for the development of prototypes.
• An assurance of order is given after successful prototype development.
List of 5 Make -2 projects whose PSOs have been approved:-
• High-Frequency Man Packed Software Defined Radio (HFSDR)
• A project Sanction Order (PSO) for the development of a prototype of Frequency Man Packed
Software Defined Radio (HFSDR) under the Make II scheme has been issued to 14 Developing
Agencies (DAs).
• 300 HFSDRs are planned to be procured by the Indian Army, on the successful development of
the prototype.
• The lightweight HFSDR will provide long-distance radio communication through enhanced data
capability and bandwidth coupled with enhanced security.
• Drone Kill System.
• As part of efforts to further encourage the indigenous anti-drone ecosystem, the Indian Army has
approved Project Sanction Order (PSO) to 18 Developing Agencies (DAs) for procurement of 35
sets of Drone Kill Systems under the Make II scheme, post successful development of
Prototype.
• The project is reserved for MSMEs/Startups.

• A drone Kill System is a hard kill anti-drone system against low Radio Cross Section (RCS)
Drone/ unmanned Aerial System (UAS), being developed to function in all types of terrains, both
during day and night.
• Infantry Training Weapon Simulator (IWTS).
• A project Sanction Order (PSO) has been issued to four Developing Agencies (DAs) to develop
the prototype for subsequent procurement of 125 sets of IWTS under the Make II procedure.
• The IWTS is the first tri-service Make II project with the Indian Army as the lead service.
• The project is reserved for MSMEs/ Startups.
• IWTS will be utilized to augment the marksmanship skills of young soldiers on a variety of
weapons used by the, providing user-friendly graphics to simulate battle scenarios.
• 155mm Terminally Guided Munitions (TGM).
• A project Sanction Order has been issued to six Developing Agencies (DAs) for the
development of 155 mm Terminally Guided Munition (TGM) under the Make II scheme.
• Medium Range Precision Kill System (MRPKS).
• A project Sanction Order has been issued to 15 Developing Agencies (DAs) for developing a
prototype of MRPKS under the Make-II category of DAP 2020.
• Post successful development of this prototype, the IA will procure 10 Sets of MRPKS.
• The Medium Range Precision Kill System (MRPKS), once launched can ‘Loiter’ in the air for up
to two hours and can acquire, designate and engage real-time high-value targets up to 40 km.
• The Indian Army is already progressing with 43 ongoing projects under the Make II procedure of
Capital Acquisition.
• 22 out of 43 Make II projects are now in the prototype development stage, which is 66 % of
projects by cost (Rs 18,000 Crores out of 27,000 Crores).
11th Joint Military Training-2022 Commenced between IAF & Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)
at Air Force Station Kalaikunda, West Bengal
• The 11th edition of the annual Joint Military Training (JMT) between the Indian Air Force (lAF)
and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) commenced at Air Force Station, Kalaikunda,
West Bengal (WB).
• The two Air Forces have resumed this training after a gap of two years.
• The 2022 edition of JMT would be conducted over six weeks.
Participants :
• RSAF - F-16 aircraft
• IAF - Su-30 MKI, Jaguar, MiG-29 LCA Tejas aircraft
About JMT 2022 :
• The bilateral phase of the exercise will be conducted from 09 to 18 November 2022 and will see
the two Air Forces engage in advanced air combat simulations.
• The exercise underscores the strong and long-standing relationship between India and
Singapore in the domain of defence cooperation.
• It seeks to provide the participating contingents with an opportunity to share valuable operational
knowledge, experiences, and best practices while strengthening the professional bonds between
the two Air Forces.
About MoD :
DRDO launches testing & evaluation facility for sonar systems of Indian Navy
• The Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) has launched the Hull Module of
the Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterization & Evaluation (SPACE) facility at Naval
Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) Kochi, Kerala.
• It is a state-of-the-art testing and evaluation facility for sonar systems developed for use by the
Indian navy onboard various platforms, including ships, submarines, and helicopters.
• This new facility has boosted the Government of India’s ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in
India’ initiatives.
About SPACE :
• SPACE is a one-of-a-kind facility in the world.

• The SPACE facility is based on the concept, design, and requirements projected by NPOL and
sss been constructed by Larsen & Turbo (L&T) Shipbuilding, Chennai.
• This will be mainly utilized for evaluating sonar systems, allowing for quick deployment and easy
recovery of scientific packages such as sensors and transducers.
• The uniqueness of this facility lies in the specially designed submersible platform, which can be
lowered up to depths of 100 meters.
• The design and construction of the platform meet all the statutory needs of the Indian Register of
Shipping and the vessel classifying authority and strictly adhere to the inspection and
registration criteria as per Kerala Inland Vessel Rules.
About DRDO :
• The DRDO is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and
Development in the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India.
Indian Navy participates Malabar Naval Exercise in Japan
• India is participating in 26th International Malabar Naval Exercise in Yokosuka of Japan.
• The exercise is scheduled to be held from November 8 to 18,2022.
• Australia, Japan, and the United States of America (USA) are also participating in the Malabar
Naval Exercise.
• 2022 marks the 30th anniversary year of Exercise MALABAR.
Key Highlights :
• The participating Indian Naval Ships Shivalik and INS Kamorta are indigenously designed and
form part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP).
• The Eastern Fleet commander, Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla will have operational discussions
with the commander of the US Seventh Fleet and Commander Escort Force 3 (JMSDF) as part
of Malabar-22.
• The Indian Navy will also participate in the International Fleet Review (IFR) being hosted in the
first week of November to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Japanese Maritime Self-
Defence Force (JMSDF).
About Malabar Exercise :
• The MALABAR exercise was initiated in 1992 between the navies of India and the United States.
• Australia was included as a regular member of Ex Malabar in 2020
Indian Army launches single window facility 'Veerangana Sewa Kendra' for welfare and grievances
redressal of Veer Naris
• Indian Army has launched a single window facility - Veerangana Sewa Kendra (VSK) for the
welfare and grievances redressal of Veer Naris.
• The project was inaugurated by President Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) on 10
November 2022 at the premises of the Directorate of Indian Army Veterans (DIAV) premises
located at Delhi Cantt.
• The project has been driven by DIAV, AG's Branch and the technology solution has been
developed by Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N),
Gandhinagar, Gujarat while Hero MotoCorp has supported the project through their Corporate &
Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
• Veer naris is employed as VSK staff to maintain inherent connection and empathy with the
beneficiaries.
About VSK :
• Veerangana Sewa Kendra (VSK) will be available as a service to the Indian Army Veterans
Portal at www.indianarmyveterans.gov.in.
• The system caters to registering grievances with tracking, monitoring, and regular feedback to
the applicant.
• Veernaris / Next of Kin will have multiple means for approaching the VSK through telephone,
SMS, WhatsApp, Post, e-mail, and walk-ins to seek assistance.
• Stakeholders can monitor the status of grievances through Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) software and the applicant will receive regular status updates through SMS and email
• The project leverages digital technology in the seamless coupling of various stakeholders i.e.
Record Offices, Officers Record Office, ECHS, AWWA, Canteen Services Directorate, Colonels
Veteran, Liaison Officers at PCDA (O), and PCDA (P) on a common digital platform.
• Non-military stakeholders like Rashtriya Sainik Board (RSB), Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) &
Zilla Sainik Board (ZSB) are being linked through email.
• The postal address of the facility is DIAV, 104 Cavalry Road, Maude Lines Delhi Cantt 110010.
• Registration of welfare-related grievances can be done on the portal by veer naris through the
respective Record Offices, Col Veterans, and DIAV.
About MoD :
• Chief of Defence Staff (CDS): General Anil Chauhan
• Chief of the Army Staff (COAS): General Manoj Pande
India's Ministry of Defence is the world's biggest employer with a 29.2 lakh workforce
• The report titled The World's Biggest Employers' (2022 or latest available) conducted by Statista
has revealed that the Indian Ministry of Defence is the world's largest employer, with a total of
2.92 million members who work under it.
• The research has found that under its aegis are active-duty personnel, reservists, and civilian
staff.
• The Indian Ministry of Defence is followed by the US Department of Defence, which comes a
close second with 2.91 million members.
• The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), which does not include civilian positions, employs
around 2.5 million people.
Key Highlights :
• Globally, the firm with the largest number of employees is Walmart, with 2.3 million people.
• Amazon comes second with 1.6 million employees.
• Findings on military expenditure by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
announced that the five largest spenders in 2021 were the United States, China, India, the United
Kingdom, and Russia accounting for 62% of expenditure in 2021.
• US navy spending amounted to USD 801 billion in 2021 whereas China, the world’s second-
largest spender, allotted an estimated USD 293 billion to its navy.
• Meanwhile, the SIPRI report says India’s navy spending of USD 76.6 billion ranked third highest
on the earth.
About Statista :
• Founded: 2007
• Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany
• CEO : Friedrich Schwandt
• Statista is a German company specializing in market and consumer data.
India Conducts Third Edition of Largest Nationwide Coastal Defence Exercise ‘Sea Vigil-22’
● The third edition of the ‘Pan-India’ Coastal Defence Exercise ‘Sea Vigil-22’ will be conducted on
15-16 Nov 22.
● The exercise will be undertaken along the entire 7516 km coastline and Exclusive Economic
Zone of India and will involve all the Coastal States and Union territories along with other
maritime stakeholders, including the fishing and coastal communities.
● The exercise is being conducted by the Indian Navy in coordination with the Coast Guard and
other ministries entrusted with the task of maritime activities.
● The exercise is a build-up towards the major Theatre Level Readiness Operational Exercise
(TROPEX), which the Indian Navy conducts every two years.
Key Highlights :
● Assets of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Customs and other maritime agencies will participate in
Ex Sea Vigil.
● In addition to the Ministry of Defence, the conduct of this exercise is also being facilitated by the
Ministries of Home Affairs, Ports Shipping and Waterways, Petroleum and Natural Gas,
Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Customs, and other agencies of Centre/ State.
● The National Level Coastal Defence Exercise was conceptualised in 2018 to validate various
measures that have been instituted towards enhancing maritime security since ‘26/11’.
About MoD :
● Union Minister: Rajnath Singh
● Defence Secretary: Dr.Ajay Kumar
BEL Signs 5 MoUs for Defence establishments and Export markets
● Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoUs) with five companies involved in the defence industry, for cooperation in the development
and marketing of drones and soft kill aerial anti-drone.
List of 5 Companies :
1. Hindustan Shipyard Limited
2. Yantra India Limited
3. Profense LLC, US
4. SVC Tech ventures LLP
5. Spacefaring Technologies Private Limited
Aim :
● To leveraging the complementary strengths and capabilities of BEL and Aerosense
Technologies Pvt Ltd
● Mr Manoj Kumar, Executive Director, BEL, and Mr Raj Nair, Director, India & APAC, Profense
LLC, exchanged the MoU signed between BEL and Profense LLC at Defexpo 2022, in the
presence of Mr Manoj Jain, Director (R&D), Mr Rudhiramoorthy A, GM (BEL-Navi Mumbai).
Key Highlights :
● The MoU with Spacefaring Technologies Pvt Ltd signed for co-operation in technology
development in the field of fabric-based Radome, Shelters, deployable space habitats, aerostat,
etc, for Defence and non-Defence applications.
● The MoU with Defence PSU Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) signed to carry out joint
development, manufacturing and product upgrades of identified products / systems and to
capitalise on the emerging opportunities in the domestic Defence, non-Defence and Export
markets.
● The MoU with Yantra India Limited (YIL), a Defence PSU signed for co-operation in the areas of
Ammunition Hardware and Military Grade Components to jointly address the requirements of
Indian Defence and Export markets.
● The MoU with SVC TECH VENTURES LLP signed for co-operation in the manufacturing and
marketing of Heavy Duty Blast Doors.
● The MoU with Profense LLC, US, signed for cooperation in the manufacturing and marketing of
light weapons.
About BEL :
● Founded : 1954
● Headquarters : Bangalore, Karnataka, India
● Chairman & MD : Dinesh Kumar Batra
● BEL is an Indian Government-owned aerospaceand defence electronics company.
● BEL is one of nine PSUs under the Ministry of Defence of India.
The 18th edition of India-us joint military exercise YUDH ABHYAS 22 begins in Uttarakhand
• The 18th edition of the Indo – United States (US) joint training exercise “YUDH ABHYAS 22” is
scheduled to be conducted in Uttarakhand.
• The 15-day exercise happened between 16th Nov to 2nd Dec 2022.
• The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska
(USA) in October 2021.
About YUDH ABHYAS 22 :
• Exercise Yudh Abhyas is conducted annually between India and USA.
Aim :
• To exchange best practices, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures between the Armies of the
two nations.
• US Army soldiers from the 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division and Indian Army soldiers
from the ASSAM Regiment will be participating in the exercise.
• The troops from both nations will work together to achieve common objectives.
• The joint exercise will also focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
operations.
• Troops from both nations will practice launching swift & coordinated relief efforts in the wake of
any natural calamity.
• To derive full benefit from the professional skills & experiences of both armies, a Command Post
Exercise and Expert Academic Discussions (EAD) on carefully selected topics will be carried
out.
Significance :
• The scope of the Field Training Exercise includes the validation of integrated battle groups, force
multipliers, establishment and functioning of surveillance grids, validation of operational logistics,
mountain warfare skills, casualty evacuation, and combat medical aid in adverse terrain and
climatic conditions.
• The exercise will involve exchanges and practices on a wide spectrum of combat skills including
combat engineering, employment of UAS/Counter UAS techniques, and information operations
HAL delivers 16th ALH Mk-III helicopters to the Indian Coast Guard & receives a letter of intent for 9
more
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over the last of the 16 Advanced Light helicopters
Mark-III (ALH Mk-III) helicopters to the Indian Coast Guard at a program in Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
• HAL also received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the maritime organization for 9 more ALH Mk-III
helicopters.
• The Indian Coast Guard signed a contract with HAL for the supply of 16 ALH Mk III in March
2017.
• The ICG has inducted 15 choppers so far.
Key Highlights :
• An ALH Mk-III chopper comes equipped with surveillance radar, an electro-optic pod, medical
intensive care unit, a high-intensity searchlight, an infrared suppressor, a heavy machine gun,
glass cockpit and is powered by two shakti helicopter engines.
• The helicopter is indigenously designed, developed, and produced by HAL.

• The HAL has so far produced more than 330 ALHs, a versatile helicopter that has logged more
than 3.74 lakhs of flying hours.
• The Indian Coast Guard has acquired ALH Mk-III helicopters for diversified roles, which include
maritime surveillance, search and rescue, medical evacuation, logistics support to ships, and
interdiction.
• These choppers have been deployed at Porbandar (Gujarat), Bhubaneshwar (Odisha), Kochi
(Kerala), and Chennai (Tamil Nadu).
• A unique feature of the contract has been the Performance Based Logistics (PBL) – the one-
stop solution for the maintenance of these helicopters by HAL.
About the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting :
• Cabinet Minister : Anurag Thakur
• Minister of State : L. Murugan
About HAL :
• Chairperson & MD: C B Ananthakrishnan
• HAL is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company
INS Trikand participates in combined maritime forces focused on operation Sea Sword 2
• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Trikand participated in the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) led
Focused Operation “Sea Sword 2” in the Northwest Arabian Sea.
Key Highlights :
• The ship participated with other multinational forces and regional partner navies to counter
terrorism, prevent narcotics trade and stop smuggling entities from using the seas for their
nefarious activities.
• The Indian Navy’s long-range maritime patrol aircraft also participated in the operation and
provided air support.
• This effort is part of the Indian Navy’s commitment to ensuring the safety of the seas and
collective security in the region as espoused by the SAGAR vision of the Hon'ble Prime Minister
of India.
About INS Trikand :
• INS Trikand (F51) is a Talwar-class frigate of the Indian Navy.
• She is the third and final ship of the second batch of Talwar-class frigates ordered by the Indian
Navy.
• She was built by the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.
• She was commissioned to the Indian Navy service on 29 June 2013.
Recent News :
• Earlier, the 26th edition of the multinational maritime exercise “MALABAR 22” culminated in the
seas off Japan on November 15, 2022.
• This edition also marked the 30th anniversary of the exercise and was hosted by the Japan
Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
South Western Command conducts Integrated Fire Power Exercise SHATRUNASH in the Thar desert
of Rajasthan
• South Western Command of the Indian Army conducted Integrated Fire Power Exercise,
“SHATRUNASH’’ at MFFR in the Thar desert of Rajasthan.
About SHATRUNASH :
• The exercise witnessed the use of multifarious firing platforms in an integrated manner involving
both ground & aerial maneuvers.
• During the exercise, Various actions including the ion of troops, and offensive ground actions
involving comprehensive coordination incorporating contemporary technologies in a multi-
domain environment were conducted.
• This was affected by exploiting versatile & indigenously manufactured long-range aerial &
ground vectors such as Advanced Light Helicopter (Weapon System Integrated), K9 - Vajra,
Sharang Arty Guns, Bhishma (T-90 tanks) & Ajeya (T-72 tanks) to operate in a synergized
manner based on the intelligence picture provided by well-established Intelligence, Surveillance

& Recce (ISR) Architecture.
Note :
• General Officer Commanding In Chief of the South Western Command: Lieutenant General A S
Bhinder
7th 250 Men Ferry Craft, “Manjula” (Yard 786) launched at Kolkata, West Bengal
• Indian Administrative Officer (IAS), Principal Secretary Transport Shri Binod Kumar, launched
the 7th 250 Men Ferry Craft, “Manjula” (Yard 786) at M/s Shalimar Works Ltd, Kolkata, West
Bengal.
• Cmde Indrajit Dasgupta, Warship Production Superintendent (Kolkata) was also present.
Key Highlights :
• With all major and auxiliary equipment/ systems sourced from indigenous manufacturers, this
Ferry Craft is the proud flag bearer of the “Make in India” initiative of the Ministry of Defence.
• Contract for construction and delivery of seven 250 Men Ferry Craft was concluded with M/s
Shalimar Works Ltd, Kolkata in consonance with “AatmaNirbhar Bharat” initiatives of the
government of India.
• 6 out of 7 Ferry Crafts have already been delivered at Port Blair, Visakhapatnam, and Mumbai.
• These Ferry crafts are being built with a service life of 25 years.
• The Ferry Craft will provide impetus to the operational and logistics requirements of the Indian
Navy.
Indian Navy & Oman Navy participates in the 13th edition of the bilateral exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’
• Indian Navy (IN) and Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) participated in the 13th Edition of the bilateral
exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ or Sea Breeze, which took place off the coast of Oman.
• The highlight of the exercise was the participation of India’s guided missile stealth frigate, INS
Trikand, offshore patrol vessel, INS Sumitra, and Maritime Patrol Aircraft Dornier.
Aim :
• To strengthen the ancient maritime and cultural linkages between India and Oman
• The first naval exercise between the two countries was conducted in 1993.
• The last edition of the exercise was conducted in Goa in 2019.
• The year 2022 marks the 30 th anniversary of Indian and Omanese bilateral naval exercises.
Key Highlights :
• INS Trikand, a frontline frigate, is equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors.
• The ship is a part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet, based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• INS Sumitra, a multirole offshore patrol vessel is part of the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy,
based at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP).
About ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ or Sea Breeze :
• The exercise had three phases: harbour phase, sea phase, and debrief.
• Activities undertaken during the harbour phase included professional interactions between IN
and RNO operations teams and friendly sports fixtures between the two navies.
• IN Ships Trikand and Sumitra, along with RNO Ships Al Shinas and Al Seeb, sailed for the sea
phase.
• IN - MPA Dornier, RNO MPA, and shore-based Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) fighter aircraft
Hawks joined the exercise at sea.
• The last phase of the exercise, debrief, was conducted at the RNO Naval Base at Duqm
About Ministry of defence:
• Cabinet Minister: Rajnath Singh
• Defence Secretary: Giridhar Aramane
DRDO’s Compendium on Low-Intensity Conflict Products Released
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Compendium on Low-
Intensity Conflict (LIC) Products was released jointly by the Union Home Secretary Shri Ajay
Kumar Bhalla and Secretary DDR&D & Chairman DRDO Dr. Samir V Kamat.
• In line with the “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” campaign of the Government of India.
• The compendium consists of more than 100 technologies, systems, and products developed by
DRDO for LIC operations.
• It is a valuable repository of information for the central security forces.
• Union Home Secretary and Secretary DDR&D & Chairman DRDO jointly reviewed the ongoing
collaboration between the DRDO and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Low-intensity conflicts (LIC) are territorially limited politico-military conflicts aimed at achieving
political, social, economic, or psychological goals.
About DRDO :
• Founded: 1958
Garuda Shakti 2022: India & Indonesian troops engage in joint training exercises in Karawang,
Indonesia
• Indian Army Special Forces and Indonesian Special Forces are participating in the eighth edition
of the bilateral joint training military exercise ‘Garuda Shakti’ at Sangga Buana Training Area,
Karawang, Indonesia.
Aim :
• To enhance understanding, cooperation, and interoperability between the Special Forces of both
armies.
• The first edition of the exercise ‘Garuda Shakti’ was conducted in 2012 in India.
About exercise ‘Garuda Shakti’ :
• The joint exercise will facilitate both armies to know each other better and share their wide
experiences and combat experience on countering terrorist operations, Regional Security
Operations & Peace Keeping Operations in an international environment.
• The joint training would also focus on a high degree of physical fitness, tactical drills, techniques,
and procedures for which a comprehensive 13-day training program has been worked out.
• The exercise will culminate in a 48-hour long validation exercise
Other Bilateral Military Exercises :
• MAITREE (India and Thailand)
• Hand-in-Hand (India and China)
• Mitra Shakti (India and Sri Lanka)
• Harimau Shakti (India and Malaysia)
• Ekuverin (India and Maldives)
• Kurukshetra (India and Singapore)
• Nomadic Elephant (India and Mongolia)
• Shakti (India and France)
• Yudh Abhyas (India and US)
Second Project 15B Destroyer Delivered to the Indian Navy - Y 12705 (MORMUGAO)
● Y 12705 (Mormugao), the second ship of Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers being
built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), was delivered to the Indian Navy.
About Y 12705 (Mormugao) :
● It was designed by the Warship Design Bureau, the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation; and
built by M/s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai.
● The keel of Mormugao was laid in June 2015 and the ship was launched on 17 Sep 2016.
● The four ships of the Project are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country,
viz. Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.
● The ship is 163 metres long and 17 metres wide, displaces 7400 tonnes when fully loaded and
has a maximum speed of 30 knots.
● The overall indigenous content of the project is approx. 75%.
➢ Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore)
➢ BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi)
➢ Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
➢ Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
➢ 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar)
About MoD :
● Union Minister : Rajnath Singh

● Minister of State : Ajay Bhatt
About Indian Navy :
● Founded : 26 January 1950
● Chief of Defence Staff : General Anil Chauhan
● Chief of the Naval Staff : Admiral R. Hari Kumar
HDFC Capital selects 10 startups for funding & support during the 2nd H@ART summit
• HDFC Capital, a subsidiary of Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd, has shortlisted 10
startups for funding and support during the 2nd housing and Affordable Real Estate and
Technology (H@ART) Summit Concluded in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• HDFC Capital has shortlisted 10 startups for funding and support during the 2nd H@ART
Summit
• Out of the 10 finalist start-ups, four were focused on construction tech and three each on
sustainability tech and sales & fintech.
Key Highlights :
• Recently, the H@ART Platform raised over Rs 500 crore through global investors as the first
close of its property technology fund.
• H@ART Platform launched HDFC Real Estate Tech Innovators 2022 challenge in partnership
with Startup India, receiving an overwhelming response with over 537 startups categorized
under Project Management & Construction Tech, Sales and FinTech, and Sustainability Tech.
• HDFC Capital is the investment manager to HDFC Capital Affordable Real Estate Fund 1 (H-
CARE 1), HDFC Capital Affordable Real Estate Fund 2 (H-CARE 2), and HDFC Capital
Affordable Real Estate Fund 3 (H-CARE 3), which are registered with SEBI as a category II
alternative investment funds.
• These funds combine to create a $ 3 billion platform targeting the development of affordable and
mid-income housing in India.
Note :
• The Real Estate industry is the second largest employer in India and is expected to contribute
13% of GDP in 2030
About HDFC Capital :
• MD & CEO : Vipul Roongta
Axis Bank launches 7th edition of knowledge summit 'Evolve' for MSMEs
• Axis Bank has launched the 7th edition of ‘Evolve’ for Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
with the theme of ‘Indian SMEs: Shifting Gears for Next Level Growth’. ‘Digitalisation to Building
Indian SMEs’ and ‘Export Opportunities for SMEs in the New World Order.
• The seminar was addressed by Sangram Singh, President of Commercial Banking Coverage
Group (CBG), Axis Bank, and Krishan Guptaa, MD, Organic Wellness Product Pvt Ltd.
• Axis Bank along with its knowledge-sharing partner Dun & Bradstreet will host Evolve across 20
cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Indore, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, etc.
• The 7th edition of Evolve will delve into how technology and digitalization can help achieve
exponential growth from exports.
Varanasi will host the PM Gati Shakti Multimodal Waterways Summit:
• Prime Minister Gati Shakti Multimodal Waterways Summit will be launched by Union Minister
Sarbananda Sonowal in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, at the Deendayal Hastkala Sankul (Trade
Centre and Museum), the PM Gati Shakti Multimodal Waterways Summit will take place.
• The summit's main goal is to raise awareness of the PM Gati Shakti National Masterplan with a
focus on the construction of canal infrastructure.
• To assure first and last-mile connectivity, the PM Gati Shakti Multimodal Waterways Summit is a
game-changing strategy for enhancing logistics effectiveness and lowering logistics costs.
• Under Gati Shakti, the Ministry has identified 101 projects with a total estimated cost of around
62 thousand crore rupees, with a target completion date of 2024.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced PM Gati Shakti, which aims to improve logistical
effectiveness by providing multimodal connecting infrastructure to several special economic
zones.
First Virtual Global Skill Summit Co-Chaired by Dharmendra Pradhan and Piyush Goyal to Promote
Overseas Mobility
• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), Ministry of
Education (MoE), and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) organised
the inaugural Virtual Global Skill Summit to promote the movement of skilled workers abroad.
• The conference was co-chaired by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, and
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry.
• The Virtual Global Skill Summit (VGSS) focused on qualification benchmarking, capacity
building, information exchange, and skill harmonisation in order to enhance global mobility,
employment and readiness for the youth to join the global workforce.
• The primary aim of the summit was to institutionalise a mechanism for the exchange of
information on the skill requirements of countries and the skill availability in India.
• This becomes a good opportunity to provide overseas employment opportunities to the Indian
youth in countries facing a shortage of workforce
PM Modi will inaugurate the Bengaluru Tech Summit in 2022:
• The Bengaluru Tech Summit's 22nd anniversary will be virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister
Shri Narendra Modi.
• Several world leaders, including the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, the minister of
state for artificial intelligence and the digital economy of the United Arab Emirates, Omar Bin
Sultan Al Olama, the assistant minister for foreign affairs of Australia, Tim Watts, the minister of
science and culture of Finland, Petri Honkonen, and the chairman and CEO of the US company
Kyndryl, Martin Schroeter, will be present at the inauguration ceremony.
• Naveen Tewari, the founder and CEO of Inmobi, India's first unicorn, will also be present at the
inaugural event.
• There will be at least 9 MoUs signed and more than 20 items launched at Bengaluru Tech
Summit 22, which has drawn more than 575 exhibitors.
• The Bengaluru Tech Summit 22 will see the participation of startups from 16 different states for
the first time.
• At the conference with the theme "Tech4NextGen," more than 350 renowned experts from
around the world will discuss current technological advancements.

The seventh edition of the Global Technology Summit will be held in New Delhi:
• The seventh edition of the Global Technology Summit will be hosted in a hybrid style in New
Delhi until December 1st.
• The Global Technology Summit, co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs and Carnegie
India, is India's yearly flagship event on geotechnology.
• The Summit's opening session would be a discussion with External Affairs Minister Dr. S.
Jaishankar about geo-digital and its implications.
• The External Affairs Ministry announced that the world's best minds in technology, government,
security, space, startups, data, law, public health, climate change, academics, and the economy
will convene and debate technology and its future over three days.
• This year's Summit theme is "Geopolitics of Technology."
• GTS 2022 will feature over 100 speakers over 50-panel discussions, keynote presentations,
book releases, and other activities.
• The Summit will also feature ministers and senior government officials from the United States,
Singapore, Japan, Nigeria, Brazil, Bhutan, the European Union, and other countries.
• The Summit has attracted over 5000 attendees from all across the world.
IMPORTANT SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
China launches second lab module Mengtian for its space station in Hainan province
• China has launched the space lab module named Mengtian or "Dreaming of the Heavens",
taking the construction of the country's space station Tiangong into the final stage.
• The Long March-5B Y4 carrier rocket, carrying Mengtian, blasted off from the Wenchang
Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan.
• This is the 25th flight mission since the country's manned space program was approved and
initiated in 1992.
• 2 batches comprising 3 astronauts were flown to the space station, the main module called
Tianhe on a 6 months mission to complete the construction.
• Once ready, China will be the only country to own a space station.
About the lab module Mengtian :

• Scientific equipment in the Mengtian module, the second lab component of China's under-
construction space station.
• It will be used for studying microgravity and carrying out experiments in fluid physics, materials
science, combustion science, and fundamental physics.
• The first lab was Wentian which was sent earlier and focused more on biological and space life
sciences.
• Also, the Mengtian will carry the world's first space-based set of cold atomic clocks consisting of
a hydrogen clock, a rubidium clock, and an optical clock.
• Mengtian weighs in at about 20 tons with a length of 17.9 meters (58.7 feet) and a diameter of
4.2 meters (13.8 feet).
• It will provide space for science experiments in zero gravity, an airlock for exposure to the
vacuum of space, and a small robotic arm to support extravehicular payloads.
About China :
New potentially hazardous asteroid discovered - 2022 AP7
• An international team of astronomers announced the discovery of a 1.5 kilometer- (0.9 mile)
wide asteroid, named 2022 AP7 whose orbit crosses that of Earth, creating a small chance far in
the future of a catastrophic collision.
• It was discovered in an area notoriously difficult to spot objects due to the glare from the Sun.
• It was found along with 2 other near-Earth asteroids using a high-tech instrument on the Victor
M. Blanco telescope in Chile that was originally developed to study dark matter.
• The results were published in the scientific journal The Astronomical Journal.
• Some 30,000 asteroids of all sizes including more than 850 larger than a kilometer wide have
been cataloged in the vicinity of the Earth, earning them the label "Near Earth Objects" (NEOs).
• None of them threaten Earth for the next 100 years.
ISRO successfully conducts a qualification test of the Cryogenic Engine for the Gaganyaan mission
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the qualification test of
the Cryogenic Engine for the Gaganyaan program for 720 seconds at ISRO Propulsion Complex
(IPRC), Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu.
Key Highlights:
• This successful long-duration test is a major milestone for the Human Space Programme
Gaganyaan.
• It ensures the reliability and robustness of the cryogenic engine for induction into the human-
rated launch vehicle for Gaganyaan.
• This engine will undergo four more tests for a cumulative duration of 1,810 seconds.
• India's maiden human space mission "Gaganyaan" will be launched in 2023,
• With this launch, India will become the fourth nation in the world to launch a Human Spaceflight
Mission after USA, Russia, and China.
About ISRO :
• The ISRO is the national space agency of India, it operates under the Department of Space
(DOS).
ISRO’s RISAT-2 makes uncontrolled reentry into earth’s atmosphere at the predicted impact point
• Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-2) launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
in 2009, made an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere at the predicted impact point
in the Indian Ocean near Jakarta, Indonesia.
About RISAT-2 :
• RISAT-2, Weighing only about 300 kg.
• It is a radar imaging satellite with multiple applications and was placed in an orbit where it was
400 km above the earth at its closest approach and 550 km above the earth at its farthest
approach.
• RISAT-2 Satellite carried 30 Kg of fuel for an initial designed life of four years.
• On re-entry, there was no fuel left in the satellite and hence there are no contaminations or
explosion by fuel is expected
• RISAT-2 is a clear example of ISRO’s capability to carry out spacecraft orbital operations
efficiently and optimally.
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, the world’s most powerful rocket, launches after 3-year hiatus
• SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, a towering, three-pronged vehicle that is the most powerful operational
rocket in the world, was launched into space for the first time since 2019.
• The rocket launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, hauling satellites to space
for the US military in a secretive mission dubbed USSF-44.
• The mission was carried out by the company owned by billionaire Elon Musk with the help of the
US Space Force.
• This was the first time that the US Space Force used the rocket since the branch of the military
was created by former president Donald Trump to monitor the country’s defence missions in
space.
Key Highlights :
• The Falcon Heavy was first used back in 2018 when it carried a red sports car made by Tesla to
space as part of a trial run.
• It was also used to send a TV and phone service satellite to orbit for Saudi Arabia-based
Arabsat and the final mission included the transport of experimental satellites for the US
Department of Defence.
• Made up of 3 Falcon 9 engine cores, with the central one upgraded, the Falcon Heavy is more
powerful and capable of generating five million pounds of thrust at liftoff.
• Although Falcon Heavy can carry heavier payloads than Falcon 9, it doesn't serve as many
customers.
• It has only been used by NASA, the US military, and Arabsat, a telecommunications corporation
in Saudi Arabia so far.
• Space X has been working closely with the US military as the government looks to increase the
number of orbiting satellites used for surveillance purposes.
• The other major partner for the military is United Launch Alliance, which is a joint operation
between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

About SpaceX :
• Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, United States
• CEO & Chairman: Elon Musk
• Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (doing business as SpaceX) is an American spacecraft
manufacturer, space launch provider, and satellite communications corporation.
Google Cloud partners with PMPML to help Pune commuters track buses in real time
• Google Cloud announced a collaboration with Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd
(PMPML), the public transport bus service provider for the twin cities of Pune & Pimpri
Chinchwad and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) region,
Maharashtra.
Aim :
• To build an intelligent transit management system and feed system to track buses live on
Google Maps.
Key Highlights :
• PMPML has hardware installed on their buses which are capable of sending real-time data
• The collaboration with Google Cloud will help them ingest real-time data from all applicable
buses from the OBU (on-board unit) system installed on the PMPML buses
• Google Cloud will work through its premier partner Niveus Solutions Pvt Ltd and others for
engagement in Pune.
About PMPML :
• Chairman & Managing Director : Om Prakash Bakoria
• PMPML operates 371 routes around the Pune Metropolitan Region, including 117 Rainbow BRT
routes that ply on the 7 bus rapid transit corridors.
Google launches FloodHub to forecast & monitor flooding incidents worldwide
• American technology giant Google has launched FloodHub, a platform that displays flood
forecasts.
• Google used an Artificial Intelligence (AI) technique called transfer learning to help it work in
areas with less available data.
About FloodHub :
• The platform shows areas and times when flooding is likely to occur, letting people know about
natural disasters and what authorities can effectively help.
• Meanwhile, Google’s flood alert notification system, like the one for earthquakes, is also
expanding to 18 new countries in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
• Those countries are Brazil, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Angola, South
Sudan, Namibia, Liberia, and South Africa.
• Google launched a flood forecasting service in 2018 to protect people from disasters and natural
disasters.
• Google Search and Maps, has sent 115 million flood warning notifications to 23 million people,
saving countless lives.
About Google :
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard launches new satellite-carrying rocket - Ghaem-100
• Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched a new satellite-carrying rocket, called
a Ghaem-100 satellite carrier, seeking to demonstrate the force’s space prowess even as anti-
government protests rage across the country.
• The United States has repeatedly voiced concern that such launches could boost Iran’s ballistic
missile technology, extending to the potential delivery of nuclear warheads.
Key Highlights :
• Ghaem-100 is capable of placing satellites weighing 80 kilograms (176 pounds) in an orbit 500
kilometres (just more than 300 miles) from the surface of the Earth,”
• Iran says its satellite program, like its nuclear activities, is aimed at scientific research and other
civilian applications.
• The satellite will be used for agriculture and water resources planning, and the Russian
embassy in Tehran the spacecraft was devised for non-military purposes.
• Iran successfully put its first military satellite into orbit in April 2020, drawing a sharp rebuke from
Washington.
• In August 2022 the Khayyam satellite, built and launched by Russia on behalf of Iran, lifted into
orbit from the Russia-controlled Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
About Iran :
• President: Ebrahim Raisi
• Capital: Tehran
• Currency: Iranian rial
ISRO tests rocket engine developed by startup Agnikul Cosmos
• The India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted a hot test of the
Agnilet - single piece, fully 3d printed, 2nd stage semi cryo rocket engine developed by Agnikul
Cosmos Private Limited, an aerospace startup.
• The hot test was conducted by firing the Agnilet Engine at its Vertical Test Facility, Thumba
Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• The company has also unveiled Rocket Factory- 1, the country’s first-ever rocket facility for
large-scale printing of such rocket engines at the IIT Madras Research Park.
About Agnilet :
• Agnilet Engine is a regeneratively cooled 1.4 kN semi-cryogenic engine, working at a chamber
pressure of 10.8 bar(a) using Liquid oxygen and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) as propellants.
• This engine is realized through state-of-the-art 3D printing technology and the material of
construction is INCONEL-718.
• The test was carried out as part of an MOU signed between ISRO and M/s Agnikul Cosmos Pvt.
Ltd. to provide the opportunity for Indian space start-ups to use facilities of ISRO through IN-
SPACe (Indian National Space, Promotion and Authorisation Centre).
About Agnikul Cosmos Private Limited :
• Founded: 2017
• CEO: Srinath Ravichandran
• AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited is an Indian aerospace manufacturer based in the National
Center for Combustion R&D (NCRD) of IIT Madras, Chennai.
About ISRO :
• ISRO is the national space agency of India, operating under the Department of Space (DOS).
ISRO successfully conducts tests of the CE20 cryogenic engine for the LVM3 launch
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the hot test of the
CE20 cryogenic engine indigenously developed for Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) or GSLV-
Mk3 at an uprated thrust level of 21.8 tonnes for the first time.
• This will enhance the LVM3 payload capability up to 450kg with additional propellant loading.
Key Highlights :
• The CE20 cryogenic engine that was tested has gone through major modifications compared to
previous engines with Thrust Control Valve (TCV) for thrust control being introduced in the
system.
• In addition to this 3D printed LOX (Liquid Oxygen) and LH2 (Liquid Hydrogen) turbine exhaust
casings were inducted into the engine for the first time
• ISRO has redesignated the launch vehicle as LVM-3 from GSLV Mk-III, which is India’s heaviest
launch vehicle.
• The GSLV Mk3 rocket or LVM3 is a three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO.
• The vehicle has two solid strap-on motors(burns solid fuel), a core-stage liquid booster (burns a
combination of liquid fuels), and a 'C25' cryogenic upper stage(burns liquid hydrogen with liquid
oxygen).
• LVM3 is designed to carry a 4-ton class of satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)
or about 8 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which is about twice the capability of its predecessor,
the GSLV Mk II.
About ISRO :
• The ISRO is the national space agency of India and operates under the Department of Space
(DOS).
NASA'S 'Psyche' Mission To Explore Metal-Rich Asteroid
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced the launch of its next
mission Psyche on October 10, 2023, to reveal more about a massive golden asteroid between
Mars and Jupiter.
• 16 Psyche is a 226-kilometer (140 miles) wide asteroid between Mars and Jupiter that could
contain iron, nickel, and gold worth an estimated $10,000 quadrillion which is more than the
global economy.
• The Psyche mission is part of NASA’s Discovery Program of low-cost robotic space missions.
• "NASA's Psyche spacecraft was set to launch in August 2022 and arrive at the asteroid in 2026.
About NASA :
• Founded: July 29, 1958
ISRO delivered Flight Termination System (FTS) packages to Agnikul
• Agnikul Cosmos, a space technology startup based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu received its first flight
termination system (FTS) from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), with the support
of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe).
• The FTS is a system meant to destroy a rocket if it goes off-course and might fall into a place
where people live.
• This also marks the first time that a system that has been used for ISRO's vehicles is being
supplied for supporting a private launch vehicle built in India.
• The package will be used for their fully controlled sub-orbital launcher, scheduled to launch from
SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
About ISRO :
• ISRO is the national space agency of India, it operates under the Department of Space (DOS).
China Successfully Launches Cargo Spacecraft for Its Space Station In Orbit
● China successfully launched its cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5 to deliver supplies for its space
station, the construction of which is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
● The Long March-7 Y6 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-5 which blasted off from the Wenchang
Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan.
● The launch of the Tianzhou-5 is the 200th launch mission for Xichang Satellite Launch Center in
2022, as well as the last for Wenchang launch site in 2022.
About Tianzhou-5:
● The Tianzhou-5 is a fully sealed cargo spacecraft that carried a total of 6.7 tonnes of supplies,
including about 5.2 tonnes of life supplies and equipment, as well as 1.4 tonnes of propellant.
● The cargo will serve the demand of the upcoming Shenzhou-15 crew for six months and the
construction of the space station.
● The Tianzhou-5 has expanded its storage capability with 8 storage tanks as previous models
only had 4.
● China will carry out two more missions after the launch of the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft the
Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship and bringing the Shenzhou-14 crew back to Earth – before it
fully completes the in-orbit construction of the space station by the end of 2022.
● For the first time, the cargo craft carried fuel cells for use in space experiments designed to
discover how they will perform in a microgravity environment.
● On October 31,2022 China launched the second lab called Mengtian module to be part of its
Tiangong space station taking its construction into the final stage.
About China :
● Currency : Renminbi
NASA partners with Pratt & Whitney to develop low-emission aviation engine technology
● The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected Pratt & Whitney to
develop advanced engine technologies to reduce fuel consumption and emissions for next-
generation single-aisle aircraft.
● The agency’s Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC) project aims to improve aircraft engine
combustors to ensure the future of commercial flight is cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable
● Under HyTEC, NASA recently awarded a cost-share contract to Pratt & Whitney with a total
value of $13.1 million
● The HyTEC project is part of NASA’s Sustainable Flight National Partnership, which will enable
breakthrough innovations in support of the aviation industry’s goal to significantly reduce CO2
emissions by 2050.
Key Highlights :
● Through HyTEC, Pratt & Whitney will demonstrate the compatibility of sustainable aviation fuels
(SAFs) with advanced combustors for small core engines.
● The project includes developing and testing the fuel and air mixers for optimal efficiency and
then measuring the emissions and noise emitted using Jet A fuel and high blends of SAF.
● Collaboration between Pratt & Whitney and NASA has already led to several key advances in
sustainable propulsion technologies in recent decades, including low-pressure-ratio fans, low-
emissions combustors and high-performance hot sections.
● In October 2021, NASA awarded Pratt & Whitney two contracts under the HyTEC project to
develop technologies for a high-pressure turbine that will include next-generationceramic matrix
composites (CMC) materials capable of operating at higher temperatures than current CMCs.
About NASA:
● Founded: July 29, 1958
● Headquarters: Washington, D.C, United States
Amazon Unveils New Design for Prime Air Delivery Drone - MK30
● E-commerce giant Amazon has unveiled the design of its new Prime Air delivery drone, MK30'
drone which will handle high temperatures and light rain.
● The current hexagonal 'MK27-2' drone will be replaced by the new 'MK30', which will be lighter
and smaller.
● The drone will enter into service in 2024 and is expected to be 25% quieter than the current
hexagonal 'MK27-2' drone.
● The new drone will undergo rigorous evaluation by national aerospace authorities like the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to prove its safety and reliability.
● In early 2022, Amazon announced that customers residing in Lockeford, California, and College
Station, Texas, will be prioritized to receive Prime Air deliveries in later 2021.
About Amazon :
● Founded : July 5, 1994
● Headquarters : United States
● President & CEO : Andy Jassy
China to Send Monkeys Into Space To Study Reproduction In Zero-Gravity
• Astronauts from China are planning to perform a reproductive experiment in zero gravity
involving monkeys in space aboard a new Chinese space station called Tiangong.
• The experiment is expected to be conducted in the Wentian module of the space station that
docked earlier in 2022.
Key Highlights :
• The module, which currently has only enough room for algae, fish, or snails, has been designed
in a way to expand and configure for larger organisms.
• The Tianhe, Wentian, and Mengtian lab modules of the space station provide it with the basic T-
shape structure.
• These experiments will help improve our understanding of an organism’s adaptation to
microgravity and other space environments.
• China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has set a goal of more than 1,000 experiments to be
conducted in fields ranging from technical spheres to medical science.
About China :
Google collaborates with Karnataka govt to support emerging local start-ups
• Google has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Karnataka
to support its vision of promoting innovation and spurring the growth of startups across
Karnataka.
• In collaboration with the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), Google stated
that it will work with women-led founders and startups across tier 2 and tier 3 cities to offer
essential training, access to partners, etc.
• Under the MoU, Google will work together with the Karnataka government to:
• Empower the local startup community with training, knowledge, and tools
• Extend Google Career Certificates scholarships to youth
• Support digital citizenship and online safety across schools through the ‘Be Internet Awesome’
program
• In June 2022, Google also launched Google for Startups Accelerator - India Women Founders,
which was designed to help women founders address challenges that are unique to their
experience, including fundraising, hiring, and many others.
About Google :
India’s first-ever private rocket Vikram-S launched by ISRO - Mission Prarambh'
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched India's first privately developed
launch vehicle, Vikram-S, as part of the Prarambh mission from the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh (AP).
• Prarambh is the maiden mission of Hyderabad-based space-tech startup Skyroot Aerospace
which received support from ISRO as well as the Indian National Space Promotion and
Authorisation Centre (INSPACe).
• The launch vehicle has been named ‘Vikram-S’ as a tribute to the father of the Indian space
program, the late Vikram Sarabhai.
Aim :
• To launch Vikram–S (VKS), a single-stage solid fuelled sub-orbital rocket into space.
About Vikram-S :
• Vikram-S is one of the world's first all-composite space launch vehicles.
• The solid thrusters have been 3D-printed to ensure spin stability.
• Vikram-S is carrying payloads manufactured by Space Kidz India, BazoomQ Armenia, and N-
Space Tech India.
• Vikram-S has a mass of 545 kilograms, a length of six meters, a diameter of 0.375 meters, a
peak vacuum thrust of seven tonnes, and can carry payloads weighing up to 83 kilograms to a
maximum altitude of 100 kilometers.
• The ‘Prarambh’ mission carried three customer payloads of two Indian and one foreign customer
equipped with sensors for the measurement of acceleration and pressure.
• The flight was launched to prove avionics systems in the Vikram series like telemetry, tracking,
inertial measurement, GPS, an onboard camera, data acquisition, and power systems.
About ISRO :
About Skyroot Aerospace :
• Headquarters: Hyderabad, India
• CEO : Pawan Kumar Chandana
• Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited is an Indian private aerospace manufacturer and commercial
launch service, provider.
• It is the largest private space start-up in India with ₹526 crores raised as capital to date.
ISRO Conducts Main Parachute Test For Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight Mission
• The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO's) Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
has conducted the Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT) of its crew module
deceleration system for the much-awaited maiden Gaganyaan human spaceflight program at the
Babina Field Fire Range (BFFR) in Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh.
• It marks a significant milestone toward realizing the nation's ambitious Gaganyaan project.
• The design and development of the parachute-based deceleration system is a joint venture of
ISRO and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
About IMAT :
• The IMAT test is the first in a series of integrated parachute airdrop tests planned to simulate
different failure conditions of the parachute system before it is deemed qualified to be used in
the first human spaceflight mission
• In this test, a 5-tonne dummy mass, equivalent to the crew module mass, was taken to an
altitude of 2.5 kilometres and dropped using the Indian Air Force's IL-76 aircraft.
• 2 small pyro-based mortar-deployed pilot parachutes then pulled the main parachutes.
• The fully inflated main parachutes reduced the payload speed to a safe landing speed during the
test, which lasted about 2 to 3 minutes.
About ISRO's Parachute Airdrop Test :
• The Parachute system for the Gaganyaan crew module consists of 10 parachutes.
• This will help reduce the speed of the Gaganyaan crew module to safe levels before landing.
• Of the 3 main parachutes, 2 are sufficient to land the astronauts on Earth.
• The third parachute is redundant.
• Complex testing methods such as rail track rocket sled (RTRS) will test the performance of the
smaller parachutes, and aircraft or helicopters will evaluate the performance of the main
parachutes.
About ISRO :
• The ISRO is the national space agency of India & it operates under the Department of Space
(DOS).
ISRO conducts 200th consecutive successful launch of RH200 sounding rocket
● The versatile sounding rocket of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO),Rohini RH200,
registered its 200th consecutive successful launch from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket
Launching Station, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
● The ‘200’ in the name denotes the diameter of the rocket in mm.
● The event will take place in the presence of former Indian president Ram Nath Kovind,
Chairman, ISRO, Dr S Somanath and Director, VSSC, Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair and officials
from the space agency.
About Rohini RH200 :
● The RH-200 has a maximum launch altitude of 70 kilometers (43 mi).
● Sounding rockets are small, low-cost, solid-fuelled rockets meant for experimental purposes,
meteorology, and atmospheric studies. .
● These rockets take far less time to assemble and launch, given that they use solid fuel, which is
less sophisticated when compared to liquid fuels.
● Typically, sounding rockets are launched at sub-orbit (less than 100 kilometers) in altitude and
are not spacefaring rockets.
● At present, India operates three sounding rocket variants —RH-200, RH-300-Mk-II and RH-560-
Mk-III.
● These cover a payload range of 8 to 100 kg and can fly to an altitude of 75-550 kms.
● November 21, 1963, is widely regarded as the beginning of the Indian Space programme, as the
maiden launch of the sounding rocket took place from the then Thumba Equatorial Rocket
Launching Station (now a part of the larger VSSC campus).
About ISRO :
● Founded : 15 August 1969
● Headquarters : Bangalore, India
● Chairman : S Somanath
India carries out successful training launch of Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, Agni-3 in Odisha
• India carried out a successful training launch of an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM),
Agni-3 from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
• The successful test was part of routine user training launches carried out under the aegis of the
Strategic Forces Command.
• Agni-III, which is designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation is a two-
stage ballistic missile that is capable of nuclear weapons delivery.
About Agni-III :
• Agni-3 missile was carried out for a predetermined range and it validated all the operational
parameters of the system.
• The 16-meter-long missile, weighing more than 48 tonnes, has a range of over 3000 kilometres.
• It is capable of carrying a payload of over 1.5 tonnes.
• Due to its high range of circular error probability(CEP), the Agni-3 missile is known as the
world's most accurate strategic ballistic missile of its range class.
• The missile is equipped with sophisticated navigation, guidance, and control systems and
advanced onboard computer systems.
Recent News :
• In Nov 2022, the DRDO conducted a successful flight test of the Phase-II ballistic missile
defense interceptor AD-1 missile from Odisha’s coast.
China Plans to Build First Nuclear-Powered Moon Base by 2028
• China plans to build its first base on the moon by 2028, ahead of landing astronauts there in
subsequent years as the country steps up its challenge to the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration's (NASA's) dominance in space exploration.
Key Highlights :
• The lunar base will likely be powered by nuclear energy.
• Its basic configuration will consist of a lander, hopper, orbiter, and rover, all of which would be
constructed by the Chang'e 6, 7, and 8 missions.
• In 2019, China became the first country to land a rover on the far side of the moon and later
brought back its first lunar samples.

• The base is intended to be the first outpost on the moon's South Pole, an area scientists think is
the best place to find water.
• China aims to eventually expand the base into an international research station.
About China :
ISRO’s PSLV-C54 successfully places the earth observation satellite & 8 nanosatellites into orbit
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched 9 satellites, including an
Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-06), into multiple orbits using the space agency's Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C54) in one of its longest missions.
• This is the 56th flight of the PSLV and the 24th flight of the PSLV-XL version that took off from
the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), SHAR, Sriharikota.
• The 8 nanosatellites include ISRO Nano Satellite-2 for Bhutan (INS-2B), Anand, Astrocast (four
satellites), and two Thybolt satellites.
About EOS-6 :
• EOS-6 is the Oceansat series’ 3rd-generation satellite envisaged to observe ocean colour data,
sea surface temperature, and wind vector data to use in oceanography, climatic and
meteorological applications.
Separation of the satellites:
• The primary satellite (EOS-06) was separated in Orbit-1 and subsequently, the orbit was
changed by using two Orbit Change Thrusters (OCTs) introduced in the Propulsion Bay Ring of
the PSLV-C54.
• Later, all 7 commercial satellites from NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) were deployed
successfully.
• Astrocast, a 3U spacecraft from Spaceflight Inc, US, was separated.
• The Thybolt, a 0.5U spacecraft bus with a communication payload to enable rapid technology
demonstration and constellation development from Dhruva Space, was then placed in the
intended orbit.
• The Anand three-axis stabilized nanosatellite, a technology demonstrator from Pixxel, India was
also placed in the orbit.
About The India-Bhutan Satellite :
• The INS-2B satellite, a joint mission between India and Bhutan, contains two payloads -
• NanoMx, a multispectral optical imaging payload developed by Space Applications Centre
(SAC),
• APRS-Digipeater, built collaboratively by DITT-Bhutan and URSC.
• The India-Bhutan satellite achieved a historic milestone in India’s bilateral cooperation with
Bhutan.
Future missions :
• ISRO is planning to have its mission to the sun with its satellite Aditya-L1, a coronagraphy
spacecraft to study the solar atmosphere, with a PSLV rocket next year.
• The space agency will also launch 4 navigation satellites for the country’s NavIC constellation,
with the first one going up in 2023.
About PSLV :
• The PSLV is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed and operated by the ISRO.
• It was developed in 1993 to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites into
sun-synchronous orbits.
About ISRO :
• Headquarters: Bangalore, India
• Chairman: Sreedhara Somanath
President Droupadi Murmu launches e-KUMBH portal in Bhubaneswar
● President of India Droupadi Murmu launched e-KUMBH (Knowledge Unleashed in Multiple
Bharatiya Languages) portal in which engineering courses and books would be available in 12
scheduled Indian languages from Jayadev Bhawan, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
● Murmu also released engineering books of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in
Odia language and glossary of 50,000 technical terms in Odia language developed by
Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT).
● Engineering books have been translated in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati,
Kannada, Punjabi, Odia and Assamese while book translation in Urdu and Malayalam
languages is underway.
Union Minister for Labour and Employment Shri Bhupender Yadav Launches ESIC Online Maternity
Benefit Claim Portal
● Shri Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Environment, Forest &
Climate Change launched the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation’s (ESIC) online
maternity benefit claim facility for insured women in New Delhi, Delhi, India.
● The portal was launched at the 102 birth anniversary of Dattopant Thengadi , a social reformer
and the founder of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh , organized by the National Labour Education and
Development Board.
● Maternity Benefit is given to the insured women in the form of cash benefit in case of certain
contingencies such as in the advanced stage of pregnancy, after delivery / in the unfortunate
event of confinement or miscarriage and who meet the eligibility conditions.
● Payment at the rate of 100% of wages is paid for 26 weeks as maternity benefit to the insured
woman by ESIC to compensate for the loss of income during her childbirth.
● A total of 18.69 lakh women beneficiaries have been provided maternity benefits of Rs 37.37
crore during the year 2021-22.
About Ministry of Labour & Employment :
● Cabinet Minister : Bhupender Yadav
● Minister of State : Rameswar Teli
● Director General of ESIC : Dr. Rajendra Kumar
Krishify Integrates With E-NAM’s Platform Of Platforms
● Krishify, a Gurugram-based agritech start-up platform, has integrated with the Platform of
Platforms (PoPs) by the electronic National Agricultural Market (eNAM).
● e-NAM, a unit of the portal Ministry of Agriculture, is a pan-India electronic trading portal which
networks existing agricultural produce market committees’ (APMC) yards to create a unified
national market for agrarian commodities for farmers, traders, and other intermediaries.
● The e-NAM platform will direct its users to Krishify, where they can get assistance from its pool
of professionals for assistance
● Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, launched the Platform of Platforms
(PoPs) under e-NAM in July 2022
● The PoP offers transportation, warehousing, quality assaying, storage, fintech, sorting and
grading and agri-advisory services to its stakeholders.
● The initiative is part of the Centre’s plans to widen the scope of e-NAM in which 41 other
entities, including 9 trading platforms, will offer their services.
● It is expected to boost e-trading too.
About Krishify :
● Founded : 2019
● Headquarters : Gurgaon, Haryana
● CEO : Rajesh Ranjan
BPCL is acknowledged as the nation's most sustainable oil and gas company:
• In the 2022 edition of the S&P Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) Corporate Sustainability
Assessment (CSA) rankings, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), 'Maharatna' and a
Fortune Global 500 Company, once again achieved the No. 1 rank in the Indian oil and gas
sector for its sustainability performance.
• With a score of 65 percentage points against the industry average of 31, BPCL has maintained
its position atop the DJSI Indices in India for the third year in a row.
• This performance is significantly better than the score of 59 against the industry average of 39
recorded on the DJSI platform last year.
About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited:
• Chairman: Arun Kumar Singh
• Founded: 1952.
UNHCR report: 103 million people are displaced forcibly worldwide
• According to the UNHCR in Geneva, 103 million people were forcibly uprooted from their homes
in the first half of 2022 as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights abuses, and
other situations that seriously disturbed public order.
• This equates to one in every 77 people on Earth.
• The report claims that between the end of 2021 and the middle of 2022, the total number of
refugees and people in need of international protection increased by 24 percent, from 25.7
million to 32 million.
• More than half (56%) of all refugees as of the end of June this year were Syrian, Venezuelan, or
Ukrainian.
• Turkey hosted 3.7 million refugees as of mid-2022, making it the country with the largest refugee
population globally.
• Pakistan and Uganda were next with 2.5 million and 2.2 million refugees, respectively, followed
by Colombia and Germany (1.5 million each).
Most Vulnerable Countries:

• During the same time frame, significant population displacements were also reported in
Myanmar, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Mozambique, and Congo, as well as in
the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
• The events in Afghanistan that led to the Taliban taking control of Kabul in August 2021 resulted
in both internal and external migration.
• Despite more than 790,000 Afghans returning home during the year, the number of people who
have been internally displaced increased for the 15th year in a row.
• Between 100,000 and 500,000 more people were internally displaced in Yemen, the Syrian Arab
Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Sudan in 2021.
About UNHCR:
• Founder: United Nations
• Head: High Commissioner for Refugees; Filippo Grandi

Report on the Performance Grading Index (PGI) for States and UTs is released by the MoE:
• The Performance Grading Index (PGI) for 2020–21, a thorough review of the school education
system in all 50 states and the Union Territories, was released by the Ministry of Education.
• PGI's main goal is to advance evidence-based policies and draw attention to course correction
to guarantee that every student receives a high-quality education.
• In contrast to zero in 2017–18 and four in 2019–20, a total of seven States and UTs—Kerala,
Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh—have achieved
Level II (scoring 901–950) in 2020–21.
• The newest entrants to the highest achieved level of any state thus far are Gujarat, Rajasthan,
and Andhra Pradesh.
• "States/UTs' PGI grades and scores for 2020–21 are evidence of the PGI system's
effectiveness.
• The PGI scores broken down by indicator identifies the areas in which a state needs to advance.
• The PGI will display the relative performance of all States and UTs on a consistent scale,
encouraging them to perform better and adopt top performers' practices.
India has the largest gender wealth gap (GWG) in APAC at 64%:
• According to a recent study, when compared to other APAC nations, India has the largest
gender wealth gap (64%) at present.
• The greater responsibility of caregiving is largely to blame for this.
• Opportunities for women in leadership roles are similarly scarce, according to the 2022 WTW
Global Gender Wealth Equity study, with only 3% of women in India's workforce holding senior
positions.
• In terms of the gender wealth gap, South Korea is the APAC region's top performer.
• The wage caps built into social security payments in South Korea, according to the research,
"restrict the buildup of male relative to female wealth.
• According to the research, there are 12 markets in the APAC area where there are gender
wealth gaps that range from 64% in India to 90% in South Korea.
• According to the survey, six of the markets studied have a higher wealth index at retirement for
women than the worldwide average, including China (78%), Japan (82%), the Philippines (79%),
and Singapore (79 percent).
India is at the top of the list of nations with the lowest manufacturing costs:
• A survey places India ahead of China and Vietnam as the country with the lowest manufacturing
costs.
• India has earned the 31st spot in the overall Best Countries rating among 85 countries,
according to US News and World Report.
• India is ranked number one on a list of the top 10 nations with the lowest manufacturing costs,
followed by Thailand (fourth), the Philippines (fifth), Bangladesh (sixth), Indonesia (seventh),
Cambodia (eighth), Malaysia (ninth), and Sri Lanka (tenth).
• According to the survey, China, India's main economic opponent in the South Asian area, has an
overall 'Open for Business' score of 17.
• When it comes to low manufacturing costs, however, it ranks second only to India.
• Vietnam, which has attracted a spate of garment and footwear manufacturers in recent years,
has been ranked third in the category of countries with the lowest production costs.
• It is ranked 47th in the overall 'Open for the Business' category.
• Switzerland topped the overall Best Countries list, followed by Germany, Canada, the United
States, and Sweden.
WMO report: The eight warmest years on record are likely to occur from 2015 to 2022
• According to a report from the World Meteorological Organization, the global mean temperature
in 2022 is predicted to be 1.15 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial average (1850–
1900).
• This means that the eight years starting in 2015 will likely go down in history as the warmest
period ever.
• The rate of sea level rise has doubled since 1993, and it has increased by approximately 10 mm
since January 2020 to a new record high this year, according to the study titled "WMO
Provisional State of the Global Climate 2022" which was released during the 27th Conference of
Parties to the UNFCCC.
• The analysis indicated that 10% of the total increase in sea level since satellite monitoring began
over 30 years ago has occurred in the last two and a half years.
• As of now in 2022, the average worldwide temperature has risen 1.15 degrees Celsius above
the level of the period between 1850 and 1900.
• The research indicates that if the current anomaly persists through the end of the year, 2022
would be either the fifth or sixth warmest year on record (since 1850), and in both cases, it will
be somewhat warmer than 2021.
• It's expected that the eight years, from 2015 to 2022, will rank among the eight warmest on
record.
WMO Facts:
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization with 192
member countries and territories.
• India is a member of the World Meteorological Organization.
• The International Meteorological Organization (IMO) was founded following the 1873 Vienna
International Meteorological Congress.
• Headquartered - in Geneva, Switzerland.
Forbes: Reliance Industries is the best employer in India and ranks in the top 20 globally
• Reliance Industries, the nation's largest firm by revenues, profitability, and market value is
India's top employer and the 20th best company to work for internationally, according to Forbes'
World's Finest Employers rankings 2022.
• Reliance, the oil-to-telecom-to-retail behemoth, is placed 20th, the highest-ranked Indian
corporation, with 2,30,000 employees.
• It is ranked higher than Mercedes-Benz of Germany, Coca-Cola of the United States, Honda
and Yamaha of Japan, and Saudi Aramco of Saudi Arabia.
• Samsung Electronics, a major in South Korea, came out on top of the global rating, followed by
Apple, IBM, Microsoft, and other US behemoths like Alphabet and IBM.
• US businesses are ranked 2nd through 12th, with German carmaker BMW Group coming in at
number 13.
• The list has French juggernaut Decathlon at position 15 and the world's largest online retailer
Amazon at position 14.
• In the top 100, Reliance is the only other Indian corporation.
• 137th place is held by HDFC Bank.
• Other businesses on the list include Aditya Birla Group (240), Hero Motocorp (333), Larsen &
Toubro (354), ICICI Bank (365), HCL Technologies (455), State Bank of India (499), Adani
Enterprises (547), and Infosys (668).
Three Indian women are included in the 2022 Asia's Power Businesswomen List:
• The annual "Asia's Power Businesswomen" list, which includes 20 women from the Asia-Pacific
area, has been released by Forbes Asia.
• Three Indian ladies are also included on the list of powerful women.
• The 20 women highlighted are new to the list and help Forbes Asia's network of influential
women in the region grow.
2022's Top Asian Businesswomen:
• Ghazal Alagh, co-founder and chief innovation officer of Honasa Consumer, Mamaearth's parent
company, is the first Indian woman to be mentioned on the list.
• She co-founded the Gurgaon-based business in 2016 with her CEO-husband Varun.
• The company owned by Alagh became a unicorn in January of this year.
• Powerful Businesswomen in Asia Soma Mondal in 2022
• Soma Mondal, the first woman to lead the state-run steel company SAIL, is the second
entrepreneur from India on the list.
• According to Forbes, SAIL's yearly income increased by 50% during the fiscal year that
concluded on March 31, 2022, after Mondal was appointed chairperson in 2021.
• Among the other women on the list are Wallaya Chirathivat, president director, and CEO of
Thailand's largest retail property developer Central Pattana, as well as Japan's twin sisters Anna
and Mizuki Nakajima, co-founders of smartphone gaming app Coly, the youngest of the list, and
Choi Soo-Yeon, CEO of Naver, the largest internet company by market capitalization in South
Korea.
IIT Bombay is the top university in Southern Asia: QS Asia University Rankings for 2023:
• According to the QS Asia University Rankings 2023, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Bombay offers the greatest education in Southern Asia, with IIT Delhi coming in second.
• The number of institutions in the 15th edition of the QS World University Rankings: Asia has
increased from 687 to 757, making it the largest ranking for the area to date.
• The QS ranking 2023 is based on academic and employer reputations, the amount of personnel
with a PhD, and the ratio of international students, among other factors.
• This year's university ranking list includes 760 Asian universities.
LIST OF INDIAN UNIVERSITIES:
➢ IIT Bombay (40th)
➢ IIT Delhi (46th)
➢ IISc Bangalore (52)
➢ IIT Madras (53)
➢ IIT Kharagpur (61)
➢ IIT Kanpur (66)
➢ University of Delhi (85)
➢ IIT Roorkee (114)
➢ JNU (119)
➢ IIT Guwahati (124)
➢ VIT Vellore (173)
➢ University of Calcutta (181)
➢ Jadavpur University (182)
➢ Anna University (185)
➢ Chandigarh University (185)
➢ IIT Indore (185)
➢ BITS Pilani (188)
➢ Jamia Millia Islamia (188)
➢ Amity University Noida (200)
The top 10 Asian Universities:

1. China’s Peking University
2. National University of Singapore
3. Tsinghua University, Beijing
4. The University of Hong Kong
5. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
6. Fudan University, China
7. Zhejiang University, China
8. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
9. Universiti Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur
10. Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Report on the State of Food and Agriculture in 2022 FAO publishes:
• The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) is one of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's
yearly flagship reports (FAO).
• Based on scientific evaluation, it provides thorough insights into numerous concerns relating to
food and agriculture.
• The paper evaluated several agricultural automation drivers, including recently developed digital
technology.
• The paper assessed the business case for deploying these digital automation technologies
across various agricultural production systems worldwide using 27 case studies.
• It highlighted several barriers to the widespread adoption of these technologies, particularly
among small-scale producers.
• It identified two key challenges to their adoption: inadequate digital literacy and a lack of
supportive infrastructures such as the internet and the availability of electricity.
• The paper advocated policies that will allow disadvantaged groups to access agricultural
automation technologies, which will aid in developing sustainable and resilient agri-food
systems.
• Since the 1960s, the agricultural industry in high-income countries in North America, Europe,
and Oceania has been heavily automated.
UNESCO: World Heritage Glaciers Will Disappear by 2050

• Glaciers at numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Yellowstone and Kilimanjaro
National Park, would certainly vanish by 2050, the UN organization warned, urging countries to
act quickly to safeguard the rest.
• The warning came after a survey of 18,600 glaciers at 50 World Heritage sites.
• According to UNESCO, the study "shows that these glaciers have been retreating at an
accelerated rate since 2000 due to CO2 emissions, which are rising temperatures."
• The glaciers were losing 58 billion tonnes of ice each year, equivalent to France and Spain's
combined annual water use, and were responsible for over 5% of the documented global sea-
level increase, according to the agency.
• "Regardless of efforts to curb temperature increases, glaciers in one-third of the 50 World
Heritage sites are doomed to melt by 2050."
About UNESCO:
• Founded: 16 November 1945, London, United Kingdom
• Head: Audrey Azoulay
India placed eighth on the Climate Change Performance Index for 2023:
• The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023, issued by three environmental
nongovernmental organizations, Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute, and the Climate Action
Network (CAN) International, was launched.
• The Climate Change Performance Index 2023 (CCPI) places India eighth out of 63 countries.
• In the overall rankings, no country came in first, second, or third. Denmark finished fourth with a
score of 79.61, followed by Sweden with 73.28 points.
• India finished with 67.35 points.
• India placed 9th in GHGs, 24th in Renewable Energy, 9th in Energy Use, and 9th in Climate
Policy (8).
• It should be highlighted that India placed first among the top ten emitters.
• Germany and Japan are in second and third place in this grouping, respectively.
• Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan are the worst achievers in the overall rating.
• They are especially deficient in renewables and largely reliant on oil.

• The country received a "high" rating in the categories of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy
Use.
• It received a "medium" grade in the Climate Policy and Renewable Energy categories.
• The CCPI assesses 59 countries and the European Union, which together account for more than
90% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• The CCPI examines four categories, each with 14 indicators, using defined criteria: Greenhouse
Gas Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use, and Climate Policy.
• India was ranked tenth in both 2022 and 2021.
• It was ninth on the list in 2020.
• India has updated its Nationally Determined Contribution since signing the Paris Agreement in
2015.
• The country pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070 at the COP26 Summit in
Glasgow.
Jal Jeevan Mission: Uttar Pradesh district of Shahjahanpur is one of the top districts:
• Shahjahanpur has surpassed all other cities in the country in terms of the number of tap
connections provided in a single month.
• Shahjahanpur has made history by giving tap connections to every rural family as part of the Jal
Jeevan Mission.
• According to the data on the Jal Jeevan Mission website, Bulandshahr, Bareilly, and Mirzapur
have also been included in this survey.
• This accomplishment is seen as a significant step forward in rural drinking water provision.
• Districts are chosen around the country for this survey based on the scheme's progress.
• In October, Shahjahanpur, Bulandshahr, and Bareilly were named among the best-performing
districts in Uttar Pradesh.
• Shahjahanpur was ranked first in the best-performing district category, receiving 689990 points.
• Bulandshahr comes in second with 657180 points, and Bareilly comes in third with 619114
points.
About the best Performer:

• Shahjahanpur won first place in two categories.
• It has risen to the top place in the aspiring category after providing 28419 tap connections in
October alone.
• According to the website, 44557 families have received tap connections as of October 1.
• While the number of tap connections provided has reached 72976 as of October 31.
• Bulandshahr comes in second for best performance and third for fastest moving districts.
• In October, it offered 21260 household tap connections.
• The number of tap connections was 97129 on October 1, and it increased to 118389 on October
31.
• Bulandshahr has joined the ranks of aspirants by becoming the second state to offer a 6 per
cent FHTC (where the supply begins at the tap) in a month.
• By providing tap water connections to 22,222 families in October, Bareilly (with 619114 points)
placed second in the best-performing category and third in the aspirant category.
• Mirzapur (600,050 points) finished second in the fast-moving category for providing tap water
connections to 20,655 families, according to officials.
India is placed 61st in the Network Readiness Index 2022:
• According to the Network Readiness Index 2022 (NRI 2022) report issued by the US-based
Portulans Organisation, an independent non-profit research and educational institute, India has
risen six spots to rank 61st.
• According to a Telecom Ministry announcement, India's total score has risen to 51.19 in 2022
from 49.74 in 2021.
• The NRI 2022 report rates 131 economies, which collectively account for over 95% of world
GDP.
• With an overall score of 80.3, the United States ranks top on the list.
• Singapore takes second place with a score of 79.35, and Sweden takes third place with a score
of 78.91.
• Singapore is the leader in the Asia Pacific region, followed by South Korea and Japan.
Network Readiness Index: India
• India ranked first in 'AI talent concentration,' second in 'Mobile broadband internet traffic within
the country,' third in 'Annual investment in telecommunication services,' fourth in 'ICT Services
exports,' fifth in 'FTTH/Building Internet subscriptions,' and sixth in 'AI scientific publications,'
according to the report.
• While India ranks 61st overall, it ranks third among lower-middle-income countries. India's score
was greater than the group average in each of the four pillars of the score.
• India, on the other hand, was ranked 11th in the Asia-Pacific region.
• India has done exceptionally well in terms of AI talent concentration, international Internet
bandwidth, and intra-country mobile broadband internet traffic.
• Happiness, online access to financial accounts and the gender gap in Internet use were the
country's worst metrics.
• Given its income level, India has more network readiness than would be predicted.
• India comes in third place out of 36 lower-middle-income countries, trailing only Ukraine (50) and
Indonesia (59).
• India outperforms the income group average across the board in all pillars and sub-pillars.
IIT Delhi is ranked in the top 50 of the Times Higher Education Employability Rankings:
• According to the Times Higher Education Global Employability University Ranking and Survey
(GEURS), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi is placed 28th.
• IIT Delhi is the only Indian institute in the top 50.
• The varsity was ranked 27th last year.
• IISc is ranked 58th, and IIT Bombay is ranked 72nd.
• It has been ranked in the top 250 by seven Indian institutions.
• The top three US institutes are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California
Institute of Technology, and Harvard University, in that order.
• The University of Cambridge and Stanford University have maintained their fourth and fifth
positions, respectively.
• The University of Oxford rose from eighth to sixth place this year, while the University of Tokyo
in Japan fell from sixth to seventh.
• Yale University, which was placed seventh last year, has fallen to tenth place.
With a 77% approval rating, Modi tops the list of the most well-liked world leaders:
• With a 77 per cent approval rating, Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to be the most well-
liked president in the entire world.
• This information was disclosed in a Global Leader Approval Rating report published by the
American consulting company Morning Consult.
• In second and third place, respectively, are Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, each with 69% and 56% of the vote.
• Joe Biden, the US president, and Rishi Sunak, the next prime minister of the UK, are ranked
lower on the list with approval ratings of 41% and 36%, respectively.
• The most recent approval ratings are based on information gathered from this month's 16th to
22nd.
• It is based on adult residents in each nation's seven-day moving average, with sample sizes
differing by nation.
• Prime Minister Modi had placed first in the previous ranking as well.
• In Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
United Kingdom, and the United States, the survey monitors public opinion of political figures as
well as national trends.
"Nuclearization of Asia," a new book by French author Rene Naba, is published:
• The new multilingual book "De la Nucléarisation de l'Asie" (Nuclearization of Asia) by French
author Rene Naba is available in both French and English
• The book talks about China-connection Pakistan as a source of nuclear threat and emergency.
• At the Geneva Press Club, the book published by Golias was officially released.
• 35 persons attended in person, and 23 more participated virtually.
• The author of two books on Asia is René Naba.
• The first French-language book on Pakistan's strategic transformation was published in 2018
and was titled "Pakistan Facing the Challenge of the Post-Western World and Eurasia."
• Rene Naba is the vice president of the International Center for the Fight Against Terrorism and
the former head of the Arab Muslim world in the AFP diplomatic service.
Two books about PM Modi's legacy and accomplishments are published by MoS Rajiv
Chandrashekhar:
• Rajiv Chandrashekhar, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, published
two volumes on the accomplishments and legacy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Dubai.
• These are "Heartfelt: The Legacy of Faith" and "Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery".
• The books were presented at a ceremony put on by the Vishwa Sadhbhavana, NID Foundation
(Dubai branch), to strengthen the ties of friendship and solidarity between Americans,
Australians, and New Zealanders.
• Rajiv Chandrasekhar remarked, "The success of the government's flagship programs like Digital
India, Skills India, Start-up India, etc. have reversed India's old narrative of a leaky and broken
democracy."
• He asserted that India is a "living and breathing example" of a plural, secular, and diverse nation
that also stands for economic advancement, innovation, progress, and wealth.
'The World: A Family History,' written by British historian Simon Sebag
• Simon Sebag Montefiore, a British historian, has published a new book titled "The World: A
Family History."
• Montefiore presents the stories of many famous families in 'The World: A Family History.'
• The two-part book, which will be published by Hachette India, will tell the story of humanity in "a
ground-breaking, single narrative that will forever shift the boundaries of what history can
achieve."
• The story begins with a family 9,50,000 years ago.
• Montefiore takes readers on an epic tour through the world's most influential families, including
the Caesars, Medicis, Incas, Ottomans, Mughals, Bonapartes, Habsburgs, Zulus, Rothschilds,
Rockefellers, Krupps, and Churchills.
• Among Montefiore's past publications are 'Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar,' 'Jerusalem: The
Biography,' and 'Written in History: Letters That Changed the World.'
Ruskin Bond launches Gautaam Borah's new book, 'Nalanada - Until We Meet Again.':
• Gautaam Borah, a senior management professional and the globally regarded author of
'Monetising Innovation,' releases his latest book 'Nalanada - Until We Meet Again.' Ruskin Bond,
a great writer, launched the book.
• Gautaam's new book is a movie-like experience that incorporates action, adventure, romance,
love, grit and intuition, and mystery.
• The book will take you on a breathtaking journey across all of these.
The book's gist:
• 'Nalanda- until we meet again' is a compelling narrative of passion, retribution, and an age-old
mystery.
• It's the story of Neil and Aanchal.
• Neil meets Aanchal at the famous University of Oxford and they fall in love.
• Back in India, Aanchal works for an NGO, while Neil works for a telecom business.
• When Neil becomes a victim of business politics, he is thrust into a merciless adventure.
• Aanchal's politician father steers her in a different direction, and she vanishes.
• A surprising revelation from a mysterious sage places Neil at the crossroads of a century-old
mystery.
• Neil must travel to Nalanda to perform a larger mission that will bring Aanchal back into his life.
Akanksha Vyavahare establishes three new national records at the Khelo India weightlifting
competition:
• Akanksha Vyavahare, a weightlifter from Maharashtra, set three new national records in the
40kg weight category at the Khelo India National Ranking Women's Weightlifting Tournament.
• Akanksha Vyavahare participated in the Target Olympics Podium Scheme as well, setting
records in snatch, clean and jerk, and total.
• Akanksha beat her previous national snatch record by lifting 60kg.
• She lifted 71 kg in the clean jerk, giving her a total lift of 131 kg.
• Mirabai Chanu, a Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, presided over the opening ceremony of the
Khelo India National Ranking Women's Weightlifting Tournament.
• Mirabai Chanu of Himachal Pradesh won the gold medal in Phase 1 of the Khelo India
Weightlifting Tournament.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty win French Open men's doubles title:
• In Badminton, the Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bagged the biggest
title of their career, claiming the French Open Super 750 crown with a straight-game decimation
of Chinese Taipei's Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han in the men's doubles final in Paris.
• The world number 8 pair, defeated Lu and Yang, ranked 25th, 21-13, 21-19.
• They became the first Indian men’s doubles pair to win the French Open title.
• In the Men's Singles, the reigning world and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen clinched the title.
• World No.1 Viktor Axelsen defeated his compatriot Rasmus Gemke 21-14, 21-15.
• With this win, Axelsen became the most successful player on the men's world tour, overtaking
Japan's Kento Momota with 16 wins in 21 finals compared to Momota's 15 from 21.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 Women's World Championship:
• Defending champions Spain defeated Colombia in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup final.
• 82 minutes into the match, Colombian defender Ana Mara Guzmán Zapata scored an own goal
to give Spain the victory.
• The host country of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup was India.
• The Patil Sports Stadium hosted the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup championship game
between Spain and Colombia.
• During the finals, Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, and representatives from the All India
Football Federation (AIFF) and Asian Football Federation were also present.
• This year's FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup was held in India, and despite losing three games,
team India was unable to advance past the group stage.
India wins the third Sultan of Johor Cup by defeating Australia:
• The Indian junior men's hockey team defeated Australia 5-4 in a shootout at the Taman Daya
Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, to win the Sultan of Johor Cup 2022.
• India has won the Sultan of Johor Cup three times.
• Sudeep Chirmako's field goal in the 14th minute gave India its first goal.
• However, Australia came back in the second quarter when Jack Holland equalized with India.
• Both teams finished the shootout with a 3-3 tie, forcing the match to sudden death.
• Uttam Singh scored twice in the shootout, including a game-winning goal in sudden death, and
Vishnukant Singh, Ankit Pal, and Sudeep Chirmako also scored for India.
• Burns Cooper, Foster Brodee, Brooks Joshua, and Hart Liam all recorded points for Australia.
• Notably, the Indians won the age group tournament twice in 2013 and 2014 and finished second
four times in the 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2019 events.
• Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was canceled in 2020 and 2021.
Max Verstappen won the 2022 Mexican Formula One Grand Prix:
• Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the Mexican Grand Prix 2022 for a record-breaking 14th
victory of the season.
• Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Sergio Perez of Red Bull finished second and third,
respectively.
• Verstappen's 14th victory of the season moves him past Michael Schumacher and Sebastian
Vettel to become the Formula One driver with the most race victories in a single season.
• Verstappen is now the most successful driver in Mexican Grand Prix history, having won four
titles.
• It was his 34th career victory and 14th of the 2022 season.
• Verstappen won his second career world championship at the Japanese Grand Prix earlier this
month, and last week he won the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, tying him for the most season
race wins.
• Verstappen's victory in Mexico also broke the record for most points scored in a single season,
which was previously held by Lewis Hamilton in 2019.
Men's doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag:
• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty of India won the French Open Super 2022
badminton tournament men's doubles title in Paris after defeating Chinese Taipei's Lu Ching
Yao and Yang Po Han in straight games 21-13, 21-19.
• Satwik and Chirag also won their first super 750 race and their second BWF World Tour title this
year.
• This was their fourth BWF World Tour win, but the previous three had been in lower-level
competitions.
• The Hyderabad Open 2018, their maiden tournament, was a Super 100 event, whereas the
Thailand Open 2019 and India Open 2022 were both Super 500 tournaments.
• Chirag and Satwiksairaj are also the first Indian doubles duo to win a BWF Super 750 title.
• The pair reached the final of the 2019 French Open but were defeated by Indonesian aces
Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo.

Kerala will host the Track Asia Cup Cycling Tournament in 2022:
• Kerala will host the Track Asia Cup Cycling Tournament in 2022.
• Track Asia Cup, one of the most important cycling competitions, will be hosted at LNCPE
Outdoor Velodrome from November 25th to November 28th, 2022.
• Around 200 cyclists from over 25 Asian countries will compete in the Track Asia Cup 2022.
• For the first time, the event is being held outside of Delhi.
• The Asian Cycling Confederation and the Cycling Federation of India have both sanctioned the
Track Asia Cup.
• The Kerala Cycling Association stated that due to the high heat, attempts are being made to
hold the matches under floodlights.

• Track Asia Cup is also used to determine Asian countries for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
• The tournament will feature cycling giants such as China, Korea, Japan, and Kazakhstan.
• The event will also include Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Indonesia,
and India.
• Under the patronage of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, an organizing committee has been
created.
• Track Asia Cup 2022 will be critical in establishing cycling as a significant sports event in the
state.
Virat Kohli became the first player in history to score a hat-trick: ICC T20 World Cup
• Virat Kohli has hit form and is collecting fifties in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup.
• He compiled an undefeated 62 against the Netherlands after playing match-winning innings of
82 not out against Pakistan.
• After faltering against South Africa in Perth, the 33-year-old returned to form with an important
fifty against Bangladesh at the Adelaide Oval.
• Kohli is the only player in T20 World Cup history to have three fifty-plus knocks.
About ICC:
• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched the 'Baji Rout National Football Tournament.':
• The "Baji Rout National Football Tournament" was launched at Dhenkanal, Odisha, by Union
Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
• Sports and games have been promoted across the nation by the government, led by Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi, through programs like Khelo India and Fit India.
• The government wants to get the younger generation, which is engrossed with the internet and
television, to join the game.
• The "Football for School" initiative has been launched by the Indian government in collaboration
with FIFA and the All India Football Federation.
• According to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the campaign aims to attract roughly 2.5
million school pupils interested in football.
• Through the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, ten lakh footballs would be provided to public and
private schools throughout the nation's districts.
The Indian men's squash team won the Asian Squash Team Championships with a gold medal:
• The Indian men's team, led by the experienced Saurav Ghosal, won their first-ever gold medal at
the Asian Squash Team Championships with a 2-0 victory over Kuwait in the final.
• Ramit Tandon had given India the lead with a slick straight games win over Ali Aramezi, and star
player Ghosal secured the victory (11-5, 11-7, 11-4).
• Ghosal then defeated Ammar Altamimi 11-9, 11-2, 11-3 to give the team an unassailable
advantage.
• The third match between Abhay Singh and Falah Mohammad was cancelled because the tie
had been settled by Tandon and Ghosal's victories.
• They topped Pool A with a 3-0 record, defeating Qatar, Pakistan, Kuwait, South Korea, and
Chinese Taipei before defeating Malaysia 2-1 in the semifinals.
• In Cheongju, South Korea, they defeated Kuwait in straight sets in the final.
• It is the biggest win for the Indian Men's Team since they won gold at the 2014 Asian Games.
• The Indian men's team won three silver medals and seven bronze medals in the Asian Team
Squash Championships.
Nida Dar and Virat Kohli have been announced as the ICC Player of the Month winners for October
2022:
• The ICC Player of the Month award recipients for October 2022 were revealed by the
International Cricket Council (ICC).
• As the ICC's male Player of the Month for October, seasoned Indian batsman Virat Kohli has
been recognized.
• As a result of her amazing performance in the Women's Asia Cup, veteran all-rounder Nida Dar
of Pakistan has been named the ICC Women's Player of the Month.
• Following a global poll among media representatives, ICC Hall of Famers, former international
players, and fans registered at ICC-cricket.com, both Kohli and Dar were chosen as the winners.
• Virat Kohli has been in incredible form over the past month, putting up outstanding
performances throughout the current ICC T20 World Cup and helping India advance to the
semifinals.
• Nida Dar is named the ICC Women's Player of the Month for October in recognition of her
significant contributions to Pakistan's run to the Women's Asia Cup semifinals in Bangladesh.
Suryakumar Yadav is the first Indian player to reach 1,000 T20 runs as a batsman:
• Suryakumar Yadav, a star Indian batsman, is the first Indian player to reach 1,000 runs in a
calendar year in a T20 international competition.
• The hitter achieved this achievement against Zimbabwe in his team's final Super 12 stage match
at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia.
• India's innings were successfully concluded in the game thanks to Suryakumar's flawless
finishing touches.
• Suryakumar has 1,026 runs and a 44.60 batting average in 28 innings this year.
• Suryakumar Yadav is currently on the exclusive list of batters who have scored more than 1000
T20I runs in a calendar year, joining Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan.
• Rizwan scored a total of 1326 runs in 29 games in 2021, adding to his 924 runs in 23 T20Is this
season.
• The only other player in T20I history to score more than 1000 runs in a single year is Surya.
• He has now scored 1026 runs overall in 28 T20I games this year.
• Surya made his India T20I debut against England in March of last year, and he hasn't looked
back since.
• He has participated in 39 T20I matches overall for India, scoring 1270 runs.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Charlotte Edwards, and Abdul Qadir were inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame:
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named the most recent luminaries to be inducted
into the coveted ICC Hall of Fame.
• Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies, Charlotte Edwards of the England Women's team,
and Abdul Qadir of Pakistan were elected as the 107th, 108th, and 109th members of the
International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame, respectively, following a voting process that
included current members of the organization, media representatives, senior executives from the
Federation of International Cricketers (FICA), and the ICC.
• One of the most recognizable names in West Indies cricket history is Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
• He made his debut at the age of 19, and after developing an unconventional batting style, he
soon outperformed opposition bowlers.
• Charlotte Edwards developed into one of the most important players in the annals of women's
cricket during a 20-year international playing career.
• As a 16-year-old just beginning her international career, she made an immediate impression by
hitting an unbeaten 173 against Ireland at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in Pune, setting
a new record.
BWF Para-Badminton Championships: Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramadass won gold:
• At the BWF Para-Badminton World Championships in Tokyo, Pramod Bhagat and Manisha
Ramadass won gold medals in the singles competition.
• In an all-Indian SL3 final, defending Paralympic gold medalist Bhagat defeated fellow
countryman Nitesh Kumar 21-19, 21-19 in 53 minutes.
• Bhagat has now won four gold medals at the World Championships in singles competition and
six medals overall.
• In the SL3-SL4 men's doubles championship, Bhagat and Manoj Sarkar lost against Indonesia's
Hikmat Ramdani and Ukun Rukaendi 21-14, 18-21, and 13-21.
• In the SU5 final, Manisha Ramadass defeated Mamiko Toyoda of Japan 21-15, 21-15 in 30
minutes.
• In the six championships Bhagat has competed in, he has won a total of six gold, two silver, and
three bronze medals in singles and doubles.
• With two gold, two silver, and 12 bronze medals, India finished the competition.
• In the men's doubles SL3-SL4 competition, Bhagat and Manoj Sarkar had to settle for a silver
medal.
The men’s singles champion at the 2022 Paris Masters was Holger Rune
• Holger Rune, a 19-year-old Danish player, overcame six-time winner Novak Djokovic to win the
2022 Masters Men's Singles title in Paris.
• Since Boris Becker in 1986, he has won the Paris tournament as the competition's youngest
winner.
• He will be the first Danish guy to enter the top 10 and the fifth first-time winner of the Masters
this season.
• While Wesley Koolhof (Netherlands) and Neal Skupski won the Men's Double (United Kingdom).
• Djokovic appeared to be on track for his 91st career victory.
• The sixth-seeded Serb won the opening set with a love hold, and in the second set's first service
game, he had Rune down 0-40.
• In the 12th game, which lasted nearly 20 minutes, he applied pressure on Rune using his
experience as a 21-time Grand Slam singles champion, but Rune maintained his composure to
win his third championship of the year and his burgeoning career.
The 2023 Women's World Boxing Championships will take place in India:
• The IBA Women's World Boxing Championship will take place in India in 2023.
• An agreement was struck between the International Boxing Association (IBA) and the Boxing
Federation of India during a press conference held in New Delhi (BFI).
• IBA President Umar Kremlev and BFI President Ajay Singh were present when the MoU was
signed.
• World champion Nikhat Zareen also expressed his gratitude on the occasion.
• The Women's World Boxing Championship in 2023 will mark the official debut of the
groundbreaking bout review system developed by BFI and IBA.
• The entire prize money for the Women's World Boxing Championship in 2023 will be around INR
19.50 crore, and the gold medalist will receive INR 71 lakh.
• India's hosting of the Women's World Boxing Championship in 2023 will be a significant
milestone for the nation since boxing in India has experienced remarkable growth.
• In the past seven years, India has hosted three major championships, displaying its capacity to
develop facilities and capacities.
• It will be the second Women's World Boxing Championship that India has held in the last six
years, and it will be the third overall.

India's Virat Kohli is the first player to amass 4,000 runs in T20 International matches:
• Virat Kohli, the great cricketer for India, made history by becoming the first player to score 4,000
runs in T20 Internationals.
• Against England in Adelaide's second semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2022, Kohli achieved the
milestone.
• Earlier, Kohli surpassed Mahela Jayawardene's 2014 record of 1016 runs to become the all-time
greatest run-scorer in men's T20 World Cup matches against Bangladesh in Adelaide.
• Amazingly, Kohli reached the wonderful milestone quickly while batting at a 53.34 average.
• He achieved the milestone in 115 matches and is the only batter in the shortest format to
average over 50.
• The only male cricketer to receive Player of the Tournament honors in both the 2014 and 2016
T20 World Cups was Kohli.
• Additionally, Kohli has scored the most runs in T20I cricket history.
• He is listed before Paul Stirling, Martin Guptill, Babar Azam, and skipper Rohit Sharma.
• At the moment, Kohli has a strike rate of about 140 and an average of over 50.
• With over 270 runs in 6 games during the T20 World Cup 2022, Kohli is also the leading scorer.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Mumbai beat Himachal Pradesh to win maiden title
● Domestic giants Mumbai produced a near perfect performance to beat Himachal Pradesh by
three wickets in the final and won their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy title at Eden
Gardens, Kolkata.
● Himachal posted a total of 143/8 in 20 overs with Ekant Sen (37 off 29) top-scoring for them.
● In reply, Mumbai chased down the target in 19.3 overs with 3 wickets in hand.
● Sarfaraz Khan scored 36 runs and Tanush Kotian claimed three wickets, which paved the way
to win the trophy.
About Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy:
● The 15th edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, a Twenty20(T20) competition that is played in
India, was held from 11th October 2022 to 5th November 2022.
● The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a domestic T-20 cricket championship in India, organized by the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), among the teams from the Ranji Trophy.
● The tournament is named after a former Indian test cricketer Syed Mushtaq Ali.
West Midlands to host Kabaddi World Cup in 2025
● The West Midlands in England will host the 2025 Kabaddi World Cup, announced by the
World Kabaddi Federation (WKF)
● This will be the first time that the Kabaddi World Cup will be held outside Asia.
● The UK region will become the first destination outside of Asia to host the sport’s most
prestigious global tournament, which will feature the world’s best kabaddi players from
leading men’s and women’s teams, including India, Iran and Pakistan.
● The 2025 Kabaddi World Cup will be organized by England Kabaddi, Scottish Kabaddi, and
the British Kabaddi League.
● The tournament will feature at least 16 teams (men and women), including from India, Iran
and Pakistan and will be held across the West Midlands during the first quarter of 2025.
● The Indian men's kabaddi team has dominated the sport over the years, claiming 9 out of 10
titles at the World Cups, which have been mostly organised in Asia under the aegis of the
International Kabaddi federation (IKF).
About World Kabaddi Federation :
● Founded : 2003.
● It was incorporated under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 on September 30, 2005.
● President : Ashok Das
Switzerland win the Billie Jean King Cup championship for the first time
● Switzerland won their first Billie Jean King Cup title after Belinda Bencic beat Australia's Ajla
Tomljanovic in straight sets in the second match of the finals to give them an unassailable 2-0
lead.
● The Swiss had never won the competition formerly known as the Fed Cup, losing the final in
1998 and again in 2021.
● Australia, the seven-time champions, were seeking their first title since 1974.
About Billie Jean King Cup :
● Chairperson: Katrina Adams
● Most Titles: United States (18 titles)
● The Billie Jean King Cup is the premier international team competition in women's tennis,
launched as the Federation Cup in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
International Tennis Federation (ITF).
● The name was changed to the Fed Cup in 1995 and changed again in September 2020 in
honour of former World No. 1Billie Jean King.
● It is the world's largest annual women's international team sports competition in terms of the
number of nations that compete.
Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games mascot unveiled - The Phryges
● President of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games,
Tony Estanguethas unveiled the mascots for Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, The
Phryges (pronounced fri-jee-uhs) in Paris, France.

About The Phryges :
● The Phryges are small Phrygian caps which represent a strong symbol of liberty, inclusivity and
the ability of people to support great and meaningful causes.
● Motto: Alone we go faster, but together we go further
● It is a red Phrygian cap, a type of hat that has become an enduring symbol of freedom
throughout French history.
● The mascot of Paris 2024 is a non-gender-specific mascot.
● Paralympic Phryge has a prosthesis and a racing blade, making it a role model for many and
giving maximum visibility to people with disabilities.
About Olympic Phryge :
● Olympic Phryge is a tactician with a calculating, mathematical brain.
● Its methodical mind and alluring charm are sure to inspire people to get involved with sports.
About Paralympic Phryge :
● Paralympic Phryge is spontaneous and full of energy and enthusiasm.
● It spreads the values of sport and will be there to celebrate the athletes in all the venues of Paris
2024.
Brazilian F1 Grand Prix 2022- Mercede’s George Russell Gets 1st Career Win
● George Russell (United Kingdom) scored his first-ever Formula 1 victory after fending off
Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton at the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix 2022
● The tournament was held at São Paulo’s Autódromo José Carlos Pace which is a car-racking
track in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
● With this, Mercedes have also picked up a long-awaited first win this season.
● Lewis Hamilton finished 2nd to make it a Mercedes one-two finish, while Ferrari’s Carlos
Sainzrounded out the top 3.
Achanta Sharath Kamal becomes first Indian to be elected in ITTF's Athletes' Commission
• Achanta Sharath Kamal, a prominent Indian paddler, is the first Indian to be chosen to the
International Table Tennis Federation's Athletes' Commission (ITTF).
• Eight athletes, including four men and four women, were chosen for the Athletes' Commission
from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. They will serve for four years, from 2022
to 2026.
• Sharath Kamal got 187 votes, the second-highest number, behind Elizabeta Samara of
Romania, who received 212 votes.
• Elected Athletes: Elizabeta Samara (ROU), Achanta Sharath Kamal (IND), Daniely Rios (PUR),
Omar Assar (EGY), Melissa Tapper (AUS), Stefan Fegerl (AUT), Jon Persson (SWE), and Liu
Shiwen (CHN).
• Elected Para-Athletes: IngelaLundback (SWE) and Kelly van Zon (NED).
• Sarath has already been selected for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the country’s
highest sports recognition this year.
India’s junior women’s pistol teambags Gold medal in Asian Airgun Championship 2022
• The junior women's pistol team from India, which included Esha Singh, Shikha Narwal, and
Olympian Manu Bhaker, took home the gold medal in the 15th Asian Airgun Championship in
Daegu, South Korea.
• They defeated South Korean team of Yang Jiin, Kim Minseo and Kim Juhee in 10 meters Air
Pistol Women's Junior Team event.
• Esha Singh and Palak each brought home a silver and a gold medal, giving the Indian shooting
team a total of 34 medals—22 gold, eight silver, and four bronze—to take the lead in the
championship medals table.
The Phrygian hat has been chosen as the mascot for the Paris Olympics 2024:
• The Phrygian cap, a symbol of the French republic but wearing sneakers as a nod to the
present, was unveiled as the 2024 Paris Olympics mascot.
• The Olympic Phryge is a little smaller, while the Paralympic Phryge is a little leaner and has a
blade on his right leg because he is a Phyrge with a disability.
• The Paralympic mascot is distinguished by the presence of a runner's blade on one of its legs.
• Phryges (pronounced Fri-jee-uhs) are small Phrygian caps that symbolize liberty, inclusivity, and
people's ability to support great and meaningful causes.
• The organizers of the Paris Games defended the fact that practically all of the mascot toy
reproductions are made in China.
• One of the mascot's eyes is blue, and one of the two is draped in two ribbons in the colours of
the French flag, resembling a cockade, or ribbon knot, which was another symbol of
republicanism during the Revolution.
• Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet, Beijing 2008 wheelchair tennis men's doubles winner
Michael Jeremiasz, and Gwladys Epangue, a bronze medalist in taekwondo from Beijing 2008,
revealed the mascots at a press conference in Paris.
Carlos Alcaraz has become the world's youngest No. 1 ATP player:
• Carlos Alcaraz of Spain has become the youngest year-end ATP World Number 1, becoming
the first teenager to do so.
• This year, Alcaraz has had an astonishing climb in the world of tennis.
• On September 12, he jumped from number 32 to the summit of this sport's mountain, marking
the largest jump to number one in 50 editions of the year-end ATP rankings.
• The 2021 Next Gen ATP Finals champion made a big impression after becoming the series'
youngest ATP 500 champion (since 2009) at the Rio Open.
• Following that, Alcaraz won his first ATP Masters 1000 championship in Miami.
• In 2022, Alcaraz leads the circuit with two master's 1000 titles and five overall titles.
• He won the Madrid Open in May, defeating heavyweights such as Rafael Nadal, Novak
Djokovic, and then-world number three Alexander Zverev.
• But the highlight of this 19-year-old's career came at the US Open, where he became the
youngest men's singles winner at this major American competition since Pete Sampras at the
age of 19 in 1990.
Manipur wins the most medals at the Northeast Olympic Games:
• Manipur wins the Northeast Olympic Games for the second time in a row, with 237 medals,
including 85 gold, in the second edition of the regional multi-sport event.
• Manipur also took home 76 silver and 77 bronze medals, while Assam came in second with 201
medals, including 81 gold, 60 silver, and 60 bronzes, in the event held between the eight states
of the country's northeast area beginning on November 10.
• Around 3000 athletes competed in 18 events across 12 sites in Shillong.
• Manipur's first edition had 12 disciplines.
• Arunachal Pradesh finished third, while Meghalaya finished fourth with 149 medals (36 gold, 35
silver, 78 bronze), a far better performance than their sixth-place finish with 39 medals in the first
edition.
• Manipur had also won the most medals (80 gold, 49 silver, and 33 bronze) when it hosted the
inaugural Games in October 2018.
• Manipur, which has produced Olympic medalists such as boxer MC Mary Kom and weightlifter
Mirabai Chanu, surpassed Assam and consolidated its lead by collecting 17 medals, including
seven gold, on the last day.
• In the finals, the U-17 Manipuri women's football team, which includes several national team
players, defeated Arunachal Pradesh 3-0.
The 22nd FIFA World Cup 2022 begins at Al Khor, Qatar:
• The 22nd FIFA Men's World Cup was formally declared open at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor,
Qatar, in a colourful ceremony.
• The football event is being hosted by an Arab country for the first time.
• The final will be held on December 18 at the Lusail stadium, the largest of the eight stadiums
used to host the World Cup, with 32 teams competing for the most coveted prize in international
football.
• On December 18, 2022, Qatar's National Day, the opening game between Qatar and Ecuador
takes place at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
• The 22nd FIFA Men's World Cup will be contested in Qatar from November 20 to December 18,
2022.
• It is the first occasion that an Arab country would host the tournament.
• It is the second World Cup to be held in Asia, following the 2002 World Cup, which was co-
hosted by Japan and South Korea.
• The world cup will feature 32 teams.
• The Cup's mascot is La'eeb.
• It is inspired by the keffiyeh, a traditional headdress worn by Arab men.

FIFA Event:
➢ FIFA World Cup 2022: Qatar
➢ FIFA World Cup 2026: Canada, Mexico, USA
➢ FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022: Costa Rica
➢ FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022: India
➢ FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2023: Australia and New Zealand
About FIFA:
Red Bull's Max Verstappen wins the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix:
• Max Verstappen of the Red Bull Racing team won the season-ending F1 Abu Dhabi race in Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
• The struggle for second place remained a huge drama, with Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez
entering the race equal at 290 points, but it was Leclerc who came out on top, finishing second
on the Yas Marina Circuit.
• Max Verstappen won his 15th championship of the 2022 season.
• He also won the world F1 championship in 2022.
• In 2021, he won his first Formula One world championship.
• He also retains the record for winning the most races in a single season (15).
• He broke Michael Schumacher's (2004 season) and Sebastian Vettel's (2004 season) previous
record of 13 race victories in a season (2013 season).
Sebastian Vettel has announced his retirement from Formula One racing:
• Sebastian Vettel, a German racing driver, has announced his retirement from Formula One.
• Vettel won four Formula One World Championships for Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, and
he previously spent six seasons with Ferrari.
• Sebastian Vettel finished 10th in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, his final race of the season.
• Before the race, Vettel was given a guard of honour by his fellow rivals.
About His Career:
• Vettel began his Formula One career in 2006 as a test driver for BMW Sauber, making one race
appearance in 2007.
• Vettel appeared for Toro Rosso later that year as part of the Red Bull Junior Team and was
retained as a full-time driver for 2008.
• In 2009, Vettel was promoted to Red Bull. From 2010 to 2013, Vettel won four straight titles with
Red Bull, the first of which crowned him the sport's youngest World Champion.
• He achieved the record for the most consecutive race wins in 2013 with nine.
• Vettel joined Ferrari in 2015, replacing Fernando Alonso, and became Mercedes' and Lewis
Hamilton's closest opponent in two title campaigns in 2017 and 2018, finishing runner-up in both
years.
• He left Ferrari at the end of the 2020 season to race with Aston Martin for the 2021 and 2022
seasons before announcing his retirement from Formula One at the end of the 2022 season.
Novak Djokovic has won his sixth ATP Finals Singles title:
• Novak Djokovic won his sixth ATP Finals singles championship, defeating Norway's Casper
Ruud.
• Novak Djokovic defeated his opponent 7-5, 6-3 to earn a remarkable $4.7 million payday.
• Novak Djokovic has matched Roger Federer's record of six ATP titles.
• Novak Djokovic took advantage of all five break-point opportunities in the game.
• The ATP champion in Rome, Wimbledon, Tel Aviv, and Astana now has titles in three distinct
cities.
• He also won the title in Shanghai in 2008 and has since added victories in 2012, 2013, 2014,
and 2015.
• Novak Djokovic is also the oldest ATP Tournament champion in history.
• Casper Ruud became the first Scandinavian to compete in the ATP Finals.
• He also had his greatest year, winning in Buenos Aires, Geneva, and Gstaad.
India won the 15th Asian Airgun Championships with 25 out of 28 gold medals:
• India finished the 15th Asian Championships in South Korea with 25 gold medals.
• Manu Bhaker and Samrat Rana of India won the 10-meter Junior Air Pistol Mixed Team event.
• In qualification, Bhaker and Rana shot 578 shots and finished second to Uzbekistan's Nigina
Saidkulova and Mukhammad Kamalov.
• In the comparable senior event, the Indian duo Sangwan and Vijyaveer Sidhu won the yellow
metal.
• Valeriy Rakhimzhan and Irina Yunusmetova of Kazakhstan were completely outshot by
Sangwan and Vijyaveer.
• They won the qualification round with a score of 579, while the Kazakhs came in second with
577.
• In the 15th Asian Championships in South Korea, India won 25 of the 28 events.
Manika Batra is the first Indian woman to win an Asian Cup Table Tennis medal:
• Indian table tennis player Manika Batra became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the
Asian Cup Table Tennis Tournament.
• Manika defeated World No.6 Hina Hayata of Japan in the women's singles bronze medal match
at the Asian Cup 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Union Minister Kiren Rijiju praised Manika Batra for her outstanding effort and achievements.
Key Highlights:
• In the medal match, Manika Batra defeated Hina Hayata 4-2.
• Manika Batra led the match 2-1, but Hayata appeared to be on the verge of tying the match with
a 10-6 advantage in the fourth game.
• She scored six points and successfully turned the tide in her favour.
• Manika is India's top-ranked table tennis player, currently rated 44th in the world.
• Manika Batra lost in the Semi-Finals to Mima Ito of Japan on the same day.
• Mima Ito won a bronze medal in Tokyo 2020.
• Manika Batra defeated World No. 23 Chen Szu Yu of Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals of the
Asian Cup 2022 Table Tennis Tournament.
Bhukya from Telangana and Patri from Odisha both won national U-13 badminton titles:
• Nishanth Bhukya of Telangana and Tanvi Patri of Odisha won the boys' and girls' singles titles at
the 34th Under-13 National Badminton Championships, respectively, with contrasting victories at
the UP-Badminton Academy.

• While Patri needed just 22 minutes to defeat local challenger and 15th-seeded Divyanshi
Gautam 21-7, 21-10, fourth-seeded Bhukya defeated Andhra Pradesh's Akhil Reddy Boba 19-
21, 21-12, 22-20.
• Patri recently won her first National U-13 Ranking Tournament in Maharashtra, and she played
brilliantly against Gautam from Agra.
• To win the opening game, Patri successfully tossed and placed the shuttle while using cross-
court volleys to keep Gautam on the defensive.
• After falling behind 5-9 in the second round, Gautam attempted to close the gap by dribbling the
shuttle at the net, but Patri was too skilled with her placements and forced Gautam to make a
string of unforced errors before winning both the game and the match.
• Boba proved to be quite difficult for Bhukya to handle in the boy's final as the Andhra shuttler
sprinted to a 15-11 lead before winning the game at 21-19.
• Following a change of ends, fourth-seeded Bhukya defeated Boba by rallying from behind.
• After pulling parity at 20 all, it was neck-and-neck in the decider, but Bhukya managed his
nerves to win it.
Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first male player to score in five World Cups:
• The first male player to score in five World Cups is Cristiano Ronaldo, who did so in Portugal's
opening match against Ghana in Qatar.
• At Doha's stadium 974, Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 65th minute with a goal
from the penalty spot.
• It was also the 118th goal for his nation.
• Portugal took a 1-0 lead after the 37-year-old striker scored from the penalty spot in the 65th
minute.
• Since 2006, when he again converted a penalty against Iran in the group stage, he has now
scored in every World Cup.
• Ronaldo scored once at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, once in Brazil in 2014, and four
times in Russia in 2018.
• He has now scored in five FIFA World Cups.

About FIFA:
• Founded in: Paris, France
Narayan Jagadeesan sets the record for highest ever List A score:
• Narayan Jagadeesan of Tamil Nadu set a new world record for the highest individual score in
men's List A cricket when he hit 277 off 141 balls against Arunachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare
Trophy at the Chinnaswamy in Bangalore.
• Tamil Nadu became the first team in List A cricket to score 500 runs before winning the Group C
match by 435 runs, the largest victory margin at this level.
• Somerset's previous record was a 346-run victory over Devon in 1990.
• This happened after Jagadeesan, 26, became the first player in men's List A cricket history to
score five consecutive centuries.
• He also broke the record for the best individual score held by Alistair Brown and Rohit Sharma.
• Brown's previous Surrey high was 268 against Glamorgan in 2002.
• Rohit Sharma set the Indian record for the highest List A score of 264 in an ODI against Sri
Lanka at Eden Gardens in 2014.
• The 416-run first-wicket stand between Jagadeesan and Sai Sudharsan (154) is the greatest for
any wicket in List A cricket.
Women's Madras Boating Club won the 81st Annual Madras-Colombo Rowing Regatta:
• The women of the Madras Boating Club won the 81st Annual Madras-Colombo Rowing Regatta
in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• The 81st Annual Madras-Colombo Rowing Regatta was conducted, and they were given the
Adyar Trophy.
• Colombo Rowing Club won the Men's division and received the Deepam Trophy.
Key Highlights:
• The first Madras-Colombo Rowing Regatta was conducted in 1898, making it the oldest sports
event between Sri Lanka and India.
• The Madras Boat Club and the Colombo Rowing Club sponsor the Regatta, with Colombia
Rowing Club hosting the Indian team this year.
• The primary event of the Regatta is the men's boat race, which is regarded as the world's
second-oldest boat race.
• The men's championship is awarded the famous Deepam Trophy, while the women's title is
awarded the Adyar Trophy.
• This year's men's races were divided into two categories: A and B.
• Coxless Pair, Double Scull, and Single Scull were the categories.
Indian boxers won gold medals at the Youth World Boxing Championships 2022:
• Young Indian boxers Vishwanath Suresh, Vanshaj, and Devika Ghorpade won gold at the IBA
Youth Men's and Women's World Boxing Championships 2022 in La Nucia, Spain, with a
commanding 5-0 victory.
• Vishwanath earned India's first gold medal in the event after defeating Philippines' Ronel Suyom
in the men's 48kg final.
• Bhawan Sharma won silver in the women's 48kg category after losing 0-5 to Gulsevar Ganieva
of Uzbekistan.
• Ashish took silver in the 54kg weight class.
• In the men's final, he defeated Japanese pugilist Yuta Sakai 1-4.
Aim of IBA:
• La Nucia hosted the IBA Youth Men's and Women's World Boxing Championship 2022.
• To promote the sport and spirit of boxing in all of its manifestations, in light of its education,
culture, and sporting values, and to stimulate the global development of boxing.
• To promote the best standards in boxing organization, judging, referral, coaching, training,
education, medical and anti-doping controls.
• To protect everyone's right to engage in boxing and to improve women's boxing programs.
Canada won its first Davis Cup title after defeating Australia:
• Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada defeated Australia's Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 in the second
match of the Davis Cup finals.

• The world number six, Felix Auger-Aliassime, had to defend three break points in the first set but
regained his flow in the eighth game.
• Auger-Aliassime kept his composure in the second set, defending two break points in the
second game.
• He battled back from 0-40 to maintain his serve in the sixth game.
• Earlier, Denis Shapovalov defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-2, 6-4 to give Canada the first point, a
beaten finalist in 2019.
• Shapovalov has lost both of his singles matches this week and required back treatment during a
three-set loss against Italy's Lorenzo Sonego in the semi-finals.
About Davis Cup:
• The 2022 Davis Cup is the 110th edition of the Davis Cup, a men's tennis tournament between
national teams.
• Rakuten is the sponsor.
• The Russian Tennis Federation was the defending champion, but owing to Russia's invasion of
Ukraine in 2022, they and Belarus were barred from playing in international events.
Rituraj Gaikwad sets a world record by hitting seven sixes in one over:
• Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed a world record seven sixes in the 49th over of Maharashtra's Vijay
Hazare Trophy quarter-final versus Uttar Pradesh at Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• In the quarter-finals, Maharashtra's Rituraj Gaikwad became the first batsman in List-A cricket
to knock seven sixes in one over.
• Gaikwad set this milestone against Uttar Pradesh in Ahmedabad.
• He stayed unbeaten after collecting 220 runs off 159 balls.
• His previous best score in List-A cricket was 187 not out.
• This is also his sixth century in the past eight innings of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
• He struck 43 runs, including seven sixes, against left-arm spinner Shiva Singh in the 49th over of
the innings.
• Rituraj hit a six over long-on on the first ball, a straight six on the second ball, a six on the leg
side on the third ball to complete the hat-trick, a six over mid-off on the fourth and fifth balls, and
a no-ball on the fifth ball.
• This is the most expensive over in List-A cricket, with a total of 43 runs scored. Sir Garfield
Sobers, Ravi Shastri, Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh, Ross Whiteley, Hazratullah Zazai, Leo
Carter, Kieron Pollard, and Thisara Perera are among the batsmen who have smashed six sixes
in one over.
Assam's noted artist Neel Pawan Baruah passes away
• An eminent artist from Assam, Neel Pawan Baruah passed away at the age of 86 in Gauhati
Medical College & Hospital, Assam.
About Neel Pawan Baruah :
• Baruah was born in 1936 in the Jorhat district, Assam.
• He was a prominent painter and illustrator, who founded the Assam Fine Arts & Craft Society at
Guwahati in 1971 to revive the art of Brindabanivastra, a famous textile painting associated with
Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev.
• He had created a unique style by sketching art on match and cigarette boxes, displayed at
various exhibitions.
Awards & Honors :
• In 2021, the Assam government conferred him with Assam Saurav Award, the state’s second-
highest award.
Steel Man of India Jamshed J Irani passes away
• The former Managing Director of Tata Steel Jamshed J Irani who was also famously known as
the ‘Steel Man of India’ passed away at the age of 86 in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.
About Jamshed J Irani :
• Jamshed J Irani was Born on June 2, 1936, in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
• He joined the British Iron and Steel Research Association as a senior scientific officer in
Sheffield in 1963.
• He joined the Tata Iron and Steel Company (now Tata Steel), in 1968, as Assistant to the
Director in charge of Research and Development.
• He joined the Board of Tata Steel in 1981 and was also a Non-Executive Director from 2001 for
a decade.
• He also held the post of National President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) from
1992-93.
• Jamshed J Irani retired from the Board of Tata Steel back in June 2011.
Awards & Honors :
• Jamshed J Irani was also conferred upon Padma Bhushan- the third highest Civilian Award in
2007.
• He was conferred an honorary Knighthood (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 for his
contributions to Indo-British Trade and Cooperation.
• Irani was appointed as an International Fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1996.
• Dr. Irani was also the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Government of India in
2008 as an acknowledgement of his services in the area of metallurgy.
About TATA Steel Limited :
• TATA Steel Limited is an Indian multinational steel-making company, based in Jamshedpur,
Jharkhand.
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Padma Bhushan recipient & Noted women's rights activist Ela Bhatt passes away
• Noted women's rights and micro-finance activist, lawyer, and Padma Bhushan recipient Ela
Bhatt passed away at the age of 89 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
About Ela Bhatt :
• Bhatt was born on 7 September 1933, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• She was a well-known Gandhian and advocated the economic empowerment of women.
• She founded the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA) in 1972 and served as
its general secretary from 1972 to 1996.
• In her pursuit of women's economic welfare, she founded India’s first women’s bank, the
Cooperative Bank of SEWA in 1973.

• In 1979, she co-founded Women’s World Banking (WWB), a global network of microfinance
organizations assisting women, and served as its chairperson from 1984 to 1988.
• In 1986, she was appointed to the Rajya Sabha by the president and chaired the National
Commission on Self-Employed Women.
• Bhatt became a member of The Elders in 2007- a group of world leaders founded by Nelson
Mandela, working for peace, justice, and human rights
• She was the chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith from 7 March 2015 to 19 October 2022.
Awards & Honors :
• She received India's fourth-highest civilian honor Padma Shri in 1985 and the third-highest
civilian honor, the Padma Bhushan, in 1986.
• For her efforts in empowering women through entrepreneurship, she received the Gandhi Peace
Prize in 2011.
• She also won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1977 & the Right
Livelihood Award for Changing the Human Environment (1984).
Writer & art critic Vijayakumar Menon passes away
• Eminent art critic and scholar in fine arts Vijayakumar Menon Passed away at the age of 76.
About Vijayakumar Menon :
• Vijayakumar Menon was born in Elamakara, Ernakulam district, Kerala.
• He was an Indian art critic, writer, translator, and art teacher from Kerala.
• He was an inmate of Jnana Ashram in Vyasagiri and Vyasa Tapovanam for the past 33 years.
• He has authored many books such as Adhunika Kaladarsanam; Ravivarma Padanam;
Bharathiya Chitrakala-Irupatham Noottandil; and Bharathiya Lavanya Darsanavum Kala
Parasparyavum.
Awards & Honors :
• He was a winner of several awards including the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Award for best
book on art, Kerala Sahitya Akademi’s endowment for scholarly literature, Kesari Puraskaram,
and the Gurudarsanam Award.
Arunachal Pradesh MLA Jambey Tashi Passes away
• Arunachal Pradesh legislator Jambey Tashi passed away at the age of 48 in Guwahati, Assam.
About Jambey Tashi :
• Tashi was an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Arunachal Pradesh, serving as
the MLA from the Lumla assembly constituency three times since 2009
• He was also a member of the National Minority Morcha in the BJP
• He is also the cousin of Chief Minister Pema Khandu
• He had been a member of the Indian National Congress and People's Party of Arunachal
Pradesh.
• He was holding the post of Advisor to the Planning and Investment Minister of the state.
Independent India’s first voter, Shyam Saran Negi, passes away
• Shyam Saran Negi, the first voter of independent India passed away at the age of 106 at his
native place in Kinnaur.
• He cast his vote for the 34th time on November 2, 2022, for the Himachal assembly polls.
• Negi would be cremated with full honours at his village in Kalpa.
About Shyam Saran Negi :
• Shyam Saran Negi was an Indian school teacher in Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh.
• He cast the first vote in the 1951 general election in India, the nation's first election since the end
of British Rule in 1947.
• In 2014, Mr. Negi was made a brand ambassador for the Electoral Commission in a bid to
encourage voting and starred in a Google video encouraging people to vote in the year's general
election.
Additional Info :
• The Election Department has introduced the facility of a 12-D form for people above the age of
80 years.
• Under this scheme, anyone in the age bracket who wants to vote while staying at home can do
so and the department will provide a vote-from-home facility.
• This facility is also available for differently abled people and Covid-19 patients.
Shane Watson has published a new book titled "Winning the Inner Battle."
• "Winning the Inner Battle," a new book Shane Watson wrote "Bringing the best version of you to
cricket."
• This book will provide you with all of the information you will ever need to fully understand how to
bring your finest performance every time it is required.
• Shane Watson is one of Australia's best all-rounders, having played 298 times for his country.
• Winning The Inner Battle, Shane Watson's new book addresses the mental component of the
game via his own experiences of reviving his career after considering retirement in 2015.
Nirmala James wrote "E. K. Janaki Ammal: Life and Scientific Contributions."
• Nirmala James, a retired schoolteacher, has written a new book named "E. K. "Edavalath
Kakkat Janaki Ammal: Life and Scientific Contributions," a documentary on the life and amazing
achievements of Edavalath Kakkat Janaki Ammal (E. K. Janaki Ammal), India's first woman
botanist.
• The book, produced by Enview Research and Development, was released at an event
commemorating E.'s 125th birthday. Janaki Ammal, K. She was born in Thalassery, Kerala, on
November 4, 1897.
• The event was organized by the University of Kerala's Botany Department's Centre for
Biodiversity Conservation (CBC).
About the book:
• The book tells the story of Dr. Janaki Ammal, who achieved her professional goals despite
gender and caste hurdles.
• She is well-known for her contributions to cytogenetics and plant breeding. Nirmala James has
written over 25 books, including children's books.
• This book delves into the life and work of E. K. Janaki Ammal, one of India's most prestigious
female scientists.
• The book tells various noteworthy insights from Janaki Ammal's father Krishnan's dairy, as well
as the author's discoveries while travelling through the roads Janaki Ammal walked.
• The book is an improved translation of the author's Malayalam edition, which was published in
2020.
Iconic Brazilian singer Gal Costa Passes away
• An icon in the Tropicalia and Brazilian singer, Gal Costa has passed away at the age of 77.
About Gal Costa :
• Gal Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos was born on 26 September 1945, in Bahia, Brazil.
• In more than 55 years of her career, Costa released 40-plus albums including the iconic Fa-tal-
Gal a Todo Vapor (1971) and Índia (1973) - 4 of which have been nominated for Latin Grammys
in the best Musica Popular Brasileira album category.
• She is best known for lending her unique voice to compositions such as Ary Barroso’s “Aquarela
do Brasil” (Watercolor of Brazil), Tom Jobim’s “Dindi,” Jorge Ben Jor’s “Que Pena” (What a
Shame) and Caetano Veloso’s “Baby.”
• She was widely referred to as the “muse of the Tropicália.”
Awards & Honors :
• In 2011, she was honored with the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Renowned Indian mathematician and Padma Shri Awardee, Shri RL Kashyap passes away
● Renowned Indian mathematician and Padma Shri Awardee, Shri Rangasami Lakshminarayan
Kashyap passed away at the age of 84 in Karnataka.
About Shri RL Kashyap :
● Shri RL Kashyap was born 28 March 1938 in Mysore, Karnataka.
● He worked as a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computers for three decades at
Purdue University in America.
● He developed the Ho-Kashyap rule, A pivotal algorithm in Pattern recognition, with another
professor in Harvard, Yu-Chi Ho.
● He was the founder of a spiritual organization called Sakshi Trust.
● Kashyap is the only person in the world to translate all the 4 vedas.
● He has translated around 25,000 Shlokas/Mantras of Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and
Atharvaveda into English.
● He also wrote more than 250 research papers.
Awards & Honors :
● He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021 by the central government for his considerable service
in the field of studying the Vedas.
● His accolades and achievements include Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, Visvesvaraya Science
Award, Veda Brahma Award.
TV Actor Siddhaanth Vir Surryavanshi passes away
● Famous television actor Siddhaanth Vir Surryavanshi also known as Anand Suryavanshi,passed
away at the age of 46 while working out at a gym.
About Siddhaanth Vir Surryavanshi :
● He appeared in over 25 Hindi television shows during his 21-year career.
● He was best known for his roles in shows like 'Kkusum' and 'Kasautii Zindagi Kay'.
● He started his career as a model and then made his debut with 'Kkusum'.
● He was also a part of several other TV shows including, 'Kasautii Zindagii Kay', 'Sufiyana Ishq
Mera', 'Ziddi Dil Maane Na' and 'Waaris'.
● His last projects include TV shows Kyun Rishton Mein Katti Batti and Ziddi Dil.
Actor Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman's animated series, passes away
● Hollywood actor Kevin Conroy, best known for voicing Batman on Warner Bros.' long-running
television series Batman: The Animated Series, has passed away at the age of 66.
About Kevin Conroy :
● Conroy was born on November 30, 1955, in Westbury, New York, United States.
● Conroy was the voice of Batman on the acclaimed animated series that ran from 1992-1996,
often acting opposite Mark Hamill’s Joker.
● He appeared in episodes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Masters of the
Universe: Revelation on Netflix as Mer-Man in the latter franchise.
● He also appeared in several DC Universe Animated Original Movies, including Batman: Gotham
Knight (2008), Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009), and Justice League vs. the Fatal Five
(2019).
Veteran Telugu actor Krishna passes away
● Veteran Telugu actor and father of Mahesh Babu, Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy has
passed away at the age of 79 in Hyderabad, Telangana.
About Krishna :
● Krishna was born on 31 May 1943 in Burripalem, Andhra Pradesh.
● He was an Indian actor, director and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu
cinema.
● He is referred to as "Superstar" in the Telugu media.
● Nicknamed ‘Daring and Dashing Hero’, he was a pioneer in experiments and adopting emerging
technologies.
● He had begun his career in the early 1960s and acted in about 350 films.
● He was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Congress party in 1989.
● He directed 17 feature films and produced many films under his Padmalaya Studiosproduction
company.
● He also produced and directed the first 70mm film in Telugu, Simhasanam.
Awards &Honors :
● In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South in addition to an
Honorary doctorate from Andhra University in 2008.
● In 2009, the government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to
Indian cinema.
Mehran Karimi Nasseri, Who Inspired ‘The Terminal,’ Passes away in Paris Airport
● Mehran Karimi Nasseri, the exiled Iranian, who lived for 18 years at Charles de Gaulle Airport in
Paris, passed away at the age of 76.
About Mehran Karimi Nasseri :
● Mehran Karimi Nasseri was born in 1945 in Soleiman, Iran.
● He also known as Sir Alfred Mehran.
● He was an Iranian refugee who lived in the departure lounge of Terminal 1 in Charles de Gaulle
Airportfrom 26 August 1988 until July 2006.
● He wrote an autobiography titled, The Terminal Man, which was published in 2004.
● Nasseri's story inspired the 1993 film Lost in Transit.
● He was the inspiration behind American director and producer, Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster
film, The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Indian basketball legend Abbas Moontasir passes away
● Indian basketball legend Gulam Abbas Moontasir passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra at the
age of 80.
About Abbas Moontasir :
● Moontasir was Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
● He started playing basketball at the age of 9 at the local courts of Nagpada, Central Mumbai.
● He made his international debut in Mumbai in 1960 against Australia & later, he represented his
country in the quadrangular in Colombo in 1964.
● He received global recognition after he captained the Indian side at Asian Basketball
Championship in 1969 and 1975, held in Bangkok.
● He continued playing till 1986 when he represented the Railways in the Federation Cup.
● He was suspended for three years due to constant bickering with referees and officials in the
country.
● He was also among the country’s sports icons who shot for the 1987 film ‘Freedom Run’ to
promote national integration.
● After retirement, at the age of 44, he wrote a book, titled ‘Principles of Basketball’
● He also featured in two Bollywood films - Khoon Ki Takkar in 1981 and Aashiana in 1986.
Awards & Honors :
● In 1970, he became the first Indian basketball player to receive the Arjuna Award for his
achievement in national sport.
Former Indian Ambassador Abasar Beuria Passes Away
• Noted Odia literature and former Indian ambassador Abasara Beuria passed away at the age of
80 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
About Abasara Beuria:
• Beuria began his career as a lecturer and then as a bank officer before joining the Indian
Foreign Service (IFS).
• He is a former diplomat, author, and Chairman of, the Institute of Odia Studies & Research
(IOSR).
• He had served in Indian diplomatic missions in Japan, Russia (formerly the USSR), the United
States of America, the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar.
• He played a key role in the translation of engineering books in Odia.
Veteran Actress Tabassum Govil passes away
• Veteran actress Tabassum Govil, who was popularly known as Baby Tabassum passed away at
the age of 78.
About Tabassum Govil :
• Tabassum was born in 1944 in Mumbai.
• She started her career as a child artist in 1947 with Nargis.
• The actress later starred in films like Mera Suhaag (1947), Manjhdhar (1947), Bari Behen
(1949), Deedar (1951), and Swarg (1990).
• Tabassum hosted the popular Doordarshan celebrity talk show Phool Khile Hain Gulshan
Gulshan - India's first talk show from 1972 to 1993
• Her last film was Rajesh Khanna and Govinda-starrer "Swarg" in 1990 in which she made a
guest appearance as herself.
• In the 2000s, she appeared in the daily soap "Pyaar Ke Do Naam: Ek Raadha, Ek Shyaam".
Veteran Punjabi actress Daljeet Kaur Khangura passes away
• Veteran Punjabi film actress Daljeet Kaur Khangura passed away at the age of 69 in Raikot,
Punjab.
About Daljeet Kaur Khangura :
• Kaur was born on 15 November 1982 in Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
• She has acted in more than 10 Hindi and 70 Punjabi films.
• She is an Indian television actress primarily known for her portrayals of Niyati in Kulvaddhu,
Anjali in Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? and Manjiri in Kaala Teeka.
• She has appeared in several successful films, including Mamla Garbar Hai, Putt Jattan De,
Patola, Ki Banu Duniya Da, and Saida Jogan.
• She participated and became the winner of Nach Baliye with Shalin Bhanot.
• In 2019, she participated in the reality show Bigg Boss 13
• Daljeet was also a national hockey and kabaddi player.

Rasna founder Areez Khambatta passes away
• Founder and chairman of the popular drink Rasna, Areez Pirojshaw Khambatta passed away at
the age of 85 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• Rasna is now the world's largest soft drink concentrate manufacturer.
About Areez Pirojshaw Khambatta :
• Khambatta established the popular orange-flavoured beverage brand in 1976.
• He has contributed immensely to Indian industry, business, and societal development through
social service, as the Commandant of Ahmedabad Home Guards & Civil Defence for 20 years.
• He was the former chairman of the World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthostis (WAPIZ).
• He also served as the past president of the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat and the vice president
of the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India.
Awards & Honors :
• He was awarded the President of India’s Home Guard and Civil Defence Medal, as well as the
Paschimi Star, Samarseva, and Sangram Medals.
• He was honoured with the National Citizen’s Award for his outstanding contribution to the field of
commerce by then President of India Shankar Dayal Sharma.
• He was also conferred the Samman Patra by the finance ministry for his contribution to the
National Exchequer as the highest taxpayer of Gujarat.
• He was felicitated by the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat and chosen as the first Outstanding Parsi
of Ahmedabad
Former India football captain Babu Mani passes away
• Former India football captain Babu Mani passed away at the age of 59.
About Babu Mani :
• He made his international debut against Argentina in the 1984 Nehru Cup in Kolkata.
• He represented India in 55 international matches.
• He was a part of the first Indian team that qualified for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
Asian Cup in 1984.
• He was a member of the Indian team which won gold medals at the 1985 and 1987 editions of
the South Asian Games.
• He was also part of the Bengal Team which won the Santosh Trophy in 1986 and 1988.
• He also played for and won significant trophies for Kolkata's top three clubs, Mohammedan
Sporting (Federation Cup 1983), Mohun Bagan (CFL 1984, 1986, 1992, IFA Shield 1987,
Durand Cup 1984, 1985, 1986, Rovers Cup 1985, 1992, Federation Cup 1986, 1987, 1992,
1993), and East Bengal (CFL 1991, IFA Shield 1990, 1991, Durand Cup 1990, 1991, Rovers
Cup 1990).
Ex-Odisha Minister Golak Naik Passes away
● Former Minister, Golak Bihari Naik has passed away at the age of 65.
About Golak Bihari Naik:
● Naik started his political career with BJP and later joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
● He became a first time legislator from Khunta assembly constituency in 2000.
● Notably, he was elected thrice to the Odisha Legislative Assembly– twice as a BJP candidate
from Khunta constituency and once as BJD candidate from Udala constituency.
● He served as a minister in the Naveen Patnaik-led government from 2000 to 2009.
● He represented Udala assembly constituency as BJD MLA from 2014 -2019.
● He had served as minister of the Textiles, Fisheries and Animal Resources in the BJD-BJP
coalition government.
Veteran Actor Vikram Gokhale Passes Away
● Veteran film, television and stage actor Vikram Gokhale has passed away at the age of 77 in
Pune.
About Vikram Gokhale :
● He was the son of the Veteran Marathi theatre and film actor, Chandrakant Gokhale
● He made his film debut in 1971 with Amitabh Bachchan's Parwana.
● He was known for his on-screen roles in films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Agneepath.
● He also forayed into direction with the Marathi film Aaghaat.
● The actor was last seen in the Marathi film 'Godavari'.
Awards & Honors :
In 2010, he received the National Award for Best Actor for his work in the Marathi film Anumati.
Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule – October 2022
1. Im portant Days 03
2. Im portant Banking and Economy News 19
3. Im portant State News 89
4. Im portant National News 136
5. Im portant International News 182
6. Im portant MOU’s and Agreement News 204
7. Im portant Mergers and Acquisitions News 219
8. Im portant Appointments and Resignation News 231
9. Im portant Awards and Honours News 275
10. Im portant Defence News 291
11. Im portant Summit & Conference News 311
12. Im portant Schemes News 315
13. Im portant Science, Technology & Environmental News 322
14. Im portant Apps and Services News 344
15. Im portant Rankings and Indices News 349
16. Im portant Books and Authors 363
17. Im portant Sports News 367
18. Im portant Obituaries 378
IMPORTANT DAYS
1st October: International Day of the Older Persons
• The International Day of Older Persons is celebrated on October 1 each year to increase
awareness about the importance of ageing and promote the rights of older persons.
• The overall umbrella theme for the United Nations International Day of Older Persons in 2022 is
“Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World.”
• The International Day of Older Persons was declared by the UN General Assembly on December
14, 1990 (resolution 45/106).
• This was preceded by programs like the Vienna International Plan of Action on Aging, which was
approved by the UN General Assembly and the World Assembly on Ageing in 1982.
1st October: International Coffee Day
• International Coffee D ay is observed on October 1 every year to promote and celebrate coffee as
a beverage.
• The day also aims to promote fair trade coffee and to raise awareness of the plight of coffee
growers.
• The exact origin of International Coffee Day is unknown.
• An event was first promoted in Japan in 1983 by The All-Japan Coffee Association.
• In 2014, the International Coffee Organization decided to launch the first official International
Coffee Day in Milan as part of Expo 2015.
2nd October 2022: Gandhi Jayanti:
• Every year on October 2nd, people celebrate Gandhi Jayanti to remember the "Father of the
Nation," Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
• According to a declaration made by the United Nations General Assembly on June 15, 2007, this
day is also observed as the International Day of Non-Violence.
• On October 2, 1869, Mahatma Gandhi was born in Porbandar, a small town in Gujarat.
• He studied law in the United Kingdom and practiced in South Africa.
• Gandhiji wrote about his infancy and adolescent years, his marriage to Kasturba at the age of 13,
and his unwavering love for his country in his autobiography "My Experiments with Truth."
• Gandhiji was a pioneer of truth and nonviolence, and he set an example of simple living and noble
thinking.
4th October: World Animal Welfare Day:
• Every year on October 4th, World Animal Welfare Day is honored.
• This day is observed worldwide to commemorate the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron
saint of animals.
• The goal of observing this day as World Animal Welfare Day is to elevate the status of animals
and improve their well-being.
History:
• The day was first marked in 1925 by animal rights campaigner Heinrich Zimmermann, but now,
the annual global celebration of animals is coordinated by the UK-based animal welfare
organization, Naturewatch Foundation.
• To raise awareness, the Naturewatch Foundation developed the inaugural World Animal Day
website in 2003, which offers a directory of global World Animal Day events that take place on and
around World Animal Day and encourages supporters to add their events.
• The event was originally set for October 4 to coincide with the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi,
the patron saint of the environment.
5th October 2022: World Teacher's Day
• World Teachers’ Day is observed every year on October 5 across the globe to recognize and
celebrate educators including teachers, researchers, and professors’ work
• The theme this year for International Teachers’ Day 2022 is “The Transformation Of Education
Begins With Teachers”.
History:
• October 5 was recognized as World Teachers’ Day by UNESCO in 1994, to honor the adoption of
the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation.
• This was a part of the intergovernmental conference convened by UNESCO in Paris that
recognized the status of teachers in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO).
• After the adoption of this recommendation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) declared October 5 to be World Teachers’ Day.
7th October 2022: World Cotton Day
• October 7 is celebrated each year as World Cotton Day
• It is a multipurpose plant chiefly used in the textile industry but also in the medical sector, edible oil
industry, animal feeds, and bookbinding, among others.
• The theme for 2022’s celebration of World Cotton Day appears to be “Weaving a better future for
cotton,” as apparent from the posters released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the
United Nations (FAO).
History:
• The development and promotion of cotton cultivation are part of the United Nations (UN)
Sustainable Development Goals. To meet the goals, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), The
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the International Trade
Centre (ITC) undertook a joint initiative on cotton by-products.
• The initiative offers assistance to the “Cotton-4" nations, which are Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad,
Mali, and other cotton-producing countries in Africa, to develop cotton by-products and their
markets.
• In response to a formal appeal by the Cotton-4 countries to the United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA), on October 7, 2019, the WTO Secretariat, in collaboration with Secretariats of the
International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), FAO, UNCTAD, and ITC, hosted the first World
Cotton Day (WCD) event in Geneva.
8 October-Air Force Day
• Indian Air Force Day is celebrated on 8 October every year.
• The main aim is to pay a tribute to the Air Force of India and acknowledge their contribution, and
excellence India has presented in the field.
• Every year the Indian Air Force Day is celebrated at Hindon Air Force Station, which is the largest
air base in Asia.
• The Air Force was officially raised as the supporting force of the Royal Air Force of the United
Kingdom in 1932 and the first operational squadron was created in 1933.
• Indian Air Force Day is celebrated to mark the official establishment of the Indian Air Force, which
was on October 8, 1932.
World Post Day 2022: October 9
• World Post Day is celebrated on 9th October of every year.
• World Post Day is observed to raise awareness about the postal sector.
• This day also reminds people about the important role the postal sector plays in everyday life.
Theme
• The World Post Day 2022 theme is “Post for Planet.”
History
• World Post Day was first declared by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress in Tokyo, Japan
in the year of 1969.
• World Post Day was observed on 9th October because on this day the Universal Postal Day was
started in the year 1874 in Switzerland.
• The Universal Postal Union started the global revolution in communication and it started the ability
to write letters to others in the world.
• Since World Postal Day started, countries from all over the world took part in the celebrations
which are conducted on this day.
10 October: World Mental Health Day
• Every year on October 10th, the world celebrates World Mental Health Day.
• The day is observed to promote global awareness of mental health concerns and organize efforts
in support of mental health.
• World Mental Health Day is coordinated by the World Federation for Mental Health.
• The theme for World Mental Health Day 2022 is “Make Mental Health For All a Global Priority.”
History:
• The World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization, initiated the
celebration in 1992.
• The Day allows all stakeholders working on mental health issues to discuss their work and what
more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people all around the world.
10 October: National Post Day
• In India, National Postal Day is observed on 10 October each year as an extension of World Post
Day, which is observed on 9 October.
• The purpose of the Day is to remember the role of the Indian Postal Department, which was
formed in 1854 by Lord Dalhousie.
• The Indian postal service is an essential component of the country.
• Despite the diversity of culture, tradition, and tough geographical terrain, India's postal systems
have performed well.
11 October- International Day of the Girl Child
• International Day of the Girl Child is commemorated on 11 October every year for empowering
girls and amplifying their voices around the globe.
• This day recognizes the rights of the girl child and the challenges faced by them across the world.
• Girls are breaking stereotypes, boundaries, and barriers.
• The theme of the International Day of the Girl Child 2022 is “Our time is now – Our Rights, Our
Future“.
History:
• The Beijing Declaration was adopted by the UN in 1995 during the World Conference on Women
in Beijing.
• This resolution is the first to specifically call out girls’ rights.
• The United Nations General Assembly declared 11 October as the International Day of the Girl
Child on 19 December 2011.
• The day was formed to focus on the fulfillment of the human rights of girls and the challenges that
they face.
World Arthritis Day- October 12
• World Arthritis day 2022 is observed on the 12th of October.
• Any condition that affects the joints is commonly referred to as arthritis.
• Pain and stiffness in the joints are typical symptoms. Redness, warmth, swelling, and a reduced
range of motion in the afflicted joints are possible additional symptoms.
• The theme of World Arthritis Day 2022 is ‘It’s in your hands, Take Action‘.
History
• The Arthritis Foundation established World Arthritis Day.
• The Greek terms "arthro," which means "joint," and "itis," which means "inflammation," are the
origin of the word "arthritis."
• Inflammation of the joints is a symptom of arthritis. Any living organism with bones is susceptible.
• The existence of ankle arthritis in humans dates back to at least 4500 B.C., and there is evidence
that it was present in dinosaurs as well!
• In actuality, it was among the most prevalent diseases among prehistoric populations.
• William Musgrave's 1715 book "De Arthritide Symptomatica," was the first in-depth research and
categorization.
World Sight Day: October 13
• World Sight Day is an International Day of Awareness, held annually on the second Thursday of
October.
• This year, World Sight Day is observed on the 13th of October 2022.
• The World Sight Day 2022 theme is, "#LoveYourEyes"
History
• Lions Clubs International partnered with blindness presentation organizations worldwide for the
first World Sight Day in 1998.
• This event was later integrated into VISION 2020, a global initiative that the International Agency
for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) coordinates.
• This initiative is a joint program between WHO and the IAPB.
• It involves non-government organizations, and professional associations, as well as eye-care
institutions and corporations.
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction: October 13
• The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2022 is observed on the 13th of October.
• The day offers an opportunity to celebrate the advancements made in reducing disaster
vulnerability and the resulting loss of lives, economy, and health.
• The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2022 theme is, "Early Warning"
History
• The International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction was established by a resolution passed by
the UN General Assembly in 1989.
• However, the Assembly changed its resolution on December 21, 2009, deciding to observe the
Day on October 13.
• Also, the day was renamed International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
World Standards Day: October 14
• World Standards Day is observed annually on the 14th of October 2022.
• The opportunity to deepen understanding of the value of standardization and to increase
awareness of it is provided by World Standards Day in 2022.
• World Standards Standards 2022 Theme is, "Shared Vision for a Better World"
History
• The first World Standards Day was celebrated in 1946 i n London, the same year that the
International Organization for Standardization was founded.
• Every year on October 14, people all over the world, including members of the I.E.C., I.S.O.,
I.T.U., and other international standardization organizations, celebrate the collaborative efforts of
experts, volunteers, and everyone who participates in standardization activities globally.
World Egg Day: October 14
• World Egg Day is observed annually on the second Friday in October.
• This year, World egg day is on the 14th of October 2022.
• World Egg Day 2022 Theme is, "Eggs for a better life"
History
• World Egg Day was created in 1996 at the IEC conference in Vienna to recognize and honor the
value and relevance of eggs to all of humanity.
• Since then International Egg Day is observed annually on the second Friday in October.
Global Handwashing Day: October 15
• Global Handwashing Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October.
• Hand washing is such a basic habit, but it can change everything and save lives.
• Global Handwashing Day 2022 theme is, “Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene.”
• The Global Handwashing Partnership established Global Handwashing Day as a chance to
develop and put into practice original strategies for inspiring people to wash their hands with soap,
particularly in times of need.
• In 2008, the first Global Handwashing Day was observed.
International D ay of Rural Women: October 15
• International Day of Rural Women 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022.
• This day serves as a reminder that millions of women in isolated rural communities still require our
assistance.
• There are several methods to reach out and improve the lives of these women, from providing
necessities to financial aid.
• It was proposed to empower and recognize women in 1995 during the Fourth World Conference
on Women in Beijing, China.
• To recognize the importance of rural women to agriculture, food production, and food safety, it
was suggested that October 15 be observed as International Day of Rural Women.
• October 15 will be recognized yearly as International Day of Rural Women globally, according to a
resolution 62/136 passed by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 2007.
White Cane Safety Day: October 15
• White Cane Safety Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022.
• This day is dedicated to visually impaired people
• This day is a chance to connect with others that might need your assistance.
• On White Cane Safety Day, you can participate in gatherings and activities that will benefit
persons who are blind or visually impaired.
• James Biggs, a photographer from Bristol, came up with the concept of white canes.
• Biggs had an accident in 1921 that left him blind.
• During that time, there were more cars on the road, so Biggs decided to paint his cane white to
make himself more visible to drivers and other pedestrians.
• White Cane Safety Day was established annually on October 15 by a joint resolution that
President Lyndon B. Johnson and the U.S. Congress signed on October 6, 1964.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day: October 15
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022.
• The purpose of this day is to increase awareness, remembrance, and support for the 1 in 4 people
and families whose lives are reportedly irreversibly changed by the death of their child(ren) during
pregnancy, delivery, or infancy.
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (PAILRD) is a memorial day that is annually
honored on October 15 in the United States and Canada.
• To honor, commemorate, and remember infants who have died from miscarriage, stillbirth,
neonatal death, and other causes of baby loss, the day was created in 2002.
• Robyn Bear, Lisa Brown, and Tammy Novak started the movement by petitioning the federal
government to recognize the particular day on October 15.
• On September 28, 2006, the House of Representatives finally approved National Pregnancy and
Infant Loss Remembrance Day.
• The month of October had previously been declared to be Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness
Month by President Ronald Reagan.
World Students Day: October 15
• World Students Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022, to honor the birthday of our
former president, the late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
• In 2010, World Students Day was established by the United Nations.
• In honor of former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam, who was born on the same day in 1931,
October 15 of each year is observed as World Students' Day.
• The purpose of the day is to honor Kalam's contributions to education and students
• Early in his life, Kalam studied science and physics.
• He was born in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
• Through his insightful lectures, Kalam devoted his life to teaching and encouraging students to
become the best versions of themselves.
World Food Day: October 16
• World Food Day 2022 is observed annually on the 16th of October 2022.
• World Food Day 2022 theme is, "Leave No One Behind"
• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a specialized body of the United Nations, created
World Food Day in 1945.
• However, it would take another 34 years until the 20th FAO conference in November 1979, when
it was declared a global holiday.
• Following this, 150 nations continued to commemorate the day once it was given official UN
recognition.
• Since 2014, the day's popularity has been exploited to advance the causes of world hunger relief
and eradicate poverty in developing countries.
World Anaesthesia Day: October 16
• World Anaesthesia Day 2022 is observed on the 16th of October 2022.
• Anaesthesia, which is generated for therapeutic reasons, is a controlled, brief loss of feeling or
awareness.
• World Anaesthesia Day 2022 theme is, "Anaesthesia and children: Caring for your kids"
• World Anaesthesia Day is observed on October 16 in remembrance of W.T.G. Morton, who made
the first successful official demonstration of ether as an anesthetic on this date 173 years ago.
• This event ushered in the practice of anesthesiology.
• Since 1903, unique occasions have been planned to commemorate this momentous day.
• Given in an operating room at Massachusetts General Hospital, it is regarded as one of the pivotal
moments in medical history.
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: October 17
• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2022 is observed on the 17th of October 2022.
• The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2022 is an opportunity to recognize the
challenges and efforts of those who are poor, give them a voice, and highlight that they are the
ones who fight against poverty first.
• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2022 theme, "Dignity for All in Practice"
• The first commemoration of this day took place in 1987 at the Trocadéro in Paris, where more
than 100,000 people gathered to remember those who had died from extreme poverty, violence,
and hunger at the unveiling of a memorial stone by a French priest and humanitarian activist
named Joseph Wresinski.
• Such people declared that poverty is a violation of human rights and that we must work together to
guarantee that these rights are upheld.
• The general assembly established October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of
Poverty on December 22, 1992, four years after Wresinski passed away in 1988.
• The eradication of poverty and misery was the subject of an invitation to all nations to submit and
promote initiatives.
World Osteoporosis Day: 20th October
• World osteoporosis day 2022 is observed on the 20th of October 2022.
• World Osteoporosis Day 2022 theme set up by the International Osteoporosis Foundation is “Step
Up For Bone Health”
• World Osteoporosis Day was launched on October 20, 1996, b y the United Kingdom's National
Osteoporosis Society and supported by the European Commission.
• Since 1997, this awareness day has been organized by the International Osteoporosis
Foundation(IOF).
• In 1998, two prominent organizations committed to educating the public about osteoporosis,
combined to create the International Osteoporosis Foundation
• The Founding of the IOF was a combination of the joint efforts of the European Foundation for
Osteoporosis created in 1987 and the International Federation of Societies on Skeletal Diseases
(IFSSD), which was started in 1995.
National Solidarity Day: 20th October
• On 20th October, National Solidarity Day 2022 is observed.
• This day serves for the war's bravery, honoring the War soldier’s family, and honoring the defense
armed forces in Military, Navy, and Air soldiers.
• War took place between India and China in 1962.
• It was called the Indo-China War of 1962.
• The war took place for the Kashmir border issue and the war started on 20th October 1962.
• The war took place for one month and it finally ended on 21st November 1962.
• India Finally China occupied some parts of Kashmir which were named COK - China Occupied
Kashmir.
• In 1966, India was under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. A Committee Constituting Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi decided to dedicate 20th October as “National Solidarity Day” for war remembrance,
to honor the Soldiers who participated in the war and to honor the soldier’s families who sacrificed
their lives in the war.
Police Commemoration Day: 21st October
• Police Commemoration Day 2022 is observed on the 21st of October 2022.
• On 21st October, Police Commemoration Day in India, a nationwide program will be conducted for
the Police persons who proved their bravery and excellence in their duty.
• The day commemorates the sacrifices of ten CRPF personnel who lost their lives while defending
our border with China On October 21, 1959.
• On 20th October 1959, The Indian Reconnaissance party went missing.
• One of the three Parties launched from Ladakh does not return to the base.
• On 21st October 1959, the Chinese army attacked and killed 10 brave Indian Soldiers.
• In January 1960 they decided that October 21 will be declared as the Police Commemoration Day
in India to remember and honor the sacrifices made by on-duty Police Personnel in the country.
International Stuttering Awareness Day: 22nd October
• International Stuttering Awareness Day 2022 is observed on the 22nd of October 2022.
• The International Stuttering Awareness Day theme 2022 set up by the ISAD Online Conference
Team is “Being Seen, Being Heard - Representation and Normalization of Stuttering i n the
mainstream.”
• International Stuttering Awareness Day was established in the year 1998 to bring attention to the
millions of people across the world who are living with his specific Communication Disorder.
• People think that stuttering means repetitions of some words.
• Stuttering is also mentioned for persons who are having an elongation of a vowel or syllable.
• This condition may also vary because sometimes a person may stutter once in a while and also
they stutter continuously while talking.
• In 19th Century Europe, surgeons recommended surgery for this disorder
• This practice was later stopped because the patients who survived also stuttered again.
• Later it was understood that stuttering was a neurological disorder that can be developmental from
Childhood and also can be acquired due to excessive drug use and also due to trauma.
United Nations Day: 24th October
• United Nations Day 2022 is observed on the 24th of October 2022.
• The United Nations Conference took place in San Francisco in 1945. 50 countries came to the
conference to form the United Nations Charter.
• The United Nations Organisation aims to bring peace among the people to stop the War Situation.
• UNO also works to reduce Poverty across the Globe.
• The Permanent members of UNO are the United States, India, the United Kingdom, France,
Turkey, and Canada.
• United Nations Day is celebrated for the remembrance of the formation of the United Nations
Organisation. United Nations Day is celebrated annually.
• This year United Nations Day 2022 will be celebrated by UNO globally by conducting a Peace
Conference.
World Polio Day: 24th October
• World Polio Day 2022 is observed on the 24th of October 2022.
• World Polio Day is first initiated and Celebrated by Rotary International for the birthday of Jonas
Salk, the Medical Researcher who led the first team to develop a vaccine against polio.
• He developed the Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine in 1955.
• Later Albert Sabin developed Oral Polio Vaccine in 1962.
• Rotary International and WHO established the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988.
• At the time there were around 3,50,000 cases across the world.
• Now the European Countries have completely eradicated polio and now announced themselves
as Polio-free Countries.
• But Still Asian Countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India still find rare cases across the
country.
• World Polio Day 2022 is celebrated for over a decade now by Rotary International.
• This year they announced an awareness program to vaccinate babies as per the schedule.
Disarmament Week- 24 to 30 October
• Every year, from October 24 to 30, Disarmament Week is observed.
• One of the primary purposes of the United Nations is to achieve universal peace.
• To that goal, the organization observes Disarmament Week every year from October 24 to
October 30.
• Disarmament Week attempts to raise awareness and understanding of disarmament challenges
and their interconnections.
History:
• The week-long yearly observance began on October 24, the anniversary of the United Nations'
creation, and was initially called for in the Final Document of the General Assembly's 1978 special
session on disarmament (resolution S -10/2).
• In 1995, the General Assembly asked states and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to
continue actively participating in Disarmament Week (resolution 50/72 B, 12 December 1995) to
increase public understanding of disarmament concerns.
• In 1952, the United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) was founded.
• It was tasked with developing treaty proposal documents to limit and reduce the number of
nations' military forces and weaponry.
About United Nations Disarmament Commission
• Headquarters location: New York, United States
• Head: Han Tae-song.
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage: 27th October
• World day for Audiovisual Heritage 2022 is observed on the 27th of October 2022.
• UNESCO aims to promote digital platforms so that our Culture and Heritage will be transferred to
the next younger generation quickly to their place so that they will be aware of the rich heritage
and culture of all countries worldwide.
• World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2022 Theme set up by UNESCO is “Enlisting documentary
heritage to promote inclusive, just, and p eaceful societies.”
• The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH) is a commemoration of the adoption, in 1980 by
the 21st General Conference, of the Recommendation for the Safeguarding and Preservation of
Moving Images.
• Since the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage2022 is celebrated in conjunction with the 30th
anniversary of the World Programme, the members of State in UNESCO take this day as an
opportunity to evaluate their performance in implementing the Recommendations for Preservation
and Access of the Documentary Heritage in Digital Form.
World Stroke Day: 29th October
• World Stroke Day 2022 is observed on the 29th of October 2022.
• World Stroke Day 2022 theme set by the WSO is “Learn the signs, Say it's a stroke and save
Precious time.”
• World stroke day was established on 29th October 2004 at World Stroke Congress in Vancouver,
Canada.
• Later in 2006, the day was proclaimed for public awareness.
• In 2006, World Stroke Organization was created with the merger of the World Stroke Federation
and the International Stroke Society.
• Since then, World Stroke Organization (WSO) has been taking care of the management and
advocacy of World stroke day (WSD) on different platforms.
• In 2010, World Stroke Organization (WSO) declared stroke a public health emergency to curb the
trending mortality and disability due to the lack of awareness and proper accessibility of diagnosis
and treatment to everyone.
World Savings Day: 31st October
• World Savings Day 2022 is observed on the 31st of October 2022. (30th October in In dia)
• World Savings Day 2022 theme set up by the International Savings Bank Congress is “Saving
prepares you for a better future”
• World Savings Day, also called World Thrift Day, was first established in the year 1924 during the
first International Savings Bank Congress.
• The Congress started on October 24.
• On the last day of Congress exactly on October 30, the Congress decided to celebrate World
Savings day every year to insist on the importance of saving money and also to insist on the
method of saving money through banks and other modes.
• However, the Establishment lost its importance after the First World War.
• Then later the Day gained importance after the second world war.
• The Day is officially celebrated on October 31st every year.
• But in India, i t is celebrated on October 30 since the former Prime Minister Mrs. Indhra Gandhi
died on October 31st.
Halloween Day: 31st October
• Halloween Day 2022 is observed on the 31st of October 2022.
• Halloween Day 2022 theme is “Carving of Pumpkin.”
• On this Day People set a campfire on the hilltop to show that bad evils are burnt and the people
wear different kinds of masks to show that ghosts will go back from their place after seeing them.
• People who died on the day of the Samhain festival believed that their souls returned to their
homes.
• People who died that year believed that they would go to another world.
• Halloween had its origin in the festival of Samhain among the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland.
• The Observance of Halloween is mainly non-religious.
• The Next day, November 1 is believed to be a new calendar year.
• That date was considered the beginning of the winter period.
National Unity Day: 31st October
• National Unity Day 2022 is observed on the 31st of October 2022.
• The National Unity Day 2022 was first started in the year 2014 by our Honourable Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to honor the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on 31st October 1875.
• He made a huge contribution to bringing all the scattered states into one nation after
independence.
• He was also the first deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India.
• National unity Day is also called Rashtriya Ekta Diwas Day.
• The same day the Statue of Unity was opened in 2018 by our Prime Minister in remembrance of
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• It was the highest statue in the world.
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation announced the Statue of Unity as the eighth World Wonder.
• Hereafter 31st October National Unity Day 2022 will also be called and celebrated as Rashtriya
Ekta Diwas Day 2022.
DBS Bank India collaborates with HDFC ERGO and Atradius to provide a Trade Credit Insurance
solution to Tata Metaliks
• DBS Bank India Limited (DBIL) has partnered in collaboration with HDFC ERGO General
Insurance Co Ltd and reinsured by Atradius, a worldwide provider of trade credit insurance to
provide a bespoke Credit Insurance - Accounts Receivable solution to Tata Metaliks Ltd (TML), a
subsidiary of Tata Steel Limited.
• This credit insurance deal is amongst the first to leverage Trade Credit Insurance.
• The revised framework was rolled out by the Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of
India (IRDAI) in November 2021, allowing banks to participate in this proposition.
• DBS is one of the first movers in the Indian market, supporting financial transactions backed by
Trade Credit Insurance.
About DBS Bank India:
• MD & CEO: Surojit Shome
• DBS Bank India Limited is the first among the large foreign banks in India to start operating as a
wholly-owned, locally incorporated subsidiary of a leading global bank.
About HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company:
• HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company is a joint venture between HDFC Ltd. and ERGO
International AG; the primary insurance entity of the Munich RE Group of Germany.
ICRA maintains India's FY23 GDP growth forecast at 7.2%
• Rating agency ICRA has maintained its forecast of 7.2% growth in India'sGross Domestic Product
(GDP) for the financial year FY23.
• According to ICRA, the growth will be aided by a revival in contact-intensive services owing to
pent-up demand, and a back-ended pick-up in Government and private CAPEX.
Key Highlights:
• ICRA's note highlighted that the Year over Year (YoY) performance of 12 of the 14 non-financial
indicators (except ports cargo traffic and finished steel consumption) deterioration in July-August
2022 relative to Q1 FY2023, on account of the normalization of the base after the easing of the
Covid 2.0 wave.
• In Q1FY23, India's real GDP is estimated at ₹36.85 lakh crore, as against ₹32.46 lakh crore in Q1
2021-22, showing a growth rate of 13.5%. While the gross value added (GVA) growth stood at
12.7% in Q1FY23.
Muthoot Finance ties up with Lulu International Exchange for gold loan repayment
• Muthoot Finance, one of India’s largest gold loan Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)
companies, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lulu International Exchange,
one of the money exchange and transfer companies in the UAE, to work as its collection partner.
Aim:
• To drive convenience and ease of money transfer for over 4 lakh Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in
UAE whose relatives have availed gold loans back home
• The partnership will largely benefit customers and their relatives who have availed of gold loans by
providing them with a way to pay their gold loan installments at special rates.
• NRIs can avail of the service at any of the 89 branches of Lulu Exchange spread across the UAE.
• The loan installment will be settled on a real-time basis with a nominal fee charged for the remit
service.
• India is the world's largest recipient of remittances and the share from the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) is higher in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
Note:
• CEO of LuLu Financial Group: Richard Wason
About Muthoot Finance:
• Founded: 1939
• Managing Director: George Alexander Muthoot
World Bank downgrades growth for East Asia and Pacific to 3.2% in 2022
• The World Bank has downgraded growth for developing East Asia and the Pacific to 3.2% in 2022.
• The region's growth is projected to slow this year from 7.2% in 2021, before accelerating to 4.6%
in 2023.
• Rising inflation abroad has provoked interest rate increases, which in turn have caused capital
outflows and currency depreciations in some East Asia and Pacific countries.
About World Bank:
• President: David Malpass
Development (IBRD) and International Development Association (IDA).
RBI hikes repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.9%
• The six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) headed by
RBI Governor Mr. Shaktikanta Das decided to increase Repo Rate by 50 basis points to 5.90%.
• This is the RBI's fourth rate hike in the current financial year.
• Consequently, the standing deposit facility (SDF) rate is adjusted to 5.65% & the marginal
standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 6.15%, the Fixed Reverse Repo Rate: is 3.35%,
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): is 4.50%, Statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) 18.00%.
GDP:
• The Governor informed that the RBI’s growth projection for the Indian economy for 2022 -23 is
projected at 7.0% with Q2 at 6.3%; Q3 at 4.6%; and Q4:2022-23 at 4.6%, with risks broadly
balanced.
• The growth for Q1 of 2023-24 is projected at 7.2%.
• The RBI has retained its inflation projection at 6.7% for this fiscal year.
• India’s foreign exchange reserves: $537.5 billion
About the Monetary Policy Committee:
• Section 45ZB of the amended RBI Act, 1934 provides for an empowered six-member monetary
policy committee (MPC) to be constituted by the Central Government by notification in the Official
Gazette.
Members of the MPC:
1. Chairperson- Shaktikanta Das
2. Michael Debabrata Patra
3. Rajiv Ranjan
4. Ashima Goyal
5. Shashank Bhide
6. Jayanth Varma
• Members 1 to 3 are officials from the RBI and members 4 to 6 are appointed by the central
government.
About RBI:
• Governor: Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy Governor: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar
World Bank & SIDBI to launch USD 1 billion fund financing purchase of electric 2 & 3 Wheelers
• The Government of India (GoI), World Bank (WB), and Small Industries Development Bank of
India (SIDBI) are set to launch a $1 billion fund to provide guarantees against loan default to
lenders financing the purchase of electric 2- and 3-wheelers.
• The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) is the facilitating agency for the
project.
Aim:
• To facilitate faster and easier financing of electric vehicles.
• Partial credit guarantees and first-loss risk-sharing instruments are some of the most effective
financial solutions to foster the transition and increase electric mobility uptake.
• The instrument would act as a hedging mechanism, for banks to access in case of defaults of
loans on the purchase of electric vehicles
• Currently, loans for electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers attract 20-25% interest per annum.
• This is expected to bring down the cost of financing EVs by 10-12%.
• In FY23, EV sales in India are expected to cross a million units, an 84% rise year-on-year (y-o-y).
About WB:
About SIDBI:
• MD & CEO: Shri Sivasubramanian Ramann
The government has now decided to borrow ₹14.21 trillion in the current fiscal:
• The government has now decided to borrow ₹14.21 trillion in the current fiscal, as against ₹14.31
trillion estimated in the budget.
• Backed by buoyant revenue collections, the government has decided to lower borrowing for the
current fiscal by ₹10000 crores than earlier projected for 2022-23 in the budget.
• Government is confident of achieving the fiscal deficit target for 2022-23 of 6.4% of GDP.
• However, the borrowing for the second half will remain the same as earlier estimated at ₹5.92
trillion, which includes ₹16000 crores of its sovereign green bond offering.
• The government finances its fiscal deficit through several means, including raising money from
capital markets by issuing different instruments like treasury bills and bonds.
• The fiscal deficit, which is the excess of government spending over revenues is estimated at ₹16.6
trillion, or 6.4% of GDP.
• The direct tax collections in the first six months of the fiscal are higher by 23% over the
corresponding period last year at ₹700,669 crores.
SEBI extends two-factor authentication for mutual fund subscription transactions
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) decided to extend the
two-factor authentication (2FA) for subscription transactions in units of mutual funds to further
safeguard the interest of investors.
• The new framework will come into effect from April 1, 2023.
• In the case of subscription and redemption of units, two-factor authentication (for online
transactions) and signature method (for offline transactions) will be used for authentication.
• In the case of demat transactions, the process of two-factor authentication as laid down by the
depositories will be followed.
• SEBI has clarified that in the case of systematic transactions, the requirement of such
authentication will be applicable only at the time of registration.
• The Association of Mutual Funds in India shall furnish the activity-wise schedule for the
implementation of two-factor authentication by October 14 and will furnish progress reports on the
implementation of the authentication provisions on a bi-monthly basis, starting from December 1,
2022.
About SEBI:
• SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of
Karnataka Bank opens Analytical Center o f Excellence
• Karnataka Bank has opened an Analytical Center of Excellence (ACoE) at Electronic City,
Bengaluru, Karnataka to harness the power of data.
• The center, which is developed in association with Ernst and Young (EY) as a project partner, will
help in the accelerated incubation of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/ Machine Learning (ML) models
along with their integration into business, on a scalable analytical data platform.
• Shri P Pradeep Kumar, Chairman, and Sri Mahabaleshwara M.S, MD & CEO, along with Shri
Mahesh Makhija from EY jointly inaugurated the Centre.
• ACoE will be a key differentiator in accelerating Karnataka Bank's transformation journey to
emerge as a relevant, progressive 'Digital Bank of Future' as envisaged as part of the KBL NxT
initiative of the Bank".
About Karnataka Bank:
SEBI lays guidelines on preferential issues for listed REIT, InvIT
• Capital market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued guidelines on
preferential issues and institutional placement of units in emerging investment vehicles – real
estate investment trust (REIT) and infrastructure investment trust (InvIT).
• However, the allotment of units can be made to the sponsor for unsubscribed portions in the
institutional placement where at least 90% of the issue size has been subscribed.
• A listed InvIT and REIT may make a preferential issue of units or institutional placement of units in
case units of the same class, which are proposed to be allotted, have been listed on a stock
exchange for at least 6 months before the date of issuance of notice to its unit holders.
• While a REIT comprises a portfolio of commercial real assets, & InvITs comprise a portfolio of
infrastructure assets, such as highways and power transmission assets.
SEBI rolls out a framework for credit rating agencies
• Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) came out with a new framework
for credit rating agencies (CRAs), involving ratings of securities having explicit credit enhancement
features.
• The new framework, applicable from January 1, 2023
Aim:
• To enhance transparency and improve the rating process.
Key Highlights:
• Under the rule, CRAs can assign the suffix 'CE' (Credit Enhancement) to the rating of instruments
having explicit credit enhancement.
• CRAs will have to conduct independent due diligence on the nature of specified support
consideration and form a definitive internal view and, wherever warranted, obtain an independent
external legal opinion for ascertaining the strength of the credit enhancement.
• It will have to verify the documentation related to the specified support considerations to ensure
that the support is unconditional and legally enforceable till all the obligations of the rated security
have been paid to the investors.
The combined index of eight core industries increased by 3.3%
• The combined index of eight core industries increased by 3.3% (provisional) compared to the
Index of August 2021.
• Index of Eight Core Industries measures combined and individual performance of production in 8
core industries- Coal, Crude Oil, Cement, Fertilisers, Refinery Products, Electricity, Natural Gas,
and Steel.
• The Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of
Industrial Production (IIP).
• The final growth rate of the Index of Eight Core Industries for May 2022 has been revised to
19.3% from its provisional level of 18.1%.
Airtel has become the first company to launch 5G services in the country:
• Telecom operator Bharti Airtel's 5G services will be available in eight cities announced chairman
Sunil Bharti Mittal at India Mobile Congress.
• Airtel and Nokia have partnered to bring India’s first 5G-enabled immersive experience to visitors
at the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022.
• Airtel and Nokia will bring to life the cultural splendour of Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Statue
of Unity through holographic images demonstrating the benefits of ultra-fast and low latency 5G
networks.
• Bharti Airtel has become the first company to launch 5G services in the country.
• The services will be available in eight cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Bangalore, and
others.
• Airtel will roll out 5G services in several cities across the country by March 2023 and across India
by March 2024.
• According to the telecom department, 5G technology is expected to deliver ten times better
download speed than that of 4G and up to three times greater spectrum efficiency.
• Bharti Airtel had placed the order for 5G gears with Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung immediately
after the auctions were over.
• Bharti Airtel acquired spectrum worth ₹43,084 crores in the just-concluded auction.
IOCL has set up a subsidiary to pool the funds of its overseas units:
• India's top refiner Indian Oil Corp has set up a subsidiary to pool the funds of its overseas units to
meet capital and trade finance needs.
• The new unit - Finance Company - will help IOC benefit from interest arbitrage as the company's
borrowings increase after selling fuel locally at below-market rates.
• The Finance Company will be based in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) a t
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in western India.
• Companies based in GIFT City get a 100% income tax exemption for 10 years.
• The Finance Company will "carry out finance activities such as fund pooling of foreign companies
and utilize the same for carrying out trade financing of IOC and group companies".
• The Finance Company will also handle IOC's global treasury operation and utili ze IFSC to raise
capital and debt from overseas markets.
SIDBI and Dun & Bradstreet India launches SIDBI–D&B SPeX dedicated to MSMEs
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Dun & Bradstreet, the global leading
provider of business decisioning data and analytics, signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to create the SIDBI -D&B Sustainability P erception Index (SIDBI – D&B SPeX),
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu (TN).
About SIDBI – D&B SPeX:
• The Index, to be released every quarter, will capture the various business parameters that, when
analyzed at an aggregate level, will provide valuable insights into the adoption of an ESG
(Environmental, Social & Governance) framework.
• The index will be presented as a quantitative measurement for policymakers and enablers to
nudge businesses towards adopting an ESG framework in their business strategy over the coming
years.
• It will cover nearly 250 MSMEs every quarter from the D&B/SIDBI database of MSMEs.
• It is planned to cover the sectoral and sub-sectoral perceptions/aspirations & preparedness.
• It can assess the impact of regulations and government policy on environmental practices in the
SME (Small & Medium enterprises) sector.
• It can establish the Indian economy and markets (especially the mid-market segment) towards a
sustainable future, attracting sustainable capital and investments.
About SIDBI:
• Chairman & MD: Sivasubramanian Ramann
About Dun & Bradstreet India:
• Founded: 1995
• MD & CEO: Avinash Gupta
RBI to ease net banking norms for customers of regional rural banks
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has proposed to ease norms for internet banking for customers
of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).
• Currently, RRBs are allowed to provide Internet Banking facilities to their customers with prior
approval of the Reserve Bank, subject to fulfillment of certain financial and non-financial criteria.
• To promote the spread of digital banking in rural areas, the criteria for RRBs to be eligible to
provide internet banking are being rationalized.
About RRB:
• RRBs are jointly owned by the central government, state government, and sponsor banks.
• The ratio of holding for the central government is 50%, the state government 15%, and the
sponsor bank 35%.
• RRBs provides various banking and financial services like MGNREGA wages disbursal, debit and
credit cards, and Unified Payment Service (UPI), among others.
• RRB was allowed to provide internet banking facilities in 2015.
About RBI:
• Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar.
Cabinet Approves 4% DA Hike For Central Govt Employees
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved a proposal to increase
the dearness allowance (DA) & dearness relief (DR) of the central government employees and
pensioners by 4% under the 7th Pay Commission with effect from July 1, 2022.
• The increase in the DA and DR is based on the percentage increase in the 12 monthly averages
of the All India Consumer Price Index for the period ending June 2022.
• The additional installment of DA and dearness relief (DR) is an increase of 4% over the existing
rate of 34% of basic pay/pension & now, this has increased to 38%.
• This is the second increase in the dearness allowance of the central government employee in
2022.
Key Highlights:
• The impact of enhanced dearness allowance to the employees on the exchequer is estimated at
Rs 6,591.36 crore per annum and Rs 4,394.24 crore in 2 0 22- 23 ( 8 m o nths fr om J uly 2 022 to
February 2023).
• In case of dearness relief, the impact would be Rs 6,261.20 crore p er a nnum and R s 4 ,174.12
crore in the current fiscal.
• The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness
Relief would be of the order of Rs 12,852.56 crore per annum and Rs 8,568.36 crore in the current
financial year.
• DA and DR are revised twice a year based on retail inflation-industrial workers.
• This is done to compensate for the loss in purchasing power of the monthly salary/pension wealth
due to inflation.
• Dearness allowance (DA) is given to government employees, while dearness relief (DR) is for
pensioners.
RBI may adopt an expected loss approach for banks' loan provisioning
• Governor Shri Shaktikanta Das announced that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) adopted the
“expected loss” approach for loan provisioning.
• At present, the banks follow the “incurred loss” approach, where money is set aside after an asset
turns sour.
• RBI will release a discussion paper on the 'expected loss-based approach' for loan loss
provisioning by banks.
• The approach to make provisions or set aside money on the probable losses is a globally
accepted prudent norm.
• At present, larger non-bank lenders have already been using the expected loss approach for
provisioning since 2018.
ICICI Bank launches special account for Indian students in the UK
• ICICI Bank UK PLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of ICICI Bank Limited, offers a bank account to
Indian students aspiring to study in the UK called, ‘HomeVantage Current Account’ (HVCA).
• It is specially designed to meet every student’s banking needs in the UK.
About HVCA:
• The HomeVantage Current Account (HVCA), which comes with a Visa debit card valid for use
anywhere in the world, can be activated digitally before the students leave India for the U K.
• As an equivalent to savings accounts in India, the account holder can activate internet banking
and mobile banking once it has been activated.
• The students can opt for the physical debit card to be delivered to an Indian or UK address.
• According to the latest UK Home Office data released in August 2022 Indians have overtaken
China as the largest nationality being issued visas to study in UK institutions.
• Nearly 118,000 Indian students received Student Visas for the year ending June 2022 an 89%
increase from 2021.
About ICICI Bank:
• Tagline: Khayal Apka
NABARD sanctions Rs 222 cr to augment infrastructure in Punjab’s rural schools
• The National Bank for Agriculture and R ural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 221.99
crore from the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) to strengthen school infrastructure in
rural schools in Punjab.
Aim of the Project:
• To benefit a total of 3.80 lakh students, including likely new enrolment of 3.5 lakh students, in
more than 3,500 villages.
• The fund will be used to build 2,328 additional new classrooms, 762 labs, and 648 playgrounds in
rural schools in all 23 districts of Punjab
• In addition to this, 404 integrated science labs, 62 physics labs, 44 chemistry labs, 54 biology labs,
103 computer labs, and 55 National Skills Qualification Framework labs have also been
sanctioned.
• Presently, there are 632 projects underway that are being built with Rs 686 crore granted under
the RIDF by the Department of School Education, Punjab government.
About NABARD:
• NABARD was established on the recommendations of the B. Sivaraman Committee (by Act 61,
1981 of Parliament).
• It is an apex regulatory body for the overall regulation of regional rural banks and apex
RBI to release a discussion paper on the securitization of stressed assets framework
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will release a discussion paper on the Securitisation of Stressed
Assets Framework (SSAF).
• RBI has decided to introduce a framework for securitizing stressed assets to provide an alternative
mechanism for securitizing non-performing assets (NPAs) in addition to the existing Asset
Reconstruction Companies (ARC) route
• Currently, the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security
Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002 provides a framework for the securitization of NPAs to be
undertaken by Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) licensed under the Act.
• Earlier in September 2021, the revised framework for the securitization of standard assets was
issued by RBI.
RBI to stop 28-day VRRR will continue with 14 -day auctions
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will stop conducting 28-day variable rate reverse repo (VRRR)
auctions, considering the current banking system liquidity conditions, but will continue with 14-day
VRRR auctions.
• In Sep 2022, India's banking system liquidity slipped into deficit & it currently stands at a deficit of
187 billion Indian rupees ($2.29 billion).
• The RBI has been conducting 28-day VRRR auctions for 500 billion rupees since November 2021,
but these auctions have not been fully subscribed for the last few months.
• The RBI also conducts 14-day VRRR auctions for 2 trillion rupees and these too have failed to
attract complete subscriptions in the last few weeks.
SBI launches 'Gram Seva Program' across 6 states of India
• On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti (Oct 02, 2022), State Bank Group Chairman Mr. Dinesh Khara,
adopted 30 remote villages across Aspirational Districts in Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra,
Punjab, Tamil Nadu (TN), and West Bengal (WB) under the 4th phase of the 'SBI Gram Seva'
program.
About SBI Gram Seva Program:
• SBI Gram Seva was launched in 2017 to build and develop Atmanirbhar Rural India.
• It is one of the flagship programs of the SBI Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) arm of the State Bank Group.
• The program emphasizes the holistic development of villages by active interventi on in areas like
education, healthcare, livelihoods, and infrastructure.
• The program has so far adopted 100 villages across 16 States in 3 phases.
• The launch of the 4th phase of SBI Gram Seva takes the program's outreach to a total of 130
villages, of which 75 villages are from Aspirational Districts notified by the NITI Aayog,
• Additionally, the SBI Gram Seva program covers 16 of the 17 SBI Circles in the country.
About SBI Foundation:
• Founded: 2015
• MD & CEO: Shri Sanjay Prakash
About SBI:
• Tagline: The Banker to Every Indian
NPCI Signs MoU with Central Bank of Oman to Enable UPI Payments in Oman
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Central Bank of Oman (CBO) signed a
historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch the Rupay debit card in Oman, paving
the way for a new era of financial connectivity.
• This comes after New Delhi and Muscat reached a consensus to expand the Indian digital
payment ecosystem to the gulf region.
• The agreement will open the floodgates for Indian RuPay cards and the UPI platform in Oman for
seamless digital remittances, a move that is likely to benefit Indian workers and professionals.
• As per the latest NPCI data, UPI transactions in Sep 2022 grew by over 3% to Rs 678 crore from
Rs 657 crore in Aug 2022.
• So far countries including Singapore, Nepal, UAE, Bhutan, Malaysia, and France are among the
global nations that accept payments through UPI and RuPay Cards.
• While Australia is in advanced talks with India for early integration of UPI with the Australian New
Payment Platform.
• Russia has expressed interest in pushing dialogue on accepting the UPI and Faster Payments
System (FPS) of the Central Bank of Russia within their respective national payment
infrastructures.
• Earlier in September 2021 Liquid Group, a cross-border digital payment service provider signed
an agreement with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) to launch a UPI-based QR code
payment system in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong
Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan beginning in 2022.
Aditya Birla Health Insurance launches Activ Fit health insurance policy for young & healthy adults
• Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Limited. (ABHICL), the health insurance subsidiary of Aditya
Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), has launched the first of its kind ACTIV FIT health insurance policy,
a comprehensive health insurance plan for young and healthy adults.
About ACTIV FIT health insurance policy:
• It provides an upfront 10% good health discount based on an assessment done through a unique
facial scan.
• It offers up to 50% health returns on being active for 275 days in a year.
• In case of hospitalization, if they fall short of their insurance coverage, the customer can use the
100% Binge Refill feature.
• This feature enables them to get cover up to sum assured, for any illness/injury.
• The product also includes Modern treatments, Mental Care Cover, HIV/ AIDS and STD, Day Care
treatments, pre-hospitalization & post-hospitalization, and road ambulance cover
• Maternity expenses are covered for up to Rs 40,000 and Rs. 60,000 for normal and C-Section
deliveries, over and above the base sum insured.
• The road ambulance cover network is based on actual and for non-network hospitals, up to Rs
3,000 per event.
• All customers below the age of 35 years can avail of an Early Bird Discount at renewal, 5% from
the 4th to 7th policy year & 10% from the 8th policy year for the lifetime of the policy.
Additional benefits:
• The Consumers can opt, for include, no claim bonus (10% of the sum insured per annum, and a
maximum of up to 100%).
• There is also an option for health check-ups, available once during the policy year for insured
aged 18 years and above on the start date of the policy.
• The policy also comes with an optional cover of a super no-claim bonus of up to 50% of the sum
insured, a maximum of up to 100%.
About Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited:
• Founded: 2015
HDFC Life Insurance launches ‘Insure India’ campaign
• HDFC Life Insurance Company has launched the ‘Insure India’ campaign.
Aim:
• To educate Indians on the benefits of life insurance as a product category.
Objective:
• To educate Indians about life insurance thereby motivating them to secure their future with this
unique financial product that offers the dual benefits of protection and long-term savings.
• As part of this campaign, HDFC Life will host chat shows, hold on-ground activities, webinars, etc.,
for engaging with consumers both directly as well as indirectly through its wide network of
distributors.
• Previous initiatives of HDFC Life include 'Start the Talk', 'Get Set Protect', and 'Being Responsible'
which primarily aimed to educate consumers about life insurance.
About HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd:
• Founded: 2000
• MD & CEO: Vibha Padalkar
• It is a joint venture between HDFC Ltd., India's leading housing finance institution, and abrdn
(Mauritius Holdings) 2006 Limited, a global investment company.
JSW Cement secures Rs 400 cr as sustainability-linked loan from MUFG Bank
• JSW Cement has raised Rs 400 crore (USD 50 million) from MUFG Bank India as its first
sustainability-linked loan.
• It is the company's first sustainability-linked loan in the credit line.
• Whereas it is MUFG Bank India’s first transaction undertaken out of its new IFSC unit branch
launched in August 2022 in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (Gift City), Gandhinagar,
Gujarat.
• The funding will enable the company to meet its goal of 25 million tonnes per annum capacity by
FY25 and also forms part of its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives.
About JSW Cement Ltd:
• Founded: 2009
• Managing Director: Parth Jindal
• JSW Cement is India's leading green cement company.
EXIM Bank extends $100- mn LoC to the Maldives for development projects
• Export-Import Bank of India [Exim Bank], on behalf of the Government of India, has extended a
Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 100 million to the Government of the Republic of the Maldives for
financing developmental projects.
• The agreement was signed by Maldives' Minister of Finance Mr. Ibrahim Ameer and Exim Bank's
general manager Mr. Nirmit Ved. India's Foreign Secretary Mr. V M Kwatra and his Maldivian
counterpart Mr. Ahmed Latheef were also present.
• With this, to date Exim Bank has extended 6 (Six) Lines of Credit to the Government of the
Republic of Maldives, on behalf of the Government of India, taking the total value of LOCs to USD
1.43 billion.
• Projects covered under the LOCs extended to the Government of the Republic of Maldives include
Greater Male Connectivity Project, Water & Sewerage Projects, Addu Development Project,
International Cricket Stadium Project, Defence projects, Gulhifalhu Port Project, Hanimaadhoo
Airport Project, Gan Airport Project, Fisheries Project, Road Construction Project, and Sports
Infrastructure.
• , Currently, Exim Bank has 311 Lines of Credit, covering 67 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin
America Oceania, and the CIS, with credit commitments of around USD 32.31 billion, available for
financing exports from India.
About EXIM Bank:
• Founded: 1982
• MD: Harsha Bangari
About the Maldives:
• President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
• Capital: Malé
• Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
Karnataka Bank launches 'KBL Utsav' loan campaign
• Leading private sector lender Karnataka Bank Limited (KBL) has launched a special campaign
'KBL Utsav 2022-23' for home loans, car loans, and gold loans from Oct 01 to Dec 31, 2022, to
cater to the demands of customers during the festival season.
Aim:
• To help customers to own a home and a car, with real-time customer authentication, hassle-free
and simplified digital processing, and quick sanctions.
• The customers can avail the benefits of digital banking and offers of the special campaign across
all its 880 branches.
• Under the KBL Utsav campaign, customers can avail of Home, Car, and Gold loans with attractive
interest rates, reduction in processing charges for Car & Gold loans, and nil processing charges
for Home loans, apart from other benefits.
• The digital products are designed to ensure customer delight and satisfaction.
World Trade Organization lowered its forecast for growth in global trade volume by 1% from 3.4 %:
• The World Trade Organization lowered its forecast for growth in global trade volume to 1 % from
3.4 % earlier, citing rising downside risks.
• Due to several shocks to the global economy, world trade may lose momentum in the second half
of 2022 and remain subdued in 2023.
• However, the WTO increased its forecast for the growth of global merchandise trade for 2022 from
its April estimate of 3% to 3.5%.
• According to the latest WTO forecasts, the world GDP at market exchange rates will grow by 2.8
percent in 2022 and 2.3 percent in 2023.
• India's merchandise exports declined 3.5 % in September for the first time in 19 months.
About WTO:
• The World Trade Organization is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates
international trade.
• Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that govern
international trade.
• Membership: 164
• Director-General: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
IDBI Bank launches many digital solutions on its 59th Foundation Day
• On the occasion of the 59th Foundation Day, IDBI Bank has launched a slew of initiatives catered
towards customer centricity and meeting the needs of the ever-evolving financial ecosystem.
• The Bank announced its foray into Open Network Digital Commerce (ONDC) for customers and
non-customers engaged in trade.
About ONDC:
• ONDC is an open network that will help Micro Small Medium Enterprise (MSME) and other retail
merchants to set up their Digital Stores and reap the benefits of the digital commerce revolution.
• The IDBI Bank ONDC Sellers App will enable merchants to on-boarding onto the ONDC Platform.
Initiatives Launched by IDBI Bank:
• The Bank launched the DigiKCC platform for the digitization of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loan
process with built-in capabilities for scrutiny of loan applications to enable end-to-end digital and
paperless journey.
About the DigiKCC platform:
• DigiKCC platform introduced in Maharashtra.
• This is the first-of-its-kind initiative for the digitization of KCC loans.
• It will be gradually extended to other states where the digitization of land records is streamlined.
• The Bank also launched WPS (Warehouse receipt Processing System) for an end-to-end
integrated digital solution for loans against Warehouse Receipts.
• The Bank enhanced its mobile banking app, GO Mobile+ to feature special amenities for Senior
Citizens under the “Naman” page, including facilities like door-step banking.
• IDBI Bank also introduced a Repo Linked Fixed Deposit scheme.
• The Bank announced a Special scheme of “Amrit Mahotsav Rinn Bhugtan Yojana” to boost its
recovery efforts through Time Settlement of NPAs up to Rs. 10 Crores, at attractive terms.
About IDBI Bank:
• Tagline: Banking for All, Aao sochein Bada
RBI governor Shaktikanta Das launches advanced supervisory monitory system – DAKSH
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shri Shaktikanta Das launched a new 'SupTech'
initiative called DAKSH.
• This application will be the bank's advanced supervisory monitoring system, which is expected to
make the supervisory processes more robust.
About DAKSH:
• DAKSH means 'efficient' and 'competent', reflecting the underlying capabilities of the application
• It is a web-based end-to-end workflow application through which RBI shall monitor compliance
requirements in a more focused manner.
Objective:
• To improve the compliance culture in Supervised Entities (SEs) like Banks, Non-Banking Financial
Companies (NBFC), etc.
• The app will help in strengthening supervision, by utilizing the latest data and analytical tools as
well as leveraging technology for implementing more efficient and automated work processes.
• It will also enable seamless communication, inspection planning, and execution, cyber incident
reporting, and analysis, & provision of various Management Information System (MIS) reports, etc
through a platform that enables anytime-anywhere secure access.
About RBI:
World Bank cuts India's GDP growth forecast to 6.5% for 2022-23
• The World Bank (WB) trimmed India’s growth forecast for 2022-23 (April-March) by 100 basis
points, projecting that the Indian economy will grow at 6.5% compared to its earlier estimate of
7.5% released in June.
• This is the third time the World Bank revised its GDP growth forecast for India in FY23.
• In June 2022 it had slashed its forecast to 7.5% & earlier in April 2022 it had trimmed the forecast
from 8.7% to 8%.
Key Highlights:
• Growth estimates for the South Asia region comprising India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives were revised down to 5.8% from the 6.8% forecast in
June 2022.
• Real GDP grew 13.5% in the first quarter of FY'23, surpassing the pre-pandemic level by 3.8%
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently cut the economic growth projection for the current
fiscal to 7% from the 7.2% estimated earlier.
• A top UN agency has also stated that India's economic growth will decline to 5.7% this year from
8.2% in 2021, citing higher financing costs and weaker public expenditures.
• According to the forecast by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) Trade and Development Report 2022, India’s GDP will further decelerate to 4.7%
growth in 2023.
About World Bank:
Development (IBRD) and International Development Association (IDA).
HDFC Bank launches SmartHub Vyapar Merchant app for SMEs
• India’s largest private sector bank HDFC Bank in partnership with a merchant Saas platform,
Mintoak Innovations India has developed the SmartHub Vyapar app.
About the SmartHub Vyapar app:
• The app is a comprehensive payment and banking solution designed to fulfill the everyday
business needs of merchants.
• On the banking front, merchants can avail of banking services like the opening of fixed deposits,
and quick access to pre-approved loans and credit cards.
• Also, Merchants can get a real-time view of all Smart Hub Vyapar transactions credited into their
bank account.
Key features of SmartHub Vyapar include:
• Instant, Digital & Paperless Onboarding.
• Become HDFC Bank SmartHub Vyapar Merchant instantly with your HDFC Bank Current A/c
• Face to Face and remote payment collection through multiple modes: Cards, QR and UPI
• Instant Settlement to the bank account on UPI transactions and Voice Notification on all
transactions
• To reduce merchant anxiety around transactions, it has been provisioned with an inbuilt voice
feature informing the merchant of successful transactions
• Apply for Fixed Deposits and Cards
• Easy Access to Business Loans, Overdraft facility, and Loan on Credit Card
• Easy Distributor & Vendor Payments: Up to 45 days of credit period via business credit cards
• Easy reconciliations of all transactions and bank credits
• Biz View: Monitor business growth in one single dashboard
• Offer creation and promotion to customers via social media
• Customer intelligence & recognition features for offering customized deals
• 24X7 customer support
• Pay later feature for customers: Record, Track & Collect Customer Dues
About HDFC Bank:
• MD & CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan
Unity Bank introduces a special FD scheme with a lucrative interest rate
• Unity Small Finance Bank Limited (Unity Bank), a modern, digital-first bank, has introduced
Shagun 501, a special fixed deposit scheme with attractive interest rates.
• This festive offer will be available only for deposits booked up to October 31, 2022.
About the special FD scheme:
• Under the Scheme, Retail consumers will receive a reasonable return of 7.90% annually for a 501-
day fixed deposit, while senior citizens would receive 8.40% per year.
• Unity Bank has also revised its interest rates on callable and non-callable bulk deposits (deposits
higher than Rs 2 crore).
• Callable bulk deposits offer up to 7% interest whereas non-callable bulk deposits offer up to 7.25%
interest.
About Unity Small Finance Bank Limited:
• MD & CEO: Inderjit Camotra
RBI introduces Internal Ombudsman mechanism for Credit Information Companies (CICs)
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced the Internal Ombudsman mechanism for Credit
Information Companies (CICs).
• It is directed to all the CICs holding a Certificate of Registration under sub-section (2) of Section 5
of the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005, to appoint an Internal Ombudsman
(IO) at the apex of their internal grievance redress mechanism by April 1, 2023.
• The implementation of the mechanism will be monitored by the CIC's internal audit system
• Under the mechanism, all complaints that are partly or wholly rejected by CICs will be reviewed by
the IO before the final decision of the CIC is conveyed to the complainant.
• The above direction was announced in the ‘Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies’
issued as part of the Monetary Policy statement dated August 05, 2022.
Eligibility of an internal ombudsman:
• Every CIC must appoint the Internal Ombudsman for a fixed term of 3 to 5 years
• Either a retired or a serving officer
• Not below the rank of Deputy GM or equivalent, should have at least 7 years of experience in the
banking sector
• Not attained the age of 70 before completion of the proposed term
• No reappointment for extension of term in the same CIC
• The internal ombudsman shall report to the Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer
administratively, and to the Board functionally.
Adani Group makes investments to the tune of ₹65,000 crores in Rajasthan:
• Adani Group will make fresh investments to the tune of ₹65,000 crores in Rajasthan over the next
5-7 years, including ₹7,000 crores for doubling the cement manufacturing capacity in the state.
• Combining all ongoing and future investments, we anticipate investing an additional ₹65,000 crore
in Rajasthan over the next 5 -7 years and creating over 40,000 direct and indirect jobs.
• The announcement comes days after Adani declared plans to invest over $100 billion in the next
decade, with 70% of it planned for the energy transition space.
• A week ago, Adani Group achieved commercial operation of the world’s largest wind-solar hybrid
power plant located in Rajasthan.
• The Group acquired Ambuja Cements and ACC recently, catapulting it to the second spot in the
list of India’s biggest cement producers.
• Adani Group’s other projects in Rajasthan are under various stages of execution and expansion.
RBI to launch a pilot project for the digital rupee
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon commence the pilot launch of the Digital Rupee (e₹) for
specific use cases as it tests digital currency in India.
• It released a concept note on the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
About e-RUPI:
• e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless instrument for digital payment.
• It is a QR code or SMS string-based e-Voucher, which is delivered to the mobile of the
beneficiaries.
• It has been developed by the National Payments Corporation of India on its UPI platform, in
collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,
and the National Health Authority.
About CBDC:
• CBDCs are a digital form of a paper currency and unlike cryptocurrencies that operate in a
regulatory vacuum, these are legal tenders issued and backed by a central bank
• It is the same as a fiat currency (like the Indian rupee) and is exchangeable one-to-one with the
fiat currency
• The digital fiat currency or CBDC can be transacted using wallets backed by blockchain
• As of July 2022, 105 countries were exploring CBDC, accounting for 95% of the world GDP.
• The Bahamian Sand Dollar was the first to debut CBDC in 2020, while Jamaica's JAM-DEX was
the most recent.
• China became the world's first major economy to pilot a digital currency e-CNY in April 2020.
• According to the RBI, the e-Rupee can be structured as ‘token-based’ or ‘account-based’.
• Token-based CBDC: (which is a bearer instrument like banknotes, meaning whosoever holds the
tokens at a given point in time would be presumed to own them) is viewed as a preferred mode for
CBDC-R as it would be closer to physical cash.
• Account-based CBDC: (which requires maintenance of record of balances and transactions of all
holders of the CBDC and indicates the ownership of the monetary balances) may be considered
for CBDC-W.
About RBI:
GST income in September of this year increased by 26%:
• The Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue in September this year saw a 26% year-on-year
jump at ₹1.48 lakh crore, the third highest ever collections crossing the ₹1.40 lakh crore mark for
the seventh consecutive month on robust business activities despite the global economic
slowdown.
• While the gross GST revenue collection in September at ₹1,47,686 crore.
• GST monthly collections stabilizing above Rs1.4 lakh crore for seven months in a row would
provide more headroom on the fiscal front.
• GST was introduced through the 101st Constitution Amendment Act, of 2016.
• It is one of the biggest indirect tax reforms in the country.
• It was introduced with the slogan of ‘One Nation One Tax.
India's direct tax collection surged 24 percent to Rs 8.98 lakh crore:
• The Finance Ministry informed that India's direct tax collection surged 24 percent to Rs 8.98 lakh
crore between April 1 - October 8, 2022.
• The gross collection of taxes on corporate earnings rose 16.74 percent from April 1 to October 8,
while personal income tax collection jumped 32.30 percent,
• Direct tax collection came at Rs 8.98 lakh crore between April 1 to October 8, 2022, 23.8 percent
higher than the gross collection in the corresponding period a year ago.
• Tax collection is an indicator of economic activity in any country.
• But in India, the robust tax collection was despite a slowdown in industrial production and exports.
RBI cancels the license of Pune-based Seva Vikas Co-operative Bank
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has canceled the license of Pune-based The Seva Vikas Co-
operative Bank Ltd because of the company’s earnings prospects and lack of capital.
• The bank does not comply with the provisions of Section 11(1) and Section 22 (3) (d) read with
• According to the data submitted by the bank, about 99% of the depositors are entitled to receive
the full amount of their deposits from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation
(DICGC).
• This payment is made in compliance with the provisions of the DICGC Act, 1961 based on the
willingness received from the concerned depositors of the Bank.
• Earlier in August 2022, the banking regulator canceled the license of Pune-based Rupee
Cooperative Bank.
About RBI:
Shankar
IDBI Bank partners with Vayana Network on supply chain finance
• IDBI Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vayana Network as its first
fintech partner for end-to-end digitization services.
Aim:
• To contribute to the growth of the Supply Chain Finance (SCF) penetration in India, which is less
than 1 % of the gross home product (GDP) and contributes only 5% of the outstanding banking
assets.
• This platform is expected to reduce paperwork, and transaction processing time while providing a
smooth customer experience throughout.
About IDBI Bank:
• Tagline: Banking For All Aao Sochein Bada Bank Aisa Dost Jaisa
Nomura moderates India's FY24 GDP growth to 5.2%
• Japanese brokerage Nomura has projected a sharp moderation in India's growth rate for FY24 to
5.2% as compared to the FY23 GDP growth estimate at 7%.
• The economy grew at 4% in FY20 a multi-year low.
• It expects inflation to average 6.8% in FY23, a tad above the RBI's 6.7% estimate, and cool down
to 5.3% in FY24.
About Nomura:
• President and Group CEO: Kentaro Okuda
RBI imposes monetary penalty on Kerala State Cooperative Bank
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 48 lakh on the Kerala
State Co-operative Bank Ltd for non-compliance with the provisions of section 19 read with
section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (the Act) and directions issued by RBI on ‘Gold
Loan – Bullet Repayment’.
• The penalty has been imposed in the exercise of powers conferred on RBI under section 47 A (1)
(c) read with sections 46 (4) (i) and 56 of the Act.
• The bank failed to comply with the RBI directions limiting the quantum of gold loans that could be
granted under the bullet repayment option.
NPCI launches program to connect with payments-oriented service providers
• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched NPCI Partner Program (NPP) to
collaborate with various technological service providers, application service providers, and other
similar entities in the industry.
Aim:
• To connect with innovative and important payments-oriented service providers.
• To augment the retail payments ecosystem by reducing the time to market and being more
transparent and accessible.
• This one-of-a-kind initiative will help in building new offerings that are better aligned with the needs
and demands of the contemporary market.
About the NPCI Partner Program:
• The program will also act as a knowledge-sharing platform with exclusive workshops on NPCI
products and services, participation in NPCI pilot projects, and building a marketplace through
community engagement.
• The participants will get early access to ready-to-test Application Programming interfaces (APIs)
and specifications for core development and deployment.
About NPCI:
• Founded: 2008
• The NPCI is the specialized division of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which is under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
RBL Bank partners BookMyShow to launch ‘Play’ credit card
• RBL Bank has partnered with BookMyShow to launch a new credit card ‘Play’ that will take the
entertainment quotient for Indian audiences several notches higher.
About the ‘Play’ credit card:
• The card will be available to select customers on BookMyShow and give them access to offers on
transactions across movies and live entertainment offerings (online and offline).
• The eligible customers will be able to avail of offers on binge-watching movies and TV series on
BookMyShow Stream by renting or buying a title while enjoying benefits with every purchase
made.
• The consumers will be able to track the entire journey from application to delivery of the ‘Play’
credit card on BookMyShow, with real-time updates enabled within the platform
• The card owners will also be able to avail of varied offers on brands including boAt, Myntra, WOW
Momos, Archies, Cookie Man, Ixigo and Eat Sure listed within the F&B section of BookMyShow.
Benefits of ‘Play’ credit card:
• Customers can enjoy a joining benefit of credits in the form of BMS Cash worth Rs 200 if
onboarded through the video Know Your Customer (KYC)
• A welcome benefit of Rs 500 is available by making the first transaction within 30 days after
activation of the card
• A monthly offer of Rs 500 in the next billing month upon card spends of Rs 5,000 or more across
movies, live events, and BookMyShow Stream, in the current billing month.
• Rs 100 off on F&B purchased on the BookMyShow platform while booking movie tickets.
• Earlier in 2016, RBL Bank had partnered with BookMyShow for the launch of the Fun Plus credit
card.
About RBL Bank:
• Founded: 1943
• MD & CEO: Mr. R Subramaniakumar
• Tagline: Apno ka Bank
South Indian Bank enters World Book of Records for '101 Oonjals'
• The South Indian Bank for the first time organized a first-of-its-kind category event 'Onnichirikkam
Oonjaladam' (Sit together and Swing) and was accoladed with the World Book of Records award
for 'staging and swinging 101 Oonjals' simultaneously at a single venue in Kochi.
• The World Book of Records team presented the Award to South Indian Bank Managing Director
(MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Murali Ramakrishnan & other officials.
• An Oonjal is a sturdy rectangular plank suspended by iron link chains hooked to the ceiling of a
hall or balcony.
• Oonjals are a part of a ritual at the weddings of a section in Tamil Nadu.
• In Kerala, the swinging tradition forms an integral part of Onam festivities.
About South Indian Bank:
• Founded: 1928
• MD & CEO: Murali Ramakrishnan
• Tagline: Experience Next-Generation Banking
SBI unveils next-gen contact center service
• The State Bank of India (SBI) unveiled its next-gen contact center service to deliver a superior
customer experience.
Aim:
• To explore embedding advanced AI/ML-based technologies, including conversational IVR, and
voice bots.
• The revamped Contact Center will set a new industry benchmark with 30+ banking solutions
offered in 12 languages, available 24×7 from the comfort of home.
• Currently, the contact center manages about 1.5 crore monthly calls, with about 40% self-serviced
through IVR, and the rest managed by over 3500 tele-caller representatives operating through 4
toll-free helpline numbers.
• The bank has introduced easy-to-remember 4-digit toll-free numbers (1800-1234 or 1800-2100) to
simplify the process further.
About SBI:
Dvara E-Dairy & Jana SFB jointly launch cattle loan service for farmers in TN & Karnataka
• Dvara E-Dairy Solutions Private Limited in partnership with Jana Small Finance Bank has
launched Dvara Surabhi Loan, a cattle loan offered digitally by leveraging new-age technologies to
create scalable access to finance for unbanked and underbanked small dairy farmers in Tamil
Nadu and Karnataka.
About Dvara Surabhi Loan:
• The loan offers tailored loan products for dairy farmers for cattle purchase and maintenance.
• The loan is provided depending on a combination of the ‘Surabhi Score’, a comprehensive score
based on the digital assessment of the cattle management under various factors, as well as the
farmers’ credit score.
• This helps mitigate the risk and helps identify the ‘right borrower’ for the loan.
• The loan amount varies between Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 150,000, with an average ticket size of Rs.
80,000.
As part of its Surabhi platform, D vara E-Dairy has created the following solutions:
Surabhi ID: Unique, the digital, tamper-proof, verifiable identity of the cattle based on muzzle identity.
Surabhi Score: Comprehensive score arrived based on the digital assessment of the cattle leveraging
artificial intelligence (AI) and incorporating advanced veterinary science and practices.
Dvara Surabhi: a Do-it-yourself (DIY) mobile application for the farmers to know the cattle’s health status
(as an indicator) within 60 seconds.
Dvara Surabhi Loan: Cattle loan by leveraging Surabhi Score + C
About Dvara E-Dairy Solutions Private Limited:
• Founder & CEO: Ravi K A
About Jana SFB:
• Founded: 2018
• CEO: Ajay Kanwal
Paytm partners with Jana Small Finance Bank for the deployment of card devices
• One97 Communications Limited (OCL), which owns the brand Paytm, has partnered with Jana
Small Finance Bank to deploy card machines to further drive digitization among merchants across
India.
• With this partnership, Paytm and Jana Small Finance Bank will further drive the digital payments
revolution in India.
• The partnership will enable Jana Small Finance Bank bank to extend Paytm's All-in-one Electronic
Data Capture (EDC) machines to its existing and potential customers, providing a one-stop
solution for all their digital payment needs.
• Paytm’s card machine provides multilingual support to its merchant partners to accept payments
through UPI, credit/debit cards, net banking, international cards, Paytm Postpaid, Paytm Wallet,
and EMI.
• With over 4.5 million devices deployed, Paytm continues to be the market leader in offline
payments.
About Paytm:
• Founder & CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
About Jana Small Finance Bank:
• Founded: 2018
• CEO: Ajay Kanwal
SBI first bank to achieve this milestone, home loan AUM crosses ₹6 trillion
• India's largest home loan provider, the State Bank of India (SBI) continues to lead the Home Loan
segment and has surpassed ₹6 trillion in Assets Under Management (AUM).
Aim:
• To make home loans affordable for all prospective buyers amidst the ongoing festive season.
• SBI has launched the Festive Bonanza for its home loan buyers.
• The bank crossed ₹5 trillion mark in January 2021.
• As a part of the Festive Bonanza, SBI will offer a concession of up to 0.25% on Home Loans,
0.15% on Top Up Loans, and 0.30% on Loan Against Property.
• The bank has further waived the processing fees on home loans till January 31, 2023.
About SBI:
The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation retail inflation rose to 7.41 %:
• IMF has lowered its forecast of growth for India to 6.8% and highlighted the threat of inflation, the
retail inflation rose to a 5-month high of 7.41 percent in September from 7 percent in August, data
released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• The rise in inflation in September was driven by higher food prices, with food inflation surging to
8.6 percent from 7.62 percent in August.
• This is the 9th month in a row that inflation is above the RBI mark and it does not look likely to
come down any time soon.
• Separately, India’s factory output, measured through the Index of Industrial Production (IIP),
witnessed a contraction of (-) 0.8 percent in August, the data showed.
Hero MotoCorp launched its first electric scooter worldwide:
• Hero MotoCorp, India's largest two-wheeler maker, launched its first electric scooter worldwide, as
it looks to catch up with newer firms who have taken the lead in th e country's clean mobility push.
• The new Hero Vida V1 electric scooter will be offered in two variants, which are Vida V1 Plus and
Vida V1 Pro.
• It would be first launched in New Delhi, Jaipur, and Bangalore and the deliveries of this electric
scooter will start in the second week of December.
• Hero MotoCorp Limited, formerly Hero Honda, is an Indian multinational motorcycle and scooter
manufacturer headquartered in New Delhi.
• Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO at Hero Moto Corp.
World Bank extends unconditional loan of $250 million for the SALT project in AP
• The World Bank (WB) has extended an unconditional loan of $250 million to Support Andhra’s
Learning Transformation (SALT) project in appreciation of the path-breaking reforms implemented
by the Andhra Pradesh (AP) government.
About SALT Project:
• The SALT is the first project in the school education sector to be funded by the World Bank
without any precondition.
• The facilities in schools were vastly improved under the Nadu-Nedu program to provide an
atmosphere that was conducive to teaching and learning.
• Approximately ₹53,000 crores had been spent on school education in the last 3 years and a major
chunk of it (₹22,617 crores) had gone to Amma Vodi and the first phase of the Nadu-Nedu
scheme.
• In the academic year 2022-2023, more than 40,31,239 children were studying in government
schools.
About World Bank:
• The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the
governments of low- and middle-income countries.
Reserve Bank of India issues consolidated guidelines on unhedged foreign currency exposure
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued modified and consolidated guidelines to the banks on
Unhedged Foreign Currency Exposure (UFCE) Directions in 2022.
• These directions will apply to all commercial banks (excluding Payments Banks & Regional Rural
Banks).
• These instructions shall come into force from January 1, 2023.
• Entities that do not hedge their foreign currency exposure can incur significant losses during a
period of heightened volatility in foreign exchange rates.
• These losses may reduce their capacity to service the loans taken from the banking system and
increase their probability of default thereby affecting the health of the banking system.
About RBI:
Shankar
Universal Sompo General Insurance adopts a village in Maharashtra
• Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Ltd adopts Tung village, in the Maval sub-district of
Maharashtra. Universal Sompo committed to pledging INR 50 Lakh in developmental activities in
the village.
• This was followed by sharing details of the project with the village chief and the entire community
and simultaneously introducing the physician who would supervise healthcare-related activities.
Aim:
• To educate the women in the village on digital literacy and farm animal (veterinary) treatment.
About the Project:
• To boost enterprise, women from the village will be trained to utilize digital platforms like Google
Pay, and YouTube, along with various social media platforms for developing businesses.
• The project also helps to equip 60% of the households in the village with solar lights, helping
200 families with reduced electricity bills.
• Additionally, the project aims to increase the groundwater level in the village, with artificial
recharges to conserve water.
About Universal Sompo General Insurance Co. Ltd:
• Founded: 2007
• MD & CEO: Mr. Sharad Mathur
• Universal Sompo is a Joint venture of Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Karnataka Bank,
Dabur Investments, and Sompo Japan Insurance Inc.
RBI cancels registration certificates of 8 NBFCs
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) canceled the certificates of registration of eight non-banking
finance companies (NBFC) in India.
• Four NBFCs surrendered their certificates of registration to the RBI.
The four NBFCs are:
1. Ashwini Investment Private Ltd
2. RM Securities Pvt Ltd
3. Amity Finance Private Ltd
4. Matrix Merchandise Ltd.
• Separately, the RBI suo-moto canceled certificates of another 4 NBFCs - SRM Properties and
Finance Company Pvt Ltd, North East Region Finservices Ltd, Sowjenvee Finance Ltd, and Opel
Finance Ltd.
• The above companies shall not transact the business of a non-banking financial institution, as
defined in clause (a) of Section 45-I of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
About RBI:
Shankar
India's annual wholesale price-based inflation (WPI) eased in September to 10.70%:
• India's annual wholesale price-based inflation (WPI) eased in September to 10.70% as against
12.41% recorded in August 2022 and 11.8% in September last year
• September is the 18th consecutive month of double-digit WPI inflation.
• This year, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) touched a record high of 15.88% in May.
• Earlier this week, government data showed that India’s retail inflation accelerated to a five-month
high of 7.41% in September, driven by soaring food costs, adding pressure on the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) to act aggressively to slow price increases.
• Inflation has remained over the RBI’s upper tolerance band of 6% for the ninth straight month.
• The RBI mainly looks at retail inflation to frame monetary policy. RBI’s monetary policy committee
(MPC) hiked the repo rate for the fourth time in a row on 30 September, taking the policy rates to a
three-year high of 5.9%.
Indian Army signs MoU with 11 banks for Agniveer salary package
• The Indian Army has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with 11 banks for providing
banking facilities to Agniveers on enrolment.
List of 11 banks:
2. Punjab National Bank (PNB)
3. Bank of Baroda (BoB)
4. IDBI Bank
5. ICICI Bank
6. HDFC Bank
7. Axis Bank
8. Yes Bank
9. Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB)
10. IDFC First Bank
11. Bandhan Bank.
Signatories:
• The MoUs were signed by Lt General V Sreehari, DG (Manpower Planning and Personnel
Services) and the senior officials of banks in a ceremony presided over by Lt General C Bansi
Ponappa, the Adjutant General of the Indian Army.
• The first batch of Agniveers under the 'Agnipath Scheme' will be joining Training Centres by
January 2023.
About 'Agnipath Scheme':
• The Agnipath scheme entails recruitment for individuals below the rank of commissioned officer
for 4 years.
• After 4 years, they will receive ₹11.71 lakh as part of the Seva Nidhi Package, which will be
exempted from Income Tax.
• The scheme provides for the recruitment of youths between ages 17-and-half years and 21
years for four years with a provision to retain 25% of them for 15 more years.
• The scheme allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for four years &
soldiers who are recruited under this scheme will be known as Agniveers.
• It has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the Armed Forces and provide a fresh lease
of 'Josh' and 'Jazba' whilst at the same time bringing about a transformational shift towards a
more tech-savvy Armed Forces which is indeed the need of the hour.
• Agniveers will be paid ₹33,000 in the second year, ₹36,500 in the third year, and ₹40,000 in the
fourth.
• They will also be provided with a non-contributory Life Insurance Cover of Rs. 48 lakh for the
period of their service in the Armed Forces.
• The Indian navy will enroll women, and sailors, for the first time under the Agnipath Scheme.
About MoD:
RBI intervening in the NDF market, monitoring rupee positions
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been selling dollars in the non-deliverable forward (NDF)
market via local banks based in India's GIFT City International Financial Services Center, as it
seeks to support the sliding rupee.
• The rupee has repeatedly hit record lows in recent sessions as the likelihood of more super-sized
rate hikes from the U.S. Federal Reserve piles pressure on emerging market currencies.
• The intervention by the RBI in the onshore NDF market was confirmed by Treasury officials at two
large private sector banks present in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at Gujarat
International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in western India.
• For the RBI, the GIFT route is the easiest in terms of accessibility to the NDF market.
• In finance, a non-deliverable forward is an outright forward or futures contract in which
counterparties settle the difference between the contracted NDF price or rate and the prevailing
spot price or rate on an agreed notional amount.
About RBI:
Shankar
India has achieved merchandise export of USD 32.62 billion in September 2022:
• India achieved a monthly value of merchandise export in September 2022 amounting to USD
32.62 billion.
• India’s merchandise export in April -September 2022-23 was USD 229.05 billion.
• India’s merchandise import in September 2022 was USD 59.35 billion.
• India’s merchandise imports in April -September 2022-23 was USD 378.53 billion.
• The trade deficit in September 2022 was USD 26.72 billion, while it was 149.47 billion USD during
April -September 2022-23.
SafeGold has introduced the world's first platform named “Gains”:
• Homegrown digital gold platform SafeGold launched a new leasing offering called ‘Gains’ which
will allow consumers to lease individually owned gold.
• It will allow over 100 million retail gold consumers in the country to change their perspective on the
precious metal, giving it a larger purpose of income generation rather than mere accumulation.
• Not only this, but the new feature will also empower India’s underserved MSME jewelry industry.
• MSME jewelers will be able to list their leases on the SafeGold platform once the jeweler has been
thoroughly vetted for creditworthiness and KYC verified.
• Jewellers listing their lease choose the yield rate and tenure they wish to offer and provide a bank
guarantee covering at least 105 percent of the value of the gold to be leased.
• SafeGold Founder and MD Gaurav Mathur.
LIC unveils Dhan Varsha life insurance plan
• The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) introduced Dhan Varsha, a non-linked, non-
participating, individual, savings, single premium life insurance plan offering a combination of
protection and savings.
• This plan provides financial support for the family in case of unfortunate death of the life assured
during the policy term.
• It also provides a guaranteed lumpsum amount on the date of maturity for the surviving life
assured.
• This is a close-ended plan and would be available for sale till March 31, 2023.
About Dhan Varsha:
• The Plan can be purchased Offline through agents or other intermediaries including Point of Sales
Persons- Life Insurance (POSP-LI)/ Common Public Service Centers (CPSC-SPV) subject to
certain conditions, as well as Online directly through the website www.licindia.in.
• Under this plan, the proposer will have the following two options to choose Sum Assured on
Death:
• Option 1: 1.25 times Tabular Premium for the chosen Basic Sum Assured
• Option 2: 10 times of Tabular Premium for the chosen Basic Sum Assured
About LIC:
• Chairperson: Shri. Mangalam Ramasubramanian Kumar
• MDs: B C Patnaik, Smt. Ipe Mini, Siddharth Mohanty, Rajkumar
SBI General Insurance launches insurance buying facility via WhatsApp
• SBI General Insurance has partnered with Gupshup, a leader in conversational engagement to
offer a new insurance policy, renew an existing one, intimate claims, and more, through
WhatsApp.
Key Highlights:
• Customers across India can buy insurance from SBI General by sending a ‘Hi’ and Gupshup’s
chat bot will guide users through a simple and secure buying process, and help them complete the
purchase within the WhatsApp chat thread.
• The hassle-free buying experience ensures that end-to-end policy purchase happens on the
platform itself, right from exploring product features to accessing their policy documents.
About SBI General Insurance:
• Founded: 2009
• MD & CEO: Kishore Kumar Poludasu
About Gupshup:
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Karnataka Bank launches term deposit scheme ‘KBL Centenary Deposit Scheme’
• To mark the glorious journey towards the Centenary year (2023-24) Karnataka Bank Limited
(KBL) has launched a unique term deposit scheme ‘KBL Centenary Deposit Scheme’ with a higher
rate of interest.
• The deposit will be for 555 days with an interest rate of 7.20% p.a & for Senior Citizens the rate of
interest will be 7.60% p.a.
• It is an 'A' Class Scheduled Commercial Bank.
Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services partners with IPPB to boost credit access to customers
• Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited, (MMFSL), part of the Mahindra Group & one of
India’s leading Non-Banking Finance Companies, announced a strategic partnership with India
Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to further enhance credit access to a larger customer base.
• Under this Partnership, IPPB will provide Lead referral services to MMFSL for Passenger
Vehicles, 3-Wheeler, Tractor, and Commercial Vehicle Loan categories.
• It provides cash Equated Monthly Income (EMI) deposit facility to existing MMFSL Customers at
Post Offices.
• The scheme would first go live in IPPB branches in the states of Maharashtra and Madhya
Pradesh.
• With the launch of Cash Management services, Mahindra Finance customers can visit the Post
Office to deposit EMI payments.
About MMFSL:
• Founded: 1991
• Chairman & Managing Director: Ramesh Iyer
• MMFSL is an Indian rural non-banking financial company.
About IPPB:
RBI gives in-principle approval to Cygnet to operate as an NBFC account aggregator
• Fintech firm Cygnet Infotech Private Limited has received in-principle approval from the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a non-banking financial company (NBFC) account aggregator.
About Account Aggregator:
• Account Aggregator is one of the largest open financing data-sharing protocols regulated by the
RBI.
• It allows consumers to instantly share their financial data, securely and digitally with various
financial institutions.
• It facilitates financial institutions to quickly and conveniently access consumers' consent-based
financial data.
• Small and medium-sized businesses will get better credit facilities whilst banks and other financial
institutions will get an opportunity to widen their lending portfolio.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Insurance
Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), and Pension Fund Regulatory &
Development Authority (PFRDA) are already in various stages of integration with the account
aggregator ecosystem as Financial Information Providers (FIP).
About Cygnet Infotech Private Limited:
• Founded: 2000
• MD & CEO: Niraj Hutheesing
About RBI:
Shankar
Cashfree Payments launches ‘issuance’ solution for fintech firms
• India’s leading payments and Application Programming Interface (API) banking solutions
company, Cashfree Payments India Private Limited, has launched a card issuance stack with its
new solution ‘Issuance’ to enable businesses such as fintech and platforms to launch prepaid
cards and wallets for their customers, employees, and partners.
About ‘Issuance’:
• ‘Issuance’ is a prepaid card and wallet issuance API stack which can be used for payroll &
incentive disbursals, customer loyalty programs, and expense management among other use
cases.
• ‘Issuance’ allows businesses to launch both physical and virtual prepaid cards.
• It will offer low-code and no-code flows to enable businesses to launch their customized prepaid
card or wallet in a few weeks without deep integration with multiple entities.
• It enables platforms to design and customize their prepaid card features including assigning spend
limits, creating a closed loop, open loop, or hybrid payment options, and facilitating minimum and
full KYC prepaid cards.
• ‘Issuance’ allows businesses to launch both mono-branded and co-branded prepaid cards.
About Cashfree Payments:
• Founded: 2015
• Founder and CEO: Akash Sinha
HDFC Securities Opens First Women-Only Digital Center In Bengaluru
• Leading stock brokerage firm, HDFC Securities Limited, has opened the first-ever Women-Only
Digital Centre (DC) in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
• The center, staffed with a team of women aged below 30 years, will serve both male and female
investors.
Aim:
• To encourage these women to take charge of their finances with a women-only team at the new
DC.
• It will be based in Bengaluru and cater to customers from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh, and Telangana.
Key Highlights:
• The DCs will give women easier access to HDFC’s services.
• Only 7% of Indian women invest independently in the financial markets, and 33% of women don’t
have any financial investment.
• HDFC Securities is already in the process of hiring “600 relationship managers for our pan-India
DCs.”
About HDFC Securities Ltd:
• Founded: 2000
• MD & CEO: Dhiraj Relli
• HDFC Securities Limited is a financial services intermediary and a subsidiary of HDFC Bank.
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) and Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) Collaborate for innovations
in Financial Products and Services
• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) and Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) have partnered to
enhance the reach of financial solutions to large sections of society across India and enable
frictionless finance to a billion Indians.
Key Highlights:
• IPPB and RBIH will plan, design, and execute innovative products and offerings to bridge the
existing gap by bringing digitized services to the customer’s doorstep.
• The collaboration will explore projects which will have an impact on the masses by
1. leveraging the deep rural reach of IPPB-Department of Posts (DoP) to take rural finance to a
billion Indians.
2. It will enable access to sustainable and secure financial services to every segment of society,
through research and innovation.
• Additionally, IPPB shall be an active participant and partner with RBIH on initiatives of national
importance led by RBIH.
About RBIH:
• CEO: Shri Rajesh Bansal
• The RBIH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set up to promote and
facilitate an environment that accelerates innovation across the financial sector.
• It has been set up as a Section 8 company under the Companies Act, 2013 with an initial capital
contribution of Rs. 100 crore.
About IPPB:
• Chairman & Director: Vineet Pandey
• IPPB has been established under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication with 100%
equity owned by the Government of India.
PhonePe launches its first Green Data Center in India with Dell Technologies and NTT Ltd
• India’s leading fintech platform, PhonePe, has launched its first Green Data Center in India, in
Mumbai, Maharashtra leveraging technologies and solutions from Dell Technologies and NTT.
About Green Data Center:
• The Green Data Center is set to open up new opportunities in data management for PhonePe,
with efficient data security, power efficiency, ease of operations, and cloud solutions.
• The center will also help the company to build sustainable and efficient infrastructure to further
seamlessly scale its operations across the country.
• The 4.8-megawatt facility occupies 13740 sqft at Mahape, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• It is built and designed with advanced alternative cooling technologies like Direct Contact Liquid
Cooling (DCLC) and Liquid Immersion Cooling (LIC).
• The data center’s Dell PowerEdge servers will provide exceptional performance, simplified
management, and intelligent automation while using less energy.
About PhonePe:
• Founded: 2015
• Founder & CEO: Sameer Nigam
Purchase ICICI Lombard with a 1450-rupee target: Motilal Oswal
• Research from ICICI Lombard by Motilal Oswal- The underwriting loss for ICICIGI was INR1.5
billion in 2Q as contrasted to INR1.9 billion in 1QFY23 since OPEX increased at 9% rise while
NEP grew at 11%.
• As a result of higher claims in the Motor OD and the Health sectors offsetting the benefits of lower
loss ratios in the Motor TP and Fire sectors, the claims ratio climbed to 72.8% in 2Q from 72.1% in
1QFY23.
• Over the previous year, the ICICI Lombard report ratio climbed by 300bps.
• Higher rates caused investment income, which was expected to be INR7.4 billion, to come in at
INR8.7 billion instead.
• In a contrast to 105.3%/104.1% in the 2QFY22 and 1QFY23, the total ratio in the 3QFY22 was
105.1%.
• The solvency ratio is now 2.5x compared to 2.6x in 1QFY23.
• PAT was INR4.6 billion after accounting for an INR1.3 billion tax reversal (est. INR3.8b).
• The PAT was recorded as INR5.9b.
GIFT City & Fintech Association of Japan sign MoU to Strengthen Fintech Ecosystem
• The Gujarat International Finance T ec-City (Gift City) has inked an agreement with the Fintech
Association of Japan (FAJ) to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the fintech domain.
Aim:
• To strengthen and create more value for the entities in GIFT City that will further spread
awareness, knowledge, and empowerment in the fintech domain.
• GIFT City and FAJ will also organize boot camps, hackathons, and incubation and acceleration
programs focused on fintech areas such as payments, lending, financial planning, insurance
technology, regulatory technology, wealth management, and trade processing, among others.
• The entrepreneurial programs will also focus on financial inclusion, cyber security, artificial
intelligence (AI), blockchain, and human augmentation.
About GIFT City:
• Managing Director and Group CEO: Mr. Tapan Ray
• GIFT City is a central business district under-construction in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad in
Gandhinagar district in Gujarat, India.
• The first operational smart city and International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in India is GIFT
City.
NPCI Bharat Billpay partners Kotak Mahindra Bank for credit card bill payments
• NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd. (NBBL), the wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI), has partnered with Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL) to introduce
its credit cards on the Bharat BillPay ecosystem.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank has become the first private bank to go live in the credit card category on
the Bharat BillPay ecosystem.
Key Highlights:
• The cards will be introduced in the Credit Card Biller category.
• With this, Kotak credit card holders will be able to pay their credit card bills at any point in time
from any given location through Bharat BillPay-enabled channels like ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and
HDFC Bank, among others, and get instant confirmation on payments.
• Bharat BillPay is a one-stop destination offering recurring payment services to customers across
several segments including electricity, telecom, DTH, gas, education fees, water, and municipal
taxes, NETC FASTag recharge, loan repayments, insurance, cable, subscription fees, mobile
prepaid recharges, among other things.
About KMBL:
• MD & CEO: Uday Kotak
MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, and OYO were penalized by CCI by 392 crore rupees:
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) levied fines of Rs 392 crore against Make My Trip,
Goibibo (MMT-Go), and OYO.
• These companies were penalized by CCI for "unfair business practices," as detailed in a 131-page
decision.
• OYO will pay a punishment of Rs 168.88 crore, and Make My Trip and Goibibo will each pay Rs
223.48 crore.
• According to MMT-Go, its contracts with lodging partners required pricing parity.
• These agreements forbid the hotel from offering its rooms for sale on any other websi te or
platform for less than the price listed by the two organizations.
• OYO received special treatment on the Make My Trip platform, preventing other businesses from
accessing the market.
• The conclusions come from a thorough study of the situation that lasted from 2019 until now.
• Additionally, the CCI ordered MMT-GO to make the necessary changes to the contracts it has with
hotels and hotel chains to remove or abandon the price parity and room availability requirements it
had placed on these partners.
IDBI Bank introduces festive offers on fixed deposits for a limited period
• The private sector lender IDBI Bank has launched the "Amrit Mahotsav FD" scheme of 555 days
commencing as part of its festive offer.
• The bank has launched a special, limited-time offer with an interest rate of 6.90% for 555 days.
Key Highlights:
• The Bank has also raised its interest rate offerings on term deposits across a range of maturity
periods.
• The interest rate on a one-year deposit has climbed to 6.75%, while the highest rate for a two-year
bucket is now 6.85%.
About Amrit Mahotsav FD Scheme:
• The Amrit Mahotsav FD Scheme of 500 Days and 1100 Days will no longer be offered from
October 21, 2022.
• The bank provides a 6.40% interest rate on the "Amrit Mahotsav FD" program to the general
public and a 6.90% interest rate to senior citizens.
• Senior citizens will only be eligible for the standard markup of 0.50%, and retired senior citizen
staff will only be eligible for the standard markup of 1%.
About IDBI Bank:
• IDBI Bank Limited is a development finance institution under the ownership of the Life Insurance
Corporation of India (LIC) and the Government of India.
Aditya Birla Health Insurance launches policy with rewards for healthy habits
• Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co Limited (ABHICL) has launched ‘Activ Fit’, a comprehensive
health insurance plan that targets consumers with active lifestyles and aims to reward them for
their good health behavior.
Key Highlights:
• The scheme will provide a 10% good health discount based on the assessment done through a
unique facial scan.
• All customers below 35 years of age can avail early bird discount on renewal, 5% from the 4th
policy year to the 7th policy year and 10% from the 8th policy year for the life of the policy.
• Customers will also get a 100% binge refill feature.
• “In case of hospitalization, customers can use a 100% binge refill facility if they fall short of their
insurance cover.
• The facility enables them to get cover for any illness/injury up to the sum insured.
• The insurance policy also includes maternity cover, which covers normal delivery, C -section
delivery, newborn baby expenses, immunization expenses, and stem cell protection as well as
modern treatment mental care cover, HIV/AIDS and STD, day care treatment, and pre – Includes
hospitalization.
About ABHICL:
• Founded: 2015
• It was established as a 51:49 joint venture between MMI Strategic Investments (Pty) Ltd, MMI
Holdings Limited, Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited, and Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL).
National Pension System: PFRDA changes equity allocation rule under NPS for Tier I, and Tier II
accounts
• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has revised the equity
allocation rules for Tier 1 and Tier II National Pension System (NPS) accounts.
• As per the new rule, subscribers will be able to allocate up to 75% of their funds in Equity (E)
under active choice without any conditions of tapering from the age of 51 years.
• Currently, under the NPS-All Citizen Model, subscribers have to select any one of the registered
Pension Funds and actively allocate their contributions across four asset classes – Equity (E),
Corporate Bonds (C), Government Securities (G), and Alternate Assets (A) with ‘Active Choice’.
Maximum limits for allocation to different asset classes:
• Asset Class G (Government Securities): 100%
• Asset Class C (Corporate Bonds):100%
• Asset Class E (Equity): 75%
• Asset Class A (Alternate Assets): 5%
• However, the limit of 75% on asset class E gets tapered off at the rate of 2.5% every year and is
reallocated to Government securities when the subscriber attains 51 years of age.
• It has also decided to allow the option to allocate 100% of the subscriber’s contribution in Asset
Class E (Equity) in Tier-II (optional account) underactive choice without any conditions of tapering.
Age-wise maximum equity limit:
Age 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 & above
Max Equity 75 72.5 70 67.5 65 62.5 60 57.5 55 52.5 50
• The Asset class wise exposure limits that will now apply to private sector subscribers under Tier I
and to all subscribers in Tier II are tabulated below:
Tier –I
Asset Class Max limit
Asset Class G (Government Securities) 100%
Asset Class C (Corporate Bonds) 100%
Asset Class E (Equity) 75%
Asset Class A (Alternate Assets) 5%
Tier-II
Asset Class Max limit
Asset Class G (Government Securities) 100%
Asset Class C (Corporate Bonds) 100%
Asset Class E (Equity) 100%
About NPS:
• The NPS is a voluntary defined contribution pension system in India.
• NPS started with the decision of the Government of India to stop defined benefit pensions for all
its employees who joined after 1 April 2004.
• In 2021, PFRDA increased the entry age for the National Pension System (NPS) from 65 years to
70 years.
• NPS Trust is a specialized division of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority
which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance of the GoI.
About PFRDA:
• The PFRDA is the regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of
India for overall supervision and regulation of pensions in India.
ICICI Bank launches Smart Wire for faster SWIFT-based inward remittances
• ICICI Bank has launched Smart Wire, an online solution to help its customers carry out SWIFT
(Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications) based inward remittances in a
faster and hassle-free manner.
• The Smart Wire facility allows both Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and resident customers to
undertake inward remittance transactions in an online and paperless way.
• ICICI Bank is the first bank in the country to introduce this faster online solution to receive inward
wire remittances.
Key Highlights:
• The Smart Wire facility enables the beneficiary to initiate the wire transfer request, submit online
declaration/documents, block the exchange rates in advance and track the status of the
transaction.
• Through this facility, accurate information related to the beneficiary, the purpose of the inward
remittance, and declaration, where required, are captured in advance and shared with the remitter
instantly.
• The beneficiary can block the exchange rate for the expected inward wire transfer.
• The deal booking facility is available for US Dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), British pound sterling
(GBP), Emirati Dirham (AED), Canadian Dollar (CAD), Singapore Dollar (SGD), and Australian
Dollar (AUD).
Benefits:
• The Smart Wire facilitates can be used for various purposes of remittances including family
maintenance and savings, personal gift / financial support, NRE/ NRO repatriation, salary,
business, and management consultancy.
About ICICI Bank:
SEBI clarifies Guidelines about the Execution of DDPI
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) widened the scope of the Demat Debit and
Pledge Instruction (DDPI) for pledging and repledging of securities for margin purposes effective
from November 18, 2022.
• Under DDPI, Mutual fund transactions executed on stock exchange order entry platforms and
tendering of shares in open offers through stock exchange platforms will be covered.
• The circular is issued in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 11(1) of the Securities
and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, and Section 19 of the Depositories Act, 1996, to protect
the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development of and to regulate the
securities markets.
• With the implementation of the guidelines, the Demat Debit and Staking Instruction (DDPI)
replaced the PoA document.
• The DDPI shall serve the same purpose as PoA and significantly mitigate the misuse of PoA.
About SEBI:
the Ministry of Finance within the GoI.
SEBI cancels Brickworks license, orders wind-up by April
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) canceled the license of Brickwork Ratings,
prohibited it from taking up new clients, and directed it to wind up operations in 6 months.
• It was taken as it failed to exercise proper skill, care, and diligence while discharging its duties as
a credit rating agency
• SEBI & the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted a joint audit of the rating agency in January
2020 that led to an administrative warning and inquiry.
• The SEBI order listed various violations by Brickwork, including failure to document meetings with
the management, lack of independent analysis of financial projections given by companies, delay
in recognizing defaults, and conflict of interest.
About Brickwork Ratings:
• Brickwork Ratings (BWR), a SEBI’s one of the seven registered Credit Rating Agencies...
BSE gets SEBI nod for social stock exchange as a separate segment
• Stock exchange BSE has got an in-principle nod from the capital market regulator Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for the social stock exchange as a separate segment.
• The SEBI had specified minimum requirements to be met by a non-profit organization (NPO) for
registration with SSE, disclosure requirements for NPOs raising funds through the issuance of
zero-coupon zero principal instruments, and put in place annual disclosure requirements that need
to be made by NPOs on such exchanges.
• The listed NPO will have to submit a statement of the utilization of funds to SSE, as mandated
under Sebi's rules, within 45 days from the end of the quarter.
Key Highlights:
• The social enterprises will have to engage in a social activity out of 16 broad activities listed by the
regulator.
• The eligible activities include eradicating hunger, poverty, malnutrition, and inequality; promoting
healthcare, supporting education, employability, and livelihoods; gender equality empowerment of
women and LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex,
pansexual, two-spirit, asexual and allay) communities; and supporting social enterprise incubators.
• In July 2022 SEBI notified rules for Social Stock Exchange (SSE) to provide social enterprises
with an additional avenue to raise funds.
• About the minimum requirements to be met by an NPO, Sebi informed me that NPO needs to be
registered as a charitable trust and should be registered for at least 3 years.
• It must have spent at least ₹50 lakh annually in the past financial year and should have received
funding of at least ₹10 lakh in the past financial year.
Google is fined Rs.1337 crore in India for abusing its dominant position:
• The country's competition commission fined Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., Rs 1,337 crore for
anti-competitive behavior involving Android mobile devices.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) fined Google for "abusing its dominant position in
several places within the Android mobile device ecosystem."
• Google described the decision to penalize it for alleged anti-competitive actions as a "significant
setback for Indian consumers and businesses."
• In the current case, the commission identified five appropriate markets to serve this function.
• In India, there was a market for licensable mobile operating systems for smart devices, an Android
app store, general web search services, non-OS specific mobile web browsers, and an online
video hosting platform (OVHP).
Russia's Gazprombank opens special Re account with UCO Bank
• Russia's Gazprombank has opened a special Rupee account with UCO Bank for undertaking
cross-border trade transactions in the Indian Rupee
• The move to open the special Vostro account clears the deck for settlement of payments in Rupee
for trade between India and Russia, enabling cross-border trade in the Indian currency which the
central bank RBI is keen to promote.
• The Kolkata-based lender was among the first banks to receive the regulator's approval following
the RBI's decision to promote Rupee settlement.
• The RBI has allowed the special Vostro accounts to invest the surplus balance in Indian
government securities to help popularize the new arrangement.
• UCO Bank already has a Vostro account-based facility in Iran.
About Gazprombank:
• Founded: 1990
• Headquarters: Moscow, Russia
• CEO: Andrey Akimov
• Gazprombank, or GPB, is a privately-owned Russian lender and the third-largest
bank in the country by assets.
About UCO Bank:
• Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal, India\
• MD & CEO: Soma Sankara Prasad
• Tagline: Honors Your Trust
DCB Bank Reintroduces Suraksha Fixed Deposit Scheme
• The DCB Bank has relaunched its 'Suraksha Fixed Deposit (FD)' scheme.
• It is a 3-year FD scheme that provides a combination of savings and safety for depositors as well
as their dependents.
• The DCB NRI Suraksha Fixed Deposit also offers NRIs attractive returns and free life insurance
based on the fixed deposit amount.
• DCB NRI Suraksha Fixed Deposits are available in Non-Resident External (NRE), and Non-
Resident Ordinary (NRO) in Indian Rupees.
• NRIs may use any of the following foreign currencies to make their DCB NRI Suraksha Foreign
Currency Non-Resident Account (FCNR) Deposit: Dollars (USD), Australian Dollar (AUD),
Canadian Dollar (CAD), EURO, or British Pound Sterling (GBP).
About 'Suraksha Fixed Deposit (FD)':
• The scheme provides a high-interest rate of 7.10% per annum on a 3-year deposit and free life
insurance cover either equal to the amount of the Suraksha FD or up to Rs 10 lakh if the Suraksha
FD amount is greater than Rs 10 lakh.
• The life insurance cover is available with a term of 36 months and is valid from 18 years of age till
the depositor turns 55.
• On the other hand, the bank offers a 7.10% per annum interest rate on fixed deposits of 700 days
or 3 years, which annually yields 7.49% p.a. or 7.84% p.a. respectively.
• Senior citizens can earn 7.60% p.a. for the same duration, and the yields are 8.05% p.a. and
8.45% p.a. Respectively.
• For a longer tenure of 5 years FD, a 7% p.a. rate is available for which the annualized yield is
8.43% p.a. Senior citizens can earn a 7.50% p.a. which translates to a 9.14% p.a. annualized
yield.
About DCB Bank:
• MD & CEO: Murali M. Natrajan
• DCB Bank Limited is a private sector scheduled commercial bank in India.
• The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) is the promoter of the Bank with around
15% stake.
Indian bank launches digital initiatives under project WAVE
• Public sector l ender Indian Bank has rolled out 6 new digital initiatives under ‘Project WAVE’
(World of Advance Virtual Experience) for enhancing customer experience through integrated
services on its digital platform.
• The new products were rolled out by the bank MD & CEO S.L. Jain in the presence of ED Imran
Amin Siddiqui and Universal Sompo General Insurance Co. Ltd., MD & CEO Sharad Mathur in
Chennai.
About the Initiatives:
• Indian Bank ties up with Universal Sompo General Insurance for providing online vehicles (02-
Wheeler and 04-Wheeler) and health insurance through the Bank’s mobile banking app
IndOASIS.
• This digital collaboration would enable Bank’s customers to access and buy general insurance
products digitally, anytime, anywhere.
• Under the co-lending arrangement, Indian Bank has partnered with Rupeek Capital Pvt. Ltd, to
offer jewel loans at customer doorsteps.
• The entire gold loan journey will be through a digital platform and not require any physical visit to
the bank branch by the customer.
• The public sector lender has extended pre-approved personal loans to self-employed customers
of the bank as well.
• Since April 2022 it has been offered to salaried customers and pensioners.
• Currently, Indian Bank has extended the e-OD (Overdraft) facility against Term Deposits opened
at branches by individual customers which were previously offered for e- deposits only.
About Indian bank:
• MD & CEO: Shri Shanti Lal Jain
• Tagline: Your Own Bank
India Post Payment Bank launches group accident insurance plan
• The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) operating under the Department of Posts has launched a
group accident insurance plan with an accidental death coverage of Rs 10 lakh.
• The India Post in partnership with TATA AIG and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance companies will
offer the insurance plan at a premium of Rs 399 or Rs 396 per annum.
About group accident insurance plan:
• The plan covering comprehensive medical emergencies has a low annual premium amount.
• One can join it at any post office or with the help of a postman or postwoman.
• Anyone aged between 18 and 65 years can join this insurance plan.
• The policy will be issued digitally in five minutes using a smartphone or a fingerprint sensor carried
by the postman under the e-KYC (Aadhaar-based) method.
• This doesn’t need any application forms, copies of identity, and address proof.
• The insurance plan will offer around 10 major benefits for the applicant including permanent total
or permanent partial disability coverage of Rs 10 lakh, an option to cover accidental medical
expenses up to Rs 60,000, and transportation benefits for the family members traveling to see the
accident victim.
About IPPB:
department under the Ministry of Communications of the Government of India.
IRDAI approved the bima sugam portal
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), announced the launch of
Bima Sugam, an online marketplace that will house all companies selling life and non-life
insurance on a single platform.
• The portal is scheduled to go live on 1 January 2023.
About Bima Sugam:
• The online platform will provide you with a one-stop destination for all insurance needs, providing
services like buying insurance policies, portability facilities, change of insurance agents, and
settling claims.
• It allows buyers to purchase life, motor, or health insurance policies directly.
• Also, web aggregators (such as PolicyX, PolicyBazaar, etc.), brokers (such as Bajaj Capital,
Probus Insurance Broker, etc.), banks, and insurance agents will act as facilitators in selling
insurance policies.
• It will provide all these facilities to policyholders with an e-insurance account (E-IA).
Stakeholders:
Key Stakeholders Stake Fund Infusion
Life Insurance Council 30% 25 Cr.
General Insurance Council 30% 25 Cr.
Online PSBs 35% 30 Cr.
Brokers Association 5% 3 Cr.
• Bima Sugam shall have linkages with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) National
Securities Depository Limited (NSDL), and Central Depository Services Limited (CDSL).
About IRDAI:
• Founded: 1999
• IRDAI is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India,
and is tasked with regulating and licensing the insurance and re-insurance industries in India.
IRDAI offers more flexibility to general insurance companies
• The Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has offered more flexibility to
general insurance companies in designing and pri cing p r oducts under miscellaneous lines of
business and allowed them to launch these in the market without prior regulatory approval.
• This is part of IRDAI's endeavor to boost the ease of doing business.
• Earlier, the products with a sum assured above Rs 5 crore could be launched without prior
approval of IRDAI.
• But insurers needed regulatory approval before launching products with a sum assured up to Rs 5
crore.
• Now, IRDAI said that it has extended the ‘Use and File’ procedure , ie. launching insurance
products without prior approval, to all categories.

Sprite, a product of Coca-Cola, surpasses $1 billion in sales in India:
• Coca-Cola, a multinational soft drink corporation, declared that the Indian market had made
"Sprite," a lemon- and lime-flavored soft drink, a billion-dollar brand.
• In the third quarter of 2022, the company's India business experienced "strong" volume growth.
• Strong growth was achieved by Trademark Coke through efficient execution and occasion-based
marketing.
• Through the introduction of returnable glass bottles and single-serve PET containers, Coke has
completed 2.5 billion transactions in India at reasonable pricing points.
• As it increased its share of effervescent offers in the first half of 2022, Coca-Cola strengthened
further.
• Due in large part to the success of locally tailored, occasion-based global marketing campaigns
and screen time, Sprite has developed into a billion-dollar brand in the market.
• Coca-Cola had declared that its Indian soft drink brand Thumps up would reach $1 billion in sales
by 2021.
• The fifth-largest market for Coca-Cola worldwide is India.
The BSE has introduced electronic gold receipts:
• The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) released Electronic Gold receipts (EGR ) on its platform.
• During the Muhurat trading on Diwali, it presented two new goods with purity levels of 995 and
999.
• Trading will be in 1-gram increments, with deliveries in 10-gram and 100-gram increments.
• It will be settled in T+1. EGR enables efficient gold price discovery and standardization,
transparency in gold transactions, promotion of the India Good Delivery Standard, and payment
guarantees to investors.
• With an annual gold demand of roughly 800-900 tonnes, India is the world's second-largest
consumer of gold, and it plays a significant role in global markets.
• Despite being second only to China in gold consumption, India has remained a price taker in
global markets.
• To remedy the issue, the Government of India has authorized the establishment of a gold
exchange, where the metal will be traded on Indian exchanges in the form of Electronic Gold
Receipts (EGR).
India's foreign reserves have reached a new low, forcing the RBI to spend $118 billion to protect the INR:
• India's foreign exchange reserves (Forex Reserves) fell to a level not seen in more than two
years, as the country's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), defended the rupee's fall
while ignoring the serious threat posed by dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
• According to the RBI's Weekly Statistical Supplement, the decline in foreign currency reserves can
be attributed to a decline in Foreign Currency Assets (FCA), which account for a sizable share of
overall reserves.
• FCA is the outcome of the appreciation or devaluation of non-US currencies held in foreign
exchange reserves, such as the euro, pound, and yen, represented in dollars.
• During the week ending October 21, the rupee fell for the sixth consecutive week, reaching an all-
time low and breaching the 83 per dollar threshold.
• It fell 0.4% for the week and closed at 82.6750.
• It fell by almost 4% in the six weeks that ended on October 21.
• According to Reserve Bank of India data, the third largest economy in Asia's foreign exchange
reserves fell by $3.85 billion to $524.52 billion in the week ending October 21.
• Spot foreign exchange reserves have fallen from a record high of $642.45 billion on September 3
of last year to a low of $607 billion at the end of March.
Shiprocket is the first inter-city logistics company to join the ONDC Network:
• Shiprocket is the first inter-city logistics company to connect to the ONDC network, allowing
vendors from all industries to transport products to cities and towns across India.
• Shiprocket, a provider of shipping and logistics solutions, went operational on the government's
Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and completed its first successful transaction.
• Shiprocket claims to be the first inter-city logistics company to connect to the ONDC network,
allowing retailers from all segments to transport products to cities and towns throughout India.
About Shiprocket:
• Shiprocket, which has over 100,000 clients, will allow sellers from 24,000 pin codes to choose
delivery partners to send products across India via both cash-on-delivery and pre-paid
alternatives.
About ONDC:
• ONDC is a private non-profit Section 8 company established by the Government of India's
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to develop open e-commerce.
RBI lifts ban on new branches by Tamilnad Mercantile Bank
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lifted its 3-year ban on 101-year-old Tamilnad Mercantile
Bank (TMB) on opening new branches
• This comes in the backdrop of the bank's shares getting listed in the Indian Stock Exchanges on
September 15, 2022.
About TMB:
• Headquarters: Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India
• MD & CEO: K V Rama Moorthy
• At present, it has 509 branches - 106 rural, 247 semi-urban, 80 urban, and 76 metropolitans.
About RBI:
Shankar
IRDAI sets up a consultative committee to increase health insurance coverage
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has constituted a 15-
member committee for 2 years, to give suggestions for increasing health insurance coverage in
India.
• The 15-member committee is headed by Rakesh Joshi, a member at IRDAI, & it will have
representatives from the healthcare and insurance industries.
Other Committee Members:
• From the healthcare industry, Devi Prasad Shetty, chairman of Narayana Health; Naresh Trehan,
chairman and managing director (MD) of Medanta Heart Institute; Alexander Thomas, national
president of Association of Healthcare Providers India; Arati Verma, senior vice president of Max
Healthcare, and Ajay Nair.
• From the insurance industry, Neerja Kapur, chairman and MD of New India Assurance; Bhargav
Dasgupta, MD, and CEO of ICICI Lombard General Insurance, Mayank Bathwal, CEO of Aditya
Birla Health Insurance, and Vibha Padalkar, MD and CEO of HDFC Life,
• The committee will also have representation from the third-party administrators (TPA) with Nayan
Shah, CEO, of Paramount Health Services & Insurance TPA, and Vikram Chhatwal, CEO, Medi-
Assist Insurance as members.
About the Committee:
• The Committee will identify challenges in carrying out the health insurance business and make
recommendations to facilitate ease.
• According to the IRDAI, health insurance premiums posted 18.9% year-on-year (YoY) growth in
H1FY23, compared to 28.8% growth in the same period in FY22.
About IRDAI:
• Founded: 1999
• IRDAI is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India,
and is tasked with regulating and licensing the insurance and reinsurance industries in India.
• It was constituted by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, of 1999, following
the recommendations of the Malhotra Committee
NAREDCO sets up NFC to help builders in getting funds
• National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), under the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs (MoHUA), has formed a Finance Committee (NFC) on the sidelines of NAREDCO 24th
Annual General Meeting to enable developers easy access to funds based on merit and viability of
the projects.
Key Highlights:
• The Committee will operate as one-stop-shop, aggregating financing options from multiple large
financial institutions.
• Merchant bankers, Resurgent India Limited will be actively associated with the NFC.
• The NFC will also support large-scale projects to access funds via financial institutions and
educate members to enhance their credit ratings.
• NAREDCO members can submit their applications online for further processing with minimum
documentation.
• The Committee & NAREDCO have partnered with financial institutions to limit the processing and
in-principle approval time to 15-30 days for an application.
About NAREDCO:
• Founded: 1998
• Director General: Alok Gupta
• It was established as a self-regulatory body under the aegis of the Housing And Urban Affairs
About MoHUA:
• Cabinet Minister: Hardeep Singh Puri
• Minister of State: Kaushal Kishore
IRDAI forms a 24-member panel to develop insurance coverage for the rural population
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has set up a 24-member
committee to develop and suggest an affordable and comprehensive cover for the rural
population.
• The committee will be headed by Thomas M Devasia, Member (non-life).
• The insurance regulator has also asked the committee to develop and suggest a constitution and
operation of a preferably, women-centric distribution channel to focus on reaching untapped/ rural
areas of Bima Vahak & recommend the regulatory framework.
• The committee will explore and recommend how to bring about synergies in the working and
operations of Bima Vahak, Bima Vistaar, and the digital platform – Bima Sugam.
• IRDAI announced that the latest developments in technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and
machine learning (ML) can be gainfully utilized by creating a digital platform to reach the last mile.
Northern Arc Capital Raises $50 Mn to Offer Customized Solutions To Businesses
• Northern Arc Capital, a non-banking finance company (NBFC), has raised $50 million (about ₹400
crores) through non-convertible debentures (NCDs) from the Dutch entrepreneurial development
bank FMO.
• The fintech lender will deploy half of its proceeds to serve MSMEs (micro, small and medium
enterprises) and women entrepreneurs.
Key Highlights:
• The long-term nature of the facility will help Northern Arc provide customized credit solutions to
these customers both directly and through partners
• As per Northern Arc, the use of proceeds will address three critical UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
• These SDG are SDG8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG
10 (Reduced Inequality).
• Northern Arc has raised funds from a slew of international investors including USDFC (United
States International Development Finance Corporation), ADB (Asian Development Bank),
Proparco, Calvert Impact Capital, and JICA.
About NCDs:
• NCDs are financial instruments that are not convertible into shares or equities.
• They are used for raising long-term funds.
• In comparison to convertible debentures, NCDs provide higher returns.
About Northern Arc Capital:
• Founded: 2008
• MD and CEO: Ashish Mehrotra
• Northern Arc provides credit facilities to MSMEs, Indian households, financial institutions, and
emerging businesses.
India needs dedicated wing to release Green GDP estimates - RBI article
• RBI in its estimation of Green GDP for India article, India needs to set up a dedicated wing in the
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) that will be responsible for
providing the time-series database required for estimation of Green GDP and releasing estimates
of Green GDP for India periodically regularly.
• Green GDP takes into account estimates for environmental degradation, depletion of natural
resources, and savings of resources and environment into the national income accounts.
• There is also a need for a user-friendly data dissemination platform on the lines of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Eurostat.
India GDP growth expected to decline to 5.7% in 2022: UNCTAD
• According to the forecast by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) Trade and Development Report 2022, India's economic growth is expected to decline
to 5.7% this year from 8.2% in 2021, citing higher financing costs and weaker public expenditures.
• India’s GDP will further decelerate to 4.7% growth in 2023.
• UNCTAD projected the global economy is projected to grow at 2.5% in 2022, decelerating further
to 2.2% in 2023.
About UNCTAD:
• Secretary General: Rebeca Grynspan
RBI placed Kerala-based private bank Dhanlaxmi bank under Monitoring
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had placed Thrissur (Kerala)-based private bank Dhanlaxmi
Bank under tight monitoring with its financial position coming under greater public scrutiny.
• The Bank's capital-to-risk weighted assets/capital adequacy ratio (CRAR) fell to around 13% at
the end of March 2022, down from 14.5% a year earlier, prompting the RBI to assess the bank's
financial health.
• Earlier, Dhanlaxmi Bank's capital adequacy has fallen below the required levels and it has even
been placed under the RBI's prompt corrective action framework (PCA) to deal with serious
deteriorations in its financial position.
About PCA Framework:
• The PCA framework was introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2002 as a structured
early intervention mechanism.
• The framework applies only to commercial banks (does not cover cooperative banks and Non-
Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)).
Key Highlights:
The RBI has specified certain regulatory trigger points concerning 3 parameters -
1. capital-to-risk weighted assets/capital adequacy ratio (CRAR)
2. net non-performing assets (NPA)
3. return on assets (RoA).
About CRAR:
• It is the most important financial ratio used by investors and analysts.
• The ratio measures a bank's financial stability by measuring its available capital as a percentage
of its risk-weighted credit exposure.
• Banks are required to keep their CRAR at 9% or higher under Basel-III
About NPA:
• An NPA is a loan or advance for which the principal or interest payment remained overdue for 90
days.
About RoA:
• RoA is a type of profitability ratio that measures the returns generated by a company or financial
institution on its assets.
About Dhanlaxmi Bank Ltd:
• MD & CEO: J. K. Shivan
Odisha releases India’s first tribal community-based encyclopedia
• Odisha became the first state to publish an encyclopedia based on tribal communities.
• The Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Navin Patnaik released The “Encyclopedia of Tribes in Odisha”.
• Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) and Odisha
State Tribal Museum published the encyclopedia.
Objective:
• To appraise the old and new, the past and the present cultural description of the tribal
community.
Encyclopedia of Tribes in Odisha: Constituents
• The encyclopedia consists of 5 edited volumes.
• It has 418 research articles on the tribals, including 13 particularly vulnerable groups.
• The encyclopedia is of 3800 papers contributed by its research personnel.
• The available articles are by several research scholars and eminent anthropologists on distinct
aspects of the tribes
• Tribes constitute 22.85% of the population in Odisha.
Note:
• Odisha is the third largest tribal populated state in India which has a total number of 62 tribal
communities living in the state.
About Odisha:
• Dance: Odissi, Ghumara
UP CM inaugurates intersection named after Lata Mangeshkar in Ayodhya
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath inaugurated an intersection Lata Mangeshkar
Chauraha named after legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar on the occasion of her 93rd birth
anniversary in Ayodhya, UP.
• The intersection at the banks of the Saryu river has been developed at an estimated cost of Rs 7.9
crore.
• A 40-ft-long and 12-meter-high veena weighing 14 tonnes has been installed at the intersection.
• The giant veena has been made by Padma Shri awardee Ram Sutar, who took two months to
make it.
About UP:
• Dance: Khayal, Nautanki Naqal
Haryana develops the world’s largest safari, park to cover 10,000 acres
• The Government of Haryana will develop the world’s largest jungle 10,000-acre safari park which
will cover Gurugram and Nuh districts in the Aravalli range.
• The Jungle safari project of Haryana would be a joint project of the Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change and the Haryana government.
• An Aravalli Foundation will be set up to manage the project.
• It will not only boost tourism but also provide employment opportunities to residents.
• As per a survey conducted a few years ago, 180 species of birds, 15 species of mammals, 29
species of aquatic animals and reptiles, and 57 species of butterflies were found in the Aravalli
range.
About jungle safari park:
• The park would include a large herpetarium (a zoological exhibition space for reptiles and
amphibians), an aviary/bird park, four zones for big cats, a large area for herbivores, an area for
exotic animal birds, an underwater world, nature trails, visitors, tourism zones, botanical gardens,
biomes, equatorial, tropical, coastal, desert, etc.
Note:
• The Jungle safari park is 5 times larger in size than Sharjah Safari Park, United Arab Emirates
(UAE), and is home to the largest curated safari park outside Africa.
• Sharjah Safari opened in February 2022, covering an area of about 2,000 acres.
About Haryana:
• Festival: Gangore, Baisakhi, Teej, Lohri
• Dance: Dhamal, Khoria, Ghoomar
A&N becomes India's first state/UT to a chieve 100 percent coverage of precautionary dose
• Andaman Nicobar (A&N) Islands become India's first state/Union Territory (UT) to achieve 100%
coverage of precautionary dose.
• To date, more than 2,87,216 beneficiaries aged 18 have been vaccinated with a precautionary
dose.
• The rate of vaccination has seen a spike after the 15th of July 2022 when the Government
decided to provide precautionary doses free of cost under 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'.
• To intensify the campaign, healthcare workers reached households and numerous camps were
organized in urban and rural areas.
• The set target has been achieved before the set time limit of the 30th of September 2022.
• First, the Nicobar district has been fully vaccinated with a precautionary dose & afterward, the
North and Middle Andaman, and South Andaman districts were fully covered.
• Corbevax along with Covishield has been administered as a precautionary dose in the islands.
• Apart from this, the set target of youths under the 15-18 yrs & 12-14 yrs age category have also
been fully vaccinated.
About A&N:
• Lieutenant Governor: Admiral (Retd.) Devendra Kumar Joshi
• Capital: Port Blair
Center extends AFSPA in 9 districts of Nagaland till March 30, 2023
• According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Central government
has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in 9 districts of Nagaland including
Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Zunheboto from
October 1, 2022, to March 30, 2023.
• In addition, the GoI has also extended AFSPA in the areas falling within the jurisdiction of 16
police stations in 4 districts of Nagaland including 5 police stations in Kohima district; 6 police
stations in Mokokchung district; Yanglok police station in Longleng district; & 4 police stations in
Wokha district.
• Earlier, the Central Government in the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed
Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (28 of 1958) had declared 9 districts and 16 Police Stations in
4 other districts of Nagaland as 'disturbed area' for a period of 6 months with effect from April 1 to
September 30, 2022.
• The AFSPA empowers security forces to arrest a person without a warrant, enter or search
premises without a warrant, and perform other actions.
About Nagaland:
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
• Chief Minister: Neiphiu Rio
• Capital: Kohima
• Festival: Naga Mircha (King Chili) Festival, Mim Kut, Bushu Festival
• Dance: Chang Lo
Telangana govt enhances ST reservation from 6% to 10%
• The Telangana government has issued an order to increase the reservation for the Scheduled
Tribe (ST) communities from 6% to 10%.
• The order was issued by the Tribal Welfare Department.
• The enhanced reservation will be applicable in educational institutions as well as in government
jobs.
• In this context, a bill was passed by the Telangana Assembly in April 2017 and it was sent to the
Center for obtaining the President's assent.
• With this 4% hike, the total reservations in Telangana will go up to 54%.
About Telangana:
• Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
• Festival: Bathukamma Festival, Bonalu, Ugadi
• Dance: Kuchipudi, Perini Thandavam
• River: Bhima River, Godavari, Krishna river
Kerala's Pullampara Becomes India's first fully digital literate panchayat
• The Pullampara Panchayat in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram has become the first 'fully
digital literate panchayat' in India.
• Full digital literacy was achieved by Pullampara panchayat’s ‘DigiPullampara’ project, under which
some 3,300 residents between the 14-65 age group were given digital education.
About the ‘DigiPullampara’ project:
• The ‘Digi Pullampara project was launched on August 15, 2021, to impart digital education to the
most underprivileged sections of society in the panchayat.
• The project was run with the assistance of volunteers from 5 engineering colleges, Kudumbashree
units, and other self-help groups.
• The digital literacy program was carried out with the technical support of the Kerala Technical
University (KTU).
Digital Literacy & Internet Access:
• Kerala which was the first Indian state to attain 100% literacy also declared access to the internet
a basic human right in 2019.
• In 2019 the Kerala Government also announced the launch of KFON, which stands for 'Kerala
Fiber Optic Network,' a joint venture of the Kerala State Electricity Board and Kerala State IT
Infrastructure Ltd to provide an internet connection to every household in Kerala.
• In July 2022, K-FON received the Internet Service Provider (ISP) license from the Department of
Telecommunications.
• Over 30,000 government offices in Kerala will also be provided with free internet through the
KFON project.
About Kerala:
• Dance: Kathakali, Mohiniattam, Chakyar koothu
• Festival: Onam, Thrissur Pooram Festival,
Union Minister Shri Amit Shah Announces ST Status for Pahari Community In Jammu And Kashmir
• Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has announced Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Pahari
community in Jammu and Kashmir at a rally in Rajouri, J&K.
• The reservation will be rolled out after the completion of administrative formalities.
• The abolition of Articles 370 and 35A in August 2019 paved the way for providing reservations to
deprived sections of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Gujjars and Bakerwals communities were getting ST benefits since 1991.
Key Highlights:
• The Center formed the Justice Sharma Commission in March 2020, however, it seemed to upset
the Gujjars and Bakerwals.
• The Paharis were given a 4 percent quota in the OBC category from January 2020.
About Pahari Community:
• Pahari people is a term used for several heterogeneous communities settled in parts of Jammu
and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
• Pahari is a term used to describe the various northern Indo-Aryan languages spoken by the
people, most of them found in the lower Himalayas.
About J&K:
• National Park: Kishtwar High Altitude NP, Hemis NP, Kazinag NP, Dachigam NP
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Achabal Wildlife Sanctuary, Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife
Sanctuary
Rajasthan: Country's 1st Hi-tech anti-poaching system installed in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
• The government of Rajasthan has installed a technology-based Wildlife Monitoring and Anti
Poaching System at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) and other protected forests of
Rajasthan.
• It is claimed that this is the country’s first hi-tech surveillance system to stop the poaching of tigers
and other anti-wildlife activities.
• The State Information Technology and Communication Department have developed this advanced
anti-poaching monitoring system for RTR, which includes thermal and optical, PTZ, bullet, dome,
and drones.
About RTR:
• The RTR in Sawai Madhopur district is Rajasthan’s most famous protected forest with more than
60 tigers.
• Apart from this, Rajasthan has other protected forests like Sariska Tiger Reserve Alwar,
Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve Kota, Jawai Dam Leopard Conservation Reserve Pali, and
Jhalana Leopard Conservation Reserve Jaipur.
• To protect wildlife in these forests, high-end thermal and optical cameras based on a hybrid model
for protected areas of forests are being used.
• This is an integrated surveillance system equipped with network and communication equipment,
solar power systems, drones, etc.
• This is the first 24-hour hi-tech surveillance and poaching system established by any state in the
country.
• Its control command center has been established in Ramsinghpura, Shilpgram, and Sawai
Madhopur.
• It helps with 24-hour surveillance with cameras in forest areas, monitoring the movements of tigers
or other identified wildlife species.
About Rajasthan:
• Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot
• Capital: Jaipur
• Dance: Ghumar, Jhuma
• National Park: Keoladeo NP, Ranthambore NP, Mukundara NP
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Bandh Baratha WLS, Jaisamand WLS, Jawahar Sagar WLS
India’s First Green Hydrogen Fueling Station to Be Commissioned In Leh By May 2023
• India's first green hydrogen fuelling station, being set up at Leh in the Union Territory of Ladakh, is
all set to be commissioned before May 2023.
• The first-of-its-kind project is being set up by state-run NTPC.
• The power generator had awarded the contract for the project to Amara Raja Power Systems, part
of the $1.3 billion Amara Raja Group, in June.
About the Project:
• Under the project, green hydrogen will be produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen
using electrolysis powered by renewable energy.
• The project is being set up at a height of 3,600 meters above sea level with a temperature
variation of minus 14 degrees to plus 20 degrees Celsius.
• The pilot project will produce 80 Kilograms per day of 99.97 percent pure hydrogen that will be
compressed, stored, and dispensed.
• NTPC plans to ply 5 hydrogen fuel cell buses in the region.
• While the Leh project will use green hydrogen for mobility, in the longer run, Amara Raja also
plans to bid for green hydrogen projects for industrial applications.
• NTPC's wholly-owned subsidiary NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC REL) floated the tender
for the project in July 2021.
• NTPC REL is also setting up a 1.25 Mw solar power plant to make the Hydrogen Fuelling
Station completely green.
Finland ties up with Kerala Government to implement 'Little KITEs' model
• Finland has announced its partnership with Kerala to implement the Little KITEs program by
Kerala Education Department in their country’s schools.
• As per the collaboration, the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) will
provide technical assistance for this and a Special Working Group will be constituted for this
program.
• The decision was taken in the meeting held at the Capital of Finland, Helsinki, between Finland
Education Department’s team and a high-level delegation from Kerala comprising V P Joy, state
chief secretary, V K Ramachandran, vice chairman, State Planning Board, and A P M Mohammed
Hanish, principal secretary, general education department.
Key Highlights:
• The Little KITES IT Clubs is India’s largest ICT network of students in over 2,000 schools, totaling
1.70 lakh student members.
• KITE is equipped to provide consultancy support in free and open-source software (FOSS) based
digital education activities to other states and countries.
• Through the Little KITEs units, 9,000 robotic kits would be deployed to schools in 2022.
• The Little KITEs program was launched by Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan in 2018.
About KITE:
• Headquarters: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
• Chairman: A.P.M Mohammed Hanish
• CEO: K. Anvar Sadath
• KITE was the first SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) company to get funded by KIIFB (Kerala
Infrastructure and Investment Fund Board).
About Kerala:
About Finland:
• President: Sauli Niinistö
• Prime Minister: Sanna Marin
• Capital: Helsinki
• Currency: Euro
Maharashtra digitizes property registrations & launches ‘Self Help’ portal for e -registrations
• The government of Maharashtra has started the e-registration of properties to be sold by realty
developers in a bid to digitize the process which will also involve the usage of blockchain
technology.
• With this, Maharashtra has become the first state to enable e-registrations of properties.
• Initially, the facility will be enabled for e-registration of the agreement of the first sale, and resale
transactions will not be part of it.
• Now homebuyers of Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) approved projects have the option
to register their sales agreements online, sitting in the developer's office.
• Currently, over 400 developers in Maharashtra have opted for the e-registration system.
• Maharashtra Govt also launched the ‘Self Help’ portal for e-registration
• Through this portal, developers and homebuyers can also upload their template for the
agreement, which once approved could be used by the developers for several such transactions.
About Blockchain Technology:
• Blockchain Technology is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or
impossible to change, hack, or cheat the system.
About Maharashtra:
• Capital: Mumbai
J&K Tourism department inaugurates 1st ever Bird Festival at Pahalgam in South Kashmir
• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), a first-of-its-kind Bird Festival 2022 was
inaugurated at Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district.
• The Bird Festival is being organized by the J & K Tourism Department in collaboration with
Sanctuary Nature Foundation.
• Secretary of the J&K Tourism Department, Sarmad Hafeez inaugurated the festival.
• The inaugural ceremony of the 6-day Bird Festival was attended by a large number of nature
enthusiasts and bird lovers from across the country as well as Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Bird Festival will be beneficial for tourism and the local economy of Jammy and Kashmir
About J&K:
Haryana govt signs MoU with Dubai for economic cooperation
• The Haryana government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
government of Dubai, the governing authority of the Emirate of Dubai, for cooperation in various
economic activities.
• These activities include investment promotion and land development, including but not limited to
real estate development, industrial parks, IT parks, multi-purpose towers, mixed-use townships,
innovation centers, and projects related to logistics in Haryana.
About the MoU:
• Under the terms of the MoU, the Government of Dubai will identify a suitable entity to assist with
identifying the potential areas of collaboration assess the viability of projects and finalization of
definitive agreements, and support the state government in identifying potential investors based in
UAE.
• The MoU is expected to boost investment in Haryana and strengthen the bonds of economic and
cultural ties between Dubai and Haryana.
• Haryana with strategic locational advantage, robust industrial infrastructure, strong connectivity,
robust policy frameworks, and a large pool of skilled manpower has emerged as one of India's
most industrialized states.
• With different initiatives such as sector-focused investor-friendly policies, GIS land bank, investor
facilitation cell, single roof clearance mechanism, time-bound delivery of services, grievance
redressal system, etc.
Recent News:
• Recently, the government of Haryana delegation led by Manohar Lal Khattar, visited the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) to promote the State as a leading investment destination and for marketing
key projects of Haryana.
About Haryana:
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Chhilchhila WLS, Bir Shikargah WLS, Nahar WLS
• National Park: Kalesar NP, Sultanpur NP
Karnataka Cabinet approves proposal to hike SC, ST reservation
• The Karnataka Cabinet has given its approval to increase the Scheduled Castes and Tribes
(SC/STs) quota in Karnataka.
• The decision has been taken by the government based on the report of Justice H N Nagamohan
Das Commission, which has recommended hiking the quota for SCs from 15% to 17% and for
STs from 3% to 7%.
• The State Government in principle agreed to increase the existing quota by 2% for SCs and by 4%
for STs in Karnataka.
• Chief Minister Shri Basavaraj Bommai announced this effect after chairing an all-party meeting
that was attended by Congress and JD(S) leader
• After this hike, the total reservation in the state will be 56%.
• Previously, Karnataka had 50% reservation, of which 32% was for OBCs (other backward
classes), 15% for SCs, and 3% for STs
• The State Government would seek more than 50% reservation under Scheduled 9 of the
Constitution through a constitutional amendment, to get immunity from a legal challenge, on the
lines of the Tamil Nadu Government, which has increased reservation up to 69%.
About Karnataka:
• Chief minister: Basavaraj Bommai
• National Park: Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur NP, Kudremukh NP
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Brahmagiri wildlife
sanctuary
J&K became the first to establish 75 Amrit Sarovars in each district Under Mission Amrit Sarovar
• Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have become the first Union Territory in the country to establish 75
Amrit Sarovars in each district as per the aspirations of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• This was informed by Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta in a review meeting of the Rural
Development Department at Srinagar.
• J&K had started implementing the scheme in a mission mode & UT level committee under the
chairmanship of the Chief Secretary with the participation of departments like Forest, Culture,
Revenue, and Jal Shakti was constituted for apex-level monitoring and implementation of the
scheme.
Key Highlights:
• According to the guidelines of the mission, J&K had to complete 300 Amrit Sarovars before
August 15, 2022, and 1500 Amrit Sarovars by August 15, 2023.
• However, UT completed 1490 Amrit Sarovar on 15th August 2022, and at present, UT has
completed work on 1953 Amrit Sarovar.
• The Finance Department has released Rs 50 crore for the rejuvenation and construction of these
Amrit Sarovar.
About Mission Amrit Sarovar:
• The Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on National
Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, 2022, at Palli Gram Panchayat in Jammu's Samba district.
• At the national level, the UT figures at number 2 in terms of completion of Amrit Sarovar featuring
just after the much bigger State of Uttar Pradesh.
About J&K:
• National Park: Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Dachigam National
Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
Goa to host 37th National Games in October 2023 - IOA
• The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) confirmed that the Goa government has been selected as
the host for the 37th edition of the National Games in October 2023.
• The Goa delegation may get the IOA flag at the Closing Ceremony of the 36th National Games on
12th October 2022 in Surat, Gujarat.
• Goa had signed the contract to host the National Games in 2011 but, technically, its turn was only
after the 35th edition, which was hosted by Kerala in January 2015.
• Since then, the state sought multiple postponements after finalizing 2016 as the year to host the
Games.
• The 37th National Games will be held from 23rd September to 8th October 2022 in Hangzhou,
China.
About Goa:
• Governor: S. Sreedharan Pillai
• Chief Minister: Pramod Sawant
• Capital: Panaji
Jharkhand records India’s highest percentage of child marriage
• According to the latest demographic sample survey by the union home ministry, Jharkhand has
the highest percentage of underage girls getting married.
• The survey was conducted in 2020 by the office of the Registrar General and Census
Commissioner and its report was published in September 2022.
Key Highlights:
• As per the survey, the percentage of girls getting married before turning 18 is 5.8% in
Jharkhand.
• The percentage of females who got married before reaching 18 years is 1.9 at the national
level.
• At the state level, it varies from 0.0 in Kerala to 5.8 in Jharkhand.
• In Jharkhand, child marriages accounted for 7.3% of marriages in rural areas and 3% in
urban areas
• Jharkhand and West Bengal are the only two states in the country where more than half of
the women are married before attaining the age of 21 years.
• 54.9% of girls are married in West Bengal before attaining the age of 21 years.
• 54.6% of girls are married in Jharkhand before attaining the age of 21 years.
• The Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report contains estimates of various
demographic, fertility, and mortality indicators based on the data collected through one of the
largest demographic surveys in the world covering about 8.4 million sample population.
Chhattisgarh CM Shri Bhupesh Baghel inaugurates Chhattisgarh Olympics
• Chief minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated the Chhattisgarh Olympics at Balbir Singh Juneja
Indoor Stadium in Raipur to promote sports in Chhattisgarh.
Aim:
• To make the younger generation aware of our culture and tradition
About Chhattisgarh Olympics:
• The ‘Chhattisgarhiya Olympics’ will be organized at six levels and it will continue till January 6,
2023.
• A total of 14 types of traditional sports have been included in the Chhattisgarh Olympics 2022-23.
• Traditional sports like Gilli-danda, pitthul, sankhali, langdi-race, kabaddi, kho-kho, and kancha
have also been included.
• The games will be played at the development block/urban cluster level, di strict level, divisional
level, and state level.
• The main purpose of the event is to generate the feeling of regionalism, especially among young
voters.
• It is the first-of-its-kind tournament where the focus is on local games.
About Chhattisgarh:
• Capital: Raipur
• Festivals: Bastar Dussehra, Bhoramdeo Mahotsav Festival
• Dance: Raut Nacha
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary, Narsinghgarh WLS, Semarsot WLS
• National Park: Guru Ghasi Das (Sanjay) National Park, Kanger Valley National Park
Tamil Nadu CM Shri Stalin inaugurates ‘first of its kind liquefied compressed natural gas station in
Ranipet
• Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Shri M.K. Stalin inaugurated AG&P Pratham’s liquefied compressed
natural gas (LCNG) station near Manthangal village at Walajah Taluk in Ranipet district, Tamil
Nadu.
• He opened the station via videoconference, in the presence of Industries Minister Mr. Thangam
Thennarasu, Chief Secretary Mr. V. Irai Anbu, and company officials.
• The company will develop a 300-km pipeline network in the Vellore-Ranipet area by the end of
FY23.
• The new station will benefit over 30,000 households and 325 industrial and commercial
establishments.
• The unit can handle 100 tonnes of gas per day and will serve customers in Vellore, Ranipet, and
Tirupattur.
• Currently, the company supplies around 20 tonnes of gas in these districts.
About Tamil Nadu:
• Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin
• Dance: Bharatnatyam, Karagattam, Kumi, Kolattam, Kavadi
• National Park: Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf of
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Kalakad Wildlife sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird
Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve: Anamalai Tiger Reserve
• Biosphere Reserve: Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve
Indore to become India’s first ‘Smart City’ with ‘Smart Addresses’
• Indore, Madhya Pradesh (MP) will become India’s first ‘Smart City’ with ‘Smart Addresses’ after
implementing a fully digital addressing system.
• The smart city advanced significantly when a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed
with the firm Pataa Navigations.
• The MoU is signed by Pataa Navigations Co-Founder Rajat Jain and Indore Smart City CEO
Rishav Gupta (IAS).
• The MoU stipulates that the Pataa app will be used by all government agencies and emergency
services, such as police, fire, and ambulance.
Key Highlights:
• Pataa is a brief and distinctive code that will help the user to find the specific geolocated location.
• Pataa Navigations and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) collaborated to build a
powerful digital addressing system to reduce losses and simplify the Indian addressing system.
• To provide access to digital addressing systems, Pataa Navigation will integrate with government
platforms such as those of the departments of electricity, agriculture, excise, protection of women
and children, and education.
About Pataa App:
• The Pataa app is a free service, that will help delivery providers find a specific geolocated
location.
• Through this app, users can upload images of their homes, landmarks, etc., along with their full -
text addresses.
• For necessary services such as Electronic Know Your Customer (E-KYC) and banking
geolocation, the Pataa application will be used.
• Additionally, the user can record voice instructions, which eliminates the need to repeat the
address over the phone and makes it easier for the guest to find the location.
• In the future, the user will be able to share a shortcode rather than sharing their long and full
address with everyone.
Delhi govt launches app to keep track of all ongoing & upcoming projects
• The Delhi government has launched an app called ‘Delhi monitoring to keep track of all ongoing
and upcoming projects across d epartments.
• Chief Secretary of the Delhi UT government Mr. Naresh Kumar will be in charge of monitoring the
projects.
About ‘Delhi monitoring:
• The Public Works Department (PWD), which undertakes major road, flyover, and infrastructure
projects, has updated the data about the projects on the PWD portal to all the chief engineers of
the road, maintenance, projects, and flyover divisions.
• The app has been launched for monitoring projects/inspections/tasks used by ministers and senior
officers of all departments of the Delhi government.
• Further, the PWD has also directed officials to appoint a nodal officer at the zonal office level to
monitor it and all issues related to the PWD web portal.
• The PWD department manages around 1,400 km of major roads and the busiest flyovers including
Ring Road and Outer Ring Road in Delhi.
About Delhi:
• Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary
India’s first sanctuary for endangered Slender Loris to be set up in Tamil Nadu
• The Tamil Nadu government has notified the Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary, the first Indian
sanctuary for the endangered Slender Loris in Karur and Dindigul districts.
About Slender Loris:
• Slender Lorises are native to India and Sri Lanka.
• Their genus comprises two species, the red slender loris found in Sri Lanka and the gray slender
loris which is found both in India and in Sri Lanka.
• According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Slender Loris is listed
as an endangered species.
• The survival of the species depends on its habitat improvement, conservation efforts, and
mitigation of threats.
• They have a lifespan of approximately 15 years and generally feed on insects, reptiles, plant
shoots, and fruit.
• These mammals are also protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, of 1972.
About Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary:
• A total of 11,806 hectares in the forest areas of the Karur (5,700 ha) and Dindigul (6,106 ha)
districts will be merged to form the Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary.
• The sanctuary is to cover Vedasandur, Dindigul East, and Natham taluks in the Dindigul district
and Kadavur taluk in the Karur district.
• The government has already notified India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay,
Kazhuveli Birds Sanctuary in Villupuram, Agasthiarmalai Elephants Reserve, and Nanjarayan
Tank Birds Sanctuary, Tiruppur.
About Tamil Nadu:
• Dance: Bharatnatyam, Karakattam
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve: Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Annamalai Tiger Reserve
• National Park: Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Mukurthi National Park, Amirthi Zoological Park
Center grants three Bulk Drug Parks to Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh
• The Department of Pharmaceuticals has conveyed ‘in-principle’ approval to the proposals of the
three States Viz, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh under the Scheme for
“Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks”, a key initiative to support Bulk Drugs manufacturing in India.
Aim:
• To bring down the cost of manufacturing bulk drugs by the creation of world-class common
infrastructure facilities supported by the Central Government.
• The financial assistance to the proposed Bulk Drug Park in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh would be
70% of the project cost of common infrastructure facilities.
• In the case of Himachal Pradesh, being the Hilly States, financial assistance would be 90% of the
project cost.
• Maximum assistance under the scheme for one Bulk Drug Park would be limited to Rs. 1000
crores.
About the Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks Scheme:
• The Scheme, with a financial outlay of Rs. 3,000 crores notified in 2020, provides financial
assistance to 3 States for establishing Bulk Drug Parks.
• Under the scheme, proposals were received from 13 States.
• Under this scheme, a total of 51 projects have been approved, out of which, 14 projects have
already been commissioned and started manufacturing the drugs.
• The Department was guided by an Advisory Committee under the CEO, NITI Aayog in the
appraisal of the proposals, based on quantitative as well as qualitative methodology.
• The scheme will also help the industry meet the standards of the environment at a reduced cost
through innovative methods of the common waste management system.
Key Highlights:
• The Indian Pharmaceutical industry is the 3rd largest in the world by volume.
• India exported pharmaceuticals worth Rs. 1,75,040 crore in the financial year 2021-22, including
Bulk Drugs/ Drug Intermediates.
• Also, India is one of the major producers of Active Pharma Ingredients (API) or bulk drugs in the
world.
• India exported Bulk Drugs/ Drug Intermediates worth Rs. 33,320 crores in the financial year 2021-
22.
• As per the proposals submitted by these States, the Bulk Drugs will be established in 1402.44
acres of land at Tehsil Haroli, District Una, Himachal Pradesh, 2015.02 acres of land at Tehsil
Jambusar, District Bharuch, Gujarat, and 2000.45 acres of land at K.P. Puram &Kodhada of
Thondagi Mandal of East Godavari District, AP.
About Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers:
• Cabinet Minister: Mansukh L. Mandaviya
• Minister of State: Bhagwanth Khuba
Leh in Ladakh all set to host 1st-ever Mountain Bicycle World Cup
• Ladakh Police in collaboration with the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh, and the
Cycling Association of India organized the first-ever Mountain Bicycle (MTB) World Cup – the ‘UCI
MTB Eliminator World Cup in Leh, Ladak, India.
• The event will be flagged off by the Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Leh CEC Tashi
Gyaltson, and Ladakh ADGP SS Khandare.
• The UCI MTB Eliminator World Cup is going to be a short track race with Cross Country
Eliminator, XCE, the format of 500 meters with natural and artificial obstacles.
• A total of 20 international, 55 national, and local cyclists are going to participate in the upcoming
event.
• Since the UCI MTB Eliminator World Cup is going to be held for the first time in India, all cyclists
are excited about the event.
• The winner of the Men Elite Category -Cross-Country Eliminator- is Felix Klausmann (Germany) &
Winner of the Men Elite Category -Cross-Country Eliminator is Marion Fromberger (Germany).
Odisha CM Launches SAACAR Portal for quick justice to SC/ST victims of atrocities
• Odisha Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik launched a web portal ‘Single Window Application
Atrocity Compensation Assistance and Relief’ (SAACAR ) for end-to-end processing of atrocity
cases registered in various police stations.
• The departments of Home, ST & SC Development, and Revenue & Disaster Management have
developed the portal.
About SAACAR:
• The portal will facilitate faster investigation and payment of compensation in the first phase to
the victims of SC-ST atrocity cases within 21 days.
• It will be able to avoid the delay caused by the existing manual system of inquiry and payment
of compensation to the victims.
• It will increase efficiency in the delivery mechanism of the Government of Odisha through the
5T initiative.
• Meanwhile, the CM also released a book titled ‘Pandemic Disruptions and Odisha’s Lessons in
Governance’, written by BJD MP Amar Patnaik.
• The book contains a collection of essays on issues that emerged in India during the pandemic
years of 2020-21 and 2021-2022.
About Odisha:
• Governor: Ganeshi La
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Tikarpada Wildlife Sanctuary, Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary, Sunabeda
Wildlife Sanctuary, Kotagarh Wildlife Sanctuary
• Dance: Ghumara, Ranapa Dance, Jodi Sankha
• Festival: Rath Yatra
Andhra Pradesh top performer in agri and allied Grass Value Output (GVO)
• Andhra Pradesh (AP), with ₹2,03,638.5 crore combined gross value output (GVO) in the
agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors, has registered more than 90% growth in 9 years to 2019-
20, the highest among all the states, while Kerala is the only state to have recorded negative
growth of over 10%.
• According to the report on the value of output from agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors
released recently by the National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation, Uttar Pradesh, a leading producer of paddy, wheat, and sugarcane,
the GVO in agri and allied activities recorded at ₹3,05,615.24 crore in 2019-20, up 24.8% from
₹2,44,884.44 crore in 2011-12
• The GVO was higher than the growth at the national level in as many as 10 States, including
Tripura and Mizoram, and two union territories Lakshadweep and Daman and Diu.
• The all-India GVO in agri and allied sectors was 30.6% up at ₹24,92,052.67 crore in 2019-20
against ₹19,08,087.53 crore in 2011-12.
• Kerala, Delhi, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli were the only ones where the output value declined in
the past nine years under the review period.
• The GVO in Kerala, declined almost every year from ₹55,584.37 crores in 2011-12 to ₹49,785.83
crores in 2019-20.
• Madhya Pradesh was the top State in recording the highest 56.7% growth at ₹1,31,781.42 crore in
only crops (agri and commercial) in 2019-20 against ₹84,077.42 crores in 2011-12.
India’s only business museum set to undergo a makeover will soon go digital
• The Indian Business Museum, housed inside the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
(IIMK) campus and the only one of its kind, will soon offer visitors a slice of history digitally.
• The museum intends to collect, consolidate, and conserve the rich business history of India.
About Indian Business Museum:
• Conceptualized in 2010 and officially opened in 2013, the museum traces the subcontinent’s
business history from the time of the Indus Valley Civilisation.
• The museum, spanning over 23,000 square feet (2,100 m 2 ), also has a Malabar Pavilion
sponsored by the Malabar Chamber of Commerce
• The museum also has exclusive pavilions set up by the Tatas, Godrej, India Post, the Indian Navy,
and SBI, among others, showcasing the business history of the respective organizations.
• A major part of the museum is the RBI gallery, which mirrors the evolution of both the Reserve
Bank of India as well as the modern financial system.
• The makeover is expected to cost Rs 15-20 crore.
Note:
• Director of IIMK: Debashis Chatterjee
Centre approves New Coastal Zone Management Plan in Karnataka
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation for 8 projects worth Rs 3,800 crore at
Goldfinch city and approved the New Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for Karnataka.
• This Plan would give a boost to the economy and tourism in the coastal region of Karnataka.
Key Highlights:
• As per the 2019 CRZ notification, the new Coastal Zone Management Plan has been approved by
the Ministry of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change.
• Karnataka is the first State in southern India and only the second state in the country to get the
Plan prepared and approved as per the new CRZ notification.
Project worth:
• ₹280 crores for mechanization of Berth No. 14 for handling containers and other cargo undertaken
by the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA).
• NMPA is a 100% solar-powered port, which has won several awards for zero emission.
• He laid the foundation of 5 projects worth around ₹ 1,000 crores undertaken by the port.
• He will also inaugurate two projects undertaken by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals
Limited viz. BS VI Upgradation Project and Sea Water Desalination Plant, worth ₹1,830 crores
and ₹680 crores respectively.
Other Highlights:
• Under the Sagar Mala project, 18 projects have been completed and 14 schemes worth Rs 950
crore are approved by the Union Ministry of Inland Transport and Ports.
• The Government has approved the development of Maajali Port in Karwar at Rs 350 crore.
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada scheme, the Central Government has approved to
supply of 100 high-speed boats to help deep sea fishing.
• The government has implemented the Vidyanidhi scheme for the children of fishermen and it will
benefit 2 lakh children.
• 5000 houses are constructed at Rs 65 crore.
• The Inland and Fishery Institute will be established in Karwar.
About Karnataka:
• National Park: Bandipur NP, Kudremukh NP, Bannerghata NPRajiv Gandhi NP
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: B R Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Gudavi Bird
Sanctuary, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve: Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, Bhadra Tiger Reserve
• Festival: Hampi, Mahamastakabhisheka (Shravanabelagola)
• Dance: Yakshagana, Dollu Kunitha, Bolak-aat (Bolak Dance)
Tamil Nadu is the only State to achieve the Jal Jeevan Mission target for 2022 Q1 and Q2
• According to official data, Tamil Nadu (TN) has emerged as the only State which has achieved the
target for 2022 Q1 and Q2 for Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), with 69.57 lakh households provided with
tap connections to date.
• Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visited Chennai and reviewed the
progress of work on the Jal Jeevan Mission for assured potable tap water supply to every rural
household by 2024.
Key Highlights:
• To date, out of the 1.25 crore households in Tamil Nadu, 69.57 lakh households have received tap
connections.
• The percentage of households (55.63%) with tap connections in Tamil Nadu is higher than the
national average of 53.96%.
• The target set by the Union government for Q1 and Q2 for 2022 was 12.1 lakh tap connections in
Tamil Nadu.
• However, the TN has provided 16.25 lakh tap connections, registering 134% of the target.
• The target set for 2022-2023 in the State is 28.48 lakh tap connections.
• The implementation of the work on tap connections for 14.44 lakh households is underway in TN.
• Of the 12,525 villages in TN, the State has reported 2,663 villages as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ villages, with
tap water connections in 100% of households.
Expenditure:
• Of the allocation of ₹3,691 crores from the Union government for the State in 2021-2022, ₹614
crores have been released.
• The expenditure for the State government for providing the tap connections was ₹496 crore in
2021-2022 and the expenditure for the Union government was ₹457 crore in the same period.
• The State government has reported an expenditure of ₹173 crores during 2022-2023.
• The Union government has reported an expenditure of ₹132 crores during the same period.
About JJM:
• The Jal Jeevan Mission was announced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on August 15,
2019.
• Under this, every rural household will have a functional tap connection by 2024, with assured
water supply in adequate quantity of prescribed quality with adequate pressure on a regular and
long time basis.
About Tamil Nadu:
Sanctuary
Coal India to set up 1,190 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan
• The Coal India Limited (CIL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rajasthan
Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RVUNL) for setting up an 1190 MW solar power plant in the
Bikaner district of Rajasthan.
• RVNUL Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) R K Sharma and Technical Director of Coal India
Limited, V Reddy signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Union
Minister of Coal Shri Pralhad Joshi and Chief Minister of Rajasthan Shri Ashok Gehlot.
• The plant will be installed in a 2,000-MW solar park being developed by RVUNL in Poogal,
Bikaner.
Key Highlights:
• The Rajasthan government has allotted 4,846 hectares of land to the solar park.
• The plant will be installed in a 2,000-MW solar park being developed by RVUNL in Poogal,
Bikaner.
• Out of this, an 1190 MW capacity solar project will be set up by Coal India, while an 810 MW
capacity solar project will be set up by RVUNL.
Additional Info:
• Rajasthan becomes the first in the country by setting up 14,825 MW solar power projects.
About CIL:
• Founded: 1975
• Chairman & MD: Pramod Agrawal
• CIL is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of Coal,
• It is the largest government-owned-coal-producer in the world.
About RVUNL:
• Founded: 2000
• Headquarters: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
• Chairman & MD: Shri R K Sharma
• The RVUNL is the electricity generation company of the Government of Rajasthan state in India
About Rajasthan:
• Capital: Jaipur
• National Park: Keoladeo National Park, Ranthambore National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Desert WL Sanctuary, Jaisamand WL Sanctuary, Ramsagar WL Sanctuary
Ethiopian delegation Visits Andhra Pradesh to implement Rythu Bharosa Kendra concept
• An Ethiopian delegation led by the Agricultural Minister Dr. Meles Mekonen Yimer is in Andhra
Pradesh (AP) to study the first-of-its-kind Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs), which have been set up
by the Chief Minister Shri Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
• Before calling on the CM, the Ethiopian delegation visited the integrated call center at
Gannavaram and RBK-2 at Gandigunta village of Yuyyuru Mandal in Krishna district.
About RBKs:
• RBKs are unique seeds-to-sales, single-window service centers for farmers that have been set up
across AP.
• They are a one-stop solution to all farmers’ needs and grievances.
• RBKs sell pre-tested quality seeds, certified fertilizers, and animal feed.
• Over 10,700 RBKs multi-functional kiosks with digital Aadhar authentication equipment have been
set up across AP.
• They also provide farm equipment and enable farmers to sell their produce at the prevailing
minimum support price (MSP) via supporting systems of e-cropping, geo-tagging, and CM App.
• They provide services like soil testing and consultancy regarding what crops to sow and the
quality and type of fertilizer to be used.
About integrated call center:
• The call center established at Gannavaram was set up in March of 2021 to address farmers'
grievances.
• The center has several scientists and 30 experienced call center executives.
• Suggestions and advice will be given to farmers on agriculture and related areas like horticulture,
sericulture, veterinary, fisheries, and marketing-related technical queries will be addressed.
• Recently, the RBKs were nominated for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Champion
Awards (CCA), which recognizes the contributions of governments in boosting food security.
About Ethiopia:
• President: Sahle-Work Zewde
• Capital: Addis Ababa
• Currency: Ethiopian birr
About AP:
• National Park: Papikonda National Park, Rajiv Gandhi (Rameshwaram) National Park, Sri
Venkateswara National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, Krishna
Wildlife Sanctuary, Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary
Andhra Pradesh: 3-day Kuchipudi dance festival to begin in Vijayawada
• The third World Kuchipudi Natyotsavam would be organized for three days in Vijayawada.
• The Kuchipudi dance festival is being organized in commemoration of the 93 rd birth anniversary
of world-renowned Kuchipudi dance artist Vempati China Satyam.
• It is being organized by the Department of Culture, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Kuchipudi Art
Academy, and Jayaho Bharateeyam.
About the Festival:
• Around 3,000 Kuchipudi artists from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana would take part in the dance
festival.
• Two dances choreographed by Chinna Satyam Pedda Vinayaka Kautham and Koluvaitiva would
be performed.
• During the festival, Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam Lifetime Achievement Award would be presented
to Bala Kondala Rao, and Kumari Lanka Annapoorna Devi's Lifetime Achievement Award would
be given to Vanaja Uday.
• Padmaja Reddy will receive the Dr. Sobha Naidu Lifetime Achievement Award, while Vempati
Venkat Seva Puraskar will be presented to Srikant Raghupatruni.
About Kuchipudi:
• It is one of the eight classical dance styles of India.
• It is the most popular traditional dance form in South India, and its origin is believed to be in
Andhra Pradesh.
About AP:
• National Park: Papikonda National Park, Rajiv Gandhi (Rameshwaram) National Park, Sri
Venkateswara National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, Kri shna
Wildlife Sanctuary, Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary
TN CM Shri MK Stalin launches "Kutti Kavalar" scheme for school students
• Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister (CM) Shri MK Stalin launched the "Kutti Kavalar" scheme for
school students to make them more responsible when it comes to road safety.
• The scheme is jointly implemented by the State government and "Uyir", an NGO based out of
Coimbatore.
About the Scheme:
• Under the scheme, school students will be educated through a well-defined curriculum on road
safety to make them ambassadors of road safety.
• As the pledge was administered to a large number of students simultaneously, it formed a record
under 'The Asia Book of Records, and the certificate was handed over to the CM.
• Under the scheme, students of government, government-aided, and CBSE schools in the
Coimbatore district studying in Classes 3 to 8 will be given training on road safety.
• The CM also released a booklet on road safety training and a guide for teachers.
• Later, Shri Stalin launched fortnightly and monthly magazines for school students and teachers,
respectively.
• The magazine named "Oonjal" has been launched for students of Classes 4 and 5 and "Then
Chittu" has been for students of Classes 6 to 9.
• In the two magazines, the creative works of students, the information required for them, news, and
interesting stories will be presented.
• Similarly, for teachers, Stalin launched "Kanavu Asiriyar" in which the works of teachers, their
experience, and special essays will be published
About Tamil Nadu:
• Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin
Sanctuary
Kati Bihu is being observed across Assam
• The auspicious festival of harvest Kati Bihu or Kongali Bihu is being celebrated across Assam on
October 18, 2022.
• It is marked annually on the first day of the Kati month in the Assamese calendar and usually falls
during mid-October.
About Kati Bihu:
• It is the fresh start of the harvest season and the relocation of the rice saplings.
• Kati Bihu 2022 is rooted in the rural household's deep ethos which is related to crops and their
yields.
• At this festival, people also light a special lamp in their paddy fields.
• There are two Bihu festivals celebrated in Assam - Bhogali or Magh Bihu is observed on January
13th or 14th, and Rongali, or Bohag Bihu is observed on April 14th or 15th.
About Assam:
• Chief Minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Capital: Dispur
• Dance: Bihu Dance, Jhumar, Bagurumba, Sattriya Dance
• National Park: Kaziranga National Park, Manas NP, Nameri NP, Raimona National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amsang Wildlife Sanctuary, Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, Garampani
Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife board approves new tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh
• The Madhya Pradesh (MP) Wildlife Board approved a new reserve for tigers of Panna Tiger
Reserve (PTR), called Durgavati Tiger Reserve, one-fourth of which will get submerged due to the
linking of the Ken-Betwa rivers.
• The 2,339 square kilometers new tiger reserve, will spread across Narisinghpur, Damoh, and
Sagar districts.
• The Board’s meeting, chaired by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan,
approved a proposal to notify 1,414 sq km area as core area and 925 sq km as a buffer in the new
tiger reserve.
Key Highlights:
• A green corridor linking PTR with Durgavati will be developed for the natural movement of the tiger
to the new reserve.
• Now, the proposal will be sent to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for final
approval.
• Nauradehi wildlife sanctuary, which has five tigers, is a corridor between Satpura and PTR, while
Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary is a green corridor for Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
• The new reserve will also accommodate excess tigers from Bandhavgarh
• On September 27, 2022, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved the notification of the state’s fourth
tiger reserve in the Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS) in the Chitrakoot district.
Note:
• Madhya Pradesh (MP) is also known as the ‘Tiger State’ as it occupies around 19% of India’s
Tiger Population and 10% of the world’s tiger population
About PTR:
• PTR is located in the Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh in India.
• It was declared in 1994 as the 22 Tiger reserve of India and the 5 in Madhya Pradesh.
• It was designated in 2020 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO).
About NTCA:
• The NTCA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
About MP:
• Capital: Bhopal
• Festival: Lokrang Festival, Grida dance
• National Park: Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha NP, Panna NP
• Tiger Reserve: Satpura Tiger Reserve
CII & IOC launch project ‘Vayu Amrit’ in Sangrur
• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) partnered with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to launch
project ‘Vayu Amrit’, a crop residue management initiative, in Sangrur, Punjab to mitigate stubble
burning.
About ‘Vayu Amrit’:
• The project has been scaled up to 300 villages covering 3 lakh acres of farmland.
• Through this Project, IOC l has recently partnered with the CII and is supporting the program in 9
villages of Sangrur covering 7,000 acres of farmland
• Stubble burning is a major cause of air pollution in the northwest, especially in the Delhi-National
Capital Region (NCR) during winters.
Key Highlights:
• In 2021, the CII runs a crop residue management program in Punjab and Haryana to mitigate
stubble burning to reduce air pollution.
• The project was operational in 226 villages covering 2 lakh acres of farmland last season.
• Through the project interventions, stubble burning was reduced by 84% in the intervening lands.
About CII:
• Founded: 1895
• President: Sanjiv Bajaj (Chairman MD & CEO of Bajaj Finserv Limited)
• Director General: Chandrajit Banerjee
• CII is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group.
About IOC:
• Chairman: Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
• IOC is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas, GoI.
Assam govt inks 7 MoUs with industry partners
• The Assam government has inked 7 memoranda of understanding and agreement (MoU, MoA)
with different industry players in a move to draw a roadmap for a broad-based development of
Assam.
Key Highlights:
• On behalf of the government, Assam Skill Development Mission (ASDM) entered into agreements
with Microsoft, Google India, Larsen & Toubro, and Health Care Sector Skill Council.
• The Directorate of employment and craftsmen training executed an MoU with Info Edge (India)
better known as Naukri.com.
• The Assam Tourism Development Corporation signed an MoU with the ministry of skill
development and entrepreneurship, the Government of India, TATA Strive Skill Development
Initiatives of Tata Community Initiative Trust, and the Indian Hotels Company.
• Further, Assam Power Distribution Company (APDCL) also signed an agreement with Satluj Jal
Vidyut Nigam’s Green Energy for the generation of 1000 MW of solar power.
About the MoU & Agreements:
Microsoft:
• The MoU with Microsoft will pave the way for building the capacity of the youth in Assam Skill
Development Centers across the state.
• Microsoft through their modules of MDSP (Microsoft Diversity Skilling Programme) will provide
intervention for under-served youth to ensure their active participation in the workforce.
Google:
• The objective of the agreement with Google India is to support the state government in skilling
youth with job-ready digital and business skills.
L&T:
• L&T would offer knowledge and support for establishing training setup and executing greenfield
projects in the construction sector.
HSSC:
• The objective of the MoU with the Healthcare Sector Skill Council (HSSC) is to mobilize the
unemployed youth of Assam for skill training.
Naukri.com:
• The Directorate of Employment and Craftsmen Training’s MoU with Naukri.com would provide an
online platform for unemployed youth to have their profile uploaded to the digital domain to attract
prospective employers.
APDCL:
• The MoU between APDCL and SJVNL Green Energy (SGEL) would also aim at the development
of renewable power projects, namely solar power with 1000 MW installed capacity.
Assam Tourism Development Corporation:
• The agreement signed between the Assam Tourism Development Corporation and TATA Strive
Skill Development Initiatives and others would also set up a hospitality skill center of excellence
for the training of the youth of Assam.
About Assam:
• Capital: Dispur
Wildlife Sanctuary
India’s First 4.20-MW Wind Power Generator Installed In Tirunelveli, TN
• The WEG Industries Pvt. Ltd has installed India’s first 4.20-MW wind turbine generator, a single
unit with the largest generation capacity, at Vadalivilai near Valliyoor in Tirunelveli district,
Tamil Nadu at ₹88 crores.
• Gujarat and Tamil Nadu would be the major players in the mission.
Key Highlights:
• The central government has set the goal to produce 500 GW of power through renewable
energy sources by 2030, out of which solar energy would account for 300 GW.
• The other renewable energy sources would be tapped optimally to generate the remaining 200
GW.
• Tamil Nadu has the potential to generate 35 GW of wind power, with Dhanushkodi alone
capable of producing 30 GW.
• So far, the 3,000-odd windmills installed in the Aralvaimozhi Pass can generate power up to 2
MW.
About WEG Industries Pvt. Ltd:
• Headquarters (India): Bangalore, Karnataka
• MD of WEG Industries (India) Private Limited Jean Carlo Butske
• It has its manufacturing unit in India at SIPCOT Industrial Estate, Hosur.
About Tamil Nadu:
Sanctuary
UP's 136 feet Durga Puja pandal to enter in Guinness Book as world's tallest
• The 136 feet tall Durga puja pandal situated in Lucknow's Jankipuram, Uttar Pradesh (UP) is all
set to be recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest ever.
• Before this, the title of the world’s tallest pandal was held by Kolkata, whose height was 125 feet
but, now it is overpowered by the Lucknow Durga Puja pandal.
About Durga puja pandal:
• The pandal is a replica of the under-construction Chandrodaya temple of Vrindavan, which is built
to be one of the tallest religious monuments in the world with a height of above 700-ft and spread
over 5,40,000 sq feet area.
• It is built by the Utsav Puja Committee, which is also celebrating the Puja for the last 28 years.
• The pandal has been built by 52 artisans from Kolkata and Assam in over one month time period.
• A total of Rs 32 lakhs have been spent in making this tallest Durga Puja pandal.
• The Durga Puja pandal, going to be certified by the Guinness Book, is as tall as a 14-storey
building.
Paytm Mall becomes first to go live on ONDC in Bengaluru beta test
• Paytm E-commerce Private Limited (PEPL), the parent of Paytm Mall, became the first app to go
live on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• This is a major milestone in the democratization of e-commerce in India.
• The network started beta testing for the public across 16 pin codes in Karnataka.
• This will enable the purchase and sale of goods in the Indian market, driving transparency and
digital independence for small businesses in the country
• For now, people can place orders in two domains groceries and restaurants through buyer-side
apps, giving users access to a wide range of local businesses.
• The Bengaluru beta testing has begun with MyStore and Spice Money as buyer-side apps.
Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal launches “Main Bhi Subhash'' campaign from Leh
• Ladakh MP Mr. Jamyang Tsering Namgyal launched the “Main Bhi Subhash'' campaign from Leh.
Aim:
• To create awareness of Netaji's contribution to the freedom fight
• This event was organized in collaboration with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose-INA Trust and the
Ministry of Culture on the occasion of Netaji's 125th Birth Anniversary on 23rd January 2023
• Mr. Namgyal also inaugurated an exhibition on Netaji at Boys Higher Secondary School in Leh.
About Ladak:
• Lieutenant Governor: Radha Krishna Mathur
• Capital: Leh, Kargil
Delhi govt launches 'Diya Jalao, Patake Nahi' campaign
• The Delhi government has launched an anti-firecracker campaign named 'Diya Jalao, Patake
Nahi' (light up lamps, not firecrackers) at Central Park in New Delhi, Delhi to promote a pollution-
free festival of Diwali.
Objective:
• To stop people from bursting firecrackers and encourage them to celebrate Diwali with diyas.
About the Campaign:
• As per the order of the Delhi government, those who will be found indulging in the storage,
production, and sale of crackers will have to pay a fine of 5000 rupees and imprisonment of 3
years as well.
• Those who will be found bursting firecrackers will be imposed a fine of 200 rupees and
imprisonment for 6 months.
• To check air pollution, storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers have already been
banned in the national capital till 1st January 2023.
About Delhi:
First national project upper bhadra scheme to be launched in Karnataka
• Karnataka Chief Minister Shri Basavaraj Bommai announced that the Upper Bhadra scheme will
become Karnataka's first national project.
• The scheme has got the approval of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and the Union Jal Shakti
Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has been requested to get it passed in the Union
Cabinet.
Key Highlights:
• The Tumkur-Davangere railway line has been reviewed and directions are issued to acquire land
for the project.
• Once this work is done, then all steps will be taken to start the project & the necessary funds will
be released.
• The reason behind the delay in the acquisition of 1.7 acres for the Upper Bhadra scheme for the
last 2 years, there are problems with a few farmers providing the land.
About the Upper Bhadra scheme:
• The Upper Bhadra Project is being undertaken by Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam Ltd.
• It is a major lift irrigation scheme under implementation in Karnataka.
• The project envisages the lifting of 17.40 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water in the first
stage from the Tunga river to the Bhadra reservoir and the lifting of 29.90 tmcft of water in the
second stage from the Bhadra reservoir to irrigate 2,25,515 hectares by micro-irrigation in
Chitradurga, Davanagere, Tumakuru and parts of Chikkamagaluru.
About Karnataka:
• National Park: Bandipur NP, Kudremukh NP, Bannerghata NPRajiv Gandhi NP
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: B R Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Gudavi Bird
Sanctuary, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve: Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, Bhadra Tiger Reserve
• Festival: Hampi, Mahamastakabhisheka (Shravanabelagola)
• Dance: Yakshagana, Dollu Kunitha, Bolak-aat (Bolak Dance), Huttari Dance
Odisha CM Shri Naveen Patnaik Launches Football for All’ program for the promotion of sport among
children
• Odisha Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik virtually launched the 'Football for All initiative to
promote the sport among school children in Odisha.
• The Programme has been initiated by FIFA in Odisha in partnership with the Kalinga Institute of
Industrial Technology (KIIT) & Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS).
• This is the first such program of FIFA in India that aims at promoting football among school
children.
• Under the program, sponsored by FIFA in partnership with institutes KIIT & KISS, Odisha will
distribute at least 43,000 footballs among children of around 2,000 schools.
About Odisha:
• Dance: Odissi, Ghumara
About FIFA:
• Secretary General: Fatma Samoura
DGCA grants aerodrome license to Odisha’s Jeypore airport
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted the aerodrome license to Odisha’s
Jeypore airport.
Key Highlights:
• Jeypore became the “first” state-owned airport to get the license.
• The airport will now be able to handle scheduled commercial flights under the government’s
regional connectivity scheme UDAN, or Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik.
• The airport, 33 km northwest of Koraput town and around 500 km southwest of Bhubaneswar
would boost tourism and development of the region.
• Under UDAN, 68 underserved/unserved destinations which include 58 Airports, 8 heliports, and 2
water aerodromes have been connected.
• The license would be liable to suspension, modification, or withdrawal if the provisions of the
Aircraft Act and the Aircraft Rules were violated.
About DGCA:
• The DGCA is a statutory body of the Government of India to regulate civil aviation in India
Jakson Green to invest R s 22,400 cr in green hydrogen project in Rajasthan
• Jakson Green Pvt Limited (JGPL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the
Rajasthan government to invest about Rs 22,400 crore (US$ 2.71 billion) to set up green
hydrogen and green ammonia projects in Rajasthan.
• The MoU was signed by Vish Iyer, Global Chief Commercial Officer, Jakson Green, and Bhaskar
S Sawant, Principal Secretary of Energy to the government of Rajasthan.
About the MoU:
• Jakson Green is expected to set up a 365,000-tonne per annum green hydrogen and ammonia
plant together with a phased-in integrated hybrid renewable power complex.
• The project is expected to generate over 32,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities
across various phases of the scale-up, planned between 2023 and 2028.
• The Rajasthan government would facilitate Jakson Green in obtaining necessary registrations,
approvals, and clearances, and provide incentives, among others.
About Jakson Green:
• Managing Director & CEO: Bikesh Ogra
• It is actively developing a pipeline of renewable energy, green hydrogen, and green ammonia
projects, both in India and abroad.
About Rajasthan:
• Capital: Jaipur
• National Park: Ranthambore National Park, Darrah National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary
Meghalaya govt signs MoA with power firm for hydroelectric projects
• The Government of Meghalaya, Power Department has signed an agreement with North Eastern
Electric Power Corporation Ltd (NEEPCO) for the development of two hydel projects in
Meghalaya at a program held at Pinewood Hotel, Shillong.
• The agreement for the development of 50-megawatt Wah Umiam Hydro Electric Project Stage-I
and 100-MW Wah Umiam Hydro Electric Project S tage-II was signed between the two parties.
Signatories:
• The MOA was signed by the Joint Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, Power Department
D D Shira, and Anil Kumar Director Personnel, NEEPCO.
• Presently the government of Meghalaya can generate only 350 MW and the requirement in the
state is 650 MW.
About Meghalaya:
• National Park: Nokrek National Park, Balpakram National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Siju Bird Sanctuary, Nongkhyllem Sanctuary
About NEEPCO:
• Headquarters: Shillong, Meghalaya, India
• Chairman & Managing Director: R.K Vishnoi
• NEEPCO is a central public sector undertaking.
• It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
• NEEPCO is conferred with the Schedule A- Miniratna Category-I Central Public Sector
Undertaking (CPSU) status.
Railway minister inaugurates India’s first all-aluminum freight rake
• Union Minister for Railways Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated India’s First Aluminum Freight
Rake - 61 BOBRNALHSM1 at Bhubaneswar Railway Station in Odisha.
• It had been fully designed and developed indigenously in collaboration with Research Designs &
Standards Organisation (RDSO), HINDALCO, and Besco Wagon.
• Notably, its first-time aluminum rake has been manufactured in India with the feature of fully lock-
bolted construction with no welding on the superstructure.
• Aluminum is the preferred choice for metro trains worldwide for its durability and most importantly
– passenger safety, as it has improved crashworthiness or superior crash absorption capability.
Features of Aluminium Rake:
• The tare is 3.25 tons lower than normal steel rakes, with 180 tons extra carrying capacity resulting
in higher throughput per wagon.
• Higher payload to tare ratio 2.85
• The reduced rate will reduce carbon footprint as lower consumption of fuel in empty directions and
more transport of freight in a loaded condition.
• A single rake can save over 14,500 tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime.
• 80% is the resale value of the rakes.
• The cost is 35% higher as the superstructure is all aluminum.
• Lower maintenance cost due to higher corrosion and abrasion resistance.
• The freight sector in India is expected to grow at more than 7% Compound Annual Gr owth R ate
(CAGR) to 15 billion tonnes by 2050, with the energy-efficient and eco-friendly railways expected
to notably increase its volume share from the current 18%.
About Ministry of Railways:
• Minister of State: Raosaheb Danve, Darshana Jardosh
• Chairman & CEO of Railway Board: Vinay Kumar Tripathi
About Odisha:
• Airport: Biju Patnaik International Airport
‘Honesty shops’ launched for school students in Kerala’s Ernakulam
• For the first time, "Honesty shops” have been launched in the Ernakulam district of Kerala for
students up to Class 12.
• This initiative was launched by the Student police cadet (SPC), a youth-development program.
Aim:
• To cultivate valuable lessons on trust, truth, and integrity for students
• There will be no salesperson in these shops and neither will they have a shopkeeper present.
• Students can choose items they need and drop the money for each item inside the collection box
kept on a table.
• SPC, an initiative launched in 2008 was started to inculcate better civic sense among students.
About Kerala:
Delhi LG launches one-time property tax amnesty scheme ‘SAMRIDDHI 2022-23’
• Delhi Lieutenant Governor Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena launched a one-time property tax amnesty
scheme “SAMRIDDHI 2022-23”, which will provide a major relief to lakhs of residential and
commercial property owners in Delhi.
About SAMRIDDHI:
• SAMRIDDHI, an acronym for Strengthening and Augmentation of Municipal Revenue for
Infrastructure Development in Delhi, will start on October 26, 2022, & end on March 31, 2023, with
no further extensions.
• The tax amnesty program envisages a ‘One Plus Five’ option for residential and a ‘One Plus Six’
option for non-residential properties.
About One Plus Five:
• The taxpayers of residential properties under ‘One Plus Five’ are required to pay the principal
amount of property tax for the current year and previous five years (i.e FY 2022-23 + FYs 2017-18
to 2021-22) whereupon 100% interest and penalty on the outstanding tax amount shall be
exempted and all the previous dues before 2017-18 will be waived off.
About One Plus Six:
• Under the ‘One Plus Six’ for non-residential properties scheme, property owners have to make
payment of the principal amount of property tax for the current year and the previous 6 years (i.e
FY 2022-23 + FYs 2016-17 to 2021-22) whereupon 100% interest and penalty on the outstanding
tax amount shall be exempted and all the previous dues before 2016-17 will be completely waived
off.
• In case a taxpayer fails to settle his tax dues by March 31, 2023, he shall be liable to pay all tax
dues along with interest and penalty since 2004 or since whichever year it has been pending and
shall not be entitled to any waiver.
• Coercive measures to collect the tax dues shall be launched against such defaulters from April 1,
2023.
About Delhi:
• Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport
Assam & USAID launch green initiative to increase tree coverage in Assam
• The Assam government department of Environment and Forests and the US Agency for
International Development (USAID) launched the “Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI)” program
in Assam
Aim:
• To bring together farmers, companies, and private institutions to rapidly expand tree coverage
outside of traditional forests in Assam.
About TOFI:
• The TOFI program was first launched in September 2022 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest,
and Climate Change secretary Leena Nandan and US Chargé d'Affaires Patricia Lacina.
• The program will allocate up to 25 million USD in 7 states - Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana,
Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh, to rapidly expand tree coverage outside of
traditional forests by 2.8 million hectares.
• It contributes to India’s Nationally Determined Contribution target of creating an additional “carbon
sink” of 2.5 to 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030.
• The program builds on the enduring US-India partnership to tackle the climate crisis and bolster
resilience in the face of climate threats and extreme weather events.
• It is expected to enhance carbon sequestration, support local communities, and strengthen the
climate resilience of agriculture, thereby supporting global climate change mitigation and
adaptation goals.
• Assam has placed a high priority on expanding tree cover outside forest areas, as demonstrated
in its State Action Plan on Climate Change and the recent establishment of the Assam
Agroforestry Development Board.
About Assam:
• Capital: Dispur
Wildlife Sanctuary
About USAID:
• Established: November 3, 1961
• Administrator: Samantha Power
• Motto: From the American people
• USAID is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for
administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance.
PM Modi to visit Arunachal Pradesh to inaugurate Donyi Polo airport
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited Arunachal Pradesh on October 30, 2022, to inaugurate
the Donyi Polo Airport, at Hollongi near Itanagar.
About the airport:
• The Donyi Polo airport, which was built by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) at an estimated cost
of Rs 645 crore, has 8 check-in desks and can accommodate up to 300 people at peak times.
• The airport, spanning an area of 4,100 sq m, is equipped with all modern facilities
• It is suitable for the operations of Airbus-a320 type of aircraft.
• The first airport built in Arunachal Pradesh, which was used for a successful test landing by low-
cost carrier Indigo Airlines, was opened on October 18, 2022.
• Recently, commercial airlines giant - IndiGo conducted a successful test of flight landing at the
newly built Donyi Polo airport at Hollongi near Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh.
About Arunachal Pradesh:
• Chief minister: Pema Khandu
Mr. Bhupender Yadav released a report on the 4th round of the quarterly employment survey:
• Labour & Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav released a report on the 4th round of the
quarterly employment survey.
• The Fourth Round (January-March, 2022) of the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) is part of
the All India Quarterly Establishment-based Employment Survey (AQEES).
• The QES as a part of the AQEES was launched in April 2021.
• The report has estimated employment in both organized and unorganized segments of nine
selected sectors.
• The estimated employment has increased from 3.14 crore in the third quarter (September-
December, 2021) to 3.18 crore in the fourth quarter.
• The female workers’ participation has slightly increased from 31.6 percent in the third quarter to
31.8 percent in the 4th quarter report.
• The manufacturing sector accounts for 38.5 percent of the total number of workers, followed by
the Education sector at 21.7%, the IT/BPO sector at 12%, and the Health sector at 10.6%.
• Around 80% of the establishments have 10 to 99 workers. Only 1.4 % of the establishments
reported at least 500 workers.
• Female workers are about 52 % of the workforce in the Health sector.
• The 9 sectors are Manufacturing, Construction, Trade, Transport, Education, Health,
Accommodation and Restaurants, IT/BPO, and Financial Service Activities.
Indian Railways is installing the 'Real Time Train Information System (RTIS):
• Indian Railways has launched a real-time information system to track train movement timings.
• It has been developed in collaboration with ISRO.
• RTIS is automatically plotted on the control charts of trains in the Control Office Application (COA)
system.
• Indian Railways has installed RTIS devices on 2,700 locomotives in 21 electric loco sheds.
• RTIS will update the location within 30 seconds.
• Also, RTIS can more closely track the location and speed of the locomotive/train without any
human intervention.
• In the second phase, 6,000 more locomotives will be covered in 50 loco sheds using ISRO's
SATCOM hub.
• At present, the GPS feed from about 6,500 locomotives (RTIS and REMMLOT) is being fed
directly to the Control Office Application (COA).
The Government of India has banned the Popular Front of India:
• The Government of India has banned the Popular Front of India(PFI), its affiliates, and associates.
• PFI has been banned as an unlawful association with instant effect for five years under the
Unlawful Activities Act, of 1967.
• The ban is also applicable to PFI fronts including Rehab India Foundation(RIF), All India Imams
Council (AIIC), National Women’s Front, Empower India Foundation, Rehab Foundation, Kerala,
Campus Front of India(CFI), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization(NCHRO), and
Junior Front, as an “unlawful association”.
• According to the reports, the ban has been imposed against PFI and its affiliates for indulging in
unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the security, integrity, and sovereignty of the country.
• The ban has been imposed under section 4 of the UAPA and has an effect of five years.
• The government applied a ban, mentioning that the investigations have established clear linkages
between the PFI and its associates.
Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy launched the Agni Tattva - Energy for LiFE
campaign:
• Recently, the Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy launched the Agni Tattva -
Energy for LiFE campaign, to create awareness of the core concept of Agni Tattva, an element
that is synonymous with energy and is amongst the five elements of Panchmahabhoot.
• The Panchmahabhoot comprises Earth (Prithvi), Water (Jal), Fire (Agni), Air (Vayu), and Aether/
Space (Aakash).
• The idea of LiFE was introduced by India during the 26th United Nations Climate Change
Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in 2021.
• The idea promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle that focuses on ‘mindful and deliberate
utilization’ instead of ‘mindless and wasteful consumption.
• The country’s installed Renewable Energy (RE) capacity stands at 150.54 GW (solar: 48.55 GW,
wind: 40.03 GW, Small hydro Power: 4.83, Bio-power: 10.62, Large Hydro: 46.51 GW) as of 30th
Nov. 2021 while its nuclear energy based installed electricity capacity stands at 6.78 GW.
• According to REN21's Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (GSR 2022), India was ranked
third in wind power, fourth in solar power, and third in renewable power installed capacity in 2021.
Union Cabinet approved a 4 % hike in dearness allowance (DA) for central government employees and
pensioners:
• Union Cabinet has approved a 4% additional installment of Dearness Allowance and Dearness
Relief to Central Government employees and pensioners with effect from July 1, 2022.
• The move will benefit about 41.85 lakh Central Government employees and 69.76 lakh,
pensioners.
• The Central Government employees and pensioners will become entitled to a higher amount of
Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) respectively, with effect from July 1, 2022.
• Serving employees get DA and now its rate will go up to 38 percent from 34 percent.
• The new rate will be effective from July 1.
• As salary and pension for September have already been prepared, this means higher DA and DR
along with arrears are likely to be part of the salary and pension for October.
Union Cabinet has approved the extension for the PMGKAY-Phase VII for a further period of 3 months:
• In pursuance of the pro-people announcement made by the Hon’ble Prime Minister in 2021and
regarding the successful implementation of additional food security under PMGKAY, the Union
Cabinet has approved the extension for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
(PMGKAY-Phase VII) for a further period of 3 months i.e. October to December 2022.
• Under this welfare scheme, 5 kg of food grain per person per month is provided free of cost for all
the beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) [Antodaya Anna Yojana &
Priority Households] including those covered under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
• The financial implication for the Government of India has been about Rs. 3.45 Lakh Crore up to
Phase-VI of PMGKAY.
• With the additional expenditure of about Rs. 44,762 Crore for Phase-VII of this scheme, the overall
expenditure of PMGKAY will be about Rs. 3.91 lakh crore for all the phases.
• The PM-GKAY was one of the components of the government’s Rs 1.7 lakh crore Covid-19 relief
package announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26, 2020—two days
after the country went into national lockdown.
The government of India will launch a month-long nationwide Clean India 2.0:
• The Department of Youth Affairs of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (Government of India)
will launch a month-long nationwide Clean India 2.0 from 1st -31st October 2022 after the
successful campaign of last year.
• The program is being organized in all the villages across the country through the network of Nehru
Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), affiliated Youth Clubs & National Service Scheme Affiliated
Institutions.
• This month-long nationwide program will be launched to collect waste material mainly single-use
plastic and create awareness among people.
• One crore kilogram of waste material including plastic and e-waste will be collected and disposed
of with the support and voluntary participation of citizens.
• Hotspots for waste collection will be Tourist Places, Educational Institutes, Bus Stand/Railway
Stations and the vicinity, National Highways, Historical and heritage buildings, religious places &
surroundings, Hospitals, and Water resources, etc.
Union Cabinet approved the Indian Railways’ ₹10,000 crore proposal for the redevelopment of three
major stations:
• The Union Cabinet approved the Indian Railways’ ₹10,000 crore proposal for the redevelopment
of three major stations — New Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Terminus (CSMT).
• With the redevelopment, expected to be completed in 2.5 to 3.5 years, passengers will be able to
enjoy facilities such as a food court, a waiting lounge, a playing area for children, a place to shop
local products, proper illumination, and lifts/escalators/travelators, among other facilities.
• The stations, which will make use of green building techniques with solar energy, water
conservation/recycling, and improved tree cover, will be integrated with other modes of
transportation such as the metro and bus.
• The government would be funding the redevelopment project to not put any extra monetary
burden on passengers.
• Overall, the government is currently working on the redevelopment of 199 stations, of which
tenders have been issued for the redevelopment of 47 stations.
Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the World’s First CNG Terminal and brownfield port along with
Regional Science Centre in Bhavnagar:
• Three years after a formal agreement was signed for setting up the world’s first CNG terminal in
Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the project at Bhavnagar.
• The Foresight Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat Maritime
Board (GMB) for the development of a CNG terminal in Gujarat during the Vibrant Gujarat Global
Business Summit 2019.
• The Government of Gujarat accepted the project proposal and GMB issued a Letter of Intent (LOI)
in September 2020 in the name of Bhavnagar Port Infrastructure Private Limited (BPIPL), a
special-purpose vehicle formed by the consortium.
• The brownfield port at Bhavnagar will be developed at Rs 4,024 crore and will have the state-of-
the-art infrastructure for the world’s first CNG terminal along with the world’s fourth largest lock
gate system.
• The construction of the port is expected to commence in the first half of 2023 and the port will be
operational in 2026.
• Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Regional Science Centre in Bhavnagar which is spread
over 20 acres and built at Rs 100 crore.
• The Regional Science Centre (RSC) Bhavnagar is situated near Das Nala, Nari Gam.
The government to make mandatory 6 airbags rule for passenger cars will come into force from1 October
2023
• Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the mandatory 6 airbags
rule for passenger cars will come into force in October 2023.
• The road transport ministry had earlier planned to make six airbags mandatory in eight-seater
vehicles for enhanced safety of occupants from 1 October 2022.
• The government had to defer the implementation of the proposal to make six airbags mandatory in
passenger cars by a year due to global supply-chain constraints.
• An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system that interferes between the driver and the
vehicle's dashboard during a collision, thereby preventing serious injuries.
• According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, more than 1.55 lakh lives were lost in
road crashes across India last year – an average of 426 daily or 18 every single hour – which is
the highest death figures recorded in any calendar year so far.
• According to the report titled 'Road accidents in India – 2020', over 11% of deaths and injuries
were caused due to the non-usage of seat belts.
Supreme Court declared that single women with pregnancies are entitled to access the same safe and
legal abortion care as married women:
• The Supreme Court declared that single women with pregnancies between 20 and 24 weeks
are entitled to access the same safe and legal abortion care as married women.
• The judgment came in an appeal by a person who wanted to terminate her pregnancy before
her term was completed 24 weeks.
• The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, of 1971 prohibits unmarried women who
are between 20 and 24 weeks pregnant to abort with the help of registered doctors.
• The Supreme Court held that the rights of reproductive autonomy, dignity, and privacy give an
unmarried woman the right of choice as to whether or not to bear a child on a similar footing as
that of a married woman.
PM has inaugurated the third vande Bharat train from Gandhinagar to Mumbai:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express
train, the third in the Vande Bharat series that was launched in 2019.
• PM Modi also inaugurated the Vande Bharat when it was first launched in Delhi in 2019.
• The name may be the same, but this train, the third in the Vande Bharat series, is being
dubbed ‘Vande Bharat 2.0’, because of certain upgrades it has received over its predecessors,
the two existing trains running from Delhi to Varanasi and Katra.
• For starters, this train reaches a top speed of 160 km per hour in 129 seconds, around 16
seconds faster than its predecessor.
• This is because this train weighs around 392 tonnes, 38 tonnes lighter than the last one, and
needs to run almost a km less to attain its top speed.
• The new design of Vande Bharat express has a photo-catalytic ultraviolet air purification
system in the Roof-Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) for air purification.
• PM Modi also flagged off the Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project.
• The entire Phase 1 project is built at a cost of more than ₹12,900 crores.
• Ahmedabad Metro train set is equipped with an energy-efficient propulsion system that can
save about 30-35% of energy consumption.
• The Vande Bharat 2.0 is equipped with advanced state-of-the-art safety features including an
indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System – KAVACH.
• Connecting the two state capitals of Maharashtra and Gujarat, this will be the third Vande
Bharat train in India.
• The other two are currently operable on New Delhi - Varanasi route and New Delhi - Shri Mata
Vaishno Devi Katra route.
• The government aims to replace them with indigenous materials in the upcoming Vande
Bharat trains.
• Indian Coach Factory has aimed to manufacture around 75 Vande Bharat trains by August
2023.
National Mission for Clean Ganga has approved 14 projects:
• The executive committee of the National Mission for Clean Ganga has approved 14 projects at
an estimated cost of ₹1,145 crore rupee.
• The decision was taken at the 45th meeting of the executive committee under the
chairmanship of director general G. Ashok Kumar, the Ministry of Jal Shakti said in a
statement.
• These include eight projects of sewerage management in five main stem Ganga basin states -
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
• The EC also approved indicative funds of ₹45 crores for the installation of decentralized
wastewater treatment systems in the main stem Ganga basin States.
• The fund bifurcation is ₹10 crore each for Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal
and Rs. 5 crores to Jharkhand.
• National Mission for Clean Ganga – It is a registered society under the Societies Registration
Act, of 1860, is the implementing wing and its General Body is chaired by the Ministry of Jal
Shakti.
Delhi IGI Airport – has made its facility compliant with the 5G network:
• India's largest airport – Delhi IGI Airport – has made its facility compliant with the 5G network, and
passengers will be able to use the service once telecom service providers roll out the technology.
• While many Indian consumers are waiting for telecom companies to start 5G services, there have
been concerns about its possible interference with critical aircraft systems, and many are
wondering if the latest rollout in Delhi will impact flights.
• Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) has made its premises compatible with 5G
technology and is the first airport in the country to do so.
• Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which operates the airport.
PMMY logged a record 30 percent growth in the first half of the current fiscal:
• The disbursal of small business loans under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana ( PMMY) logged a
record 30 percent growth in the first half of the current fiscal ended September compared to the
same period last year.
• It is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, launched on 8th April
2015.
• It is a Financial Inclusion (FI) program in the country based on three pillars - Banking the
Unbanked, Securing the Unsecured and Funding the Unfunded.
✓ Types of loans: Shishu - Covering loans up to Rs 50,000;
✓ Kishor - Covering loans above Rs 50,000 and up to Rs 5 lakh;
✓ Tarun - Covering loans above Rs 5 lakh and up to Rs 10 lakh.
• Eligibility: Any Indian Citizen who has a business plan for a non-farm sector income-generating
activities such as manufacturing, processing, trading, or service sector.
• They can avail from all Public Sector Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks,
Private Sector Banks, Foreign Banks, Micro Finance Institutions (MFI), and Non-Banking Finance
Companies (NBFC) up to Rs 10 lakhs Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd.
(MUDRA) loans under PMMY.
ONDC started its beta testing process with small retailers across 16 pin codes in Bangalore.
• The government’s ambitious open network e-commerce platform, the Open Network for Digital
Commerce (ONDC), started its beta testing process with small retailers across 16 pin codes in
Bengaluru.
• As per government sources as many as 497 sellers, and 17 apps were live on the platform on the
first day of its going live.
• As many as 100,000 products were listed on the platform on the first day across grocery, food,
and beverages categories.
• ONDC, which is based on open specifications, will boost small merchant digitization and e -
commerce scale and will reduce the dominance of big players such as Amazon and Walmart-
backed Flipkart.
• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Anil Agarwal, additional director,
Department of Promotion of Industries and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
• The platform will host buyer and seller apps separately, unlike e-commerce platforms like Amazon
and Flipkart, which are both buyers and sellers platforms.
• Three buyers apps – Paytm, Spicemoney and Mystore – were on the platform on the first day of
the beta testing.
• Apart from them, Dunzo, Load share, and Shiprocket were the logistics service providers.
India has left behind Brazil to become the top producer of the sweetener:
• With a bumper sugar production of 35.9 million tons during the October-September season, India
has left behind Brazil to become the top producer of the sweetener.
• With this, India has emerged as the world’s largest producer and consumer of sugar as well as the
world’s 2nd largest exporter of sugar.
• Brazil produced about 32 million tons of sugar in 2021-22.
• India also produced a record 5,000 lakh metric tons (LMT) of sugarcane during the October-
September season, emerging as the world’s largest producer of the sweetener.
• The Union government earlier this year capped sugar exports at 100 LMT from 1 June,
anticipating a surge in demand during the festive season that could have driven prices higher.
• The growth of ethanol as a biofuel sector in the last five years has supported the sector.
• During 2021-22, sugar mills/distilleries made Rs. 18,000 crores from the sale of ethanol.
• The ethanol production capacity of molasses/sugar-based distilleries has increased to 605 crore
liters per annum.
• The progress aims to meet the target of 20% blending by 2025 under Ethanol Blending with Petrol
(EBP) Programme.
The government has modified the ECLGS to enhance the maximum loan amount eligibility for airlines:
• The government has modified the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to
enhance the maximum loan amount eligibility for airlines under ECLGS 3.0 to 100% of their fund-
based or non-fund-based loan outstanding or ₹1,500 crore, whichever is lower, and of the above
₹500 crores shall be considered, based on equity contribution by the owners.
• All other criteria terms and conditions parameters prescribed under the operational guidelines of
the ECLGS on 30 August 2022, shall be applicable.
• In March, the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) was extended till March 2023,
to implement the announcement made in the Union Budget 2022-23.
• ECLGS was rolled out in 2020 as part of the Centre’s Aatmanirbhar package in
Prime Minister inaugurated the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences at Bilaspur:
• With a promise to increase access to affordable healthcare in Himachal Pradesh in an eco-friendly
manner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in
the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.
• He also affirmed that the hospital will run in an environment-friendly manner and will also be
known as a ‘Green Hospital’.
• IIMS Bilaspur will not only increase access to affordable healthcare in Himachal but is also eco-
friendly and will be known as 'Green AIIMS.
• The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Medical Device Park at Nalagarh, which
will be built at a cost of about Rs 350 crores.
• MoUs of more than Rs. 800 crores have already been signed for setting up industries in this
Medical Device Park.
• The project will significantly enhance employment opportunities in the region.
• Himachal Pradesh is one of the three states chosen for Bulk Drugs Park which will ensure access
to affordable medicines in the country. Prime Minister Modi affirmed that Himachal Pradesh played
a crucial role in "Rashtra Raksha" and the new AIIMS will play a "pivotal role in Jeevan Raksha"
for the people of the state.
• Himachal Pradesh is also one of the four states chosen for Medical Device Park.
• The foundation stone that has been laid in Nalagarh is a part of this.
The government has allocated a budget of 26,000 crores to build 25,000 new telecom towers:
• Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, ₹26,000 crores has been approved by the government to
install new 25,000 telecom towers in the next 500 days.
• He said the measure was being taken as connectivity was vital for Digital India and its reach to
every corner of the country, during the three-day Digital India Conference of State IT Ministers
• The minister also congratulated all states and Union Territories (UTs) for their speedy onboarding
at PM Gati Shakti.
• Emphasizing the motto of Sabka Saath and Sabka Vikas, he stated that the commitments from all
states and UTs, large as well as small states, are vital in taking Digital India to a higher level and
in realizing the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and trillion-dollar Digital Economy.
• MeitY organized three sessions on important aspects such as 'IT Rules, online gaming, and data
governance, 'Digital India Bhashini and digital payment', and 'MyScheme and Meri Pehchaan'.
• The demo on eligibility/profile-based service discovery at MyScheme was shown.
The government has approved the extension of OBPAS under the eChhawani portal:
• The government has approved the extension of the Online Building Plan Approval System
(OBPAS) under the eChhawani portal to five more Cantonment Boards, namely Agra, Ranikhet,
Babina, Jammu, and Cannanore.
• eChhawani is a citizen-centric project of the Directorate General of Defence Estates, Ministry of
Defence.
• Under this initiative, Cantonment Boards provide online citizen services to more than 20 lakh
residents across 62 Cantonments in the country.
• The unified portal provides access to civic services along with all relevant information in a simple,
easy-to-understand, and effective manner.
• As a step towards facilitating ease of living, over 2.18 lakh property taxpayers living in cantonment
areas would be able to apply online for mutation in the property tax register under the eChhawani
portal (echhawani.gov.in).
MSME has organized a national SC-ST hub conclave in Gujarat:
• The Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises has organized a national SC-ST hub
conclave in Gujarat.
• The conclave has been attended by many financial institutions such as the State Bank of India
and Yes Bank.
• CPSEs like National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd., Food Corporation of India, Oil and Natural
Gas Corporation, and Indian Oil Corporation Limited also participated in the conclave.
• Details regarding various lending schemes for the MSME sector have been provided during the
conclave.
• The National Scheduled Caste Scheduled Tribe Hub (NSSH) scheme has been launched by the
Ministry of MSME for inclusive growth of the Indian economy.
• Its main aim is to enhance capacity and promote an entrepreneurship culture among the SC -ST
population.
USOF launched the Telecom Technology Development Fund scheme:
• Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) launched the Telecom Technology D evelopment Fund
scheme
• The Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme aims at promoting technology
ownership and indigenous manufacturing, developing a culture of technology-cum-innovation,
reducing imports, and creating intellectual property.
• Under the scheme, USOF is also aiming to create an ecosystem for research, design, prototyping,
and proof of concept testing.
• The scheme encourages and inducts indigenous technologies to meet domestic needs.
• Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) provides funds for research and development in
rural-specific communication technology applications.
About USOF:
• It was established in 2002 under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act 2003.
• It is an attached office of the Department of Telecom.
C K Mishra committee has submitted a report on sustainable finance suggesting the development of the
carbon market
• An expert committee headed by former environment and forest secretary C K Mishra has
submitted a report on sustainable finance suggesting the development of a c arbon market among
other things -the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
• Recommendations were based on various aspects of sustainable finance including products,
policies and regulations, capacity building, and outreach initiatives related to green and
sustainable finance.
• The committee also proposed setting up a dedicated MSME platform for sustainable lending.
About IFSCA:
• IFSCA was established in April 2020 under the International Financial Services Centres Authority
Act, 2019.
• It is headquartered at GIFT City, Gandhinagar.
• IFSCA is a unified authority for the development and regulation of financial products, financial
services, and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in India. At
present, GIFT IFSC is the only international financial services center in India.
• Before the establishment of IFSCA, the domestic financial regulators, namely, RBI, Sebi, PFRDA,
and IRDAI regulated the business in IFSC.
• The main objective of IFSCA is to develop a strong global connection and focus on the needs of
the Indian economy as well as to serve as an international financial platform for the entire region
and the global economy as a whole.
DPIIT has notified a credit guarantee scheme for startups for providing c ollateral-free loans:
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has notified a credit
guarantee scheme for startups for providing collateral-free loans.
• As per the DPIIT notification, loan/debt facilities sanctioned to an eligible borrower on or after 6
October, would be eligible for coverage under the scheme.
• The CGSS is aimed at providing credit guarantees up to a specified limit against loans extended
by Member Institutions (MIs) to finance eligible borrowers viz.
• Startups as defined in the Gazette Notification issued by DPIIT and amended from time to time.
• The credit guarantee cover under the scheme would be transaction-based and umbrella based.
• The exposure to individual cases would be capped at Rs. 10 crores per case or the actual
outstanding credit amount, whichever is less.
• The extent of transaction-based cover will be 80% of the amount in default if the original loan
sanction amount is up to ₹3 crores, 75% of the amount in default if the original loan sanction
amount is above ₹3 crore, and up to ₹5 crores, and 65% of the amount in default if the original
loan sanction amount is above ₹5 crore (up to ₹10 crores per borrower).
Election Commission launched the Matadata Junction awareness program:
• During an event held at Akashvani Rang Bhavan, Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar
started a year-long Voter Awareness Program called 'Matdata Junction.'
• Election Commissioner Shri Anup Chandra Pandey also assisted with the launch function.
• The Matdata Junction is a 52-episode radio series created by the Indian Election Commission in
partnership with All India Radio.
• The episodes will last 15 minutes and will air every Friday from 7-9 PM on All India Radio.
• In 23 languages, the All-India Radio Network includes 25 FM stations, 4 FM Gold stations, 42
Vividh Bharati stations, and 159 Primary Channels/local radio stations.
5th Assembly of International Solar Alliance to be held in New Delhi:
• Union Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy RK Singh released the curtain raiser for
the 5th Assembly of the International Solar Alliance and associated side activities, which will take
place in New Delhi.
• India now serves as President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly, according to the
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• Three critical issues will be considered at the ISA's 5th Assembly of the International Solar
Alliance: energy access, energy security, and energy transformation.
• World leaders from ISA Member Countries will also discuss the ISA's strategic approach in
programmatic assistance for LDC and SIDS Member Countries, capacity-building support for all
developing Member Countries, and analytical and advocacy assistance for all Member Countries.
International Solar Alliance’s Fifth Assembly to be held in Delhi
• International Solar Alliance’s Fifth Assembly is to be held in New Delhi from 17th to 20th October
2022.
• It is an international organization with 109 members and signatory countries.
• It works with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide and promote solar
power as a sustainable way to transition to a carbon-neutral future.
• ISA’s mission is to unlock US$ 1 trillion of investments in solar by 2030 while reducing the cost of
the technology and its financing.
• With the signing and ratification of the ISA Framework Agreement by 15 countries in 2017, ISA
became the first international intergovernmental organization to be headquartered in India.
Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the Competition Commission of India’s Regional Office in Mumbai:
• Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates Competition
Commission of India’s Regional Office (West) in Mumbai.
• A statutory body established under the provisions of The Competition Act, 2002, and established
in 2003.
• A Chairperson and 6 Members are appointed by the Central Government. Headquarters: New
Delhi.
• Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission.
• To implement provisions of The Competition Act, 2002 which –prohibits anti-competitive
agreements and abuse of dominant position by enterprises regulates mergers and acquisitions
(M&A) which can harm competition within India.
• Thus, deals beyond a certain threshold are required to get clearance from CCI.
Panel to study SC status of Dalits post-conversion:
• The Union government has now formed a Commission of Inquiry to examine the issue of whether
Scheduled Caste (SC) status can be accorded to Dalits who have over the years converted to
religions other than Sikhism or Buddhism.
• The three-member Commission is headed by former Chief Justice of India, Justice K.G.
Balakrishnan.
• Currently, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 stipulates that no person professing a
religion different from Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism can be deemed to be a member of a
Schedule Caste.
• The original order under which only Hindus were classified was later amended to include Sikhs
and Buddhists.
• A batch of petitions was filed in the Supreme Court seeking the inclusion of Dalit Christians and
Dalit Muslims and the removal of the religious criteria for inclusion as SCs.
• In August 2022, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to submit its current position on the issue.
• In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court in November 2019, the Union government refused to
accept the above-mentioned reports as evidence of continued social disabilities due to caste
identity.
• The Government also said that Dalit Buddhists cannot be compared to Dalits who converted to
Islam or Christianity.
• This is because, in the case of Dalit Buddhists, conversions were voluntary “on account of some
innate socio-political imperatives” and in the case of Dalits who converted to Islam/Christianity, the
conversions might have taken place “on account of other factors”.
WHO issued an alert against four cough syrups after 66 children died in the Gambia:
• WHO issued an alert against India-made cough syrups after 66 children died in the Gambia.
• The World Health Organisation has issued a medical product alert on four cough and cold syrups
made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals in India.
• The cough syrups–Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby
Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup –were made by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
• The Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has launched an investigation into the
matter.
• As per a report, the WHO found four of the 23 samples tested contaminated with diethylene glycol
or ethylene glycol.
• Chemical substances like Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol can cause toxic effects.
• WHO also said that countries should increase surveillance of the supply chains to remove
substandard products.
• Last year, after consuming cough syrup three children died in New Delhi.
About Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO):
• It is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.
QCI organizations celebrated its Silver Jubilee:
• Quality Council of India (QCI) celebrated its Silver Jubilee.
• A special event has been organized at the Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
• Union Minister Piyush Goyal was the Chief Guest at the event.
• The event comprised panel discussions on the quality ecosystem for achieving India’s growth
vision for 2047.
• The Quality Council of India was set up in 1997 by the Government of India and the Associated
Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII), and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
• Ratan Tata was its first Chairman.
• In the last 25 years, QCI has created various boards.
• Quality Council of India has played a key role in the economic growth of India.
• QCI launched a campaign–Gunvatta Se Atmanirbharta: India’s quality movement to celebrate the
journey of quality and excellence.
NHA has introduced QR Code based rapid OPD registration in the hospital:
• The National Health Authority(NHA) under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission scheme has
introduced QR Code-based rapid OPD registration in the hospital.
• The service allows old and new patients to simply scan a QR Code and share their demographic
details such as name, age, address, gender, father name, and mobile number with the hospital.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed that the NHA is going to undertake a pilot
project under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission for faster OPD registration service at the new
OPD block of hospitals including Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) and Smt. Sucheta
Kriplani Hospital (SSKH).
• National Health Authority (NHA) is the apex body working for implementing India’s flagship public
health insurance/assurance scheme called “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
''.
DPIIT has notified the establishment of the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups:
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and
Industry has notified the establishment of the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS).
• CGSS is aimed at providing credit guarantees up to a specified limit against loans extended by
Member Institutions (MIs) to finance eligible borrowers viz. Startups.
• This scheme would help provide collateral-free debt funding to startups
• The credit guarantee cover under the Scheme would be transaction-based and umbrella based.
• In transaction-based guarantee cover, the guarantee cover is obtained by the MIs on a single
eligible borrower basis.
• It will promote lending by Banks/ NBFCs to eligible startups.
• The umbrella-based guarantee cover will provide a guarantee to Venture Debt Funds (VDF)
registered under AIF regulations of SEBI.
• The exposure to individual cases would be capped at Rs. 10 crores per case or the actual
outstanding credit amount, whichever is less.
• DPIIT will be constituting a Management Committee (MC) and a Risk Evaluation Committee
(REC) for reviewing, supervising, and operational oversight of the Scheme.
• The National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) will be operating the Scheme.
PM to inaugurate the first phase of the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Extension project:
• PM Modi to inaugurate the first phase of the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Extension project.
• Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the twelve
Jyotirlingas, shrines that are said to be the most sacred abodes of Shiva.
• It is located in the ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.
• The temple is situated on the side of the holy river Shipra.
• The temple’s Mahakal Lingam is believed to be Swayambhu (self-manifested) and unlike any
other jyotirlingas in the country, the idol of Mahakaleshwar faces south.
• The Mahakal temple complex expansion project was planned in the year 2017.
• This expansion project is being conducted in two phases.
• The second Phase will be completed in 2023-24.
Center has decided to bring in amendments to policy guidelines in the private FM radio space:
• The Center has decided to bring in amendments to policy guidelines in the private FM radio
space, in terms of ownership of channels at the national level.
• It believes these amendments will bring ease of doing business for the FM radio sector.
• According to the amendments, the Center has decided to remove the 3-year window period for
restructuring of FM radio permissions “within the same management group” during the license
period of 15 years.
• Earlier, no entity was allowed to own more than 15 percent of the total channels allotted in the
country.
• The government has also accepted the long-pending demand of the radio industry to remove the
15 percent national cap on channel holding.
• As part of the simplification of financial eligibility norms in the FM radio policy, entities with a net
worth of ₹1 crore can now participate in bidding for ‘C’ and ‘D’ category cities.
• Earlier, the net worth eligibility was set at ₹1.5 crores.
Shri Amit Shah has inaugurated the Eastern and North-Eastern Cooperative Dairy Conclave 2022 in
Gangtok:
• The Union Minister for Home and Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah has inaugurated the Eastern and
North-Eastern Cooperative Dairy Conclave 2022 in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.
• In another event, Shri Amit Shah unveiled the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Raj Bhavan in
Gangtok.
• The statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was unveiled at Raj Bhawan premises by Union Home
minister Amit Shah in the presence of Governor Ganga Prasad and Chief Minister P.S. Golay
followed by the unveiling of the Flag Mast.
• The brief function at the Raj Bhawan also witnessed the launch of a documentary on “Life of
Ganga Prasad” and a coffee table book "Pragati Pathi" by the Union Home minister.
• As a token of gratitude, a replica of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue was presented to the
Union Home minister by the Governor of Sikkim.
• The Ministry of Cooperation and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) have planned a
Multipurpose PACS in every Panchayat which will do the work of distribution of Dairy, FPO,
Agriculture, and Gas Production.
• To explore this world market, the government is setting up a multi-state cooperative, which will act
as an export house.
• It will work to export the milk product of our cooperative dairy in the world and bring profit to the
farmer.
• The government is committed to increasing this market from 13 lakh crore to 30 lakh crore by
2027.
The Centre has extended the timeline for the disbursement of loans up to March 31
• The Centre has extended the timeline for disbursement of loans up to March 31 under the ethanol
blending program interest subsidy scheme, notified first in 2018, to facilitate entrepreneurs to
complete their projects while availing of government support.
• The center has launched several schemes to boost ethanol production in the country.
• In April, the deadline for submitting applications under the scheme was extended by six months.
• The deadline was September 2022 earlier.
• India needs 1016 crore liters of ethanol by 2025 to achieve the 20% ethanol blending target.
The Government of India has set a target of 33% emissions intensity reduction:
• The Government of India, as part of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), has set a
target of 33% emissions intensity reduction, with the transport sector being one of the key sectors
with substantial mitigation potential.
• One of the most vital transportation emissions mitigation strategies agreed to by the Government
of India was increasing the share of Indian Railways in the movement of freight from the current
~35-36% to 45% by 2030.
• Indian Railways has a major role in contributing to India’s NDC toward combating Climate Change
through several means:
• To enhance the share of the Railways in the overall land-based freight transport from the present
36% to 45% by the year 2030.
• Indian Railways is setting up Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) across the country.
• The first phase of the project alone is estimated to reduce emissions by about 457 million tons of
CO2 over 30 years.
• Use of 5% blending of biofuels in traction diesel fuel.
• Improve water use efficiency by 20% up to 2030.
• By 2029-30, the expected requirement of installation of renewable capacity would be about 30
GW.
• IR has installed 142 MW of solar rooftop capacity and 103.4 MW of Wind energy till August 2022.
4th NICDC Investors' Roundtable Conference to be h eld in Mumbai:
• The 4th NICDC Investors' Roundtable Conference was organized by Maharashtra Industrial
Township Limited (MITL).
• The Investors Roundtable Conference has previously been hosted in Delhi, Kochi, and
Ahmedabad.
• The 4th edition of the conference will showcase the development of upcoming greenfield industrial
cities across India, which have been planned by National Industrial Corridor Development
Corporation Limited.
• Currently, four such greenfield smart industrial cities are being developed in Maharashtra in the
districts of Aurangabad, Raigad, Satara, and Nagpur.
• National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) is a Special Purpose Vehicle
aiming to develop new industrial cities as "Smart Cities" and converge next-generation
technologies across infrastructure sectors.
• The program is aimed at providing impetus to planned urbanization in India with manufacturing as
the key driver.
Government to organize PM-National Apprenticeship Melas:
• Central Government to organize PM-National Apprenticeship Melas.
• It is being organized by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, as part of the Skill
India Mission to boost career opportunities and practical training among the youth.
• Every month, the apprenticeship mela will be hosted wherein selected individuals will receive a
monthly stipend by government criteria for gaining a new skill.
• To be eligible to apply, the students must have a 5th-12th grade pass certificate, a skill training
certificate, an ITI Diploma, or a graduate degree to participate.
• Candidates will also earn National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET)-
recognized certifications, improving their employability after the training.
• The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), launched in 2016, aims to promote
apprenticeship training in the country by providing stipend support to the apprentices, undertaking
capacity building of the apprenticeship ecosystem, and providing advocacy assistance to support
rapid growth.
Indian space economy is set to reach $13 billion by 2025:
• The Indian space economy is set to reach $13 billion by 2025, according to a joint report prepared
by EY and the Indian Space Association (ISpA).
• According to the report, the space-launch segment would grow at a CAGR of 13%, spurred by
growing private participation, the latest technology adoption, and the low cost of launch services.
• The satellite services and application segment would form the largest share of the space economy
accounting for 36% of the ecosystem by 2025.
• On the country’s satellite-manufacturing opportunity, EY and ISpA said that in 2020, it was $2.1
billion.
• This would reach $3.2 billion by the year 2025.
About the Indian Space Association (ISpA):
• Established in December 2020, is the premier industry association of space and satellite
companies.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ISpA on October 11, 2021.
• The industry association will act as an independent and “single-window” agency for enabling the
opening up of the space sector to start-ups and the private sector, according to the government
agenda.
Shri Amit Shah unveiled the statue of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan at Sitabdiara in Bihar:
• Shri Amit Shah unveiled the statue of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan at Sitabdiara in the Saran
district of Bihar.
• Home Minister Amit Shah visited Sitabdiara in Bihar's Saran district.
• He presided over a program organized on the birth anniversary of socialist leader Jayaprakash
Narayan.
• He unveiled the statue of Jayaprakash Narayan on the occasion.
About Jayaprakash Narayan:
• He is popularly called JP or Lok Nayak.
• He played a major role in movements like Quit India Movement, Sarvodaya Movement, and JP
Movement against Indira Gandhi government.
• He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1999.
• He is known for his ‘Total Revolution’ call against Indira Gandhi.
Environment Ministry constituted a 9 -member task force will monitor the Cheetah introduction project:
• Environment Ministry constituted a nine-member task force to monitor Cheetahs in Kuno National
Park.
• A Nine-member task force will monitor the Cheetah introduction project at Kuno National Park in
Madhya Pradesh and other suitable designated areas.
• The task force includes Principal Secretaries, Forests and Tourism of Madhya Pradesh, and the
Inspector General of NTCA, New Delhi Dr. Amit Mallick.
• The task force will be in force for two years.
• It may appoint a subcommittee to regularly visit the Cheetah introduction areas.
• The task force will review the progress and monitor the health status of Cheetahs.
• It will also monitor the hunting skills and adaptation of Cheetahs to the habitat of Kuno National
Park.
• Additionally, the task force will recommend the construction of tourism-related infrastructure in the
surrounding areas of Kuno National Park and other Protected Areas.
PM Modi will inaugurate the Mahakal Lok in Madhya Pradesh:
• PM Modi will inaugurate the Mahakal Lok and he will also address a public meeting in Ujjain,
Madhya Pradesh
• On the day of the inauguration of the newly constructed Mahakal Lok in Ujjain, there will be a
festival of lights like Deepawali in Madhya Pradesh.
• Earthen lamps will be lit in all major temples and religious places in all 52 districts of Madhya
Pradesh.
• PM Modi will inaugurate 1st phase of the Rs 856-crore Mahakaleshwar Temple corridor
development project.
• Major highlights of Mahakal Lok in Ujjain are two gateways, a colonnade of 108 ornate pillars
made of carved sandstones, fountains, and a panel of over 50 murals depicting stories from Shiv
Puran.
• The over 900-meter-long corridor, Mahakal Lok, is one of the largest such corridors in India.
• Two gateways are Nandi Dwar and Pinaki Dwar.
• They are near the starting point of the corridor.
• Sandstones sourced from the Bansi Paharpur area in Rajasthan have been used.
The government launched Tele Mental Health Assistance and the Networking Across States:
• The government launched Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-
MANAS) initiative.
• On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the government has launched a 24×7 tele-mental
health service Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS)
initiative.
• It has been launched for 20 states and UTs and will be further expanded to other parts of the
country.
• It aims to provide free tele-mental health services round the clock to people all over the country,
especially the remote and deprived areas.
• This service can be used by calling the helpline number 14416.
• The program comprises a network of 23 tele-mental health centers of excellence.
• NIMHANS will be the nodal center and the International Institute of Information Technology-
Bangalore (IIITB) will provide technical support.
• The Central Government aims to establish at least one Tele-Manas Cell in each State/UT.
Office of the Development Commissioner launched the Indian handicraft portal:
• The office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) has launched the Indian handicraft
portal (http://indian.handicrafts.gov.in).
• Eligible artisans can use this portal to submit online applications for marketing events.
• Every year, around 200 domestic marketing events are organized in different parts of the country
to support artisans in selling their produce.
• The artisans can log in to the portal through the pehchan card number, followed by authentication
with an OTP.
• The online process will provide equal, fair, and transparent opportunities to all artisans.
• The process of receipt of applications, selection, and allotment for all the marketing events will be
made through this portal only.
Food regulator FSSAI has made it mandatory for foreign food manufacturing facilities:
• Food regulator FSSAI has made it mandatory for foreign food manufacturing facilities to register
with it for exporting products such as meat, milk, and infant foods to India.
• This will be effective from February 1, 2023.
• It has been decided that registrations of foreign food manufacturing facilities, falling under five
food categories, who are intended to export these products shall be mandatory.
• These categories are milk and milk products; meat and meat products, including poultry, fish and
their products; egg powder; infant food; and nutraceuticals.
About FSSAI:
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is a statutory body established under the Ministry of
Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
• The FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, of 2006, which is a
consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
• Founded: 5 September 2008, Founded: 5 September 2008, Parent agency: Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, Government of India.
PM lays the foundation stone of various healthcare facilities in Civil Hospital Ahmedabad:
• PM Modi recently lays the foundation stone of various healthcare facilities in Civil Hospital Asarwa,
Ahmedabad.
• The new Civil Hospital Asarwa will be the first government hospital in the country where state-of-
the-art technology like Cyber-Knife will be available.
• After dedicating and laying the foundation stone of various healthcare facilities worth 1275 crore
rupees in Civil Hospital Asarwa in Ahmedabad
• The CyberKnife System is a non-invasive treatment for cancerous and non-cancerous tumours
and other conditions where radiation therapy is indicated.
• It is used to treat conditions throughout the body, including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, head
and neck, liver, pancreas, and kidney.
• It can be an alternative to surgery or for patients who have inoperable or surgically complex
tumors.
• It offers several advantages to patients, including rapid relief from pain and other symptoms.
Nitin Gadkari launched India’s first flex-fuel car, “Toyota Corolla Altis”:
• The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari launched India’s first flex-fuel
car, “Toyota Corolla Altis”.
• The launch event was held in Delhi.
• In an attempt to further explore the alternatives to combustion-engined vehicles, recently Toyota
Kirloskar Motor launched a pilot project on Flexi-Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technology in
Delhi.
• Under this new project, at the launch, the Indo-Japanese automaker unveiled a Toyota Corolla
Altis FFV-SHEV, imported from Toyota Brazil.
• The Indian government has started the production of flex-fuel vehicles called E85, E90, and E95
according to the ratio of petrol to ethanol.
• The pilot project aims to check the feasibility of hybrid vehicles in India that can use ethanol-
powered flex-fuel vehicles to decrease pollution and increase the use of ethanol in electric-hybrid
vehicles to reduce the dependency on diesel and petrol.
• Flex fuel cars can run on flexible fuels including ethanol, petrol, or a blend of petrol and ethanol.
• Toyota Corolla Altis is a first-of-its-kind pilot project vehicle that is based on Flex-Fuel Strong
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFV-SHEV) technology.
• Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited is an Indian joint venture between Toyota Motor
Corporation and Kirloskar Group, for the manufacture and sales of Toyota cars in India. The
headquarters are located in Bidadi, Karnataka, near Bengaluru.
Anurag Thakur has launched WADA Athlete Biological Passport Symposium 2022:
• Shri Anurag Thakur, the union minister of Youth Affairs and Sports launched the World Anti-
dopping Agency (WADA) Athlete Biological Passport Symposium 2022.
• The event is jointly organized by the National Anti-Dopping Agency and National Dope Testing
Laboratory for the first time in India.
• As per Union Minister Anurag Thakur, on the anti-dopping front, the Government has tied up with
the National Forensic Science University and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India so that
the nutrition supplements can be tested.
• The World Anti-Dopping Agency, WADA had played a significant role in making the sports
ecosystem more transparent and NADA executes the same process in India.
About WADA:
• The World Anti-Doping Agency is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic Committee
based in Canada to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against drugs in sports.
• Headquarters: Montreal, Canada
• President: Craig Reedie
Union Cabinet approved the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to give a on e-time grant amounting to
Rs 22,000 crore:
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to give a one-time grant amounting to Rs 22,000 crore to
three Public Sector Undertaking Oil Marketing Companies (PSU OMCs).
• The grant will be distributed among Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL).
• The approval will help the PSU OMCs to continue their commitment to the Atmanirbhar Bharat
Abhiyaan, ensuring unhindered domestic LPG supplies and also supporting the procurement of
Make in India products.
• Domestic LPG Cylinders are supplied at regulated prices to consumers by the public sector Oil
Marketing companies namely, IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL.
Union Cabinet approved a 6600-crore scheme for developing India’s north-eastern states:
• The Union Cabinet approved a ₹6600 crore scheme for developing India’s northeastern states.
• The scheme, Prime Minister’s D evelopment Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE), will
apply for the remaining four years of the 15th Finance Commission from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
• PM-DevINE will function as a Central Sector Scheme with full 100% funding provided by the union
government.
• The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) will implement the scheme.
• The PM-DevINE project will provide support to infrastructure and social development projects
which require larger outlays.
• PM-DevINE will be implemented by the Ministry of DoNER through North Eastern Council or
Central Ministries/ agencies.
• Measures would be taken to ensure adequate operation and maintenance of the projects
sanctioned under PM-DevINE so that they are sustainable
• The objectives of PM-DevINE are to:
(a) Fund infrastructure convergently, in the spirit of PM Gati Shakti;
(b) Support social development projects based on the felt needs of the NER;
(c) Enable livelihood activities for youth and women;
(d) Fill the development gaps in various sectors.
The Union Cabinet has approved the development of a container terminal at Gujarat's Deendayal Port:
• The Union Cabinet approved a project to develop a container terminal at Tuna-Tekra, Deendayal
Port in Gujarat under the public-private partnership mode.
• The estimated cost of ₹4,243.64 crores will be on the part of the concessionaire and an estimated
cost of common user facilities of ₹296.20 crores will be on the part of the concessioning authority
toward the development of common user facilities.
• On commissioning of the Project, it shall cater to the future growth in container cargo traffic.
• From 2025, a net gap of 1.88 million TEUs shall be available which can be catered by tune Tekra
Development of a state-of-the-art container terminal at Tuna-Tekra will give it a strategic
advantage as it will be the closed container terminal serving the vast hinterland of the northern
part of India (Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan).
• Deendayal Port is one of the 12 major ports in India and is located on the west coast in the Gulf of
Kutch in Gujarat.
• The project is proposed to be developed on a BOT (Built Operate Transfer) basis by a private
developer/ BOT operator to be selected through an international competitive bidding process.
The central government scrapped the privatization of the SAIL Bhadravathi steel plant
• The Central government scrapped the privatization of the Steel Authority of India's (SAIL)
Bhadravathi steel plant.
• This is due to insufficient bidder interest.
• The government had invited an Expression of Interest (EoI) for divesting SAIL's 100 percent stake
in Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant (VISP), Bhadravathi in Karnataka in July 2019.
• The Centre’s 65 percent stake in primary steelmaker SAIL is worth about ₹29,600 crores at the
current market prices.
• This is the second instance when the government withdrew the strategic stake sale offer due to
insufficient bidder interest.
• Last month, DIPAM terminated the sale of its 100 percent stake in Central Electronics Limited
(CEL) and disqualified the successful bidder Nandlal Finance and Leasing Private Ltd for not
meeting the eligibility criteria.
• Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is a central public sector undertaking based in New Delhi,
India. Founded - 19 January 1954.
PM flagged off the country's fourth Vande Bharat express train from Una to New Delhi:
• PM Shri Narendra Modi flagged off the country's fourth Vande Bharat express train.
• This express train was launched from Himachal Pradesh's Una.
• The new Vande Bharat Express will run from Amb Andaura to New Delhi.
• This train is an advanced version compared to the earlier ones, being much lighter and capable of
reaching higher speeds in a shorter duration.
• It accelerates to 100 km per hour in just 52 seconds.
• The Integral Coach Factory has set a target of manufacturing 75 Vande Bharat trains by August
2023.
• It also has a photocatalytic ultraviolet air purification system in the roof-mounted package unit
(RMPU) for air purification.
• Vande Bharat Express is a new-age train redefining passenger traveling in India.
• PM will also launch the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III in the state.
• He will also address two public meetings in Una and Chamba.
• The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III in Himachal Pradesh would augment the road
network across the state.
The government has set a target of electricity transmission for renewable energy capacity of about 233
GW by 2030:
• The government is mulling electricity transmission for renewable energy capacity of about 233
GW, the latest by 2030, across the country.
• Planning of a transmission system for integration of an additional 52 GW potential REZ
(renewable energy zone) by 2026-27 has been carried out transmission schemes for another
181.5 GW by 2030 have been planned and the same would be taken up for implementation in a
progressive manner.
• All five regional grids in India are to be synchronized into the national grid by December 2013.
• The remote Leh region was connected to the national grid in January 2019 through the 220 kv
Srinagar-Leh Transmission system.
• At present, the installed capacity of the national grid is 404 GW and the peak demand met is 216
GW.
PM inaugurated Phase 1 of Modi Shaikshanik Sankul in Ahmedabad:
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase 1 of Modi Shaikshanik Sankul, an
educational complex for needy students in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• The project will help provide facilities to students for holistic development.
• He highlighted that Labour has tremendous power and a large section of our ‘samaj’ belongs to
the hard-working class.
• The foundation stone was also laid for one Agro Food Park, Sea Food Park, and MSME Park by
the Prime Minister.
• He also dedicated 800 TPD Caustic Soda Plant at Dahej.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated and laid the foundation stone of developmental
works worth more than Rs. 8200 crores including the stone laying of the State’s first bulk drug
park at Amod in Bharuch District.
• The sole aim behind establishing such a mega Bulk Drug Park is to make the country self-reliant
in drug manufacturing so that the nation can combat if any such situation arises again in the
future.
Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the first-ever all-IIT R&D showcase at the Indian Institute of
Technology, Delhi:
• Union Minister for Education and Skill Development, Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated IInvenTiv,
the first-ever all-IIT R&D showcase at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
• IITs have become instruments of transformation.
• They are repositories of knowledge and experience and a bridge to the future.
• IInvenTiv will be the start of a revolution and emerge as a key forum that will provide solutions to
complex global problems.
• The R&D Fair is being organized in commemoration of the 75th year of India’s Independence in
line with the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative.
• It has brought over 300 representatives from the industry.
• There are 75 projects and 6 Showcase projects on diverse themes being exhibited at the event.
• The projects are aligned with the vision of Make in India, Digital India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
PM GatiShakti National Master Plan has the potential to save over Rs. 10 Lakh Crore by improving
logistics efficiency:
• According to the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public
Distribution and Textiles, the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan has the potential to save over
Rs. 10 Lakh Crore annually by improving logistics efficiency.
• The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
October 13, 2021.
• It is a digital platform to bring 16 Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for
integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.
• It will facilitate the last-mile connectivity of infrastructure and reduce logistics costs.
• It will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments like
Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN, etc.
• Economic Zones like textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, defense corridors, electronic parks,
industrial corridors, fishing clusters, and agri zones will be covered to improve connectivity & make
Indian businesses more competitive.
• It will also leverage technology extensively including spatial planning tools with ISRO (Indian
Space Research Organisation) imagery developed by BiSAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National
Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics).
PM Gati Shakti is based on six pillars:
• Comprehensiveness: It will include all the existing and planned initiatives of various Ministries and
Departments with one centralized portal. Every Department will now have visibility of each other's
activities providing critical data while planning & comprehensively executing projects.
• Prioritization: Through this, different Departments will be able to prioritize their projects through
cross-sectoral interactions.
• Optimization: The National Master Plan will assist different ministries in planning for projects after
the identification of critical gaps. For the transportation of goods from one place to another, the
plan will help in selecting the most optimum route in terms of time and cost.
• Synchronization: Individual Ministries and Departments often work in silos. There is a lack of
coordination in the planning and implementation of the project resulting in delays. PM Gati Shakti
will help in synchronizing the activities of each department, as well as of different layers of
governance, holistically by ensuring coordination of work between them.
• Analytical: The plan will provide the entire data in one place with GIS-based spatial planning and
analytical tools having 200+ layers, enabling better visibility to the executing agency.
• Dynamic: All Ministries and Departments will now be able to visualize, review and monitor the
progress of cross-sectoral projects, through the GIS platform, as the satellite imagery will give on-
ground progress periodically and the progress of the projects will be updated regularly on the
portal. It will help in identifying the vital interventions for enhancing and updating the master plan.
The government has accorded infrastructure status to data centers with over 5 -megawatt capacity of IT
load.
• Data centers with over 5 megawatts (MW) capacity of IT load has been given infrastructure status
by the government.
• As per the government notification, Data Centre has been included in the Harmonized Master List
of Infrastructure sub-sectors by insertion of a new item in the category of 'Communication'.
• The notification says Data Centre housed in a building for storage and processing of digital data
applications with a minimum capacity of “5 MW of IT load" will be eligible for infrastructure status.
• In the budget speech for 2022-23, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that data
centers will be granted infrastructure status.
• As per the ICRA report, data centers’ capacity expansion in India by both foreign and local firms
will add investments of ₹1.05 lakh to ₹1.2 lakh crore over the next 5 years.
Shri Sarbananda Sonowal launched the first Solar-Electric Hybrid High-Speed Ferry and inaugurated a
Floating Jetty project:
• Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal launched a Solar-
Electric Hybrid High-Speed Ferry and inaugurated a Floating Jetty project at Panaji.
• Both projects are expected to boost tourism in Goa while making transport more environmentally
friendly.
• The Minister inaugurated the Jetty project and then proceeded to board the Solar-Electric Hybrid
High-Speed Ferry.
• Funded by the Inland Waterways Authority of India, the three jetties commissioned today were
built at a project cost of 9.6 Crore.
• The jetties are solid concrete structures that float on water, are easy to install, and have a minimal
environmental impact in their construction.
• The Solar-Electric Hybrid High-Speed Ferry project is funded by the Government of Goa at a cost
of over 3.9 crores and has a carrying capacity of 60 passengers.
• The Hybrid design allows for the reduction in operating costs by eliminating the dependence on
fossil fuels and presents a more environmentally friendly form of transport.
About IWAI
• The Inland Waterways Authority of India is the statutory authority in charge of the waterways in
India.
• It was constituted under IWAI Act 1985 by the parliament of India
• Its headquarters is located in Noida, UP.
Flipkart has launched a metaverse-based shopping platform dubbed Flipverse
• Walmart-owned Flipkart has launched a metaverse-based shopping platform, Dubbed Flipverse,
the platform will allow users to discover and shop products interactively.
• At present, the service will be available for 15 brands including apparel brand Puma, cosmetics
and personal care brand Nivea, and homegrown electronics brand Noise.
• Flipverse is already live on the Flipkart app for Android smartphone users.
• The pilot experience will be live till October 23.
About Flipkart:
• Flipkart is an Indian e-commerce company, headquartered in Bangalore, and incorporated in
Singapore as a private limited company.
• Founded: October 2007, Bangalore
• Founders: Binny Bansal, Sachin Bansal
India has set the aim to achieve 65 % of power generation from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030:
• India is well on its way to achieving the aim of 65% of power generation from non-fossil fuel
sources by 2030 and will achieve more than that, Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable
Energy RK Singh.
• The minister further informed that India will achieve 90 GW of solar equipment manufacturing
capacity by 2030.
• Currently, the country has 20 GW of such capacity and 15-20 GW of the solar manufacturing
capacity is under construction.
• Currently, India has 170 GW of renewable energy and another 80 GW is under construction.
• The country aims to achieve 500 GW by the year 2030.
• The government has allocated ₹19,500 crores for the domestic manufacture of solar photovoltaic
(PV) modules that could lead to savings of ₹1.37 trillion.
• The PLI will help in achieving a manufacturing capacity of “gigawatt (GW) scale" in high-efficiency
solar PV modules.
• It will be disbursed over five years post the commissioning of solar PV manufacturing plants.
• This is the second tranche of the PLI.
• The first tranche of ₹4,500 crores was approved last year and the bids were awarded to Reliance
Industries Ltd, Adani Group, and Sri Shirdi Sai Group.
India’s 1st cable-cum-suspension bridge has been approved on the Krishna river:
• India’s 1st cable-cum-suspension bridge across Krishna River approved by Centre.
• The construction of an iconic cable stayed-cum-suspension bridge across the Krishna River has
been approved by the central government.
• The bridge will connect Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and pass through the Nallamala forest
range.
• The bridge will be built at a total cost of ₹1,082.56 crores, with a construction period of 30 months.
• The bridge will have many unique features, such as the longest glass walkway across the river,
gopuram-like pylons, signature lighting, and a large navigational span.
• The bridge over the Krishna River will be the first of its kind in India and the second in the World.
• The 80-km distance between Hyderabad and Tirupati will be reduced by this 3 -km bridge.
• The bridge starts in Somasila in Kollapur in the Nagarkurnool district of Telangana and ends at
Atmakur in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
India's first sports helmet testing center to come up in Meerut:
• India’s first sports helmet testing center will be established in Meerut in the next four months and
will cost around Rs 3 crore.
• The request sent by MSME's regional technological development center in Meerut has been
accepted by the MSME Ministry.
• Regardless of manufacturing sports goods in hubs like Vadodara, Delhi, and Meerut the helmets,
mainly worn by cricketers and hockey players were sent abroad for testing.
• With this approval, India will get its first sports helmet testing facility under the "hub and spoke
model”.
• The main testing center will be set up in Meerut with an extension facility at Okhla in Delhi.
• The center at Meerut will be ready in four months and the entire project will cost around Rs 3
crore.
• Testing is likely to begin in the first week of February 2023.
Fiji will host the prestigious World Hindi Conference in 2023:
• Fiji will host the prestigious World Hindi Conference fo r the first time in 2023 to make the country a
new launching pad to popularise Hindi as a global language.
• The decision to host the World Hindi Conference in Fiji was jointly taken by the Indian and the
Fijian government.
• The three-day conference, which would be held in the Fijian city of Nadi and envisaged to promote
Hindi globally, would see the participation of over 1,000 experts in the Indian language, including
scholars, writers, and laureates.
• Indian High Commissioner to the South Pacific nation P S Kartigeyan.
About Fiji:
• Capital: Suva
• Currency: Fijian dollar.
The Union Cabinet has approved an MSP increase for all mandated Rabi crops:
• For the marketing season 2023-24, the Union Cabinet approved an increase in the Minimum
Support Price (MSP) for all Rabi Crops.
• The greatest rise has been approved for lentils, with a 500 rupee per quintal increase.
• Wheat MSP has been increased by 110 rupees, while barley MSP has been increased by 100
rupees.
• The hike is consistent with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of a minimum MSP of 1.5
times the All-India weighted average Cost of Production.
About MSP:
• The MSP is the rate at which the government purchases crops from farmers, and it is calculated
as at least one-and-a-half times the producers' cost of production.
• MSP is a "minimum price" for any crop that the government deems profitable for farmers and so
worthy of "assistance."
India Gate Basmati Rice is the world's number-one basmati rice brand:
• India Gate, KRBL's main brand, has been named the world's No. 1 Basmati Rice Brand in a
market survey done by a renowned global research firm.
• Mordor Intelligence's quantitative analysis includes research on the White and Brown Basmati
Rice Category throughout continents such as the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle
East and Africa.
• The research was conducted using primary and secondary research, data triangulation, and an
insight generation approach.
• Mordor Intelligence, a major worldwide research firm launched in 2014, has conducted studies
that have provided insights to over 4000 organizations in over 100 countries across numerous
industries.
History:
• Since its inception in 1998, India Gate Basmati Rice has worked tirelessly to fulfill its mission of
enhancing lives through Basmati Rice, a nutritional marvel of nature.
• India Gate has built a strong global consumer franchise over the years, as proven by the fact that
it is exported to over 90 countries and sells over 8 million packs per year.
• The grains of India Gate Basmati Rice are aged to perfection, making them longer, fluffier, non-
sticky, and full of wonderful aroma, distinguishing them from the competition.
• This new survey naming India Gate Basmati Rice the World's No. 1 Basmati rice brand
demonstrates our steadfast dedication to putting the highest quality basmati on consumer plates
around the world.
Mr. Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched the first SemiconIndia Future Design tour:
• The first SemiconIndia FutureDesign roadshow in Gujarat was officially launched by Rajeev
Chandrasekhar, Union state minister for electronics and information technology.
• Chandrasekhar remarked on the occasion that the roadshows were organized to encourage
startups, next-generation innovators, and business giants to invest in semiconductor design.
• It will contribute to the creation of a strong semiconductor ecosystem in the country, as envisioned
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The minister also unveiled the ISRO-tested and approved NavIC Receiver Chipsets at the event.
• They are ready to enter the commercial sector.
• By extending the program to every school and every institution, the government hopes to get as
many young Indians interested in and participating in the Semicon India trip as possible.
Shri Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurates Asia's largest compressed biogas plant:
• Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated Asia's largest
Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant in Lehragaga, in Punjab's Sangrur
• The plant in Sangrur is just the beginning of India's master plan for a CBG-based rural economy
and the government is taking all steps to promote the ecosystem around it.
• The plant has been commissioned with a foreign direct investment of approximately Rs. 220
crores by Verbio AG, one of Germany's leading bio-energy companies.
• Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and senior management from Verbio India Private Limited
were also present at the inaugural ceremony.
• The CBG plant at Sangrur is spread across an area of 20 acres.
• The plant's present production is about six tonnes per day but soon it will process 300 tonnes of
paddy straw per day to produce 33 TPD of compressed biogas using eight digesters of 10,000
cubic meters.
• The union minister said initiatives, such as the CBG plant, are a huge leap in arriving at a win-win
situation for farmers and the environment.
PM to inaugurate India Urban Housing Conclave 2022 in Rajkot:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate ‘Indian Urban Housing Conclave-2022’, IUHC2022,
a three-day event being organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs at Rajkot, Gujarat .
• This Conclave will provide a platform for all stakeholders to demonstrate their technologies and
they will deliberate upon various options of technologies, materials, and processes for large-scale
adoption and mainstreaming in different types of housing construction suitable for different Geo-
climatic regions of the country.
• It will help devise strategies, action plans, and a roadmap for achieving the vision of “Future
Ready Urban India.”
• The Conclave will also help in widening the horizon and bringing technology transition in the
construction sector for sustainable development.
• It will bring together all global and indigenous innovative technologies, materials, and processes,
including those developed subsequently by various stakeholders across the world.
• Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, his deputy in the Ministry Kaushal
Kishore, and other dignitaries from the Centre and States will attend the conclave.
Center to Launch $500 Million Accelerator Program to Strengthen Agri Startups:
• Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar announced that the national government will
start a Rs 500 crore accelerator program to help agro enterprises with their profitable ideas.
• On the second day of PM Kisan Samman Sammelan, Tomar announced a slew of major policy
announcements aimed at agricultural entrepreneurs.
• Narendra Singh Tomar announced that an executive committee comprised of relevant
organizations would be formed.
• Under the chairmanship of the agriculture secretary, this will comprise the Department of
Agriculture Research and Education (DARE), DPIIT, agricultural incubators and knowledge
partners, agricultural universities, research institutes, top investors, and other stakeholders.
• A website will also be created to gather a database of all farm startups and track their growth.
Indian Railways has announced the closure of COFMOW:
• The Ministry of Railways has announced the closing of New Delhi's Central Organization for
Modernization of Workshops (COFMOW).
• It will go into effect on December 1, 2022.
• With the advice of the Principal Economic Advisor and the Ministry of Finance, the Railway Board
confirmed the dissolution of the four-decade-old organization that contributed significantly to the
modernization of the workshop across the railway networks.
• COFMOW was forbidden from floating or opening bids immediately following its closure.
• All sanctioned works for which a tender has not been issued.
• Workers will be assigned to the appropriate Zonal Railways or Production Unit.
• All non-gazetted stations would be surrendered, and the person would be released/repatriated/re-
deployed elsewhere.
• The organization's infrastructure and buildings will be handed over to the Railway Board by
November 30th, 2022.
PM has introduced the "Mission Schools of Excellence" in Gujarat:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced "Mission Schools of Excellence"
• The 'Mission Schools of Excellence is a large-scale initiative in Gandhinagar with the dual
objectives of changing the curricula in Gujarat's public schools and responding to accusations of
the State government for the poor quality of education made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
• The "Mission Schools of Excellence" are funded in part by the World Bank and have a budget of
10,000 crores.
• Its goal was to provide new classrooms, smart classrooms, computer labs, and other
enhancements to the state's educational infrastructure.
• In the first phase, improvements to school infrastructure will cost about 5,567 crores.
• Along with the 1.5 lakh smart classrooms, the project would also construct 50,000 classrooms,
20,000 computer laboratories, and 5,000 Atal Tinkering labs in government schools.
• To improve the quality of instruction in classrooms, Mr. Modi had earlier constructed a school
monitoring center in Gandhinagar and asked all States to establish similar state-of-the-art
facilities.
PM Modi launched the Mission LIFE movement in Kevadiya, Gujarat:
• PM Modi has launched the Mission LIFE effort to protect the environment.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a strong reprimand.
• Following the global inauguration of Mission LiFE at Gujarat's Statue of Unity in the presence of
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Prime Minister addressed the gathering, claiming
that lifestyle changes can help to combat climate change.
• The Prime Minister emphasized while underlining India's commitment to tackling the problem of
climate change, that a circular economy and the concepts of reducing, reusing, and recycling have
been established in Indian culture for thousands of years.
• India is the most successful example of economic development and environmental protection.
• The Prime Minister alluded to Mahatma Gandhi's concept of trusteeship, saying that Mission LiFE
encourages us to serve as environmental trustees.
Railways plans to achieve net-zero carbon emission by 2030:
• The Indian Railways plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 and also focus on
increasing network capacity.
• The country’s railway network is being electrified to reduce pollution and carry on transportation in
an environment-friendly way.
• The Railways will attempt to reduce its carbon footprint primarily by sourcing its energy
requirements from renewable energy sources.
• By 2029-30, an expected requirement of installation of renewable capacity would be about 30
GW.
• Indian Railways has installed 142 MW of solar rooftop capacity and 103.4 MW of Wind energy till
August.
• The railways have electrified 52,508 RKM out of the total BG network of 65,141 RKM (80.61%).
• With 100% electrification, the electricity demand will go up to about 72 BUs by 2029-30 from 21
BUs in 2019-20.
• Carbon emission by 2029-30 as per Business As Usual (BAU) mode is estimated to be 60 million
tons which would be offset by various measures planned by Indian Railways
Windergy 2023 will be held in Chennai in October:
• The fifth edition of Windergy India 2023, the most complete international trade fair and conference
in India, will take place from October 4 to October 6, 2023.
• The three-day trade fair and conference, Windergy India 2023, is being organized by the Indian
Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) and PDA Ventures Pvt Ltd.
• It will offer a dynamic forum for meeting and interacting with policymakers, regulatory authorities,
and international and domestic technology, solution, and services providers from the wind power
industries.
About IWTMA:
• The Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA), which was founded in 1998, is the
leading trade group and the voice of the country's wind industry.
• IWTMA has taken the lead in developing the regulatory framework and engaging in proactive
dialogue with investors, stakeholders, and state and federal authorities.
About PDA Ventures:
• PDA Ventures Pvt Ltd has been coordinating several business-to-business trade fairs, events,
roadshows, conferences, and business forums in India and abroad.
• Through a specialty publishing strategy that links communities all year long, the primary
business of linking industry-specific ecosystems has been enhanced.
Mumbai featured the official launch of India's first "Migration Monitoring System”:
• The Maharashtra Women and Children Development Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha launched
India's first "Migration Monitoring Systems" in Mumbai.
• The beneficiaries of the vulnerable seasonal migrant tracking system will move around according
to the website.
• Information on pregnant migrants, nursing mothers, and children is to be made available through
the Migration Monitoring Systems.
• The system offers up-to-date data on migrant expectant women, nursing mothers, and kids in a
single system.
• The "Migration Monitoring Systems" was introduced by Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Maharashtra
Women, and Children Development minister.
• Through the use of unique personal identification numbers, the state department has developed a
website-based Migration Tracking System (MTS) to monitor the movements of vulnerable
seasonal migrant beneficiaries.
• With the "Migration Monitoring Systems," information about women and children who migrate
seasonally will be accessible on a single platform.
The first stage of the "Rozgar Mela" is launched by the prime minister:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi began the hiring effort for the Rozgar Mela, which aims to hire
10 lakh people.
• 75,000 new appointees will be hired in the first round.
• 38 government ministries and agencies will welcome the new hires, who were chosen from around
the nation.
• They will be hired at Group A, Group B (Gazetted), Group B (Non-Gazetted), and Group C levels,
respectively.
• According to the Prime Minister's Office, this will be a significant step for the government in
safeguarding citizen welfare and giving young people access to employment possibilities.
• All departments and ministries are reportedly striving to fill open positions that have been
authorized, as instructed by the prime minister.
• All members of the central armed forces, including sub-inspectors, constables, LDCs, Stenos,
PAs, income tax inspectors, and MTS, will be recruited.
• Ministries and Departments are doing these hirings in mission mode, either independently or
through hiring organizations like the UPSC, SSC, and Railway Recruitment Board.
• Selection procedures have been streamlined and made tech-enabled for quick recruitment.
• Selection procedures have been streamlined and made tech-enabled for quick recruitment.
India lost 5.4% of its GDP as a result of the 2021 heatwave:
• According to a new Climate Transparency analysis, India will lose 5.4% of its GDP in 2021, the
most of any G20 country.
• According to the research, India experienced a record heatwave that impacted employees, labor
migrants, low-income households, and the homeless, as well as reduced wheat crop yields.
• Even though India is responsible for 3% of global emissions, the analysis stated that 142 million
people (10% of the population) in India may be subjected to summer heatwaves of 1.5 degrees
Celsius.
• When it comes to worldwide emissions, the United States ranks first with 25%, followed by the
European Union with 22%.
• "G20 members account for around 85% of worldwide GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-
thirds of the global population, as well as almost three-quarters of global emissions."
• The 'Climate Transparency Report 2022' was created in collaboration with experts from 16 partner
organizations representing the majority of the G20 (Group of 20 ) countries.
• According to the Climate Transparency Report 2022, the G20 nations are still unable to take the
requisite level of accountability of action.
Centre to use technology for crop insurance scheme from 2023:
• The Agriculture Ministry has set up two committees — one for nationwide implementation of
technology-based crop yield estimation and the other for standardization and improvement of
weather data infrastructure.
• The move will reduce the delay in crop loss/damage estimation and ensure timely settlement of
claims by farmers.
• The panels will be headed by the director of Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre
(MNCFC).
• Apart from experts drawn from different departments and agencies of the Centre, the committees
will have representation from Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan governments.
• After paddy and wheat in 2020-21, the Agriculture Ministry has decided to carry out more pilot
studies, this time on non-cereal crops for gram Panchayat level yield estimation of current Kharif
crops and rabi harvest (March-April) next year.
• These studies will help analyze the issues to be dealt with when the pan-India rollout of
technology-based yield estimation begins from 2023-24.
• The panel on yield estimation has been asked to submit its report w ithin 45 days.
• It will prepare standard operating procedure (SOP) as well as enroll technology implementation
partners (TIPs) from which States have to select anyone.
• The committee, also to be headed by the director of MNCFC, has been tasked to help the Ministry
in the creation of the proposed Weather Information Network Data System (WINDS), under which
a system of automatic weather stations (AWS) and automatic rain gauges (ARG) will be
implemented throughout the country.
• Weather data like rainfall, temperature, and humidity are key to calculating the yield of crops under
the weather-based crop insurance scheme as well as Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
(PMFBY).
Vinai Kumar Saxena announced a property tax amnesty Scheme: SAMRIDDHI
• Vinai Kumar Saxena, the l ieutenant governor of Delhi, has introduced the "SAMRIDDHI 2022–23"
one-time property tax amnesty program, which will significantly relieve thousands of city residents
and business property owners.
• Strengthening and Augmenting of Municipal Revenue for Infrastructure Development in Delhi, or
SAMRIDDHI, will begin on October 26 and conclude on March 31, 2023, with no further
extensions.
• The plan intends to resolve thousands of unresolved court cases that have accumulated since the
unit area method for calculating property taxes was implemented in 2004.
• The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the city’s inhabitants will profit from the program.
• Residential properties will be subject to taxation for 1+5 years (the current fiscal year and the
previous five), whereas commercial properties will be subject to taxation for 1+6 years (the current
fiscal year plus the prior six).
"Akash for Life" Space Conference will be held in Dehradun:
• The three-day "Akash for Life" space conference will demonstrate how all schools of thought have
been thoroughly integrated to combine traditional and modern knowledge.
• The decision was made by Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge)
for Atomic Energy and Space, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Personnel, Public
Grievances, Pensions, and Earth Sciences, as well as the MoS PMO for Personnel, Public
Grievances, Pensions, and Space.
• The event will take place in Dehradun from November 5 to November 7, 2022.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has u rged the integration of research and technology advancement
into society in a way that puts science in a position to meet the demands of the average person.
• The Dehradun Conclave will have 35 illustrious speakers who will discuss various facets of Akash
Tattva, according to Dr. Jitendra Singh.
• The conclave intends to introduce India's youth to the knowledge of classical disciplines as well as
cutting-edge technological developments.
Amit Shah: By 2024, NIA would have offices in every state
• The NIA will open offices in every state: The Union Minister of Housing and Cooperation, Amit
Shah, spoke at the beginning of a two-day "Chintan Shivir" in Surajkund, Haryana.
• Chief Ministers of States, Home Ministers of States, Lieutenant Governors, and Administrators of
Union Territories are among those attending the Chintan Shivir.
• To tackle the difficulties confronting the country, it is vital to fully utilize all internal security
resources.
• Shri Amit Shah noted that this Chintan Shivir, inspired by Prime Minister N arendra Modi, is being
hosted to provide the nation with a single platform to collectively combat dangers such as
cybercrime, drug proliferation, and cross-border terrorism.
• Because crimes are developing and becoming more transnational in scope, all states will need to
have a coordinated strategy to combat them.
• According to the Union Home Minister, places devastated by left-wing extremism, such as Jammu
and Kashmir and the North East, which were previously centers of violence and unrest, are now
hotspots of growth.
Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates a new IIFT campus in Andhra Pradesh:
• The nation's finance minister, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, officially inaugurated the third campus of
the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University
(JNTU) -K campus in Kakinada.
• She emphasized the importance of the IIFT campus to the country's development.
• She emphasized the importance of IIFT in terms of research and policy development for the
Ministry of Commerce's growth.
• The state government has set aside 25 acres of land in U. Kothapalli Mandal, close to the sea
coast in the Kakinada Special Economic Zone, for the development of the IIFT permanent
campus.
• The IIFT officials submitted an application to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for a grant of
Rs. 229 crores, and the sanction order is eagerly awaited.
• Representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs Piyush Goyal
(Union Minister), MPs, Ministers, MLAs, and other government entities were present.
India & New Zealand Navies Sign Pact on White Shipping Information Exchange
• The Indian Navy signed an agreement on White Shipping Information Exchange with the Royal
New Zealand Navy to promote greater transparency in the Maritime Domain.
• The white shipping information refers to the exchange of prior information on the movement and
identity of commercial non-military merchant vessels.
• The agreement was signed between Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and Rear Admiral David
Proctor, Chief of Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) during the former's recent visit to New
Zealand.
• CNS Hari Kumar visited New Zealand from Sept 29 to Oct 1, 2022.
• He was welcomed in the traditional Powhiri ceremony hosted by the RNZN leadership at the Te
Taua Moana Marae.
About New Zealand:
• Prime Minister: Jacinda Ardern
• Capital: Wellington
• Currency: New Zealand dollar ($)
MoS for Culture Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal to attend UNESCO-MONDIACULT 2022 World Conference in
Mexico
• The Indian delegation headed by the Minister of State for Culture Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal
represented the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
MONDIACULT 2022 World Conference to be held in Mexico City from 28th-30th September 2022.
Goal:
• To shape a more robust and resilient cultural sector, fully anchored in the perspectives of
sustainable development goals (SDG)
• At the conference, Culture Ministers of more than 100 countries will participate in this multilateral
forum to decide on the global cultural discourse.
• It also promotes solidarity, peace, and security”, in line with the vision enshrined in the UN
Secretary-General’s Shri Antonio Guterres report titled ‘Our Common Agenda’ which refers to
culture as a ‘global public good, the good of us all.
About UNESCO-MONDIACULT 2022 World Conference:
• The UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development –
MONDIACULT 2022 is convened by UNESCO 40 years after the first Mondiacult world
conference on cultural policies held in Mexico City in 1982, and 24 years after the UNESCO World
Conference on Cultural Policies for Development held in Stockholm in 1998.
• This is the 3rd such conference & the 2nd conference was held in Stockholm, Sweden in 1998.
Meghalaya-Mawmluh Cave One of the First 100 Geoheritage S ites Listed By UNESCO
• Mawmluh Cave in Sohra, located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, has been listed
among the first 100 International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) geological heritage sites.
• “Mawmluh Cave in Sohra, Meghalaya known for the ‘Meghalayan Age’ has been selected by
@theIUGS(@UNESCO) as one of the ‘FIRST 100 IUGS GEOLOGICAL SITES’ in the world,”.
• The full list of the ‘First 100 IUGS Geological Sites’ will be presented at the IUGS’s 60th-
anniversary event, which will take place in Zumaia, Spain.
• The First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites were selected from 181 candidate sites from 56
countries.
About Mawmluh Cave:
• The cave was first explored by a British official named Lieutenant Yule in the year 1844.
• It is the fourth longest cave in the Indian subcontinent.
• Mawmluh Cave, locally called Krem Mawmluh, is known for the ‘Meghalayan Age.
• The word "krem" in the local Khasi language means cave.
• The cave, which is 7.2 kilometers long, has numerous entrances & the cave is situated at an
altitude of 4,503 meters
• Only one-fourth of the cave is exposed to sunlight while the rest of the cave is shrouded in
complete darkness.
About IUGS:
• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• President: Qiuming Cheng
• IUGS is one of the largest scientific organizations of UNESCO.
• IUGS is an international non-governmental organization devoted to international cooperation in
the field of geology.
• Internationally significant geological sites are listed by the IUGS, including those with tectonic,
sedimentological, petrological, mineralogical, hydrogeological, paleontological,
geomorphological, and history of geological sciences connections.
About UNESCO:
• UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Aim:
India & US launch new energy storage task force to support the clean energy transition
• During a Ministerial meeting of the United.States.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership
(SCEP), U.S. Energy Secretary Mr. Jennifer Granholm (United States) and Indian Minister of
Petroleum and Natural Gas Mr. Hardeep S. Puri (India) launched a new energy task force to
support large-scale integration of renewable energy (RE) needed to support the clean energy
transition.
Key Highlights:
• The Ministers welcomed collaboration between Indian and U.S. companies through a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deploy methane abatement technologies in India’s city
gas distribution sector under the Low Emissions Gas Task Force to help reduce emissions in the
oil and gas sector.
Enhanced bilateral efforts include:
• Strengthening the power grid to ensure reliable, affordable, and resilient clean energy supply
including through smart grids and energy storage
• Advancing renewable energy development and deployment, including supporting India’s goal of
achieving approximately 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel -
based energy resources by 2030
• The Ministers were informed about various initiatives, including joint research and development on
smart grids and energy storage and new collaboration on carbon capture, utilization, and s torage
(CCUS) technologies, and the potential to explore collaboration on other novel technologies under
the U.S.-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy-Research (PACE-R).
• The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is funding a feasibility study for a private
energy developer in India, to evaluate the technical and economic viability of developing a hybrid
solar (100 MW) and wind power plant (200 MW) with i ntegr ated b attery e ner gy s torage ( 100
MWh) at Dwarka in Gujarat.
• This project was one of two highlighted by US President Mr. Joe Biden at the launch of the I2 U 2
Partnership between the US, UAE, Israel, and India in July 2022.
UN adopts new carbon emissions goal to achieve net zero from planes by 2050
• The United Nations (UN) International Civil Aviation Organization, or ICAO adopted a long-term
aspirational goal of making carbon emissions from air travel net zero by 2050 in response to
growing pressure for airlines to reduce their pollution in Montreal, Canada.
• It could boost the production of sustainable aviation fuel.
• Airlines and governments expect to greatly reduce emissions by gradually switching from
kerosene-based jet fuel to fuels made from fats, grease, plants, or renewables.
• The European Union has proposed higher taxes on fossil fuels including jet fuel.
About ICAO:

• Secretary General: Juan Carlos Salazar Gómez
WHO alerts against India-made cough syrups after 66 children die in the Gambia
• A global alert has been issued over 4 cough syrups after the World Health Organization (WHO)
warned they could be linked to the deaths of 66 children in The Gambia.
• The cough syrups–Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby
Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup are made by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals
• So far, The company has manufactured and exported these products only to the Gambia.
• The Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has launched an investigation into the
matter.
• As per a report, the WHO found 4 of the 23 samples tested contaminated with diethylene glycol or
ethylene glycol.
• Chemical substances like Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol can cause toxic effects.
• In 2021, at least three children died in New Delhi after consuming a cough syrup with
dextromethorphan, one of the components present in one of the four syrups flagged by WHO.
About CDSCO:
• Drugs Controller General of India: Dr. V. G. Somani
• It is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and medical
devices under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
About WHO:
• Director General: Tedros Adhanom
About The Gambia:
• President: Adama Barrow
• Capital: Banjul
• Currency: Dalasi
UNESCO launches a list of 50 iconic Indian heritage textile
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has launched
Handmade for the 21st Century: Safeguarding Traditional Indian Textile, a list documenting
exclusive and 50 iconic heritage textile crafts of India.
Aim:
• To bridge this gap brings together years of research on the 50 selected textiles.
• It lists the histories and legends behind the textiles, describes the complicated and secret
processes behind their making, mentions the causes for their dwindling popularity, and provides
strategies for their preservation.
Some of the Important Textiles Crafts on the List:
• Toda embroidery (Nilgiris) from Tamil Nadu
• Sungudi or Chungadi (Madurai) from Tamil Nadu
• Sikalnayakanpet Kalamkari (Thanjavur) from Tamil Nadu
• Himroo weaves (Hyderabad) from Telangana & Andhra Pradesh
• Bandha tie and dye weaving (Sambalpur) from Odisha
• Kunbi weaves from Goa
• Mashru weaves and Patola from Gujarat
• Himroo weaving (Aurangabad) from Maharashtra
• Garad-Korial weaving (Murshidabad) from West Bengal
• Ilkal (Bagalkot) from Karnataka
• Lambadi or Banjara embroidery (Sandur, Bellary) from Karnataka
• Khes weaving (Panipat) from Haryana
• Chamba rumals (Chamba Rumals) from Himachal Pradesh
• Thigma or wool tie and dye from Ladakh
• Awadh Jamdani (Varanasi) from Uttar Pradesh
• The UNESCO publication also includes recommendations for the protection and revitalization of
these textile crafts, which cover the broad spectrum of issues extending from policy to grass-root-
based micro-interventions.
About UNESCO:
• Director General: Audrey Azoulay
• Members: 193 member states and 12 associate members
Aim:
Russian President Putin recognizes independence for 2 more Ukraine regions
• Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin has recognized the independence of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia
and Kherson regions located in southern Ukraine
• He took similar steps in February 2022 regarding Luhansk and Donetsk and earlier for Crimea.
• It will annex four occupied regions of Ukraine at a grand ceremony in the Kremlin, Russia.
About Russia:
• Capital: Moscow
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses UN World Geospatial International Congress
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 2nd United Nations World Geospatial
International Congress.
• The UN World Geospatial International Congress was inaugurated by Union Science and
Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh in Hyderabad.
• The theme of the 2nd UN World Geospatial International Congress ‘Geo-Enabling the Global
Village: No one should be left behind.
Key Highlights:
• The United Nations and the Departments of Science and Technology and Space are organizing
the 5-day congress.
• During the 5-day Congress, challenges and plans for making better use of technology for people
will be discussed.
• It has brought policymakers, scientists, start-ups, and NGOs working on geospatial information on
one platform.
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh informed that the Geospatial economy will cross the mark of
63,000 crore rupees by 2025 at a growth rate of 12.8%.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh has inaugurated an exhibition where the National Remote Sensing Agency,
ISRO, and startups displayed their products.
• The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) created the UN Committee of
Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) in 2011.
• Under the SWAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village
Areas) scheme, India is using drones to map properties in villages and for the first-time people in
rural areas have clear evidence of ownership.
World's largest drone fund to invest up to US$ 40 million in UAV ecosystem in India
• The US$ 170 million Drone Fund (DF), one of the largest venture capital funds located in Japan
that specializes in supporting the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) ecosystem, intends to invest up
to US$ 40 million in Indian companies operating in the sector.
Objective:
• To invest in agro drones to enhance crop pages using approaches that science can help facilitate.
• Currently, Drone Fund has a manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu (TN).
• Japan’s Largest drone manufacturer Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory Ltd (ACSL) has
partnered with an Indian Company Aerodyne India.
Note:
• DF co-founder and managing associate: Soki Ohmae
• MD of Aerodyne India: Arjun Aggarwal
Textiles Committee signs Cooperation Agreement with UNEP to promote Sustainability and Circularity in
Textile Value Chain
• The Textiles Committee (TC) of the Government of India (GoI) has entered into a Cooperation
Agreement with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on “Mainstreaming
Sustainability & Circularity in the Textiles Sector” to promote Sustainability and Circularity in
Textile Value Chain in India.
• The Cooperation Agreement was exchanged between the Secretary of Textiles Committee Ajit B
Chavan and Head of UNEP India Country Office Atul Bagai in presence of Secretary (Textiles)
U.P. Singh.
Key Highlights:
• A one-day Stakeholders Consultation on “Sustainability in the Textile Value Chain (TVC) in India”
was also organized in New Delhi to commemorate World Cotton Day, 2022 (Oct 07)
• The Textile Value Chain (TVC) plays an important role in the world economy but at the same time
is also adversely contributing to the environment.
• According to estimates, the global textile industry emits 1.20 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per
year and it is estimated that every second an equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is either
burnt or landfilled.
• India is also experiencing the challenge of balancing its growth in TVC with sustainability in the
production & consumption of textiles.
• The UNEP India and Textiles Committee have joined hands to support the Textile, Trade &
Industry on this endeavor with proactive support and guidance of Ms. Prajakta Verma, Joint
Secretary Fibre who is heading the newly created Sustainability Cell in the Ministry of Textiles.
About Ministry of Textiles:
• Minister of Textiles: Piyush Goyal
About UNEP:
UNICEF & Pure earth report reveals India bears the world’s highest health and economic burden due to
lead poisoning
• According to the 2020 report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and non-profit Pure
Earth had found India is home to a major chunk of the 800 million children poisoned by lead
globally.
• The report, prepared jointly by the government think tank National Institute for Transforming India
(NITI) Aayog and the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), was published in July
2022.
Key Highlights:
• According to the report, among the Indian States Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh had the highest average blood lead levels (BLL).
• These states account for 40% of India’s population that is plagued with this poor health indicator.
• India accounted for 275,561,163 of the 800 million children suffering from lead poisoning globally.
• In India, 23 states have an average Blood Lead Level (BLL) that exceeds 5 micrograms per
decilitre (μg / dl) & 4.9 (μg / dl).
• The statistics are worrying on a national level with the average for the country being 4.9 μg / dl for
children less than two years old.
• CSIR and NITI Ayog assessed 89 data sets from 36 studies carried out between 1970 and 2014 to
corroborate the findings of the Unicef report.
About UNICEF:
• Established: December 11, 1946
• Executive Director: Catherine Russell
• UNICEF is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and
developmental aid to children worldwide.
About Pure Earth:
• Establishment: 1999
• Global Headquarters: New York, United States
• India Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
• President: Richard Fuller
• Pure Earth is an international not-for-profit organization that works to identify, clean up, and solve
pollution problems in low- and middle-income countries.
PwC partners with Coursera to address the skill gap in the taxation space
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the professional services firm has partnered with Coursera, an
online learning platform to handle India’s present and future talent hole within the taxation house.
Aim:
• To achieve skilling at scale and create greater employment opportunities.
• The skilled companies agency has partnered with the web studying platform to construct two
entry-level skilled certificates Goods & Service Tax (GST) Tax Govt and Direct Tax Govt.
• The entry-level professional certificates will take about 24 weeks to complete enabling learners to
learn while pursuing other education or work opportunities simultaneously.
• Through projects and instruction, the certificates will provide learners with a foundational
understanding of the GST and direct tax practices, equipping them with the knowledge required
for a beginner role in the field.
• The courses will be launched in September 2022 and early 2023.
• PwC is also working with Coursera to establish a ‘Tax Academy’, a knowledge hub that will equip
India’s taxation professionals.
About Coursera:
• Founded: 2012
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, U.S
• CEO: Jeff Maggioncalda
UNDP partners with Arya.ag & FWWB India to improve incomes of 10,000 households
• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with the integrated grain
commerce platform Arya. ag and Friends of Women's World Banking India (FWWB India) for agri-
value chain intervention, enterprise promotion, and skilling in the agriculture sector.
• The UNEP is implementing Project Excel in the Jamnagar and Dwaraka Devbhumi districts of
Gujarat to improve the incomes of 10,000 farmer households through enterprise promotion, agri-
value chain interventions, skilling, employment, and social protection.
Aim:
• To create a group of community resource persons for mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs
and promoting individual and group enterprises by December 2023.
About Project Excel:
Objective:
• To develop the potential of the rural and semi-urban communities and provide them with the
opportunities to enhance their livelihoods in sectors like agriculture, dairy, poultry, handloom, goat
rearing, handicraft, etc.
• It will also help build their managerial capabilities and provide stronger market linkages.
Key Highlights:
• The blueprint of Project Excel includes building a team of sourcing managers to implement value
chain interventions and establish market and credit linkages through collectivization.
• Arya. ag will build on farmers' collectives to effectively manage the post-harvest process and
develop the agriculture value chain of the producer group.
• This partnership is to create a conducive business environment with end-to-end solutions
consisting of training and technical support, capital and market linkages, and skill enhancement
support, empowering women and ensuring a sustainable income at the individual and collective
level.
About FWWB India:
• Founded: 1982
• FWWB India is an Indian APEX organization that assists microfinance and microenterprise
organizations.
About UNEP:
• Establishment: 22 November 1965
• Administrator: Achim Steiner
• The UNEP is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and
achieve sustainable economic growth and human development
Israel & Lebanon agree to sign 'historic agreement' on maritime borders
• Israel and Lebanon reached a historic agreement to resolve a long-running maritime border
dispute following months of negotiations mediated by the United States.
• This is the first agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
About Israel:
• President: Isaac Herzog
• Prime Minister: Yair Lapid
• Currency: New shekel
About Lebanon:
• President: Michel Aoun
• Prime Minister: Najib Mikati
• Capital: Beirut
• Currency: Lebanese pound
India & Egypt to collaborate on premier higher educational institutes
• External Affairs Minister Shri S Jaishankar will discuss with the Union Minister for Education, Skill,
and Entrepreneurship Shru Dharmendra Pradhan on collaborating with Egypt on premier higher
educational institutes, like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
• Notably, premier higher educational institutions in the country are looking to expand their
campuses abroad.
• A 16-member government-constituted committee headed by the chairman of the standing
committee of the IIT council, K Radhakrishnan has recommended and pitched for the Indian
Institutes of Technology (IITs) to take the lead on this front.
• The committee was constituted by the Union education ministry after IIT-Delhi submitted a
proposal last year for opening centers in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
About Egypt:
• President: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
• Prime Minister: Moustafa Madbouly
• Capital: Cairo
• Currency: Egyptian pound.
NATO begins nuclear exercises amid Russia war tensions
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) began its long-planned annual nuclear exercises
in northwestern Europe as tensions simmer over military action in Ukraine.
• 14 of NATO's 30 member countries were due to take part in the exercises, which the military
alliance said would involve around 60 aircraft including fighter jets and surveillance and refueling
planes
• The bulk of the war games will be held at least 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) from Russia's
borders.
• U.S. long-range B-52 bombers will also take part in the maneuvers, dubbed Steadfast Noon,
which will run until Oct. 30, 2022.
About NATO:
• Secretary General: Jens Stoltenberg
• Chair of the NATO Military Committee: Lt. Admiral Rob Bauer
• Membership: 30 member states (28 European and 2 North American)
FAO, UNEP, WHO & WOAH launched One Health Joint Plan of Action to help reduce the risk of future
pandemics
• The One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH JPA) was launched by the Quadripartite comprising the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for
Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE).
About One Health Joint Plan of Action:
• It is developed through a participatory process, providing a set of activities that aim to strengthen
collaboration, communication, capacity building, and coordination.
• This initiative seeks to improve the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment while
contributing to sustainable development.
• One Health is the main approach for addressing the complex health challenges facing our society,
such as ecosystem degradation, food system failures, infectious diseases, and antimicrobial
resistance.
• Using a One Health lens that brings all relevant sectors together is critical to tackling global health
threats, like monkeypox, COVID-19, and Ebola.
• The five-year plan (2022-2026) focuses on supporting and expanding capacities in 6 areas:
1. Capacities for health systems
2. Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic epidemics
3. Endemic zoonotic
4. Neglected tropical and vector-borne diseases
5. Food safety risks
6. Antimicrobial resistance and the environment.
About FAO:
• Headquarters: Rome, Lazio, Italy
• Director General: Qu Dongyu
• Membership: 195 members (including 194 countries and the European Union)
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is an international
organization that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food
security.
About UNEP:
About WHO:
• Director General: Tedros Adhanom
• The WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
About WOAH:
• President: Hugo Federico Idoyaga Benítez
• Director General: Monique Eloit
• The WOAH, formerly the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), is an intergovernmental
organization coordinating, supporting, and promoting animal disease control.
Japan seeks Geographical Indication tag for nihonshu
• The Embassy of Japan, New Delhi, has filed an application seeking a Geographical Indication (GI)
tag for nihonshu/Japanese sake, an alcoholic beverage.
• This is the first time a product from Japan has filed for a tag at the Geographical Indication Registry
in Chennai.
About Nihonshu:
• It is regarded as a special and valuable beverage made from fermenting rice.
• People traditionally drink nihonshu on special occasions, such as festivals, weddings, or funerals,
but it is also consumed daily.
• Thus, it is an integral part of the lifestyle and culture in Japan.
• The sake market (almost all are nihonshu) is the second largest brewed liquor (such as beer)
market in Japan.
• For making nihonshu three main raw materials – rice, koji-kin (a type of fungal spore), and water
are required. ∙
• The production of nihonshu follows an alcoholic fermentation method called parallel multiple
fermentation and involves raw material treatment, koji making, starter culture-making, mash
making, pressing, heat sterilization, and bottling.
About GI Tag:
• A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin
and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
• The GI of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 seeks to provide for the registration and
better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India
• It is governed and directed by the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights (TRIPS).
• The tag is valid for 10 years following which it can be renewed.
• Darjeeling Tea was the first Indian product to get a GI tag.
About Japan:
• Capital: Tokyo
IFC Launches Financing Platform to Respond to Global Food Crisis
• The International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank’s private sector investment arm, has
launched a new, $6 billion financing facility to strengthen the private sector’s ability to respond to
the crisis and help support food production.
Aim:
• To facilitate the trade of food commodities, delivery of inputs to farmers, supporting efficient
production in major origins, including Ukraine, and effective distribution of food products in
destination countries
Key Highlights:
• It will also focus on long-term actions to improve the resilience of the global food system and
lessen its climate and ecological footprint.
• The long-term actions include investing in increasing efficient crop production, improving access to
fertilizers, greening fertilizer production and use, reducing crop loss and food waste, improving
supply chain efficiency, and mitigating infrastructure bottlenecks.
• It will leverage IFC’s sectoral expertise in agribusiness, manufacturing, infrastructure, and
technology, as well as the financial sector and trade finance.
• The platform will supplement the World Bank’s commitment of US$30 billion in response to the
food crisis.
About IFC:
• MD & CEO: Makhtar Diop
• The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group.
• It is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset-management
services to encourage private-sector development in less developed countries.
EU approves adoption of world’s first single charger rule
• The European Parliament has approved a new rule to introduce a single charging port for
electronic gadgets (mobile phones, tablets, and cameras) by 2024 in the European Union (EU).
Aim:
• To minimize e-waste and empower customers to make more sustainable choices.
• From 2026, the rules will be expanded to include laptops.
Key Highlights:
• The new rules allow customers to choose between two chargers – one with and one without USB-
C chargers while purchasing a handheld device.
• Under the first phase of the law, which will be implemented in late 2024, all mobile phones,
tablets, and cameras sold in the EU have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port.
• It is expected to impact smartphone manufacturers such as Apple since these rules will force
changes in the charging port of iPhones and other devices for users in the EU
• The USB Type-C ports can charge up to 100 Watts, transfer data up to 40 GB per second, and
link to external displays
Benefits:
• It will also simplify the life of Europeans, bring down costs and reduce the number of chargers in
the market.
• It can save at least 200 million euros each year and significantly bring down electronic waste
every year.
Note:
• Currently, about 11,000 tonnes of e-waste is generated by disposed or unused charges in the
European Union each year.
About EU:
• President of the European Council: Charles Michel
• President of the European Commission: Ursula von der Leyen
• Headquarters of European Commission: Brussels, Belgium
• Official Languages: 24 languages
India and France re-elected as President and Co-President of the International Solar Alliance
• India and France have been re-elected as President and Co-President of the International Solar
Alliance (ISA).
• Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister Mr. R K Singh will be the President of ISA
while Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, France's Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and
International Partnerships, will be co-president of the ISA.
• The ISA Assembly approved the Solar Facility, a payment guarantee mechanism that is expected
to stimulate investments into solar through two financial components: Solar Payment Guarantee
Fund and Solar Insurance Fund.
• The ISA Assembly also approved the SolarX Grand Challenge, which is planned to focus on
innovation and start-ups, particularly decentralized solar energy applications that contribute to
livelihoods, such as agriculture, health, and small-scale industrial applications.
• This will foster a three-fold benefit- promotion of the solar energy sector, thinning of the gap of the
energy crisis, and promoting of a solar start-up ecosystem.
Key Highlights:
• ISA's mission is to unlock USD 1 trillion of investments in solar by 2030 while reducing the cost of
the technology and its financing.
• It promotes the use of solar energy in the Agriculture, Health, Transport, and Power Generation
sectors.
About ISA:
• Director General: Ajay Mathur
• Membership: 87 members of the UN
Pakistan out of FATF's grey list after 4 years
• Global anti-terrorism watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) removed Pakistan from its
“grey list” after four years.
• Pakistan was on the grey list of FATF since June 2018 due to deficiencies in its anti-terrorism
financing and anti-money laundering regime.
• Significantly, for the first time, the FATF put Myanmar in the "high-risk jurisdictions subject to a call
for action"
• Besides Pakistan, Nicaragua was removed from the FATF “grey list” while Congo, Tanzania, and
Mozambique were added to it.
• FATF stated that Islamabad will keep working with the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering to
improve its system for its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing system.
About FATF's grey list:
• Greylisting means FATF has placed a country under increased monitoring to check its progress on
measures against money laundering and terrorism financing.
• The “grey list” is also known as the “increased monitoring list”.
• FATF grey lists a country that it considers a haven for terror funding and money laundering.
• Currently, there are 23 countries on the FATF’s increased monitoring list.
• It is a warning to the country to tackle the issues, failing which it could be "blacklisted," the highest
level of the indictment.
• So far, only two countries have been blacklisted- Iran and North Korea.
About FATF:
• President: T Raja Kumar
• It is an intergovernmental organization & it was established to combat money laundering, terror
financing, and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
• Currently, it has 39 members, including two regional organizations - the European Commission
and Gulf Cooperation Council.
Anna May Wong to be the first Asian American featured on US currency
• The legendary Hollywood star Anna May Wong will become the first Asian American to appear on
US currency
• This will be the fifth coin in the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program, which highlights
female pioneers on coins.
About Anna May Wong:
• Wong Liu Tsong, known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress.
• She was considered the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, as well as the first
Chinese-American actress to gain international recognition.
• In 1960, Wong was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
About the AWQ program:
• It is a four-year program that honors the achievements of women in the United States fr om 2 022
to 2025
• To date, astronaut Sally Ride, activist a nd p oet M a ya A ngelou, the fi r st w oman c hief o f th e
Cherokee Nation Wilma Mankiller, and the suffragist Nina Otero-Warren have been featured under
the program
WHO releases first-ever fungal priority pathogen list
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released the first-ever priority pathogen list, the WHO
Fungal Priority Pathogens List (WHO FPPL) which includes 19 fungi to identify fungi that pose the
greatest threat to public health.
• This report is based on research led by the University of Sydney in Australia.
About WHO FPPL:
• The WHO FPPL is the first global effort to systematically prioritize fungal pathogens, considering
the unmet research and development (R&D) needs and the perceived public health importance.
• The classification is based on the pathogen’s public health impact or emerging antifungal
resistance risk.
The list has been divided into three categories
1. Critical
2. High
3. Medium priority.
• The critical group includes Candida Auris, which is highly drug-resistant and has caused several
outbreaks in hospitals worldwide, as well as Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and
Candida albicans.
• The high group includes several other fungi from the Candida family as well as others such as
Mucorales, a group containing the fungi that cause mucormycosis or "black fungus", an infection
that rose rapidly in seriously ill people - particularly in India - during COVID-19.
• The medium group lists several other fungi, including Coccidioides spp and Cryptococcus gattii.
About Fungal infection treatment:
• Fungal pathogens are a major threat to public health as they are becoming increasingly common
and resistant to treatment.
• Currently, only four classes of antifungal medicines are available, and few candidates are in the
clinical pipeline.
• A three-layered approach emerged in the strategies suggested by policymakers, governments,
and public health professionals.
The strategy includes:
• Strengthening laboratory capacity and surveillance.
• Sustaining investments in research, development, and innovation
• Enhancing public health interventions for prevention and control.
About WHO:
• Director-General: Tedros Adhanom
• The WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
Climate plans to limit global temperature remain insufficient: UN report
• A new report by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has
warned that the climate plans from governments worldwide remain insufficient to limit rising
temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius as set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
• According to the report, the combined climate pledges of 193 parties under the Paris Agreement
could put the world on track for around 2.5 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century.
Key Highlights:
• The report shows current commitments will increase emissions by 10.6% by 2030, compared to
2010 levels.
• This is an improvement over the 2021 assessment, which found countries were on a path to
increase emissions by 13.7% by 2030, compared to 2010 levels.
• The 2021 report analysis showed that projected emissions would continue to increase beyond
2030
• The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2018 report indicated that CO2 emissions
needed to be cut by 45% by 2030, compared to 2010 levels.
• To meet the Paris deal’s goal, compared with 2010 levels, it needs to fall by 43% by 2030.
• UN Climate Change analyzed the climate action plans known as nationally determined
contributions (NDCs) of 193 parties to the Paris Agreement, including 24 updated or new NDCs
submitted after the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) up until September 23,
2022
• The 24 countries include Bolivia, Vanuatu, and Uganda, as well as the large emitter nations of
India and Indonesia.
• Together, the plans cover 94.9% of total global greenhouse gas emissions in 2019.
Note:
• The UN Climate Change Conference COP 2 7 will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 6 to
18 November 2023.
About UNFCCC:
• The UNFCCC entered into force on 21 March 1994.
• It was signed by 154 states at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED), informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992.
Paralympic Committee of India and the Indian Army have signed an MoU to provide opportunities for
wounded soldiers to participate in Para sports:
• The Paralympic C ommittee of India (PCI) and the Indian Army have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) in a bid to provide opportunities for wounded soldiers to participate in Para
sports.
• Lieutenant General Ravin Khosla, deputy chief of army staff of the Indian Army, joined PCI
President Deepa Malik and were both present for the signing of the document.
• It is hoped that the MoU will help to rehabilitate soldiers who have sustained severe injuries in the
line of duty.
About PCI:
• The Paralympic Committee of India is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent
India at the Paralympic Games and other international athletic meets and for managing the Indian
teams at the events.
• The organization was founded in 1992 as the Physically Handicapped Sports Federati on of India.
• President: Deepa Malik
SFAC and Bayer CropScience Limited have signed an MoU to form and promote 50 specialized FPOs:
• Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) and Bayer CropScience Limited have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form and promote 50 specialized Farmer Producer
Organisations (FPOs).
• In collaboration with SFAC, Bayer CropScience Limited has identified clusters in 10 states and will
aim to assist smallholder farmers with business planning, identification of key enablers, creation of
market linkages, and knowledge transfer, while working to establish the FPOs.
• SFAC’s partnership with Bayer CropScience Limited will help strengthen grower collectivization
and support farmer collectives to evolve as profitable and self-reliant business entities.
• Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is an Autonomous Society promoted by the
Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.
• It was registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI in 1994.
• SFAC is an exclusive Society focused on increasing the incomes of small and marginal farmers
through the aggregation and development of agribusiness
• It is governed by a Board of Management chaired by the Union Minister for Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare as the President and the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture,
Cooperation and Farmers Welfare as the Vice President.
• Also, the National Agriculture Market (e -NAM) Platform was launched in April 2016 and the
Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) was set up with the assistance of SFAC apart from the other
important schemes.
Agriculture Ministry, NAFED signed MoU to boost the initiative to promote millets:
• Agriculture Ministry, NAFED signed MoU to boost the initiative to promote millets towards the
celebration of the international year of millets 2023.
• The U.N. General Assembly recently adopted a resolution, sponsored by India and supported by
more than 70 countries, declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
• The resolution is intended to increase public awareness of the health benefits of millets and their
suitability for cultivation under tough conditions marked by climate change.
• Millet is a cereal that belongs to the grass family.
• Majorly cultivated in the semiarid tropical regions of Africa and Asia, around 97 percent of the
world’s overall millet production happens in these regions.
• Types of millets: Jowar (Sorghum), Ragi, Bajra (Pearl millet).
About NAFED:
• It was established on Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October 1958 NAFED is registered under the Multi-
State Co-operative Societies Act.
NTPC Ltd and GE Gas Power signed an MoU to install at NTPC’s Kawas combined-cycle gas power
plant in Gujarat:
• State-run NTPC Ltd and GE Gas Power signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the
feasibility to demonstrate hydrogen co-firing blended with natural gas in GE’s 9E gas turbines
installed at NTPC’s Kawas combined-cycle gas power plant in Gujarat.
• The two companies will jointly explore the pathways to reduce CO2 emissions from the Kawas gas
power plant and further implementation at scale across NTPC’s installed units in India.
• NTPC’s Kawa gas power plant is powered by four GE 9E gas turbines operating in a combined-
cycle mode and has an installed capacity of 645 megawatts (MW).
• Further, GE’s advanced E- Class gas turbine portfolio currently can burn up to 100% by volume of
hydrogen when blended with natural gas.
• In this first-of-its-kind MoU with NTPC in India, GE Gas Power will evaluate the possible
modifications in the gas turbine unit and auxiliaries required for blending H2 with natural gas.
WEF has partnered with Madhya Pradesh for bringing together a network called ‘Food Innovation Hub:
• World Economic Forum (WEF) has partnered with Madhya Pradesh for bringing together a
network called ‘Food Innovation Hubs, to strengthen local innovation ecosystems and achieve
self-sufficiency in food production through private-public partnerships (PPP).
• The World Economic Forum (WEF) is bringing together a network called ‘Food Innovation Hubs,
to strengthen local innovation ecosystems and achieve self-sufficiency in food production through
private-public partnerships (PPP).
• The Food Innovation Hubs initiative aims to strengthen local innovation ecosystems and achieve
self-sufficiency in food production through private-public partnerships (PPP).
• The ‘Food Innovation Hubs are coming up in Columbia, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, and
the European Union.
• Many others are also in the process of being set up in Kenya and Rwanda.
• The first hub in India is being set up in Madhya Pradesh under a collaboration agreement between
the WEF and Madhya Pradesh government.
• The hub which is based on agricultural development will promote innovations in alignment with
tenets of the AtmaNirbharata
About WEF:
• The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a nonprofit foundation.
• It was established in 1971 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It is recognized by the Swiss authorities as the international institution for public-private
cooperation.
• The WEF is mostly known for its annual meeting at the end of January in Davos, a mountain
resort in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland.
BIS has signed an MoU with the food and consumer affairs ministry to promote and harmonize the
implementation of standards:
• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India has signed an MoU with
the Testing, Inspection, Certification Council, the food and consumer affairs ministry.
• The two will collaborate to promote and harmonize the implementation of standards and quality,
safety and sustainability practices in laboratories.
• Each organization looks forward to a mutually prosperous journey together.
• TIC Council is a global trade association representing the independent third-party testing,
inspection, and certification industry.
• The Bureau of Indian Standards is the National Standards Body of India under the Department of
Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India.
• It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 which came into effect on 12
October 2017.
AIFF has signed an MoU with SAFF for the promotion of football activities:
• The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) for the promotion of football activities including the
provision of technical support, the organization, and hosting of youth competitions for both men
and women regularly.
• The idea is to host the knockout phase of the Santosh Trophy in select cities in Saudi to
encourage State level players to dream big and also to connect the large Indian community in
Saudi with Indian football and create a win-win situation for both Federations.
• The All India Football Federation is the governing body of football in India under the jurisdiction of
the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
• Formed in 1935 founded at Darbhanga, the federation was one of the founding members of the
Asian Football Confederation, the overseer of football in Asia. President: Kalyan Chaubey.
NMDC and RailTel Corporation of India have signed MoU for ICT and Digital Solutions:
• NMDC and RailTel Corporation of India have signed MoU for ICT and Digital Solutions.
• Shri H Sundaram Prabhu, GM, NMDC, and Shri Manohar Raja, Executive Director, RailTel signed
the MoU at NMDC’s headquarters in Hyderabad.
• RailTel will provide Consultancy, Project Management, and Execution services.
• This MoU builds on the partnership that NMDC already has with the National Railway Telecom.
About NMDC:
• National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) is the country’s largest Iron Ore producer.
• It is a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Steel.
• It is headquartered in Hyderabad. Sumit Deb is its CMD.
About RailTel Corporation of India:
• RailTel Corporation of India Limited is an Indian public sector enterprise that was founded in
September 2000.
• It is a Mini Ratna (Category-I) PSU.
• It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Indian Railways.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.
• Sanjai Kumar is its CMD.
BHEL has signed an MoU with CIL and NLCIL for setting up Coal Gasification based plants:
• Aimed at gainfully utilizing the country’s vast reserves of coal & lignite, Bharat Heavy Electricals
Limited (BHEL) has entered into strategic MoUs with Coal India Limited (CIL) and NLC India
Limited (NLCIL) for setting up Coal Gasification based plants.
• Under these MoUs, BHEL will jointly set up a Coal to Ammonium Nitrate Project with CIL based on
the gasification of high ash Indian coal, and a lignite-based gasification pilot plant with NLCIL for
power generation, utilizing BHEL’s indigenously-developed Pressurised Fluidised Bed Gasification
(PFBG) technology.
• Significantly, this will be a breakthrough step towards meeting the National Coal Gasification
Mission target of 100 Million MT.
• BHEL is a pioneer in the development of indigenous coal gasification technology, i.e. PFBG, and
has successfully gasified high-ash Indian coals.
• This technology was earlier utilized to establish a 6.2 MWe IGCC-based Combined Cycle Plant at
BHEL Trichy.
• The company has already successfully set up India’s first high-ash Indian coal to Methanol (0.25
TPD) pilot plant at its Corp.
• R&D, Hyderabad, which was dedicated to the nation by the Hon’ble Minister of Heavy Industries in
January 2022.
IIT Kharagpur & ONGC signed an MOU to strengthen the industrial and interdisciplinary research:
• To strengthen the industrial and interdisciplinary research in cost-effective exploration activities,
IIT Kharagpur has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with an institute of the Oil and Natural
Gas Corporation.
• Under this MoU, the two institutes will take on several developmental projects and research
projects in drilling, drilling fluids, cementing fluids and completion fluids, etc.
• The MoU between IIT Kharagpur and the Institute of Drilling Technology, Dehradun was signed
earlier in the week.
• The collaboration will bring forth the industrial and interdisciplinary research initiatives that are
currently being undertaken at the Deysarkar Centre of Excellence in Petroleum Engineering
(DCEPE).
IRFC has signed an MoU with IIFCL to strengthen cooperation in financing railway infrastructure
projects:
• Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with India Infrastructure Finance Company (IIFCL) to strengthen cooperation in financing railway
infrastructure projects.
• The MoU was signed to strengthen cooperation in financing railway infrastructure projects with
forward and backward linkages to the Indian Railways sector.
• Through this MoU, IRFC, and IIFCL plan to amplify each other's capabilities, enabling them to
jointly leverage the financing opportunities for viable infrastructure projects.
• India Infrastructure Finance Company (IIFCL) was set up in 2006, as a wholly-owned Government
of India enterprise to cater to the long-term financing needs of the infrastructure sector in India.
• Since its inception, IIFCL has been actively involved in the promotion, development, and financing
of the infrastructure sector in India.
About IRFC:
• IRFC is a dedicated financing arm of the Indian Railways for mobilizing funds from domestic as
well as overseas markets.
• The Government of India held an 86.36% stake in the company as on 30 June 2021.
• Amitabh Banerjee, CMD of IRFC.
GAME signed an MoU with NRLM to enable financial access for the growth of 10 lakh women
entrepreneurs:
• Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with DAY-National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) to enable financial access for the
growth of 10 lakh women entrepreneurs over 3 years.
• As per the MoU, GAME, and NRLM will strengthen non-farm livelihoods by building the capacity of
women entrepreneurs (WEs) to access finance and grow their enterprises.
• The program will focus on capacity building of stakeholders and bankers from public sector banks,
digitally-led NBFCs, and small finance banks.
• In line with this, another key objective is to identify and train ‘VittaSakhis’ from Self Help Groups
(SHGs) who can help WEs.
• VittaSakhis will educate WEs on how they can apply for and benefit from government schemes/
compliances and onboard them onto digital tools for building their enterprise.
About GAME:
• The Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship founded by Ravi Venkatesan, Madan Padaki, and
Mekin Maheshwari, was officially launched in August 2018, to unlock ME’s potential and as a
convening body that brings alignment within the ecosystem and mobilize action to address
systemic challenges.
• Suresh Gundappa, CEO, GAME.
NHIDCL has signed an MOU with CSIR-CRRI, IIT Roorkee, IIT Kanpur, and NSDC to help introduce
innovative technologies:
• National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), a CPSE under the
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, has signed a memorandum of understanding with CSIR-
CRRI, IIT Roorkee, IIT Kanpur, and NSDC to help introduce innovative technologies and find a
pragmatic solution to the highways construction issues in challenging hilly and border areas.
• Earlier, MoUs were signed with IIT Bombay & IIT Guwahati for sharing knowledge of innovative
ideas and technologies in the field of highway engineering to upgrade the skill and capacity of the
core engineering professionals of NHIDCL who are working tirelessly for the construction of
Highways, tunnels and other infrastructure in the very tough geographical areas of NE region, UT
of Ladakh, UT of J&K and UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• The latest MoU with IIT, Patna was signed.
• The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited is a fully owned
company of the Government of India, set up in 2014.
• Managing Director: Chanchal Kumar.
UNDP has partnered with Arya. ag for agri-value chain intervention, enterprise promotion, and skilling in
the agriculture sector:
• UNDP has partnered with the integrated grain commerce platform Arya. ag and Friends of
Women's World Banking India (FWWB India) for agri-value chain intervention, enterprise
promotion, and skilling in the agriculture sector.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing Project Excel in Jamnagar and
Dwaraka Devbhumi districts of Gujarat to improve the incomes of 10,000 farmer households
through enterprise promotion, agri-value chain interventions, skilling, employment, and social
protection.
• This partnership aims to create a cadre of community resource persons for mentoring and
supporting entrepreneurs and promoting individual and group enterprises by December 2023.
About FWWB:
• Friends of Women's World Banking, India, often shortened to Friends of WWB, India, or just
FWWB, is an Indian APEX organization that assists microfinance and microenterprise
organizations. Founded in 1982 by Ela Bhatt, it is located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
About UNDP:
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Headquarters - New York City, Head - Achim
Steiner.
AIIA and AIST, Japan have signed an MoU for academic establishment:
• The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), the apex institute of Ayurveda in India under the Ministry
of AYUSH, and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST),
Japan have signed an MoU for academic establishment.
• AIST is a reputed and one of the largest public research organizations in Japan, focusing on
technologies and on “bridging” the gap between innovative technological seeds and
commercialization.
• AIIA already has MoUs with the European Academy of Ayurveda, Bernstein, Germany; Western
Sydney University, Australia; Graz Medical University, Austria; College of Medical, UK; London
School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
About Japan:
• Capital: Tokyo
• Prime minister: Fumio Kishida.
CIL signed an MOU with Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited for developing a solar power project of 1190
MW:
• As part of its diversification program for clean coal energy, Coal India Limited (CIL) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL), for
developing a solar power project of 1190 MW in Jaipur in presence of Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union
Minister for Coal, Mines & Parliamentary Affairs and Shri Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister, Rajasthan
• The proposed project, for which the MoU was inked, will come up in Rajasthan’s upcoming solar
park cleared under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s Ultra Mega Renewable Energy
Power Parks.
About CIL:
• Coal India Limited is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the
Ministry of Coal, Government of India.
• It is headquartered in Kolkata.
• Founded: November 1975.
Indian Navy and IIM Nagpur signed an MoU to explore Opportunities to train, up -skill, and re-skill Armed
Forces Personnel:
• Indian Navy and IIM Nagpur signed an MoU to explore Opportunities to train, up-skill, and re-skill
Armed Forces Personnel, Indian Navy personnel in particular, in emerging areas of Business
Management, Financial Management, Block Chain, Project Management, Strategic Management,
Digital Marketing, Supply chain, Logistic management, and research.
• This will facilitate career enhancement/ progression of Serving Personnel and up-skill retiring
officers to meet industry requirements.
About the Indian Navy:
• The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces.
• The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy.
• Founded: 26 January 1950, Motto(s): शं नो वरुणः (Sanskrit), Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) -
Admiral R. Hari Kumar.
SJVN signed an MoU with APDCL for developing 1000MW floating solar power
• State-run power company SJVN signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Assam
Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) at Guwahati for developing 1000 MW floating solar
power projects in Assam by incorporating a joint venture company.
• SJVN will invest ₹6000 crores in the state for developing the project.
• Assam has a floating solar power generation potential of around 3000 MW out of which SJVN
would develop 1000 MW Floating Solar Projects across the state and the same shall be spread
over 4500 hectares of water area.
• About SJVN:
• Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, better known as SJVN, is an Indian public sector undertaking involved in
hydroelectric power generation and transmission.
• It was incorporated in 1988 as Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation, a joint venture between the
Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh
• Key people: Nand Lal Sharma (Chairman & MD).
IRCTC and CASHe have partnered to provide a "travel now, pay later" option:
• The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and AI-driven financial wellness
platform CASHe have teamed up to offer a "travel now pay later" (TNPL) payment option on
IRCTC Rail Connect, the company's travel app.
• This would allow passengers of Indian Railways to promptly reserve their rail tickets and pay for
them later in EMIs that are affordable and last between three and six months.
• Millions of Indian Railway travelers will now find it simpler and more convenient to purchase train
tickets on the IRCTC travel app with the addition of the CASHe payment option.
• Passengers purchasing reserved and tatkal tickets through the IRCTC travel app will have the
option to pay with EMI.
• All consumers are instantly qualified to use the TNPL facility without any documentation when
using CASHe's TNPL EMI payment option.
• Over 90 million people have downloaded the IRCTC travel app, which facilitates more than 1.5
million daily reservations for train tickets.
• This collaboration will also greatly help CASHe reach millions of IRCTC customers and give them
a simple choice to travel right away and pay for their train tickets in manageable EMIs down the
road.
Google and Assam Government collaborate to power digital learning:
• Google signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Assam government to support
and accelerate the State's goal of fostering digital growth and development.
• As part of this new initiative, Google will collaborate with the Skill, Employment &
Entrepreneurship Department (SEED) of the Assam Government to strengthen school digitization
efforts with digital tools and solutions to support teaching and learning as well as to spread the "Be
Internet Awesome" program's lessons on the fundamentals of online safety and digital citizenship
to school children.
• Google will collaborate with the Assam Skill Development Mission to award Google Career
Certificates to young people in Assam in addition to granting the scholarship.
About Google:
Drones might enhance India's GDP by $100 billion and create thousands of jobs:
• In a recent analysis, the World Economic Forum (WEF) claimed that putting drones at the forefront
of a technology-driven transformation of Indian agriculture may boost the country's GDP by 1–
1.5% and generate at least five lakh new jobs in the coming years.
• Drone-based technology has the potential to revolutionize Indian agriculture, according to a paper
published here by the WEF's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in India in collaboration
with the Adani Group.
• The WEF paper outlines drone use scenarios that integrate military and commercial technology
and are made practical by local stakeholder coordination, digital adoption, analytics, and financing.
• It also provides a framework for the development of scalable pilot projects that can be
implemented by various governments.
American Express ties up with Nasscom to empower women with digital skills:
• The Nasscom Foundation and American Express have partnered to train and upskill 700 women
graduates through an employment-linked training project, ‘Women Empowerment Through
Technology
• Under this project, American Express and Nasscom Foundation are working with two training
partners - FUEL (Friends Union for Energizing Lives) and RCED (Regional Centre for
Entrepreneurship) to impart women with technology-based skill development and
entrepreneurship training.
• Women Empowerment Through Technology project focuses on training 700 women in various
technical courses including cloud and data analytics, blockchain, Machine Learning (ML), and
Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• The enrolled beneficiaries will also be groomed through non-technical courses, including
communication skills, holistic personality development, and interview skills.
• On successful completion of the program, the women beneficiaries will receive a validated
professional certificate.
BEL inks MOU with Triton to manufacture hydrogen fuel cells:
• Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a US-
headquartered electric vehicle company, Triton Electric Vehicle (TEV), to manufacture hydrogen
fuel cells.
• The cells will be manufactured by BEL using the technology transfer from TEV.
• This would also help to meet the requirements of the Indian market and mutually agreed upon
export markets.
• According to the company, the MoU aims to tap the demand for clean energy solutions for various
applications, including for e- Mobility, by leveraging the Government of India’s thrust for adopting
clean energy fuels for applications in transport and energy storage.
Jakson Green had signed an MoU with the Rajasthan government:
• Jakson Green had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rajasthan
government.
• Jakson Green had signed the MoU to invest about ₹22,400 crores (roughly $2.8 billion) in
Rajasthan to establish a Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia project in phases.
• Jakson Green will establish a 3,65,000 tonnes per annum Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia
plant in Kota.
• The Rajasthan government would facilitate Jakson Green in getting required registrations,
approvals, and clearances, and provide incentives.
• Jakson Green is a part of the Jakson Group, which is a diversified energy and Infrastructure
company headquartered in Noida.
• The project, which was developed by Jakson Green and the Rajasthan government, is estimated
to generate over 32,000 direct and indirect job opportunities throughout the scale-up.
• Vish Iyer, Global Chief Commercial Officer at Jakson Green, and Bhaskar S Sawant, Principal
Secretary of Energy to the Government of Rajasthan, signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
• The Rajasthan government will assist Jakson Green in acquiring the appropriate registrations,
approvals, and clearance, as well as provide incentives.
Greenko Group and Keppel Infrastructure have signed an MoU to export green energy to Singapore:
• India’s Greenko group and Singapore’s Keppel Infrastructure have signed an MoU.
• India will export green energy to Singapore from 2025.
• Under the MoU to explore opportunities in green hydrogen potential in India, both will work
together towards a 250,000 tonnes per annum contract.
• Under the MoU, the first shipment will be supplied to Keppel’s new 600MW power plant in
Singapore.
• Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Singapore’s Trade and Industry
Minister Gan Kim Yong virtually witnessed the signing of the Greenko-Keppel MoU.
• This also comes in the backdrop of Greenko Group and Belgium’s John Cockerill plan to set up a
2 GW electrolyzer factory in India, one of the world’s largest, through their joint venture.
• The factory will require an investment of $500 million.
Drone Federation and the Indian Navy have partnered to advance homegrown drone technology:
• The Drone Federation of India (DFI) and the Naval Innovation Indigenisation Organization (NIIO)
under the Indian Navy have joined forces to promote domestic research, development, testing,
and production of drones, counter-drones, and related technologies for the Indian Navy.
• As part of this partnership, TDAC and DFI will boost the synergy between the Navy, Industry, and
Academic sectors and identify technical development obstacles for component indigenization.
• To speed up the development and testing of drones, particularly in marine conditions, and to
enable development for a variety of applications, a unique maritime drone testing site shall also be
designated for the Indian drone sector.
• As part of this relationship, skill development and sensitization programs will also be run.
• TDAC has been working to hasten the creation of homegrown technologies that the Indian Navy
can use.
• The Drone Federation of India will assist us in strengthening our connections with the sector and
in building a stronger roadmap for the timely introduction of drone platforms into the Indian Navy.
Bank of India acquires over 5.5% stake in ONDC for Rs 10 crore
• State-owned lender, Bank of India, (BoI) has acquired over 5.56% stake in Open Network for
Digital Commerce (ONDC) for Rs 10 crore.
• In absolute terms, it has acquired 10,00,000 equity shares for Rs 100 each in the to-be operational
digital commerce company, incorporated in December 2021.
• The framework is expected to make e-commerce more inclusive and accessible to consumers and
sellers.
About BoI:
• MD & CEO: Atanu Kumar Das
About ONDC:
• ONDC is a private non-profit Section 8 company established by the Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of GoI to develop open e-commerce.
Aim:
• To promote open networks for all aspects of the exchange of goods and services over digital or
electronic networks in the country.
CCI approves the acquisition of Assets of Essar Group by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Limited
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of A s s ets o f E ssar Gr oup
(Target) by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Limited (AMNS - Acquirer)
• The proposed combination involves the acquisition of certain assets
• Power Assets (Essar Power Hazira Limited (EPHL), Gandhar Hazira Transmission Limited
(GHTL))
• Port Assets (Hazira Cargo Terminals Limited (HCTL), Ibrox Aviation & Trading Private Limited
(IATPL), Essar Bulk Terminal Limited (EBTL), Essar Bulk Terminal Paradip Limited (EBTPL),
Essar Vizag Terminals Limited (EVTL))
• Other Assets (Snow White Agencies Private Limited (SWAPL), Bhagwat Steel Limited (BSL))
• AMNS is a Joint Venture between ArcelorMittal S .A. ( AM ) and its affiliates and N i ppon S teel
Corporation, Japan (NSC)
• EPHL is a power plant adjacent to AMNS, Hazira, Gujarat, and comprises two generation units of
135-MW capacity each and is used by the acquirer for captive purposes.
About CCI:

CCI approves the acquisition of the share capital of 18 subsidiaries of Mytrah Energy (India) Private
Limited by JSW Neo Energy Limited
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of the share capital of 18
subsidiaries of Mytrah Energy (India) Private Limited by JSW Neo Energy Limited under Section
31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
• The proposed combination pertains to the acquisition of the shareholding of 18 subsidiaries
(Targets) of Mytrah Energy (India) Private Limited (Mytrah) through individual share purchase
agreements by JSW Neo Energy Limited (Acquirer) (Proposed Combination).
• The Acquirer will acquire an operational renewable portfolio of 1,753 MW.

About JSW Neo Energy Limited (Acquirer):
• It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Energy Limited (“JEL”).
• It was incorporated as per JEL’s proposed reorganization of its energy business into grey
(thermal) and green (renewable).
• Currently, the Acquirer is engaged in power generation through renewable sources of energy such
as hydro and solar.
About Mytrah Energy (India) Private Limited (Targets):
• The Targets are subsidiaries of Mytrah and are engaged in power generation through renewable
sources of energy, viz., wind and solar.
CCI approves the acquisition by Adani Power Ltd of the share capital of Diligent Power Pvt Ltd and DB
Power Ltd
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition by Adani Power Limited
(Acquirer) of the share capital of Diligent Power Private Limited (Diligent Power) and DB Power
Limited (DB Power)
• The Acquirer is a publicly listed company incorporated in India with its shares listed on BSE
Limited as well as the National Stock Exchange of India Limited.
• It is a power company with 8 operational power plants in India.
• It has a power generation capacity of 13,650 MW comprising thermal power plants in Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh and a 40 MW solar power project in
Gujarat.
• Diligent Power is primarily engaged in the activities of a holding company & it also provides project
management and consultancy services, limited to DB Power.
• DB Power operates a coal-based thermal power plant with an installed capacity of 1200 MW per
hour in Chhattisgarh.
LIC increases its stake in Dr. Reddy's Laboratories to 7.7%
• Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd (DRL) informed that the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has
increased its stake to 7.7% from 5.65% stake.
• Between June 15, 2022, and September 30, 2022, LIC purchased 33,86,486 shares of DRL,
aggregating a 2.034% stake from the open market.
About Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd:
• Founded: 1984
• Headquarters: Hyderabad; Telangana, India
• CEO: Erez Israeli
• Dr. Reddy's Laboratories is an Indian multinational pharmaceutical company.
About LIC:
• Chairperson: M R Kumar
• Managing Director: B C Patnaik, Smt. Ipe Mini, Siddharth Mohanty, Rajkumar
Govt, LIC to divest 60.72% stake in IDBI Bank
• The Government of India (GoI) and the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) will together
divest a 60.72% stake in IDBI Bank Limited.
• The proposed strategic disinvestment includes the sale of 30.48% of the Government of India’s
stake and a 30.24% stake in the Life Insurance Corporation of India.
• For this, the Department of Investment & Public Asset Management (DIPAM) under the Ministry of
Defence (MoD) has named KPMG India Pvt Ltd and Link Legal are acting as the transaction and
legal advisors for managing the IDBI Bank stake sale
• This would reportedly be the first privatization of a public sector bank.
Key Highlights:
• The government and LIC hold a 94.72% stake together in IDBI Bank.
• Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) holds 529.41 crore shares representing a 49.24% stake in IDBI
Bank, while the government holds 488.99 crore shares or a 45.48% stake.
• The IDBI Bank sale will contribute to the FY23 divestment target of the Center of Rs 65,000 crore
• The government has invited an expression of interest (EoIs) till December 16, 2022.
• Expression of interest means a willingness of a potential buyer to participate in a bid to buy a
certain stake in a company.
• The EoIs would be valid for 6 months and can be extended to a further 6 months.
• The selected bidder would be required to mandatorily lock in at least 40% of the equity capital for
5 years from the date of acquisition.
About LIC:
About IDBI Bank Limited:
CCI approves IndInfravit’s acquisition of 5 SPVs operating expressway projects in 4 States
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of 100% of the equity
and compulsorily convertible debentures of 5 special purpose vehicles (SPVs) by IndInfravit &
allotment of units of IndInfravit to CPHI-4 for part-funding the acquisition of SPVs.
• The 5 SPVs are engaged in the operation and maintenance of highways in the states of Andhra
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra.
About IndInfravit:
• IndInfravit was set up on 7 March 2018, as an irrevocable trust under the provisions of the Indian
Trusts Act, of 1882.
• It is registered as an infrastructure investment trust under the SEBI (Infrastructure Investment
Trusts) Regulations, 2014 (as amended) (InvIT Regulations) to invest in road infrastructure assets
in India.
• Currently, it has a portfolio of 13 road assets across 6 states and a network of approximately
5,000 lane km.
• CPHI-4 is a Canadian corporation and an investment holding company that invests in a diversified
portfolio of assets.
About CCI:
• Secretary: P K Singh
CCI clears ADIA's minority stake buy in Intas Pharmaceuticals
• Anti-trust regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) cleared Platinum Owl's acquisition of a
minority stake in Intas Pharmaceuticals.
• The proposed transaction involves a secondary acquisition by Platinum Owl of 3% of the equity
shareholding of Intas (on an outstanding shares basis).
• Platinum Owl is acting in its capacity as a trustee for Platinum Jasmine A 2018 Trust and Abu
Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is the sole beneficiary and settlor of the Platinum Jasmine A
2018 Trust.
• ADIA is a public institution established as an independent investment institution by the
Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
• Intas is engaged in the business of development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical
formulations.
MCA approves demerger of NMDC Steel from NMDC
• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has approved the demerger of NMDC Steel Limited, a 3-
million-tone steel plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh, from NMDC Ltd with an investment outlay of
over Rs 20,000 crore.
• The Company is in the process of complying with the requirements as envisaged in the MCA
Order and the observation letters received from Bombay, Calcutta, and National Stock
Exchanges.
About MCA:
• Cabinet Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman
• Minister of State: Rao Inderjit Singh
About NMDC:
• Founded: 1958
• Chairman & MD: Sumit Deb
• NMDC Limited, (formerly National Mineral Development Corporation) is under the ownership of
the Ministry of Steel, Government of India.
LIC reduces stake in United Nilgiri Tea
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has reduced its stake in United Nilgiri Tea Estates
Company Ltd from 4.81 lakh shares to 3.80 lakh shares.
• The LIC's shareholding has decreased from 9.632% to 7.613% of the paid-up capital of the
company.
• LIC offered these shares at a mean value of ₹310.72 between August 12 and October 7, 2022, the
insurance coverage mainly informed the exchanges.
About LIC:
• Managing Director: B C Patnaik, Smt. Ipe Mini, Siddharth Mohanty, Rajkumar
• LIC is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance,
NSDL Acquires 5.6% Stake in ONDC for INR 10 crore
• National Securities Depository (NSDL) has acquired a 5.6% stake in the digital commerce platform
Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
• The NDSL has invested 10 crores to buy 1 million shares which translates to a 5.6% equity stake.
About NSDL:
• Founded: 1996
• MD & CEO: Padmaja Chunduru
• It was the first electronic securities depository in India with national coverage.
About ONDC:
• ONDC is a private non-profit Section 8 company established by the Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Government of India.
Aim:
• To provide a digital platform that aggregates sellers and buyers of various goods.
IRDAI Grants Approval to Merger of Exide Life into HDFC Life
• Insurance sector regulator Insurance Regulatory and Developm ent Authority of India (IRDAI) has
granted final approval to HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd (HDFC Life) to merge Exide Life into
the company.
• This marks the completion of the first-ever merger and acquisition (M&A) transaction in the Indian
life insurance sector.
• In January 2022, HDFC Life acquired a 100% stake in Exide Life Insurance Company from its
parent firm Exide Industries for Rs 6,687 crore to increase its presence in the south India market.
• With the transfer of its life insurance business to HDFC Life, Exide Industries acquired a 4.12%
stake in HDFC Life.
• In Sep 2022, IRDAI received approval from the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law
Tribunal (NCLT) for the merger of Exide Life into itself.
About IRDAI:
• IRDAI is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
• Founded: 2000
• It is a joint venture between Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC), one of India's
leading housing finance institutions, and Abrdn, a global investment company.
Invesco sells a 5.5% stake in Zee for Rs 1,396 cr
• Invesco and OFI Global China along with other entities sold a 5.51% stake in Zee Entertainment
Enterprises (ZEEL) for $169.5 million or up to Rs 1,396 crore in a block trade.
• According to data, it sold over 53 million shares for Rs263.7 each to raise Rs1,396 crore.
• Some of the purchases included Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Bank of America, Abvendus, and
ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund (MF).
• Before the investment, Invesco owned 10.14% of Zee.
• Zee shares increased 2.79 % to close at Rs270.65 on the BSE.
• The price for the deal was reported to be in the range of Rs 250 to Rs 263.7 per share.
• In April 2022, after withdrawing its demand for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM), Invesco
sold a 7.74 pc stake in Zee Entertainment for Rs 2,092 crore.
About Invesco:
• Founded: 1978
• Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
• Chairman: Rex Adams
• CEO: Martin L. Flanagan
• Invesco Ltd. is an American independent investment management company.
LIC increases its stake in Dr. Reddy's Laboratories to 7.7% from 5.65%
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has increased its stake to 7.7% from 5.65% in an Indian
multinational pharmaceutical company Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.
• Between June 15, 2022, and September 30, 2022, LIC purchased 33,86,486 shares of DRL,
aggregating a 2.034% stake from the open market.
About LIC:
• Chairperson: Mangalam Ramasubramanian Kumar
• LIC is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance,
GoI.
About Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd:
• Founded: 1984
• Headquarters: Hyderabad; Telangana, India
• Chairman: Kallam Satish Reddy
• CEO: Erez Israeli
CCI imposes a monetary penalty of Rs. 1337.76 crores on Google
• The Competition Commission of India (Commission) has imposed a penalty of Rs. 1,337.76 crores
on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in the Android Mobile device
ecosystem, and for violating Section 4 of the Act.
• The fair trade regulator has also directed the tech giant to cease unfair business practices.
• Google has been given a time of 30 days to provide the requisite financial details and supporting
documents.
• Smart mobile devices need an operating system (OS) to run applications (apps) and programs.
Android is one such mobile operating system that was acquired by Google in 2005.
• The CCI also directed Google to modify its conduct within a defined timeline.
The CCI delineated the following 5 relevant markets in the present matter:
1. The market for licensable OS for smart mobile devices in India
2. The market for an app store for Android smart mobile OS in India
3. The market for general web search services in India
4. The market for non-OS specific mobile web browsers in India
5. The market for online video hosting platforms (OVHP) in India.
About CCI:
CCI approves acquisition of stake by CA Basque Investments of Yes Bank Limited
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of a 10% stake of the total
paid-up share capital and voting rights of the Yes Bank Limited (Target) by CA Basque
Investments (Acquirer), under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002
• CA Basque is a newly-formed special purpose vehicle (incorporated in Mauritius) and is fully
owned by CA Marans Investments (Mauritius), which is ultimately controlled by the funds
managed by the affiliates of The Carlyle Group Inc.
• It is an investment holding entity and does not have any business activities in India.
• The Carlyle Group Inc. is a global investment firm, which manages funds that invest globally
across 3 investment disciplines:
1. Global private equity
2. Global credit
3. Global investment solutions
CCI clears Reliance Polyester's acquisition of Shubhalakshmi Polyesters, Shubhlaxmi Polytex
• Fair trade regulator Competition Commission cleared the acquisition of business undertakings of
Shubhalakshmi Polyesters Ltd (SPL) and Shubhlaxmi Polytex Ltd (SPTex) by Reliance Polyester
Ltd (RPL).
• SPL and SPTex are primarily engaged in the production and supply of polyester products while
RPL is engaged in the production and supply of certain petrochemical products and polyester
yarns.
Recent News:
• Reliance Polyester Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, executed definitive
documents to acquire the polyester business of Shubhalakshmi Polyesters Ltd and Shubhlaxmi
Polytex Ltd for cash consideration of Rs 1,522 crore and Rs 70 crore respectively, aggregating to
Rs 1,592 crore by way of slump sale on a going concern basis.
CCI approves the acquisition of equity securities amounting up to 10% in YES Bank by Verventa
Holdings
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of equity securities
amounting up to 10% in YES Bank Limited (Target) by Verventa Holdings Ltd. (Acquirer)
• Verventa Holdings Ltd is an investment holding company.
• Currently, it does not have any operations in India.
Nomura Singapore sells a 1.52% stake in CSB Bank worth Rs 61 crore
• Nomura Singapore divested a 1.52% stake in private sector lender CSB Bank Limited (erstwhile
Catholic Syrian Bank Limited) for over Rs 61.31 crore through an open market transaction.
Key Highlights:
• According to the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Nomura Singapore offloaded 26,39,673 shares,
amounting to a 1.52% stake in the company.
• The shares were disposed of at an average price of Rs 232.3 apiece, taking the transaction value
to Rs 61.31 crore.
• The shares of CSB Bank closed 2.42% lower at Rs 228.20 apiece on NSE.
About CSB Bank Limited:
• MD & CEO: Pralay Mondal
KKR to Acquire 100% Stake in Ness Digital Engineering
• Global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. I.p (KKR & Co.Inc) had signed an
agreement to acquire a 100% stake in Ness Digital Engineering (Ness), a US-based digital
services transformation company from The Rohatyn Group (TRG).
• The deal is valued at over $500 million.
Key Highlights:
• Ness adds to KKR’s global portfolio of technology investments, which includes
• Cloudera, a leading provider of enterprise-grade, hybrid data management software in the United
States
• Yayoi, is a software developer, distributor, and support service provider for small -and-medium-
sized enterprises in Japan
• Probe CX, a provider of outsourced customer experience and business process outsourcing
solutions in Australia
• MYOB, a leading Australian online business management company
• Jio is a next-generation technology platform that provides digital services across India.
About Ness:
• Founded: 1998
• Headquarters: Teaneck, New Jersey
• CEO: Ranjit Tinaikar
• Ness is a leading provider of end-to-end digital transformation services that specializes in building
digital software products and platforms.
About KKR:
• Founded: 1976
• Headquarters: New York, U.S
• Co-Executive Chairman: Henry R. Kravis, George R. Roberts
• CEO of KKR India: Gaurav Trehan
About TRG:
• Founded: 2002
• Managing Director: Tom Kucera
Lt Gen Mr. Anil Chauhan appointed as the new Chief of Defence Staff
• Lieutenant (Lt) General Mr. Anil Chauhan (Retired), a known China expert who retired as the
Eastern Army Command chief in May 2021 has been appointed as the next Chief of Defence Staff
(CDS) of India
• He will also function as Secretary Department of Military Affairs.
• The post of CDS was lying vacant since December 8, 2021, when the first CDS General Mr. Bipin
Rawat was killed in a helicopter accident in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.
• This is the first time a retired three-star officer (Lt-Gen, Air Marshal, Vice Admiral) will return to
active service as a four-star officer like the Army, Navy, and IAF chiefs.
Role of CDS:
• The CDS is responsible for joint planning for procurement, training, and staffing for the services.
• He is tasked with the facilitation of restructuring of military commands for optimal utilization of
resources by bringing about joint efforts in operations through the establishment of theatre
commands.
• He will be promoting the use of indigenous equipment by the services.
About Lt Gen Mr. Anil Chauhan:
• Lt Gen Mr. Chauhan Born on May 18, 1961, was commissioned into the 6th battalion of the 11
Gorkha Rifles Regiment in 1981.
• He had also served on a United Nations mission to Angola.
• For his distinguished and illustrious service in the Army, Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) was
awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena
Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.
• Currently, he is the military advisor to national security advisor Ajit Doval and the National
Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).
Senior Advocate Mr. R Venkataramani was Appointed As the New Attorney General of India
• The Law Ministry announced that Senior advocate Mr. R. Venkataramani has been appointed as
the current & 16th Attorney General (AG) of India by President Droupadi Murmu for three years.
• Mr. Venkataramani will succeed Mr. K. K. Venugopal, whose term comes to end on September
30, 2022.
• His appointment comes just days after senior advocate Mr. Mukul Rohatgi declined the
government’s offer to become the next AG.
About Mr. Venkataramani:
• Mr. Venkataramani was born in southern Puducherry state on April 13, 1950.
• He has a rich experience of over 40 years as a lawyer and he was also a former member of the
Law Commission of India.
• He was enrolled in July 1977 in the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and joined the chambers of the late
senior advocate in SC P.P. Rao in 1979.
• He was designated as a senior advocate by the Supreme Court in 1997.
• He also served as a member of the Law Commission of India in 2010 and 2013.
About Attorney General for India:
• The Attorney General of India is the highest law officer in the country.
• The AG is the Indian government's chief legal advisor and is its principal Advocate before the
Supreme Court of India.
• The AG must be a person qualified to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court.
• AG is appointed by the President of India at the instance of the Union Cabinet under Article 76(1)
of the Constitution.
Government reshuffles IL&FS board; Mr. CS Rajan becomes non-executive chairman & Nand Kishore as
MD
• The government has reshuffled the board of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited
(IL&FS), which is undergoing a debt resolution process, with existing board member Mr. C S
Rajan being redesignated as the Non-Executive Chairman.
• Mr. Nand Kishore, who was serving as an executive director, has been made the Managing
Director (MD).
• Currently, the board has five members, besides Mr. Rajan and Mr. Kishore, the directors are Mr. G
C Chaturvedi, Ms. Malini Shankar, and Mr. N Srinivasan.
• The corporate affairs ministry superseded the board of IL&FS in October 2018.
• The sprawling financial services group has 347 entities under it and resolution has taken place for
246 entities after the ministry-appointed board started the resolution process.
• IL&FS’s new board & management had addressed a total debt of Rs 55,000 crore of its overall
resolution estimate of Rs 61,000 crore.
About IL&FS:
• Founded: 1987
Data Security Council of India appoints Mr. Vinayak Godse as the new CEO
• NASSCOM-established leading industry body Data Security Council of India (DSCI) has
appointed senior vice president Mr. Vinayak Godse to the position of Chief Executive Officer
(CEO)
• He will succeed Mr. Rama Vedashree, who served DSCI for nearly 6 years.
About Mr. Vinayak Godse:
• Mr. Godse has been with DSCI since its founding and has over 27 years of expertise in
information security, IT transformation, intelligent networking, and telecommunications
infrastructure.
• He worked with the Global Consulting Practice of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Information
Risk Management and also worked as a Telecom Engineer at Bharat Sanchar Nigam limited.
• He also has been managing the National Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity Technology and
Entrepreneurship, a joint initiative of DSCI and the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology.
Note:
• President of NASSCOM: Debjani Ghosh
About DSCI:
• Chairman: Rajendra S Pawar
Hero MotoCorp Appoints Movie Star Ram Charan as New Brand Ambassador
• The world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, Hero MotoCorp Limited has
appointed Indian superstar, Ram Charan as the new brand ambassador.
• He is seen riding the gorgeous Glamor in Nexus Blue Color in the high-decibel, energizing
campaign for Glamor XTEC - Gazab Style, Gazab Technology.
About Ram Charan:
• Konidela Ram Charan Teja is an Indian actor, producer, and entrepreneur who works
predominantly in Telugu cinema.
• His notable works include Racha (2012), Naayak (2013), Yevadu (2014), Govindudu Andarivadele
(2014), and Dhruva (2016).
Awards & Honors:
• He is the recipient of three Filmfare Awards and two Nandi Awards, a Special Jury Award, and a
state award Presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) for Magadheera in 2010 &
Chiruta in 2008.
About Hero MotoCorp:
• Chairman, MD & CEO: Pawan Munjal
• It is a joint venture between the Hero Group of India and the Honda Motor Company of Japan.
Mr. Sujoy Lal Thaosen & Mr. Anish Dayal Singh were Appointed as New DGs of CRPF & ITBP
• Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers Mr. Sujoy Lal Thaosen and Mr. Anish Dayal Singh have
been appointed as the new director generals of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) respectively.
• The order for their appointment was issued by the Personnel Ministry after sanction from the
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the prime minister.
• Mr. Thaosen is scheduled to retire in November 2023, while Singh will superannuate in December
2024.
• The CRPF DG post fell vacant after IPS officer Mr. Kuldiep Singh (1986-batch West Bengal cadre)
retired from service.
• The post of ITBP chief was also vacated with the transfer of 1988 batch IPS Mr. Sanjay Arora as
Police Commissioner of Delhi.
About Mr. Sujoy Lal Thaosen:
• Mr. Thaosen, a 1988-batch IPS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre
• He served in the Border Security Force (BSF) and United Nations as part of the International
Police Task Force (IPTF)
• He is currently working as the director general (DG) of the border guarding force Sashastra
Seema Bal (SSB) and holding the additional charge of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
About Mr. Anish Dayal Singh:
• Mr. Anish Dayal Singh, a 1988-batch IPS officer of the Manipur cadre.
• He is currently serving as a special director in the Intelligence Bureau.
About CRPF:
• Motto: Service and Loyalty
• The CRPF is India's largest Central Armed Police Force.
• It functions under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India.
Primary Role:
• To assist the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and counter-
insurgency.
About ITBP:
• The ITBP is India's primary border patrol organization for its border with China's Tibet
Autonomous Region.
Shri Sunil Barthwal assumes charge as Secretary of, the Department of Commerce
• Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Shri Sunil Barthwal was appointed as the
Secretary of, the Department of Commerce under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry in New
Delhi, Delhi, India.
• He replaced Shri Subrahmanyam, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre.
• Shri Subrahmanyam was appointed as chairman and managing director of, the India Trade
Promotion Organisation (ITPO) on a contract basis for two years following his superannuation.
About Shri Sunil Barthwal:
• He was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
which is the largest social security organization in India.
• He has held various administrative positions in the areas of Finance, Social Security, Investment,
Infrastructure, Mines, Steel, Energy, Transport, etc. in the Government at the Central and State
level.
• He has also worked in the Competition Commission of India.
• He has been on the Boards of SAIL, NMDC, MECON, MSTC & NIIF.
• Before this, he was serving as Secretary of, the Ministry of Labor & Employment.
Mr. S Bharathan appointed as the new director at HPCL
• Mr. S Bharathan took over as Director-Refineries of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL),
a Maharatna Company.
• He replaced Mr. Vinod S Shenoy.
About Mr. S Bharathan:
• He has worked in the Operations and Technical Departments of Mumbai and Visakh Refinery for
over 25 years.
• He has worked in the Corporate Office on Margin Management and Refinery Project Processes
for over 4 years.
• He is also leading HPCL’s Green R&D Centre (HPGRDC) in Bengaluru for the last 3 years.
• Before taking over as Director – Refineries, Bharathan was serving as Executive Director –
Refineries Coordination with an Additional Charge of Research and Development (R&D).
About HPCL:
• Founded: 1974
• Chairman & Managing Director: Pushp Kumar Joshi
• HPCL is an Indian oil and gas refining company
• HPCL is the country’s 3rd -largest oil refining and fuel marketing company.
ISRO scientist Dr. AK Anil Kumar elected as vice president of the International Astronautical Federation
• Senior scientist in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Dr. A K Anil Kumar, was
elected as the Vice President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) during its Annual
Conference International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2022 held in Paris during 18-22
September 2022.
• Currently, he is Associate Director of ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network
(ISTRAC), Bengaluru, Karnataka has been leading the ISRO activities for safe and sustainable
space operations Management.
About IAF:
• Founded: 1951
• President: Clay Mowry
• The IAF is the world's leading space advocacy body with 433 members in 72 countries, including
all leading space agencies, companies, research institutions, universities, societies, associations,
institutes, and museums worldwide.
• IAF actively encourages the development of astronautics for peaceful purposes and supports the
dissemination of scientific and technical information related to space.
ASCI appoints Mr. N S Rajan as the next chairman; Mr. Saugata Gupta new Vice Chairman
• Mr. N S Rajan (Director of August One Partners LLP) has been unanimously elected as the
chairman of the Board of Governors of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
• He has replaced Mr. Subhash Kamath.
• Mr. Saugata Gupta, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Marico Limited, was elected
Vice Chairman of ASCI.
• While Mr. Shashidhar Sinha, CEO of IPG Mediabrands India, was appointed Honorary Treasurer
at the board meeting after the 36th Annual General Meeting (AGM) from ASCI.
• The board meeting also saw the induction of Mr. Virat Tandon, Group CEO of Lintas India, and
Mr. Arun Srinivas, Director, GMS India (Meta), onto the board.
About ASCI:
• ASCI is a voluntary self-regulatory organization of the advertising industry in India.
Eminent Lawyer Dr. Lalit Bhasin elected as the new National President of IACC
• Noted lawyer Dr. Lalit Bhasin has been appointed as the national president of Indian American
Chambers of Commerce (IACC).
About Dr. Lalit Bhasin:
• Dr. Bhasin is a well-known name in business and social circles.
• He is closely associated with India’s apex business organizations like CII, and PHD CCI and
served as chairman of its legal committees.
• He is the 54th National President of IACC, which was set up in October 1968 and is
headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra having 14 offices all over India, with a large membership
from large, medium, and small business entities.
• Before being elected as the National President of the IACC, Bhasin was the Executive Vice
President of IACC.
About IACC:
• Founded: 1968
Former Brigadier Shri BD Mishra takes additional charge as Meghalaya governor in Shillong
• The former brigadier of the Indian Army & Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Shri B.D. Mishra
(Retd.), took additional charge as the Governor of Meghalaya at the Raj Bhavan in Shillong.
• He succeeded Shri Satya Pal Malik who completed his term as the Meghalaya governor on
October 3, 2022.
About Shri BD Mishra:
• Shri BD Mishra was born on 20 July 1939 in Uttar Pradesh, India
• He served in the Indian Army in three major wars in 1962 (Sino-Indian War), 1965, and 1971
(Bangladesh Liberation War)
• He retired from the Indian Army on 31 July 1995, after a career that began as a permanent regular
infantry officer, on 17 December 1961.
• He took charge as full-fledged Governor of Arunachal Pradesh on October 3, 2017.
About Meghalaya:
Shri Sanjeev Kishore takes over as the new Director General Ordnance
• Shri Sanjeev Kishore, a 1985 batch officer of the Indian Ordnance Factory Service (IOFS), has
taken over as the director general ordnance (C&S) at the Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination &
Services), Kolkata, West Bengal, upon the superannuation of Shri M K Grag.
About Shri Sanjeev Kishore:
• He has held many senior positions, including that of the first CMD of Armoured Vehicles Nigam
Ltd (AVNL), one of the 7 new DPSUs formed by the Government of India in 2021.
• He has ensured a smooth transition of the Armoured group of factories from a Government
department to a corporation.
• Before the appointment of CMD, Shri Kishore was also posted as the Senior General Manager of
Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) Avadi and General Manager of Opto Electronics Factory (OLF),
Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• He has been awarded Santu Sahaney Memorial Shield and Ayudh Bhushan award for his
meritorious services in enhancing defense production.
• Before taking over the charge of DGO (C &S), Shri Kishore was the Additional Director General of
Ordnance at the Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination & Services), Kolkata.
Fire-Boltt Appoints Kiara Advani as Brand Ambassador
• Homegrown wearable and audio watch brand, Fire-Boltt has appointed Indian actress Kiara
Advani as its new brand ambassador.
• Kiara will be part of the marketing campaigns of the brand alongside cricketing icon Virat Kohli &
actor Vicky Kaushal.
• She will participate in different marketing, advertisement, and endorsement campaigns for the
homegrown brand, which as per Counterpoint research is at the no.1 spot for the smartwatches
segment in India.
• The association with Kiara will help the brand to engage with the young generation.
About Fire-Boltt:
• Founded: 2015
• Founder & CEO: Arnav Kishore
Google's India policy head Ms. Archana Gulati resigns
• Google India’s government affairs and public policy head Ms. Archana Gulati, who joined the tech
giant just five months back after quitting government service, has resigned from her post.
• The resignation comes at a time when Google is facing a series of antitrust cases in India and
stricter tech-sector regulations.
About Ms. Archana Gulati:
• Ms. Archana Gulati is an economics graduate and a Ph.D. from IIT-Delhi.
• She was Joint Secretary (Digital Communications) at NITI Aayog, a government thinks tank that
advises the Union government on the policy before she joined Google India. ∙
• She was a joint administrator in the finance division at the telecom ministry's Universal Services
Obligation Fund of India between May 2007 to February 2012.
• Between 2014 and 2016, she worked as a senior official at the Competition Commission of India,
in its Mergers & Acquisitions division.
• She was looking after digital communications policy matters at NITI Aayog from August 2019 to
March 2021, before she took voluntary retirement.
• For a year she freelanced and joined Google in May 2021.
Gujarat IAS cadre Ajay Bhadoo appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner & Akash Tripathi MyGov's
CEO
• A 1999 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Gujarat cadre, Mr. Ajay Bhadoo has
been appointed as the Deputy Election Commissioner until July 24, 2024.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the senior bureaucrat's candidature.
GAIL appoints Mr. Sandeep Kumar Gupta as Chairman & Managing Director
• Mr. Sandeep Kumar Gupta has taken charge as the chairman and managing director of GAIL
(India) Limited.
• Mr. Gupta will replace Mr. Manoj Jain, who has a wide experience of more than 34 years in the oil
and gas industry.
• In June 2022 the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) selected him for the top role at GAIL
after interviewing 10 candidates.
About Mr. Sandeep Kumar Gupta:
• Mr. Gupta, 56, is a commerce graduate and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of
India.
• Before joining GAIL, he held the position of Director (Finance) in August 2019 on the Board of
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, the leading PSU integrated Energy Company in Fortune "Global 500",
and several group companies.
• He has received prestigious individual recognition such as “CA CFO- Large Corporate –
Manufacturing and Infrastructure Category” in Jan. 2021 by ICAI for Financial and Risk
Management during the Pandemic and was adjudged among the Top 30 CFOs in India by
StartupLanes.com in May 2022.
About GAIL (India) Limited:
• Founded: 1984
• GAIL (India) Limited is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India.
SBI General Insurance appoints Mr. Kishore Kumar Poludasu as MD & CEO
• SBI General Insurance Company Limited has appointed Shri Kishore Kumar Poludasu as its new
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• He was nominated by the parent company, State Bank of India, for the position.
About Shri Kishore Kumar Poludasu:
• Shri Kishore Kumar Poludasu has been associated with the State Bank of India since 1991.
• He is a seasoned BFSI professional with over 3 decades of experience in commercial banking.
• He has also been instrumental in supervising the integration of systems & processes and human
resources during the merger between the State Bank of Mysore and SBI.
• He has been associated with the setting up of the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and
Development (NaBFID) promoted by the government for enhanced focus on financing and
development of the infrastructure sector in India as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) from SBI till
September 2022.
• Before his current role at SBI General under State Bank Group, he was the Deputy Managing
Director (DMD), of State Bank of India, Singapore Operations.
About SBI General Insurance Company Limited:
• Founded: 2009
Gulf Oil appoints cricketer Smriti Mandhana as Brand Ambassador
• Gulf Oil Lubricants, a Hinduja Group company, has appointed Indian women cricketing star and
current Vice Captain Smriti Shriniwas Mandhana as its new brand ambassador
• Smriti Mandhana will join the ranks of current brand ambassadors Mahendra Singh Dhoni and
Hardik Pandya.
• Gulf Oil becomes the first company in the lubricant space to appoint a woman cricketer as
ambassador to represent the organization.
About Smriti Shriniwas Mandhana:
• Mandhana was born on 18 July 1996 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• In October 2013, she became the first Indian woman to achieve a double hundred in a one-day
game.
• Playing for Maharashtra against Gujarat, she scored an unbeaten 224 off 150 balls.
• In June 2018, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named her the Best Women's
International Cricketer.
• In 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) awarded her with the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award
for the best female cricketer of the year.
• In 2021, she became a nominee for the ICC Women's T20 Player of the Year.
Awards & Honors:
• In 2018, Mandhana received the honorable Arjuna Award.
• In January 2022, the ICC awarded her with the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for the ICC Women's
Cricketer of the Year.
About Gulf Oil Lubricants India Limited:
• MD & CEO: Mr. Ravi Chawla
Shri Sibi George appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Japan
• Senior diplomat Shri Sibi George was appointed as the next Indian ambassador to Japan.
• The Ministry of External Affairs has informed us that Shri Sibi George will take up the new
assignments shortly.
• He will replace Shri Sanjay Kumar Verma as the representative of India to Japan.
• Meanwhile, Shri Sanjay Kumar Verma has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of
India to Canada.
About Shri Sibi George:
• Shri Sibi George was born in Pala, Kerala.
• Shri George is an Indian civil servant of the 1993-batch Indian Foreign Service cadre officer.
• He previously served as Ambassador of India to Switzerland as well.
• Currently, he is serving as the ambassador of India to Kuwait.
Awards & Honors:
• In 2014, the Government of India conferred on him the S.K.Singh Award for his Excellence in
Indian Foreign Service.
RBI approves the reappointment of Shri Prashant Kumar as MD and CEO of Yes Bank for 3 yrs
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the reappointment of Shri Prashant Kumar as the
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of YES Bank under Section 35B of the
Banking Regulation Act, 1949 for another 3 years.
• Meanwhile, in September 2022 RBI approved the appointment of its former deputy governor Shri
R Gandhi as non-executive part-time chairman of Yes Bank for 3 years.
About Shri Prashant Kumar:
• Shri Kumar holds a degree in Science and a law from Delhi University.
• He joined the State Bank of India (SBI) as Probationary Officer in 1983 and during his 34 years of
service with the Bank, he has held various key assignments
• Before joining Yes Bank, he was Deputy Managing Director & Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of
SBI.
• Shri Kumar was appointed as MD & CEO of Yes Bank post Reconstruction in March 2020.
About Yes Bank:
Bank of India Mutual Fund appoints Shri Mohit Bhatia as CEO
• Bank of India Investment Managers Private Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of India (BoI)
has appointed Shri Mohit Bhatia as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
About Shri Mohit Bhatia:
• Shri Bhatia started his career as a research analyst - Equities and Investments at PNB Mutual
Fund in 1996 and has more than 26 years of professional experience.
• He worked with Canara Robeco Asset Management Company Limited as head of sales and
marketing.
• He also worked as vice president with Franklin Templeton Investments and Axis Bank, DSP
BlackRock Mutual Fund, and Alliance Capital Mutual Fund India.
• He has over 26 years of professional experience in the mutual funds and financial services
industry.
Note:
• BOI MF Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Indian-origin Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy appointed as US representative on the WHO executive
board
• US President Mr. Joe Biden has nominated Indian-origin Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy to
serve as America’s representative on the executive board of the World Health Organisation.
• He will serve as the US Representative on WHO Executive Board and will continue his duties as
the US Surgeon General.
About Dr. Vivek Murthy:
• Dr. Vivek Murthy was born on July 10, 1977, in Huddersfield, England, the UK to immigrants from
Karnataka, India.
• He is a renowned physician, research scientist, entrepreneur, and author.
• He is an American physician and a vice admiral in the United States Public Health Service
Commissioned Corp
• In March 2021, he was confirmed by the US Senate to serve as the 21st Surgeon General of the
country.
• He also served as the 19th Surgeon General under President Mr. Barack Obama.
• He is the first surgeon general of Indian descent & during his first term as surgeon general, he was
the youngest active duty flag officer in federal uniformed service.
• He also commands a uniformed service of over 6,000 dedicated public health officers, serving the
most underserved and vulnerable populations.
Mr. Balasubramanian re-elected as chairman of the mutual fund industry body AMFI
• Mr. Balasubramanian, the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Aditya
Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund, has been re-elected as the chairman of the Association of Mutual
Funds in India (AMFI).
• The decision was taken by the industry body of SEBI-registered mutual funds at its recent board
meeting after the 27th annual general meeting (AGM) held in September 2022.
• Mr. Sundeep Sikka, executive director and CEO of Nippon Life India Asset Management Limited,
is the new chairman of the AMFI ETF Committee.
• While Ms. Radhika Gupta, MD, and CEO of Edelweiss Asset Management Ltd, was elected as the
chairperson of the AMFI Committee on Operations, Compliance & Risk.
• Mr. Nilesh Shah, MD, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co. Ltd, was re-elected as the
chairman of the AMFI Valuation Committee.
• Mr. Navneet Munot, MD and CEO of HDFC Asset Management Company Limited, was re-elected
to the AMFI Equity CIO Committee.
• The board also re-elected Mr. Vishal Kapoor, chief executive officer of IDFC Asset Management
Company Limited, as the chairman of the AMFI Committee of Certified Distributors (ARN
Committee).
About AMFI:
• Founded: 1995
• AMFI is the association of all the Asset Management Companies (AMCs) of Sebi-registered
mutual funds in India, and as of now, 43 AMCs are its members.
• It is a division of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Ministry of Finance,
Government of India
Walkaroo appoints Ajay Devgn as brand ambassador
• Footwear brand Walkaroo International Ltd has appointed Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn as its
brand ambassador.
• The company would unveil a series of television commercials featuring the actor.
• Havas Creative Group has taken up the marketing campaign which includes three commercial
films of the actor on the brand theme ‘Walk with Walkaroo.’
About Ajay Devgn:
• Vishal Veeru Devgan known professionally as Ajay Devgn is an Indian actor, film director, and
producer who works in Hindi cinema.
Awards & Honors:
• He has won numerous accolades, including four National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards.
• In 2016, he was honored by the Government of India with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest
civilian honor in the country.
ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti becomes the first European female ISS commander
• Italian European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti became the first female
European Commander of the International Space Station (ISS)
• She succeeded Russian Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev.
• She is the fifth woman after Frank De Winne, Alexander Gerst, Luca Parmitano, and Thomas
Pesquet and the first non-US woman to become commander since the role was created in 2000.
• She will also be responsible for the performance and well-being of the astronauts in orbit,
according to the European Space Agency (ESA).
• ESA describes the ISS as a "stepping stone for future exploration".
About Samantha Cristoforetti:
• Cristoforetti was born in 1977 in Milan, Italy.
• She is a former Italian Air Force pilot and engineer.
• She was selected by the European Space Agency in 2009 to become Italy’s first female astronaut.
• She holds the record for the longest stay in space by a woman after spending 199 days in orbit in
2014 and 2015.
• Until June 2017 she held the record for the longest single space flight by a woman until this was
broken by Peggy Whitson and later by Christina Koch.
• She is also the first Italian female in space.
Omara Dates appoints Amitabh Bachchan as Brand Ambassador
• Healthy snacks brand, Omara Dates, has appointed actor Amitabh Bachchan as a brand
ambassador.
• Through this association, Omara Dates aims to enhance the adoption of this healthy food for daily
snacking and gifting.
• The brand has rolled out a campaign 'Pyaar bhi, khayaal bhi' (love and also care) urges people to
include care along with their gestures of love.
About Omara Dates:
• Founder & Managing Director: Anil Nair
Suzlon energy appoints Mr. Vinod R Tanti as new Chairman & MD for 3 years
• Suzlon Energy announced that Mr. Vinod R. Tanti has been appointed as the Chairman and
Managing Director (CMD) for the company for three years.
• The announcement came after the demise of Suzlon Energy founder Tulsi Tanti, who was holding
the position of Chairman and Managing Director, on October 1, 2022.
• Mr. Vinod R. Tanti, the Managing Director of Suzlon Energy, has resigned from his position as
Chief Operating Officer and Wholetime Director.
• The board also approved the appointment of Mr. Girish R Tanti as the Executive Director
designated as the Executive Vice Chairman of the company with immediate effect for a period of
three) years.
• The board also approved the appointment of Mr. Pranav Tanti as an Additional Director of the
company.
About Vinod R Tanti:
• He is a founder member of Suzlon Energy Limited.
• He has over 34 years of experience in managing key functions at Suzlon.
• He also served as Senvion's Chief Operating Officer in Germany from June 1, 2012, to June 15,
2013.
About Suzlon Energy Limited:
• Founded: 1995
• Suzlon Energy Limited is an Indian multinational wind turbine manufacturer.
Dr. Akhilesh Gupta was appointed as Secretary of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
• Senior Adviser at the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Dr. Akhilesh Gupta, has
been appointed Secretary of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).
• Dr. Gupta replaced Dr. Sandeep Verma.
About Dr. Akhilesh Gupta:
• Dr. Gupta is a fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (FNAE), Indian
Meteorological Society (FIMS), and Association of Agro-meteorologists (FAAM).
• He has to his credit over 200 research articles in National & International journals as well as
proceedings.
• He joined the India Meteorological Department in 1985 & later the National Center for Medium-
Range Weather Forecasting in 1994, both currently under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• He has been one of the authors of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and
head of the Secretariat which drafted India’s new Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy.
• Currently, he heads the Policy Coordination and Programme Management Division (PCPM)
division and is overall in charge of 5 National Missions at DST
1. National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical System
2. National Mission on Quantum Technology and Applications
3. National Supercomputing Mission
4. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
5. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem.
About SERB:
• SERB is a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology, the Government of
India.
• It was established by an Act of the Parliament of India in 2009 (SERB ACT,2008).
Mr. Ananth Narayan Gopalakrishnan takes charge as SEBI whole-time member
• Associate Professor, SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mr. Ananth Narayan
Gopalkrishnan took charge as the 4th whole-time member (WTM) in the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Mr. Narayan will handle the Market Intermediaries Regulation and Supervision Department
(MIRSD), Alternative Investment Fund and Foreign Portfolio Investors Department (AFD),
Integrated Surveillance Department (ISD), Department of Economic & Policy Analysis (DEPA)
and Information Technology Department (ITD).
About Mr. Ananth Narayan Gopalkrishnan:
• Mr. Narayan has more than two-and-a-half decades of experience in banking and financial
markets.
• He has also been a member of various advisory committees constituted by SEBI and RBI.
About SEBI:
GoI appoints new Chief Justices for Rajasthan, Karnataka, J -K, and Ladakh HCs
• The Central Government announced the names of new Chief Justices for the High Courts in
Rajasthan, Karnataka, Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.
• Following the Constitutional provisions:
• Justice Pankaj Mithal has been appointed Chief Justice in the Rajasthan High Court.
• Justice Prasanna B Varale has been appointed the Karnataka HC's Chief Justice.
• Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey is the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
• On September 28, 2022, the Supreme court collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Uday
Umesh Lalit in its meeting recommended the elevation & appointment of Chief Justices.
Chad's Prime Minister Mr. Albert Pahimi Padacke resigns
• Chad's Prime Minister Mr. Albert Pahimi Padacke has resigned to pave the way for a new
government after the Central African country decided to push back elections by 2 years.
About Mr Albert Pahimi Padacke:
• Mr. Padacké was born on 15 November 1966, in Gouin, French Equatorial Africa (now Chad)
• He is a Chadian politician who belonged to the National Rally for Democracy.
• He served as Minister of Agriculture until he was appointed as Minister of Justice in the
government on March 4, 2007.
• Previously he served as prime minister from 2016 to 2018 under former president Idriss Deby.
• He was the last person to have occupied the post before the abolition of the institution in 2018.
About Chad:
• President: Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno
• Capital: N'Djamena
• Currency: Central African CFA franc
Karur Vysya Bank re-appoints Mr. KG Mohan as Non-Executive Independent Director
• Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has re-appointed Mr. KG Mohan as its non-executive independent
director for the 2nd term of three years on its board.
• The first term of Mohan was completed on October 11, 2022.
About KVB:
• Founded: 1916
• Headquarters: Karur, Tamil Nadu
• MD & CEO: Mr. Ramesh Babu
• Tagline: Smart Way to Bank
• KVB is a Scheduled Commercial Bank in India.
Infosys president Mr. Ravi Kumar S resigns
• IT services major Infosys has announced that its president Mr. Ravi Kumar S has resigned from
his post.
About Mr. Ravi Kumar S :
• Mr. Ravi Kumar S started his career as a nuclear scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center.
• He joined Infosys in 2002 and was appointed as its president in 2016.
• In 2017, he was named the Deputy Chief Operating Officer (COO).
• According to the 2021-22 annual report of Infosys, Mr. Kumar was the third highest-paid senior
executive of the company after CEO Mr. Salil Parekh and former COO UB Pravin Rao.
About Infosys Limited:
• MD & CEO: Salil Parekh
• Infosys is the second-largest Indian IT company after Tata Consultancy Services by 2020
revenue figures.
Iraqi parliament elects Mr. Abdul Latif Rashid as the new president
• The Iraqi parliament elected Kurdish former minister Mr. Abdul Latif Rashid as the new
president of Iraq.
• He became 9th president of Iraq, following the 2022 Iraqi presidential election.
• Mr. Rashid received 162 votes in the second round of voting, defeating Mr. Barham Salih
who gained 99 votes, while 8 votes were considered invalid.
• According to the Iraqi constitution, the President-elect needs to gather at least two-thirds of
the votes of the 329 parliament members.
About Mr. Abdul Latif Rashid:
• Mr. Rashid was born in 1944 in Sulaymaniyah, Kingdom of Iraq.
• He worked as Minister for Water Resources from September 2003 to December 2010
• He is an active member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) under the leadership of
Jalal Talabani, who became President of Iraq in 2005
About Iraq:
• Prime Minister: Mustafa Al-Kadhimi
• Capital: Baghdad
• Currency: Iraqi dinar
Bandhan Bank appoints Sourav Ganguly as brand ambassador
• Bandhan Bank has appointed former Indian Cricketer Sourav Ganguly as its brand ambassador.
• He will help amplify the brand message of the Bank and endorse the products and services of the
Bank.
About Sourav Ganguly:
• Sourav Chandidas Ganguly is an Indian cricket administrator, commentator, and former national
cricket team captain.
• He is affectionately known as Dada
• He is the 39th and current president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• He is popularly called Maharaja of Indian Cricket.
About Bandhan Bank:
• Founded: 2015
• MD & CEO: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh
• Bandhan Bank is an Indian commercial bank that focuses on underbanked and underpenetrated
markets.
• It is India’s first example of a microfinance organization converting into a universal bank.
Boult Audio appoints Saif Ali Khan and Suryakumar Yadav as brand ambassadors
• Boult Audio Private Limited, a company that imports and sells Chinese-made electronics products
like earphones and smartwatches has roped in actor Saif Ali Khan and cricketer Suryakumar
Yadav as its new brand ambassadors.
• Yadav is the highest run-getter in T20Is this year and is currently ranked 2nd in the International
Cricket Council (ICC) T20I rankings.
About Boult Audio:
• Founded: 2017
• Co-Founder & CEO: Varun Gupta
Mr. Partha Satpathy appointed India’s new envoy to Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Mr. Partha Satpathy has been appointed as India’s next ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Meanwhile, Dr. Adarsh Swaika, joint secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has been
appointed India’s next Ambassador to Kuwait.
• Mr. Avtar Singh, a Director in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as India’s next
Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea.
About Mr. Partha Satpathy:
• He served as the Head of the Division in the Ministry of External Affairs.
• He is currently the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Hungary.
About Bosnia and Herzegovina:
• Capital: Sarajevo
• Currency: Convertible mark
Paytm Payments Bank appoints Mr. Deependra Singh Rathore as Interim CEO
• Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) has appointed Mr. Deependra Singh Rathore as the
interim chief executive officer (CEO), in addition to his role as chief product & technology officer
(CPTO).
• He will replace Mr. Satish Gupta, who was the bank’s CEO and is set to retire in October 2022.
Other Appointments:
• The Bank also appointed Mr. Sunil Chander Sharma, a former IRS officer as a chief operating
officer (COO) to oversee the functions of customer support, retail operations, legal and Law
Enforcement Agencies (LEA), and Human Resources and Administration.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched 75 digital banking units across states and this means
the more banking units the country has, the more transactions will take place.
About Paytm Payments Bank:
• Chairman & CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Yubi appoints Mr Atanu Chakraborty as chairman
• Yubi (formerly CredAvenue) has appointed Mr. Atanu Chakraborty as the Independent Chairman
of the Yubi board.
About Mr. Atanu Chakraborty:
• He is a 1985 batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service, of the Gujarat cadre.
• He has served as the Economic Affairs Secretary of India till his retirement in April 2020.
• He was also appointed to the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India.
• He also served as the Secretary of Expenditure as well as the S e cretary o f th e D epar tment o f
Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).
• Mr. Atanu Chakraborty is also currently the Chairman of the Board of HDFC Bank.
About Yubi:
• Founded: 2020
• Founder & CEO: Gaurav Kumar
Ms. Apoorva Srivastava appointed as India’s Ambassador to the Slovak Republic
• A diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service, Ms. Apoorva Srivastava has been appointed to serve as
India’s Ambassador to the Slovak Republic.
About Ms Apoorva Srivastava:
• She served in various positions in the Ministry of External Affairs and has been posted in
Kathmandu and Paris, among other locations.
• Currently, she serves as Consul-General at the Consulate of India in Toronto.
About the Slovak Republic:
• President: Zuzana Čaputová
• Prime Minister: Eduard Heger
• Capital: Bratislava
• Currency: Euro
Mr. Roger Binny elected as the 36th BCCI President replaces Sourav Ganguly
• Former cricketer Mr. Roger Binny has been elected as the 36th President of the Board of Control
for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the 91st BCCI Annual General Meeting of India’s top cricket body in
Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• He replaces Mr. Sourav Ganguly, who held the post since 2019.
New Office Bearers of the BCCI:
• President: Mr. Roger Binny
• Vice President: Mr. Rajeev Shukla
• Secretary: Mr. Jay Shah (second term)
• Joint Secretary: Mr. Devajit Saikia
• Treasurer: Mr. Ashish Shelar
Note:
• Mr. Binny was the only candidate to have filed a nomination for the top post.
• He is the first world cup champion to be appointed as the BCCI President.
• Mr. Binny is the third Test cricketer to head the BCCI after Maharaja of Vizianagaram and Sourav
Ganguly, whose term ended at the BCCI AGM.
About Mr. Roger Binny:
• Mr. Binny was the first Anglo-Indian of Scottish origin to play cricket for India.
• He represented India in 27 Test matches and 72 One Day Internationals (ODIs).
• He was one of the architects of India’s 1983 World Cup triumph and president of the Karnataka
State Cricket Association.
• He served as a member of the BCCI selection committee.
• The BCCI general body also approved the launch of the Women’s Indian Premier League, which
is set to begin in 2023.
About BCCI:
• Founded: 1928
• CEO: Hemang Amin
Justice D.Y. Chandrachud appointed as 50th Chief J ustice of India
• The President of India Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant
Chandrachud as the 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI) with effect from November 9, 2022.
• He will take oath after current CJI Uday Umesh Lalit retires on 8 November 2022.
• He will have a term of over 2 years as the 50th Chief Justice of India till 10 November 2024
• The CJI and the Judges of the Supreme Court (SC) are appointed by the President under clause
(2) of Article 124 of the Constitution.
About Justice D.Y. Chandrachud:
• Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud is a judge on the Supreme Court of India.
• Presently, Justice Chandrachud is the senior Supreme Court judge after Justice Lalit.
• His father Justice YV Chandrachud was the 16th and the longest serving CJI of India, from
February 22, 1978, till July 11, 1985.
• This is also the first time a father and son will hold the CJI position.
• He served as a Judge of the Bombay High Court from March 2000 to October 2013.
• He served as the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court from October 31, 2013.
• In 2016, he was appointed as a Judge to the Supreme Court of India.
About CJI:
• CJI is the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court of India as well as the highest-ranking officer of the
Indian Judiciary.
• The CJI should be a citizen of India.
Qualifications of CJI:
• Have been for at least 5 years a Judge of a High Court or two or more such Courts in succession
or
• Have been for at least 10 years an advocate of a High Court or two or more such Courts in
succession, or
• CJI is, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist.
Swedish parliament elects Mr. Ulf Kristersson as New Prime Minister
• The Swedish parliament elected Mr. Ulf Kristersson, the conservative Moderate Party leader, as
the new Prime Minister (PM) of Sweden.
• A total of 176 members of the Riksdag voted in favor of Kristersson, while 173 members voted
against him.
• Mr. Kristersson will be replacing Magdalena Andersson, who was the first female PM of Sweden.
About Mr. Ulf Kristersson:
• Mr Ulf Hjalmar Ed Kristersson born on 29 December 1963 in Lund, Sweden.
• He is a Swedish politician serving as Prime Minister of Sweden and leader of the Moderate Party.
• He served as Chairman of the Moderate Youth League from 1988 to 1992.
• He served as Minister for Social Security from 2010 to 2014.
• Mr. Kristersson will be leading a three-party coalition government with the Moderates, the
Christian Democrats, and the Liberals.
About Sweden:
• Capital: Stockholm
• Currency: Swedish krona
Adani Group appoints Ericsson veteran Mr Arun Bansal as CEO Adani Airport Holdings Ltd
• The Adani Group has appointed Mr. Arun Bansal as chief executive officer (CEO) of Adani Airport
Holdings Ltd, an arm of Adani Enterprises Ltd.
• He replaces Mr. Malay Mahadevia, who currently serves as a whole-time director at Adani Ports
and Special Economic Zone Ltd and was holding the charge of chief executive officer of Adani
Airport Holdings Ltd until now.
• The appointment will help strengthen digital transformation and the business growth agenda.
• Mr. Bansal will join the Adani Group from Ericsson where he served as senior vice president and
head of the market area in Europe and Latin America.
• R.K. Jain will serve as chief executive officer of airports (aero) operations, while Harshad Jain will
continue to serve as executive officer (non-aero).
About Adani Airport Holdings:
• Founded: 2019
• In 2019, Adani Airports won the mandate to modernize and operate six airports such as
Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati, and Thiruvananthapuram.
• Adani’s airports account for 25% of airport footfalls and 40% of air cargo in India
JPMorgan appoints Mr. Navin Wadhwani as head of India's investment banking chief
• JPMorgan Chase & Co named Mr. Navin Wadhwani, a former Reliance Industries executive, as
the head of its Indian investment banking division, as part of a spate of management changes for
the Asia-Pacific region.
• Mr. Wadhwani served as head of M&A for oil-to-retail conglomerate Reliance for the past 10
years.
• He also worked as a senior managing director at Rothschild India.
• JPM also appointed Mr. Kaustubh Kulkarni as senior country officer for India from Nov. 1, 2022.
• Mr. Kulkarni succeeds Mr. Madhav Kalyan, who will now head the U.S. banking giant's Asia
Pacific Payments.
• Mr. Vineet Mishra will become the sole head of Investment Banking for Southeast Asia.
• Meanwhile, JPM's head of corporate banking in India, PD Singh has been named interim CEO of
JP Morgan Chase Bank India from Nov. 1, 2022.
About JPMorgan Chase & Co:
• Headquarters: New York City, New York, United States
• Chairman & CEO: Jamie Dimon
• JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational investment bank and financial services
holding company.
Former Infosys president Mr. Ravi Kumar joins as president of Cognizant Americas
• Former Infosys President Mr. Ravi Kumar S, who resigned from Infosys will join Cognizant
Technology Solutions Corporation as President of Cognizant Americas.
• He will be reporting directly to Brian Humphries, chief executive officer (CEO) of Cognizant.
• Mr. Kumar was the third highest-paid executive after CEO Salil Parekh and chief operating officer
UB Pravin Rao.
• Mr. Kumar succeeds Mr. Dharmendra Kumar (DK) Sinha who retired from Cognizant in 2021.
• Currently, Mr. Sinha is the president of the public cloud business unit in Rackspace Technology.
• Mr. Surya Gummadi will continue to hold the post of interim president for Cognizant Americas till
Mr. Kumar joins, after which he will move to lead Cognizant’s $5-billion health sciences business.
• Roles & Responsibilities:
• Ravi will be responsible for the strategic direction and operational performance of our business in
the US, Latin America, and Canada, including our industry teams, the Americas Consulting
organization, and the global Large Deals team.
Other Appointments:
• Cognizant also announced the appointment of Mr. Prasad Sankaran as the new head of the
Software & Platform Engineering practice area, effective November 1, 2022.
• He joins Cognizant from Bain & Company, where he was a senior vice president and leader in the
firm’s Enterprise Technology global practice.
About Mr. Ravi Kumar S :
• Mr. Ravi Kumar S is based in New York City.
• He has over 20 years of experience in the consulting, process, and technology transformation
space.
• He will also serve as a close partner to Cognizant's CEO.
• He served as the President of Infosys from 2016 to 2022.
About Cognizant:
• Headquarters: Teaneck, New Jersey, United States
• CEO: Brian Humphires
• Cognizant is an American multinational information technology services and consulting company.
• Cognizant America accounts for over 70% of its total annual revenues.
GSK India appoints Mr. Bhushan Akshikar as the new Managing Director
• Drug firm GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited has appointed Mr. Bhushan Akshikar as
Managing Director for its India business for four years effective December 1, 2022.
• He succeeds Mr. Sridhar Venkatesh.
About Mr. Bhushan Akshikar:
• Mr. Bhushan Akshikar is a seasoned business leader with a successful track record of over 26
years across local and area roles within the pharmaceutical industry.
• He joined GSK India in September 2011 to lead the specialty and commercial excellence business
units.
• In 2014, he was appointed head of the mass markets business.
• He was elevated as the managing director (MD) of the publicly-listed entity of GSK in Nigeria,
Africa in end-2016.
Senior ICAS officer Ms. Bharati Das takes charge as 27th Controller General of Accounts
• Civil Accounts Service officer Ms. Bharati Das has been appointed as the 27th Controller General
of Accounts (CGA) under the Department of Expenditure
• She has replaced Mr. Sonali Singh, who had been given the additional charge of CGA, after the
superannuation of Mr. Dipak Dash.
About Ms. Bharati Das:
• Ms. Das is a 1988-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer.
• She has served as Principal Chief Controller of Accounts (Pr. CCA) Central Board of Direct Taxes
and Ministries of External Affairs, Home Affairs.
About CGA:
• CGA is 'the Principal Advisor' on Accounting matters to the Union Government.
• CGA is responsible for establishing and managing a technically sound Management A ccounting
System and preparation & submission of the accounts of the Union Government
Shri Mallikarjun Kharge becomes 1st non-Gandhi Congress President in 24 years
• Shri Mapanna Mallikarjun Kharge, a staunch Gandhi family loyalist from Karnataka, has become
the Congress' first non-Gandhi president in 24 years.
• Shri Kharge secured 7,897 votes out of a total of 9,385 votes against Shashi Tharoor with 1,072
votes.
• He is the 98th and current president of the Indian National Congress
• He will take charge of Sonia Gandhi who had been serving as interim president after Rahul
Gandhi stepped down from the post after the party faced a debacle in the 2019 Lok Sab.
• He is also the second AICC President from Karnataka after S Nijalingappa and also the second
Dalit leader after Jagjivan Ram to hold the post.
About Shri Mallikarjun Kharge:
• Shri Mallikarjun Kharge was born in the Bidar district, Karnataka.
• He first contested the Karnataka State Assembly elections in 1972 and won from the Gurmitkal
constituency.
• He was the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee during the 2008 Karnataka
State Assembly Elections.
• He has been a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Karnataka since 16 February 2021.
• He was also Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha from 16 February 2021 to 01 October 2022.
• He was the Minister of Railways and Minister of Labour and Employment in the Government of
India.
• He has won elections a record 10 consecutive times having won the Assembly elections an
unprecedented 9 consecutive times (1972, 1978, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2008,
2009).
ISRO named Dr. Sankarasubramanian as the Principal Scientist of the Aditya-L1 mission
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has designated senior Solar Scientist, Dr.
Sankarasubramanian K, as the Principal Scientist of the 'Aditya-L1' Mission.
About Dr Sankarasubramanian K :
• Dr. Sankarasubramanian K. is a senior solar scientist at the U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC),
Bengaluru.
• He is also the Principal Investigator for one of the X-ray payloads onboard Aditya-L1.
• He has contributed to AstroSat, Chandrayaan-1, and Chandrayaan-2 missions of ISRO in several
capacities.
• He also heads the Aditya-L1 Science Working Group, which has members from several institutes
in India engaged in solar science research.
• Currently, he is heading the Space Astronomy Group (SAG) of URSC.
About SAG:
• SAG is involved in developing scientific payloads for the upcoming missions of Aditya-L1, XPoSat,
and science payload onboard the Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module.
About 'Aditya-L1' Mission:
• Aditya-L1 is the first observatory-class space-based solar mission from India & it is planned to be
launched in February 2023.
• The Mission duration is 5 years.
• It carries 7 payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the
sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle detectors.
• The spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrange point, L1, of the Sun-Earth
system.
• A satellite around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without
occultation/eclipses.
About ISRO:
Dr. K.P Ashwini Becomes 1st Indian to Be Appointed Independent Expert on Racism by UNHRC
• The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has appointed Dr. K P Ashwini as a Special Rapporteur
(SR) on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance
of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
• She will take over as the UNHCR special rapporteur in Geneva on November 1, 2022, for 3
years.
• She is the first Asian as well as the first Indian to be appointed for the post.
About Dr. K P Ashwini:
• Dr. K P Ashwini hails from Kasaba Kurubarahalli village, Kolar district of Karnataka, India.
• She will work on apartheid policy at the global level, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and
intolerance independently.
• She has conducted a special study on the effects of mining on the tribals of Odisha and
Chattisgarh with Amnesty International.
About SR:
• Special rapporteur (or Independent Expert) are title given to independent human rights experts
whose expertise is called upon by the United Nations to report or advise on human rights from a
thematic or country-specific perspective.
About UNHRC:
• President: Federico Villegas
• The UNHRC is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights
around the world.
Mr. Pradeep Singh Kharola was appointed as CMD of the India Trade Promotion Organization
• Former Civil Aviation Secretary Mr. Pradeep Singh Kharola was appointed as the Chairman and
Managing Director (CMD) of the India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) for two years.
About Mr. Pradeep Singh Kharola:
• Mr. Kharola is a 1985 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Karnataka cadre.
• He has also served as CMD Air India and Secretary, of Civil Aviation.
• He was appointed as the Chairman of the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) in March 2022.
Recent News:
• In Sep 2022, The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed Mr. B V R
Subrahmanyam as the ITPO chief for two years after his retirement as the Commerce Secretary
on September 30.
About ITPO:
• ITPO is the nodal agency of the Government of India under the aegis of the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry (India) for promoting the country's external trade.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs nominates two directors on the board of IL&FS
• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has nominated two directors Mr. G Mahalingam and Mr.
Deepak Mohanty to the board of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS).
• The appointment of these two directors has been approved by both the MCA and National
Company Law Tribunal.
• With this induction, the existing board of IL&FS now comprises 6 members namely
1. Mr CS Rajan (non-executive chairman)
2. Mr. Nand Kishore (managing director)
3. Dr. Malini Shankar (director)
4. Mr. N Srinivasan (director)
5. Mr. Deepak Mohanty (director)
6. Mr G Mahalingam (director).
Key Highlights:
• Mr. Mahalingam has served as executive director of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and a whole-
time member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• Mr. Mohanty has served as executive director of RBI and a whole-time member of the Pension
Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
About MCA:
• Union Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman
Bureaucrat Aramane Mr. Giridhar appointed as New Defence Secretary
• The Road Transport and Highways Secretary, Mr. Aramane Giridhar has been named the new
defense secretary as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle affected by the Centre.
• He will take over as Defence Secretary after the retirement of Mr. Ajay Kumar on October 31,
2022.
• Mr. Alka Upadhyaya, chairperson of the National Highways Authority of India, will be the new
Road and Transport Secretary in place of Giridhar.
About Mr Aramane Giridhar:
• Mr. Aramane Giridhar is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1988 batch and an
officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre.
• He has been approved as an Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Defence.
• He has been the Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Secretariat.
Center appoints Mr. Sanjay Malhotra as new Revenue Secretary
• The government has appointed a 1990 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the
Rajasthan cadre, Mr. Sanjay Malhotra as the new revenue secretary.
• He will succeed Mr. Tarun Bajaj, who is retiring on November 30, 2022.
• Currently, Mr. Malhotra, serving as secretary in the Department of Financial Services (DFS), will
join the Revenue Department as an officer on special duty.
Other Appointments:
• Mr. Vivek Joshi, the Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home
Affairs has been appointed as the new Secretary, of the Department of Financial Services in place
of Sanjay Malhotra.
• Mr. Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry, has been appointed as
the new Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner in place of Joshi.
• Mr. Nagendra Nath Sinha has been appointed as the Officer on Special Duty of the Ministry of
Steel from December 1, 2022.
• Mr. Nath Sinha will succeed as Secretary in the Ministry of Steel, after Mr. Sanjay Kumar Singh
retires on December 31, 2022
• Mr. Shailesh Kumar Singh, Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner in the Ministry of
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, has been appointed as the new Rural Development
Secretary from December 1, 2022.
• Mr. Amrit Lal Meena, Special Secretary (Logistics), Department for Promotion of Industry &
Internal Trade, has been chosen as the new Coal Secretary.
• Ms. Lal Meena will take over as the Secretary after the retirement of Mr. Anil Kumar Jain on
October 31, 2022.
• Mr. Sudhansh Pant, a 1991 batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, has been named as
Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
Pintola appoints Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav as its brand ambassador
• Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company Das Foodtech Private Limited, which owns the
nut butter brand Pintola, has appointed Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav as a Brand
ambassador to endorse the company’s exclusive range of nut butter and rice cakes across
platforms.
• Yadav has become the brand ambassador for the second time in a row.
• Pintola is aiming to further strengthen its market share and connect with the young Indian
consumer.
• The segment is committed to its vision of being present in 100 million households in the next 2
years
About Pintola:
• Founded: 2011
Fire-Boltt appoints Vijay Deverakonda as its new brand ambassador
• Boltt Games Private Limited’s Fire-Boltt brand has appointed actor and film producer Vijay
Deverakonda as its new brand ambassador.
• Devarakonda will be part of the marketing campaign of the brand alongside cricketing legend Virat
Kohli and actors Vicky Kaushal and Kiara Advani
• He will be part of the marketing, advertisement & endorsement campaigns of Fire Boltt.
• Fire Boltt has grabbed the 1st spot again in the Indian Smart Watch market with a market share of
28% from 8.9% in 2021.
Note:
• Founder and CEO of fire boltt: Arnav Kishore
Quality Council of India appoints Mr. Jaxay Shah as the new chairman
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has appointed Mr. Jaxay Shah, founder chairman of Savvy
Group and former chairman of CREDAI as the chairman of the Quality Council of India (QCI) for
three years.
• He will succeed former Mr. McKinsey India chief Adil Zainulbhai, who served as the chairman of
QCI through 3 terms for 8 years from 2014 to 2022.
About Mr. Jaxay Shah:
• Mr. Shah founded one of India’s largest infrastructure conglomerates, the Savvy Group in 1996.
• He held the position of national chairman of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers
Associations of India (CREDAI), the apex body of private Real Estate developers in India.
• He also holds the position of the chairman of the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry
of India (ASSOCHAM) Western Region Development Council & serves as the Advisor at the
PharmEasy Accelerator Program, which offers 1 lakh+ medicine and health products.
About QCI:
• Secretary General: Dr. Ravi P. Singh
• QCI is mandated to promote quality in the country through national accreditation of testing,
inspection, and certification bodies which is internationally recognized, driving third-party
assessments across sectors.
• It has helped the government with various flagship schemes to assess the quality of education,
healthcare, food, sanitation, groundwater management, and natural resources like coal.
About the Ministry of Commerce and Industry:
• Cabinet Minister: Piyush Goyal
• Minister of State: Anupriya Patel, Som Parkash
Center appoints Mr. Narayana Rao Battu as PFRDA Member (Law)
• The Center has appointed Mr. Narayana R ao Battu, an Additional Secretary in the Law Ministry,
as a Whole-Time Member (Law) of the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority
(PFRA).
• Before Mr. Battu, Mr. Pramod Kumar Singh was a whole-time member (Law) at PFRDA.
• His posting will be effective from the date of the assuming charge of the post till he attains the age
of 62 years or until further order, whichever is earlier.
• The position of Member (Economics) is yet vacant.
• Mr. Manoj Anand is holding the post of Whole Time Member (Finance).
• The members can hold office for 5 years and would be eligible for re-appointment.
PNB Housing Finance appoints Mr. Girish Kousgi as MD & CEO
• PNB Housing Finance has appointed Mr. Girish Kousgi as its Managing Director (MD) and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO).
• Mr. Kousgi replaces Mr. Hardayal Prasad who has resigned from his role as MD & CEO of PNBHF
citing personal reasons.
About Mr. Girish Kousgi:
• Mr. Kousgi has over 25 years of extensive experience in the mortgage and retail lending business.
• Before joining PNB Housing Finance, Kousgi served as the MD & CEO of Can Fin Homes.
About PNB Housing Finance Limited:
• PNB Housing Finance Limited (PNB Housing) is a registered housing finance company with
National Housing Bank (NHB).
• It was incorporated under the Companies Act, of 1956 and commenced its operations on 11
November 1988.
Indian Banks’ Association re-elects PNB's Mr. AK Goel as Chairman
• Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) reelected Mr. A K Goel, managing director (MD) and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Punjab National Bank as its new chairman, who will serve the industry
body for the financial year 2022-23.
• The senior managing director of a public sector bank is generally elected as chairman for one
year.
• State Bank of India’s (SBI) Mr. Dinesh Khara has become deputy chairman along with two others
including Mr. A S Rajeev, MD & CEO of Bank of Maharashtra, and Mr. Madhav Nair, CEO of
Mashreq Bank, a Dubai-headquartered foreign lender.
About IBA:
• Honorary secretary: N Kamakodi (CEO of City Union Bank)
• IBM is a representative body of management of banking in India operating in India - an association
of Indian banks and financial institutions based in Mumbai.
• It is managed by a managing committee, and the current managing committee consists of 1
chairman, 3 deputy chairmen, 1 honorary secretary, and 26 members.
Yuvraj Singh becomes the brand ambassador for the 3rd T20 World Cricket Cup for the Blind
• The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) announced Indian legendary cricketer Yuvraj
Singh as the brand ambassador for the 3rd T20 World Cup for the Blind to be held in India.
Key Highlights:
• The India squad list was announced to me. Ajay Kumar Reddy B2 (Andhra Pradesh) led the team
as a captain and Venkateswara Rao Dunna – B2 (Andhra Pradesh) was the vice president.
• The World Cup matches commence from 6th December to 17th December 2022.
• The participating countries for the third T20 World Cup for the Blind are India, Nepal, Bangladesh,
Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
• The world cup is an initiative of the Samarthanam Trust for the disabled, which has been
organizing this championship since 2012.
• The first World Cup was played in 2012 and the second was played in 2017.
• India has won both the T20 World Cups till now.
Awards & Honors of Yuvraj Singh:
• In 2012, Yuvraj was conferred with the Arjuna Award, India's second-highest sporting award by
the Government of India.
• In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honor
• In February 2014, he was honored with the FICCI Most Inspiring Sportsperson of the Year Award.
About CABI:
• Founded: 2011
• President: Mahantesh Kivadasannavar
• Secretary: John David Endala
About World Blind Cricket Council:
• President: Syed Sultan Shah
• Secretary General: Raymond Moxly
• The WBCC is an administration of blind cricket to manage it at the international level.
ICICI Bank board reappoints Mr. Sandeep Bakhshi as MD & CEO for 3 years
• ICICI Bank's board of directors has reappointed Mr. Sandeep Bakshi as the managing director
(MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) for a period of three years up to October 3, 2026.
About Mr. Sandeep Bakshi:
• Mr. Bakhshi has been with the ICICI Group for 36 years and has handled various assignments
across the group in ICICI Limited, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, ICICI Bank, and ICICI
Prudential Life Insurance.
• He was appointed as the ICICI bank’s MD and CEO on October 15, 2018.
• Before his appointment, he was Wholetime Director and the Chief Operating Officer (COO).
About ICICI Bank:
Liz Truss resigns after six weeks as UK prime minister
• The United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister (PM) Ms. Liz Truss has resigned from the post after six
turbulent weeks in office, making her the shortest-serving prime minister (44 days) in British
history.
• She became the 4th PM of the Conservative Party after the PMs Mr. David Cameron, Ms. Theresa
May, and Mr. Boris Johnson resigned before the end of their term.
About Mr. Liz Truss:
• Mr. Mary Elizabeth Truss was the leader of the Conservative Party from 5 September to 24
October 2022.
• She served as foreign secretary from 2021 to 2022.
• She is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 6
September 2022.
About the UK:
• Capital: London
Kotak Mahindra Bank appoints Mr. C S Rajan as an additional and independent director
• Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited has appointed Mr. C S Rajan as an additional and independent
director on the bank’s board for five years.
About Mr. C S Rajan:
• Mr. Rajan is a retired IAS officer from the 1978 Batch
• He has over 40 years of experience across significant government portfolios.
• He has served on several interdisciplinary teams for review of World Bank projects, and also as a
consultant to the World Bank on a study on ‘Farmer Participation in Agricultural Research and
Extension System.
• Currently, Mr. Rajan is serving as a Government of India-appointed Non-Executive Chairman of
Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited and was also its Managing Director from April
2019 to October 2022.
About KMBL:
• Founded: 1985
• Chairman, MD & CEO: Uday Kotak
Mr. Rishi Sunak appointed as Britain's first Indian-origin Prime Minister
• Mr. Rishi Sunak (42) was appointed by King Charles III as United Kingdom’s first Indian-origin
Prime Minister.
• He is the 57th Prime Minister of the UK.
• He replaced former PM Ms. Liz Truss, who had resigned from the post just after 44 days.
• He is the fifth Conservative party leader elected to the top post in the past 6 years.
• Mr. Rishi Sunak has become Britain’s first nonwhite l eader to take the top job.
• At the age of 42, he’ll also be the youngest prime minister in more than 200 years.
• Before him, Mr. William Pitt had been the youngest Prime Minister of the UK at the age of 24.
• He is also the first Hindu Prime Minister of Indian heritage in the UK.
Other Appointments:
• Mr. British lawmaker John Glen was appointed as Chief Secretary to the United Kingdom (UK)
Treasury, replacing Mr. Edward Argar.
About Mr. Rishi Sunak:
• Mr. Sunak was born on 12 May 1980 in Southampton, Hampshire, England.
• He became a member of Parliament in 2015 after he got elected from Richmond, Yorkshire.
• Mr. Sunak supported Boris Johnson's campaign to become Conservative leader.
• He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022 and Chief Secretary to the Treasury
from 2019 to 2020.
About the UK:
• Capital: London
Govt appoints Ms. Sangeeta Verma as acting chairperson of CCI
• The Corporate Affairs Ministry (MCA) has appointed Ms. Sangeeta Verma, as an Acting
Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for three months or till any further
orders.
• She has replaced Mr. Ashok Kumar Gupta, who relinquished office after a four-year tenure.
• Ms. Verma is from the 1981 batch of the Indian Economic Service (IES).
• She has earlier served as the Principal Adviser with the Dept of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of
Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Govt of India from January 2017 to September
2018
• Currently, she is a member of the Competition Commission of India.
About CCI:
About MCA:
• Union Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman
Dr. Shefali Juneja elected as chairperson of the UN’s Air Transport Committee
• Dr. Shefali Juneja, India’s representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),
has been elected as the chairperson of the United Nations specialized aviation agency’s Air
Transport Committee (ATC).
• She becomes the first Indian to hold the position in 28 years & she is the first woman to represent
India in the ICAO.
• ATC is a standing committee of ICAO created by the Chicago Convention in 1944.
• According to Article 54 d) of the Chicago Convention, the Council appoints and defines the duties
of an ATC, which is chosen from among the representatives of the members of the Council.
About Dr Shefali Juneja:
• Dr. Juneja, a 1992 batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre).
• She served as the joint secretary in the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) before joining the ICAO.
About ICAO:
• Secretary General: Juan Carlos Salazar Gómez
• The ICAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Indian-origin Ms. Navjit Kaur Brar becomes councilor of Canada Brampton
• An Indo-Canadian healthcare worker, Ms. Navjit Kaur Brar, has become the first turban-wearing
Sikh woman to be elected as a city councilor of Brampton city in Canada.
• Ms. Navjit Kaur Brar defeated Jermaine Chambers, a former Conservative MP candidate for
Brampton West, to become the next City Councillor for Wards 2 and 6.
About Navjit Kaur Brar:
• She is an Indo-Canadian respiratory therapist.
• She is a former Conservative MP candidate for Brampton West.
• Elections for municipal government are held every four years on the fo u r th M o nday o f Oc tober,
which fell on October 24, 2022, this time.
Emami onboards Akshay Kumar as a brand ambassador for BoroPlus Cream
• Packaged goods company Emami Limited has roped in Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar as the
new brand ambassador for its BoroPlus Ayurvedic Antiseptic Cream.
• The BoroPlus range comprises skincare products such as antiseptic creams, body lotions, aloe
vera gels, soaps, petroleum jelly, and powder.
• He received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honor, from the Government of India in
2009.
Cochin International Airport Limited has been awarded the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award for 2022
• The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has been awarded the Airport Service Quality
(ASQ) award 2022 by the Airport Council International (ACI).
• The award is considered to be the highest honor in the global aviation sector.
• CIAL received the award in the 5-15 million passenger category of airports operating in the Asia-
Pacific region.
• The award is for its implementation of the ‘Mission Safeguarding’ program, which ensured
seamless traffic and reinforced passenger satisfaction in the aftermath of the pandemic.
• The award was handed over to the Managing Director of CIAL S Suhas IAS, by the ACI World
Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira at a function held in Krakow, Poland, on September 14 .
• Earlier in March of this year, CIAL received the 'Covid champion' award at Wings India 2022, for
the successful implementation of ‘Mission Safeguarding’.
Sunil Gavaskar has been awarded the gold medal of SJFI:
• Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has been awarded the gold medal by the Sports Journalists
Federation of India (SJFI).
• The SJFI gold medal was presented by former BCCI Secretary SK Nair and BCCI Joint Secretary
Jayesh George.
• A citation and honorary life membership of SJFI were also awarded.
• The event was presided over by SJFI All India President and senior journalist A. Vinod.
• Former Indian cricketer, coach, and prominent commentator Ravi Shastri were also felicitated on
the occasion.
• Honorary life membership was also given to Ravi Shastri.
About SJFI:
• SJFI was founded on 27th February 1976 at Eden Gardens, Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal.
FIP 42nd Annual Awards have been Released:
• The Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP) 42nd Annual Awards ceremony for Excellence in
Book Production 2022 was held in New Delhi.
• The directorate of the Publications Division won nine awards in various categories for
Excellence in Book Production 2022.
DPD won first prizes in the categories of the following:
• General and Trade Books (English) for ‘Balancing the Wisdom Tree
• General and Trade Books (Hindi) for ‘Bharat Vibhajan Ki Kahani'
• Art and Coffee Table Books (Regional Languages) for ‘Courts of India' (Marathi)
• Reference Books (English) for ‘India 2022’
• Scientific/Technical/Medical Books (Hindi) for ‘Covid-19: Vaishik Mahamari'
• Journals and House Magazines (Hindi) for ‘Kurukshetra’
• In the category of General and Trade Books (Hindi) for ‘Loktantra ke Swar’, DPD won the
Second Prize.
• Directorate of Publications Division was awarded two Third Prizes in the categories of -
Children's Books (General Interest) (0-10 Years) (Hindi) for ‘Pinushi’ and Journals and House
Magazines (Regional Languages) for ‘Ajkal' (Urdu).
• In 2021, the Directorate of Publications Division won ten awards for its various publications.
About Directorate of Publications Division:
• It was established in 1941.
• It is a publishing house of the Government of India.
• It publishes books in different languages with diverse themes.
India's first green hydrogen fuelling station, being set up at Leh:
• India's first green hydrogen fuelling station, being set up at Leh in the Union Territory of
Ladakh, is all set to be commissioned before May 2023.
• The first-of-its-kind project is being set up by state-run NTPC.
• The power generator had awarded the contract for the project to Amara Raja Power Systems,
part of the $1.3 billion Amara Raja Group, in June.
• Under the project, green hydrogen will be produced by splitting water into hydrogen and
oxygen using electrolysis powered by renewable energy.
• The project is being set up at a height of 3,600 meters above sea level with a temperature
variation of minus 14 degrees to plus 20 degrees Celsius.
• The pilot project will produce 80 Kilograms per day of 99.97 percent pure hydrogen that will be
compressed, stored, and dispensed.
• NTPC plans to ply five hydrogen fuel cell buses in the region.
• NTPC's wholly-owned subsidiary NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC REL) floated the tender
for the project in July last year.
• NTPC REL is also setting up a 1.25 Mw solar power plant to make the hydrogen Fuelling
Station completely green.
Srishti Bakshi has won the ‘Changemaker’ award at the UN SDG Action Awards:
• Srishti Bakshi from India wins the ‘Changemaker’ award at UN SDG Action Awards.
• Srishti Bakshi, who traveled 3,800km in less than a year, has won prestigious honor at the UN
SDG Action Awards.
• She traveled 3800 km to raise awareness of gender-based violence and inequality.
• She has got the award for “confronting gender-based violence and advocating for safe access
to public spaces.
• The finalists have been selected from more than 3,000 applications from 150 countries.
• The other award winners are ‘SUPvivors say NO MORE’ in the Mobilise category for
empowering sexual abuse survivors in Ecuador and ‘The Masungi Story’ in the Inspire
category.
• A documentary titled ‘WOMB: Women Of My Billion’ has showcased her journey.
• The winners have been announced at a ceremony in Bonn, Germany.
President has presented the Dada Saheb Phalke award for 2020 to actress Asha Parekh:
• President Droupadi Murmu presented the Dada Saheb Phalke award for 2020 to actress Asha
Parekh.
• In the 68th National Film Awards ceremony, the Hindi film Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ has
been selected for ‘Best Popular Film.
• The award was introduced by the Government of India to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke's
contribution to Indian cinema, who is popularly known as and often regarded as "the father of
Indian cinema".
• It was first presented in 1969.
• The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani, “the first lady of Indian cinema”.
• The award for the most film-friendly state was given to two states this year – Uttar Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh. Special mention was given to Uttarakhand.
• Ajay Devgn for the film, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior and Suriya for the film Soorarai Pottru
received the best actor award.
• Aparna Balamurali received the Best Actress Award for Soorarai Pottru.
• Sachidanandan KR got the Best Director Award for Malayalam Film AK Ayyappanum
Koshiyum.
• Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur invited winners to guide the future
filmmakers selected through 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow.
• It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film
Festivals, an organization set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• The award prize consists of a golden lotus, a cash prize of ₹10 lakh, and a shawl.
Madhav Hada will be awarded the 32nd Bihari Puraskar:
• Writer Dr. Madhav Hada will be awarded the 32nd Bihari Puraskar for his 2015 literary criticism
book ‘Pachrang Chola Pahar Sakhi Ri’, the KK Birla Foundation announced.
• The book explores Meera’s life and society from a new perspective and is a new starting point
for identifying her place in the field of Hindi literary criticism.
• The Bihari Puraskar is one of the three literary awards instituted by the foundation in 1991.
• Named after the famous Hindi poet Bihari, the award is given every year for an outstanding
work published in the last 10 years by a Rajasthani author in Hindi or Rajasthani.
• It carries a cash prize of ₹2.5 lakh, a plaque, and a citation.
• The recipient is chosen by a selection committee headed by chairman Hemant Shesh.
• A literary critic and academic, Hada has written extensively on literature, media, culture, and
history.
• He has also been a member of the general council of the Sahitya Akademi and the Hindi
Advisory Board.
Right Livelihood Award known as the “Alternative Nobel” was announced:
• The Right Livelihood Award — known as the “Alternative Nobel” — was awarded to community
activists and organizations working on three continents, including a Ukrainian civil rights activist.
• Oleksandra Matviichuk and the Center for Civil Liberties that she heads were honored “for building
sustainable democratic institutions in Ukraine and modeling a path to international accountability
for war crimes.”
• Somalia human rights activists Fartuun Adan and Ilwad Elman, who lead community-based
peacebuilding initiatives and provide support to marginalized groups, were cited “for promoting
peace, demilitarization, and human rights in Somalia in the face of terrorism and gender-based
violence.”
• Cecosesola, a Venezuelan association of cooperatives, was cited “for establishing an equitable
and cooperative economic model as a robust alternative to profit-driven economies.”
• The Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) won “for their courageous work for climate
justice and community rights violated by extractivist energy projects in Uganda.”
• Created in 1980, the annual Right Livelihood Award honors efforts that the prize founder,
Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull, felt were being ignored by the Nobel Prizes.
• The laureates will receive the awards during a ceremony on Nov. 30 in Stockholm.
• In 2022, 175 nominees from 77 countries were considered.
Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded to Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger:
• This year's Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded to Alain Aspect (France), John F. Clauser
(USA), and Anton Zeilinger (Austria) for their work on quantum information science.
• Hans Ellegren, Secretary General of, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announced the
winner at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
• A week of Nobel Prize announcements with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receiving the award
in medicine for unlocking secrets of Neanderthal DNA that provided key insights into our immune
system.
• Last year the prize was awarded to three scientists — Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann, and
Giorgio Parisi — whose work has helped to explain and predict complex forces of nature, thereby
expanding our understanding of climate change.
Three people have been awarded Nobel Prize in chemistry for developing a way of "snapping molecules
together”:
• This year's Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded in equal parts to Carolyn R. Bertozzi,
Morten Meldal, and K. Barry Sharpless for developing a way of "snapping molecules together"
that can be used to design medicines.
• Their work, known as click chemistry and bioorthogonal reactions, is used to make cancer drugs,
map DNA and create materials that are tailored to a specific purpose.
• Hans Ellegren, secretary general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announced the
winners at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
• Bertozzi is based at Stanford University in California, Meldal is at the University of Copenhagen,
Denmark, and Sharpless is affiliated with Scripps Research, California.
• Sharpless previously won a Nobel Prize in 2001.
• He is the fifth person to receive the award twice.
Angela Merkel has been awarded the prestigious Nansen Refugee Award by the United Nations refugee
agency:
• Former German chancellor Angela Merkel received the prestigious Nansen Refugee Award from
the United Nations refugee agency.
• The UNHCR selection committee praised Merkel's "leadership, courage, and compassion" for
welcoming 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers by Germany in 2015 and 2016 during the war
in Syria.
• The former chancellor will be honored with the award on October 10 in Geneva.
• Angela Merkel served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021.
About Nansen refugee Award
• It has been named after Fridtjof Nansen, the first High Commissioner for Refugees for the League
of Nations.
• This award honors individuals, groups, or organizations working to protect refugees and other
displaced and stateless people.
• It includes a commemorative medal and a monetary prize of US$ 150,000.
• Besides Merkel, four other organizations and individuals will also be awarded worldwide.
• The award will be given to those who have gone beyond to protect refugees and other people
forced to flee. UNHCR Nansen Award 2022 went to Mbera Fire Brigade, an all -volunteer
firefighting group in Mauritania led by Ahmedou Ag Albohary.
• The regional award for the Americas was given to a women’s rights advocate and activist, Vicenta
Gonzalez whose cacao cooperative in Costa Rica empowers asylum-seeking and local women.
• Nansen Award for Asia and the Pacific was given to Meikswe Myanmar, a humanitarian
organization.
• Dr. Nagham Hasan, a gynecologist from Iraq who helps Yazidi women was the winner of the
Middle East and North Africa region.
Annie Ernaux has been awarded the Noble Prize 2022 in Literature:
• The French author Annie Ernaux has been awarded the Noble Prize 2022 in Literature.
• Ernaux has been awarded for the courage and clinical acuity through which she uncovers the
roots, estrangements, and collective restraints of personal memory.
• Annie was born on September 1, 1940. Being a French writer and professor of literature, her work,
mostly autobiographical, is linked closely with sociology.
• The Nobel Prize 2021 for Literature was awarded to Tanzanian novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah for his
uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the
refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents.
• Some of his bestseller novels include Paradise, By the Sea, and Desertion.
Nobel Peace Prize won by Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski:
• The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to give the Nobel Peace Prize for 2022 to one individual
and two organizations.
• 2022 Nobel Peace Prize won by Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski , Russian human
rights organization Memorial, and Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties on
7 October.
• They have made an outstanding effort to document power abuse, war crimes, and human rights
abuses.
• Together, they demonstrated the importance of civil society to democracy and peace.
• Ales Bilyatsky was one of the initiators of the democratic movement that took place in Belarus in
the mid-1980s.
• Human rights activists established the human rights organization Memorial in 1987 in the former
Soviet Union.
• In 2007, the Center for Civil Liberties was established in Kyiv to advance human rights and
democracy in Ukraine.
• It was started in 1901. It is awarded annually on the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel.
• The Nobel Prizes are the most prestigious awards given for intellectual achievement in the world.
• It is awarded in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, economics, and
peace.
• Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to win the Nobel Prize in 1913.
Three people won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Economics for research on banks and financial crises:
• Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Economics to Ben S.
Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond, and Philip H. Dybvig.
• Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond, and Philip H. Dybvig won the 2022 Nobel Prize in
Economics for research on banks and financial crises.
• According to the Nobel committee, the three laureates have significantly improved our
understanding of the role of banks in the economy, particularly during financial crises, and an
important finding in their research is why avoiding bank collapses is vital.
• Both Diamond and Dybvig worked together to develop theoretical models explaining why banks
exist, how their role in society makes them vulnerable to rumors about their impending collapse,
and how society can lessen this vulnerability.
• Former Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke analyzed the Great Depression of the 1930s,
the worst economic crisis in modern history.
• Among other things, he showed how bank runs were a decisive factor in the crisis becoming so
deep and prolonged.
Wazahat Husain has won an international award for Traditional, Alternative, and Complementary
Medicine:
• Professor Wazahat Husain, a leading academic from the Aligarh Muslim University has won an
international award for Traditional, Alternative, and Complementary Medicine.
• Professor Husain a retired chairman of the Department of Botany at the Aligarh Muslim
University(AMU) has received the second Sheikh Zayed International Award in an event arranged
by the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation.
• Wazahat Husain has been honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards twice, once jointly by the
University Grants Commission (UGC) and the AYUSH ministry and then by the Wildlife Institute of
India and the Department of Wildlife Sciences, AMU.
• The award aims to give recognition to renowned academics and scientists of Traditional
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) globally.
• It also provides significance to TCAM physicians from the UAE, for enhancing TCAM knowledge
and practices, and contributing to improving the quality of life for humanity.
Karine Aigner was named this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year
• The American National History Museum announced the winners of their prestigious annual Wildlife
Photographer Awards in an awards ceremony in London.
• From the 19 category winners that highlight the natural world in all its wonder and diversity,
American photographer Karine Aigner bagged this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year for her
remarkable image titled, 'The big buzz'.
• Karine is just the fifth woman in the competition’s 58-year history
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the NHM, London.
• The exhibition opens at the museum, before embarking on the UK and international tour.
The PMAY-U Awards 2021 are won by Uttar Pradesh:
• According to Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, the majority of
housing projects funded by the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) housing scheme
has been completed.
• Every year, the PMAY-U Awards 2021 are planned to honor the States, Union Territories, and
urban local authorities who have contributed to the program's implementation in Rajkot.
• In terms of the awards, Uttar Pradesh came in first, followed by Madhya Pradesh in second and
Tamil Nadu in third.
• Gujarat, which is awaiting the results of its elections, received five special category honors for its
work in the areas of affordable rental housing complexes and "convergence with other missions."
• Following Jammu and Kashmir, which was named the "Best Performing UT" alongside Dadra and
Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Madhya Pradesh received three special category awards.
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has honored Odisha with the coveted PMAY-
U Awards 2021 for the best policy innovation in a certain area.
About PMAY-U:
• The PMAY-U scheme aims to address and alleviate the lack of housing facilities in urban India for
beneficiaries from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS), Low-Income Groups (LIGs), and
Middle Income Groups (MIGs).
• On June 25, 2015, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched PMAY-U, a
flagship Mission of the Government of India.
Karnataka Bank receives CII digital transformation awards:
• Karnataka Bank has won the Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) National Digital
Transformation Awards, "DX 2022 Awards," for best practices in digital transformation in the BFSI
sector.
• The prizes for "Innovative Excellence" in "KBL HR NxT - Employee Engagement," "KBL
Operations NxT - Operational Excellence," and "KBL Customer NxT - Customer Experience" were
given to senior bank executives in New Delhi.
• KBL NxT was introduced in 2021 as part of KBL Vikas 2.0, with an emphasis on digitizing its many
verticals such as operations, human resources, customer experience, digital marketing, and so on.
Highlights:
• In 2017, KBL launched its Transformation Journey 'KBL Vikaas' in Mangaluru, Karnataka, in
collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group (India) Private Ltd, (BCG).
• In 2021, KBL launched the 'KBL NxT' concept to become the 'next digital bank.'
• The bank prioritizes digitization in areas such as customer experience, operations, human
resources, technology, cyber security, digital marketing, and partnerships, among others.
• Digital transformation has begun to contribute a significant share to the bank through the KBL
Vikaas program.
About The DX Award:
• The DX (Digital Transformation) Award is an excellent forum for enterprises to display their efforts
and successes in the digital sphere.
• DX Award 2022 is the fourth edition of the CII - Tata Communications Centre for Digital
Transformation DX (Digital Transformation) Awards, which are designed to showcase the impact
and advantages of digital transformation.
India Expo conferred with National Tourism Award 2018-2019 for Best Standalone Convention Centre:
• India Exposition Mart Limited, one of the leading venue planners and providers in India that offers
technology-driven, world-class facilities and safety standards suitable for hosting international
business-to-business exhibitions, conferences, congresses, product launches, and promotional
events, was awarded the National Tourism Award 2018-2019 for the “Best Standalone Convention
Centre” for its Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida at the National Tourism Awards 2022 that was
held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
• The event saw the presence of Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, his Excellency Vice-President of India;
Shri G. Krishna Reddy, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern
Region of India, Govt. of India, Shri Ajay Bhatt, Hon’ble Minister of State for Tourism, Govt. of
India and Shri Arvind Singh, IAS, Secretary (Tourism), Govt. of India along with other dignitaries.
• 81 awards were given highlighting the achievements of the Industry.
• India Expo Mart has approximately 16 years of operating experience in the management and
organization of exhibitions and trade fairs.
• Many VVIP’s including the PM of India, Union Home Minister, various cabinet Ministers, and Chief
Ministers of states have visited the venue for various exhibitions and conventions including the
Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair, Elecrama, Auto Expo – The Motor Show, CPHI&P-MEC and
Print Pack, COP 14, Petrotech’22, and recently World Dairy Congress’22 and many more others
exhibitions have been organized at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida.
Hyderabadi Haleem from Telangana re ceives the "Most Popular GI" award:
• Hyderabadi Haleem from Telangana defeated other foods including Rasgulla, Bikaneri Bhujiya,
and Ratlami Sev to win the title of "Most Popular GI."
• The renowned Hyderabadi Haleem has won the "Most Popular GI" title in a fierce fight against
more than 15 food items with Geographical Indication (GI) classification across the nation.
• Products are given GI tags to ensure that only authorized users may use the well -known product
name.
• Hyderabadi Haleem received GI status for the first time in 2010.
• It lost validity on December 2019.
• Later on, nevertheless, the dish's tag was extended by the Geographical Indicator registrar for
another 10 years.
• Nirmal toys and crafts, Nirmal furniture, Nirmal paintings, Gadwal sari, and Banaganapalle
Mangoes are some Telangana products that have received the GI designation.
Hyderabad in Telangana received the AIPH "World Green City award 2022":
• For its initiative titled "Green Garland to the State of Telangana," the city of Hyderabad,
Telangana, has been recognized as the Grand Winner of the AIPH (International Association of
Horticultural Producers) World Green City Awards 2022, the most prestigious award of the
inaugural AIPH World Green City awards (2022 edition).
• Hyderabad also took home the prize in the category of "Living Green for Economic Recovery and
Inclusive Growth."
• Hyderabad has received recognition for its efforts to improve urban settings through increased use
of plants and nature, which also supports local ambitions for increased economic, social, and
environmental resilience.
• The prize recognized Telangana's large-scale tree-planting initiative, Telangana Ku Haritha
Haram, which was undertaken in 2015 and 2016.
• The program intends to expand the state's tree cover from 24% to 33% of its overall area.
Booker Prize 2022 awarded to Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka for his novel ‘The Seven Moons
of Maali Almeida’:
• Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka won the 2022 Booker Prize for his second novel ‘The
Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’.
• Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world.
• 47-year-old Karunatilaka becomes the second Sri Lankan to win the prestigious 50,000 pounds
literary prize at a ceremony in London, after Michael Ondaatje who won for ‘The English Patient’ in
1992.
• ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ tells the story of the photographer of its title, who in 1990
wakes up dead in what seems like a celestial visa office.
• Shehan Karunatilaka, who was born in Galle in 1975 and grew up in Colombo, says that Sri
Lankans specializes in "gallows humour" and make jokes in the face of crises as a coping
mechanism.
• His debut novel from 2011, ‘Chinaman’, won the Commonwealth Prize.
• The Booker Prize is awarded annually to a book published in English in the United Kingdom and
Ireland.
Alexia Putellas and Karim Benzema have won the Ballon d'Or for 2022:
• Karim Benzema, a professional French footballer for Real Madrid, has won the Men's Ballon d'Or
(Golden Ball Award) 2022, becoming the fifth Frenchman to do so.
• Alexia Putellas, a Spanish professional footballer from Barcelona, has won the Women's Ballon
d'Or award or Ballon d'Or Féminin Award for the second time.
• The 66th Ballon d'Or Ceremony (2022) was placed at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris in France.
• Karim Benzema is only the second player to win the award since 2008, behind Lionel Messi and
Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Lionel Messi has won the most Ballon d'Or awards.
• He leads the list with seven awards, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five.
Award Winner
Ballon d’Or (Men) Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema
Ballon d’Or (Women) Alexia Putellas(Barcelona)
Kopa Award Gavi (Barcelona)
Gerd Muller Award Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Yashin Trophy Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Club of the Year Award Manchester City
Socrates Award Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
The Ukrainian people have been awarded the EU's Sakharov freedom prize for 2022:
• The European Parliament has bestowed the annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on
the people of Ukraine in recognition of their resistance to Russia's invasion.
• Following a vote by the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament, European
Parliament President Roberta Metsola revealed the laureate for 2022 in the Strasbourg plenary
chamber (the President and political group leaders).
• The award includes 50,000 euros ($49,100) in prize money, which will be handed to leaders of
Ukrainian civic society.
• Since 1988, the prize, named after late Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, has been given to
individuals and organizations promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms.
• Last year, the award was handed to Alexei Navalny, a jailed Kremlin opponent, for his attempts to
challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin's grip on power.
• Previous recipients include South African President Nelson Mandela, Pakistani education
campaigner Malala Yousafzai, and Belarus' democratic opposition.
IIT Madras has won the National Intellectual Property Award for 2021 and 2022:
• The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) received the national prize for intellectual
property for 2021 and 2022.
• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry established the prize.
• The evaluation criteria for patents were applications, grants, and commercialization. Union
Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal presented the prize.
• V. Kamakoti, director of the institute, commended the professors, researchers, students, and other
stakeholders on their achievement after receiving the trophy, citation, and cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh.
• This award has inspired IIT Madras to create and protect additional intellectual property with
societal impact.
• The yearly award recognizes people who have succeeded in intellectual property ideas and
commercialization that support the development of the nation's IP ecosystem and foster
innovation, including individuals, institutions, organizations, and corporations.
NISA receives the Union HM's award for best police training institution:
• The Union Home Minister's Trophy for the "Best Police Training Institution for Training of Gazetted
Officers for the Year 2020-21" was awarded to the National Industrial Security Academy (NISA) in
Hakimpet, Hyderabad.
• This amazing milestone for this Academy was accomplished during the tenure of the present
Commissioner of Police (CP) Hyderabad, CV Anand, who was the Academy's prior Director during
the year under consideration.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs screens several central police training institutes at the national level,
and BPR&D surveys to determine the top Police Training Institution for the year.
• In several categories, all central and state government police training academies in the country
are being considered.
"Pather Panchali" was named the greatest Indian film by FIPRESCI:
• The feature film "Pather Panchali" by renowned director Satyajit Ray has been named the best
Indian movie of all time by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI).
• In a list of the best ten films in Indian cinema history, which was determined following a poll by the
FIPRESCI India chapter, the 1955 movie is ranked first.
• "Pather Panchali," Ray's first film as a director, was based on the 1929 Bengali novel of the same
name by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay.
• Starring in it was Chunibala Devi, Kanu Banerjee, Karuna Banerjee, Uma Dasgupta, and Subir
Banerjee.
• According to FIPRESCI-India, 30 members participated in the ballot, which was done in secret.
RRR was named Best International Film at the Saturn Awards 2022:
• The film RRR, directed by SS Rajamouli and recently released in Japan, has won its first major
international award.
• The biggie took home the award for 'Best International Film' at the Saturn Awards 2022, which
were held in Los Angeles.
• RRR is a period drama starring Jr NTR and Ram Charan as parallel leads.
• RRR, which earned nearly Rs 1,200 crore at the worldwide box office, has received its first major
international award.
• At the Saturn Awards 2022, SS Rajamouli's magnum opus won the award for 'Best International
Film.
• RRR defeated Downton Abbey: A New Era, Eiffel, I'm Your Man, Riders of Justice, and Silent
Night to win the award for the best international film at the 2022 Academy Awards.
• Notably, RRR was nominated for best film direction and best action/adventure film.
In the first, SS Rajamouli was beaten by Matt Reeves, who won for The Batman.
India signs deal with Armenia for export of missiles & weapon systems
• India has signed an Rs. 2,000 crores (US$ 244.78 million) million deal to export arms and
ammunition to Armenia, which is currently engaged in a tense stand-off with its neighbor
Azerbaijan.
• First, India will also export indigenous Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRL).
• The Pinaka system has been developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) and is manufactured by Indian private firms.
• The rocket system, which is currently in service with the Indian Army, can fire a salvo of 12 rockets
in 44 seconds.
• Armenia is also set to get anti-tank rockets as well as a range of ammunition from India under the
bundled deal.
Key Highlights:
• The Center has set a target to sell weapon systems worth Rs 35,000 crore abroad by 2025.
• The defense exports last year stood close to Rs 13,000 crore, mainly driven by the private sector
• In 2020-21, India exported equipment worth $90 million compared to $23 million in 2014-15.
• In January 2022, India inked a $375 million deal with the Philippines to provide the BrahMos
cruise missile to the country’s navy.
• The central government first supplied four Swathi radars to the Asian nation in 2020 for an
estimated Rs 350 crore.
IAF retires Srinagar-based MiG-21 ‘Swordarm’ Squadron
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) retired the No. 51 ‘sword arms’ MiG-21 fighter Squadron based in
Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), which had stopped its flying operations on June 30, 2022.
• With this, the IAF has 3 MiG-21 Bison squadrons, which will be phased out in the next three
years.
• 51 Squadron, widely known as “Swordarms,” was established in Chandigarh on February 1st,
1985 under the command of Wg Cdr VK Chawla.
• The Squadron moved to its present location at Srinagar on May 1, 1986.
• It was initially equipped with MiG-21 Type 75 aircraft and converted to the upgraded MiG-21
Bison in January 2004.
• The 51 Squadron is the same Squadron of which Group Captain (then Wing Commander)
Abhinandan Varthaman was part and saw action in February 2019.
Key Highlights:
• The Primary role of the Squadron was the air defense of the Kashmir Valley and being the only
fighter Squadron in the Valley, the ‘sword arms’ earned the title ‘guardians of the valley’.
• The Squadron was tested in the 1987 Operation Brasstacks when it carried out intensive valley
flying and manned operational readiness platforms from both Srinagar and Awantipur over 3
months
• The crest of the squadron portrays a pair of muscular arms firmly clasping a sword, depicting
the motto "Vijaya Prakrama" which means 'Valour for Victory'
• The ‘sword arms’ also participated in Operation Safed Sagar in the 1999 Kargil conflict.
• The sword arms flew 194 sorties and were conferred 1 Vayu Sena medal and 3 Mention-in
Dispatches.
• For their role during Operation Parakram, the mobilization carried out post the Parliament
attack, the Squadron was awarded the President’s Standard on March 22, 2018.
Indian Air Force to Induct Its First Light Combat Helicopters In Jodhpur
• The first batch of indigenously-developed Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) named " Prachand"
was inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
• During the ceremony newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Shri Anil Chauhan along with
Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh were also present.
• LCH would join the 143 Helicopter Unit after being inducted.
Key Highlights:
• The name Prachand means “fierce” & it is the name given to Light Combat Helicopters (LCH).
• The LCH is a 5.5-tonne class dedicated combat helicopter designed and developed by Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
• The LCH assault helicopter is the only one in the world that can land and take off at 5,000 meters
while carrying a sizable load of ammunition and fuel.
• LCH Limited Series Production (LSP) is an indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured
state-of-the-art modern combat helicopter containing approximately 45% indigenous content by
value which will progressively increase to more than 55 % for the SP Version.
• The formal induction of the LCH comes after the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by the
Prime Minister, approved in March the procurement of 15 LCH Limited Series Production (LSP) for
Rs 3,887 crore along with allied infrastructure sanctions worth Rs 377 crore.
• Of the 15 helicopters being procured from the LSP, 10 are for the IAF and 5 for the Indian Army.
• The helicopter is equipped with the requisite agility, maneuverability, extended range, high-altitude
performance, and around-the-clock, all-weather combat capability to perform Combat Search and
Rescue (CSAR), Destruction of Enemy Air Defence (DEAD), Counter Insurgency (CI) operations.
• It can also counter slow-moving aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs).
• Presently, the IAF is expected to require a total of 160 LCHs, of which 65 are for the IAF and 95
are for the Indian Army.
• According to the IAF, the induction marks India becoming the 7th country to make attack
helicopters.
DRDO Tests 3 Unmanned Remote-controlled Weaponised Boats In Pune
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) tested three remotely unmanned,
weaponized boats at Bhama Askhed Dam in Pune, Maharashtra.
• The 3 remote-controlled armed boats were tested with no man on the vessel.
• These boats were developed by DRDO in collaboration with the private start-up Sagar Defence
Engineering, a defense production start-up.
• The boats are useful for surveillance purposes, patrols, and reconnaissance of overall maritime
security.
• Notably, the boats have an endurance of about four hours.
• Currently, the boat can sail at a maximum speed of 10 nautical miles/hour & can be further
increased to 25 nautical miles.
• Some variants of these boats use an electric propulsion system with lithium batteries, while others
have a petrol engine on board.
• DefExpo-2022 will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between October 18 and 22, 2022.
About DRDO:
• The DRDO is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development
in the Ministry of Defence of the GoI.
INS Tarkash at Port Gentil, 1st ever visit by any Indian Navy ship to Gabon
• INS Tarkash has visited a port in Gabon as part of an ongoing deployment in the Gulf of Guinea
for anti-piracy patrols.
• This marks the “first-ever visit by any Indian naval ship to Gabon
• During its stay in port, the ship and its crew will participate in official and professional interactions
as well as sports fixtures.
• Their professional interactions will include discussions and drills on fire fighting and damage
control, medical and casualty evacuation issues, and diving operations.
• In addition, yoga sessions and social interactions are also planned.
About INS Tarkash:
• INS Tarkash (F50) is the second Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy.
• It was built at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.
• It was commissioned into Navy service on 9 November 2012 at Kaliningrad and joined the
Western Naval Command on 27 December 2012.
• It is equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors capable of addressing threats in all
three dimensions.
About Gabon:
• President: Ali Bongo Ondimba
• Prime Minister: Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda
• Capital: Libreville
• Currency: Central African CFA franc
Defence Ministry approves renaming of Faizabad Cantt as Ayodhya Cantt
• Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the proposal to change the name of Faizabad
Cantt to Ayodhya Cantt.
• Earlier in October 2021, the Uttar Pradesh government following the Centre’s nod announced the
renaming of Faizabad railway junction as Ayodhya Cantt & Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath
had approved the change of name.
• In November 2018, the UP government changed the name of Faizabad district to Ayodhya.
• In October 2018, the Yogi government changed the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj.
• Earlier in June 2018, Mughalsarai railway station, one of the busiest junctions of Indian Railways
was renamed after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
Army’s northern command adds Kalyani M4 to its fleet of armored vehicles
• Indian Army’s northern command inducted Kalyani M4, an indigenous all-terrain high mobility
combat troop carrier with armor and mine protection, in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Purpose:
• To enhance the operations capabilities in the terrains of Jammu - Kashmir, and Ladakh.
• Kalyani M4, produced by Kalyani Group’s Bharat Forge Limited.
• The first consignment of specialized armored vehicles was formally received by General Officer-
Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Northern Command, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi from
officials of India’s Bharat Forge Limited in Command headquarters Udhampur
About Kalyani M4:
• The Kalyani M4 is a multi-role platform vehicle that aims to aid the armed forces in quick mobility
in rough terrain.
• It offers best-in-class levels of ballistic and blast protection up to 50kg TNT side blast or
IED/roadside bombs due to its innovative design, built on a flat-floor monocoque hull.
• The vehicles can carry a maximum payload of 2.3 tonnes and up to 8 people.
• The Kalyani M4 weighs around 16,000 kilograms with all the armor.
• The M4 can reach a top speed of 140 km/h and has a range of 800 km.
• The vehicle can withstand three 10 kg TNT charges under the wheels and one 50 kg IED blast at
one side.
• Subsequently, the Ministry of Defence placed an order worth Rs 177.95 crore for the supply of
Kalyani M4 vehicles.
Center approves creation of weapon system branch for IAF officers
• On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Ministry of Defence
(MoD) has approved the creation of a new branch, called the Weapon Systems (WS) branch.
• This is the first time since Independence that a new operational branch has been created.
Key Highlights:
• The new branch will result in a saving of more than ₹3,400 crore due to reduced expenditure on
flying training.
• It will unify all weapon systems operators of the IAF under a single entity for operational
employment of all ground-based and specialist airborne weapons.
• The branch would encompass operators in four specialized streams of Surface-to-Surface
missiles, Surface-to-Air missiles, Remotely Piloted Aircraft, and Weapon System Operators in
twin/multi-crew aircraft.
About MoD:
About IAF:
US & South Korea begin joint maritime exercises
• The South Korean and United States navies began a two-day combined maritime maneuvering
exercise with a US aircraft carrier.
• The maritime drills will take place in waters off South Korea’s east coast on October 7-8,2022.
• The drills come after North Korea launched a pair of ballistic missiles into the sea and later flew
warplanes near the border with the South.
• The Joint drills will strengthen both countries' operational capabilities and readiness to respond to
any provocation by North Korea.
• The exercise is being conducted after North Korea launched ballistic missiles over Japan.
About the US:
• Capital: Washington, D.C
• Currency: U.S. dollar
About South Korea:
• Prime Minister: Han Duck-soo
• Capital: Seoul
• Currency: the Korean Republic won
Indian Navy to join Exercise Malabar in Japan next month
• Japan will host the 2022 edition of the Malabar naval exercise consisting of India, Australia,
Japan, and the U.S. in the second week of November 2022.
• The Indian Navy will also participate in the International Fleet Review (IFR) being hosted in the
first week of November to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Japanese Maritime Self-
Defence Force (JMSDF).
• This is the latest in a series of bilateral and multilateral exercises in which the Indian armed
forces have taken part recently. ∙
• The bilateral India-U.S. Army exercise "Yudh Abhyas" is scheduled to take place at the end of
October in Uttarakhand's high-altitude regions, around 100 km (aerial distance) from the Line of
Actual Control (LAC).
• According to a statement by the Royal Brunei Navy, the IFR to be held in the first week of
November is being conducted during the 18th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS)
‘strategic discussion’ and ‘plenary session’ being hosted by Japan from November 5 to 10, 2022.
About the Malabar Exercise:
• Malabar is a multilateral naval exercise that was first conducted in 1992.
• It started as a bilateral training session for the Indian and American navies.
• The exercise has been carried out annually since 2002.
• Australia and Japan participated in the exercise for the first time in 2007, and since 2014, the US,
India, and Japan have all taken part annually.
• In 2020, Australia joined Ex Malabar as a regular member
About Japan:
• Prime Minister: Fumio Kishida
• Capital: Tokyo
INS Tarkash reaches South Africa for maritime exercise IBSAMAR
• INS Tarkash reached Port Gqeberha (also known as Port Elizabeth), South Africa to
participate in the 7th edition of IBSAMAR, a joint multinational maritime exercise among
Indian, Brazilian, and South African Navies.
• The Indian Navy is represented by the Teg class guided missile frigate, INS Tarkash, a
Chetak helicopter, and the personnel from the Marine Commando Force (MARCOS).
About the Exercise:
• The Exercise will strengthen maritime security, joint operational training, sharing of best
practices, and building interoperability to address common maritime threats.
• The harbor phase of IBSAMAR VII includes professional exchanges such as damage
control and fire-fighting drills alongside VBSS/cross-boarding lectures and interaction
among special forces.
• In Aug 2022, INS Tarkash participated in a Maritime Partnership Exercise with the Brazilian
Navy which included operations such as cross-deck landing, replenishment at sea (RAS)
approaches, and other tactical maneuvers.
• The warship also hoisted the Indian Tricolour on August 15, 2022, at Rio De Janeiro, as
part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
• The 6th edition of IBSAMAR (IBSAMAR VI) was conducted off Simons Town, South Africa
from October 1-13 in 2018 in which INS Tarkash, INS Kolkata, BNS Barroso, SAS Amatola,
SAS Protea, and SAS Manthatisi participated.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi commissions India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant
in Kochi
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi commissioned India's first indigenous aircraft carrier
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, Kerala.
• Also, during the event, the PM unveiled the new Naval Ensign (Nishaan), doing away with
the colonial past and befitting the rich Indian maritime heritage.
• He dedicated the new ensign to Chhatrapati Shivaji.
About INS Vikrant:
• INS Vikrant is designed by the Indian Navy's in-house Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by
Cochin Shipyard Limited, a Public S ector S hipyard u nder the M i nistry o f P orts, S hipping &
Waterways.
• Vikrant has been built with state-of-the-art automation features and is the largest ship ever built in
the maritime history of India.
Key Features:
• The 262.5 m long and 61.6 m wide Vikrant displaces approx 43,000 T, having a maximum
designed speed of 28 Knots with an endurance of 7,500 Nautical Miles.
• The ship has around 2,200 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1,600 including
women officers and sailors.
• The ship is capable of operating an air wing consisting of 30 aircraft comprising MiG-29K
fighter jets, Kamov-31, MH-60R multi-role helicopters, in addition to indigenously
manufactured Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) (Navy).
• Using a novel aircraft-operation mode known as Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery
(STOBAR), INS Vikrant is equipped with a ski jump for launching aircraft, and a set of
‘arrester wires’ for their recovery onboard.
• With 76% indigenous content, the construction of INS Vikrant has resulted in direct
employment generation for over 2,000 employees of CSL.
• It has resulted in indirect employment generation for approx 12,500 employees for over 550
OEMs, sub-contractors, ancillary industries, and over 100 Micro Small Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs).
About New Ensign of Navy:
• The White Ensign identified nationwide with the Navy, now comprises two main constituents - the
National Flag in the upper left canton, and a Navy Blue - Gold octagon at the center of the fly side
(away from the staff).
• The Octagon is with twin golden octagonal borders encompassing the golden Nationa l Emblem
(Lion Capital of Ashoka – undescribed with ‘Satyamev Jayate’ in blue Devnagri script) resting atop
an anchor; and superimposed on a shield.
• Below the shield, within the octagon, in a golden bordered ribbon, on a Navy Blue background, is
inscribed the motto of the Indian Navy ‘Sam No Varunah’ in golden Devnagriscript.
• The design encompassed within the octagon has been taken from the Indian Naval crest, wherein
the fouled anchor, which is also associated with a colonial legacy, has been replaced wi th a clear
anchor underscoring the steadfastness of the Indian Navy.
About Ministry of Defence:
Eastern Naval Command conducts offshore security exercise – Pradhan
• An offshore security exercise, ‘Prasthan’ was conducted in the Krishna Godavari Basin (KGB)
Offshore Development Area (ODA) under the aegis of Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command.
Aim:
• To integrate the efforts of all maritime stakeholders involved in offshore defense.
About the Exercise:
• The exercise is conducted every six months and is an important element of ensuring
offshore security.
• It was conducted onboard Drill rigs Platinum Explorer and DDKG- of ONGC and RIL located
about 40 nm south of Kakinada.
• It saw participation from the various oil operators, like Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
(ONGC), Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Vedanta, & other stakeholders in the domain of
maritime security including AP Marine Police, AP fisheries department, and the Coast
Guard.
• The exercise resulted in refining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and response
actions to several contingencies in the Offshore Defence Area off Kakinada.
INS Arihant carries out successful launches of Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile
• India's first ballistic missile nuclear submarine Submersible Ship Ballistic Missile Nuclear (SSMN),
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Arihant successfully launched a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile
(SLBM) validating India’s second strike nuclear capability.
• The trial was significant to prove crew competency and validate the SSBN (Ship Submersible
Ballistic Nuclear Submarine) program.
About INS Arihant:
• Launched in 2009, INS Arihant was commissioned in 2016.
• Builder: Shipbuilding Center (SBC), Visakhapatnam.
• INS Arihant, a 6,000-tonne submarine is the lead ship of India's Arihant class of nuclear-powered
ballistic missile submarines built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project.
• The Advanced Technology Project (ATV) project began in the 1980s and the first of them, Arihant,
was launched into the water in 2009 by then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
• Its design is based on the Russian Akula-1 class submarines and its 83MW pressurized light-
water reactor with enriched uranium has been built with significant Russian assistance.
• Under the Rs, 90,000 crores top-secret ATV project, India is currently building three more SSBNs
to follow INS Arihant.
• The missile was tested to a predetermined range and impacted the target area in the Bay of
Bengal with very high accuracy and all operational and technological parameters of the weapon
system have been validated.
• A robust, survivable and assured retaliatory capability is in keeping with India’s policy to have
‘Credible Minimum Deterrence‘ that underpins its ‘No First Use’ commitment.
• The second such submarine, INS Arighat, is slated to become fully operational in 2023.
• The vessel will be followed by two 7,000-tonne SSBNs under the ATV project.
• There is also a plan to build 13,500-tonne SSBNs with more powerful 190MW reactors.
About SSBN:
• SSBNs are that class of submarines that can go deep beneath the ocean making them virtually
undetectable for months, they also carry nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.
• It is capable of carrying ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.
• It is armed with the K-15 Sagarika missiles with a range of 750 km.
• Later, it will also be armed with K-4 missiles, being developed by the DRDO, which are capable of
striking targets at a distance of up to 3,500 km.
• These 'K' series of missiles are named after former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
Note:
• Currently, India is the 6th country, alongside China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the
United States to have nuclear-powered submarines armed with ballistic missiles.
Rajnath Singh launches Maa Bharati Ke Sapoot website for citizens to contribute to the Armed Forces
fund
• Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched the ‘Maa Bharati Ke Sapoot’ (MBKS) website
(www.maabharatikesapoot.mod.gov.in) for contribution to the Armed Forces Battle Casualties
Welfare Fund (AFBCWF) at a function organized at the National War Memorial Complex in New
Delhi.
About AFBCWF:
• The AFBCWF is a Tri-Service fund, which is utilized to grant immediate financial assistance to the
families of soldiers/sailors/airmen who lay down their lives or get grievously injured in active
military operations.
• The website was launched to simplify the process for patriotic Indians to join the noble cause.
• It will enable people to contribute online directly to the fund.
• Amitabh Bachchan will be the ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ of the initiative.
About MoD:
NATO Neptune Strike military exercise starts in the Mediterranean Sea
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Naval Striking and Support Forces announced
the launch of the Neptune Strike (NEST 22-2), a multi-domain exercise in the Mediterranean Sea
and are expected to be completed by October 28, 2022.
About NEST 22-2:
• NEST 22-2 highlights the natural evolution of NATO’s ability to integrate maritime warfare
capabilities of a carrier strike group to support Allied defense.
• Neptune Strike is the third phase of NATO’s long-planned Project Neptune series, which was
elaborated in 2020.
• Two previous military exercises under this project were conducted in February and May 2022.
About NATO:
• Secretary General: Jens Stoltenberg
• Chair of the NATO Military Committee: Lt. Admiral Rob Bauer
• Membership: 30 member states (28 European and 2 North American)
LT Gen PS Bhagat Memorial Chair of Excellence Instituted at the United Service Institution of India
• On the 103rd birth anniversary of late Lt Gen PS Bhagat, ex-Colonel Commandant of the Bombay
Sappers and SIKH LI Regiment, the Indian Army has dedicated a Chair of Excellence in his
memory at the United Service Institution of India (USI), New Delhi, Delhi.
• The announcement was made by Gen Manoj Pande, Chief of Army Staff, at a solemn ceremony
organized at the USI of India, Delhi in the presence of former Army Chiefs Gen V P Malik (Retd)
and Gen M M Naravane (Retd).
• During the ceremony, a Rs 5 lakhs honorarium to the nominated Chair of Excellence was handed
over to Maj Gen BK Sharma (retd), Director, USI.
• Late Lt Gen PS Bhagat who served as the first General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the re-
raised Northern Command was an outstanding professional and a prolific writer.
• The inaugural Chair of Excellence is being awarded to Maj Gen SG Pitre (Retd) to author a book
on the “Legacy of Lt Gen Prem Bhagat: A visionary and Strategic Leader”.
C-295 military aircraft manufacturing may take place in Gujarat
• Gujarat may get the first private aircraft manufacturing facility to realize ₹22,000 crores worth of
deal the defense ministry had signed with European multinational aerospace corporation Airbus
2021 for the acquisition of 56 C -295 fixed wings
• The places figured out for establishing the final assembly line for C-295 are Dhalora and Baroda.
• The C-295s will replace the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) aging Averos.
• Under the contractual agreement signed in September of 2021, Airbus will deliver over 4 years
the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain.
• The remaining 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems
(TASL), the defense arm of Tatas, in India.
About MoD:
India successfully tests new-generation nuclear-capable 'Agni Prime' ballistic missile
• India successfully test-fired 'Agni Prime' - a new generation of ballistic missiles - from off the coast
of Odisha.
• With this 3rd consecutive successful flight test of the Agni Prime missile, the accuracy and
reliability of the system have been established.
Key Highlights:
• The first test of 'Agni Prime' was in June 2021, & 6 months later December 2021 the second test
was successfully executed.
• Performance was validated using data obtained by many tracking systems, including radar,
telemetry, and electro-optical systems.
• These systems were deployed at different locations along the flight path, including two down-
range ships at the terminal point, and covered the entire trajectory
About Agni Prime:
• Agni Prime is a medium-range ballistic missile being developed by Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It is a two-stage canisterised solid-propellant missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance
system with a maximum range of 2,000 km.
• It weighs 50% less than the Agni 3 missile and has new guidance and propulsion systems.
• Since it is canisterised, it can be launched from rail or road, stored for longer periods, and can be
transported as per operational requirements.
• It is the sixth missile in the Agni (missile) series of ballistic missiles.
Indian Navy & Drone Federation joins hands to promote indigenous drone technology
• The Technology Development and Acceleration Cell (TDAC) of the Naval Innovation
Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) under the Indian Navy and Drone Federation of India (DFI)
have joined hands to collaboratively work towards promoting indigenous development,
manufacturing and testing of a drone, counter-drone, and associated technologies for the Navy.
Key Highlights:
• As a part of this collaboration, the Navy and the drone industry body will increase the Navy-
industry-academia synergy, and source technology development challenges toward component
indigenization.
• The maritime testing site being developed under this initiative will accelerate the development of
versatile and reliable drone platforms for advanced maritime use cases like maritime patrol, drone
landings on moving ships, ship-to-ship deliveries, and ship-to-shore deliveries.
• A special maritime drone testing site shall also be earmarked for the Indian drone industry to
facilitate faster development and testing of drones, especially in maritime environments.
About Drone Federation of India:
• Founded: 2017
• President: Smit Shah
• The DFI is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led body that promotes and strives towards
building a safer and scalable unmanned aviation industry in India.
India Navy conducts Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise ‘Simbex’ - 2022 at Visakhapatnam
• The Indian Navy is hosting the 29th edition of the Singapore -India M a ritime B ilater al E xer cise
(SIMBEX) from 26 to 30 October 2022 at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP).
• Rear Admiral Sean Wat Jianwen, Fleet Commander, of the Republic of Singapore Navy called on
Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, E astern N aval C ommand,
and Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet.
About SIMBEX-2022:
• SIMBEX-2022 is being conducted in two phases – Harbour Phase at Visakhapatnam fr om 2 6 to
27 October 2022 followed by the Sea Phase in the Bay of Bengal from 28 to 30 October 2022.
• Two ships from the Republic of Singapore Navy, RSS Stalwart (a Formidable Class F rigate) and
RSS Vigilance (a Victory Class Corvette) arrived at Visakhapatnam for participation in the exercise
• The Harbour Phase witnessed extensive professional and sporting interactions between the two
navies including cross-deck visits, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE), and planning
meetings.
About SIMBEX:
• SIMBEX series of exercises began in 1994 and were initially known as Exercise Lion King.
• The exercise exemplifies the high level of cooperation between India and Singapore in the
maritime domain.
• It also highlights the commitment and contribution of the two nations toward enhancing maritime
security in the Indian Ocean Region.
About MoD:
India & US militaries conducted the 'Tiger Triumph' exercise at Visakhapatnam, AP
• The Second edition of India and the United States Tri-Service HARD (Humanitarian Assistance &
Disaster Relief) Exercise Tiger Triumph was conducted in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP).
• The Indian Navy led by Rear Admiral Manish Sharma, Chief Staff Officer HQENC (Headquarters,
Eastern Naval Command), Visakhapatnam, AP.
• The US Navy was led by Major General Chris McPhillips, Director INDOPACOM (Indo Pacific
Command).
Aim:
• To improve interoperability between India and the US and create a multinational command and
control model for humanitarian assistance in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
About Tiger Triumph:
• It is a joint exercise for a comprehensive effort to provide disaster relief services to a third country
hit by a super cyclone.
• It is the first tri-services exercise between the US and India.
• The 2022 exercise was focused on staff planning, with an emphasis on processes for streamlining
diplomatic, operational, and logistical coordination.
• 50 individuals from India and the United States took part in this exercise.
• The 2022 Tiger Triumph marks the 3rd time this year that the Indian and the US militaries are
involved in a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam.
• The first such exercise was conducted at Visakhapatnam in November 2019.
Other Exercise:
• In February 2022, the US participated in an India-led bi-annual Milan exercise for the first time.
• In August 2022, the USS (United States Ship) Frank Cable visited Visakhapatnam, during which
time, the US sailors and their Indian counterparts took part in briefings.
• In September 2022, the QUAD countries (US, India, Japan, and Australia) signed the “Guidelines
for the Quad Partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in the Indo-
Pacific”.
India & US to carry out mega military exercise Yudh Abhyas in Uttarakhand
• India and the US will conduct a fortnight-long mega-military exercise Yudh Abhyas in
Uttarakhand’s Auli in October 2022.
• The 18th edition of the exercise is scheduled to take place from October 14 to 31, 2022.
Aim:
• To enhance understanding, cooperation, and interoperability between the armies of India and the
US with several complex drills being planned
• The last edition of the exercise took place in October 2021 in Alaska in the US.
About the exercise:
• The "Yudh Abhyas" exercise is taking place in the backdrop of India's lingering border row with
China in eastern Ladakh.
• In June 2016, the US designated India a “Major Defence Partner”.
Some Agreements signed between India & US:
• In 2016, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) was signed between India
& US which allows their militaries to use each other's bases for the repair and replenishment of
supplies as well as provides for deeper cooperation.
• In 2018, COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) was signed which
allows for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for the sale of high-end
technology from the US to India.
• In 2020, BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) was signed to further boost
bilateral defense ties.
• It provides for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics, and geospatial maps between the
two countries.
PM Modi to lay foundation stone of C -295MW transport aircraft manufacturing project for IAF at
Vadodara
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of a C-295 MW transport aircraft
manufacturing project for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Vadodara in Gujarat on 30 Oct 2022.
• This state-of-the-art transport aircraft of 5 to 10 tons capacity is going to be manufactured for the
first time in India.
• The aircraft will replace the aging Avro aircraft of IAF.
• This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a
private company.
• The aircraft will strengthen the logistic capabilities of the IAF.
Key Highlights:
• 16 aircraft will be handed over the in-flight condition and 40 such aircraft will be manufactured in
India by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, and Tata Consultancy Services.
• In September 2021, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the procurement of 56 C-
295MW transport aircraft from M/s Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain.
• The first 16 fly-away aircraft are scheduled to be delivered between September 2023 and August
2025.
• The first Made in India aircraft is expected to be delivered in September 2026.
• The total cost of the project will be Rs. 21,935 crores.
• This aircraft can also be used for civilian purposes.
• All 56-transport aircraft will have indigenous electronic warfare suites of Indian DPSUs – Bharat
Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited.
Garuda Aerospace & Lockheed Martin Canada sign MoU to collaborate on drones, drone systems
• Garuda Aerospace and Lockheed Martin Canada CDL Systems have signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) to integrate Garuda Aerospace’s Made-In-India drones with Lockheed
Martin Canada CDL Systems’ advanced uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) software solutions for
defense and commercial purposes.
• Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi launched 100 Garuda drones in 100 locations across India
and MS Dhoni became its brand ambassador.
Key Highlights:
• Both companies will “work closely" to build a strong data processing capability and co-develop
algorithms for drone-based applications that can be used in agriculture, mining, large-scale
mapping, and industrial inspection.
• The vision is to launch 25,000 such drones in 2022 & 1,00,000 drones in 2023, and 1 drone in
each village by 2024-2025.
• Garuda is also working with HiiLSE Drones, a Malaysian drone company, to set up a drone factory
in Malaysia.
• In August 2022 Garuda announced a partnership with Harare Institute of Technology and
Nyangani Virtual University to offer drones-as-a-service (DraaS) to the agriculture sector in
Zimbabwe.
About Garuda Aerospace Private Limited:
• Founded: 2015
• Founder and chief executive officer: Agnishwar Jayaprakash
Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated the 4th Heli-India Summit 2022:
• Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia recently inaugurated the 4th Heli-India
Summit 2022.
• During the summit, the Minister announced 3 new projects for enhancing the helicopter sector in
the country which include HEMS and fractional ownership.
About Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS):
• It is called Project Sanjeevani by deploying a helicopter in the next few weeks to provide
emergency medical services at AIIMS Rishikesh.
• The helicopter will be based at the hospital at 20-minute notice and will have a service cover to an
area of 150 km radius.
About the Fractional Ownership Model:
• It helps to grow the non-scheduled operations.
• It will lower the barrier to the cost of the acquisition of helicopters and airplanes through pooled
capital by multiple owners.
• This will allow companies and individuals to minimize their capital outflow by sharing the purchase
cost, reducing their exposure to risks, and making it financially easier to run an NSOP business.
• Theme: ‘Helicopters for Last Mile Connectivity.
Union Environment Minister attended the Sustainable Mountain Development Summit -XI:
• Union Environment Minister attended the inaugural session of the Sustainable Mountain
Development Summit-XI (SMDS-XI) at Leh.
• Sustainable Mountain Development Summit-XI is being organized from 10-12 October 2022.
• The theme for SMDS-XI is ‘Harnessing tourism for sustainable mountain development
• The Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS) is an annual event of the Indian
Himalayan Region (IHR).
• The summit was focused on reducing the negative impacts of tourism and using its positive
contribution to building climate and socio-ecological strength and sustainability.
• As part of the SMDS, the Mountain Legislators’ Meet (MLM) and the Indian Himalayan Youth
Summit were also organized.
India participates at 3rd G20 Sherpa meeting in Indonesia
• India's Group 20 (G20) Sherpa Shri Amitabh Kant led an Indian official delegation to the third
G20 Sherpa meeting of Indonesia's G20 Presidency, held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from 26-
29 September 2022.
• The 1st Sherpa meeting under the Indonesian Presidency was held in December 2021 and the
2nd Sherpa meeting in July 2022.
About Sherpa:
• A Sherpa is a personal representative of the leader of a member country at an international
Summit meeting such as the G8, G20, the Nuclear Security Summit, etc.
• The Sherpa engages in planning, negotiation, and implementation tasks throughout the
Summit.
• They coordinate the agenda, seek consensus at the highest political levels, and participate in a
series of pre-Summit consultations to help negotiate their leaders’ positions.
• Sherpas are career diplomats or senior government officials appointed by the leaders of their
countries.
• The term is derived from the Nepalese Sherpa people, who serve as guides for mountaineers in
the Himalayas. ∙
• There is only one Sherpa per Summit for each member country; he/she is assisted by several
sous Sherpas.
Recent News:
• Former CEO of the Government’s think tank NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant, has
been selected as India's new Sherpa for the G-20.
About G20:
• The G20 or Group of Twenty is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the
European Union (EU).
• The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India,
Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.
• India will be holding the G20 Presidency from 1 December 2022 and will convene the G20
Leaders’ Summit in 2023 for the first time
India participates 6th East Asia Summit Education Minister’s Meeting
• India participated in the 6th East Asia Summit Education Minister’s Meeting held in Hanoi,
Vietnam.
• Ms. Neeta Prasad, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Ministry of Education virtually
addressed the meeting.
• She informed me about the key initiatives of National Education Policy 2020 and the efforts of
India and East Asia Summit countries in the field of education and research.
• She also mentioned the recently-launched PM SHRI scheme under which more than 14,500
schools will be developed across India with all components of NEP 2020 as exemplar schools.
• These schools will offer mentorship to other schools in their vicinity.
• The Central government launched the PM e-Vidya program in 2020 to boost online learning.
• The Government had also launched various e-learning platforms like DIKSHA, SWAYAM MOOCS
platform, Virtual Labs, e-PG Pathshala, and National Digital Library.
About NEP 2020:
• NEP 2020 encourages a holistic, flexible & multidisciplinary approach to education as envisioned
by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and it is based on foundational pillars of access, equality,
quality, affordability & accountability & is aligned with SDG 2030 goals.
About EAS:
• The East Asia Summit (EAS) is the Indo-Pacific's premier forum for strategic dialogue.
• Cambodia is the current chair of the East Asia Summit.
• The EAS has 18 members:
• It comprises the 10 member states of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) which
are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
and Vietnam, along with 8 other countries namely Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand,
the Republic of Korea, Russia and the USA.
• It is an ASEAN-centered forum so it can only be chaired by an ASEAN member.
• It is the only leader-led forum at which all key partners meet to discuss political, security, and
economic challenges facing the Indo-Pacific.
• The EAS membership represents around 54% of the world’s population and accounts for 58% of
the global GDP.
• Six priority areas of regional cooperation within the framework of the EAS
1. Environment and Energy
2. Education
3. Finance
4. Global Health Issues and Pandemic Diseases
5. Natural Disaster Management
6. ASEAN Connectivity.
About the Ministry of Education:
• Cabinet Minister: Dharmendra Pradhan
• Minister of State: Subhas Sarkar, Annapurna Devi Yadav, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh
IMPORTANT SCHEMES NEWS
Govt hikes Interest Rates on Small Savings Schemes for Q3 of FY23
• The Finance Ministry hiked interest rates on 5 of 12 small savings schemes for Q3FY23 (October-
December).
• The changes have come amid a higher inflation rate and a rising interest rate cycle.
• The recent retail inflation print for August came in at 7%, marking the eighth month above the
upper threshold of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI’s) target of 4 +/- 2 %, and almost three years
(35 months) of staying above 4%.
Interest for small savings instruments for the Q3 (October –December) 2023:
Scheme Rate of interest Rate of interest Interest
from October 2022 from July 2022 to compounded
to December 2022 August 2022
Savings account 4.00% 4.00% Annually
1-year time deposit 5.50% 5.50% Quarterly
2-years time deposit 5.70% 5.50% Quarterly
5-years Recurring Deposit 5.80% 5.80% Quarterly
5year Senior Citizen Saving 7.60% 7.40% Interest paid
Scheme quarterly,
Quarterly
5- years Monthly Income 6.70% 6.60% Interest paid
Account Scheme monthly
5 -years NSC 6.80 % 6.80 % Annually
PPF (Public Provident Fund) 7.10% 7.10% Annually
KVP (Kisan Vikas Patra) 7.00 %(matures123 6.90 Annually
months) %(matures124
months)
Sukanya Samriddhi Account 7.60% 7.60% Annually
Scheme
About Ministry of Finance:
• Cabinet Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman
• Minister of State: Bhagwat Karad, Pankaj Choudhary
Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launches p ortal for marriage schemes
• Andhra Pradesh (AP) Chief Minister Shri Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the ‘YSR
Kalyanamasthu’ and ‘YSR Shadi Tofa’ marriage schemes & also launched the website about
these schemes.
Aim:
• To provide financial assistance for a daughter's wedding in poor families.
• The schemes would help in preventing child marriages and school dropouts as the eligibility for
the schemes were 18 years for the bride and 21 years for the bridegroom.
Key Highlights:
• The beneficiaries must pass at least Class X to avail of the scheme.
• Applications can be submitted at the village and ward secretariats for availing of the scheme
within 60 days of the marriage.
• The amount will be credited once a quarter.
• The scheme would help Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Backward Community
(BC), Minorities, and construction workers.
Financial Assistance:
• For SCs and STs - ₹1 lakh
• Inter-caste marriages - ₹1.2 lakh
• BCs - ₹50,000
• Minorities - ₹1 lakh
• Differently-abled persons - ₹1.5 lakh
• Construction workers - ₹20,000
Other Education Promoting Schemes:
• Amma Vodi, Sampoorna Poshana, Goru Muddha, Vidyakanuka, English medium, CB SE
syllabus, Byjus pact, Nadu-Nedu, Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena, and job-oriented
curriculum
About Andhra Pradesh:
• Dance: Kuchipudi, Kottam
• Zoological Park: Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park
Chhattisgarh govt launches MGRIP scheme to develop cow sheds as rural industrial parks
• Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel launched a scheme named Mahatma Gandhi
Rural Industrial Parks (MGRIP) under which 'gauthans' (cow shelters in villages) will be developed
as 'rural industrial parks.
About MGRIP:
• Under the scheme, around 300 gauthan cum industrial parks will be set up.
• A total budget of ₹600 crores has been pooled in the current financial year’s budget.
• The government of Chhattisgarh has set up gauthans in over 8,000 villages under its flagship
scheme Suraji Gaon Yojna (village good governance scheme).
• Cow dung procurement is being carried out in these gauthans at ₹2 per kilogram under Godhan
Nyay Yojna and the dung is being used to prepare vermi-compost.
• Under MGRIP, selected gauthans are being developed as rural industrial parks where apart from
producing vermicompost, activities like poultry farming, fisheries, and food processing will also be
carried out.
About Chhattisgarh:
• Capital: Raipur
• Festival: Bastar Dussehra, Bastar Lokutsab, Bhoramdeo Festival
• Dance: Raut NachaDandya Raas
Telangana govt introduces ‘Aasara’ pension for poor
• The Telangana government has introduced the ‘Aasara’ pensions as a part of its welfare
measures and social safety net strategy.
Aim:
• To ensure a secure life for all the poor.
• It is a welfare scheme for the older section of the state, widows, physically disabled, and beedi
workers to avail pension facilities.
• Currently, the government of Telangana has sanctioned 10,000 new Aasara pensions under the
Asif Nagar Mandal jurisdiction.
About the Aasara pension scheme:
• The Aasara pension scheme was launched on 8th November 2014 by the Government of
Telangana.
• In March 2022, the Finance Minister of Telangana allocated Rs. 11,728 crores to the Aasara
Pension scheme.
• The Pension has been increased from Rs 200 to Rs 2,016 per month by the state government
given to the elderly, widows, AIDS patients, handloom workers, and toddy tappers.
• The pension for the differently-abled has been increased from Rs 500 to Rs 3,016 per month.
• The pension for single women, beedi workers, and filarial patients would be Rs 2,016 per month.
Gujarat Govt Announces Aatmanirbhar Gujrat Scheme for Assistance to Industries
• Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel announced the Aatmanirbhar Gujrat Schemes 2022
for Assistance to Industries at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Aim:
• To attract industries and investors and create large-scale employment opportunities.
• The scheme gives different types of incentives to mega, heavy, and micro industries as well as
micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
• The scheme is expected to attract a proposed investment of nearly 12.50 lakh crore rupees in the
state besides generating employment for around 15 lakh people in the coming days.
• 9 sectors including green energy ecosystem, sustainability, and mobility have been recognized as
thrust manufacturing sectors in line with Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Incentives to MSMEs under the Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Schemes for Assistance to Industries are as
under:
• Net SGST reimbursement to MSMEs up to 75% of fixed capital investment over 10 years
• Capital Subsidy of up to INR 35 lakhs for Micro Industries
• Interest subsidy to MSMEs up to INR 35 lakhs per annum for up to 7 years
• EPF reimbursement for 10 years
• Incremental incentives for women entrepreneurs, young entrepreneurs, startups, and differently-
abled entrepreneurs
• Electricity Duty exemption for 5 years
• The government of Gujarat, under CM Shri Bhupendra Patel, has responded to Prime Minister
Shri Narendra Modi’s call of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ on 75 years of India’s independence.
Recent News:
• In September 2022 Gujarat government announced its partnership with Vedanta-Foxconn group
to set up a semiconductor plant in Gujarat with an investment of $20 billion.
About Gujarat:
• Dance: Dandya Ras, Garba
• National Park: Gir National Park, Velavadar NP, Marine NP, Vansda NP
• Wildlife Sanctuary: Jambughoda WS, Barda WS, Purna WS, Mitiyala WS, Shoolpaneshwar WS
Nagaland launches Chief Minister Health Insurance Scheme
• The Nagaland Chief Minister (CM) Shri Neiphiu Rio launched the ‘Chief Minister’s Universal
Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS)’ at Kohima, Nagaland.
Aim:
• To alleviate financial hardships due to hospitalization expenses and prevent inaccessibility to
healthcare on account of inability to afford it.
• National Health Authority CEO Shri RS Sharma was present virtually at the program in which the
scheme was unveiled.
About CMHIS:
• The scheme has been categorized into CMHIS Employees and Pensioners (EP), and CMHIS
(General).
• The government employees, pensioners, MLAs, ex-MLAs, and staff of state PSUs and other
autonomous organizations, who are eligible for monthly medical allowance or reimbursement
along with their dependent family members will be part of the first category.
• The sum disbursed for this category is Rs 20 lakh per family on a floater basis.
• For government employees, any additional expenses beyond the sum insured shall be reimbursed
on a case-to-case basis on the recommendation of the State Medical Board.
• CMHIS (General) category will comprise all indigenous and permanent residents of the state who
are not beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat or any other public-funded insurance scheme.
• The sum insured for this category will be Rs 5 lakh per family per annum on a floater basis, similar
to Ayushman Bharat.
• The CMHIS (General) beneficiaries will be entitled to more than 1,950 medical and surgical
packages.
About Nagaland:
• Capital: Kohima
• National Park: Intanki National Park
Himachal Pradesh Launches new scheme “HIMCAD” to help farmers
• The government of Himachal Pradesh has launched a new scheme named HIMCAD to provide
irrigation facilities to farmers of Himachal Pradesh (HP).
• According to the latest data, about 80% of the agricultural area of Himachal Pradesh is rain-fed.
About HIMCAD:
• The scheme will provide end-to-end connectivity of farmers’ fields for better water conservation,
crop diversification, and integrated farming.
• Under the scheme, it is planned to provide command area development activities to 23,344
hectares of cultivable command area by March 2024, and the State Technical Advisory Committee
has approved 379 minor irrigation schemes worth Rs 305.70 crore.
About HP:
• Governor: Rajendra Arlekar
• National Park: Great Himalayan National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Bandli Sanctuary, Daranghati Wildlife Sanctuary, Chail Wildlife Sanctuary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a new scheme - Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Urvarak
Pariyojana:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a new scheme - Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Urvarak
Pariyojana - One Nation One Fertiliser.
• Under the scheme, companies must market all subsidized fertilizers under a single brand 'Bharat'.
• Prime Minister Modi launched the single brand Bharat under the scheme during the two-day event
PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022.
• Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Chemicals & Fertilisers Minister Mansukh
Mandaviya were also present at the event.
• Farmers will get quality crop nutrients at low cost under the 'One nation, One fertilizer'.
• Introduction of nano urea to ease farm process; one bottle of nano urea can replace a sackful of
urea.
• The scheme is introduced to prevent the criss-cross movement of fertilizers and reduce high
freight subsidies.
• All subsidized soil nutrients including urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), Muriate of Potash
(MoP), and NPK - will be marketed under the single brand Bharat across the nation.
• PM Modi also inaugurated 600 'PM-Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PM-KSK) at the event.
• The Kendra will behave as one- a stop-shop that would provide multiple services to farmers.
• PM-KSK will not only supply agri-inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and farm implements but also
provide testing facilities for soil, seeds, and fertilizers, besides information about government
schemes.
IMPORTANT SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
NavIC - India’s homegrown alternative to the GPS navigation system
• Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) is an indigenously developed satellite navigation
system of India which is developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
• It is also known as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System or IRNSS.
About NavIC:
• NavIC was originally approved in 2006 at $174 million.
• NavIC consists of 8 satellites and covers the whole of India's landmass and up to 1,500 km (930
miles) from its boundaries.
• Currently, NavIC's use is limited & it is being used in public vehicle tracking in India, for providing
emergency warning alerts to fishermen venturing into the deep sea where there is no terrestrial
network connectivity, and for tracking and providing information related to natural disasters.
• Like GPS, there are three more navigation systems that have global coverage - Galileo from the
European Union, Russia-owned GLONASS, and China's Beidou.
• QZSS, operated by Japan, is another regional navigation system covering the Asia-Oceania
region, with a focus on Japan.
Chinese Scientists develops the world’s first cloned wild Arctic w olf ‘Maya’
• Scientists in China have successfully created the world's first cloned arctic wolf (Canis lupus
arctos), Maya was born to a beagle on June 10, 2022, in a Beijing lab by the Sinogene
Biotechnology Company.
• Sinogene researchers used donor cells from a wild female Arctic wolf to construct 137 new
embryos from canine oocytes (developing eggs), which they then implanted in 7 beagles.
• Sinogene Biotechnology put her cells into an egg from a female Beagle, which shares genetic
ancestry with arctic wolves.
About Arctic wolf ‘Maya’:
• The cloning of the Arctic wolf, also known as the white wolf or polar wolf, is native to the High
Arctic tundra of Canada’s Queen Elizabeth Islands.
• The cloned wolf is expected to live at the arctic-themed park Harbin Polarland and be shown to
the public.
• The first animal to be cloned was Dolly the sheep in 1996 & it died in February 2003, from a lung
infection.
Scientists discover new evidence for the possibility of liquid water on Mars
• An international team of researchers has found new evidence for the possible existence of liquid
water beneath the south polar ice cap of Mars using data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
• The results, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, provide the first independent line of
evidence, using data other than radar.
• The team, including researchers from the University of Nantes, University College, Dublin, and the
Open University, used a range of techniques to examine data from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor
satellite of the surface topography of the part of Mars’ south polar ice cap where the radar signal
was identified.
• Like Earth, Mars has thick water ice caps at both poles, roughly equivalent in combined volume to
the Greenland Ice Sheet.
• In 2018, evidence from the European Space Agency's Mars Express satellite challenged this
assumption.
• The satellite has an ice-penetrating radar called MARSIS, which can see through Mars' southern
ice cap.
• It revealed an area at the base of the ice that strongly reflected the radar signal, which was
interpreted as an area of liquid water beneath the ice cap.
New mobile banking Malware prowling in Indian cyberspace - SOVA Android Trojan
• A new type of mobile banking malware campaign called SOVA Android Trojan (SOVA - owl in
Russian) has now reached India.
• SOVA, which can secretly encrypt an Android phone for ransom and is difficult to erase, is targeting
Indian users.
• The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) recently reported that a new type of
mobile banking malware campaign that uses the SOVA Android Trojan virus is targeting Indian
banking customers.
• The first version of the malware was spotted at a sale in September 2021 in “underground
markets”.
• Now the malware has been upgraded to its fifth version and is capable of doing more things than
the ones mentioned above.
• The mobile banking malware campaign using SOVA Android Trojan can harvest usernames and
passwords via keylogging, stealing cookies, and adding false overlays to a range of apps.
• It can also target more than 200 mobile applications, including banking apps and crypto
exchanges/wallets
• The malware is distributed via smishing (phishing via SMS) attacks, like most Android banking
Trojans.
• Initially, SOVA was focused on users of countries like the US, Russia, and Spain.
• In July 2022, the virus added many more nations (including India) to its list of targets.
Chandrayaan-2 spectrometer maps the abundance of sodium on the moon for the first time
• In a recent work published in ‘The Astrophysical Journal Letters’, Chandrayaan-2 mapped the
abundance of sodium on the Moon for the first time using CLASS (Chandrayaan-2 Large Area
Soft X-ray Spectrometer).
• The new findings from Chandrayaan-2, provide an avenue to study surface-exosphere interaction
on the moon, which would aid the development of similar models for mercury and other airless
bodies in our solar system and beyond.
About CLASS:
• CLASS was built at the U R Rao Satellite Center of the Indian Space Research Organization
(ISRO) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• It provides clean signatures of the sodium line thanks to its high sensitivity and performance
• Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (C1XS) detected sodium from its characteristic
line in X-rays which opened up the possibility of mapping the amount of sodium on the Moon.
• The study finds that a part of the signal could be arising from a thin veneer of sodium atoms
weakly bound to the lunar grains.
• These sodium atoms can be nudged out of the surface by solar wind or ultraviolet radiation more
easily than if they were part of the lunar minerals.
• Also shown is a diurnal variation of the surface sodium that would explain the continuous supply of
atoms to the exosphere, sustaining it.
Swedish Defence Maker Saab to Produce Carl-Gustaf M4 Rocket Launchers In India
• Swedish defense company Saab has announced its decision to set up a production facility in India
for its Carl-Gustaf M4 shoulder-fired weapon system.
• The M4 is one of the world’s most popular pieces of military equipment utilized primarily by the
Special Forces (SF).
Key Highlights:
• The Carl-Gustaf M4 shoulder-fired weapon system can fire anti-armor and illuminating rounds as
well as various other types of ammunition, with the maximum range being 1,500 meters.
• Neither Saab nor the GOI has stated the location of the production facility but it is supposed to go
into operation in 2024.
• For this venture – Saab FFV India will be established as a new company to make these rocket
launchers for the Indian military as well as parts of other weapons platforms for foreign states.
• Carl-Gustaf was first inducted into the Indian Army in 1976, with the previous M2 and M3 models
already being license-produced under the Indian Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Ordnance Factory
Board (OFB).
• Currently, India follows a 74% foreign direct investment (FDI) model in its defense sector and only
100% FDI on a case-by-case basis.
• Under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat scheme, the MoD signed more than 180 contracts with the Indian
industry between June 2014 and December 2019.
Russia Successfully Launches Navigation Satellite - GLONASS-K
• Russia Successfully launched the Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the Global Navigation Satellite System
(GLONASS-K) navigation spacecraft from a northern cosmodrome.
• The GLONASS-K satellite lifted off on the medium-class Soyuz rocket at the Plesetsk
Cosmodrome, about 800 km (500 miles) north of Moscow.
About GLONASS-K satellite:
• The GLONASS-K satellite is a third-generation Russian Global Navigation Satellite System
Satelite.
• It was designed & developed by the Reshetnev Information Satellite System Company a division
of Roscosmos.
• GLONASS-K is a navigation satellite intended as a part of the Russian GLONASS radio-based
satellite navigation system.
• It provides real-time position and speed determination for military and civilian users and is
intended to be an alternative to the US global positioning system (GPS).
About Russia:
• Capital: Moscow
ISRO to launch 36 OneWeb satellites onboard LVM3
• NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Department
of Space and the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has signed
two launch service contracts with Network Access Associated Limited (M/s OneWeb), United
Kingdom, for launching OneWeb LEO Broadband Communication Satellites on-board ISRO’s
heaviest launcher LVM3.
• The satellites will be launched by the ISRO as part of the 'OneWeb India-1 mission/ LVM3 M2,'
which will mark LVM3's entry into the worldwide commercial launch service market
• This contract with M/s OneWeb is a historic milestone for NSIL and ISRO, as LVM3 is making its
entry into the Global commercial launch service market.
• As part of the Contract, 36 satellites will be placed into orbit by one LVM3, from Satish Dhawan
Space Center in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh (AP).
About OneWeb:
• OneWeb is a global communications network, powered from space, enabling connectivity for
governments, businesses, and communities.
• It is implementing a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites.
• India's Bharti serves as a major investor and shareholder in OneWeb.
• With this launch, OneWeb will have over 70% of its planned 'Gen 1 LEO constellation' in orbit as it
progresses to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity services around the world.
Note:
• CEO of OneWeb: Neil Masterson
ISRO developing new rocket NGLV to replace PSLV
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing a rocket named Next
Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) to replace the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
• This was announced by ISRO chairman Shri S Somanath on the sidelines of the 'Engineers
Conclave 2022' at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Valiyamala.
• Currently, India has two operational launchers, PSLV and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (GSLV).
About NGLV:
• NGLV will feature semi-cryogenic propulsion (refined kerosene as fuel with liquid oxygen (LOX)
as oxidizer) which is both efficient and cost-effective.
• The new rocket could also be 'reusable' and will have a smaller payload than an expendable
one.
• The payload will be around five tonnes and if it's expendable, it will go up to 10 tonnes.
About PSLV:
• PSLV is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle indigenously designed and operated by the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• It was developed in the 1980s.
• It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages.
• All the operations of PSLV are controlled from the Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota,
east coast, India.
• It has a four-stage system comprising a combination of solid and liquid-fuelled rocket stages.
1. The first stage at the very bottom is solid fuelled, having six strap-on solid rocket
boosters wrapped around it. ∙
2. The second stage is liquid-fuelled
3. The third stage has a solid fuelled rocket motor.
4. In the fourth stage, the launcher uses a liquid propellant to boost outer space.
• Notable payloads launched by PSLV include India's first lunar probe Chandrayaan-1, India's
first interplanetary mission, Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), and India's first space
observatory, Astrosat.
• Potential uses will be in the areas of launching communication satellites, deep space
missions, future human spaceflight, and cargo missions.
Other Launch Vehicles Developed by ISRO:
• Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV)
• Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV)
• SLV and ASLV both could carry small satellites, weighing up to 150 kg, to lower earth orbits
• Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)
• GSLV is a much more powerful rocket, to carry heavier satellites much deeper into s pace.
• Until now, GSLV rockets have carried out 18 missions, of which 4 failed.
• It can take 10,000 kg of satellites to lower the earth's orbits.
About ISRO:
• ISRO is the national space agency of India, operating under the Department of Space
(DOS).
ISRO proposes dedicated satellites for the agricultural sector
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has proposed dedicated satellites for supporting
the country’s agriculture sector.
• In this regard, recently, ISRO held discussions with the Department of Agriculture, Government of
India, on the proposed 'Bharat Krishi Satellite' program.
About 'Bharat Krishi Satellite:
• ‘Bharat Krishi Satellite Programme is a proposal put forward by ISRO to the Government of India.
• The ISRO proposes that at least two dedicated satellites will be needed to make sure that all of
the country’s agricultural land is covered well.
• They will help with a wide range of farming tasks, such as crop forecasting, the use of pesticides,
irrigation, soil data, and the collection of important data about drought.
• The satellites will be owned by the Department of Agriculture and not by ISRO.
• The ISRO will provide technical support.
About IRS:
• Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) are a series of Earth observation satellites, built,
launched, and maintained by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
• IRS data is used for the observation and management of the country's natural resources
applications in agriculture, hydrology, geology, drought and flood monitoring, snow studies, and
land use.
Currently used satellites for agriculture:
• Resources at (for crop production forecast)
• Cartosat (topographic mapping)
• RISAT (weather imaging)
• To overcome the current shortcomings in earth observation capability and data utilization, the
ISRO chairman has proposed the establishment of an 'Earth Observation Council.'
About Earth Observation Council:
• Earth Observation Council was created for addressing the current deficiencies in earth
observation capabilities and data utilization.
About Agricultural census:
• The agricultural census in India is conducted by the Union Ministry of Agriculture.
• This is an exercise carried out every five years to collect farm-economy data critical for policy
making.
• The agricultural census is the main source of information on a variety of indicators, including the
nature of operational land holdings, their size, distribution by class, land-use statistics, tenancy,
and cropping patterns.
• The latest census i.e., the 11th census was launched by the Ministry in July 2022.
• During the 11th census, for the first time, data collection for the agricultural census will be
conducted on smartphones and tablets.
ISRO’s LVM3 to make commercial foray with launch of 36 OneWeb satellites on October 23
• The Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) heaviest rocket LVM3 will launch British start-
up OneWeb’s 36 broadband satellites from the country's only spaceport in Andhra Pradesh’s
Sriharikota on October 23, 2022.
• LVM3 was earlier called GSLV Mk III.
About LVM3:
• LVM3 is a three-stage vehicle with two solid motor strap-ons, a liquid propellant core stage, and a
cryogenic stage.
• It is capable of launching a four-tonne class of satellites into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit
(GTO).
Key Highlights:
• With this launch, the GSLV MKIII will enter the global commercial launch service market.
• As part of the contract, 36 communication satellites will be placed into orbit by one LVM3 - ISRO’s
heaviest launcher, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, under the OneWeb India-1 Mission.
• It will be the first LVM3 dedicated commercial launch
• This will be the second flight of the GSLV MKIII since it carried India’s second lunar mission
Chandrayaan-2.
• Also, this will be the first time a rocket other than India’s workhorse - PSLV, is being used to carry
out a commercial launch.
• Since its first operational flight, the PSLV has launched at least 345 foreign satellites from 36
countries (PSLV-C37 - the most notable, that put 104 satellites (of which 101 were foreign
commercial satellites) in orbit in 2017).
• India currently has three operational launch vehicles - the PSLV, GSLV, and GSLV Mk III.
• GSLV can put a heavier payload (up to 5,000 kg up to 37,000 km) in orbit than the Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle (PSLV can carry up to 2000 kg into space up to 600-900 km).
• PSLV is designed mainly to deliver earth observation or remote sensing satellites, whereas GSLV
has been designed for launching communication satellites.
Recent News:
• Earlier the NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a central public sector enterprise (CPSE) under the
Department of Space and the commercial arm of the space agency, had signed two launch
service contracts with the UK-based Network Access Associates Limited (OneWeb) for launching
OneWeb LEO (low earth orbit) broadband communication satellites on-board ISRO’s LVM3.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing a rocket named Next Generation
Launch Vehicle (NGLV) to replace the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
About OneWeb:
• OneWeb is a global communications network, powered from space, enabling connectivity for
governments, businesses, and communities.
• Bharti group-backed OneWeb is implementing a constellation of LEO satellites.
Center’s push for indigenous navigation system on smartphones worries Samsung, Xiaomi & Apple
• The Union government is pushing tech giants to make smartphones compatible with its home-
grown navigation system Navic within months.
• However, companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, and Apple fear elevated costs and disruptions as the
move will require hardware changes.
• The Government of India (GoI) wants to reduce dependence on foreign systems, including the
widely used U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) & informed NavIC provides more accurate
domestic navigation and that its use would benefit the economy.
About NavIC:
• NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), is also called the Indian Regional Navigation
Satellite System (IRNSS).
• With the launch of the constellation's satellite (IRNSS-1G), IRNSS was renamed NaVIC by India’s
Prime Minister.
• It is an independent stand-alone navigation satellite system developed by the Indian Space
Research Organization (ISRO).
• Presently, IRNSS consists of 8 satellites, three satellites in geostationary orbit, and five satellites
in geosynchronous orbit.
• NavIC was approved in 2006.
• It was expected to be completed by late 2011, but it only became operational in 2018.
• NavIC covers the whole of India’s landmass and up to 1,500 km from its boundaries.
• It was recognized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a part of the World Wide
Radio Navigation System (WWRNS) for operation in the Indian Ocean Region in 2020.
• IRNSS-1I to replace IRNSS-1A, which was rendered ineffective after its three rubidium atomic
clocks failed & are developed by ISRO.
About GPS:
• The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system owned by the United
States government and operated by the United States Space Force.
• The main difference between GPS and NavIC is the serviceable area covered by these systems.
• GPS caters to users across the globe and its satellites circle the earth twice a day, while NavIC is
currently for use in India and adjacent areas.
• Like GPS, there are four more navigation systems that have global coverage
• Galileo from the European Union,
• QZSS(Quasi-Zenith Satellite System) by Japan,
• Russia-owned GLONASS
• Beidou from China.
Why is India promoting NavIC?
• India says NavIC is conceived to remove dependence on foreign satellite systems for navigation
service requirements, particularly for “strategic sectors.”
• Relying on systems like GPS and GLONASS may not always be reliable as those are operated by
the defense agencies of respective nations and it is possible that civilian services can be
degraded or denied.
• India wants to encourage its ministries to use NavIC applications to promote local industries
engaged in developing indigenous NavIC-based solutions.
NASA’s Titan Dragonfly to Land on Saturn Moon's Icy Dunes
• According to a new analysis of radar imagery from the Cassini spacecraft, the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dragonfly mission to Saturn's largest moon will
touch down on a terrain of dunes and shattered icy bedrock.
• The research was published in The Planetary Science Journal
Key Highlights:
• Dragonfly is a rotorcraft that will launch in 2026 and arrive in 2034 and explore Titan from the air.
• According to NASA, the range of a wheeled rover is far smaller than that of a Dragonfly, which
will be able to go around 10 miles (16 kilometers) on each trip in a half-hour.
• Throughout its two-year mission, it will explore an area with a breadth of hundreds of miles or
kilometers.
• However, before taking to the sky on its own, Dragonfly must first arrive on Titan under a
parachute, soft-landing on frozen terrain that is hidden from easy viewing by the dense
hydrocarbon smog that fills the moon's atmosphere.
• Dragonfly's landing site will be the Shangri-La dune field, close to the 50-mile-wide (80
kilometers) crater, Selk.
• This region was imaged by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during its mission to Saturn between
2004 and 2017.
• The greatest resolution for the region's radar images taken by Cassini is just 1,000 feet (300
meters) per pixel.
• Dragonfly marks the first time NASA will fly a multirotor vehicle for science on another planet; it
has eight rotors and flies like a large drone.
About NASA:
IIT Madras develops touchscreen technology 'i-Tad' enables users to feel textures
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) researchers have developed a new touchscreen display
technology 'iTad,' (interactive Touch Active Display) through which a user can feel the textures
from images as the finger moves across the touch surface.
• It is the next generation in touch display technology.
• The research was led by Professor M Manivannan, CoE on Virtual Reality and Haptics,
Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Madras.
Key Highlights:
The key applications of ‘iTad’:
• Automotive, Consumer Electronics, and Digital Signage
• Home automation, medical, industrial, and gaming,
• Aid for the visually challenged, among other areas
• Through software, the researchers have enabled the creation of different on-screen textures such
as crisp edges, switches, and smooth and gritty.
• Through a physical phenomenon called 'electroadhesion', the software controls the electric fields
and modulates friction locally as the fingers travel across a smooth plane.
Iran launched a test ‘tug’ into suborbital space
• The Iranian government has launched a space tug capable of shifting satellites between orbits.
• The Saman test spacecraft was built by Iran's Space Research Center and launched by the
Defense Ministry of Iran.
• Iran unveiled the Saman test craft in 2017.
• In June 2022 Tehran (The capital of Iran) launched a solid-fuel rocket into space
• In August 2022, a Russian rocket successfully launched an Iranian Khayyam satellite into orbit &
it’s named after Omar Khayyam, a Persian scientist who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries.
About space tug:
• A space tug is a type of spacecraft used to transfer spaceborne cargo from one orbit to another
orbit with different energy characteristics
• Also, It can transfer a satellite from one orbit to another.
• It is often used to refer to reusable, space-based vehicles.
About Iran:
• Capital: Tehran
Google to build its first cloud region in Greece
• Alphabet Inc's Google will set up its first cloud region in Greece.
Aim:
• To give a boost to the country's efforts to become a world cloud computing hub
• It was announced by Adaire Fox-Martin, president of Google Cloud International at an event in
Athens, Greece.
• A cloud region usually is based around a cluster of data centers.
• The deal is estimated to contribute some 2.2 billion euros ($2.13 billion) to Greece's economic
output and create some 20,000 jobs by 2030.
• The investment would enable organizations to better use their data, help improve low latency and
ensure users' security in the face of cybersecurity threats.
• Amazon Inc's cloud computing division also opened its first office in Greece in 2021.
About Google:
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
About Greece:
• President: Katerina Sakellaropoulou
• Prime Minister: Kyriakos Mitsotakis
• Capital: Athens
• Currency: Euro
ISRO to Launch Its Third Moon Mission, Chandrayaan-3 In June 2023
• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is set to launch its third mission Chandrayaan-3
(C-3) to the Moon in June 2023 onboard the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3).
• It will lift off with a more robust lunar rover on board which is crucial for future inter-planetary
explorations.
About Chandrayaan-3:
• The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a follow-up of the Chandrayaan-2 of July 2019, which aimed to
land a rover on the lunar South Pole.
• The mission will be a repeat mission of Chandrayaan-2 and will consist of a lander and rover
similar to Chandrayaan-2.
• The legs to hold the body of the spacecraft while landing is designed to be more rugged and
different improved sensors and algorithms have been used to identify places to land successfully.
• It will not have an orbiter but its propulsion will act like a communications relay satellite.
Key Highlights:
• ISRO has also lined up the first test flight of the 'abort mission for Gaganyaan, the country's first
human spaceflight
• ISRO informed that the organization will carry out 6 test flights before actually flying humans into
orbit.
• ISRO also plans to fly Indian astronauts into orbit by the end of 2024 after carrying out successful
abort missions and uncrewed test flights.
Note:
• Earlier in September 2019, India failed in its maiden attempt to land a rover on the moon after the
Vikram lander onboard the Chandrayaan-2 mission crashed on the moon.
Recent News:
• On October 23, ISRO is expected to launch 36 satellites aboard its heaviest rocket Launch
Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) earlier known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III
(GSLV Mk3) from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
ISRO confirms Mangalyaan mission over, Mars Orbiter craft non-recoverable
• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) confirmed that the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)
has lost communication with ground stations, it’s non-recoverable and the Mangalyaan mission
has attained end-of-life.
• ISRO stated that the orbiter lost its communication with the ground station due to a long eclipse in
April 2022.
About MOM:
• The MOM was launched on November 5, 2013, and after completing 300 days of interplanetary
journey, it was inserted into the Martian orbit on September 24, 2014.
• The MOM probe lifted off from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (Sriharikota
Range SHAR), Andhra Pradesh, using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket C25
• Despite being designed for a life span of six months as a technology demonstrator, the MOM lived
for about eight years in the Martian orbit with a gamut of significant scientific results on Mars as
well as on the Solar corona.
• It was India's first interplanetary mission and it made ISRO the fourth space agency to achieve
Mars orbit, after Roscosmos, NASA, and the European Space Agency.
• It made India the first Asian nation to reach the Martian orbit and the first nation in the world to do
so on its maiden attempt.
About ISRO:
• ISRO is the national space agency of India, operating under the Department of Space (DOS)
IIT Madras & NASA Researchers Study Microbial Interactions In ISS
• The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT) Madras and National Aeronautics and Space
Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory researchers have studied the interactions
between microbes in the International Space Station (ISS).
About the Study:
• The study will help devise strategies for the disinfection of space stations to minimize any potential
impact of microbes on the health of astronauts
• The study describing strategies to disinfect the space station was published in the journal
Microbiome.
• It was motivated by the earlier observations of the dominance of the bacteria Klebsiella
pneumonia on the surfaces of the ISS.
ISRO’s heaviest rocket successfully places 36 broadband satellites in low earth orbit
• Indian Space Research Organizations' heaviest rocket Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3 or GSLV
Mark 3) in its first commercial mission LVM3-M2 had successfully placed 36 broadband
communication satellites for London-headquartered Network Access Associated Limited
(OneWeb) into low earth orbit.
• The rocket of ISRO- LVM3-M2/OneWeb India-1 - blasted off from Satish Dhawan Space Center in
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh (AP).
• This is OneWeb's 14th launch, bringing the constellation to 462 satellites.
• LVM3-M2 is a three-stage launch vehicle consisting of two solid propellants S200 strap-ons on its
sides and a core stage comprising the L110 liquid stage and C25 cryogenic stage.
Key Highlights:
• The 43.5 meter LVM3 weighing around 644 tonnes carried 36 satellites w eighing 5,796 kg or
about 5.7 tonnes.
• With this launch, LVM3 has made its entry into the global commercial launch service market.
• The vehicle is dubbed as one of the heaviest for its ability to carry satellites up to 8,000 kg.
• This launch represents more than 70% of its planned 648 low earth orbit (LEO) satellite fleet that it
said will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity worldwide.
Note:
• According to ISRO, the mission has the heaviest payload with 36 satellites of OneWeb, becoming
the first Indian rocket with a payload of 5,796 kg.
• The launch is also the first for LVM3-M2 to place the satellites in the Low Earth Orbit (up to 1,200
kms above the earth) unlike Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
About OneWeb Ltd:
• OneWeb Ltd is the UK-based customer of NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm,
and a global communication network powered from space, enabling internet connectivity for
governments and businesses.
• Bharti Enterprises is one of the major investors in OneWeb.
About ISRO:
Daksha’s petrol-operated drones get DGCA approval
• Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved India's first petrol-operated drones
designed and manufactured by the students’ startup Daksha Unmanned Systems (DUMS) Private
Limited.
• The DGCA issued the ‘Type Certificate’ to Daksha’s prototype DH-Agrigator, an agriculture
sprayer drone.
• Daksha is setting up an exclusive manufacturing unit at Ambattur in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
• While the MIT (Madras Institute of Technology) aerospace department is offering research and
development to the Daksha unit, Anna University is offering drone pilot training courses for those
who have passed Class X.
• Each drone costs Rs 13 to 15 lakh, the central government is offering a subsidy of Rs 10 lakh to
the Kisan Vikas Kendra and Rs 7.5 lakh to farmer-producer organizations.
About DGCA:
• The DGCA is a statutory body of the Government of India to regulate civil aviation in India.
• It became a statutory body under the Aircraft (Amendment) Act, of 2020.
• The DGCA investigates aviation accidents and incidents.
PhonePe invests $200 million in data centers
• Walmart-owned payment services provider PhonePe invested USD 200 million (around Rs 1,661
crore) in building data centers in India.
• Out of this, USD 150 million investments will take the overall capacity to over 14 megawatts
spread across three facilities in Bengaluru, and Karnataka.
• The investments are driven by the regulatory insistence on data localization, which prevents a
financial sector entity from storing its data overseas.
About PhonePe:
• Founded: 2016
• Founder & CEO: Sameer Nigam
• PhonePe is an Indian digital payment and financial technology company.
MS Dhoni launches Made-in-India camera drone 'Droni'
• Indian cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni launched a 'made-in-India camera drone' named 'Droni'
with advanced features manufactured by Garuda Aerospace.
• The product will be available in the market by the end of 2022.
• Dhoni is the brand ambassador of Garuda Aerospace.
• Garuda Aerospace also launched a new 'Kisan Drone' that is aimed at the agriculture sector,
particularly in spraying applications.
• This battery-powered drone is capable of carrying out agricultural pesticide spraying over a land
area of 30 acres per day
About Garuda Aerospace:
• Founded: 2015
• Founder and CEO: Agnishwar Jayaprakash
IIT Madras launches ‘Punch the Plastic’ campaign to spread awareness about sustainable development
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu has launched a ‘Punch the
Plastic’ campaign, on the event of World Sustainability Day, being observed on October 26, 2022.
Aim of the campaign:
• To deploy a new method to collect clean and dry plastic packaging for recycling options such as
pyrolysis.
About the campaign:
• As a part of the campaign students, faculty members, and staff at IIT Madras have formed a
‘Sustainable Campus Collective’.
• The drive is to raise awareness among the campus residents on waste segregation and
minimizing water and energy usage.
• The three major events launched on the occasion include
1. Punch the Plastic Drive
2. Monkey Proof Food waste Dustbin Hackathon - The Carbon Zero Challenge 2022 is set to
sponsor the winner of a hackathon.
3. Sustainability Champions Contest.
Cognizant collaborates with Qualcomm to launch 5G Experience Center for Digital Transformation
• IT services firm Cognizant is expanding its collaboration with chipmaker Qualcomm Technologies
Inc to open a 5G experience center in Atlanta, North America.
• The center is designed to help clients imagine, test and deploy next-generation solutions by
pairing private 5G networks and Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) technologies to deliver
unique advantages
• The partnership is expected to combine Cognizant’s deep experience in 5G, IoT, cloud, and data
analytics with Qualcomm’s intelligent edge devices, AI, and 5G connectivity solutions.
About Cognizant:
• Headquarters: Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S
• CEO: Brian Humphries
• Cognizant is an American multinational information technology services and consulting company.
Indian scientists develop first indigenous Overhauser Magnetometer
• A group of Indian scientists from the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), an autonomous
research institution under the Department of Science & Technology (DST) , Government of India,
have developed the first indigenous Overhauser (OVH) Magnetometer, one of the most accurate
magnetometers extensively used by all magnetic observatories around the world.
About Overhauser (OVH) Magnetometer:
• OVH magnetometers are known for their higher accuracy, higher sensitivity, and efficient power
consumption and hence find applications in all magnetic observatories worldwide as well as in
international space programs.
• It has so far been imported for such purposes in India.
• To reduce dependence on imports, the IIG has developed these magnetometers as part of its
technology development program.
• Currently, the sensor is being tested for its long-term stability.
• The group is further excited to adapt their sensor for the outer space environment to support the
existing Indian space research program.
• The underlying mechanism of Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP), would also be of potential
help to developing a sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) instrument.
• Experiments with the sensor installed at the Alibag Magnetic Observatory (MO) for geomagnetic
sampling found that the sensor reproduced the geomagnetic diurnal variations accurately and
precisely showed the signatures of various space weather events such as geomagnetic storms,
impulses, etc.
• The performance of this magnetometer is at par with a commercial OVH sensor that is currently
installed at the magnetic observatories of IIG.
Benefits of OVH magnetometers
• OVH magnetometers reduce the cost of sampling and sensing experiments essential for
geomagnetic sampling.
• The sensor installed at Alibag Magnetic Observatory (MO) can absolve India’s dependence on
commercial OVH magnetometers for performing geomagnetic field measurements.
New technology for retrofitting non-earthquake-resistant buildings - SC-URBM
• Researchers have found a solution for retrofitting old non-earthquake-resistant buildings with a
technology that can prevent major damage to such buildings from earthquakes without
compromising their strength.
• The technology called semi-confined unreinforced brick masonry (SC-URBM) can resolve the
problem of the spread of settlements in earthquake-prone areas with constructions that have
been built without following earthquake-preventive building codes.
• Researchers found that SC-URBM can significantly enhance the energy dissipation capacity
and ductility of the retrofitted building without compromising its strength found by researchers
from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
• A Pseudo Dynamic Testing Facility (PD TF) is used for the test of that technology by the
Department of Science and Technology (DST), GoI.
• The technology provides better integral action of the confining elements and load-bearing walls
to achieve enhanced seismic performance.
• The results were published in the ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering.
Serbian scientists named an insect after Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic:
• Serbian scientists named a new species of beetle after tennis player Novak Djokovic because of
its speed, strength, flexibility, durability, and capacity to thrive in harsh environments.
• The new beetle belongs to the Duvalius genus, which is found in Europe.
• It was discovered in an underground hole in western Serbia several years ago.
• The bug is a specialized underground Coleoptera beetle, a predator that lives deep beneath and
has lost its eyes.
• The insect, which belongs to the Duvalius genus of ground beetles found in Europe, was
discovered several years ago in an underground trench in western Serbia.
• According to the Tanjug news agency, it is named Duvalius Dokovici.
• A new species was a specialized underground Coleoptera beetle, a predator that had lost its eyes
and was dwelling deep beneath.
Rajasthan unveils post-matric scholarship mobile app, revamps e-gov portals
• Government of Rajasthan, social justice and empowerment minister Shri Tikaram Jully has
launched a new post-matric scholarship mobile application in a move to push e-governance
initiatives in Rajasthan.
• Meanwhile, the Govt of Rajasthan revamped other online portals of Mukhyamantri Anuprati
Coaching Scheme, Palanhar Yojana, and Mukhyamantri Kanyadan Yojana.
• Apart from these, the state government is also looking to fast-track various other e-governance
schemes including Palanhar Scheme, Social Security Pension, Post Matric Scholarship, Hostel
scheme, Chief Minister Kanyadan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, Silicosis
Scheme, Residential School, and Vidya Sambal Yojana.
• It will also help in notifying the status of the application while fulfilling the objections mentioned in
the application immediately.
• Through this app, it will also be possible for universities and educational institutions to verify the
applications immediately and forward them to the department.
• The state government earlier in a day-long orientation and training workshop showcased the ways
for effective implementation of social security schemes through e-governance portals.
• The workshop was organized by the Rajasthan government in collaboration with United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
About Rajasthan:
• Capital: Jaipur
• Dance: Ghumar, Chakri
• National Park: Keoladeo National Park, Ranthambore NP, Mukundara NP
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Jaisamand WL Sanctuary, Jawahar Sagar WL Sanctuary, Sajjangarh WL
Sanctuary
CASHe Partners with IRCTC Launches 'Travel Now Pay Later facility on IRCTC Rail Connect Mobile
App
• India’s AI-driven financial wellness platform CASHe has partnered with Indian Railways Catering
and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to provide a Travel Now Pay Later (TNPL) payment option on
its travel app IRCTC Rail Connect.
Key Highlights:
• The new scheme will help customers to book their rail tickets instantly and pay for them later in
pocket-friendly Equated Monthly Income (EMIs), ranging from 3 to 6 months.
• The EMI payment option is available on the IRCTC travel app’s checkout page.
• With CASHe’s payment option, booking and paying for rail tickets on the IRCTC travel app will
now be easier and hassle-free for millions of Indian Railway passengers.
• The EMI payment option will be available on the IRCTC travel app’s checkout page for
passengers booking their reserved and tatkal tickets.
• The IRCTC travel app has over 90 million downloads and powers over 1.5 million railway ticket
bookings per day.
About CASHe:
• Founder & Chairman: V. Raman Kumar
About IRCTC:
• Chairman & MD: Rajni Hasija
• IRCTC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways, Government of
India.
Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur Launches Satya Nishtha App To Aid Police
• Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Jai Ram Thakur launched the first-of-its-kind mobile
application ‘The Satya Nishtha app, in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh (HP) to help investigate
and control criminal activities.
• The app was designed under the guidance of Kangra Superintendent of Police Kushal Sharma.
• The app has been brought out at Rs 3.70 lakh.
Key Highlights:
• The app will help police prepare a database of criminals and also study the various offenses that
take place under different police stations in the district
• With this app, a database of information on migrant laborers, foreigners, and suspicious persons
can be prepared to help speed up investigations in criminal cases.
• The data available in the app can be accessed from anywhere and at any time.
About HP:
• Festival: Kullu Dussehra, Lohri Festival
• Dance: Rakshasa (demon), Kayang, Bakayang, Chohara
Kerala govt launches mobile app to prevent cyber crimes against children
• Kerala Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan launched the 'Kunjapp', a mobile application to prevent
cyber crimes against children in Kerala.
• Shri Vijayan also inaugurated the training for the newly appointed Child Welfare Committee
(CWC) and Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) members at Kovalam.
• The CWC and JJB members must ensure the safety and security of the children.
• Child exploitation can be reported through the application.
• The CWC and the JJB members should ensure that the society follows the laws in connection with
the children and make sure that those children who violate the law are transformed into model
citizens.
About Kerala:
Goa Govt to Launch a Common App for Entire Taxi Industry
• The Goa government will introduce a mobile application that would serve as a centralized platform
for the entire taxi industry in Goa.
• The mobile app would be introduced to unite all taxi operators on a single platform.
• Earlier, the government launched a 'Multimodal transport App' to give choices to visitors at
affordable rates for last-mile connectivity.
About Goa:
• Chief Minister: Pramod Sawant
• Capital: Panaji
• Airport: Dabolim International Airport
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launched SPARSH mobile app:
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launched several digital initiatives of the Defence Accounts
Department (DAD) during its 275th Annual Day celebrations in New Delhi
• The initiatives include the System for Pension Administration (Raksha) (SPARSH) mobile app;
Pay System for Agniveers; International Air Ticket booking module in Defence Travel System
(DTS); Defence Accounts Receipts and Payment System (DARPAN); Defence Civilian Pay
system and Defence Accounts Human Resource Management System.
• The app will ensure pensioner access and reach to important functionalities of t he SPARSH portal
through their mobiles.
• Ministry of Defence implemented the portal (https://sparsh.defencepension.gov.in/) for pensioners
of the Armed Forces as well as defense civilians.
• DARPAN - The Defence Accounts Receipts and Payment System is a unified solution for third-
party bill payment and accounting. Its real-time processing will provide comprehensive insights
into various accounting and financial performances.
Odisha CM Shri Naveen Patnaik launches SAFAL common credit portal for farmers
• Odisha Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik launched a common credit portal SAFAL' (Simplified
Application for Agricultural Loans) for the welfare of farmers.
About SAFAL:
• The application is a one-stop solution for farmers and agri-entrepreneurs to avail formal sector
credit from public and private sector banks, Regional Rural Banks, State Cooperative Banks, and
Small Finance Banks.
• The facility will enable farmers and agri-entrepreneurs to access more than 300 term loan
products from over 40 banks.
• It has also been integrated with Krushak Odisha and will have access to 70-plus model project
reports.
• The portal will ease the loan application process benefiting both the farmers and banks.
• It will also reduce information asymmetry by sending farmers real-time notifications at every stage
of their loan application.
• SAFAL will provide the government with complete visibility of demand and disbursal of formal
credit across states and ensure schemes are designed in a data-backed manner.
About Odisha:
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Tikarpada Wildlife Sanctuary, Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Nandhakanan
• Airport: Biju Patnaik International Airpor
Indian Tourism Statistics 2022 report has been released:
• Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankar, released the Indian Tourism Statistics 2022 report.
• The Vice-President also gave away the National Tourism Awards for 2018-19 with Uttarakhand,
Maharashtra, and Telangana getting the top three places, respectively.
• The awards were given after a gap of two years due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19
pandemic.
• In 2020, 2.74 million foreign tourists visited India.
• In 2021, the number came down to 1.52 million.
• In 2021, the top 15 countries from which foreign tourists arrived in India included – the U.S., the
U.K., Bangladesh, Canada, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Australia.
• However, the arrival of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) has increased by 52.6% in 2021 as
compared to 2020.
• In 2021, 8.55 million Indian nationals departed the country as compared to 7.29 million in 2020.
• The UAE was the top destination for Indians in 2021, followed by the U.S., Qatar, Oman, and the
U.K.
• The Ministry of Tourism organized the National Tourism awards.
• A total of 81 awards were given away this year highlighting the achievements of the tourism
industry in 2018-19.
Nikhil Kamath has topped the 'IIFL Wealth Hurun India 40 & Under Self-Made Rich List 2022:
• Stock trading platform Zerodha's cofounder Nikhil Kamath has topped the 'IIFL Wealth Hurun India
40 & Under Self-Made Rich List 2022' with a net worth of Rs 17,500 crore.
• Ola cofounder Bhavish Agarwal came second with a wealth of Rs 11,700 crore.
• The annual list saw 15 new entrants, all of whom are startup founders
• Cofounder of Confluent, a streaming data technology company, Neha Narkhede at 37 is the
youngest self-made woman entrepreneur in India while 19-year-old Kaivalya Vohra, the founder of
quick commerce startup Zepto, is the youngest self-made entrepreneur on the list.
• With a wealth of Rs 11,200 crore, Divyank Turakhia of Media.net was ranked in third place in the
rich list, followed by Nakul Aggarwal and Ritesh A rora of BrowserStack both at fourth with Rs
9,900 crore each.
• Ecommerce Flipkart's Binny Bansal was sixth on the list with a wealth of Rs 8,100 crore.
• Alakh Pandey, and Prateek Boob, the cofounders of edtech unicorn Physics Wallah' made their
debut on the list and both are ranked at 11th position with a wealth of Rs 4,000 crore each.
• As per IIFL, 47 of the 53 entrepreneurs reside in India, while Bengaluru, called India's silicon
valley, housed the maximum (14) on the list.
Global Innovation Index: India enters the top 40 for the first time:
• India has made remarkable progress in the global innovation index ranking finding a place in the
top 40, in the annual report released by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
• According to the report, Switzerland, the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the
Netherlands are the world's most-innovative economies.
• Earlier in 2020, India entered the top 50 in 2020 and found a place in the top 40 in 2022.
• Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the research and development (R&D) and other investments
that drive worldwide innovative activity continued to boom in 2021.
• The GII 2022 report -- in its 15th edition this year -- is published by WIPO, in partnership with the
Portulans Institute and with the support of its corporate partners including the Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII), the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI), Ecopetrol (Colombia),
and the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM).
• This edition's thematic focus on the future of innovation-driven growth provides a stance on
whether stagnation and low productivity growth are here to stay, or whether we are about to enter
a new era.
• Beyond China and India, Viet Nam (48th), the Islamic Republic of Iran (53rd), and the Philippines
(59th) are the middle-income economies with the fastest innovation catch-up to-date
• India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and – for the first time – Uzbekistan (82nd) and Pakistan (87th)
lead the Central and Southern Asia region.
About WIPO:
• The World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United
Nations.
• Founded: 14 July 1967, WIPO Director General Daren Tang.
Akash Ambani is the only Indian to feature on the prestigious list of Time Magazine's Time100 Next list:
• The Time Magazine's Time100 Next list is out, and there is only one Indian to feature on the
prestigious list and, it’s Akash Ambani, whom Time calls the “scion of Indian industrialist royalty".
• When he was 22, he became a part of the Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd board.
• In June, the 30-year-old replaced their father Mukesh Ambani as the chairman of India’s largest
telecom company with more than 426 million subscribers.
• As per Time, a business career was always anticipated for Akash.
• Since joining the Jio board, Akash has been instrumental in securing multibillion-dollar
investments from Google and Facebook.
• Time Magazine's emerging leaders' list includes people like Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz,
American singer SZA, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Actress Sydney Sweeney, basketball
player Ja Morant and TV personality Keke Palmer.
The central government's 7th edition of the annual cleanliness survey has announced:
• For the sixth consecutive time, Indore has been adjudged as India's cleanest city, followed by
Surat and Navi Mumbai in the next two positions in the Central government's annual cleanliness
survey.
• President Droupadi Murmu gave away the awards to the winners at an event here which was also
attended by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and others.
• Madhya Pradesh has secured the first position, followed by Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra in the
category of best-performing states in 'The swachh Survekshan Awards 2022'.
• Among the state having fewer than 100 urban local bodies, Tripura has bagged the top rank,
according to the survey results.
• Among the cities with a population of fewer than one lakh, Maharashtra's Panchgani was ranked
number one, followed by Chhattisgarh's Patan (NP) and Maharashtra's Karhad, as per PTI
reports.
• Haridwar was adjudged the cleanest Ganga town in the category of more than 1 lakh population,
followed by Varanasi and Rishikesh.
• Bijnor was ranked first among Ganga towns with fewer than one lakh population, followed by
Kannauj and Garhmukhteshwar respectively.
• According to the survey, Maharashtra's Deolali was adjudged the country's cleanest Cantonment
Board.
• The 7th edition of Swachh Survekshan was conducted to study the progress of the Swachh Bharat
Mission (Urban) and rank the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) based on various cleanliness and
sanitation parameters.
• The Survekshan has evolved from being an assessment of 73 cities in 2016 to covering 4,354
cities this year.
• In November 2021, Indore retained its position for the fifth time in a row, followed by Surat (2),
Vijaywada (3), Navi Mumbai (4), and New Delhi, NDMC (5).
British aviation analytics firm OAG Delhi ranked 13 th in 2022:
• The two largest airports in India — Delhi, and Mumbai — have become the biggest low-cost mega
hub in the world, according to a new report by British aviation analytics firm OAG.
• The last such mega hubs report was published by the firm in 2019, when Delhi and Mumbai
ranked sixth and 11th in the low-cost mega hubs list, respectively.
• Globally, among all types of mega hubs, Delhi ranked 13th in 2022, compared with 35th in 2019.
• Mumbai, on the other hand, rose to 24th in 2022 from 51st in 2019.
• In the latest rankings, Chicago’s O’Hare Airport ranked as the world’s biggest mega-hub, followed
by Dallas Fort Worth International.
• OAG analyzed flight data for the top 100 airports as per total capacity and the top 100 largest
airports as per international capacity, based on total scheduled seat allocation from September
2021 to August 2022.
• In the list of low-cost mega hubs, Delhi Airport replaced Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur Airport, which is
dominated by budget carrier AirAsia.
• Both Delhi and Mumbai airports have low-cost airline IndiGo as the dominant carrier, with 34
percent and 37 percent share of scheduled flights at these airports, respectively.
QS World University Rankings: IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore have retained their slots among the
top 50:
• IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore have retained their slots among the top 50 global business
schools in the latest round of the QS World University Rankings: Global MBA and Business
Masters.
• Other Indian institutions in the top league include IIM Calcutta, which has improved its position
from 76 to 68, and the Indian School of Business in the 78th position, showing a significant rise
from last year’s 92.
• Globally, for the third consecutive year, Stanford GSB’s full-time MBA was named the world’s
number one, followed by Harvard Business School and The Wharton School.
• In the 2023 edition of the QS World University Rankings, released in June, the Indian Institute of
Science (IISc) in Bengaluru emerged as the highest-ranked Indian institute, followed by IIT-
Bombay and IIT-Delhi.
• These were the only Indian institutes in the global league of the top 200, in continuation of a trend
since 2017.
• The total number of Indian institutes among the top 1,000 globally has risen to 27 from 22.
India ranks 4 th among 12 Indo-Pacific nations in self-reliant arms production capabilities:
• India ranks fourth among 12 Indo-Pacific nations in self-reliant arms production capabilities,
according to a study released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
(SIPRI).
• The 12 countries in the study were selected because they have the highest military spending in
the region — Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan,
Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• China was the world’s fifth-largest arms importer in 2016-20.
• Its self-reliance policies and its high economic growth in that period meant that the Chinese
arms industry now increasingly fulfills the requirements of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
• Its high volume of imports in absolute terms accounts for only 8 percent of total procurement
for the period, the lowest share for any of the 12 governments.
• India is ranked as the second-largest importer of arms for its armed forces in 2016-20.
• India is highly dependent on imports of complete foreign major arms, including many produced
under license or as components for its domestic production.
• Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Indian Ordnance Factories, Bharat Electronics, Mazagaon Docks,
and Cochin Shipyard are among the major Indian arms servicing companies.
• Ashok Leyland, one of the largest suppliers of trucks to the Indian Army, is the only company
ranked in the top 50 in the Indo-Pacific.
• India has seven Uncrewed Maritime Vessel projects ongoing.
• In the private sector, Larsen & Toubro has been developing AUV prototypes on its own and in
collaboration with foreign partners, such as Italy’s EdgeLab.
World Economic Forum released the “Education 4.0 India” Report:
• World Economic Forum released the “Education 4.0 India” Report.
• As per the report, India has more than 60 million secondary and higher secondary students.
• This report has been prepared by World Economic Forum in collaboration with the United Nations
Children's Education Fund and YuWaah (Generation Unlimited India).
• About 85% of the schools haven’t implemented vocational courses as part of their curriculum.
• As per the report, presently school pedagogy is being designed with no reference to industry
needs.
• There are no formal channels for industry participation in curriculum design.
• The report highlighted that School-to-work (S2W) transition process still faces many problems
such as a lack of trainers, inadequate resources and infrastructure, and poor linkages between
localized skill gaps and vocational courses.
• With conducive policies and initiatives of the Government of India, such as the National Education
Policy (NEP) 2020, and over 5000 EdTech start-ups across the l earning lifecycle, the current
education environment is potent for digital transformation.
• The National Achievement Survey (NAS) of 2021 reported an average learning level of 59% in
grade 3, 49% in grade 5, 42% in grade 8, and 36% in grade 10.
About WEF:
• Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director of, the World Economic Forum.
• The World Economic Forum is an international non-governmental and lobbying organization
based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland.
• It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab.
World University Rankings 2023: IISc Bengaluru i n Top 300
• The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 has been released.
• A total of 75 higher education institutions got listed in the ranking this year.
• The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has improved its position in the Times Higher Education
World University Rankings 2023 and was the only Indian university in the top 300 list, even as
several IITs boycotted it for the third consecutive year raising doubts over its parameters and
transparency
• A total of 75 Indian institutes were part of the rankings in 2023 as compared to 56 in 2020 and just
31 in 2017.
• Seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)- IIT Ropar, IIT Indore, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Patna, IIT
Bhubaneswar, IIT Guwahati, and IIT Mandi were also able to secure a position in the 500- 1200
band.
• As per the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023, IIT Ropar featured in the
501-600 band.
• Meanwhile, IIT Indore features in the 601- 800 band. IIT Gandhinagar also featured in the 801-
1000 band. IIT Patna featured in 801-1000, IIT Bhubaneswar in 1001-1200 band, IIT Guwahati- in
1001-1200 band, and IIT Mandi- in 1001-1200 band
• Central Universities such as Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia
Hamdard University, Benaras Hindu University, Jadavpur University, and Aligarh Muslim
University also featured in THE World University Rankings- 2023.
• Jamia Millia Islamia moved to the 501-600 ranking band this year from the 601- 800 band last
year.
Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index: Iceland topped the list
• Mercer and the CFA Institute released its 14th annual Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index
(MCGPI) which comprises a list of 44 countries with the best and worst pension systems in the
world.
• India ranked 41st and has the forth-lowest retirement income system in the world, according to the
report.
• It comprises an earnings-related employee pension scheme, a DC employee provident fund
(EPFO), and supplementary employer-managed pension schemes, which are largely DC in
nature.
• According to the report, Iceland’s retirement income system has once again topped the list,
followed by the Netherlands and Denmark respectively while Thailand has been ranked lowest.
• The US ranked 20th of the 44 countries surveyed, while newcomer Portugal came in at 24 and
mainland China was ranked 36. Mexico, in 29 th place, was singled out for improving its score
significantly due to pension reforms.
• Thailand was ranked lowest, coming in just below the Philippines, Argentina, and India.
• As fertility rates decline and people live longer, the United Nations predicts the portion of the
world’s population aged 65 or over will rise from 9.7% this year to 16.4% in 2050.
• Singapore’s retirement system retains its top spot in Asia, ranking 9th out of 44 retirement
systems reviewed in the 14th annual Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index (MCGPI).
• Hong Kong SAR and Malaysia round out the top three in the region, while ranking 19th and 23rd,
respectively, against their global peers.
• The 2022 MCGPI, which features Portugal as a new addition, measures each retirement system
through three sub-indices: sustainability, adequacy, and integrity.
• This year, the Global Pension Index compares 44 retirement income systems across the globe
and covers 65 percent of the world’s population.
• The 2022 Global Pension index includes one new retirement income system – Portugal.
• The Global Pension Index is a collaborative research project sponsored by CFA Institute, the
global association of investment professionals, in collaboration with the Monash Centre for
Financial Studies (MCFS), part of Monash Business School at Monash University, and Mercer.
FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking India was placed at 67:
• FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking, which will be used to determine the seedings for the
Draw for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023.
• India dropped three spots to 61st position behind Panama, but ahead of Cameroon.
• The three teams at the top in the August 2022 ranking are still there, with one slight change in the
order.
• Though the USA (1st, -) remain out front, Sweden (2nd, plus 1) has jumped into second place at
the expense of Germany (3rd, minus 1). England (4th, -) and France (5th, -) complete the top five.
• Two new teams have joined since the publication of the previous ranking in August: Syria (157th)
and Pakistan (160th).
• This takes the total number of FIFA member associations now included in the women’s ranking to
187.
• FIFA has 211 member associations in all.
• India has 1406 points, a total of 20 points less than last quarter and stays in 12th position in the
Asian (AFC) Women’s rankings.
• In South Asia, India remains in the top spot ahead of Nepal (103rd), Bangladesh (140th), Sri
Lanka (155th), the Maldives (159th), Pakistan (160th) return to the rankings and Bhutan (177th).
About FIFA:
• FIFA is an international governing body of association football, beach football, and futsal.
• It was founded in 1904.
• President: Gianni Infantino, Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.
Union Minister has launched Logistics Ease across Different States (LEADS) 2022 survey report:
• Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, and
Textiles recently launched Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2022 survey report.
• The LEADS is an indigenous data-driven index to assess logistics infrastructure, services, and
human resources across all 36 States and UTs.
• The index is an indicator of the efficiency of logistical services necessary for promoting exports
and economic growth.
• The index aims at enhancing the focus on improving logistics performance across states which is
essential for improving the country's trade and reducing transaction costs.
• LEADS 2022 has adopted a classification-based grading, states have been now classified under
four categories viz coastal states, hinterland/landlocked states, north-eastern states, and Union
Territories.
• Three performance categories namely,
➢ Achievers: States/UTs achieving 90% or more percentage,
➢ Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and Gujarat are among the 15 States and UTs categorized
as achievers.
➢ Fast Movers: States/UTs achieving percentage scores between 80% to 90%,
➢ Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Sikkim, and Tripura are the other
States categorized as fast movers.
➢ Aspirers: States/UTs achieving percentage scores below 80% have been made.
➢ The 15 States and UTs ranked in the aspirers category include Bihar, Chhattisgarh,
Goa, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Nagaland,
Jammu and Kashmir, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• The LEADS 2022 survey report would assist PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS -NMP)
and National Logistics Policy (NLP).
• The first logistics report was released in 2018.
• No ranking was released last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The government is already aiming to reduce the country’s logistics costs to 8% of its GDP in the
next five years from 13-14% now.
CRII: India has moved up six places to rank 123 out of 161 countries
• India has moved up six places to rank 123 out of 161 countries for reducing inequality but
continues to be among the lowest performers in health spending, according to the latest
Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII).
• The 2022 CRII looks at government policies and actions in 161 countries to fight inequality during
the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Norway leads the CRII followed by Germany and Australia.
• India's overall rank has improved by six points from 129 in 2020 to 123 in 2022.
• It has moved up 12 places to rank 129 for reducing inequality through progressive spending.
• The country ranks 16 for progressive taxation, up by three.
• The Index which is prepared by Oxfam International and Development Finance International (DFI)
measures government policies and actions in three areas proven to have a major impact on
reducing inequality.
• The three areas are public services (health, education, and social protection), taxation, and
workers’ rights.
• The Oxfam report based on the index said India features among the lowest performers in health
spending again.
• The index showed that it has dropped a further two places in the rankings, to 157th, the 5th lowest
in the world.
• India has dropped a further two places in the rankings, to 157th (or 5th lowest in the world).
• India’s health spending is 3.64 percent of total spending.
• This is the lowest out of all BRICS and neighboring countries, the report said.
• While China and Russia are spending 10 percent, Brazil is at 7.7 percent and South Africa is
highest at 12.9 percent.
Reliance Jio surpassed BSNL to become the largest landline service, provider:
• In August, Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio overtook the country's largest landline service provider
for the first time.
• According to the latest data given by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Reliance Jio
surpassed state-owned telecom operator and previous market leader BSNL's 7.13 million landline
connections as of August 31.
• MTNL, in third place, provided 2.6 million connections.
• This is a landmark moment in India's telecom history because fixed-line or landline connections
were the final category where a state-owned provider dominated.
• Reliance Jio had been eyeing the area for several years and introduced Jio Fibre in 2019, which
includes both landline and fiber-based broadband services.
About TRAI
• Chairperson: Ram Sewak Sharma
• Secretary: Sunil K. Gupta
After a four-year slump, India's internet freedom has improved, according to Freedom House:
• According to the US government-funded NGO Freedom House, India's internet freedom score
climbed by two points to 51 in the overall ranking as a result of attempts to bridge the country's
digital gap.
• After four years, India's internet freedom has improved
• The decreased frequency and severity of nationwide internet outages also contributed to the
improved score.
• India ranked 49th in terms of internet freedom in 2021.
• The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules,
2021, among other laws permitting the government to control online content, have been
challenged in court, resulting in some of the government's powers being limited.
• The US government-funded NGO discovered that internet freedom had declined globally for the
12th year in a straight, with Russia, Myanmar, Sudan, and Libya suffering the greatest decreases.
• According to the study, China had the world's worst internet freedom conditions for the eighth year
in a row, while internet freedom in the United States improved slightly for the first time in six years.
India has dropped in the global rankings for mobile and fixed broadband speeds: Ookla report
• India falls three places in the Global Ranking for average mobile speed.
• In June, it jumped from 115th to 118th.
• The median mobile download speed in India has declined from 14.28 Mbps in May to 14.00 Mbps
in June, according to the Ookla Speedtest Global Index report.
• In June, India moved up three ranks in the global rankings for median download speeds on fixed
broadband, from 75th to 72nd.
• The overall fixed median download speed in India in May was 47.86 Mbps, down from 48.11 Mbps
in June.
• Each month, Ookla's Speedtest Global Index compares Speedtest data from around the world.
• The data for the Global Index comes from hundreds of millions of tests performed by real
individuals using Speedtest.
• Norway is in first place and was joined by Chile in the global median mobile speed rankings.
• Regarding overall worldwide fixed broadband speeds, Singapore takes second place.
• The fastest increases in fixed broadband and mobile download speeds were seen in Papua New
Guinea and Gabon in June.
• Based on the median mobile download speed, India moved up three points in the global rankings
in May.
India ranks third on the list of centi millionaires and will surpass C hina by 2032:
• India ranks third in the first-ever global survey on the rise of centi-millionaires – those with assets
of more than Rs 830 crore ($100 million) — despite having high levels of poverty, inflation, and
hunger.
• India possesses 1,132 of the 25,490 centi-millionaires in the globe, outpacing Switzerland, the UK,
and Russia in a rapidly expanding and powerful class of ultra-wealthy IT titans, financiers,
multinational CEOs, and heirs.
• With an expected 80% growth rate in people worth over $100 million by 2032, India will surpass
China (number 2) as the fastest-growing market for millionaires, according to a report published by
worldwide investment migration advisory firm Henley & Partners.
Overall Ranking:
• Despite making up only 4% of the world's population, the United States, which comes in first
place, is home to 38% (9,730) of the 25,490 centi-millionaires in the globe.
• Large growing markets China and India, with 2,021 and 1,132 centi-millionaires, respectively, are
in second and third place, closely behind it.
• With 968 cent millionaires, the UK is in fourth place, closely followed by Germany in fifth (with
966).
• The remaining top 10 nations for centi-millionaires are Switzerland (808), Japan (765), Canada
(541), Australia (463), and lastly Russia (435).
UIDAI topped the Grievance Redressal Index for the second month in a row:
• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which oversees Aadhaar, has once again
topped the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) September
rankings report for addressing the most public grievances among all government ministries and
departments.
• UIDAI has topped the standings for the second month in a row.
• UIDAI has been a top performer in resolving public grievances received through the Centralized
Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), and it is making ongoing efforts
to improve the Aadhaar holder's experience.
• UIDAI has a robust grievance redressal ecosystem in place, which includes the UIDAI
headquarters, regional offices, a technology center, an engaged contact center, and partners.
• A well-coordinated mechanism enables UIDAI to resolve around 92% of CRM grievances within a
week.
About UIDAI
• CEO: Dr. Saurabh Garg
NSO published India's Employment Outlook:
• The National Statistical Office (NSO), which is part of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation, has issued a news release on the country's employment outlook for the period
from September 2017 to June 2022.
• This data is based on administrative records made accessible by chosen government agencies to
assess progress in specific dimensions.
• Since April 2018, this ministry has been publishing employment-related statistics in the formal
sector for the period September 2017 onwards, based on data from three major schemes: the
Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme, the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Scheme, and
the National Pension Scheme (NPS).
• In terms of NPS, the data also includes gender information on existing and new subscribers who
contributed over the period.
• During the period from September 2017 to June 2022, a total of 36,53,544 new subscribers joined
and contributed to the NPS schemes of the central government, state governments, and
corporations.
Sunil Chhetri and his career have earned special recognition in the form of a series “Captain Fantastic
• Sunil Chhetri and his career have earned special recognition in the form of a series “Captain
Fantastic”.
• Fifa announced to release of a series based on the player’s life in a span of three episodes.
• The series about the life and career of Sunil Chhetri is available on FIFA+, its streaming platform.
• The series covers various unseen and unheard phases of a player’s life.
• His early teenage, his debut at the age of 20, his struggling days, and reaching heights as a
football player.
About Sunil Chhetri:
• Sunil Chhetri began his career in 2002.
• Sunil Chhetri has also been named AIFF Player of the Year, seven times in 2007, 2011, 2013,
2014, 2018-19, and 2021-22.
• Chhetri was awarded Arjuna Award in 2011 for his outstanding sporting achievement.
• The player also received India’s fourth-highest civilian award, the Padma Shri award in 2019.
• Sunil Chhetri became the first footballer to be honored with the Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest
sporting honor.
• Sunil Chhetri was born on August 3, 1984.
• He is an Indian footballer who plays as a forward and captain for the Indian national team.
• Chhetri is the third-highest international goalscorer with 84 goals, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and
Lionel Messi.
Yatinder Mishra authored a new book titled Lata: A Life in Music
• On the 93rd birthday of India’s most iconic vocal artist Lata Mangeshkar, Penguin Random House
India has announced the acquisition and publication of her biography titled, Lata: A Life in Music.
• Originally written in Hindi by writer-poet Yatindra Mishra, this is its timely and monumental
translation by the award-winning writer and translator, Ira Pande.
• Celebrating art in its totality and telling the life story of India’s most loved singer of all time, this
book is scheduled to release in early 2023 under Penguin’s Vintage imprint.
• The original Hindi version of this book, Lata: Sur-Gatha, won the 64th National Film Award and the
MAMI Award for Best Writing on Cinema (2016–17).
Shashi Tharoor authored a book titled "Ambedkar: A Life:
• Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will come out with a biography of BR Ambedkar next month in
which he will provide insights into his life and also highlight the disputes the latter had with other
political and intellectual giants of his era, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
• In "Ambedkar: A Life", Tharoor will also seek to answer the question of whether Ambedkar was
the greatest Indian of modern times.
• The Congress MP traces the arc of Ambedkar's life from his birth into a family of Mahars in the
Bombay Presidency on April 14, 1891, to his death in Delhi on December 6, 1956.
• According to Tharoor, in doing so, Ambedkar "transformed the lives of millions yet unborn, heaving
an ancient civilization into the modern era through the force of his intellect and the power of his
pen".
• The book is released on October 1. Ambedkar's statues across the country are second only in
number to those of Mahatma Gandhi.
• He even overtook Gandhi in a recent poll to determine the "greatest Indian" of modern times, in
which over 20 million votes were cast.
EAM S Jaishankar launches book “Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery” in Auckland:
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the book launch in New Zealand of "Modi@20:
Dreams Meet Delivery."
• Jaishankar penned one of the chapters in the book Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery, which was
released on May 11, 2022.
• He also took part in the 2022 Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame Awards.
• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu launched the book Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery at Vigyan
Bhawan in New Delhi.
• It consists of twenty chapters written by twenty-two domain dignitaries, ranging from Home
Minister Amit Shah to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Sudha Murty, among others.
• The book is titled after him and covers Modi Ji's accomplishments, the fundamental transformation
of Gujarat at the state level, and India's development.
Bob Dylon authored a new book titled "Philosophy of Modern Song":
• A new book titled "The Philosophy of Modern Song," written by Nobel winner Bob Dylan and
published by Simon & Schuster will be released in November 2022.
• Bob Dylan's artistic journey and successes are documented in The Philosophy of Modern Song.
• Bob Dylan's first book of new work since 2004, when he released 'Chronicles, Volume One,' and
since receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016.
• Bob Dylan recorded a total of thirty-nine studio albums.
• He received the Nobel Prize in Literature, as well as the French Legion of Honor, the Pulitzer
Prize, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
• Bob Dylan's most well-known books are "The Lyrics 19612012," "Tarantula (1971)," "Younger
Than That Now," and others.
Sahil Seth, an IRS official, releases his b ook 'A muddled mind story':
• Sahil Seth, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) Joint Commissioner GST, Customs, and Narcotics
and a young influencer, has released his book titled 'A Confused Mind Story.'
• In the presence of Union Health Minister Sh Mansukh L Mandaviya, the book was released and
the first glance was revealed.
• Blue Rose Publishing House, one of India's leading fiction, nonfiction, and poetry book publishers,
published the book.
• The dichotomy between the spiritual and material worlds is central to the work.
• The book provides the answers to the common man's daily bewilderment and reveals the rationale
behind the meaning of life and belief system.
Regarding the book:
• The book is divided into 23 lifechanging chapters that cover topics such as explaining the divine
god, beliefs and myths, the afterlife concept, the shunya concept, the science of god, destiny, or
hard work. the genes theory the world of infinite memory, the placebo effect science behind
prayers, and do hell or heaven exist? The existence of the world within us, where to find God
mountain or forest?, the significance of Japa, and many other fascinating issues.
• All of these themes contribute to our understanding of the significance of spirituality in our lives.
“The Corbett Papers” a new book edited and compiled by Akshay Shah and Stephen Alter:
• The Corbett Papers: Biographical, Legal, & Contextual Material on the Life & Career of Jim
Corbett of Kumaon, edited and compiled by Akshay Shah and Stephen Alter, is a new book about
Jim Corbett.
• Black Kite Publishing is the publisher.
• The well-known naturalist-hunter Jim Corbett has chronicled his encounters with wildlife in the
North Indian woods in several best-sellers.
• The Corbett Papers also contains infrequent excerpts from a lost work as well as Maggie Corbett's
unpublished memories of her brother.
Dr. Bimal Jalan wrote the book "From Dependence to SelfReliance."
• Dr. Bimal Jalan, an economist, wrote the book "From Dependence to SelfReliance: Mapping
India's Rise as a Global Superpower," which takes stock of India's growth trajectory and benefits
from Bimal Jalan's deep insights.
• The text is written clearly for the general reader.
• Bimal Jalan divides his work into three sections: four chapters on economics and three each on
governance and politics.
• Bimal Jalan's principal goal is to promote India's national interests, regardless of any political
platform proclaimed during elections.
• Dr. Bimal Jalan is a former governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
• He has previously held many government roles, including finance secretary and head of the Prime
Minister's Economic Advisory Council.
Shri Hardeep Singh Puri wrote, "Delhi University - Celebrating 100 Glorious Years."
• Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs in
the Government of India (GOI), has written a new book titled "DELHI UNIVERSITY: Celebrating
100 Glorious Years."
• Rupa Publications India is the publisher of the book.
• The book's foreword was written by Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan.
• This book highlights the perspectives of 15 contributors, including some of the university's most
distinguished alumni and faculty.
• The book Delhi University: Celebrating 100 Glorious Years is an eclectic collection of personal
essays and reflections from some of the university's most illustrious former students and faculty,
including Amitabh Bachchan, Kiren Rijiju, Dinesh Singh, Meenakshi Gopinath, Shashi Tharoor,
Bibek Debroy, Imtiaz Ali, Raian Karanjawala, Sanjeev Sanyal, Arnab Goswami
Shivpal Singh has been suspended from competing till October 2025:
• Shivpal Singh an Indian javelin thrower has been suspended from competing till October 2025.
• The ban comes into effect on October 21, 2021.
• He tested positive for the banned substance methandienone.
• He is an Uttar Pradesh-based athlete.
• He was a silver medalist at the 2019 Asian Championships.
• He also won the 2019 World Military Games.
• Tokyo Olympian Kamalpreet Kaur also failed a dope test earlier.
• Earlier, discus thrower Navjeet Kaur Dhillon, sprinter Dhanalakshmi Sekar, and quarter -miler MR
Poovamma have been banned from competitions due to doping violations.
The USA defeated China to win FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022:
• The USA defeated China by 83-61 in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022.
• The championship was held in Australia.
• A'ja Wilson wins the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the tournament.
• The US finished the World Cup averaging 98.8 points.
• China won its first medal in the 1994 World Cup.
Yalemzerf Yehualaw won the women's race at the London Marathon:
• Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia recovered from a fall to win the women's race at the London
Marathon.
• The 23-year-old appeared to trip on a speed bump with six miles remaining but recovered to rejoin
the leading pack and came home in two hours, 17 minutes, and 25 seconds, the third fastest time
at the event.
• Defending champion Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya had to settle for second, with Ethiopia's Alemu
Megertu third.
• The men's race finished later with Kenyan Amos Kipruto marking his London Marathon debut with
a decisive victory.
• The 30-year-old Kipruto, a world bronze medallist in Doha in 2019, crossed the line in London in
two hours, four minutes, and 39 seconds after breaking away late on.
Mumtaz Khan has been named the FIH Rising Stars of the Year 2021-22 in the women’s category:
• The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has revealed that India's Mumtaz Khan has been
named the FIH Rising Stars of the Year 2021-22 in the women’s category.
• Timothée Clément of France has been named the FIH Rising Stars of the Year 2021-22 in the
men’s category.
• Mumtaz burst onto the international hockey scene almost out of nowhere in the FIH Junior
Women’s World Cup 2022, thrilling hockey fans with her incredible style of play and an eye for
scoring goals that cannot be taught.
• She was the best performer for India in the Junior World Cup, scoring 8 times in 6 games. She
also finished in third place on the list of top scorers in the World Cup, as India missed out on a
bronze medal by a whisker finishing in 4th place.
• Mumtaz is the third Indian woman to win the award after Lalremsiami in 2019 and Sharmila Devi in
2020-21.
Saudi Arabia to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games:
• Saudi Arabia has won a bid to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games at a planned mountain resort in
the Gulf Arab state's $500 billion flagship NEOM project.
• The TROJENA development is expected to be completed in 2026 and will offer outdoor skiing, a
man-made freshwater lake, and a nature reserve.
• With the unlimited support by the Saudi leadership & HRH Crown Prince to the sports, sector is
proud to announce They have won the bid to host AWG TROJENA2029 as the first country in
western Asia.
• NEOM is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's most ambitious project under the kingdom's
Vision 2030 development plan to reduce reliance on oil and transform the economy, including by
developing sports.
• NEOM, a 26,500-square-km (10,230-square-mile) high-tech development on the Red Sea, will
include zero-carbon city "The Line" as well as industrial and logistics areas.
PR Sreejesh and Savita Punia have won the FIH Men’s and Women’s Goalkeepers of the Year:
• India’s PR Sreejesh and Savita Punia were voted the FIH Men’s and Women’s Goalkeeper of the
Year, respectively, for the second year running.
• Sreejesh once again showed his value to the team, playing in all 16 games in the Pro League as
India finished in the third position.
• He also played in all six games at the 2022 Birmingham CWG, where India won the silver medal.
• The 32-year-old Punia finished on top of the voting with 37.6 points.
• Argentina legend Belen Succi was second with 26.4, followed by Australia stalwart Jocelyn
Bartram with 16 points.
• She is now only the third athlete to win the Goalkeeper of the Year (women) award for two
consecutive years since its inception in 2014.
The rest of India defeated Saurashtra by eight wickets to win the Irani Cup 2022:
• The Rest of India (ROI) defeated Saurashtra by eight wickets to win the Irani Cup 2022 at the
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
• Rest of India pacer Mukesh Kumar was adjudged Player of the Match in Irani Cup 2022.
• Irani Trophy or Irani Cup is a test match format cricket tournament in India.
• The current Ranji Trophy winners and the Rest of India's cricket team compete in it each year.
• It is organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• It was named after the late Z. R. Irani.
Graham Reid and Janneke Schopman received the FIH Coach of the Year award:
• The Indian men’s and women’s hockey team coaches, Graham Reid and Janneke Schopman
received the FIH Coach of the Year award in their respective categories.
• This is the second consecutive time Reid has won the award, while Schopman won it for the first
time.
• Under Australian Reid, the men’s team reached new heights by winning a bronze — its first
Olympics medal in 41 years — at the Tokyo Games last year.
• India also won a silver medal at the 2022 Birmingham CWG.
• The Fédération Internationale de Hockey, commonly known by the acronym FIH, is the
international governing body of field hockey and indoor field hockey.
• Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Harmanpreet Singh was named the FIH Player of the Year
• India defender Harmanpreet Singh was named the FIH Player of the Year in the men’s category
for the second successive time.
• The 26-year-old became just the fourth player to win the Player of the Year award (men’s
category) in consecutive years, joining an elite list that includes Teun De Nooijer (Netherlands),
Jamie Dwyer (Australia) and Arthur van Doren (Belgium).
• In the women’s category, Felice Albers of the Netherlands was named the FIH Player of the Year.
• The 22-year-old became the youngest winner of the FIH Player of the Year award (women’s
category) since Germany’s Natascha Keller (1999) and the second youngest ever, since the
inception of the awards in 1998.
• She broke into the Dutch national team in 2019, on the back of great performances at the junior
level where she switched between midfield and attack.
• Since making her debut for the senior team, she has scored 16 goals in her 32 international
appearances thus far.
Goa government to host 37th National Games in October 2023:
• The Goa government has conveyed to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) its in-principle
approval to host the 37th National Games in October 2023.
• IOA is pleased to note the wholehearted support of the government of Goa to host the 37th
National Games in 2023, hence conveying IOA's approval to organize the 37th National Games in
Goa.
• The Goa delegation may receive the IOA flag in the closing ceremony of the 36th National Games
on October 12 in Surat, Gujarat.
• Goa had signed the contract to host the National Games in 2011 but, technically, its turn was only
after the 35th edition, which was hosted by Kerala in January 2015.
• Since then, the state sought multiple postponements after finalizing 2016 as the year to host the
Games.
Pooja Patel became the first athlete to win a gold medal in Yogasan at the 36th National Games:
• Gujarat's Pooja Patel became the first athlete to win a gold me dal in Yogasan at the 36th National
Games.
• For the first time, five new sports have been included in the National Games, one of which is
Yoga.
• Earlier this year, this Indian indigenous game was introduced at the Khelo India University Games.
• Among other events, Maharashtra won the gold medal in women's diving in the one-meter
springboard event.
• 36th National Games is being hosted by Gujrat from 27 September to 10 October.
Hyderabad is set to become the first city in India to host the Formula E race in Feb 2 023:
• The much-awaited Hyderabad E-Prix, the first-ever Formula E race in India, will take place for two
days at Necklace Road here on February 10 and 11 next year.
• Formula E is the premier electric single-seater racing series in the world governed by the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
• With this event, Hyderabad will join the prestigious list of E-Prix host cities such as New York,
London, Berlin, Seoul, Monaco, and Rome.
• As part of this, the city will host the Hyderabad EV Summit, the Rall-E Hyderabad, and the
Hyderabad E-Motor Show before closing the week with the Hyderabad E-Prix.
• Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is a single-seater motorsport
championship for electric cars.
• The series was conceived in 2011 in Paris by FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman
Alejandro Agag, who is also the current chairman of Formula E Holdings.
Pankaj Advani won his career's 25th world title:
• India's ace cueist Pankaj Advani won his career's 25th world title after clinching the World Billiards
(150-Up) Championship here at the High-End Snooker Club.
• In the final of the best of seven games, Pankaj defeated his compatriot Sourav Kothari 4-0 in a
one-sided battle.
• Thailand's Praput Chaithanasukan and S. Shrikrishna of India got the bronze medals.
• Advani’s last world title came over 12 months ago in Qatar, where he won the IBSF 6-Red
Snooker World Cup.
Harmanpreet Kaur became the first Indian woman to be selected for the ICC Player of the Month:
• India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur & Pakistan player Mohammad Rizwan have been selected for
ICC Player of the Month awards for September.
• Harmanpreet Kaur won the ICC Player of the Month award in the women’s category.
• Mohammad Rizwan received the ICC Player of the Month award in the men's category.
• Harmanpreet Kaur won the award for her performance in the ODI series in England.
• Recently, India’s women’s team won its first series in England since 1999.
• Rizwan defeated Indian left-arm spinner Axar Patel and Australian allrounder Cameroon Green to
win this award in Men’s category.
• ICC Player of the Month awards recognizes the best performances of both male and female
cricketers across all forms of international cricket.
• The ICC Player of the Month award was introduced by ICC in January 2021.
Novak Djokovic won his 90 th ATP title at the Astana Open in Kazakhstan:
• Novak Djokovic won his 90th ATP title by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the Astana
Open in Kazakhstan.
• 21-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic defeated Tsitsipas of Greece 6-3, 6-4.
• This is the fourth title of Wimbledon champion Djokovic this year, including in Rome and Tel Aviv.
• With this win at Astana, Djokovic joined Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on the list of players to
have won 90 or more ATP titles in the Open Era.
• Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic registered victories in the Astana Open men's doubles match.
• They defeated the French pair of Adrian Mannarino and Fabrice Martin 6-4, 6-2.
• The Astana Open is a professional tennis tournament that is organized in Astana, Kazakhstan, in
late October every year since 2020.
FIFA in partnership with AIFF launched the Football for Schools project in the country:
• FIFA in partnership with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and with the support of the Union
government launched the Football for Schools project in the country, which is aimed at broad-
basing the game across India.
• Football for Schools is an ambitious program run by FIFA, in collaboration with UNESCO, which
aims to contribute to the education, development, and empowerment of around 700 million
children.
• According to Union Government, the “Football for Schools” movement espouses the spirit of the
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and promotes sports-integrated learning.
• Football for Schools is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of developing India as a
sporting superpower as well as ensuring a Fit India.
• Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti will be the nodal agency on behalf of the ministry of education to take
this initiative forward.
India finished fifth at ISSF World Championship Shotgun:
• India finished fifth with one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals at ISSF World Championship
Shotgun.
• Italy, Great Britain, and the USA took the top three spots.
• China was in fourth place.
• It prevailed over India on the medal tally by winning a silver more.
• Both India and China had the same medal haul.
• The USA won the gold in the Women’s Skeet Team competition on the final day (12 October).
• ISSF World Championship Shotgun took place in Osijek, Croatia
• ISSF world championship now moves to Cairo, Egypt for the Rifle and Pistol leg.
About ISSF:
• International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is headquartered in Munich, Germany.
• It is the governing body of the Olympic shooting events in rifle, pistol, and shotgun disciplines.
Jyothi Yarraji becomes the first Indian woman to run under 13 seconds in the hurdles:
• Jyothi Yarraji, an Indian sprinter, made history by becoming the first Indian woman to run a sub-
13s time to win the gold medal at the Nation Games 2022.
• Jyothi Yarraji of Andhra Pradesh set a new national record by winning the final in 12.79 seconds.
• Jyothi Yarraji had earlier won the women's 100m gold, beating out sprinters like Dutee Chand and
Hima Das.
• The National Open Athletics Championships 2022 are the season's last senior domestic
tournament, held at Bangalore's Kanteerava Stadium.
• The five-day meet will include over 800 individuals from across the country competing in 47 medal
events.
• Race walking (men's and women's), pole vault, discus throw, long jump, shot put, heptathlon,
hurdles, javelin throw, and other events are included.
Tazuni has been unveiled as the mascot for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup:
• Tazuni, a playful, football-obsessed penguin, has been named the Official Mascot of the FIFA
Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.
• Tazuni will become an essential symbol for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New
Zealand, appearing on official tournament goods and media channels, as well as in person at
community events leading up to the event.
• In the run-up to the FIFA Women's World Cup, Tazuni, a 15-year-old midfielder whose tale
involves her falling in love with football after playing with a group of kids on a beach, will be
featured on merchandise, media platforms, and community events.
• Tazuni is a combination of the Tasman Sea, the habitat of penguins, and Unity, the primary value
of the occasion.
Regarding the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup:
I. The FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023 will be the ninth in the series, and for the first time, two
countries will co-host the event.
II. The 64 games will be contested across 10 different venues in 9 different cities, with the
tournament being split between Australia and New Zealand (5 in Australia and four 4 in New
Zealand).
Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2022 i s won by Magnus Carlsen:
• Magnus Carlsen won the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour title for 2022 after easily defeating
Arjun Erigaisi in the quarterfinals of the eighth and final event of the tour.
• Carlsen earned the title of tour champion and an additional $50.000 reward on top of his total
earnings (to date) of $192.000.
• In the first game of their quarterfinal match, the 31-year-old had to put in some effort as Erigaisi
played some of his greatest chess against the champion to grab three pawns and set up what
appeared to be an easy victory.
• In the Aimchess quick semi-finals, Jan-Krzysztof Duda will play against the World Chess
Champion after defeating Vidit Santosh Gujrathi in the quarterfinals.
• Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Richard Rapport will face off in the second semi-final after they
defeated Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Gukesh D (respectively).
Madhya Pradesh will host the 5th Khelo India Youth Games:
• The 5th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games will take place in Madhya Pradesh from January
31st to February 11th, 2023.
• Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Thakur and Madhya Pradesh Chief
Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the ceremony.
• The upcoming Khelo India Youth Games will include indigenous games.
• Madhya Pradesh has designated Mallakhamb as its state sport to promote Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's aim of supporting both Olympic and indigenous sports equally.
• Shri Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports stated that the fifth edition of the
Khelo India Youth Games will be hosted in Madhya Pradesh.
• The Khelo India Youth Games will take place in eight different locales.
• The KIYG 2023 is scheduled to attract about 8500 sportsmen and sportspeople.
• Khelo India Youngsters Games began in 2016 and has since offered an effective forum for India's
youth to showcase their sporting talents.
Max Verstappen wins the action-packed US Grand Prix 2022:
• The 2022 Formula 1 Aramco United States Grand Prix 2022 was won by Belgium's Max
Verstappen of Red Bull Racing at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, United States (US).
• With this triumph, he equaled Germany's Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher's Formula
One season record of 13 victories.
• He overcame Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton of the United Kingdom.
• Mercedes' wait for a 2022 victory continues as Hamilton settles for second place, while Leclerc
rescued a podium position for Ferrari as the Italian team mathematically slipped out of contention
for the constructors' trophy.
• Sebastian Vettel won 13 races with Red Bull in 2013, whereas Michael Schumacher accomplished
the milestone in 2004.
• Red Bull Racing also won the 2022 Constructors Championship as a result of this victory.
• The 2022 US Grand Prix was the 19th round of the Formula One World Championship.
Air Force Lawn Tennis Championship was won by Western Air Command:
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) Western Air Command won the Air Force Lawn Tennis Championship
2022-23, which was held at Head Quarter MC, Vayu Sena Nagar, Nagpur.
• The final team Championship match was played between Western Air Command and Training
Command, and Western Air Command won.
• Corporal Pradeep of Training Command and Sergeant Manolin of Western Air Command
competed in the open singles final, and Corporal Pradeep won.
• Air Marshal Vibhas Pande, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, HQ MC, officially launched the
Championship.
• The Championship included eight teams comprised of 48 players from the Indian Air Force's
seven commands.
• The Championship consisted of two events:
o Team Championship and Open Singles.
o The matches not only displayed players' talents and considerable potential but also
sparked a lot of interest among the air fighters in picking up Lawn Tennis as a sport.
Bing Jiao has won the Women’s singles ti tle at the Denmark Open:
• China’s He Bing Jiao & Shi Yu Qi have ended as CHAMPIONS in Denmark OPEN 2022.
• Bing Jiao won the Women’s SINGLES Title.
• She defeated compatriot Chen Yufei in 3 sets to win the BWF title after a long gap.
• In the Men’s Singles FINAL, Shi Yu Qi registered 3 set victory over Lee Zil Jia of Malaysia
• Meanwhile, the Indian challenge ended in the Quarterfinals of the Denmark Open 2022.
• Lakshya Sen bowed out after losing to Japan’s Kodai Naraoka.
Aman Sehrawat becomes the first Indian wrestler to win a gold medal at U-23 World Wrestling
Championships in Spain:
• In wrestling, teenager Aman Sehrawat made history as he became the first Indian wrestler to win
a gold medal at the U -23 World Wrestling Championships in Pontevedra, Spain.
• The 16-year-old Aman Sehrawat beat junior European silver-medallist Ahmet Duman of Turkey
12-4 in the final to win the gold.
• Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Ravi Kumar Dahiya had made the final in their categories in
previous editions but could only win the silver medal.
• Aman Sehrawat won gold at the U23 Asian championship and silver at the U20 Asian
championship earlier this year.
• India finished with six medals - one gold, one silver, and four bronze at the U-23 World Wrestling
Championships 2022.
• Sajan Bhanwala became the first Greco-Roman wrestler from India to win a medal bronze at the
U23 world wrestling championships before Vikas and Nitesh followed suit.
The BCCI decides to end discrimination and provide equal pay for male and female cricketers:
• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a landmark decision when it established a
"pay equity policy," stating that its centrally-contracted men's and women's players would get
equal match fees.
• Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, announced the momentous development on Twitter.
• As a result, the women's players will now receive Rs. 15 lakh for each Test match, Rs. 6 lakh for
each ODI, and Rs. 3 lakh for each T20 International.
• They had been paid Rs 1 lakh for a white-ball match and Rs 4 lakh for a test match up to this
point.
• Women's cricket players are still paid the same annual retainer - Rs. 50 lakh for Grade A, Rs. 30
lakh for Grade B, and Rs. 10 lakh for Grade C. Depending on their classification, men who
participate in more games are paid between Rs 1 and Rs 7 crore.
• At an emergency meeting of the BCCI Apex Council, a decision was made.
Former MP & 1st Chairperson of National Commission for Women Jayanti Patnaik passes away
• Four-time Congress Member of Parliament (MP) & first chairperson of the National Commission
for Women (NCW) and wife of late Odisha Chief Minister Janaki Ballav Pattnaik Jayanti Patnaik
passed away at the age of 90 in Odisha.
About Jayanti Patnaik:
• Jayanti Patnaik was born in 1932 in Aska, Ganjam district of Odisha.
• She was elected from Cuttack and Berhampur Lok Sabha constituencies in 1981, 1984, and 1998
& She was nominated to Rajya Sabha in 1996.
• She also held the post of president of the All India Mahila Congress from 1998 to 1990.
• She was the first chairperson of NCW from February 3, 1992, to January 30, 1995, & second
chairperson of the All India Mahila Congress.
• She was also known for her literary skills having translated KM Munshi’s Krishnavatara into Odia.
Suzlon Energy Founder and Chairman Tulsi Tanti passes away
• The Founder Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Suzlon Energy Limited and renowned
expert on renewable energy Tulsi R Tanti Passed away at the age of 64.
About Tulsi R Tanti:
• Tanti was born on February 2, 1958, in Rajkot in Gujarat, India

• He was known as the Wind man of India.
• He started his career with his textile business, Sulzer Synthetics P Ltd in Surat, Gujarat.
• He was widely known as the visionary who pioneered the renewables revolution in India.
• He spearheaded the wind energy revolution in India with the founding of Suzlon Energy in 1995.
• He was the chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association.
• He was also a member of the Board of Management of The Energy and Resources Institute
(TERI) University, New Delhi, Delhi, India.
• He also served as the chairman of the Renewable Energy Council of the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) to provide direction to India’s green energy strategies.
About Suzlon Energy Ltd:
• Founded: 1995
• CEO: Ashwani Kumar
Veteran actor Arun Bali passes away
• The veteran actor who predominantly worked in the Hindi film and television industry for over three
decades, Arun Bali passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra at the age of 79.
About Arun Bali:
• Arun Bali was born on 23 December 1942, in Lahore, Punjab
• He was an Indian actor who worked in numerous films and television series.
• He played the part of King Porus in the 1991 period drama Chanakya.
• He gradually became popular for his ‘grandfatherly’ roles such as the one of Harshvardhan
Wadhwa in the popular Hindi daily soap Kumkum.
• He is popularly known for his roles in 3 Idiots, Manmarziyaan, Kedarnath, Panipat, Samrat
Prithviraj, Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), etc.
• Arun Bali is also a National Award-winning producer.
Padma Shri awardee & popular 'Villupattu' exponent Subbu Arumugam passes away
• Popular 'Villupattu' exponent Subbu Arumugam, who enthralled audiences for about four decades,
passed away at the age of 94 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu
About Subbu Arumugam:
• Arumugam was born on 12 July 1928 in Chathiram Puthukulam village of Tirunelveli district in
Tamil Nadu, India.
• He was an Indian musician, writer, and Villupattu theater art exponent.
• He published 15 books containing Villu Pattu narratives, songs, short stories, and novels such as
Veera Pandia Kattabomman.
Awards & Honors:
• In 2021, he was awarded India's fourth-highest civilian award, the Padma Shri in the Arts and
Literature category.
• He was awarded the Kalaimamani title in 1975 by the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manramfor for
excellence in the field of art and literature.
• He was honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to the practice of Villu
Paatu.
Additional Info:
• Villupattu is an ancient form of musical story-telling and the narration is interspersed with music.
Former UP CM and Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav passes away
• Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) and Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav
passed away at the age of 82 in Gurugram, Haryana.
About Mulayam Singh Yadav:
• Mulayam Singh Yadav was born on 22 November 1939 in Uttar Pradesh, India.
• He was an Indian politician and the founder-patron of the Samajwadi Party.
• He was often referred to as Netaji (meaning respected leader in Hindi) by party leaders and
workers.
• He is one of the most prominent leaders of Uttar Pradesh, served as the chief minister of the state
thrice (1989-91, 1993-95, 2003-07), and also as India’s defense minister.
• He was elected 10 times as a member of the assembly and 7 times as a Lok Sabha member.
• He was the Member of Parliament (MP), representing the Mainpuri constituency in the Lok Sabha
at the time of his death in 2022, and earlier represented Azamgarh and Sambhal.
Renowned Writer Dr. Temsula Ao Passes Away
• Former chairperson of Nagaland State Commission for Women, academician, renowned writer,
and Padma Shri Dr. Temsula Ao passed away in Dimapur, Nagaland at the age of 80.
About Dr. Temsula Ao:
• Dr. Temsula Ao was born on 25 October 1945 in Jorhat, Assam, India.
• She was a Naga poet, fiction writer, and ethnographer from India.
• She served as the Director of the North East Zone Cultural Centre between 1992 and 1997 on
deputation from North Eastern Hill University (NEHU).
• She was a Professor of English at NEHU where she retired in 2010.
• Her literary works are reported to have been translated into German and French as well as Hindi,
Assamese, and Bengali.
Awards & Honors:
• In 2007, she was awarded the Padma Shri award for her contribution to Literature and Education.
• In 2009, she received the Meghalaya governor’s, Gold Medal.
• In 2013, her book Laburnum For My Head received the Sahitya Akademi Award for English writing
in the short story category.
• She was a recipient of the Nagaland Governor’s Award for Distinction in L iterature.
Harry Potter actor Robbie Coltrane Passes away
• Scottish actor and comedian Robbie Coltrane, best known for playing the lovable half-giant
Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies, has Passed away at the age of 72.
About Robbie Coltrane:
• Coltrane was born on 30 March 1950 in Rutherglen, Scotland.
• He was appointed an OBE in the 2006 New Year Honors by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to
drama.
• He gained worldwide recognition as Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011),
and as Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky in the James Bond films GoldenEye (1995) and The World
Is Not Enough (1999).
• He gained fame for playing a crime-solving psychologist on the popular TV series Cracker.
Awards & Honors:
• In 1990, Coltrane received the Evening Standard British Film Award – Peter Sellers Award for
Comedy.
• He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2006 New Year
Honors for his services to drama.
• In 2011, he was honored for his "outstanding contribution" to film at the British Academy Scotland
Awards.
• In 2017, he received the Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor - Male & he received
Monte-Carlo Television Festival for Long Fiction Program, Broadcasting Press Guild Award for
Best Actor.
Father of ORS, Dr Dilip Mahalanabis passes away
• Renowned physician, Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis, who is also known as the father of oral rehydration
therapy (ORT), passed away at 87 in Kolkata.
• He saved millions of lives with his Oral Rehydration Solution, popularly known as ORS.
• ORT was later known as ORS globally with the publication of his work in Johns Hopkins Medical
Journal and Lancet.
About Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis:
• Dilip Mahalanabis was born on 12 November 1934 in Kolkata.
• He was an Indian pediatrician known for his contribution to oral rehydration therapy to treat
diarrheal diseases.
• Mahalanabis became the first Indian to be selected as registrar of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
for Children in London.
• He also served as the Director of Clinical Research at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal
Disease Research (ICDDR, B), Bangladesh.
• In 1994, Mahalanabis was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Awards & Honors:
• In 2002, Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis and Dr. Nathaniel F Pierce were jointly awarded the Pollin Prize by
Columbia University for their contributions to the discovery and implementation of oral rehydration
therapy
• In 2006 Dr. Mahalanabis, Dr. Richard A. Cash, and Dr. David Nalin were awarded the Prince
Mahidol Prize, also for their role in the development and application of oral rehydration therapy.
About Oral rehydration therapy:
• ORT is a type of fluid replacement used to prevent and treat dehydration, especially due to
diarrhea.
Karnataka Assembly Deputy Speaker Anand Mamani passes away
• Karnataka Assembly Deputy Speaker and three-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)Member of the
Legislative Assembly (MLA), Anand Mamani, passed away at the age of 56.
About Anand Mamani:
• He was the son of Chandrashekhar M Mamani, who also s e r ved as the d e p uty s peaker in the
1990s.
• He was the three-time MLA, who represented S a udatti l egislative a s sembly c o nstituency i n
Karnataka.
• In 2020, he was unanimously elected as the deputy speaker of the Karnataka legislative
assembly.
National Film Award Recipient Bengali Film Director Pinaki Chaudhuri Passes away
• National award recipient director of Bengali films, Pinaki Chaudhuri, has passed away at the age
of 82 in Kolkata, West Bengal.
About Pinaki Chaudhuri:
• Pinaki Chaudhuri was an Indian academic and film director.
• He had varied interests in arts and music and made his foray into the world of films in 1983 when
he directed ‘Chena Achena’ (Known and Unknown).
• He was the Chairman of the Jury Board for the selection of Indian films for the National Awards
His notable films:
• ‘Kakababu Here Gelen?’ (Kakababu defeated?)
• ‘Ek Tukro Chand' (A slice of the moon)
• ‘Arohan’ (Ascension).
Awards & Honors:
• He was awarded 2 National Awards for the Best Feature Film in Bengali, the first one in 1996 for
Shanghaath’ (Conflict) and again in 2007 for Ballygunge Court.
Red Bull Formula 1 owner Dietrich Mateschitz Passes away
• The co-founder of the energy drink company Red Bull and founder and owner of the Red Bull
Formula One racing team, Dietrich Mateschitz, has passed away at the age of 78.
About Dietrich Mateschitz:
• Mateschitz was born on 20 May 1944, in Styria, Nazi Germany (now in Austria).
• He was an Austrian billionaire businessman.
• He was co-founder of the Wings for Life foundation which supports spinal cord research together
with Heinz Kinigadner.
• He has also initiated the World Stunt Awards, an annual fundraiser to benefit his Taurus
Foundation.
• He founded Red Bull GmbH in 1984 and launched it in Austria in 1987.
Versatile Emmy-winning Actor Leslie Jordan Passes away
• Veteran actor, Leslie Allen Jordan has passed away at the age of 67.
About Leslie Allen Jordan:
• Leslie Jordan was an American actor, comedian, writer, and singer.
• His television roles included Lonnie Garr on Hearts Afire (1993–1995), and Beverley Leslie on Will
& Grace (2001–2006, 2017–2020).
• He played various roles in the “American Horror Story” series.
• In April 2021, he published his autobiography, How is Y'all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief
from a Life Well Lived.
Awards & Honors:
• He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Gu est A c tor in a C o m edy S eries, W ill &
Grace, in 2006.
French painter Pierre Soulages Passes away
• The French painter who came to fame with his works reflecting on the shades and forms of black,
Pierre Soulages passed away at the age of 102.
About Pierre Soulages:
• Soulages was born in 1919 in Rodez, Aveyron.
• He was a French painter, printmaker, and sculptor.
• He is known as "the painter of black," owing to his interest in the color "both as a color and a non-
color.
• He was known for his "beyond black" works that took the monochromatic painting to the next level.
• In 1955, he took part in the first documenta art fair in the central German city of Kassel.
• In 2014, François Hollande described him as the world's greatest living artist
• In December 2019, he was honored by the Louvre in Paris with a solo exhibition.
• He was only the third artist to have a solo show at the museum during his lifetime, joining Marc
Chagall and Pablo Picasso.
Popular Assamese actor Nipon Goswami passed away
• Veteran Assamese actor, Nipon Goswami passed away at the age of 80.
About Nipon Goswami:
• Goswami was born on 3 September 1942 at Kolibari in Tezpur, Assam.
• His father Chandradhar Goswami was also a famous actor and his mother Nirupama Go swami a
singer.
• He was an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.
• He made his acting debut as a child actor in the Assamese film 'Piyoli Phukan'.
• He started his film career as the lead actor in the Assamese movie Sangra.
• He debuted in the Assamese cinema as a child artist in 1957.
• His last Assamese film was 'Lankakanda', directed by Rajani Barman.
The world’s dirtiest man Amou Haji Passes away
• An Iranian loner, also popular as the "dirtiest man in the world" for not taking a shower for more
than half a century, Amou Haji passed away at the age of 94 in Iran.
About Amou Haji:
• He was known to his community as Amou Haji or Uncle Haji, an Iranian term of endearment for an
older person.
• He was afraid of water and had not bathed for over 60 years.
• Owing to his unique record, a short documentary titled 'The Strange Life of Amou Haji' was made
in 2013, describing his life.
• Following Haji’s death, the unofficial title of “world’s dirtiest man” would go to a 67-year-old Indian
man from western Maharashtra state who also had not bathed for more than 30 years.
Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule – September 2022
12. Important Schemes News 287
IMPORTANT DAYS
National Nutrition Week
• In India, National Nutrition Week is observed every year from September 1 to September 7 to
raise public awareness about nutrition and healthy eating habits.
• The week is observed to make people understand the importance of nutritional and adaptive
eating habits so that they can maintain a healthy lifestyle.
History:
• In 1975, the members of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), now called the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics, started National Nutrition Week in March.
• It was observed to raise public awareness about good nutrition and also to promote the
profession of dietitians.
• The initiative received such a warm response that the week-long celebration went on for a
month in 1980.
• In India, the history of National Nutrition Week dates back to 1982 when the government
launched a campaign 1982 to educate individuals about the importance of nutrition and urged
them to maintain a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
• The government of India launched 'POSHAN Abhiyan' in 2018 to educate people about health
and nutrition as they play a significant role in overall human development and social
infrastructure.
2nd September - World Coconut Day
• Every year on September 2, World Coconut Day is commemorated to raise awareness of the
value of this crop in eradicating poverty.
• This day also honors the Asian Pacific Coconut Community's founding day (APCC).
History
• This day was first celebrated in 2009 by the Asia Pacific Coconut Community.
• Since then, there has been no going back.
• Collaborating with UN-ESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for the Asia
Pacific), APCC goes on to highlight its versatility and how it plays an important role in keeping
us healthy.
• India also celebrates this day with great gusto.
• The Coconut Development Board promotes this in various states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka, Goa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, etc.
3rd September - Skyscraper Day:
• Every year, September 3 is observed as National Skyscraper Day 2022.
• Across the globe, skyscrapers have defined people's vivid imagination and creativity.
• A skyscraper is a tall habitable building with multiple floors.
• These high-rise buildings are around 100 meters or 150 meters in height.
HISTORY:
• National Skyscrapers Day is celebrated every year on September 3, on the birth anniversary of
Louis H. Sullivan, often called the 'father of modern skyscrapers.
• This name was coined in the 1880s for the high-rise buildings of the United States.
• Sullivan is known as the 'father of modern skyscrapers' as he was the chief architect behind
famous buildings such as the Wainwright Building, the Bayard-Condict Building, the Krause
Music Store, and more.
• As per guinnessworldrecords.com, the world's first skyscraper came up in Chicago in 1885.
• It's a 10-story building, with its peak at 138 feet.
• It was called the 'Home Insurance Building'.
International Day of Charity- September 5
• September 5th is recognized as the International Day of Charity.
• In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed it.
• Mother Teresa, who had always worked in charity, was remembered on September 5 to mark
her passing anniversary.
• For “work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a
threat to peace” Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
• The main goal of the Worldwide Day of Charity is to increase awareness and offer a common
platform for charity-related events for people, charitable, philanthropic, and volunteer groups to
use for their own goals on a local, national, regional, and international level.
Teachers' Day 2022- September 5
• Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's birthday, September 5, is commemorated each year in India
with Teachers' Day 2022.
• He was a Bharat Ratna winner, academic, and former president of India.
• When Dr. Radhakrishan took office as the second President of India in 1962, his students
approached him to seek permission to celebrate September 5 as a special day.
• Dr. Radhakrishnan instead requested them to observe September 5 as Teachers’ Day, to
recognize the contribution of teachers the society.
• Ever since then, September 5 is celebrated as Teacher’s Day across schools, colleges,
universities, and educational institutions. Students put on performances, and dances and host
elaborate shows for their most-loved teachers.
8 September - International Literacy Day
• International Literacy Day is an international observance, celebrated each year on 8
September, that was declared by UNESCO on 26 October 1966 at the 14th session of
UNESCO's General Conference.
• The day spread awareness about the importance of literacy for individuals, communities, and
societies and the need for intensified efforts toward more literate societies.
History:
• UNESCO designated September 8th as Worldwide Literacy Day in 1966 to remind the
international community of the value of literacy for people, communities, and societies, as well
as the necessity for further efforts toward a more literate society.
• For the first time, it was observed in 1967.
8 September - World Physical Therapy Day
• World Physical Therapy Day is celebrated every year on September 8
• Every year, World Physical Therapy Day 2021 is celebrated to raise awareness about the
important role of physiotherapists in keeping people fit and well.
• On this day, the contribution of physiotherapists in society and how they motivate people to
stay fit and independent is celebrated.
History:
• World Physical Therapy Day was founded on September 8 in 1996.
• It was designed to mark the solidarity of the global physiotherapy community in 1951.
• On this day, the work of physical therapists is acknowledged.
• It emphasizes advancing and promoting the profession and expertise.
World Suicide Prevention Day- 10 September
• World Suicide Prevention Day is an awareness day observed on 10 September every year, to
provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around
the world
Themes:
• The three-year theme for World Suicide Prevention Day from 2021 to 2023 is "Creating hope
through action."
• This theme attempts to instill hope and brightness in all of us by serving as a reminder that
there are alternatives to suicide.
History:
• The International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO)
created World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) in 2003.
• Since then, every year on September 10th, organizations, governments across the globe, and
the common people participate to increase awareness of the issue, decrease stigma, and give
a clear message that suicide can be avoided.
11 September - National Forest Martyrs Day
• National Forest Martyrs Day is marked on September 11.
• The day as the name suggests is observed to pay tributes to those who laid down their lives to
protect the jungles, forests, and wildlife across India.
HISTORY
• After the Ministry of Environment and Forest made the declaration, this day officially came into
existence and it was in the year 2013.
• The ministry selected this date (11 September) because, on this day in 1730, the Khejarli
massacre took place in the country.
• On the orders of the then king Maharaja Abhay Singh of Rajasthan, the soldiers started cutting
trees to provide wood for a new palace.
• During that time, a woman identified as Amrita Devi offered her head instead of the sacred
Khejarli tree.
• Angry over the act, people in that village rose in protest and offered their lives in place of trees.
• After beheading her, the soldiers went on to slaughter over 350 people including Amrita’s
children. On hearing this massacre, the shocked king instantly ordered his soldiers to spot
killing the people and apologized to those who belonged to the Bishnoi community.
• Along with his apology, King Maharaja Abhay Singh made a declaration stating that no cutting
of trees and killing of animals will take place in areas that are around the Bishnoi villages.
World First Aid Day
• World First Aid Day is celebrated every year on the second Saturday of September.
• This year, World First Aid Day falls on September 10.
• It is celebrated to raise public awareness of how First Aid can save thousands of lives in
everyday crises.
History
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) established
World First Aid Day in 2000.
• Henry Dunant, a young Geneva trader, endured terrible suffering and torment on June 24,
1859, during the battle of Solferino.
• Nevertheless, the man helped build temporary hospitals and acquired the equipment and
materials they required.
• His 1863 book- A Memory of Solferino served as the impetus for the creation of the
International Committee of the Red Cross
• According to the book, Dunant suggested establishing a separate group that would offer
prompt assistance to soldiers who were injured.
• He is regarded as a co-founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which
was established after his articles went viral.
Grandparents' Day- 11 September
• Grandparents' Day is celebrated each year on the first Sunday after Labour Day.
• This year it falls on September 11.
• To mark this day by remembering the contribution of our grandparents to our lives.
History:
• The story starts with a 9-year-old boy, Russell Capper, who sent a letter to President Richard
Nixon in 1969.
• The letter, reportedly, asked the president to set aside a day to celebrate the presence of
grandparents.
• In 1977, senators passed a joint resolution to the senate and requested the president to set
aside a National Grandparents' Day.
• Congress passed the resolution.
• In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation.
• The first National Grandparents' Day was celebrated on September 10, 1978.
Hindi Diwas- September 14
• Every year on September 14, Hindi Diwas or Hindi Day is celebrated to honor Hindi's use as an
official language in India.
• According to Article 343 of the Indian Constitution, the language was accepted.
History:
• It was observed for the first time on September 14, 1953.
• Later, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru said that the nation will observe this day as Hindi Diwas.
• There are 22 scheduled languages in India, although only Hindi and English are formally
utilized at the level of the Union government of India.
• The fourth most often spoken language worldwide is Hindi.
• As a result of the Constituent Assembly of India's adoption of Hindi written in Devanagari script
as the official language of the Republic of India on this day in 1949, Hindi Divas is observed on
September 14.
Engineer’s day in India- 15 September
• Every year 15th September is celebrated as National Engineer’s Day to mark the birth
anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya.
• Engineer’s Day is celebrated to pay tribute to Bharat Ratna Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya.
History
• In 1968, the Indian government declared Sir M Visvesvaraya's birth anniversary as Engineers'
Day.
• Since then, this day is celebrated to honor and acknowledge all engineers who have
contributed and still do so to build a modern and developed India.
International Day of Democracy- September 15
• The International Day of Democracy also known as World Democracy Day is observed every
year on 15 September.
• It is a day that highlights the importance of the participation of all members for the proper
functioning of a democracy.
• According to the United Nations (UN), the International Day of Democracy provides an
opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world.
History
• According to Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the International Day of Democracy was
established through a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in 2007.
• It further states that the first International Day of Democracy was observed by 46
national parliaments on 15 September 2008.
16 September - World Ozone Day
• World Ozone Day is observed on September 16 every year to spread awareness among
people about the depletion of the Ozone Layer and find possible solutions to preserve it.
• On this day, people from all over the world hold talks and seminars on the ozone layer.
• Educators teach students about the benefits of the Ozone layer and special events and
activities are organized to spread awareness.
World Ozone Day 2022 Theme
• "Montreal Protocol@35: global cooperation protecting life on earth" is the theme of World
Ozone Day 2022.
World Ozone Day History
• It was in 1994 when the UN General Assembly declared 16 September as the International
Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer OR World Ozone Day.
• As mentioned earlier, the date commemorates the signing of the 'Montreal Protocol on
Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer which was signed on 16 September 1987.
International Red Panda Day
• International Red Panda Day is celebrated every year on the third Saturday of September.
• This year, the day falls on 17 September.
• International Red Panda Day is commemorated to raise awareness about the red panda
conservation issues.
History:
• International Red Panda Day (IRPD) was launched by Red Panda Network (RPN) in 2010.
• More than 16 schools and zoos from around the world participated in its launch.
• Currently, more than 60 zoos take part in the celebration of International Red Panda Day.
• Many conservation organizations and schools also celebrate this day by conducting various
types of events like having informational presentations and seminars about the red panda.
World Bamboo Day- September 18
• Every year on September 18, World Bamboo Day is marked as a day of celebration to raise
global awareness of bamboo.
• Bamboo has been an everyday usage wood in areas where it grows naturally, but its use does
not seem to be sustainable owing to exploitation.
HISTORY:
• The World Bamboo Organization was formally recognized on September 18, 2009, during the
8th World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok. Delegates from almost 100 countries attended the
event and agreed to designate September 18 as World Bamboo Day, which was unanimously
supported by all attendees.
• In addition, the day is also marked as the Royal Thai Forestry Day.
• In 2009 on this day, the Deputy Governor of Bangkok as a representative of the Royal Thai
Government, Ms. Susanne Lucus, Executive Director of WBO, and Mr. Kamesh Salam,
President of WBO, along with others named the day World Bamboo Day.
21 September- Alzheimer’s Day
• Every year on September 21, people all across the world mark World Alzheimer's Day.
• The purpose of the day is to increase public awareness of the stigma associated with
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
• To commemorate our tenth anniversary, World Alzheimer's Day was established at the start of
ADI's annual conference in Edinburgh on September 21, 1994.
• Alzheimer's is a progressive illness, meaning that over many years, the symptoms of dementia
gradually get worse.
• Alzheimer's disease causes modest memory loss in its early stages, but by the disease's latter
stages, people are unable to converse or react to their surroundings.
• This illness is a degenerative brain disorder that impairs memory and makes thinking
coherently challenging or practically impossible.
International Day of Peace- September 21
• The International Day of Peace, also officially known as World Peace Day, is a United Nations-
observed annually on 21 September.
• this year 2022 the slogan is: "End Racism, Build Peace".
• The United General Assembly declared September 21, as World Peace Day, in 1981.
• The date initially chosen was the regular opening day of the annual sessions of the General
Assembly.
• The day aims to promote and maintain peace among all people and 24 hours of global
ceasefire and non-violence for groups in active combat.
22 September- World Rose Day
• World Rose Day is annually celebrated on September 22 in dedication to the welfare of cancer
patients.
• On this day, people around the world work towards bringing cheer and hope into the lives of all
those people who have been affected by cancer.
• More importantly, it seeks to remind patients and their caregivers, that they are not alone in this
battle against the deadly disease.
History:
• World Rose Day for cancer patients is observed in honor of Melinda Rose, a Canadian girl,
who was diagnosed with Askin's Tumour, a rare blood cancer when she was just 12 years old.
• Doctors said that she only has a few more weeks to live, but because of her undying spirit and
hope, she went on to live for six months.
• She spent this time cheering up other cancer patients by sharing poems, letters, verses, e-
mails, etc, with them.
• Her kindness and hope in such difficult times of her life worked as an inspiration for World Rose
Day.
23 September-International Day of Sign Languages
• The International Day of Sign Languages is observed on September 23 every year.
• It is a unique opportunity to support and protect the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all
deaf people and other sign language users.
History
• The first International Day of Sign Language was observed across the world on September 23,
2018, with the theme “With Sign Language, Everyone is Included!”
• The day was celebrated as part of the International Week of the Deaf, which will take place on
24-30 September.
• The International Week of the Deaf was first celebrated in September 1958 and has since
evolved into a global movement of deaf unity
• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has proclaimed 23 September as the
International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) intending to raise awareness of the significance of
sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.
25 September-World Pharmacists Day
• Every year on September 25, World Pharmacist Day is observed.
• This yearly remembrance aims to recognize the work of pharmacists in promoting world health.
• It is also intended to stimulate and support global healthcare initiatives.
Themes:
• “Pharmacy united in action for a healthier world” is the theme of World Pharmacists Day on 25
September 2022.
History:
• Every year on September 25, the world celebrates World Pharmacist Day.
• On this day in 2009, the World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences saw the
official opening of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Council.
• On the same day in 1912 when the FIP was founded, World Pharmacist Day is observed.
• By commemorating this day, the FIP hopes to raise awareness of the importance pharmacists
play in advancing global healthcare.
25 September- World River Day
• World Rivers Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of September every year
• This year it falls on September 25, to increase public awareness about rivers and to encourage
their conservation.
• The day celebrates Earth's waterways, in which over 60 countries participate every year.
History of World Rivers Day:
• In 2005, Mark Angelo, an internationally-celebrated river conservationist, approached the
United Nations during its Water for Life campaign — a decade-long initiative to raise
awareness about threatened water resources across the planet.
• Angelo advocated for an annual World Rivers Day to help anchor the campaign.
• World Rivers Day was seen by agencies of the United Nations as a good bet for the aims of the
World for Life decade and other proposals.
• The first World Rivers Day was celebrated in over a dozen countries.
• Now, the annual event is marked by celebrations in more than 60 countries and the
participation of millions of people.
25 September- Antyodaya Diwas
• Antyodaya Diwas is observed on September 25th each year in India.
• It commemorates the birth anniversary of Indian leader Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and is
held to remember his life and legacy.
• He was one of the most famous figures in Indian political history.
• This year's Antyodaya Diwas commemorates Upadhyaya's 105th birthday.
• He was a Bharatiya Janata Sangh (BJS) co-founder and a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS) theorist.
• Pandit Deendayal Upadhya was born on September 25, 1916, in the village of Chandrabhan
near the town of Fareh in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
• He grew up in a Brahmin family.
26 September-World Contraception Day
• World Contraception Day 2022 is held on September 26 to raise awareness about various
contraceptive techniques and to empower young people to make educated decisions about
their sexual and reproductive health.
History:
• It was established on September 26, 2007, by ten international family planning organizations to
raise awareness about contraception and to assist couples in making educated decisions about
starting a family, so that every pregnancy is desired.
26 September- World Environmental Health Day
• September 26 is observed annually as World Environmental Health Day across the globe.
• It was established that year by the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH), a
body of 44 member states, to raise awareness regarding the health of our environment.
Themes:
• World Environmental Health Day theme 2022 is “Strengthening Environmental Health Systems
for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals”
History:
• The International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) recognized September 26 as
World Environmental Health Day in 2011.
• On this day in 2011, the Federation established the day during a meeting in Indonesia.
26 September- World Day of the Deaf
• World Deaf Day is celebrated every year on the last Sunday of September.
• This year World Deaf Day was celebrated on the 26th of September.
• The last week of September is celebrated as the International Week of the Deaf by the World
Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and its national associations all over the world.
History
• The World Federation of the Deaf initiates World Deaf Day in the year of 1958.
• This day falls on the last Sunday of September.
• The first World Conference of the World Federation of the Deaf took place in Rome, Italy in
1951.
• The last week of September is observed as the International Week of the Deaf and
International Day of Sign Language.
• In 1959, the United Nations and World Health Organization recognized the World Federation of
the Deaf.
• In 2018, International Sign Language is recognized during the last week in September along
with World Day of the Deaf.
World Tourism Day: September 27
• World Tourism Day is celebrated on the 27th of September every year.
• World Tourism Day is celebrated to pay tribute to the tourism industry and encourage people to
travel and honor those who were working in the tourism sector.
Theme 2022:
• This year the host country is Indonesia and the World Tourism Day Theme 2022 is “Rethinking
Tourism”.
History
• The United Nations World Tourism Organization celebrated World Tourism Day as an
International Observance on 27th September 1980.
• The statutes of the United Nations World Tourism Organization were adopted in the year 1970
on 27th September.
• So, this date is chosen as World Tourism Day.
• At its Twelfth Session in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1997, the United Nations World Tourism
Organization General Assembly decided to select a country as a host each year to act as the
Organization’s partner in the celebration of World Tourism Day.
• The late Ignatius Amaduwa Atigbi, a Nigerian was the one who proposed the idea of making
27th September a World Tourism Day.
• The color of World Tourism is Blue.
World Rabies Day 2022: September 28
• World Rabies Day is celebrated on 28th September of every year.
• Rabies is a deadly virus that spreads to people from the saliva of infected animals.
• World Rabies Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the deadly disease and educate
people on how to fight against this disease.
Theme:
• World Rabies Day 2022 Theme is “Rabies: One Health, Zero Deaths”.
History
• The Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) established World Rabies Day in 2007.
• This day was recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• They choose the date 28th September to observe World Rabies Day to remember the French
Scientist Louis Pasteur.
• In 1895, the French Scientist Louis Pasteur passed away on this day (28th September) created
the vaccination for rabies
International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste: September 29
• The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is observed on 29th September of
every year.
• International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is observed to raise awareness about
food loss and food waste.
History
• In 1945, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations was established.
• In 2019, the United Nations General Assembly declared the 29th of September as the
International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste.
• Andorra and San Marino played an important role in the proposal of the International Day of
Awareness of Food Loss and Waste.
• This day is observed to raise awareness about food wastage and food loss.
• This day also recognizes the fundamental role of sustainable food in food production security
and nutrition.
World Heart Day: September 29
• Every year World Heart Day is celebrated on 29th September.
• The main objective of World Heart Day is to inform people about cardiovascular disease (CVD)
including heart disease and stroke.
• Every year around 18.6 million people die all over the world due to heart disease, stroke, and
CVD.
Theme:
• World Heart Day Theme 2022 is “Cardiovascular Health for Everyone”.
History:
• In 1999, The World Heart Federation (WFH) along with the World Health Organization (WHO)
established World Heart Day.
• The idea to celebrate World Heart Day was proposed by Antoni Bayes de Luna, who was the
president of WFH from 1997 to 1999.
• The first celebration of this day took place on 24th September 2000.
• Until 2011, World Heart Day was celebrated on the last Sunday of September.
• In 2012, the leaders in the world committed to reducing the worldwide mortality from non-
communicable diseases by 25 percent by 2025.
World Maritime Day 2022:
• World Maritime Day is celebrated on the last Thursday of September of every year.
• This year 2022 World Maritime Day falls on the 29th of September.
• World Maritime Day is celebrated to spread the importance of shipping safety, the Maritime
environment, and its security.
Theme:
• World Maritime Day theme 2022 is “New technologies for greener shipping.”
History:
• The International Maritime Organization (IMO) established World Maritime Day.
• The International Maritime Organization (IMO) started in the year of 1948.
• It came into force on March 17, 1958.
• After twenty years of the IMO came into action, World Maritime Day was first celebrated in March
of 1978 and eventually, it moved to the end of September.
• With the slogan, “Safe, Secure, and efficient shipping on clean oceans”, the IMO members strive
to take care of the safety and natural resources in the Maritime Industry.
International Translation Day- 30 September
• International Translation Day is observed on September 30 every year across the globe to raise
awareness about language professionals and bring awareness about languages.
• International Translation Day 2022 also aims to pay tribute to the work of language
professionals.
Themes:
• The theme of International Translation Day is ‘A World Without Barriers.
History
• September 30, according to the UN, celebrates the feast of St. Jerome, the Bible translator, who
is considered the patron saint of translators.
• St. Jerome, United Nations add, was a priest from North-eastern Italy, who is known mostly for
his endeavor of translating most of the Bible into Latin from the Greek manuscripts of the New
Testament.
• He also translated parts of the Hebrew Gospel into Greek.
• He learned Latin in school and was fluent in Greek and Hebrew, which he picked up from his
studies and travels. Jerome died near Bethlehem on September 30, 420, the UN added.
• On May 24, 2017, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on the role of language
professionals in connecting nations and fostering peace, understanding, and development, and
declared September 30 as International Translation Day.
SEBI overhauls preferential allotment rules for REITs, InvITs
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) overhauled the pricing norms for
preferential allotment of units by Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure
Investment Trusts (InvITs).
Key Highlights:
• Under the new framework, the pricing formula for allotment of units under preferential issue
would be the Volume-Weighted Average Price (VWAP) of weekly highs and lows for 90 trading
days or 10 trading days, whichever is higher.

• Now, the pricing formula in a preferential allotment is the VWAP of the last two weeks or the
last 26 weeks, whichever is higher.
• The preferential issue of units to "institutional investors" not exceeding five will have to be
made at a price not less than the 10 trading days' VWAP of the related units quoted on a stock
exchange preceding the relevant date.
• The preferential issue of units would not be made to any person who has sold or transferred
any units of the issuer during the 90 trading days preceding the relevant date.
• At the present, the limit is six months.
• Also, SEBI has defined frequently traded units as the units of REIT or InvIT.
• Those are units in which the traded turnover on a stock exchange during the 240 trading days
preceding the relevant date is at least 10% of the total number of issued and outstanding units.
• Post allotment, the REIT or InvIT concerned would have to make an application for listing of the
units and the same would be listed within 2 working days from the date of allotment & currently,
the period is 7 days.
• In November 2019, the SEBI came out with guidelines for preferential issues as well as
institutional placement of units by REITs and InvITs.
• REIT comprises a portfolio of commercial real assets, a major portion of which is already
leased out, InvITs comprise a portfolio of infrastructure assets such as highways, and power
transmission assets.
About SEBI:
NABARD allocates Rs 230 crore for rural infra projects in Mizoram
• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has approved an
allocation of Rs 230 crore for rural infrastructure projects in Mizoram under the Rural
Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) XXVIII.
• NABARD started functioning in Mizoram as a sub-office in 1989 which was upgraded to a full-
fledged Regional Office in 1992.
• Since the inception of the RIDF in 1995-96, NABARD has sanctioned aggregate loans
amounting to Rs 1744.51 crore involving 677 projects for critical rural infrastructure like rural
roads, bridges, drinking water, health infrastructure, etc of which Rs 1071.81 crore has been
disbursed so far.
About NABARD:
• Chairman: Dr. G.R. Chintala
About Mizoram:
• Governor: Kambhampati Hari Babu
• Chief Minister: Zoramthanga
• Capital: Aizawl
SBI net profit drops 7% to Rs 6,068 cr in Q1
• India’s biggest lender State Bank of India (SBI) reported a 7% decline in standalone net profit
at Rs 6,068 crore for the first quarter of the current financial year due to a fall in income.
• SBI had reported a net profit of Rs 6,504 crore in the April-June quarter of 2021-22.
Key Highlights:
• SBI’s standalone total income fell to Rs 74,998.57 crore for the quarter that ended June 30,
2022, as compared to Rs 77,347.17 crore recorded in the corresponding quarter of the last
year.
• The operating profit of the bank slipped by 33% to Rs 12,753 crore from Rs 18,975 crore in the
April-June quarter of the previous fiscal, impacted by Mark to Market (MTM) losses on its
investment book.
• SBI’s Return on Asset and Return on Equity, which was 0.48% and 10.09%, respectively, were
negatively impacted by the MTM hit.
• However, the interest income of the SBI moved up to Rs 72,676 crore as against Rs 65,564
crore earlier.
• Also, net interest income increased to Rs 31,196 crore from Rs 27,638 crore in the first quarter
of the previous fiscal.
• Net interest margin rose to 3.23% as against 3.15%.
• SBI’s gross non-performing assets (NPA) ratio improved to 3.91% from 5.32% at June-end of
2021.
• Similarly, net NPAs declined to 1.02% in June 2022 from 1.7% in June 2021.
• The provisions for bad loans declined to Rs 4,268 crore from Rs 5,030 in the same period a
year ago.
About SBI:
Forex Reserve At 2-Year Low To $564 billion:
• The most recent information provided by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shows that the
nation's foreign exchange reserves decreased by $6.69 billion to $564 billion.
• Since October 2020, the reserves have fallen to their lowest point.
• The foreign exchange reserves decreased by over $9 billion during the past two weeks.
• The loss was primarily caused by a decline in foreign currency assets, by $5.8 billion, followed
by a decline in gold reserves, by $704 million, according to figures issued by the RBI.
Maharashtra govt to take Rs 4000 cr loan from ADB to set up medical colleges in 12 districts
• The Maharashtra government would take a loan of 4,000 crore rupees from the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) for setting up medical colleges in 12 districts of Maharashtra.
• There are 12 districts in the state without a single medical college.
• The 12 districts are Jalgaon, Satara, Alibaug, Sindhudurg, Usmanabad, Parbhani, Amravati,
Ratnagiri, Gadhchiroli, Bhandara, Ambernath & Nashik Super Speciality hospital.
• The state government will soon complete the technical procedures to receive the funds.
• He directed that the medical education department should prepare a plan to set up a medical
college and hospital in every district in the next two years.

About Maharashtra:
• Chief Minister: Eknath Shinde
• Capital: Mumbai
About ADB:
• Headquarters: Manila, Philippines
• President: Masatsugu Asakawa
RBI imposes a penalty on 8 cooperative banks
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed monetary penalties on eight cooperative banks
for different violations, including non-adherence to exposure norms, income recognition, asset
classification, and KYC norms.
List of 8 Banks:
1. Visakhapatnam Co-operative Bank Ltd, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh - ₹55 lakh (Highest
Penalty)
2. Bharat Heavy Electricals Employees’ Co-operative Bank Ltd., Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu - ₹10
lakh
3. Darussalam Co-operative Urban Bank, Hyderabad, Telangana - Rs 10 lakh
4. Nellore Co-operative Urban Bank Limited, Gandhi Nagar, Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh - Rs
10 lakh
5. Kakinada Co-operative Town Bank Ltd, Kakinada, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh - -
Rs 10 lakh
6. Ottapalam Co-operative Urban Bank Ltd, Ottapalam, Palakkad District, Kerala - Rs 5 lakh
7. National Urban Co-operative Bank Limited, Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh - Rs 5 lakh
8. Kendrapara Urban Cooperative Bank, Kendrapara, Odisha - Rs 1 lakh
About RBI:

Shankar
IndiGo joins the WEF's sustainability initiative "Clear Skies for Tomorrow":
• Clear Skies for Tomorrow: IndiGo, the country's largest airline, announced that it has joined an
environmentally friendly initiative run by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
• The IndiGo airline has signed on as a signatory to the Clear Skies for Tomorrow, India Coalition
effort.
• The commitment of IndiGo to implementing sustainable measures would assist SAF
(Sustainable Aviation Fuel) reach a critical mass and becoming cost-effective for widespread
use in India.
• From Toulouse, France, to New Delhi, IndiGo flew its brand-new A320 neo aircraft using a 10%
SAF mix.
• The industry has a real and proactive road to achieving carbon-neutral flying because of "Clean
Skies for Tomorrow," which was introduced in January 2019.
Reliance Industries to build the world’s largest carbon fiber plant:
• Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, revealed plans to build one of the
biggest carbon fiber mills in the world in Hazira, Gujarat.

• Based on feedstock Acrylonitrile, the plants will have a capacity of 20,000 MTPA.
• Ambani Ambani announced an overall investment of Rs 75,000 crore over the next five years in
the Oil to Chemical segment (O2C) to increase capabilities in both existing and new value
chains.
• These value chains are the Polyester, Vinyl, and New Materials chains.
• The plant's initial phase will be finished in 2025.
• To create carbon fiber composites, the company will further combine its composites business
with carbon fiber.
• In addition to its many other uses, carbon fiber composites are employed to address the
constantly expanding lightweight demands of the mobility and renewable energy industries.
• Ambani emphasized that Carbon Fibre so promises to be a multi-decade growth engine for
O2C.
• Reliance has started on its path to becoming net carbon neutral by 2035 with several practical
steps.
About Reliance Industries Limited (RIL):
• Founder: Dhirubhai Ambani
• CMD: Mukesh Ambani
• Director: Nita Ambani
Muthoot FinCorp ties up with IME India for money transfer service to Nepal
• Muthoot FinCorp Ltd, the flagship company of Muthoot Pappachan Group (also known as
Muthoot Blue), has tied up with IME India Pvt Ltd (Erstwhile IME Forex India Private Limited) to
expand its money remittance services between Indo Nepal Corridor.
• Muthoot FinCorp has been assisting the Nepali community in India in remitting money through
their existing partner – Prabhu Money Transfer Pvt Ltd.
Key Highlights:
• Nepali migrants can now transfer money instantly from 3600+ branches of Muthoot FinCorp Ltd
to their families in Nepal without opening any bank account in India.
Banking partners:
• IDFC First Bank, India, and Global IME Bank Ltd., Nepal are the banking partners to facilitate
Indo-Nepal remittance service.
• It is estimated that about 15% of the total remittance received by Nepal is from India.
• IME India has been in the Indo-Nepal remittance business since 2020 and reaching out to the
Nepalese migrant population spread across India.
• This facility is expected to benefit 5 million Nepalese migrants.
About Muthoot FinCorp Ltd:

• Founded: 1887
• Headquarters: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
• CEO: Shaji Varghese
• Chairman & Managing Director: Thomas John Muthoot
About IME India Pvt Ltd:
• CEO: Goutam Naithani
In September GST rises 28 pc in August to Rs 1,43,612 crore:
• GST mop-up rises 28 pc in Aug to Rs 1.43 lakh cr Collections from Goods and Services Tax
(GST) rose 28 percent to Rs 1.43 lakh crore in August, the Finance Ministry.
• GST collection has remained over the Rs 1.4-lakh-crore mark for the sixth straight month in
August.
• Better reporting coupled with economic recovery has been having a positive impact on the GST
revenues consistently
• The gross GST revenue collected in August 2022 stood at Rs 1,43,612 crore of which Central
GST is Rs 24,710 crore, State GST is Rs 30,951 crore, Integrated GST is Rs 77,782 crore
(including Rs 42,067 crore collected on import of goods), and cess is Rs 10,168 crore
(including Rs 1,018 crore collected on import of goods), the ministry said.
• The revenues for August 2022, registered a 28 percent increase from the GST revenues of Rs
1,12,020 crore collected in August 2021.
SBI Card Launches First-Of-Its-Kind 'CASHBACK SBI Card'
• India's largest pure-play credit card issuer, SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd (SBI Card) has
launched the ‘Cashback SBI Card’, which is the first-of-its-kind comprehensive cashback credit
card in India.
• Consumers across India, including tier 2 and 3 cities, can easily get CASHBACK SBI Cards
instantly through the digital application platform ‘SBI Card SPRINT’.
• The card offers a simple, seamless, and completely digital joining experience.
About ‘Cashback SBI Card’:
• The Cashback SBI Card customers will earn unlimited 1% cashback on all spends and the
cashback will increase to 5% on all online spends, up to a maximum of Rs 10,000 for each
monthly statement cycle.
• The card has an automatic cashback credit feature which allows automatic credit of the
authorized cashback to the account within two days of statement production
• It is free for the first year till March 2023.
• The annual renewal fee of the card is Rs 999 plus applicable taxes.
• The cardholders will also get four complimentary domestic airport lounge visits each year (one
visit per quarter).
About SBI Card:
• MD & CEO: Rama Mohan Rao Amara
BoB Financial & Snapdeal Launch Co-Branded JCB RuPay Contactless Credit Card
• BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL) & Snapdeal in partnership with National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI) and JCB International Co. Ltd (JCB) have launched the Snapdeal
BoB JCB RuPay Credit Card.
About Snapdeal BoB JCB RuPay Credit Card:
• Users of the co-branded credit card will receive up to 5% unlimited cashback (accrued as 20
reward points on every INR 100 spent) on the Snapdeal app and website.
• Activation of the card within 30 days of issuance will entitle the cardholder to shopping benefits
on Snapdeal worth up to INR 500
• The card also offers 10 Reward points per INR 100 spent on online, grocery, and departmental
store spending.
• For purchases in all other categories, customers will get 4 reward points for every INR 100
spent.
• The cardholders will also enjoy free Add-On cards for family members, a waiver of a 1% fuel
surcharge, easy EMI options (pre and post-purchase), and periodic offers across merchants.
• The card will also be usable at international merchants and ATMs through the extensive JCB
global network.
Note:
• JCB global network is the only international payment brand based in Japan.
About BFSL:
• Founded: 1994
• MD & CEO: Mr. Shailendra Singh
• It is a non-banking Financial Company, the wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda (BoB).
SBI trims GDP growth forecast to 6.8% for FY23
• The State Bank of India (SBI) chief economist Mr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh has revised down
India's full-year GDP growth forecast to 6.8 for the financial year FY23.
• Earlier, the growth forecast was 7.5%.
Key Highlights:
• For Q1FY23, the economist had forecasted GDP growth at 15.7%.
• In the remaining quarters, Ghosh expects GDP growth to be at 6.9% in Q2FY23, further
dropping to 4.1% in Q3 followed by a 4% rate in Q4.
• The SBI chief economist highlighted that at 13.5% real GDP growth has contracted by 9.6%
sequentially, but the seasonally adjusted real GDP growth series shows a pick-up in economic
momentum, with higher growth at 5.6% sequentially in Q1 compared to -4.1% in Q1FY22 and
1.9% in Q4FY22.
• During the first quarter of FY23, the manufacturing sector recorded a growth of 4.8% sharply
down from 49% in Q1FY22.
• The growth rate in construction stood at 16.8%, a steep drop from 71.3% in Q1FY22.
• Also, mining and quarrying growth declined to 6.5% from 18% in Q1 of FY22.
Recent News:
• The National Statistical Office (NSO), released the data for the April-June quarter (Q1) of 2022-
23, where the economy showed a growth of 13.5% lower than 20.1% in Q1 of FY22.
About SBI:
Induslnd Bank Partners With Asian Development Bank To Promote Supply Chain Finance Solutions
in India
• IndusInd Bank announced a strategic partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for
a partial guarantee program with an initial outlay of USD 70 million (Rs 560.0 crore).
Aim:
• To support and promote Supply Chain Finance (SCF) solutions in India.
• To grow its Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) financing & strengthen its strategies
for the MSME sector.
• The bank has initiated a host of strategic efforts including the launch of new product structures
for SCF.
Recent News:
• Recently, IndusInd Bank launched a state-of-the-art digital portal for SCF – ‘early credit’
enabling 24*7 seamless processing of SCF transactions for corporates, suppliers & dealers.
About Induslnd Bank:
• MD & CEO: Sumant Kathpalia
About ADB:
SEBI Restructures Panel on Cyber Security; Expands To 6 Members
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has restructured its high-level panel on
cyber security that suggests measures to safeguard the capital markets from cyber attacks.
• The committee, which now has six members, will be chaired by Mr. Navin Kumar Singh,
Director General at National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Center (NCIIPC).
• Earlier, the committee had only four members.
Other Members:
• Sanjay Bahl Director General at Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)
• H Krishnamurthy, who was a chief research scientist at IISC Bangalore.
• Sandeep Shukla and Debdeep Mukhopadhyay -who are professors at the Department of
Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Kanpur and IIT Kharagpur, respectively,
• Sugata Gangopadhyay head of the department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT
Roorkee
About the Committee:
• The committee would provide recommendations for the strengthening of processes to audit
cyber security and cyber resilience setups in the Indian securities market.
• It will engage in continuous dialogues with relevant external agencies, such as CERT-In,
National Cyber Coordination Center (NCSC), Department of Telecommunications (DoT),
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), & leading academic institutions and
organizations, among others, to further strengthen cyber security and cyber resilience.
• It has been entrusted with the task of overseeing and providing overall guidance on cyber
security initiatives for Sebi as well as for the entire capital market.
• In May 2017, the capital markets regulator set up the panel, which was headed by the whole-
time member Mr. Madhabi Puri Buch, currently the chairperson of Sebi.
About SEBI:
RBI launches pilot project to digitize Kisan Credit Card in MP, Tamil Nadu
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched the pilot project for end-to-end digitalization of
lending via Kisan Credit Cards (KCC).
Aim:
• To transform the rural credit delivery system.
• It is developed by the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) in association with the Rural Bank
of India (RBI).
• The pilot will commence in September 2022 in select districts of Madhya Pradesh and Tamil
Nadu with Union Bank of India and Federal Bank, respectively.
• The project is being launched as a part of the initiative for the digitalization of Rural Finance in
India.
Key Highlights:
• The pilot project would entail the automation of various processes within banks and the
integration of their systems with the service providers.
• The proposed digitalization of the KCC lending process will make it more efficient, reduce costs
for borrowers and reduce turnaround time (TAT) significantly.
• The TAT from loan application to disbursement has also been rather high, ranging from 2 to 4
weeks.
• At present, the process for getting such finance requires customers to visit a bank branch in-
person along with proof of land ownership and other documents.
About KCC:
• The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme is a credit scheme introduced in August 1998.
• It was prepared by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on the
recommendations of the R. V. Gupta Committee
About RBI:
Shankar
India's exports contracted by 1.15 percent to USD 33 billion in August:
• India's exports contracted by 1.15 percent to USD 33 billion in August, for the first time in over
20 months, while the trade deficit more than doubled to USD 28.68 billion due to increased
crude oil imports.
• According to the preliminary data released by the commerce ministry, imports rose by 37
percent to USD 61.68 billion in August this year.
• The trade deficit in August 2021 stood at USD 11.71 billion.
• During April-August 2022-23, exports registered a growth of 17.12 percent to USD 192.59
billion.
• Imports during the five months of this fiscal grew by 45.64 percent to USD 317.81 billion.
• The trade deficit widened to USD 125.22 billion in April-August this fiscal as against USD 53.78
billion in the same period last year.
NPPA Launched Apps for Enhancing Ease of Business:
• During the celebration of the silver jubilee on August 29, 2022, the National Pharmaceutical
Pricing Authority (NPPA) unveiled the Pharma Sahi Daam 2.0 app and Pharmaceutical
Database Management System 2.0.
• The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has always offered high-quality goods.
• During the opening ceremony, the Pharma Sahi Daam 2.0 app and Pharmaceutical Database
Management System 2.0 were released.
• The Integrated Pharmaceutical Database Management System 2.0 (IPDMS) is a cloud-based
application that is developed by NPPA with the technical support of the Centre for Advance
Computing (C-DAC).
RBI issues new guidelines on digital lending to protect borrowers
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued official guidelines to all lenders/ Regulated Entities
(RE), including banks in a move to protect the borrowers from unscrupulous lending practices.
• These new guidelines will apply only to existing customers taking fresh loans, and to new
customers getting onboarded from Sep 2, 2022.
• The registered entities have to comply with the digital lending guidelines by November 30,
2022.
• The guidelines issued by the RBI cover the following regulated entities: all commercial banks,
urban co-operative banks, state co-operative banks, district central co-operative banks; and
non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), including housing finance companies (HFCs).

About RBI:
Shankar
RBI partially devolves 7-year paper on PDs
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) partially devolved the 7-year Government Security (GS) on
primary dealers (PDs) to maintain the normal 5-6 basis points spread between this paper and
the 10-year paper.

Key Highlights:
• At the auction, while the 7.10% GS 2029 partially devolved on the underwriters, the remaining
three papers (6.69% GS 2024; 7.26% GS 2032; & 6.95% GS 2061) sailed through, with the
government raising the overall notified amount of ₹33,000 crore
• The RBI devolved about 36% of the notified amount of ₹7,000 crores, which the government
wanted to raise via the 7-year paper.
• The cut-off yield of the 7-year paper and the 10-year paper came in at 7.1632% & 7.2195%
respectively, with the spread between the two papers being maintained at about 6 bps.
28th Edition of Status Report on India’s External Debt 2021-22 Released:
• The 28th edition of the Status Report on India's External Debt for the years 2021–2022 has
been published by the External Debt Management Unit (EDMU) under the Department of
Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.
• At US$ 620.7 billion as of the end of March 2022, India's external debt increased by 8.2% from
US$ 573.7 billion as of the end of March 2021.
• The second greatest portion of it, estimated at 31.2%, was owed in Indian rupees, while 53.2%
of it was in US dollars.
• As of the end of March 2022, the external debt to GDP ratio decreased slightly from 21.2 to
19.9 percent.
• As of the end of March 2022, the ratio of foreign currency reserves to external debt was 97.8
percent, down from 100.6 percent a year earlier.
Bank of India becomes 1st Public Sector Bank to go live on new Direct Tax Collection System Tin 2.0
• Bank of India (BOI) has become the first public sector bank (PSB) to go live on Income Tax
Department’s new Direct Tax Collection System Tin 2.0.
• Tax Information Network, TIN 2.0 (e-filing) is the official portal of the Income Tax Department,
Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government of India (GoI).
About Tax Information Network, TIN 2.0 (e-filing):
• The portal has been developed by the Income Tax Department as a Mission Mode Project
under the National E-Governance Plan.
Objective:
• To provide the taxpayers with single window access to income tax-related services including
tax payments.
• With this, taxpayers will now get a single platform for their tax payments as well as e-filing of
tax returns.
• The process is simple and fast, making it easier for taxpayers to make the payments at their
convenience in just a few clicks.
Recent News:
• In July 2022, BOI became the first bank to launch a Unified Payment Interface (UPI) enabled
digital platform for the onboarding of the National Pension System (NPS) in collaboration with
K-fintech.
• The digital journey starts with the scanning of the QR code, Aadhar verification through
Digilocker, and payment through UPI.
About BOI:
• MD & CEO: Atanu Kumar Das
IDFC FIRST Bank joins the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)
• Private sector lender IDFC First Bank has become a participant of the Open Network for Digital
Commerce (ONDC), an initiative of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), to enable
early adoption of the network among its customers.
Key Highlights:
• The Bank has enabled a platform for buyers which will help them discover sellers in the ONDC
Network.
• The Bank has started onboarding small merchants, who are its current account customers,
onto a partner app registered with ONDC.
• The app helps small merchants carry out transactions over ONDC’s electronic network and
step up their digital footprint.
About ONDC:
• The Indian government launched ONDC as an alternative to dominant global giants Amazon
and Flipkart in April 2022
• ONDC, a section 8 company, has been set up to democratize e-commerce and will transition e-
commerce from a platform-centric model to an open network model, similar to the Unified
Payments Interface (UPI) for payments.
About IDFC FIRST Bank:
• MD & CEO: V. Vaidyanathan
• IDFC FIRST Bank was formed by the merger of erstwhile IDFC Bank, and the leading
technology Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), Capital First.
Reliance General Insurance & Policybazaar launches Reliance Health Gain Policy
• One of India’s leading General Insurance companies, Reliance General Insurance, has
launched one of its most flexible and popular products – Reliance Health Gain Policy – on
Policybazaar’s online platform.
• The Policy Launched in May 2022.
• The policy gives its customers the freedom to choose and personalize their health policies as
per their requirements.
• The non-life insurance penetration in India is about 1% of GDP which is quite low in
comparison to the global average of 4.1%.
About the Reliance Health Gain Policy:
• The Policy is one of the most flexible and customizable health insurance policies in the
industry.
• It is available in three different plans – Plus, Power, and Prime – and has an array of features to
facilitate the customization of policy for each customer.

• The policy comes loaded with 38 industry-leading features like
• Double Cover that provides twice the amount of sum insured to be used during the same claim
• Unlimited reinstatement to restore the base sum insured amount as many times as it gets
exhausted during a policy year
• Guaranteed Cumulative Bonus, which protects against loss of cumulative bonus post claim
• The benefit is to reduce Pre-Existing disease waiting period from 3 years to 2 or even 1 year.
About Reliance General Insurance:
• CEO: Mr. Rakesh Jain
ESAF SFB launches 'rainbow account' for the transgender community
• ESAF Small Finance Bank Ltd (ESAF SFB) has launched a 'Rainbow Savings Account'
exclusively for the transgender community offering a host of features, including high savings
rates and advanced debit card facilities.
• Many transgenders from different parts of Kerala participated in the launch of Rainbow Savings
Account's logo event, which was organized in association with the Navodaya Movement.
About Rainbow Savings Account:
• The Rainbow Savings Account is an effort to promote a trans-friendly or inclusive labor culture.
• The account provides a default credit of interest.
• In 2015, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directed banks to add a distinct column labeled "third
gender" to all of their applications and forms.
About ESAF SFB:
• Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala
• Chairperson: P. R. Ravi Mohan
• MD & CEO: Kadambelil Paul Thomas
• Tagline: Joy of Banking
Digital Rupee to Reduce Time, and Cost in Cross-Border Business:
• According to Reserve Bank Deputy Governor T. Rabi Sankar, the central bank digital
currency (CBDC), which is set to be introduced this year, might be used to speed up and
lower the cost of international transactions.
• According to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget announcement, the RBI has
recommended beginning operations on a trial basis this year.
• The finance minister had stated that the RBI would launch a digital equivalent to the rupee
in the current fiscal year in the Union Budget for 2022–2023.
• CBDC is a digital or virtual currency but differs from private cryptocurrency in that it is
backed and issued by a sovereign state.
• Private virtual currencies don't represent any person's debt or liabilities as there is no
issuer.
• India's own CBDC was first announced by Nirmala Sitharaman in the 2022 Budget
Agribazaar Launches ‘Kisan Safalta Card’ for Agri Financing
• Agribazaar, a private electronic Agri mandi, has introduced the 'Agribazaar Kisan Safalta Card.
• The card will be available to farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and the
Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) in the first phase.
About 'Agribazaar Kisan Safalta Card:
• The card is a quick and hassle-free instrument that helps farmers meet their pre- and post-
harvest farm requirements and allied expenses.
• Farmers can use this card to obtain financial facilities when needed.
• The funds can only be used to purchase farm inputs.
• The card has a 12-month repayment period.
• The repayment plan can be rescheduled if crop damage occurs as a result of a natural disaster
or if crop yield is low.
• The card amount is adjustable for marginal farmers, ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000.
• The maximum limit of the card can be increased annually following an annual review based on
the most recent crop yield and farmer repayment history.

About agribazaar:
• Founded: 2016
• Co-Founder & CEO: Amith Agarwal
HDFC bank launches “Bank on Wheels” in Gujarat
• Private lender, HDFC Bank has launched its state-of-the-art 'Bank on Wheels' van in Gujarat,
to offer banking services in unbanked locations, around Ankleshwar
• The van was flagged off by Shri Dhavalkumar R Patel, Taluka Development Officer at a
function organized in Ankleshwar Taluka Panchayat office
• As part of the Bank’s newly carved Rural Banking business, the van will visit remote villages
located 10 – 25 km from the nearest branch, to further financial inclusion.
• Customers can access 21 banking products as well as services.
• The van will be operational at each location for a specific period and will cover 3 villages in a
day.
Note:
• HDFC Bank is the First bank to translate Financial Literacy Material into the Gujarati language
in Gujarat.
Axis Bank Partners with PayNearby to enhance PSL Lending
• Axis Bank has partnered with technology-based company PayNearby to boost its credit growth
in Priority Sector Lending (PSL) targets.
• Banks are required to provide 40% of their total lending to priority sectors, which includes
lending to the agriculture and MSME sectors.
• PayNearby, which offers distribution-as-a-Service (DaaS), has a network of over 50 lakh micro-
entrepreneurs.
• Through this tie-up, Axis Bank will be able to reach out to potential customers in remote regions
and provide banking solutions digitally.

• This will simplify banking for retail shop owners and individual customers, and further eliminate
the need for them to travel long distances to operate their bank accounts.
• As of now, Axis Bank has about 2,100 branches which are classified as Bharat Bank branches.
About PayNearby:
• Founded: 2016
• MD & CEO: Anand Kumar Bajaj
About Axis Bank:
Lord’s Mark Industries gets direct insurance broking license from IRDAI
• Lord’s Mark Insurance Broking Private Limited, the insurance division of Lord’s Mark Industries,
has received a direct insurance broking license from the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for selling life and general insurance products.
• Lords Mark Insurance Broking plans to partner with leading insurers for the launch of life and
general insurance products on its Policy King platform.
About Policy King:
• Policy King which can be downloaded and installed on the smartphone and will facilitate its
customers to compare all available insurance offers apart from help and expert guidance to
choose the right life insurance, term life insurance, health insurance, motor insurance, etc.
• It will work on an innovative operating model which is based on a digital customer acquisition
and engagement system along with a traditional insurance delivery framework
• With Policy King, the company will penetrate the under-served market segment in Tier-II and
Tier-III cities of the country besides catering to clients in metro cities.
About Lord's Mark Industries Pvt. Ltd:
• Founded: 1998
• MD & CEO: Sachidanand Upadhyay
Agribazaar Launches Kisan Safalta Card for Agri Financing:
• The "Agribazaar Kisan Safalta Card" was introduced by Agribazaar, a private sector electronic
Agri mandi.
• Farmers may quickly and easily take care of their pre-and post-harvest agricultural necessities
as well as related costs with the Agribazaar Kisan Safalta Card.
• The Agribazaar Kisan Safalta Card may be used by farmers to get finance.
• The granted monies may only be used to purchase farm supplies and requirements.
• The card offers a 12-month payback period, which gives you plenty of time to pay off your debt.
• Each farmer's crop production sets the card's maximum, financing scale, and maintenance
fees.
• The card's value is modifiable for marginal farmers, ranging from Rs.10,000 to Rs.50,000.
• The Agribazaar Kisan Safalta Card's maximum limit can be extended annually based on crop
productivity and repayments.
Adani Group to build Giga factories as part of $70 bn investment in clean energy by 2030:
• Gautam Adani, Asia's richest man, will develop three Giga plants to manufacture solar panels,
wind turbines, and hydrogen electrolyzers as part of a USD 70 billion investment in sustainable
energy by 2030.
• Adani Group is increasing its investments across the green energy value chain to become the
world's leading producer of renewable energy by 2030.
• The new gigafactory for power electronics will be added to the four gigafactories announced
last year for manufacturing integrated solar PV modules that will produce electricity from
sunlight, electrolyzers that will produce hydrogen from water, fuel cells and batteries to store
energy from the grid, and 20 GW of solar energy capacity by 2025 for captive needs.
SBI & WAARE collaborate to Fund Projects for Customers and Channel Partners
• WAAREE, India's largest Solar Panel manufacturer, has entered into an Agreement with the
State Bank of India (SBI) for Solar Projects.
• It allows WAAREE to receive unsecured financing for solar projects through Surya Shakti Solar
Finance Scheme & provide working capital for Channel Partners under EDFS (Electronic
dealer finance scheme).
About Surya Shakti Solar Finance Scheme:
• Through the scheme, WAAREE plans to leverage a credit line of more than $500 million and
offer loan borrowers a digital platform for a simple application process.
• The Economic Times has named WAAREE “India’s Best Brand” in the renewable energy
sector.
About WAAREE:
• It provides EPC services, project development, rooftop solutions, and solar water pumps & is
an Independent Power Producer.
About SBI:
SEBI gives in-principle approval to Helios Capital to launch mutual fund business
• Helios Capital Management PTE Limited Founder Mr. Samir Arora has received in-principle
approval for mutual funds (MF) from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• Helios Capital, which is the business of portfolio management services, applied for a mutual
fund license with the SEBI in February 2021.
• He was the Chief Investment Officer of Alliance Capital's Indian mutual fund business.
• Arora quit Alliance Capital Mutual Fund after 19 years and is now looking to enter the Rs 37
trillion Indian mutual fund industry.
• Recently, SEBI granted in-principle licenses for mutual fund forays to Zerodha Broking, Bajaj
Finserv, and Frontline Capital Services.

About SEBI:
of the Ministry of Finance (MoF), GoI.
Vehicle Dispatches Rise 21% As Chip Supply Improves:
• According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, increased semiconductor supply
and seasonal demand led to a 21% yearly surge in passenger car wholesales in India in
August.
• According to the most recent information provided by the industry group Society of Indian
Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), deployments of passenger vehicles (PVs) to dealers were
2,81,210 units in August 2018 compared to 2,32,224 units in August 2021.
• According to SIAM, wholesale sales of passenger cars increased by 23% last month to
1,33,477 units from 1,08,508 units in the same time the previous year.
• In August, utility vehicle dispatches increased by 20% to 1,35,497 units from 1,12,863 units in
the same month a year prior.
• Similarly, total two-wheeler wholesales grew by 16% last month to 15,57,429 units from
13,38,740 units in the same time the previous year.
HSBC commits Rs 125 cr to green causes, energy transition projects in India over the next five years
• Foreign lender Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) has committed
Rs 125 crore over the next 5 years to support green causes like wetland conservation and
energy transition projects in India.
• The measures are being taken as part of its efforts to limit the impact of climate change.
• Under the commitment, it has divided the works into two broad themes, including energy
transition and nature-based solutions.
• The nature-based solutions will support sustainable agriculture, restore landscapes, and
safeguard and revitalize wetlands, mangroves, and forests.
• Energy transition will include renewables and/or energy efficiency programs to support the shift
towards renewables and scale efficiency initiatives in sectors like healthcare, dairy cold chain,
and for productive energy use by communities.
• It has teamed up with the nonprofit organizations WWF India and India Resources Trust (WRI
India) to launch initiatives in 8 states.
• In Jharkhand, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Assam, the partnership with civil society
organizations intend to provide integrated 300 kW clean energy solutions to healthcare
institutions.
• HSBC has also launched a discussion platform called 'CEOs on Sustainability'.
Aim:
• To bring together business executives from the public and private sectors, as well as decision-
makers, think tanks, and financial institutions to exchange ideas and share best practices.
About HSBC:
• Headquarters: London, England, UK
• Group CEO: Noel Quinn
• Group Chairman: Mark Tucker
• Chief Executive Officer of HSBC India: Hitendra Dave
• HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational universal bank and financial services holding
company.
Max Life launches Smart Flexi Protect Solution
• Max Life Insurance Company Ltd has launched ‘Smart Flexi Protect Solution’, a 3-in-1 offering
that provides health and enhanced life cover, along with market-linked investment returns.
About Smart Flexi Protect Solution:
• Max Life’s Smart Flexi Protect Solution is designed as a go-to choice for earning individuals,
especially for self-employed profiles.
• The ‘Smart Flexi Protect Solution’ is a combination of Max Life Flexi Wealth Plus & Max Life
Critical Illness and Disability Secure Rider.
Max Life Flexi Wealth Plus:
• Flexi Wealth Plus will help create financial protection with enhanced life cover plus savings with
market-linked returns.
• It offers 5 different investment strategies and 11 funds along with a return of mortality charges
at maturity.
Max Life Critical Illness and Disability Secure Rider:
• The Critical Illness and Disability Secure Rider acts as a financial net, offering a specific
coverage amount to financially secure one against 64 critical illnesses and total permanent
disability.
Key highlights of Max Life’s Smart Flexi Protect Solution:
• Enhanced Death Benefit: Max Life’s Smart Flexi Protect Solution has enhanced death benefits,
offering the nominees an extra layer of financial protection in the event of the unfortunate
demise of the insured.
• Investment Benefit: The solution can help policyholders meet investment objectives through
market-linked returns.
• Frictionless Onboarding: The solution is differentiated by its simplified onboarding experience
and easy issuance with video medical examination and relaxed financial documentation.
• Tax Benefits: Tax benefits may be available as per the prevailing tax laws.
About Max Life Insurance Company Ltd:
• Founded: 2001
• Max Life Insurance Company Limited is a Joint Venture between Max Financial Services
Limited and Axis Bank Limited.
HDFC Bank issues India’s first Electronic Bank Guarantee

• India’s largest private sector bank, HDFC Bank has become the first bank in the country to
issue an Electronic Bank Guarantee (e-BG) in partnership with National E-Governance
Services Limited (NeSL).
• e-BG has been developed in consultation with NeSL, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)-
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) committee, and Indian Bank’s Association (IBA) to
simplify the process and eliminate the possibility of fraud and manipulation.
• e-BG will be issued on the NeSL portal through an API-based digital workflow.
• The paper-based, the time-consuming process has been eliminated with the new electronic
bank guarantees that can be processed, stamped, verified, and delivered instantly with
enhanced security.
• MD & CEO of NeSL: Debajyoti Ray Chaudhuri
About HDFC Bank:
LIC introduces New Pension Plus Plan
• The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched a new non-participating, unit-linked,
individual pension plan called LIC’s ‘New Pension Plus’ (NPP).
• The product was launched at Hotel Trident in the function of the Insurance Week Celebration
(Sep 01 to 07, 2022).
• The Unique Identity Number (UIN) for this plan is 512L347V01.
• The plan will help build a corpus of systematic and disciplined savings which can be converted
into regular income by the purchase of an annuity plan on completion of the term.
About LIC’s NPP:
• The investment options available are Pension Bond Fund, Pension Secured Fund, Pension
Balanced Fund, Pension Growth Fund, and Pension Discontinued Fund.
Eligibility conditions of LIC’s NPP:
Entry Age:
• The minimum entry age is 25 years
• The maximum entry age is 75 years.
Vesting Age:
• The minimum vesting age or the minimum age at which one may opt to get a regular annuity is
35 years & the maximum vesting age is 85 years.
Policy Term:
• The minimum policy term is 10 years and the maximum is 42 years.
Premium Payment Options:
• There are two premium payment options
1. Single premium
2. Regular premium.
Minimum & Maximum Premium:
• The minimum premium varies with the frequency of payment.
• For monthly payments, the minimum premium is Rs 3,000, for quarterly Rs 9,000, for half
yearly Rs 16,000, and yearly payments, the minimum premium is Rs 30,000.
• There is no cap on maximum premium.
Guaranteed Additions:
• On the in-force policies, guaranteed additions of up to 15.5% of annualized premium on regular
premium plans and up to 5% on single premium plans will be added at the end of the 6th year,
10th year, and every subsequent year from the 11th year till the end of the policy term.
Insurance Cover:
• In case of the unfortunate death of a policyholder during the policy term, an amount higher of
the fund value and 105% of the total premium paid (excluding taxes, interest on late payment,
and charges, if any) will be paid to the nominee.
Commutation:
• At the time of vesting, up to 60% of the fund value may be commuted and the rest will be
utilized to purchase immediate or deferred annuity plans.
Purchase of Annuity Plan:
• At least 40% of the fund value will have to be utilized to purchase Annuity Plans from the LIC of
India or any other Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority of India (IRDAI)-the
regulated insurance company.
About LIC:
HDFC Bank signs MoU with Institute of Economic Growth
• The largest private lender HDFC Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG) to fund a chair to carry out independent research.
• It would be known as ‘HDFC Bank Chair of Banking and Finance and would be housed at the
IEG campus, New Delhi, Delhi.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Atanu Chakraborty, chairman, of HDFC Bank, and
Ramesh Chand, a member of the Niti Aayog and the chairman of IEG.
• The bank will support IEG for this chair for over 5 years with funding support of ₹6.75 crores,
with effect from 1 September 2022.
About IEG:
• IEG is widely recognized as a Center of Excellence, and one of India's leading think tanks in
the fields of economic and social development.
• It specializes in long-term research that encourages the faculty to develop deep expertise in an
area.
HPCL collaborates with the Indian Army for CSR Project:
• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and the Indian Army have partnered to conduct a
CSR initiative in Kargil to train and mentor underprivileged lady students.
• The project is called 'Kargil Ignited Minds,' and it seeks to prepare 50 female students for
national-level engineering and medical admission exams.
• The Kargil Ignited Minds initiative will focus on empowering poor girls who live in harsh weather
conditions and have little resources.
• Students must go through numerous stages to be a part of the Kargil Ignited Minds initiative,
including screening, preliminary examinations, and interviews.
• The initiative attempts to improve the student's knowledge, abilities, and personality.
• The Kargil Ignited Minds project's MoU signing event was held at the 14 Corps Headquarters in
Leh.
Retail Inflation Resurges To 7% As Food Prices Increase:
• The Indian economy experienced a resurgence of price pressures in August, with retail inflation
rising to 7% from a five-month low in July.
• The rise, led by food prices, marks the ninth consecutive month that retail inflation has
remained over the central bank's upper tolerance ceiling of 6%, bolstering the argument for
more monetary tightening.
• Retail inflation fell to 6.7% in July, according to a poll of 22 analysts, and August inflation is
expected to be 6.9%.
• The Reserve Bank of India forecasts 6.7% inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
year 2022-23.
HDFC Life launches Click2Protect Super term insurance policy
• HDFC Life Insurance Company Ltd has launched a term insurance plan Click2Protect Super.
Aim:
• To enable customization as per the protection needs and policyholders only pay for the
benefits/plan options that they have chosen.

About Click2Protect Super:
• It is a non-linked, non-participating, individual, pure risk premium/ savings life insurance plan
that provides you with multiple flexibilities such as changing life cover, extending the policy
term, and getting coverage for accidental death and terminal illness.
• The plan provides comprehensive financial protection to your family & Customers can choose a
cover that fits their needs from three plan options:
1. Life
2. Life Plus
3. Life Goal
About Life plan:
• This provides life cover for the coverage term chosen & also allows customers to increase the
cover amount to ensure financial independence for their family in your absence.
About Life Plus:
• In addition to life cover, this option enhances cover against accidental death and terminal
illness.
About Life Goal:
• This plan ensures optimum coverage by offering flexibility to vary customer life cover for the
desired term thereby safeguarding your loved ones from any liabilities and/or expenses
• Founded: 2000
• It is a joint venture between Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC), one of
India's leading housing finance institutions, and Abrdn, a global investment company.
Canara HSBC Life Insurance launches “iSelect guaranteed plan”
• Canara HSBC Life Insurance has launched an individual, non-linked, non-participating, savings
and protection life insurance plan called ” iSelect Guaranteed Future”
About iSelect Guaranteed Future Plan:
• It comes with a host of features and has been customized to cater to short-term and long-term
financial requirements.
• The policy comes in multiple options to choose from – iAchieve and Flexi iAchieve, iAssure and
Flexi iAssure, and Easy iAchieve.
About iAchieve and Flexi iAchieve plan:
• The premium payment terms can be either 5, 7, or 10 years.
About iAssure and Flexi iAssure plan:
• The maximum entry age for either of these policies is 65 years.
• The policy terms can be 10 and 15 years for a 5-year premium payment term.
• Customers will be 12 and 14 years for a 7-year premium paying term, and 15 and 20 years for
a 10-year premium paying term.
About Easy iAchieve:
• It comes with a single premium payment term along with a guaranteed lump sum on maturity.
• The policy term can be 10, 12, 14, 15, or 20 years.
• The maximum age for the option is 45 years.
About Canara HSBC Life Insurance:
• Founded: 2008
• MD & CEO: Anuj Mathur
• It was a joint venture between Canara Bank (51%), HSBC Insurance (Asia Pacific) Holdings
Limited (26%), and Punjab National Bank (23%).
Google Cloud Partners with HDFC ERGO to digitize insurance buying in India
• HDFC ERGO General Insurance, one of India’s leading insurance companies has partnered
with Google Cloud to create a technology platform that will help digitize insurance purchasing
and services in India.
• HDFC ERGO aims to fully migrate to the cloud by 2024.

• The new platform will enable HDFC ERGO to launch innovative product offerings, offer digitally
enabled customer experiences, build more agile systems, leverage data to identify insurance
risk, deliver personalized insurance products, and respond to regulatory changes in a quicker
way.
• Google Cloud will assist HDFC ERGO across customer experience, IT systems integration,
data (including analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML)
Note:
• Managing Director of Google Cloud India: Bikram Singh Bedi
About HDFC ERGO:
• Founded: 2002
• MD & CEO: Mr. Ritesh Kumar
• HDFC ERGO is a 51:49 joint venture firm between Housing Development Finance Corporation
Limited (HDFC) and ERGO International AG, one of the insurance entities of the Munich Re
Group.
Axis Bank & Square Yards launched the Open Door platform for hassle-free home buying
• Axis Bank, India’s third largest private sector bank, and Square Yards, India’s largest
integrated Real Estate platform, have launched a jointly branded home buyer ecosystem called
“Open Door”.
• The platform will ensure that the entire process of finding and purchasing a dream house is
hassle-free, effective, and enjoyable for clients.
About Open Door:
• Open Doors is a groundbreaking, integrated platform created to handle all consumer inquiries
around residential real estate.
• It will give cost-effective end-to-end home purchasing support, exclusive builder inventory
access, seamless home loan processing, and additional ecosystem services like rental and
property management, home furnishing, and legal and technical services.
• The joint offers from Square Yards and Axis Bank on home buying, home loans, interior design,
property management, and other related property services will be included in the real estate
inventory displayed on the Open Doors platform.
About Axis Bank:
About Square Yards:
• Headquarters: Gurugrm, Haryana
• Founder & CEO: Tanuj Shori
SBI joins 5-trillion market cap club; stock surges 26% in 3 months
• Public sector lender and India's largest Public Sector Bank (PSB) State Bank of India (SBI) has
joined the 5.03 trillion market capitalization (market cap) for the first time after its shares
touched a record high of Rs 564.45 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Index.
• According to the data from BSE, With a market cap of Rs 5.03 trillion, SBI stood at the 7th
position in the overall market cap ranking.
Key Highlights:
• With this, SBI has become the third lender in the country to cross the market cap of Rs 5
trillion.
• India's largest private lender, HDFC Bank, holds 1st rank in this list, with a market cap of Rs
8.38 trillion, followed by ICICI Bank, which has a market cap of Rs 6.33 trillion.
• In the past 3 months, SBI has outperformed the market by surging 26%, as against a 13.9%
rise in the S&P BSE Sensex.
• During the same period, ICICI Bank has rallied 32%, while HDFC Bank has gained 15%.
About SBI:

ICICI Lombard introduces digital voice agent to track claim status
• A private non-life insurance company, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited
(ICICI Lombard) launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered digital voice agent in
collaboration with Skit.ai, an AI-based Software as a Service (SaaS) voice automation
platform.
• The new feature will assist customers with the status of their insurance claims for health and
motor insurance policies.
• The augmented voice intelligence platform is integrated with ICICI Lombard’s customer
relationship management (CRM) systems.
• It will enhance the speed, accuracy, and ease of conversation.
Note:
• CEO, and co-founder of Skit.ai: Sourabh Gupta
About ICICI Lombard:
• Founded: 2001
• MD & CEO: Bhargav Dasgupta
Govt Forms Expert Panel to Identify Measures to Scale VC/PE Investments
• As per a circular issued by the Ministry of Finance, the government has constituted an expert
committee to suggest ways for scaling up venture capital and private equity (VC/PE)
investments.
• The six-member panel will be headed by M Damodaran, the former chairman of the Securities
and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
Other members of the panel:
• G Mahalingam (former RBI wholetime member)
• Nagendra Kumar (former member Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) DP )
• Ashish Verma (former chief commissioner of income tax)

• Poonam Gupta (director general of National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER)
• Prabhat Ranjan Acharya (director of Arun Jaitely National Institute of Financial Management
(AJNIFM))
• In 2021, Venture capital and private equity invested more than INR 5.5 Lakh Cr facilitating one
of the largest startup and growth ecosystems.
About the Panel:
• The panel will “comprehensively study, using a systems approach, the end-to-end frictions &
potential accelerants from regulatory policy and taxation to facilitate ease of investing, as well
as to encourage investments in India.
• It will also review issues and suggest further changes to accelerate the growth of capital inflow
from the VCs and PEs.
• The committee has also been entrusted with the task of recommending measures to further
accelerate investments into startups and other sunrise sectors.
• It will also suggest “forward-looking measures and future-ready regulatory practices” to the
government.
Wholesale Inflation Slowed To 11-Month Low At 12.4% In August:
• The wholesale price index-based inflation rate fell for the third month in a row in August, to an
11-month low of 12.41 percent, as pricing pressure from manufactured and fuel products
reduced despite an uptick in food inflation.
• In August, core WPI inflation fell to a 17-month low of 7.9 percent.
• Food inflation accelerated to 12.37 percent in August, according to industry department data,
as prices for wheat, vegetables, fruits, and protein-rich goods increased compared to a year
before.
• Inflation has slowed for both fuels (33.67%) and manufactured (7.51%) items.
Exports Dip to A 9-Month Low After Growth Slows:
• After rising at a strong 22% in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, India's goods export
growth has slowed dramatically in the months thereafter.
• According to data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, export growth fell to 2.1 percent
in July before dropping by 1.2 percent in August to a nine-month low of $33 billion.
• Exports fell for the first time in 18 months in August.
• In comparison, goods imports have continued to expand rapidly, increasing by roughly 37% in
August.
• While imports of fossil fuels (petroleum and coal) have increased, non-energy imports (such as
electronics and machinery) have also increased.
• Non-oil imports have increased by 32% over the last five months, indicating robust local
demand.
• The goods trade imbalance (April-August) has more than quadrupled over the same period the
previous year due to sluggish exports and rapid import growth.
Karnataka Bank becomes part of Khajane-II
• Karnataka Bank Ltd has become part of the Karnataka Government’s integrated financial
management system (IFMS) Khajane-II (K2) for implementing a single nodal agency (SNA)
account system for Centrally-sponsored schemes.
• The Bank will help in implementing various sponsored schemes by the Government for the
disbursement of cash benefits to the targeted beneficiaries via direct credit to their bank
accounts in a safe, secure & speedier manner.
• The bank, through its technology and digital-led solutions, will continue to engage and partner
with the Government of Karnataka for implementing its various initiatives towards the welfare of
the public”.

Fitch cuts India FY23 GDP growth forecast to 7%
• Global rating agency Fitch has lowered India's economic growth forecast for fiscal 2022-23
(FY23) as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) to 7% from its June 2022 estimate of
7.8%.
• It now expects the GDP to slow further to 6.7% in FY24 as compared to its earlier forecast of
7.4%.
• The (Indian) economy recovered in 2Q22 with a growth of 13.5% year-on-year (y-o-y), but this
was below our June expectation of an increase of 18.5% y-o-y.
• Seasonally adjusted estimates show a 3.3% quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) decline in 2Q22.
Global growth:
• Fitch now expects world GDP to grow by 2.4% in 2022 revised down by 0.5 percentage points
(ppt) since the June 2022 assessment & by just 1.7% in 2023, a cut of 1 ppt.
• The eurozone and the United Kingdom are now expected to enter recession later this year and
Fitch forecasts that the US will suffer a mild recession in mid-2023.
• The United States (US) growth has also been revised down to 1.7% in 2022 and 0.5% in 2023,
revisions of 1.2pp and 1.0pp respectively.
Nippon Life India Asset Management & DWS join hands to launch a European-listed Indian
Government Bond ETF
• Nippon Life India Asset Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of
Nippon Life India Asset Management Limited) has collaborated with DWS to provide portfolio
management and investment advisory services to the European-listed Indian Government
Bond Exchange Traded Funds (ETF).
• Through this collaboration, the clients of DWS Group will access the attractive Indian bond
market.
• DWS is continuously developing its range of ETFs to meet the ever-evolving needs of
investors.
Key Highlights:
• The market size for securities issued by the Indian government is more than USD 1 trillion as of
August 2022.
• This ranks it between the corresponding markets in Canada and Spain.
• India's treasury market is only second to China's in the emerging market local currency arena
About FAR:
• The Fully Accessible Route (FAR) is a separate channel established by the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI), in consultation with the GoI, through which eligible investors can invest in specified
Government securities without any investment ceilings.
• The instruments comprise FAR-eligible fixed-rate and zero-coupon bonds.
Note:
• Executive Director & CEO of Nippon Life India Asset Management Limited: Sundeep Sikka
Reliance General Insurance partners with Paytm to offer customizable health policy
• Reliance General Insurance Firm Ltd., an India-based private insurance company, has
partnered with Paytm, India’s leading digital payments and financial services company, to
provide the public with Reliance Health Gain Policy, a customizable health insurance solution.
About Reliance Health Gain Policy:
• Reliance Health Gain Policy was launched in May 2022.
Aim:
• To enhance insurance penetration in the country with greater accessibility.
• The health insurance policies are offered in three distinct plans - Plus, Power, and Prime - with
an assortment of features to allow for policy customization for each consumer.
• The policy includes 38 features, such as Double Cover, which provides twice the amount of
sum insured.
About the 3 distinct plans:
• Plus plan: A maximum of two adults (self and spouse) and six children can be covered.
• Power plan: A maximum of four adults (self, spouse, and one set of dependent parents or
parents-in-law) and six children can be covered.
• Prime plan: A maximum of six adults (self, spouse, set of dependent parents, and set of
parents-in-law) and six children can be insured.
• Dependent children can be covered from 91 days to 25 years of age under a floater cover.
About Reliance General Insurance Company Limited:
• CEO: Rakesh Jain
India Ratings lowers India's FY23 GDP growth forecast to 6.9% from 7%
• India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has lowered its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth
forecast for the Fiscal Year 2022-23 (FY23) to 6.9% from its earlier forecast of 7.0%.
• Quarterly, Ind-Ra expects the growth to decline to 7.2%, 4.0%, and 4.1% in Q2 FY23, Q3
FY23, and Q4 FY23, respectively
• Global rating agency Fitch also lowered India's economic growth forecast for FY23 to 7% from
its June 2022 estimate of 7.8%.
• It now expects the GDP to slow further to 6.7% in FY24 as compared to its earlier forecast of
7.4%.
Edelweiss General Insurance partners with Repco Home Finance to offer property insurance cover
• Digital insurer Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI) has tied up with Repco Home Finance Ltd
(RHFL) to offer insurance solutions to all home loan customers of RHFL.
• Through this partnership, EGI will offer property insurance cover and loan protection cover to
RHFL’s customers through their branches spread across India.
• As per the Edelweiss General Insurance, a property insurance cover is for protecting a home
against fire and all-natural calamities, while a loan protection cover helps safeguard the
customer’s repayment of loans in case of any unforeseen accident.
• EGI will offer customized, affordable, and convenient insurance solutions to financially protect
loan borrowers.
About Edelweiss General Insurance:
• MD & CEO: Shanai Ghosh

About RHFL:
• Founded: 2000
• CEO: K. Swaminathan
India’s CAD Likely to Remain Within 3% of GDP:
• A weak currency and high gasoline costs will keep India's current account deficit (CAD) under
strain, with economists expecting it to be about 3% of GDP in FY23, up from 1.2% in FY22,
putting pressure on government finances.
• Subsidy spending is expected to climb far above projections.
• Higher oil import bills as a result of the weak currency would affect various industries, including
fertilizers and metals, as well as fewer dividend collections from state-run gasoline dealers,
whose margins will be impacted.
• In intraday trade, the rupee fell to a historic low of 80 versus the US dollar, before ending at
79.95.
SBI WeCare FD scheme for senior citizens extended till March 31, 2023
• The State Bank of India (SBI) has extended the deadline to invest in its senior citizen FD
scheme, SBI WeCare FD up to March 31, 2023.
• In 2022, SBI, launched the special FD scheme "SBI WECARE" to secure senior citizens’
income by paying additional interest on term deposits.
• The scheme is offered for new deposits as well as the renewal of maturing accounts.
Features of the scheme:
• Period of Deposit: Minimum- 5 years. Maximum- 10 years
• Interest Rate: Additional premium of 30 bps (over and above existing premium of 50 bps) over
card rate for Public i.e. 80 bps over card rate for Public.
• Payment of Interest: Term Deposit – At monthly/ quarterly interval Special Term Deposit- On
maturity Interest, net of TDS, shall be credited to Customer Account
• Loan Facility: Available.
• Apart from SBI, lenders like HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank had also introduced this special FD
scheme for senior citizens.

SBI join hands with Remitly for secure and easy remittance to India
• The nation's largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), has collaborated with Remitly for safe
and simple remittances to India.
• The collaboration now enables NRIs to send money through SBI via Remitly to their family
members while relaxing at home using mobile and web applications.
• Depending on the form and amount of transfers, Remitly provides superior exchange rates,
immediate credits, and no remittance charge.
• With this Partnership, NRIs can now transfer money to 17 Remitly nations.
Key Highlights:
• Remitly is only a partner of SBI and not part of SBI.
• The current partnership is only for processing the remittances upon receiving from Remitly and
crediting to the beneficiary accounts in India through Direct Credit, National Electronic Funds
Transfer (NEFT) / Immediate Payment Services (IMPS) / Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS),
etc.
• Remittances initiated through Remitly may not necessarily be routed through SBI and it may
depend on Remitly internal policy."
About SBI:
Union Bank of India launches digitization of Kisan Credit Card
• Union Bank of India (UBI) launched an Industry-first, farmer-focused end-to-end digitization of
the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) product as part of the flagship digital transformation project
‘Sambhav’.
Aim:
• To digitize the KCC lending process, making it more efficient and farmer-friendly.
• It was launched by Ms. A Manimekhalai, MD & CEO, Union Bank of India in Harda District of
Madhya Pradesh, as a Pilot Project

• Digitization of KCC is a fintech initiative of UBI in collaboration with Reserve Bank Innovation
Hub (RBIH), aimed at overcoming the challenges faced by farmers like in-person visits to a
bank branch, submission of land ownership and other documents, and high turnaround time in
getting the KCC.
About UBI:
• MD & CEO: A Manimekhalai
• Tagline: Good People to Bank with
Singapore central bank, India’s IFSCA to pursue cross-border FinTech innovations
• The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the International Financial Services Centres
Authority (IFSCA) signed a FinTech Co-operation Agreement (CA) to facilitate regulatory
collaboration and partnership in FinTech technology.
• The agreement was signed by the Chief FinTech Officer of MAS, Sopnendu Mohanty, and
Chief Technology Officer of IFSCA, Joseph Joshy, and witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister for Finance, and Deputy Chairman of MAS, Lawrence Wong, and Finance Minister
of Gujarat, Kanubhai Desai, Chairperson of IFSCA, Injeti Srinivas, Chairman of GIFT Company
Ltd., Sudhir Mankad, and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of GIFT Company
Ltd., Tapan Ray.
Key Highlights:
• The agreement is expected to leverage existing regulatory sandboxes in their respective
jurisdictions to support experimentation of technology innovations.
• It will include the referral of companies to each other's regulatory sandboxes and enable
innovative cross-border experiments in both jurisdictions.
• This CA builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Supervisory Cooperation
signed between MAS and IFSCA in July 2022.
About MAS:
• Chairman: Tharman Shanmugaratnam
• MAS is the central bank and financial regulatory authority of Singapore.
About IFSCA:
• The IFSCA is a unified authority for the development and regulation of financial products,
financial services, and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centers in
India
• It is housed in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar (Gujarat).
• GIFT-IFSC is the maiden International Financial Services Centre in India (IFSC).
Federal Bank launches pilot for instant KCC developed by RBIH
• Federal Bank has launched the pilot for instant Kisan Credit Card (KCC), which facilitates
agriculture loans in minutes.
• The pilot of this strategic initiative, developed by the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub, was
launched in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• The first-of-its-kind digital facility introduced in Tamil Nadu (TN) to facilitate loans through KCC
will be gradually extended to all the southern states, where Federal Bank has a 75% presence
in India.
• The digital loan scheme for agricultural lending will offer a new experience to the farmers when
compared to the conventional method of lending in terms of convenience and turnaround time.
• The platform has built-in capabilities to enable an end-to-end digital and paperless journey.
• It uses digital capabilities such as eKYC (Know Your Customer) and eSign, APIs (Application
Programming Interfaces) developed by the Tamil Nadu E-Governance Agency (TN-eGA), and
machine learning (ML) capabilities.
About Federal Bank:
• Tagline: Your Perfect Banking Partner
Gross Direct Tax Collection Registered Growth of 30% in 2022-23:
• According to a statement from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), net direct tax
collections have reached 700,669 crores so far, this fiscal year, up 23% from 568,147 crores at
this point last fiscal year.
• The sum includes corporation tax in the amount of 368,484 crore and personal income tax,
including securities transaction tax, in the amount of 330,490 crores.
• The total amount of direct taxes collected to date (before accounting for refunds) is Rs 836,225
crore, up from Rs. 642,287 crores during the same period last year, representing a 30%
increase.
Wheat and Rice Increase Inflation:
• As a result of rising food and manufactured goods prices, inflation rose above the 1% barrier to
1.21 percent for the week ending in September from 0.92 percent the previous week.
• Before its Monetary Policy Committee meeting, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may still be
concerned about wheat and rice prices, despite a decrease in agricultural commodity prices.
• The heat wave seen this year across the nation has sparked worries from several stakeholders
and experts over India's own production and procurement.
• However, the government moved ahead and approved wheat exports from the private sector.
• Farmers reportedly received a 10% premium over the wheat Minimum Support Price (MSP) as
a result of the decision.
Kotak Mahindra Bank partners with IIT Madras to Launch “Kotak IITM Save Energy Mission”
• Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL) and the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IITM)
announced their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership to launch Kotak IITM Save
Energy Mission.
• Union Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra
Pradhan formally rolled out the initiative at an event in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
Aim:
• To encourage the adoption of various energy conservation measures in the Micro, Small, and
Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
• Under Kotak’s CSR Project on Environment and Sustainable Development, KMBL is funding
IITM to establish 5 centers across India to promote energy efficiency for the Micro, Small, and
Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
• IIT Madras (IITM) at the Chennai campus will be the hub of Kotak IITM Save Energy Mission,
which in turn will engage with IIT Bombay (IITB), IIT Gandhinagar (IITG), IIT Indore (IITI), and
IIT Ropar (IITR) to establish 4 satellite centers for carrying out energy efficiency and
performance audits and encouraging adoption of various energy conservation measures in the
Indian MSME sector.
About KMBL:
• Chairman, MD & CEO: Uday Kotak
Yes Bank approves sale of Rs 48,000 cr stressed loans to JC Flowers ARC
• Private lender Yes Bank's board has approved the transfer of stressed assets worth ₹48,000
crores to private equity firm JC Flowers Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC).
• YES, Bank will also pick up a 19.99% stake in the ARC, subject to regulatory approvals.
• JC Flowers ARC won Yes Bank's non-performing loan portfolio for ₹11,183 crores in a Swiss
Challenge auction, after a consortium of Cerberus Capital and Asset Reconstruction Company
of India (ARCIL) withdrew its bid.
• The ARC will have to pay ₹1,677 crore within 60 days of Yes Bank formally approving the
offer.
• It had paid an earnest money deposit of $50 million at the time of submitting the bid.
• Yes, the bank had already provisioned for over 80% of the total loan value, which will now be
transferred to JC Flowers.
• Yes, Bank’s gross NPA was 13.4% in June 2022, compared to 15.6% during the corresponding
period of 2021.
About Yes Bank:
• Founded: 2004

ADB cuts India's GDP growth forecast for FY23 to 7%
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its second supplement to Asian Development Outlook
Report 2022 (ADO 2022), has slashed India's economic growth projection for FY 22-23 to 7%
from 7.2% earlier, citing higher than expected inflation and monetary tightening.
• India’s economy grew 13.5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022-23, reflecting strong
growth in services.
• ADB releases the flagship ADO report in April every year.
• It had then projected the Indian economy to grow at 7.5% in FY23 and 8% in FY24.
• In the first supplement to ADO 2022 in July, it however trimmed the growth forecast for FY23 to
7.2% and FY24 to 7.8%.
• ADB in its latest report has also cut China’s GDP forecast to 3.3% in 2022 from the 5%
projected earlier.
About ADB:
Kotak Mahindra Bank Launches Everyday Savings Account
• Private sector Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL) launched a one-of-a-kind Everyday Savings
Account (Daily Savings Account) which will help customers in spending and saving every day.
• In this account, the customer can do 30 transactions of any value in a month and the monthly
amount can be waived maintenance charges or can choose to maintain an average monthly
amount of Rs 20,000.
• This account comes with a power-packed Everyday RuPay Platinum Debit Card
About Everyday RuPay Platinum Debit Card:
• The Card will enable customers to avail every day offers on popular brands like Mitra, Swiggy,
One MG, MakeMyTrip, and Licious on general categories like groceries, medicines, apparel,
food delivery, and travel.

• It offers customers a higher daily limit of Rs 3,00,000 which has higher ATM withdrawal limits of
Rs 1,00,000 for transactions in India and abroad.
• It also offers free unlimited transactions at Kotak Bank ATMs and 10 free ATM transactions per
month at other bank ATMs.
RBI Lifts Prompt Corrective Action Restrictions On Central Bank Of India
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has removed the Central Bank of India from the Prompt Corrective
Action (PCA) framework on complying with parameters like net non-performing assets (net
NPAs) and capital ratios.
• The Central Bank of India has provided a written commitment that it would comply with the
norms of Minimum Regulatory Capital, Net NPA, and Leverage ratio on an ongoing basis.
• Of the three state-owned lenders under the RBI's PCA framework, Indian Overseas Bank and
UCO Bank were removed from the watchlist in September 2021.
• The Central Bank of India was put under the PCA framework in June 2017 due to its high net
non-performing assets (NPAs) and low Return on Assets.
About PCAF:
• PCA is a framework under which banks with weak financial metrics are put under watch by the
RBI.
• The RBI introduced the PCA framework in 2002
Aim:
• To check the problem of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in the Indian banking sector.
• The framework was reviewed in 2017 based on the recommendations of the working group of
the Financial Stability and Development Council on Resolution Regimes for Financial
Institutions in India and the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission.
About RBI:
Shankar
About Central Bank of India:
• MD & CEO: Matam Venkata Rao
ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund launches first Auto Index Fund
• ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has launched India's first open-ended auto index scheme, ICICI
Prudential Nifty Auto Index Fund, focusing on the blue-chip auto and auto ancillary sector.
• The Fund will try to replicate the Nifty Auto Index which has grown at over 14% annually since
August 2012.
• The new fund offer (NFO) opens on September 22, 2022, and closes on October 06, 2022.
• The index comprises 15 listed companies and also represents auto-related sectors such as
auto ancillaries and tyres.
About ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund:
• Founded: 1993
• MD & CEO: Mr. Nimesh Shah
Govt signs MoU with Bank of Baroda, HDFC Bank to expand the reach of SPARSH initiative
• The Defence Accounts Department (DAD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Bank of Baroda (BoB) and HDFC Bank, to onboard them as Common Service Centres
(CSC) under the System for Pension Administration (Raksha) (SPARSH) initiative, across more
than 14,000 branches throughout India.
• The MoU will onboard more than 7900 branches of BoB and 6300 branches of HDFC Bank as
Service Centres to provide last-mile connectivity to pensioners, especially those who live in
remote areas of India.
Objective:
• To bring 17 lakh pensioners out of the total 32 lakh defense pensioners on SPARSH by the end
of September 2022
Key Highlights:
• The total number of pensioners onboard SPARSH has crossed over the one million mark with
11 lakh beneficiaries, which is about 33% of total defense pensioners in India.
• More than 4.5 lakh Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) will also assist Defence Pensioners, as
part of the Common Service Centres (CSC) network.
• Access to these service centers would be provided free of cost to the pensioners, with nominal
service charges being borne by the Department.
About SPARSH:
• SPARSH is a web-based system for processing pension claims and crediting the pension
directly into the bank accounts of defense pensioners without any external intermediary.
• This system is administered by the Defence Accounts Department through the Principal
Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions), Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
• It caters to all three Services and allied organizations.
About DAD:
• Controller Basic of Protection Accounts (CGDA): Avinash Dixit
Japan’s MUFG Bank injects ₹3,000 crores in India biz
• Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) Bank has boosted the capital of its branches
within India by ₹3,000 crores to expand its India business.
• As a result of this capital injection, the total capital of MUFG Bank in India will rise to ₹5,207
crores.
• With the help of the funds, MUFG Bank will strengthen its financial base in India and better
respond to the diverse financing needs of its clients.
• In March 2022 MUFG Ganesha Fund was established which is a $300-million fund to invest
exclusively in seeding Indian start-ups and in September the fund marked its first investment.
• MUFG has also expanded its presence by opening a branch at Gujarat International Finance
Tec-City (GIFT City).
Federal Bank Partners with BBPS for Utility Bill Payment Services for NRI
• One of India’s leading private sector banks, Federal Bank, has associated with Bharat BillPay
Limited (NBBL), the wholly-owned subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
& Lulu Financial Group to facilitate utility bill payment services for non-resident Indian Diaspora.
• This arrangement enables overseas remittance partners (Exchange Houses and Banks) to pay
Indian utility bills of over 20,000 billers in more than 20 categories in a cost-effective and
convenient option.
Note:
• CEO of NPCI Bharat Bill Payments Ltd: Noopur Chaturvedi
Recent News:
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), permitted foreign inward remittances to be received under
the rupee drawing arrangement (RDA) through the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).
About Federal Bank:
NPCI Launches UPI payments via Rupay Credit Cards
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced a feature enabling the
linkage of RuPay credit cards to the unified payments interface (UPI).
• Till now, only debit cards were allowed to be linked to the UPI IDs.
Key Highlights:
• The RuPay credit card will be linked to a virtual payment address, also known as the UPI ID,
and will directly enable secure payment transactions.
• The customers of Punjab National Bank (PNB), Union Bank of India (UBI), and Indian Bank will
be the first to be able to use RuPay Credit Card on UPI with Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM)
App.
• Also, another important feature launched by the NPCI is the UPI Lite, which will provide users
with faster low-value transactions.
• The NPCI also launched the ‘UPI 123Pay’ facility for feature phones, which will be seeing
traction in some early use cases.
About UPI Lite:
• At present, 50% of UPI payments are below Rs 200.
• It is expected to reduce the debt load on the core banking system, thereby improving the
success rate of transactions further, and enhancing the user experience.
• The upper limit of the UPI Lite payment transaction will be ₹200 while the total limit of UPI Lite
balance for an on-device wallet will be ₹2,000 at any point in time.
• 8 banks are live with the feature including Canara Bank, HDFC Bank, Indian Bank, Kotak
Mahindra Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, Union Bank of India, and Utkarsh
Small Finance Bank.
About NPCI:
• Founded: 2008
HDFC Bank signs multi-year data and technology agreement with Refinitiv
• HDFC Bank signed a multi-year data and technology agreement with Refinitiv, a London Stock
Exchange Group business, as the Mumbai-based lender looks to reach more customers and
cut costs.
• HDFC Bank will also enable its users with Refinitiv Workspace, which will offer access to tools
including real-time market data, news, and fundamentals data.
• Thomson Reuters, which owns Reuters News, has a minority shareholding in LSEG.
About HDFC Bank:
About Refinitiv:
• Founded: 2018
• CEO: David Craig
• Refinitiv is an American-British global provider of financial market data and infrastructure.
RBI cancels license of Solapur-based Laxmi Co-operative Bank
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has canceled the license of Solapur (Maharashtra) based The
Laxmi Co-operative Bank Limited as the lender does not have adequate capital and earning
prospects.
Reasons for canceling the license:
• The bank does not comply with the provisions of Section 11(1) and Section 22 (3) (d) read with
• The bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Sections 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c),
22(3) (d), and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949
• The continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the interests of its depositors
• On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive a deposit insurance claim amount of
his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs 5 lakh only from the Deposit Insurance and
Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
• About 99% of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their deposits from the
DICGC.
• As on September 13, 2022, the DICGC has already paid Rs 193.68 crore of the total insured
deposits under the provisions of Section 18A of the DICGC Act, 1961.
About RBI:
Shankar
TerraPay and NPCI collaborate for merchant payments via UPI-enabled QR codes
• Cross-border payments company TerraPay headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands
partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India’s (NPCI) international arm NPCI
International Payments Limited (NIPL) to allow merchants in India with Unified Payments
Interface (UPI) ID to make and accept cross-border payments
• With the partnership, customers with active UPI IDs (350 million bank accounts) will be able to
transact at QR locations enabled by TerraPay globally.
• The initiative will speed up the usage of UPI apps across different geographies thereby further
enhancing the digital drive for cashless transactions.
• Furthermore, UPI payments & QR transactions are customer-initiated with two-factor
authentication.
• UPI is an instant real-time payments (RTP) system developed by the National Payments
Corporation of India.
• According to Statista, the person-to-merchant (P2M) market in India was estimated to reach Rs
84 lakh crore by the financial year 2025 from around Rs 18 lakh crore in FY19 with Paytm,
PhonePe, Google Pay, etc., among key players.
• In 2021, UPI enabled commerce worth 940Bn (~39Bn transactions).
• In August 2022 alone, the volume of transactions crossed 6.56Bn.
About NIPL:
• Founded: 2020
• CEO: Ritesh Shukla
World Bank approves 150 million dollars loan for Punjab to improve finances & service delivery
• The World Bank (WB) has approved a loan of $150 million (nearly ₹1,200 crores) to Punjab to
help it better manage its financial resources and improve access to public services.
• The USD 150 million loans have a maturity of 15 years including a grace period of six months.
Key Highlights:
• The WB would support Punjab’s efforts to strengthen the institutional capabilities of various
government departments, manage fiscal risks, and make informed policy choices to support
sustainable growth.
• The project will pilot two initiatives that will introduce a performance-based grants system to
incentivize municipal corporations to improve service delivery, and it will demonstrate the
delivery of 24x7 water supply in select areas in the cities of Amritsar and Ludhiana.
• The new project will support Punjab's development goals by strengthening planning, budgeting,
and monitoring functions and leveraging digital technology,

• It will also increase accountability in the public procurement systems by supporting the state-
wide implementation of new legal and policy reforms.
About WB:
• MD & CFO: Anshula Kant
• Chief Economist: Carmen Reinhart
• The WB is the collective name for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD) and International Development Association (IDA).
About Punjab:
Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance launches ABSLI Akshaya Plan
• Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI), the life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital
Limited (ABCL), has launched a new-age savings solution ABSLI Akshaya Plan, a non-linked
participating individual savings life insurance plan offering immediate liquidity option through
cash bonus facility.
• This plan provides the benefit of a comprehensive life insurance cover and a regular source of
income to ensure the fulfillment of your family’s growing needs.
About ABSLI Akshaya Plan:
• ABSLI Akshaya plan provides competitive returns with high flexibility.
• Policyholders can avail the benefits of this plan on a long-term basis (25, 30, 35, 40 years) or
whole life basis (till the age of 85 or 100).
• The maximum entry age to avail ABSLI Akshaya Plan is 55 years, while the minimum age is 30
days.
• The minimum annualized premium is Rs. 24,000 Policyholders can choose from multiple
premium payment term options ranging from 6, 8, 10, 12 & 15 years.

• The plan enables the policyholder to draw cash bonus from the end of the first policy year,
providing a regular source of income
About ABSLI:
• Founded: August 4th, 2000 (Commenced operations on January 17th, 2001)
• MD & CEO: Kamlesh Rao
• Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Limited (ABSLI) is a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital
Ltd (ABCL).
• ABSLI is a 51:49 joint venture between the Aditya Birla Group and Sun Life Financial Inc., a
leading international financial services organization in Canada.
RBI bars Mahindra Finance from using third-party recovery agents
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services from
using third-party recovery agents.
• The RBI has, in the exercise of its powers under section 45L(1)(b) of the Reserve Bank of India
Act, 1934, directed Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd. (MMFSL), Mumbai, to
immediately cease carrying out any recovery or repossession activity through outsourcing
arrangements, till further orders.
• The decision follows the death of a pregnant woman (27) in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district
who was allegedly crushed to death under the wheels of a tractor by recovery agents.
• The MMFSL is a non-banking finance company (NBFC).
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare the first advance estimates of production of major Kharif
crops for 2022-23:
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare released the first advance estimates of
production of major Kharif crops for 2022-23, with the total food grain production estimated to
reach a new high of 149.92 million tonnes.
• The food grain production of 149.92 million tonnes is estimated in the Kharif season.
• Record rice production of 104.99 million tonnes is estimated in the Kharif season.
• It is higher by 4.40 million tonnes than the previous five years’ average Kharif rice production of
100.59 million tonnes.

• Nutri or Coarse Cereals production is estimated to be 36.56 million tonnes, record Maize 23.10
million tonnes, Pulses 8.37 million tonnes, Tur 3.89 million tonnes, Oilseeds 23.57 million
tonnes, Groundnut 8.37 million tonnes, Soyabean 12.89 million tonnes, Cotton production of
34.19 million bales of 170 kg each, Jute and Mesta 10.09 million bales of 180 kg each and
record Sugarcane production of 465.05 million tonnes.
UCO Bank becomes the first lender to get RBI's approval for rupee trade
• Public sector lender UCO Bank has become the first bank to receive the approval from
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to open a special Vostro account with Gazprombank of Russia for
trade settlement in Indian rupees (INR).
• On July 11, 2022, the RBI issued a circular allowing trade settlements between India and other
countries, including Sri Lanka and Russia, in rupee.
• The RBI had stated that the exchange rate between the currencies of the two trading partner
countries is to be market determined.
• Gazprombank is a Russian lender, which was set up by the world’s largest gas producer and
exporter Gazprom to provide banking services for gas industry enterprises and has been
operating since 1990.
• UCO Bank was chosen by the Union government in 2012 as the payment bank for oil imports
from Iran after the United State tightened the earlier rounds of sanctions.
About UCO Bank:
• MD & CEO: Soma Sankara Prasad
SBIF and WWF India join hands for Red Panda Transboundary Conservation in Sikkim and
Kalimpong District of West Bengal
• On the Occasion of International Red Panda Day (third Saturday of September- Sep 17, 2022)
the State Bank of India Foundation (SBIF) and WWF India entered into a partnership to
generate fine-scale information on the species at a transboundary level and engage with
communities in safeguarding key habitats of the Red Panda in the Khangchendzonga

landscape of Sikkim and Darjeeling, Kalimpong district in West Bengal.
• An event was organized at the Himalayan Zoological Park in Gangtok to celebrate International
Red Panda Day.
• Himalayan Zoological Park is the first-of-its-kind, where animals are kept in their natural habitat.
• Dr. Sandeep Tambe, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) /Chief Wildlife
Warden (CWLW), Sikkim, was also present at the event.
• The event was hosted to raise awareness about the endangered species among young
visitors.
• The day was also celebrated with the support of the State Education Departments of Sikkim
and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
• A short program was also conducted at Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery, Lava, West Bengal,
for the student monks, students of Lava High School, and Red Panda Guardians.
About SBI Foundation:
• Founded: 2015
• President & COO: Mr. Lalit Mohan
HDFC ERGO partners with HDFC Life to launch Click2Protect Optima Secure
• HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited has joined hands with HDFC Life, to offer
Click2Protect Optima Secure.
• This is a comprehensive insurance plan providing holistic protection to customers.
About Click2Protect Optima Secure:
• Click2Protect Optima Secure combines the benefits of life and health insurance solutions under
one roof.
• In this plan, the term life insurance component will protect customers against uncertainties of
life with a minimum sum assured of Rs. 50,000.
• Under the health insurance component, customers can avail of a sum insured ranging from Rs.
5 Lacs to Rs. 2 cr.
• It comes with ‘Individual’ and ‘Family Floater’ options.
• It will be serviced by HDFC ERGO and life insurance by HDFC Life.

Other key benefits of the plan:
• Life Insurance Protection: Covers up to 85 years of age; in the floater's policy, the eldest
member of the family is covered.
• Plus Benefit: Offers additional coverage equivalent to 100% of the Base Sum Insured in 2
years, irrespective of a claim
• Attractive Premium Discounts: 2.5% loyalty discount for existing HDFC ERGO retail customers,
Long Term Discount of 7.5% and 10% on 2-year and 3-year policies, and 10% family discount,
if two or more family members are covered under the same ‘Individual’ policy
• Pre & post-hospitalization medical expenses: Covers medical expenses for consultations,
investigations, and medicines incurred up to 60 days prior and up to 180 days post-
hospitalization.
• Out-of-pocket expenses: Per day hospital cash benefit ranging from Rs. 500 to Rs. 10,000 for
each continuous and completed 24 hours of hospitalization.
• Critical Illness (add-on): Provides comprehensive coverage by offering a ‘Lumpsum’ payout on
diagnosis of any of the listed 51 critical Illnesses.
About HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited:
• HDFC ERGO is a 51:49 joint venture firm between HDFC and ERGO International AG, one of
the insurance entities of the Munich Re Group in Germany.
About HDFC Life:
• Founded: 2000
• It is a joint venture between Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC), one of
India's leading housing finance institutions, and Abrdn, a global investment company.
SEBI permits REITs and InvITs to issue Commercial Papers
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed emerging
investment vehicles, Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) and Infrastructure Investment Trust
(InvIT), to issue commercial papers.
• The move came after Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Commercial Paper Directions in Aug 2022
indicated that InvIT and REIT having a net worth of at least Rs 100 crore are eligible to issue
commercial paper
• At present, there are 3 listed REITs Embassy Office Parks REIT, Mindspace Business Parks
REIT, and Brookfield India Real Estate Trust on Indian stock exchanges, but all these are of
leased office assets.
• The issuance of listed CPs should be within the overall debt limit permitted under the REITs and
InvITs rules.
• While a REIT comprises a portfolio of commercial real assets, a major portion of which is already
leased out, InvITs comprise a portfolio of infrastructure assets such as highways and power
transmission assets
About CP:
• CP in market parlance refers to a short-term debt instrument issued by companies to garner
funds generally for a period of up to one year.
About SEBI:
• Established: on April 12, 1988, as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30
World Bank approves USD 350 million loans to Gujarat for better health services
• The World Bank’s Executive Board of Directors approved a $350 million loan to Gujarat to
improve the quality and access of its public healthcare services, with a special focus on
adolescent girls and disease surveillance.
• The funding will come from the World Bank arm International Bank of Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), carrying a maturity of 18 years including a grace period of 5.5 years.
• The loan amount will be utilized through the state government's Systems Reform Endeavours
For Transformed Health Achievement In Gujarat (SRESTHA-G) program which will enable more
people to access a wider range of high-quality health services.
About SRESTHA-G:
• The Program will support a population-based screening process with help from local Accredited
Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM).
• It will help Gujarat develop surveillance systems for the early detection of disease outbreaks.
• The Program will lay a special focus on improving the health and nutrition of adolescent girls and
boys.
• This will be prioritized in 14 districts where more than 70% of adolescent girls are anemic.
• 69% of adolescent girls & 36% of adolescent boys in Gujarat suffer from anemia & also, and
10% of rural and 5% of urban residents in Gujarat suffer from mental health issues.
About WB:
• The WB is the collective name for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD) and International Development Association (IDA).
Union Bank of India launches Ethical Hacking Lab in Hyderabad
• Union Bank of India inaugurated the ‘Ethical Hacking Lab’ at the Cyber Security Centre of
Excellence (CCoE) in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• The Lab was inaugurated by Union Bank of India Managing Director and CEO Ms. A
Manimekhalai in the presence of Executive Directors Mr. Nitesh Ranjan, Mr. Rajnish Karnatak,
and Mr. Nidhu Saxena.
Aim:
• To create a cyber defense mechanism to protect the bank’s information systems, digital assets,
channels, etc. from potential cyber threats.
• The lab strengthens the cyber ecosystem in India.

• It will establish multiple cyber security centers to strengthen the bank's security posture and
collaborate with cyber defense industries and government bodies for implementing new
technologies.
About UBI:
• MD & CEO: A Manimekhalai
Rupee Drops to Record Low At 81.67, Destabilizing Markets:
• As a result of the strengthening of the US dollar abroad and investors' risk aversion, the rupee
fell 58 paise to settle at an all-time low of 81.67 against the US dollar.
• Additionally, the turmoil in Ukraine, a downward trend in local equities, and substantial outflows
of foreign funds eroded investor interest, according to currency dealers.
• Before that, the rupee plunged 30 paise to end the day at 81.09, setting a new record low.
• The native currency has now lost 193 paise to the American dollar for the fourth session running.
S&P Global projects India’s FY23 GDP growth at 7.3%
• S&P Global Ratings has retained India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection at
7.3% for the financial year 2022-23.
• Wholesale price inflation remained in double digits for the 17th straight month and was at
12.41% in August 2022.
Other Projections:
• Fitch Ratings slashed the growth estimate to 7% for the current fiscal from 7.8% pegged earlier.
• India Ratings & Research too had reduced its projections to 6.9% from 7% earlier.
• The Asian Development Bank has cut the projection to 7% from 7.5% earlier.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expects the Indian economy to grow by 7.2% in the current
fiscal (April-March).
Yubi partners with SBI to enable higher credit access to priority sector
• Yubi, formerly known as CredAvenue, has partnered with India’s largest bank, the State Bank of
India (SBI), to help grow the bank’s co-lending portfolio.

Aim:
• To facilitate seamless and faster credit to the priority sector and reduce the country-wide credit
gap.
• As per the partnership, SBI will be integrated with Yubi Co.Lend, the co-lending platform of Yubi,
that provides an end-to-end solution and enables lenders to collaborate with multiple partners
with a quick one-time application programming interface (API) integration.
• The partnership has the potential to unlock $1 trillion in capital for Priority Sector Lending in tier
2,3,4 cities, small enterprises, and farmers.
• On Yubi’s co-lending platform, SBI can choose its co-lending partners including NBFCs, HFCs,
or fintech, create its co-lending product program, and digitally manage operations.
• Yubi will also build, manage and monitor SBI’s co-lending portfolio.
• The platform will also ensure all compliance to enhance the user experience.
About SBI:
• Tagline: Pure Banking, Nothing Else
About Yubi:
• Founder & CEO: Gaurav Kumar
Moody’s Projects the Global Economy To Grow At 2.7% In 2022 And 2.3% In 2023
• Moody's Analytics predicted the Global real GDP (gross domestic product) is forecast at 2.7% in
2022 in the Moody's Analytics September 2022 baseline, down from 4.2% in our January 2022
forecast.
• GDP for 2023 has also been revised lower to 2.3% 2023 from 3.6%.
• According to the report, the performance remains uneven among the world's major economies
the US, China, Japan, India, and the five largest economies in Western Europe.
Bank of Baroda rolls out 'Khushiyon ka Tyohaar' as the Festive Season begins
• India’s leading public sector bank Bank of Baroda (BOB) has launched ‘Khushiyon ka Tyohaar’
an annual festive campaign with a range of offers as the festive season starts.
• During this campaign, the bank will offer attractive interest rates on home loans and car loans, in
addition to waiver/discount on processing charges and other benefits.
Key Highlights:
• BoB home loans are available at a competitive interest rate beginning at 7.95% p.a. with no
processing charges.
• The Bank car loans are being offered at a special rate starting from 7.95% p.a.a 25 basis points
concession.
• Under Khushiyon ka Tyohaar, customers will receive several other benefits such as no pre-
payment/part payment charges, concessional processing charges, and longer repayment tenure
of 7 years.
• The bank has also launched a digital lending campaign with a range of digital loans including
pre-approved personal loans, personal loans, auto loans, home loans, education loans, mudra
loans, MSME loans, gold loans, and the Baroda Kisan Credit Card (BKCC).
• In addition to the festive offers on loan products, customers also have the opportunity to earn
higher interest with the Baroda Tiranga Deposit scheme.
About Baroda Tiranga Deposit scheme:
• It is a special fixed deposit that offers higher interest rates.
• The Deposits are available in two tenor buckets offering interest rates of 5.75% p.a. for 444 days
and 6.00% p.a. for 555 days.
• Senior citizens earn an additional interest rate of 0.50% p.a., while Non-Callable Deposits above
Rs.15 lakh will get 0.15% p.a. extra.
• The scheme is available throughout the festival season and closes on Dec 31, 2022.
About BoB:
• Tagline: India’s International Bank

OECD retains India's GDP growth forecast of 6.9% for FY23, lower than RBI's target
• The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has retained its
projection of 6.9% growth in India's GDP for the current financial year FY23.
• OECD expects the growth to be at 5.7% for FY24.
• Notably, OECD's forecast for India's economic growth is lower compared to RBI's estimate of
7.2% for the overall FY23 fiscal year.
• As per the report, global growth is projected to remain subdued in the second half of 2022,
before slowing further in 2023 to annual growth of just 2.2%."
About OECD:
• Secretary General: Mathias Cormann
UCO Bank & Yes Bank to collaborate with two Russian banks for a payment system
• UCO Bank and Yes Bank have entered into a partnership with two Russian banks to conduct
business with Russia.
• UCO Bank has partnered with GazpromBank, while Yes Bank has also formed an arrangement
with Russia’s Petersburg Social Commercial Bank (PSCB).
• The deal between Uco Bank and GazpromBank comes as the Reserve Bank of India implements
a system to facilitate international payments through special Vostro accounts.
Why are Indian Banks Partnering with Russian Banks?
• Due to economic sanctions on Russia over the attack on Ukraine, Indian exporters are finding
commercial prospects and opportunities in Russia.
• Russia’s biggest exports include medicines, food products, textiles, and telecommunications
equipment.
• In the April-July 2022 quarter, exports to Russia declined by around 30% to $714 million.
About UCO Bank:

• MD & CEO: Shri Soma Sankara Prasad
About Yes Bank:
• Founded: 2004
Samsung India & Axis Bank launches co-branded Credit Card
• Samsung, a consumer electronics company, and Axis Bank have partnered to launch an
exclusive co-branded credit card, powered by Visa, and named it the Samsung Axis Bank Credit
Card.
About Samsung Axis Bank Credit Card:
• With the Card, consumers will get 10% cashback across all Samsung products and services
round the year.
• The 10% cashback offer through the Card will be over and above existing Samsung offers, on
both EMI and non-EMI transactions.
• The offer applies to the company's services such as Service Centre payments, Samsung Care+
mobile protection plans, and extended warranties.
• The Card also comes with complimentary airport lounge access, fuel surcharge waiver, dining
offers, and access to a bouquet of offers from Axis Bank and Visa.
Features:
• The card comes in two variants:
1. Visa Signature
2. Visa Infinite.
• The annual cashback on the two is up to ₹10,000 and ₹20,000 respectively, while the respective
monthly cash back limits are ₹2,500 and ₹5,000.
• The annual fee for the Signature variant is ₹500 (plus taxes) while that of the Infinite variant is
₹5,000 (plus taxes).

• On completion of the first 3 transactions, Signature cardholders will get ₹2,500 ‘Edge Reward
Points’ worth ₹500, while Infinite cardholders will get 30,000 points worth ₹6,000.
About Axis Bank:
• Tagline: Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi
Mastercard to launch ‘carbon calculator’ for Indian consumers
• Global payments and technology company Mastercard will launch the Carbon Calculator feature
with Indian banks for offering consumers an estimated carbon footprint for each of their
purchases.
• Mastercard Carbon Calculator, developed in collaboration with Swedish fintech Doconomy, is
currently used in over 25 countries.
• Banking partners can embed the tracking tool in their websites or mobile apps.
About Carbon Calculator:
• Carbon Calculator is a service and personalized carbon footprint tracker that can tell users the
cumulative effect of carbon footprint across a variety of spending categories in a month.
NHPC signs pact with Himachal Pradesh for 500 MW Dugar hydro project
• State-owned hydropower giant National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Private Limited
(NHPC) has inked a pact with the Govt of Himachal Pradesh (HP) for the implementation of
500 Mega Watt (MW) Dugar Hydroelectric Project in Chamba, HP.
• The Project is expected to generate 1,759.85 million units in a year.
• The document was signed by Suresh Kumar, General Manager (E), NHPC, and Harikesh
Meena, Director (Energy), Directorate of Energy (DoE), Himachal Pradesh.
• The project was issued by CEA on April 26, 2022, & the clearances of Forest & environment
are in process.
• On September 25, 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the 449 MW Dugar
Hydro Electric Project was signed between NHPC and the government of HP.
• NHPC carried out detailed surveys and investigations, and techno-economic studies and
submitted a detailed project report for an enhanced capacity of 500 MW to Central Electricity
Authority (CEA).
About NHPC Limited:
• Founded: 1975
• Headquarters: Faridabad, Haryana
• Chairman & Managing Director: Abhay Kumar Singh
• NHPC Ltd is an Indian government hydropower board under the ownership of the Ministry of
Power, GoI.
About Himachal Pradesh:
50th All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2021-2022 Begins in Imphal
• The 50th edition of All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2021-2022 started at Iboyaima
Shumang Leela Shanglen in Imphal, Manipur.
• Manipur Governor Shri La Ganesan and Chief Minister Shri N. Biren Singh attended the
inaugural function.
• During the festival, the Governor also distributed medals to the winners of the 49th All Manipur
Shumang Leela Festival 2020-21
About Shumang Leela:
• Shumang Leela is a traditional form of theater in Manipur.
• The roles of female artists are all played by male actors and male characters are played by
female artists in the case of female theater groups.
• At present, it has been trying to focus on the issues of moral values, unity, and integrity.
• It has also been trying to strengthen the bond of brotherhood and friendship among various
communities in Manipur.
About Manipur:
• Chief minister: N. Biren Singh
• Capital: Imphal
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launches India’s First Virtual School
• Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal launched India's first Delhi Model Virtual School
(DMVS).
• The school will be affiliated with the Delhi Board of School Education formed in 2021.
• The platform was created by two globally recognized organizations, Google and Schoolnet
India.
About DMVS:
• The virtual school will be helpful for students who cannot get enrolled in traditional schools and
attend physical classes due to lack of time, familial responsibilities, long-distance traveling, or
any other hindrance.
• The classes will be online and recorded lectures will also be uploaded online.
• The DMVS will be for classes 9-12 and also prepare students for competitive exams like Joint
Entrance Examination (JEE), National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), and Common
University Entrance Test (CUET).
• The application process for the 2022-23 academic session started and students can apply
through www.dmvs.ac.in.
• Any child aged between 13 and 18 who has completed class 8 from any recognized school can
apply for admission to class 9.
About Delhi:
• Chief minister: Arvind Kejriwal
CM Shri Ashok Gehlot starts Rural Olympic Games in Rajasthan
• Rajasthan chief minister Shri Ashok Gehlot inaugurated a month-long Rajiv Gandhi Rural
Olympic Games in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

• The village Olympics is anticipated to see the participation of 44,000 villages throughout
Rajasthan, with almost 30 lakh people across various age groups already registering
themselves for the games.
• Out of the 30 lakh participants, 9 lakh are women.
• Games like volleyball, hockey, tennis ball cricket, and kho kho will be part of the events.
• The rural Olympics organized in 11,000-gram panchayats across Rajasthan is an outreach to
the rural population, especially the rural youth.
Note:
• Rajasthan Sports Minister: Ashok Chandana
• Rajasthan state Sports Council Chairman: Krishna Poonia
About Rajasthan:
• Capital: Jaipur
Nagaland gets 2nd railway station after over 100 years
• Nagaland got its second railway station after a gap of more than 100 years with the
commissioning of a new facility at Shokhuvi.
• Chief Minister Shri Neiphiu Rio flagged off the Donyi Polo Express from Shokhuvi Railway
Station.
• The first railway station was set up at Dimapur Railway Station & it was inaugurated in 1903.
Key Highlights:
• The Donyi Polo Express runs daily between Guwahati in Assam and Naharlagun in Arunachal
Pradesh.
• The train service has now been extended to Shokhuvi, a few kilometers from Dimapur.
• Shokhuvi Railway station is part of the Dimapur-Zubza Railway project.
• It is an alternative train route for Nagaland and Manipur passengers to Guwahati.
• The foundation stone for the 90-km-long broad gauge route from Dhansiri in Assam to Zubza in
the Kohima district of Nagaland was laid in 2016, & work is underway.
• The deadline was extended from 2020 to 2024.

About Nagaland:
• Capital: Kohima
Alappuzha became 5th fully digital banking district in Kerala
• Alappuzha has become the 5th fully digital banking district in Kerala.
• The declaration was made by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Kerala and Lakshadweep Regional
Director Thomas Mathew
• The project was initiated by the RBI with the support of the State Level Bankers’ Committee
(SLBC) & respective district administrations as part of the Union government’s Digital India
project.
• Banking services in Thrissur (Aug 2021), Kottayam (Feb 2022), Palakkad, and Kasaragod have
already become digital.
About Kerala:
Uttarakhand Education Department Launches ‘Samarth’ E-governance Portal
• Uttarakhand’s education department launched an e-governance portal “Samarth” which will
provide all administrative and educational updates, including information on entrance
examinations, salary structures, and appointments from 5 state universities and 140 public
schools.
• In addition, to provide quality education to students, a teacher-sharing format that will connect
multiple private and government schools across India will also be introduced soon.
• The portal also provides access to 40 academic study modules.
• 200 assistant professors of science subjects will be sent to the Indian Institute of Science (IIS)
Bengaluru for special training, while state university teachers receive training in IIM Kashipur.
• The new education policy (NEP-2020) will be implemented in Uttarakhand from September
2022.
About Uttarakhand:
• Chief Minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
• Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer)
Telangana AI Mission's 4 startups to represent India at G20 DIN
• The Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) has revealed that 4 of its startups have been selected by
the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to represent India at the G20
Digital Innovation Network (DIN).
• T-AIM is an initiative of the Government of Telangana, supported by the National Association of
Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).
• 4 startups: Arficus, Edubuk, Eunimart, and MayaMD supported by the Revv Up program.
• Revv Up is a free-of-equity-or-cost acceleration program by T-AIM that is exclusively designed
for early-stage AI startups.
• The program has been supporting 80 startups built on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
About G-20 DIN:
• The G-20 DIN will be held from 2nd September-4th September 2022 at Bali International
Convention Center, Bali, Indonesia.
Aim:
• To facilitate and advance meaningful collaboration between governments and businesses,
such as; start-ups, venture capitals, and corporations in the digital ecosystem.
About Telangana:
• Principal Secretary of Telangana, Jayesh Ranjan
J&K Police launches online mobile application ‘JK ECop’
• The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police have launched the online mobile application “JK Ecop”,
an easy-to-use interface to facilitate common people

About JK Ecop:
• The Mobile App enables the citizens to use a host of services ranging from registering a
complaint to downloading a copy of the First Information Report (FIR).
• Through this Mobile App, the citizen can make requests like obtaining a character certificate,
employee verification, event performance, or tenant or PG verification.
• Details about missing persons and unidentified dead bodies etc can also be obtained through
this portal.
• Other services regarding the traffic police are also available to the citizens & these services
range from reporting a traffic violation to reporting an accident.
• Also, Information about the Highway status in the app will help the citizens to plan their travel.
About J&K:
• Director General of Police, J&K: Dilbag Singh
WRI India & AEDA launches online geospatial platform in Guwahati, Assam
• The World Resources Institute (WRI) India in collaboration with the Assam Energy
Development Agency (AEDA) launched an online, open-source, and interactive geospatial
platform called the Energy Access Explorer (EAE) for Assam.
About EAE:
• The platform will help visualize the extent of energy access in Assam’s health education and
livelihood infrastructure.
• It claims to assist policy-makers, renewable energy industry entrepreneurs, investors, and
researchers from the development sector to make integrated and impactful decisions to expand
energy access in Assam.
• The GoI’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) attempts to provide quality and
reliable power for both rural and urban areas.
• While Assam has made great strides in electricity provisioning to homes in the past decade,
37.7% of health sub-centers and 41% of schools in rural Assam lack access to reliable and
sustainable power.
About WRI India:
• CEO: Om Prakash Agarwal
About AEDA:
• Headquarters: Guwahati, Assam
• Director: Mrinal Krishna Chaudhury
About Assam:
• Capital: Dispur
Rajasthan govt launches 'Mahila Nidhi' to help women entrepreneurs
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri Ashok Gehlot launched ‘Mahila Nidhi’, a loan scheme for the
social and economic development of women through loans.
• The Scheme was launched on the occasion of Women’s Equality Day on Aug 26, 2022.
• Rajasthan is the second state in India after Telangana, where Mahila Nidhi has been
established.
About ‘Mahila Nidhi’:
• Under the program, loans up to Rs.40, 000 will be put in the group’s members’ bank accounts
within 48 hours, & loans over Rs.40,000 would be deposited in their accounts within 15 days.
• In 33 districts, 2.70 lakh self-help groups have currently been established, and 30 lakh families
are interconnected.
• 50,000 self-help groups emerged in 2022–2023, serving around 6 lakh families.
• In the budget 2022-23, the government will establish ‘Mahila Nidhi’ through Rajasthan Rural
Livelihood Development Council.
• It has been established to help women's self-help groups get loans from banks, increase the
income of poor and marginal women, and social and economic progress of women through skill
development.
• A total of 36 lakh families in Rajasthan will get benefits from Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi in a
phased manner.
About Rajasthan:
• Capital: Jaipur
Delhi airport launches beta version of DigiYatra app for Android platform
• The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has launched a beta version of the ‘DIGI YATRA’
app for the Android platform.
Aim:
• To provide a paperless and seamless travel experience to the passengers.
• The Delhi Airport is among the first airports to introduce this system in India.
• DIAL had installed the required facility at Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport and already conducted its
trials.
About 'DigiYatra':
• The 'DigiYatra' is a Biometric Enabled Seamless Travel experience (BEST) based on Facial
Recognition Technology.
• The app will use facial features to establish a traveler’s identity, which will be linked to the
boarding pass.
• The app has been rolled out under the Digi Yatra Central Ecosystem (DYCE), formed by the
Digi Yatra Foundation (DYF) set up as a JV in 2019.
• While the 5 airports hold a 74% share in DYF, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) holds a 26%
share in DYF.
• The DIGI YATRA project will also be rolled out at Pune, Vijayawada, Kolkata, and Hyderabad
airports by March 2023.
About Delhi:
• Lt.Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena
Meghalaya CM launches ‘Rural Backyard Piggery Scheme’ for the welfare of farmers
• Meghalaya Chief Minister Shri Conrad K Sangma launched the “Rural Backyard Piggery
Scheme" launched under National Livestock Mission at Byrnihat in Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya.
• The scheme was launched in Samanda block in East Garo Hills district, Meghalaya.
Aim:
• To ensure that the farmers earn a sustainable livelihood through different livestock farming
activities.
About Rural Backyard Piggery Scheme:
• Under this scheme 4 piglets, 3 female and 1 male piglet will be distributed to farmers to
promote pig breeding to provide regular income to farmers.
• This livestock package is worth Rs 25,000 per beneficiary.
• It is envisaged to benefit 6000 poor and marginal farmers and also increase pork production in
Meghalaya.
Financial Structure:
• Under phase 1 of the scheme, the government has earmarked Rs 15.18 crore under which 4
high-yielding improved varieties will be distributed to 6000 families.
• Under the 2nd phase of the program, additional Rs 25 crore will be earmarked to roll out.
• To make the state self-sufficient in pork, the government is implementing one of the largest
piggery development programs, the ‘Meghalaya Piggery Mission’.
• Under this mission, zero interest loan is provided for setting up fattening and pig breeding.
• So far 250 piggery cooperative societies have availed loans amounting to Rs 43.67 crore.
• He informed that Meghalaya acquires 18,000 MT of pork from different States and there is a
huge shortfall in supply and demand, through the piggery scheme the state envisions
addressing the shortage of pork supply.
About Meghalaya:
Center Approves UP Family ID Plan - Parivar Kalyan Card
• The Central Government has granted permission to the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government’s
proposal of releasing family IDs to its residents and application for Aadhaar authentication for
their details through the ministry of electronics and information technology (MEIT).
• With this, the UP government is set to issue a family identity card (Parivar Kalyan Card) to map
each family in the state and is expected to launch its portal for application within the next 2
weeks.
About Parivar Kalyan Card Scheme:
• After its implementation, the Card will be a 12-digit card that will help the state govt to map all
the families and the benefits of several govt schemes received by a family.
• Through this scheme, the UP government will identify a family unit and its members & also
qualify them as beneficiaries for various government schemes ranging from employment,
pensions, and housing benefits among others
How will UP Parivar Kalyan Card work:
• The UP Parivar Kalyan Card will be issued to family units based on their Aadhaar Data.
• Currently, registration for the Card Scheme has been kept voluntary & only those seeking to
avail govt scheme benefits will be required to register for it.
• Under the program, family units will be allowed to register to receive a 12 Digit Family ID based
on which different persons within the family would be identified to receive benefits under
government schemes.
• The Ministry had specified that no person will be denied any service or benefits on account of
the failure of Aadhaar-based authentication.
• The UP Government has also consulted the governments of Haryana and Karnataka, who
have launched similar schemes under banners of ‘Parivar Pehchan Patra’ and ‘Kutumba Card’,
respectively.
Karnataka govt launches Global Startup Challenge 'VentuRISE'
• The Karnataka government launched the Global Startup Challenge "VentuRISE" to recognize,
reward, and support growth-stage startups in manufacturing and sustainability-related sectors.
• VentuRISE is a part of the flagship event Global Investors Meet -“Invest Karnataka 2022″ from
2nd – 4th November 2022 at Bangalore, Karnataka.
• Minister for Large and Medium Industries Shri Murugesh R Nirani Unveiled the logo of
VentuRISE.
Aim:
• To promote Karnataka as the preferred destination for startups in the manufacturing and
sustainability sectors.
• The Department of Industries and Commerce has collaborated with Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE)
to conduct the Startup Challenge.
About VentuRISE:
• The Global Challenge will provide budding entrepreneurs across the globe with a platform to
showcase their innovative products/solutions and connect with potential investors.
• The Startup Challenge will be a 3-round challenge that will be conducted over 2 months.
About Karnataka:
Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki Becomes 29th District of Chhattisgarh
• Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh
Chowki as the 29th district of Chhattisgarh.
• He is scheduled to inaugurate Sarangarh-Bilaigarh and Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai as
the 30th and 31st districts of Chhattisgarh
• To reduce the travel distance for the people to reach the headquarters, it has been carved out
of Rajnandgaon district, by reducing 170 kilometers to 70 kilometers.
• There are three tehsils in the newly formed district – Ambagarh Chowki, Mohala, and Manpur
and three development blocks and Janpad Panchayat – Ambagarh Chowki, Mohala, and
Manpur.
• During the Launch, the map of the new district was inaugurated as well as development works
projects worth Rs 160 crore were unveiled by CM Shri Bhupesh Baghel.
About Chhattisgarh:

• Capital: Raipur
Generation global program launched for students in A.P. and Tamil Nadu
• United Kingdom (London) based Tony Blair Institute (TBI) for Global Change and Canadian
Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Children Believe have jointly launched a ‘Generation
Global Programme’ for schools and colleges in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, at the Zilla
Parishad High School at Ragimanupenta in Bangarupalem Mandal, Andhra Pradesh.
• Tony Blair Institute for Global Change Director Lucy Hayter, launched the program.
Aim:
• To transform the mindset of school and college students in the age group of 13 to 17 years,
and to make them ‘global citizens.
• The program was organized by the Rural Organization for Poverty Eradication Services
(ROPES).
• More than 1,000 students from Bangarupalem and Palamaner mandals took part in the event.
• It will cover a maximum number of educational institutions in India in a phased manner.
Odisha's nua Khai festival celebrated in western Odisha
• Nua Khai is an annual harvest festival in Odisha, celebrated to welcome the season’s new rice.
• It is the most auspicious and important social festival in Western Odisha and the neighboring
areas of Simdega in Jharkhand.
• The festival was celebrated by Chauvan Raja Ramai Deo at Patanagarh which is currently
known as the Bolangir district of Odisha.
About Nua Khai:
• The word ‘nua’ translates to new and ‘Khai’ means food.
• It is observed on panchami tithi (the fifth day) of the lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada
or Bhadraba (August–September), the day after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
• Nabanna (new rice) is offered to Maa Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur, at the
stipulated lagna as per rituals
About Odisha:

Bhartaul becomes the first village in UP to Provide RO Water To Every Household
• Bhartaul, in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district, has become the first village in UP to achieve the
distinction of supplying RO (Reverse Osmosis) water to every household.
• The village has a population of around 7,000 people and every house is now provided with
clean RO water.
• The ROs have been installed under the Centre’s Adarsh Gram Panchayat initiative.
• So far, 4 RO plants have been brought up in the village and plans are underway to set up more
in the following days.
• These plants have been connected to the main supply tanks which help to provide clean water
to every household.
• It will save people from water-borne diseases.
About UP:
India's 1st 3D-Printed Post Office To Come Up In Bengaluru, Karnataka
• India’s first 3D-printed Post Office is coming up in Cambridge Layout in the Halasuru area of
• Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has given clearance for the construction.
• Its construction will be carried out by the Indian multinational conglomerate, Larsen and Toubro
(L&T).
• The project is being carried out in collaboration with IIT Madras.
Merits of constructing a 3D-post office:
• The 3D post office would cut down construction costs to an extreme extent.
• It does not take longer than a month to get completed.
• The area of the building would be a 1000-square-feet.

• The 3D post office will cost less than Rs. 25 lakh.
• This cost reduces the usual construction price by 25%.
• Earlier, in 2021, India’s first 3D-printed house was built by the IIT-Madras campus, in Chennai,
Tamil Nadu.
Note:
• Larsen & Toubro is the only company currently in India utilizing 3D printing technology for
construction.
About Karnataka:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Shri M.K Stalin Launches Footwear & Leather Goods Policy 2022
• Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister Shri M K Stalin launched the Footwear and Leather Products
Policy 2022 at the Tamil Nadu Footwear and Leather Sector Conclave 2022.
Aim:
• To transform Tamil Nadu into a favored destination for footwear and leather products
manufacturing in Asia.
• The Conclave was organized by the TN government investment promotion agency, Guidance
Tamil Nadu.
• The policy will offer a special package for footwear and leather products (FLP) manufacture
and incentives for FLP Design Studios.
About footwear and leather products policy 2022:
• The Tamil Nadu footwear sector accounts for 26% of India’s manufacturing output and 48% of
exports.
• It will offer a special package for footwear and leather products manufacturing and incentives
for such “design studios”.
• Tamil Nadu’s major hubs for leather and leather goods production are Vaniyambadi, Vellore,
Tiruchirappalli, Ambur, Ranipet, Peranampattu, Dindigul, Erode, and Chennai.
• International brands like Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Bugatti, Prada, Zara, Coach,
Tommy Hilfiger, etc. get their raw materials from the state or are directly manufactured in Tamil
Nadu.
• He also signed 5 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with companies namely KICL,
Walkaroo, KIC, KICL SEMS, and Wagon International, for an investment worth Rs 2,250 crore
in the footwear and leather sector to generate employment for 37,450 persons.
• The CM also laid the foundation stone for the mega footwear manufacturing park at
Panapakkam, Ranipet costing INR 400.
• Considering the labor-intensive nature of FLP manufacturing, the eligibility criteria for firms
applying for incentives will be relaxed under the “Special Package for FLP Manufacturing”.
• For leather FLP and standalone non-leather footwear, the eligibility is a minimum investment of
Rs 50 crore and minimum employment of 2,000 people for component cluster ₹300 crore and
3,000 persons and for allied footwear industries (outside the cluster) ₹150 crore and 100
persons.
• ‘Large’ FLP manufacturing projects in “B” and “C” category districts (₹300 crore+) will be
eligible for Special Packages, while ‘Mega’ projects in “A” category districts (₹500 crores +) will
be eligible for a ‘Structured Package of Assistance” as per the Tamil Nadu Industrial Policy
(TNIP) 2021.
Turnover-based subsidy:
• To Consider the higher turnover-to-asset ratio in FLP manufacturing, a turnover-based subsidy
will be applicable as a percentage of the turnover in each financial year.
Fixed Capital Subsidy:
• Industries allied to footwear manufacturing or component industries located outside the clusters
will be eligible for a Fixed Capital Subsidy of 10% of investment in Eligible Fixed Assets to be
disbursed in 10 equal annual installments.
Note:
• Tamil Nadu is the only state in India that has implemented Zero Liquid Discharge in tanneries.
About Tamil Nadu:

Tamil Nadu CM rolls out Pudhumai Penn Scheme for girl students
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Shri M K Stalin launched the ‘Pudhumai Penn’ (modern woman)
scheme for the state's girl students.
• Under this scheme, all girl students, who studied from Classes 6 to 12 in government schools,
will get Rs 1,000 per month to pursue higher education.
Aim:
• To reduce child marriages and will make women independent.
About ‘Pudhumai Penn’ Scheme:
• Under the scheme, money will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of students to
ensure that they do not face any difficulty in pursuing education.
• Through this program, approximately 6,00,000 girl students could potentially benefit each year
& Rs 698 crore has been allocated in the budget for its implementation.
• 'Thagaisal Palligal' and 'Mathiri Palligal' are the official Tamil names for the SoE and Model
Schools.
• He also announced that Rs 25 crore will be allocated to Bharathi Women’s College for
constructing new classrooms and developing infrastructure facilities.
About TN:
Airtel Partners With Odisha Power Utility for Bill Payment
• Bharti Airtel has launched a pilot project in partnership with Tata Power Northern Odisha
Distribution Limited (TPNODL)
Aim:
• To offer bill payment solutions to more than 2 million customers of the utility.
• The pilot project will mobilize 4,000 Airtel Payment Banks (APBs) in northern Odisha to
facilitate bill payments.
• While the front end solutions will be managed through Airtel Payments Bank & the back-end
connectivity will be powered by Airtel IQ, which is the world’s first network-integrated
Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) ecosystem that allows an enterprise to embed
voice, messaging (Text and WhatsApp), video in mobile/ web application.
• Airtel IQ is a unit of Airtel’s enterprise.
• TPNODL has enabled electricity bill payment through various physical avenues like Mo Seba
Kendra, and CSC, along with digital payment options through BBPS, TPNODL Website, and
My TATA POWER App.
About Bharti Airtel:
About Odisha:
India’s first Bio-Village set up in Daspara Tripura
• Tripura Government has set up India’s 1st Bio-Village at Daspara in Sepahijala district.
• The bio-villages have been set up in Tripura by the Directorate of Bio-Technology under the
Science and Technology department.
• The bio villages are examples of sustainable development goals (SDG) in some of the remotest
areas of Tripura.
• The concept of 'Bio-Village' was first introduced by the Directorate of Biotechnology,
Government of Tripura in 2018 with the primary objective of promoting organic farming.
About Daspara Bio-Village:
• The Daspara Bio-Village has been developed as a hamlet consisting of 64 families solely
dependent on agriculture and fishery.
• The village farmers have also decided to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers for agricultural
activities.
• Daspara is one of the first bio-villages that has been developed based on the bio-village 2.0
conceptualized in Tripura.
• The concept has been designed to help mitigate the climate change effects.
Key Objectives:
• To ensure total socio-economic development of rural communities
• Spur economic growth and development with the benefit of Rs 5000/- per month
• Incorporate renewable energy sources within the village
• Promote usage of solar-powered agricultural equipment, energy-saving electrical devices,
biogas, and biofertilizers
• Provide sustainable livelihood and food security
• Demonstrate successful use of compatible sustainable technologies
• For this project, more than 500 households have benefitted.
About Tripura:
• Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya
• Chief Minister: Manik Saha
• Capital: Agartala
Odisha government launches Rs 270 crore CHHATA rainwater harvesting scheme to improve
groundwater table
• The Odisha government launched the Community Harnessing and Harvesting rainwater
Artificially from Terrace to Aquifer (CHHATA) scheme - a rooftop rainwater harvesting system
with an investment of Rs 270 crore.
Aim:
• To reinvigorate groundwater resources and improve the water table.
• The new scheme was approved by the State Cabinet In Aug 2022.
• Besides, a rooftop rainwater harvesting monitoring committee will be constituted at the Urban
Local Bodies (ULB) level, which will review the progress of the scheme and submit the report to
the department and collectors of the respective districts.
About CHHATA Scheme:
• It will be implemented through the existing manpower of the department of Water Resources
(DoWR) for 5 years.
• The rainwater harvesting structures will be constructed on the roofs of 29,500 private buildings
and 1,925 government buildings covering 52 water-stressed blocks and 27 urban local bodies.
• An estimated 373.52 crore liter of water will be harvested during the scheme period between
2022-23 and 2026-27.
• The Odisha government will provide a subsidy of Rs 55,000 or 50 percent of the cost of the
structure,
About Odisha:
Rajasthan launches 100-day urban employment guarantee scheme
• Rajasthan chief minister Shri Ashok Gehlot launched the ‘Indira Gandhi Urban Employment
Scheme’ at the Ambedkar Bhawan, Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Aim:
• To provide 100 days of employment to needy families in urban areas on the lines of the rural
employment guarantee scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA).
• The Government of Rajasthan has allocated Rs 800 crore for the scheme.
About ‘Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Scheme’:
• More than 2.25 lakh families have already registered for the scheme.
• The scheme would cover works like environment protection, water and heritage conservation,
garden maintenance, removing encroachments, illegal sign boards, hoardings, banners,
Sanitation, cleanliness, etc.
• People from the age group of 18 to 60 are eligible for the scheme.
• Payments will be made in the bank accounts of the beneficiary within 15 days.
Other welfare projects:
• The Rajasthan Government had made treatment free under the Chiranjeevi scheme.
• He also highlighted the government’s initiative to open Mahatma Gandhi English Medium
schools to provide education to children in English, and a scheme to distribute free sanitary
napkins to women
About Rajasthan:
• Capital: Jaipur
Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma launches Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act online portal
• Meghalaya Chief Minister Shri Conrad K Sangma has launched the online portal of the
Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) 2016.
Aim:
• To ensure the safety and security of the residents, gathering intelligence inputs and to better
the process of delivery of numerous government services.
• The URL of the web application is http://megrssa.nic.in.
• The web-based system is first being rolled out in 7 localities of Shillong.
• The first phase is being implemented in the localities of Nongrim Hills, Lapalang,
Nongmynsong, Nongrah, Pohkseh, Riat Laban, and Wahdienglieng.
Salient features of the online system:
• The digitization process would connect more than 6,000 villages and localities across
Meghalaya to the online system.
• Electoral Picture Identity Card (EPIC) is being used to identify the landlord
• The web application has been designed and developed to enable the landlords, tenants, and
local authorities of the localities and sub-localities to register and enter the details of the
residents (i.e., landlords/tenants') rental units as a provision in Form B of the Act.

• The 'Dorbar Shnongs' (traditional village institution of the village) have also been adopted for
the security of the residents in their respective localities.
About MRSSA:
• The Government of Meghalaya has introduced the Meghalaya Resident Safety and Security
Act (MRSSA) 2016.
• To ensure & enhance the security of the citizens of the state by making a careful and thorough
examination of tenants residing in Meghalaya.
• To implement the Act, the state government in collaboration with National Informatics Centre
(NIC) has taken the initiative to design and develop an online application.
• The implementation of the Act will prevent anti-social elements from gaining shelter.
About Meghalaya :
Delhi Police become the first police force in India to make forensic evidence mandatory
• Delhi Police has become the first police force in India to make the collection of forensic
evidence mandatory for offenses punishable with more than six years.
Aim:
• To boost the conviction rate and integrate the criminal justice system with forensic science
investigation.
Key Highlights:
• Apart from Delhi police's own mobile crime vans, a forensic mobile van shall be allocated to all
districts to provide scientific and forensic assistance on the spot to IOs
• The forensic vans shall be fully equipped with the necessary tools and assistants shall be
detailed.
• These vans shall not be under the administrative control of the police and be an independent
entity responsible to the court of law.
• These vehicles shall visit the crime scenes whenever called by any station house officer (SHO)
or investigation officer (IO).
Note:
• The recently released NCRB report showed a 40% increase in crimes against women in Delhi,
which is the highest among all metropolitan cities in the country.
About Delhi:
Nagaland celebrates the first ever Naga Mircha Festival at Seihama
• In a first of its kind in Nagaland, Naga Mircha (Naga King Chili) Festival 2022 was organized at
Seiyhama Village under Kohima district.
• The festival was hosted and organized by Seiyhama village Council and Seiyhama Naga
Mircha Growers and sponsored by the Department of Horticulture.
• The President of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) 11th Northern Angami
(NA)-II Assembly Constituency, Vibeilietuo Kets inaugurated the one-day festival.
About Naga Mircha Festival:
• Naga Mircha (King Chili) has constantly been placed on the top 5 in the list of the world’s
hottest chilies based on the Scoville Heat Units (SHUs).
• It is also referred to as ‘Raja Mircha’, ‘Bhoot Jolokia’ or ‘Ghost Pepper’,
• Naga Mircha attained Geographical Indication (GI) certification in 2008.
• It belongs to the genus Capsicum of the family Solanaceae.
• Naga Mircha is an indigenous crop of Nagaland believed to have originated from Nagaland’s
Zeliangrong region.
Note:
• Naga Mircha was the first product to receive a GI tag from Nagaland among the 4 GI Products
of Nagaland.
About Nagaland:

• Capital: Kohima
Govt of Chhattisgarh to launch New Scheme - Mukhyamantri Govansh Mobile Chikitsa Yojana
• The Chief Minister (CM) of Chhattisgarh Shri Bhupesh Baghel will launch a scheme
Mukhyamantri Govansh Mobile Chikitsa Yojana.
Aim:
• To establish Mobile Veterinary Units (MVU) to provide medical aid to cattle on the lines of
health clinics being run for citizens in urban and rural areas of Chhattisgarh.
• In the first stage of the scheme, 1 or 2 mobile veterinary units with veterinarians will be
provided in each district
• Healthcare services for livestock are being provided at government-run veterinary hospitals and
‘gauthans’ established under the Suraji Gaon Yojana.
• The Chhattisgarh government has been running ‘Mukhyamantri Slum Swasthya Yojana’ in
urban areas and ‘Mukhyamantri Haat-Bazaar Clinic Yojana in rural areas to ensure that all
citizens, have access to affordable and quality healthcare facilities through mobile medical
units.
• In July 2020, the Chhattisgarh government launched a cow dung procurement scheme to
promote cow rearing, ensure the safety of livestock and provide financial benefits to cattle-
rearers.
• In July 2022 a cow urine procurement scheme was launched in selected places of
Chhattisgarh.
About Chhattisgarh:
• Capital: Raipur
TN Government notifies Nanjarayan Tank as 17th bird sanctuary
• The Government of Tamil Nadu (TN) issued a government order (GO) to establish the 17th bird
sanctuary in Tamil Nadu at Nanjarayan tank, in Tirupur district, Tamil Nadu (TN).
• The announcement was made in the state Assembly by Forest Minister K Ramachandran on
April 25, 2022.
Key Highlights:
• The bird sanctuary will be established at the cost of Rs 7.5 crore.
• The 125.86 hectares of land located near Neruperichal and Sarkar Periyapalayam villages of
Tiruppur North & Uthukuli taluks in Tiruppur district, will be the 17th bird sanctuary in TN.
• Earlier in December 2021, the MK Stalin-led DMK government declared the Kazhuveli wetland
located near Villupuram as the ‘Kazhuveli Birds Sanctuary’.
About TN:
Karnataka Government Signs MoU with Dell Technologies to Impart Cyber Safety Practices
• Karnataka government’s cyber center of excellence in cyber security ‘CySecK’ and Dell
Technologies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create enhanced
cybersecurity practices in Karnataka, especially among students.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Karnataka Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath
Narayan and vice-president Manish Gupta, Dell Technologies, along with Ripu Bajwa, director
sales and general manager–Data Protection Solutions, Dell Technologies at Vikasa Soudha,
Bangalore, Karnataka.
About the MoU:
• The agreement would facilitate cyber security awareness and practices in student circles,
startups, and public offices, and would also benefit both small- and medium-scale enterprises
(SMEs).
• Under the MoU, Dell would provide learning of cyber safety practices through its interactive
courses available in Kannada and English.
• Dell aims to contribute to the startup ecosystem through its ‘Ascend’ initiative which will help in
expanding the startup market.

About Karnataka:
• Chief Minister: Basavaraj Bommai
Odisha to Get 5G Service in First Phase of Launch: Ashwini Vaishnaw
• Telecom Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Odisha will get 5G service along with
other cities in the first phase of its launch.
• It will provide users with 10 times the speed of 4G.
• Around 13 cities are likely to get 5G telecom service across India in the first phase.
• He stated that a 5G lab has been developed at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras,
Tamil Nadu (TN).
• Vaishnaw also informed us that India is looking at developing hydrogen-powered trains by
2023.
About Odisha:
Bihar CM inaugurated India’s longest rubber dam on Falgu River - Gayaji Dam
• Bihar Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar has inaugurated India’s longest rubber dam ‘Gayaji
Dam’ on the Falgu River in Gaya, near Vishnupad temple in Bihar, India.
• The Dam has been constructed by Rubina Company of Austria in collaboration with Nagarjuna
Construction Company of Hyderabad on the advice of experts from IIT Roorkee.
• The dam has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 324 crore.
• Earlier, CM Shri Nitish Kumar laid its foundation stone on 22 September 2020.
About Gayaji Dam:
• The rubber dam is 411 meters long, 95.5 meters wide, and 3 meters high.
• The dam is made of 17 mm thick rubber.
• After the construction of the dam, its water will be stored for about two and a half kilometers.
• It is bulletproof and experts claim that it will not deteriorate for 100 years.
• It will provide an uninterrupted water supply to Vishnupad Temple in Gaya throughout the year.
About Falgu River:
• Falgu River originates in the Palamu district of Jharkhand.
• The river passes through the holy city of Gaya in Bihar and has significance in Hindu and
Buddhist religions.
• The length of the Falgu river in Bihar is about 135 km & it starts near Gaya at the confluence of
Lilajan River and Mohana River and finally joins Punpun River, Bihar.
About Bihar:
• Capital: Patna
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Unveils Delhi Model School Plan In TamilNadu
• Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal unveiled the establishment of 26 Schools of
Excellence (SoE) and 15 Model Schools in Tamil Nadu (TN) in an event held at the Bharathi
Women’s College in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
• During this inauguration Tamil Nadu CM Shri M K Stalin also attended.
• 'Thagaisal Palligal' and 'Mathiri Palligal' are the official Tamil names for the SoE and Model
Schools.
About TN:
About Delhi:
• Lt Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena
• Chief minister: Arvind Kejriwal

UP tops the chart among states in trials pending in fast-track courts
• According to data shared by Law Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju with the chief justices of the high
courts, Uttar Pradesh (UP) accounts for more than 70% of the 13.81 lakh pending trials in fast-
track courts in cases of heinous crimes against women, children, and senior citizens.
Key Highlights:
• According to the details, more than 9.33 lakh cases are pending in the fast-track courts of UP,
followed by over 1.4 lakh cases in Maharashtra, 1.06 lakh cases in Tamil Nadu, 71,260 cases
in West Bengal (WB) & 12,538 cases in Telangana.
• With more than 60,000 cases pending in the Fast-Track Special Courts (FTSC), UP also tops
the list of the states where trials in rape cases and matters under the Protection of Children
from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act are yet to be concluded.
• It is followed by Maharashtra has nearly 43,000 cases pending in the FTSCs, West Bengal
35,653, Bihar (22,592), Tamil Nadu (20,037), Odisha (19,214), Rajasthan (18,077), Kerala
(14,392), Gujarat (12,347) and Telangana (12,248).
• As many as 3,28,556 cases are pending in the FTSCs across 28 states and Union territories
(UTs).
• FTSCs were set up under a centrally-sponsored scheme for an expeditious trial of rape and
POCSO Act cases.
About UP:
Delhi & Punjab join hands to curb stubble burning through bio-decomposer
• The governments of Delhi and Punjab have joined hands to use Pusa bio-decomposer, a
microbial solution that can decompose paddy straw in 15 to 20 days on 5,000 acres to prevent
stubble burning, a major cause of air pollution.
• As part of a pilot project to be implemented with the help of the Indian Agricultural Research
Institute (IARI), bio-decomposer will be sprayed over 5,000 acres or 2,023 hectares of land in
Punjab.
• The spraying of bio-decomposer costs just Rs 30 per acre.
• According to the IARI, Punjab had reported 71,304 farm fires between September 15 and
November 30, 2021, and 83,002 farm fires in the corresponding period in 2020.
Background:
• In July 2022, the Delhi and Punjab governments jointly sent a proposal to the Center and the
Commission for Air Quality Management to help them give cash incentives to farmers in the
agrarian state for not burning stubble.
About Delhi:
• Lt.Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena
About Punjab:
Center & Govt of Assam signs tripartite peace accord with 8 tribal outfits
• The Center and Assam government signed a tripartite peace accord with eight tribal outfits of
Assam.
• The accord was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah.
The 8 rebel groups include:
• Birsa Commando Force (BCF)
• Adivasi People’s Army (APA)
• All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA)
• Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam (ACMA)
• Santhali Tiger Force (STF)
• The remaining three outfits are splinter groups of BCF, AANLA, and ACMA.
• These 8 tribal militant groups have been in a ceasefire with the government since 2012
• The accord was signed 10 years after the peace process started.
• The agreement will prove to be another milestone in the direction of making North East region
extremism free by 2025.
• In an arms-laying ceremonial function held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati,
169 insurgents of the United Gorkha People’s Organisation (UGPO) and 77 insurgents of the
Tiwa Liberation Army (TLA) laid down their arms.
About Assam:
• Capital: Dispur
Manipur CM N. Biren Singh launches ‘CM Da Haisi’ web portal to address public grievances
• Manipur Chief Minister Shri N Biren Singh has launched a web portal named CM Da Haisi’
(Let's Inform the CM) in Imphal, Manipur.
Aim:
• To enable people to redress their grievances, and provide a platform to raise corruption-related
issues
• 3 phone numbers, including 2 meant for the anti-corruption cell, have been made available on
the portal 'CM da Haisi' (Let's inform the CM).
• The public can raise their grievances in the web portal by logging on to
www.cmdahaisi.mn.gov.in & the complainants can also check the status of their complaints.
• The Public Grievance Redressal and Anti-Corruption Cell have received a total of 134
complaints since March 2022 and out of which 85% of the complaints have been resolved and
communicated to the complainants.
• It will enable fast redressal of public grievances and also provide a platform to raise corruption-
related issues.
• This will further enable the government to bring transparency and accountability in governance
and delivery of public services.
About Manipur:
• Chief Minister: N. Biren Singh
• Capital: Imphal
Gujarat Govt announces first-ever Cinematic Tourism Policy 2022-2027 in Ahmedabad
• The Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel announced Gujarat’s first-ever ‘Cinematic
Tourism Policy’ 2022-2027 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Aim:
• To promote cinematic tourism through the development of film infrastructure and the creation of
attractive opportunities for cinema in Gujarat.
Key Highlights:
• The policy will help in strengthening the film infrastructure in Gujarat.
• It will also bring all the service providers associated with filmmaking on one platform and will
boost tourism activities in Gujarat.
• It will create viable opportunities for film production in Gujarat and also provide employment
opportunities to local people.
• Gujarat is a policy-driven state and has become the first choice destination for global investors.
• Four Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth Rs. 1022 crore for investments in various
subjects including filmmaking, studio infrastructure, and acting schools in Gujarat were signed
by some investors with the tourism department.
About Gujarat:
Bihar Govt to initiate 'no-bag day', & compulsory games period in schools
• The Government of Bihar is set to introduce a 'no-bag day' rule in schools & a mandatory
games period at least once a week to reduce the burden on students.
Objective:
• To engage students in various activities which can positively impact their learning.
• The weekly “no-bag day” will have task-based practical classes.

• At least once a week, students will come to school only with their lunch boxes & they do not
need to carry books.
• The day will be devoted to practical and experiential learning.
• The initiative is in line with the National Education Policy 2020 and will be implemented in both
state-run and private schools.
About Bihar:
• Capital: Patna
Meghalaya signs MoU with TN for recruitment & training of medical professionals
• The Meghalaya government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil
Nadu government through which Tamil Nadu has agreed to support Meghalaya for the
recruitment and training of medical professionals.
• This is a first-of-its-kind medical partnership between the two Indian states for knowledge
sharing, capacity building, and improving health service delivery.
• The MoU was signed by Principal Secretary of Health Shri Sampath Kumar and his Tamil Nadu
counterpart Shri P Senthil Kumar, in the presence of Health Minister Shri James PK Sangma.
About the MoU:
• The MoU is an element of Meghalaya’s efforts to enhance its well-being indicators & is one of
the numbers of packaged interventions together with the Chief Minister’s Safe Motherhood
Scheme (CM-SMS) beneath the rescue mission initiative to scale back MMR and IMR, aimed
toward strengthening and making certain protected deliveries in distant areas.
• It will facilitate the training of doctors, especially in remote community health centers, to
overcome the scarcity of certified and trained medical professionals for several critical
functions, including ultrasonography, obstetrics & gynecology, and anaesthesiology.
• The intent behind this is to provide better antenatal and postpartum care to expecting women
and to women after delivery, especially at public health facilities in remote locations.
• It is targeted at upgrading all CHCs in Meghalaya as First Referral Units (FRUs) by overcoming
the shortage of medical specialists in the CHCs.
About Meghalaya:
About TN:
West Bengal govt to give LoI to Adani Group on Tajpur deep sea port development
• West Bengal (WB) approved a proposal for issuing a letter of intent (LoI) to Adani Ports and
Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for the development of a greenfield deep sea port at Tajpur,
West Bengal.
• The estimated cost of the project is Rs 25,000 crore.
• The port would entail an investment of Rs 15,000 crore.
• The related port-led infrastructure development would involve another Rs 10,000 crore.
• The West Bengal Maritime Board (WBMB) will issue the LoI to the Adani group, which was the
highest bidder for the mega project.
Key Highlights:
• The Project would create around 25,000 jobs directly and more than one lakh jobs indirectly.
• The Greenfield port will provide quick access to the world markets to Bengal-based industries.
Features of the proposed port:
• The port will be set up 5 km from National Highway (NH)-116B and around 170 km from
Kolkata.
• The nearest Railway station is Rajnagar at a distance of nearly 8 km.
• Deep Draft of 12.1m with an 18-km channel and with tidal support of 3.9m leading to a net 16m
draft facility enabling large capesize vessels of one lakh DWT.
About WB:

Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi & UP sign pact for passenger vehicle movement
• Haryana, National Capital Territory (NCT)-Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh (UP) signed the
Status of Combined Reciprocal Common Transport Agreement, Contract Carriage, and Stage
Carriage, (CRCTA).
Key Highlights:
• There will be single-point taxation for all motor cabs/taxis/auto rickshaws; all Stage carriage
buses, and all State Transport Undertakings (STUs) of NCR, including city bus services.
• It will encourage shifts of traffic from private vehicles to mass public transport vehicles and will
help to ease traffic congestion and reduce air pollution.
• This agreement will ensure the seamless movement of passenger vehicles in the NCR.
• During the meeting, Inter-state road/linkages connectivity among National Capital Region
(NCR) states, road safety, and possibilities of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)/Electric buses
in the region were also discussed.
• The meeting discussed ensuring operational vehicle location tracking devices and speed
governors in all such vehicles under CRCTA.
• The meeting also focused on road safety issues.
• NCR states were requested to compile data on the black spots in the region along with
locations of PTZ cameras, and emergency trauma care centers along MDR, National
Highways, State Highways, and Expressways in NCR.
About Haryana:
About Rajasthan:

• Capital: Jaipur
About Delhi:
About UP:
Chhattisgarh CM announces campaign 'Hamar Beti, Hamar Maan' for women's safety
• The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel announced the launch of an innovative
campaign ‘Hamar Beti-Hamar Maan’ (Our Daughter - Our Pride) for the women's safety and
their empowerment in society
About ‘Hamar Beti-Hamar Maan’:
• Women officers and employees of the Chhattisgarh police will communicate, guide, and teach
the daughters in schools and colleges about their legal rights, good touch, bad touch,
molestation, sexual abuse, cyber crime, protection from social media crimes, and their rights.
• Under the campaign, a helpline number will also be issued so that prompt action could be
taken on the crimes against any woman after they complain about it through that number.
• A special team of police will patrol the girl's schools, colleges, and other prominent places with
the specific presence of females.
• Moreover, the Inspector General (IG) Range will be responsible for ensuring that the probe in
such matters is completed within a stipulated time and a challan is also presented.
About Chhattisgarh:
• Capital: Raipur
• Famous Dance: Pandwani, Raut Nacha, Panthi and Soowa
• Every year 1st Nov is celebrated as Chhattisgarh Foundation Day.

Govt of Nagaland to launch its health insurance scheme CMHIS on 1st October
• The Government of Nagaland will launch its health insurance scheme called the Chief
Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS) on the 1st of October, 2022.
Aim:
• To reduce out-of-pocket expenditure on hospital care for all bonafide citizens of Nagaland.
Beneficiaries:
• The scheme will cover two beneficiary categories: State government employees and
pensioners including legislators/ex-legislators and their dependents, and all the Indigenous and
or Permanent residents of the State who are not beneficiaries under AB PM-JAY or any public-
funded insurance scheme.
• It provides free health insurance coverage of up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year.
About Nagaland:
• Capital: Kohima
• Festivals: Hornbill Festival, Mim Kut, Sekrenyi, Aoleng, Moatsii Mong, Bushu Dima
Govt of Assam to use portable device ‘SAANS’ to stop neonatal deaths
• The Assam government has decided to use the air pressure machine named SAANS to reduce
neonatal mortality.
• It is developed by a Bangalore-based start-up, InnAccel Technologies.
About SAANS:
• The 'SAANS' system is a portable, easy-to-use, robust, neonatal Continuous Positive Air
Pressure (CPAP) device.
• It is designed to provide short-term breathing support for infants suffering from Respiratory
Distress Syndrome (RDS) in hospital settings as well as during travel.
• InnAccel Technologies has joined hands with SAMRIDH Healthcare Blended Finance Facility
to strengthen respiratory support for infants and the pediatric population in Assam.
About SAMRIDH:
• SAMRIDH is a multi-stakeholder innovation and funding platform operated by IPE Global and
supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Note:
• Assam has the third-highest infant mortality rate in India, with 40 fatalities per 1,000 live births.
• InnAccel Technologies Co-Founder and CEO: Siraj Dhanani
About Assam:
• Capital: Dispur
• Festivals: Bohag Bihu, Ali-Ai-Ligang, Baikho, Rongker, Bohaggiyo Bishu, Ambubashi Mela
• Dances: Sattriya, Bagurumba, Jhumur
Batukumma festival begins in Telangana
• The floral festival of Telangana Bathukamma is celebrated predominantly in Telangana and
some parts of Andhra Pradesh.
• The state festival will be celebrated in a grand manner across Telangana from September 25 to
October 3, 2022.
About Batukumma festival:
• ‘Bathuku’ means life and Amma means Mother & it is a festival to worship the ‘Life Giver’, the
universal energy - Goddess Shakti.
• It is celebrated for 9 days during Durga Navratri.
Name of 9 day Festival:
• Day 1: Engili pula Bathukamma
• Day 2: Attukula Bathukamma
• Day 3: Muddappappu Bathukamma
• Day 4: Nanabiyyam Bathukamma
• Day 5: Atla Bathukamma
• Day 6: Aligina Bathukamma (alaka Bathukamma)
• Day 7: Vepakayala Bathukamma
• Day 8: Vennae muddala Bathukamma
• Day 9: Sadhula Bathukamma
• Every year this festival is celebrated as per the Sathavahana calendar starting with Pitru
Amavasya, usually in September–October of the Gregorian calendar.
• It is made up of 7 concentric layers of flowers that are arranged in a pyramid shape.
• As it is a festival of women, they dance around it singing Bathukamma Paatalu (i.e. songs
praising Bathukamma). ∙
• On the 10th day of the celebration, the goddess is immersed in the local waters after performing
the rituals.
About Telangana:
• Dances: Kuchipudi, Perini Thandavam
• Festival: Bonalu Festival, Ugadi, Sankranti,
UP Govt Gives Nod to Bundelkhand’s First Tiger Reserve
• In a bid to promote tiger conservation, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) cabinet led by Chief Minister Mr.
Yogi Adityanath gave a green signal for the development of the first tiger reserve in the
Bundelkhand region.
• The UP cabinet approved the notification of Ranipur Tiger Reserve under Section 38(v) of the
Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
About the Ranipur Tiger Reserve:
• The Ranipur Tiger Reserve has tropical dry deciduous forests and is home to fauna such as
tigers, leopards, sloth bears, spotted deer, sambhar, chinkara, and several birds and reptiles.
• It will span 529.89 square kilometers (sq km), with a 299.58 sq km buffer zone and 230 sq km
core area, which was already notified as the RWS in 1977.
• It will be the 4th in UP, after Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Lakhimpur, Pilibhit, and Amangarh in
Bijnor district (buffer of Corbett Tiger Reserve).
• It will also be the first in the Up’s portion of the Bundelkhand region, which it shares with
neighboring Madhya Pradesh.
• A Ranipur Tiger Conservation Foundation will also be established for the protection and
conservation of tigers in the region.
About UP:
• Dance: Khayal, Nautanki Naqal
Maharashtra cabinet approves naming of Chipi airport after Nath Pai
• The Maharashtra Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde gave the nod to name
the Chipi greenfield airport in Sindhudurg district after a prominent socialist leader, freedom
fighter, and former Member of Parliament (MP) Barrister Nath Pai.
• The Chip Airport was formally inaugurated on March 5, 2019.
About the Airport:
• The airport is situated in Vengurla, 27 km away from the Mumbai-Goa highway in the coastal
Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.
• Commercial flights started operations at the Chipi airport on October 9, 2021.
About Barrister Nath Pai:
• 2022 is the birth centenary year of Nath Pai.
• Pai hailed from Vengurla, Maharashtra.
• He represented the Rajapur Lok Sabha constituency from 1957 to 1967 as Praja Socialist Party
leader.
• He was also a votary of Konkan Railway.
About Maharashtra:
• Chief Minister: Eknath Shinde
• Capital: Mumbai
• Festival: Pavri Nach, Lavani, Gondha
NITI Aayog to establish 500 Atal Tinkering Labs in J&K:
• More than 500 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) will be set up in Jammu and Kashmir by the Atal
Innovation Mission (AIM) and NITI Aayog to foster an inventive mentality among high school
students.
• The Center's AIM created its flagship program, ATL, to foster an innovative mentality among
high school students throughout India.
• The Atal Tinkering Labs in J&K, where inventive students showcased their models and
discussed the difficulties they encountered while developing these ideas.
• The government has instructed the Department of School Education to actively include pupils
in various experiments and scientific activities to foster a scientific mindset among them in
fields like machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Indian Railway installed ‘Meghdoot’ machines at Mumbai stations:
• Meghdoot machines have been installed by Indian Railways in Dadar, Thane, and other
Mumbai Division stations.
• Innovative technology is used by the special "Meghdoot" devices to turn airborne water vapor
into drinkable water.
• Maithri Aquatech Pvt Ltd. has been given the contract for installing 17 "MEGHDOOT"
Atmospheric Water Generator Kiosks throughout the Mumbai Division of Central Railway for a
term of 5 years under NINFRIS policy.
• Meghdoot machines are research-driven and it does not need to source water
• Maithri Aquatech’s MEGHDOOT – AWG uses innovative technology to convert water vapor in
the air into fresh and clean drinking water”.
• The company has also collaborated with the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology
(IICT), Hyderabad, to produce the highest quality water.
Union Home Minister has inaugurated a 2-day National Security Strategies (NSS) Conference 2022 in
New Delhi
• Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated a two-day National Security Strategies (NSS)
Conference 2022 in New Delhi.
• The Conference is being attended by 600 officers from across the country, physically and
virtually.
• On the first day of the Conference, deliberations were held on various aspects of national
security, including counter-terrorism, radicalization, issues about cryptocurrencies, counter-
rogue drone technology, and challenges posed by Maoist outfits.
• The home minister also inaugurated the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
• This system will help in the quick and easy disposal of cases with the help of a centralized
fingerprint database.
Govt sets target to eliminate Kala-azar by 2023 from country:
• The Government has set the target to eliminate Kala-azar by next year from the country.
• Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar said, out of 633 Kala-
azar endemic blocks, 625 blocks have achieved the elimination target last year.
• World Health Organisation (WHO) Neglected Tropical Diseases Road map has the target set
for Kala-azar elimination in 2030.
• The Government has taken several remedial steps for Kala-azar elimination.
Ministry of Women and Child Development is celebrating the 5th Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2022:
• Ministry of Women and Child Development is celebrating the 5th Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2022
across the nation from 1st September to 30th September.
• This year, the objective of the Poshan Maah is to trigger Poshan Maah through Gram
Panchayats as Poshan Panchayats with a key focus on “Mahila aur Swasthya” and “Bacha aur
Shiksha”.
• Rashtriya Poshan Maah serves as a platform to bring focus to the discourse of nutrition and
good health.
• In the 5th Rashtriya Poshan Maah, the aim is to convert Jan Andolan into Jan Bhagidari to fulfill
the Prime Minister's vision of a Suposhit Bharat.
• Correspondent reports that the Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition-
POSHAN Abhiyaan is the Government of India’s flagship program to improve nutritional
outcomes for children under six years of age, adolescent Girls, pregnant women, and lactating
mothers.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the program from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on 8 March
2018.
• Focusing on the aims of POSHAN Abhiyaan, the government has launched Mission Poshan
2.0 as an integrated nutrition support program.
• During the Poshan Maah, intensive activities across the country will be organized for creating
awareness about nutrition with a special focus on pregnant and lactating women, children
below six years, and adolescent girls to realize the vision of ‘Swasth Bharat’.
• Under the State level activities, ‘Amma ki Rasoi’ or Grandmother’s Kitchen of traditional
nutritious recipes will be organized.
Coal Ministry has aimed to enhance coal production to 1.23 billion tonnes by 2024-25:
• The Coal Ministry has aimed to enhance coal production to 1.23 billion tonnes by 2024-25 to
ensure the energy security of the country.
• To support the vision, Coal India Limited has adopted an integrated planning approach by
strengthening evacuation infrastructure for one billion tonnes of production and seamless
transportation of coal to the end users.
• North Karanpura Coalfield is a major coalfield in Jharkhand, falling within the command of
Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) having a coal resource of about 19 billion tonnes.
• CCL has a projected production contribution of about 135 million tonnes by 2025, out of which
about 85 million tonnes are likely to be produced from North Karanpura Coalfield.
• Tori - Shivpur double railway line has been created by CCL, which will provide up to 125 Million
Ton coal evacuation capacity.
• The development of the third line on the same alignment is under construction at an additional
capital of 894 crore rupees, which is likely to be operationalized by May next year.
Home Minister Amit Shah will unveil the “CAPF eAwas” web portal in Delhi:
• The Central Armed Police Forces' web portal for CAPF eAwas was presented by Home
Minister Shri Amit Shah.
• In remarks given on the occasion, Mr. Shah said that the Central Armed Police Forces had
always served as a strong foundation for the country's internal security.
• Since Independence Day, more than 35,000 police officers have perished protecting internal
security, and because of their sacrifices, people may rest easy at night and feel secure.
• A unified web portal called “CAPF eAwas” has been created to operationalize the improved
policy of allocation and to also increase transparency in the allocation process.
• To provide better medical treatment to the families of slain troops, the Indian government
started the "Ayushman CAPF" program.
• As a result of this CAPF eAwas scheme, more than 35 lakh Ayushman Cards have been
distributed to 10 lakh military personnel.
The unemployment rate surges to an 8.3% yearly high:
• Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) show that in August, India's
jobless rate rose to a one-year high of 8.3% while employment decreased by 2 million to 394.6
million.
• In July, there were 397 million people employed and the unemployment rate was 6.8%.
• In rural India, the jobless rate increased from 6.1% in July to 7.7% in August.
• More significantly, the employment rate dropped from 37.6% to 37.3%.
• As the monsoon season progresses, the delayed monsoon will enhance agricultural activity,
which might result in a decrease in the rural unemployment rate.
Blue Energy Motors has unveiled India’s first LNG-fuelled green truck:
• Blue Energy Motors has unveiled India’s first LNG-fuelled green truck by launching a
manufacturing plant at Chakan, Pune.
• The facility was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin
Gadkari.
• Blue Energy Motors’ trucks will be Liquified Natural Gas-fuelled, long-haul, heavy-duty trucks.
• Blue Energy Motors has already signed an agreement with FPT Industrial, the global
powertrain brand of Iveco Group.

• The market entry of the LNG-fuelled trucks will start with the introduction of the 5528 4x2
tractors as the first model.
• Blue Energy Motors trucks have been designed and tested by the demanding Indian transport
industry’s duty cycles.
• Powered by FPT Industrial engines generating high torque, these trucks deliver best-in-class
TCO and offer unmatched ride comfort and safety for the drivers for long hauls.
• Anirudh Bhuwalka, CEO, Blue Energy Motors.
PLFS: Unemployment Rate Decreases From 7.6% in April to June this Year
• According to the National Statistical Office (NSO), the unemployment rate for urban residents
of India who are 15 years of age or older decreased from 12.6% in April to June of last year to
7.6% in April to June of this year.
• The country had substantial unemployment from April to June 2021, mostly as a result of the
crippling effects of Covid-related regulations.
• The most recent figures, which highlighted a reduction in the unemployment rate together with
an improvement in the labor force participation rate, hint at a prolonged economic recovery
from the pandemic's aftereffects.
Central govt female staff to get 60-day maternity leave in early child death:
• Female employees of the Central Government would receive special 60-day maternity leave.
• If a baby is lost before or during delivery, or if the child dies soon after birth, the leave will be
given.
• The Department of Personnel and Training issued a directive about this.
• The choice was made in agreement with the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and
Pensions.
• The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions claim that the choice was taken
taking into account any potential emotional harm brought on by a stillbirth or the loss of a child
soon after birth, which might have a significant impact on the mother's life.
Nation's first-ever “Night Sky Sanctuary” to be set up in Ladakh:
• According to Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, Hanle, Ladakh will
soon become home to India's first-ever "night sky sanctuary."
• The Indian government is taking an original and groundbreaking approach to this.
• The proposed dark sky reserve would be situated in Hanle, Ladakh, and will promote Astro-
tourism in India, according to a statement issued by the Union Ministry of Science and
Technology.
• The second-largest natural reserve in the world, Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, will include
the night sky sanctuary when it is completed.
• The new undertaking will house optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes at one of the
highest elevations on the whole planet.
GoI announces to rename the Rajpath as Kartavya Path:
• Rajpath and Central Vista lawns will now be known as Kartavya Path, according to the Indian
government's announcement.
• According to reports, the choice will erase all traces of the British colony in India.
• The choice was made during a special meeting that was called to rename the Rajpath and
Central Vista lawns.
• The name of the street where the Prime Minister's home is located was previously changed
from Race Course Road to Lok Kalyan Marg by the Modi administration.
• From the Netaji Statue to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the entire route and surroundings are
referred to as the Kartavya Path.
• The National Stadium in Delhi is reached through a path that passes through Vijay Chowk,
India Gate, and Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill.
• Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the country on Independence Day, in
which he emphasized the circumstances leading to the elimination of symbols and emblems
associated with the colonial mindset, the decision was made.
In comparison to the previous year, preventive detentions increased by more than 23.7% in 2021:
• According to the most recent crime figures issued by the National Crime Records Bureau,
preventative detentions increased by over 23.7% in 2021 compared to the previous year, with
over 1.1 lakh persons being held in preventive detention.
• Nearly half (241) of these 483 detentions made by the National Security Act were still being
held as of the end of 2021.
• The number of persons held under preventative detention reached over 24,500 as of the end of
last year, which is a record high since the NCRB began keeping track of this information in
2017.
CCRAS ‘SPARK’ Program to Support Innovative Research in Ayurveda:
• The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) offers an innovative
approach to aid the research endeavors of India's up-and-coming bright minds.
• The Studentship Program for Ayurveda Research Ken (SPARK) has been created by CCRAS
for BAMS students studying Ayurveda at accredited Ayurveda colleges.
• The CCRAS has created the SPARK program to nurture students' developing minds and to
further the tradition of Ayurvedic research that is supported by scientific facts.
• The SPARK Program will encourage the students' research ideas and help them build a
research mindset.
• The SPARK Program seeks to assist young, rising students in all Indian Ayurveda institutions
with their research ideas.
• The SPARK Program application procedure will be conducted online.
• Under this fellowship, financial assistance in the amount of Rs. 50,000 would be given to the
chosen students.
PM Narendra Modi announced PM-SHRI Scheme for upgrading 14500 schools:
• The Pradhan Mantri Schools For Rising India (PM-SHRI) Yojana, a new initiative by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, aims to establish and upgrade 14,500 schools nationwide.
• PM-SHRI schools will develop into role models that fully embody the National Education Policy.
• The officially supported program will be put into action by enhancing current schools chosen
among those run by the federal government, states, union territories, and local organizations.
• These schools' objectives will include not only top-notch instruction, cognitive growth, and
learning but also the development of the whole, well-rounded people who possess essential
21st-century abilities.
India’s First Intranasal COVID Vaccine by Bharat Biotech gets DCGI Approval:
• The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approved Bharat Biotech's first intranasal Covid
vaccine for primary vaccination against the injection for adults over the age of 18.
• It is the first nasal COVID-19 vaccine produced in India.
• Mr. Mansukh Mandaviya, the union minister for Health and Family Welfare, described the
vaccination as a "Big Boost" for India's COVID-19 immunity.
• The developer of vaccines for infectious illnesses and a world leader in vaccine creation is
Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL).
• The development of the intranasal COVID vaccine (BBV154) has been licensed for limited use
in an emergency, according to a BBIL announcement.
• The iNCOVACC is a pre-fusion stabilized spike protein-vectored, recombinant, replication-
deficient adenovirus vaccine.
• Clinical studies for this vaccine in stages I, II, and III were effective in their evaluation.
• Nasal drops were used to administer the vaccination intravenously.
• It is made to be economical in low- and middle-income nations.
Warangal in Telangana & Thrissur and Nilambur in Kerala Joins UNESCO Global Network of
Learning Cities 2022
• The Indian cities, Nilambur (eco-tourism destination in Kerala) and Thrissur (cultural capital of
Kerala) in Kerala & Warangal in Telangana have gained recognition from the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after becoming India’s first
entrants in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC).
• The group of global cities also includes cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Hamburg, Athens,
Incheon, Bristol, and Dublin.
• As per UNESCO, 77 cities from 44 countries join the UNESCO Global Network of Learning
Cities (GNLC) in recognition of their outstanding efforts to make lifelong learning a reality for all
at the local level
• Other cities that have joined the network are the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Durban in South Africa,
and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) among others.
• Nilambur aims to ensure employment opportunities and United Nations (UN) Sustainable
Development Goal (SDG) 2, ‘zero hunger’.
About UNESCO GNLC:

• The UNESCO GNLC is an international policy-oriented network providing inspiration, know-
how, and best practice.
• The Network supports the achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in
particular, SDG 4 (‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong
learning opportunities for all) and SDG 11 (‘Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe,
resilient and sustainable).
According to UNESCO, a learning city is
• Effectively mobilizes its resources in every sector to promote inclusive learning from basic to
higher education
• Revitalizes learning in families and communities; facilitates learning for and in the workplace
• Extends the use of modern learning technologies
• Enhances quality and excellence in learning
• Fosters a culture of learning throughout life.
About UNESCO:
• Membership: 193 Members and 11 Associate Members
• UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN.
Aim:
Ministry of Education launches Shikshak Parv to advance NEP:
• Launch of Shikshak Parv by the Ministry of Education To honor teachers and progress the new
National Education Policy (NEP), Union Ministers Annapurna Devi and Rajkumar Ranjan Singh
launched Shikshak Parv
• The inauguration of Shikshak Parv was celebrated with an inaugural colloquium sponsored by
the Ministry of Education, CBSE, AICTE, and the Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship.
• According to the Minister of State (MoS) for Education Annapurna Devi, instructors would have
to develop a future action plan with the idea of an integrated and multidisciplinary approach
under NEP 2020.
PM Modi to unveil a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, dedicate Kartavya Path:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the newly called Kartavya Path, which connects
Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate and has red granite paths with flora all around, refurbished
canals, state-specific food booths, new utility blocks, and vending kiosks.
• Prime Minister Modi will dedicate a monument commemorating Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
• The government says it reflects a shift from the previous Rajpath, which functioned as a
representation of authority, to the Kartavya Path, which serves as an example of public
ownership and empowerment.
• Five vending zones with a maximum of 40 vendors each have been constructed by the CPWD,
as well as two blocks near the India Gate with a maximum of eight retailers each.
• A few states have shown a desire to establish food booths.
Health Sector in India to Reach $50 Billion By 2025:
• By 2025, the Indian healthcare sector is anticipated to develop into a $50 billion market,
according to Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
• The minister added that during the past two years, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
healthcare has become more focused on innovation and technology.
• The minister was speaking at the 14th CII Global MedTech Summit, "Seizing the Global
Opportunity."
• Around 80% of the healthcare system plans to boost investment in digital healthcare
instruments in the next five years.
• The government is to reduce import dependence from 80% to below 30% in the next 10 years
and ensure a self-reliance quotient of 80% in med-tech through Make in India with SMART
milestones.
Union Cabinet approved the PM Schools for Rising India scheme (SHRI) scheme:
• The Union Cabinet approved the PM Schools for Rising India project (SHRI), a new centrally
funded scheme aimed at developing around 14500 schools across the country by improving
chosen existing schools overseen by all levels of government.
• In PM SHRI schools, the emphasis will be on the learning outcomes of every child in every
grade, and student evaluations will be based on conceptual comprehension and the application
of knowledge in real-life circumstances.
• Students will be evaluated using a School Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF) that is
currently being developed.
• It will define the key performance indicators that will be used to assess outcomes. Linkages
with Sector Skill Councils and local industry will be explored to improve employability and
provide greater employment possibilities at these schools.
Mr. Gadkari to Inaugurate Conference Manthan in Bengaluru:
• Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, will launch 'Manthan' in
Bengaluru.
• General Dr. VK Singh, Union Minister of State for RT&H and Civil Aviation, and Shri Basavaraj
Bommai, Chief Minister of Karnataka, will accompany him.
• The theme of Mathan is ‘IDEAS TO ACTION: Towards a smart, sustainable, road infra,
mobility, and logistics ecosystem.’
• Manthan is a three-day invitation conference and public EXPO conducted by the Ministry of
Road, Transport, and Highways.
• Mathan intends to meet with the state and address a variety of concerns and possibilities in the
road, transportation, and logistics sectors.
• During this program, the 41st Meeting of the transport development council will also take place.
• M Parivahan, the Next-Gen Mobile App will be launched during the event.
President Droupadi Murmu to launch ‘TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan’:
• The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan will essentially be introduced by President
Draupadi Murmu.
• By 2025, India's tuberculosis epidemic will be over, according to the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt
Bharat Abhiyaan.
• Years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) deadline of 2030, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has made a strong plea to abolish tuberculosis in India.
• Murmu will also introduce the Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative, which is a crucial part of the Campaign,
along with this Presentation.
• The Ni-Kshay Mitra project will give contributors a platform to assist TB patients who are
receiving treatment.
• The donors will go by the name Ni-Kshay Mitras, and the contribution will include assistance
with volcanic eruptions, extra diagnostic testing, and nourishment.
• The occasion emphasizes the requirement for a social strategy that unites individuals from all
backgrounds to eradicate TB from the nation by 2025.
• Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, the union’s minister of health, Bharati Pravin Pawar, other Union
ministers, governors, and other dignitaries will go with President Murmu.
CJI inaugurated NALSA Centre for Citizen Services:
• Uday Umesh Lalit, the Chief Justice of India, launched the National Legal Services Authority
(NALSA) Centre for Citizen Services.
• The area in Jaisalmer House that was made available to NALSA will be used to set up a Legal
Assistance Center for Citizens, a Legal Assistance Center for NRIs, a Training Center, and a
Digital Command Center to offer cutting-edge legal services across the nation.
• On November 9, 2021, the NALSA office, which had previously been located in Jamnagar
House, was moved to the Supreme Court of India's Additional Building Complex.
• The area in Jaisalmer House that was made available to NALSA will be used to set up a Legal
Assistance Center for Citizens, a Legal Assistance Center for NRIs, a Training Center, and a
Digital Command Center to offer cutting-edge legal services across the nation.
India’s first RRTS corridor to use an app-based token-free ticketing system:
• India's first RRTS corridor The Delhi-Meerut RRTS line will have an automated fare collection
(AFC) system and tickets with QR codes for passengers.
• It would be the first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in the country.
• The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has said that it has invited bids in
compliance with the "Make In India" guidelines of the Modi administration to acquire the AFC
system.
• With the AFC system, contactless entrance and departure will be smooth, pleasant, easy, and
quick.
• Tickets with QR codes, which may be created digitally on a website or mobile application, will
also be available through the NCRTC.
• Similar to the Delhi Metro's token system, commuters would be able to buy paper QR tickets
from ticket vending machines for a single ride between two stations.
I-STEM Initiative Launched Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WEST):
• A new I-STEM (Indian Science Technology and Engineering Facility Map) initiative is Women
in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WEST).
• Dr. Pravinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA),
Government of India, announced the WEST initiative.
• The WEST program strives to provide women with the tools they need to participate in the
system of science, technology, and innovation.
• I-STEM is a national web platform used to share research facilities and equipment and serves
as the umbrella organization for several initiatives aimed at fostering R&D partnerships and
technical innovation within and between academia and industry.
Union Cabinet approved a policy on a long-term lease of railway land
• The Union Cabinet approved a policy on a long-term lease of railway land, as well as a
proposal to build 300 Gati Shakti freight facilities over the next five years.
• According to a senior source, the Railways expects freight services to generate at least 30,000
crores per year after the 300 Gati Shakti cargo facilities are operational.
• The 300 terminals planned by the Union Cabinet are expected to generate employment for
30,000 people directly and 90,000 indirect jobs.
• The target of 300 terminals is very achievable.
• They already have 150 firm proposals, about 93 applications have been received to build
terminals and about 65 entities have expressed their interest.
PM to unveil Central Vista: Erratic path to the megaproject
• Delhi's Central Vista's new appearance was introduced by the prime minister.
• A new Parliament building, a consolidated central secretariat, and a modernized version of the
three-kilometer Kartavya Path between Rashtrapati Bhavan and the India Gate will be built as
part of a dramatic transformation of India's power corridor beginning in December 2020.
• The 86-acre area of Lutyens' Delhi that is home to some of India's most recognizable buildings,
such as the South and North blocks of the Central Secretariat, Parliament House, and
Rashtrapati Bhavan, is the subject of a plan being spearheaded by the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs.
• The project is anticipated to be completed in 2024.
NITI Aayog and WRI launched India's first National Electric Freight Platform- E-FAST India:
• The World Resources Institute (WRI) and NITI Aayog introduced E-FAST India (Electric Freight
Accelerator for Sustainable Transport-India), the country's first national electric freight platform
• With the assistance of the World Economic Forum, CALSTART, and RMI India, several
stakeholders are brought together through the National Electric Freight Platform.
• The platform's goal is to increase public awareness of freight electrification, supported by a
ground-level demonstration pilot and research that is supported by data.
• It would help scale experiments and provide information for initiatives meant to hasten India's
freight electrification.
• Participating in the launch of E-Fast India were significant players in the automotive, logistics,
development banking, and fintech industries.
• It will aid in fortifying the collaboration and in identifying and promoting freight solutions.
SETU program introduced in the US by Mr. Piyush Goyal:
• The SETU(Supporting Entrepreneurs in Transformation and Upskilling) initiative was
developed by Mr. Piyush Goyal, the minister of business and industry, to connect Indian
entrepreneurs with investors in the US
• Through SETU, US mentors keen to encourage entrepreneurship may interact with Indian
businesses that are just getting started.
• The concept was discussed to specific issues with India's startup environment.
• The meeting's primary subjects were how to encourage domestic incorporation and the
successful diaspora residents' mentoring of young Indian businesses in the San Francisco Bay
Area.
• By linking Indian companies to investors and professionals in the US startup ecosystem, the
project would offer mentorship and help in a variety of areas, including investment, market
access, and commercialization.
Railway’s Revenue Up 38 % to Rs 95,486.58 Cr:
• Indian Railways' entire income at the end of August was Rs. 95,486.58 crores, up Rs.
26271.29 crores (38%) over the same time the previous year.
• According to official records of movers provided by the ministry of railways, the income from
passenger traffic was Rs. 25,276.54cr, a rise of 13,574.44 cr (116%) over the similar time of
last year.
• According to the data, passenger traffic grew in both the reserved and unreserved sectors
compared to the previous year.
• Long-distance reserved mail express train growth has been more rapid than that of passenger
and suburban trains.
• According to train Mistry statistics, other coaching revenue totaled Rs. 2437.42 cr, up Rs.
811.82 cr. (or 50%) over the same time last year.
The finance minister offers some advice for preventing fraudulent loan applications:
• The Indian Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, has decided to take some actions to control
the operation of illegal lending applications in light of the surge in incidents of digital fraud after
reviewing some related issues in a meeting.
• Most mobile lending applications function independently and are not registered with any central
banks.
• There have been an increasing number of documented incidents of borrowers committing
suicide due to harassment by a small percentage of the proprietors of online lending services.
• Following a meeting presided over by the minister, it was decided that the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) would ensure that only approved apps were
made accessible on app stores, while RBI would compile a whitelist of all approved apps.
PM has inaugurated Centre-State Science Conclave at Science City in Ahmedabad:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated Centre-State Science Conclave at Science City
in Ahmedabad
• The two-day conclave will strengthen Centre-State coordination to build a robust science,
technology & innovation ecosystem across the country.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the concluding session of the conclave on 11
September 2022.
• The two-day Conclave is being organized at Science City, Ahmedabad.
• It includes sessions on different thematic areas including STI Vision 2047, doubling Private
Sector investment in R&D by 2030, etc.
The government has imposed a 20 percent export duty on non-basmati rice:
• After imposing a 20 percent export duty on non-basmati rice, the government has banned the
export of broken rice to increase domestic availability, according to a government notification.
• "Export policy of broken rice Is amended from ‘Free' to ‘Prohibited'," the Directorate General of
Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.
• The notification comes into effect on September 9, 2022.
• Provisions under the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020 regarding the transitional arrangement
shall not apply to this notification.
• India, the world's second-largest rice producer after China, commands a 40 percent share in
global trade.
• The country exported 21.2 million tonnes of rice in 2021-22, of which 3.94 million tonnes was
basmati rice.
• Rice production rose to a record 130.29 million tonnes in the last crop year as against 124.37
million tonnes in 2020-21.
• The government has already restricted exports of wheat.
The World Dairy Summit 2022 will be opened by PM Modi at Greater Noida:
• The International Dairy Federation's World Dairy Summit (IDF WDS) 2022 was officially
opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India Expo Center and Mart in Greater Noida.
• The exhibition was local, and Prime Minister Modi went there as well.
• The prime minister said during the rally that the dairy industry's potential will not only
strengthen the rural economy but also serve as a significant source of income for millions of
people worldwide.
• The Indian dairy sector is distinctive in that it is built on a cooperative model that helps tiny and
underprivileged dairy producers, especially women.
• As a consequence of the government's efforts to strengthen the dairy sector, milk output has
grown by more than 44% in the previous eight years.
Government healthcare spending per person has increased by 74% from 2013–14:
• Since 2013-14, per capita, government spending on healthcare has climbed by 74%.
• According to the National Health Accounts Estimates India 2018-19, per capita government
spending in 2013-14 was 1,422 rupees, which has now climbed to 1,815 rupees.
• According to the report, the government's portion of total health spending in the country is
gradually growing.
• The government's share of current health expenditure has risen from 23.2% in 2013-14 to
34.5% in 2018-19.
• Since 2013–14, the government has spent more on primary healthcare.
• In that time, the government spent around 51% of its total health budget on primary care; in
2018–19, that figure has risen to more than 55%.
• Since 2013–14, the nation's per-capita out-of-pocket spending has also reduced by 8%.
Cyber Crime Investigation and Intelligence Summit 2022:
• The 4th Cyber Crime Investigation and Intelligence Summit-2022 are being organized by the
Madhya Pradesh Police to advance the skills of police sub-inspectors and senior investigating
officers to successfully prevent cybercrimes.
• The State Cyber Police Headquarters' Additional Director General of Police, Yogesh
Deshmukh, announced during the summit's curtain-raiser event that more than 6000 persons
had registered to attend.
• The Madhya Pradesh Police, in cooperation with Softclicks Foundation, Cleartel Technology,
and UNICEF, organized the largest knowledge-sharing, thought-leadership, and cybercrime
investigation and intelligence summit (CIIS 2022) in India from September 12 to 22, 2022.
• The event is taking place in the Madhya Pradesh city of Bhopal.

• The RSVP Noronha Academy of Administration in Bhopal will conduct a ten-day summit, part
of which will be a three-day offline summit.
National Maritime Heritage Complex to be built in Gujarat:
• The National Maritime Heritage Complex is being constructed in Gujarat's Lothal, a historic
center of the Indus Valley civilization, for a total of 3500 crore rupees.
• This center, the first-of-its-kind building in India, will highlight the country's extensive and varied
marine history.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi lay the cornerstone for the NMHC project, and in March
2019, the master plan received approval.
• A museum with five galleries and a naval gallery will be constructed on 35 acres of land in
phase 1A for a cost of Rs 774.23 crores.
• The remaining components of the museum, such as the galleries, lighthouse, 5D dome theater,
Bagicha Complex, and other infrastructure, will be constructed in phase 1B.
• It is suggested that this phase be created using the EPC approach.
India Becomes Power Surplus Nation:
• As a result of our efforts to upgrade the distribution system and connect the entire nation to a
single grid, the country now has a surplus of electricity.
• These actions have extended electricity availability to 22 hours in rural regions and 23.5 hours
in urban areas.
• The next stage is to transfer it to a 24 x 7 reliable power source at a reasonable cost.
• Union Minister R K Singh has advised states to be financially sustainable in light of power
production firms' rising outstanding debts.
• According to him, this would assist attract investments in the power industry while also
benefiting customers through lower electricity costs and enhanced consumer services.
The Centre has set up a panel to recommend measures to boost venture capital and private equity
investments:
• The government has set up a panel to recommend measures to boost venture capital (VC)and
private equity (PE) investments.
• Among the primary concerns that the government hopes to address are the tax policies
applicable to such investments.
• PE players have been asking for lower tax rates.
• The six-member committee will be headed by M Damodaran, former chairman of the Securities
and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• In the Budget for 2022-23, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government planned
to set up a working group to suggest ways to boost PE/VC investments.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will launch Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav:
• Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will launch Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav.
• This special voluntary blood donation drive will be organized from 17 September to 1 October
2022 across the country.
• This blood donation drive has been launched as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• National Voluntary Blood Donation Day is observed on 1st October.
• Registration for the Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav has started on the E-Raktkosh portal and
Aarogya Setu app.
• Blood collected from donors is separated usually into red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
• People having O- type blood are universal donors while AB+ blood group people are
considered universal acceptors.
NITI Aayog hosts first Shoonya Forum to commemorate first-anniversary Shoonya Campaign
• The NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) hosted the first Shoonya Forum to
commemorate the first anniversary of India’s zero pollution e-mobility campaign in Delhi.
• G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, NITI Aayog CEO Param Iyer, MyGov CEO Abhishek Singh, Delhi
Government Principal Secretary Ashish Kundra, and Mahindra Electric Mobility CEO Suman
Mishra attended the event.
About Shoonya Campaign:
• Shoonya initiative promotes zero-pollution delivery vehicles by working with consumers and the
industry.
Aim:
• To accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in the urban deliveries segment and create
consumer awareness about the benefits of zero-pollution delivery.
• Urban freight vehicles account for 10% of freight transportation-related carbon dioxide
emissions in India, and these emissions are expected to grow by 114% by 2030.
• EVs emit no tailpipe emissions, which can contribute immensely to improved air quality.
• The EVs emit 15-40% less carbon dioxide (CO2) than internal combustion engine counterparts
and have lesser operational costs during the manufacturing process.
• During the event, the National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Energy Storage
(Part III) report was also launched.
About the report:
• The report highlights that India’s $2.5-billion Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for
Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) energy storage is critical for meeting the projected cumulative
battery demand of 106–260 GWh by 2030 to successfully realize the country’s vision for EV
adoption and grid decarbonization
About NITI Aayog:
• Chairperson: Shri Narendra Modi (Prime Minister of India)
• Vice Chairperson: Suman Bery
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling was named the best zoo in India
• The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) of Darjeeling, West Bengal (WB) has
been recognized as the best zoo in India.
• As per the list, the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai has secured the second position,
followed by the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysore, Karnataka.
• While Kolkata’s Alipore Zoological Garden has secured the fourth position.
• The ranking list was released by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) during the zoo directors'
conference held at Bhubaneswar in Odisha.
• Darjeeling Zoo scored the highest percentage of 83% to rank first

About PNHZP:
• Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (also known as Darjeeling Zoo) was established on
August 14, 1958.
• The park is internationally recognized for its breeding and conservation programs of
endangered animal species of the eastern Himalayas, including the Snow Leopard and the Red
Panda.
The Election Commission of India has launched BLO e-Patrika:
• During an interactive session with BLOs from across India, the Election Commission of India
published a new digital magazine called 'BLO e-Patrika.'
• 50 BLOs from adjacent states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi physically attended the
event at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.
• The meeting was attended by around 350 BLOs via videoconference from the office of Chief
Electoral Officers (CEO).
• The BLOs took part in the interactive session with the Commission and shared their
experiences, difficulties they encountered while carrying out their tasks, and triumphs.
• The Commission's direct communication with BLOs around the nation was a first of its type.
India launches ‘Urban Wastewater Scenario in India’ at World Water Congress and Exhibition 2022:
• At the World Water Congress and Exhibition in Copenhagen in 2022, India and Denmark
released a joint whitepaper titled "Urban Wastewater Scenario in India."
• Gajendra Singh Shekhawat of Jal Shakti, Lea Wermelin of Denmark's Ministry of the
Environment, and Flemming Moller Mortensen of Denmark's Ministry of Development
Cooperation organized the "Urban Wastewater Scenario in India."
• By 2024, India will invest more than 140 billion dollars in the water industry.
• In the "Urban Wastewater Scenario in India," according to Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat, at least 10% of the money is given by the community in each scheme, ensuring
community ownership and engagement.
India’s First Forest University to be Established in Telangana:
• The first Forest University will be established in India.
• The Telangana Assembly adopted the Forestry Universities (UoF) Act 2022.
• First of its type in India, the University of Forestry (UoF).
• After China and Russia, it will be the third university of forestry in the world.
• The Forestry College and Research Institute (FCRI) in Hyderabad will be expanded, according
to the Telangana government.
• The FCRI will be converted into a full-fledged University.
• Additional 18 programs, including Ph.D., Diploma, and certificate programs in Urban Forestry,
nursery management, agro-forestry, tribal livelihood enhancement, forest entrepreneurship,
climate-smart forestry, and forest park management are planned to be introduced when FCRI
is upgraded to a university.
Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan launched Ramakrishna Mission’s Awakening program:
• Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education, Skill Development, and
Entrepreneurship, launched the Ramkrishna Mission 'Awakening' Program for kids in grades I
to V.
• Swami Shantatmanada, Secretary of the Ramkrishna Mission, Smt Nidhi Chibber, Chairperson
CBSE, and other KVS, NVS, and Ministry officials attended the event.
• According to Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, NEP 2020 is influenced by Swami Vivekananda's
worldview.
• One of the primary purposes of education is social reform, and ideals and knowledge are more
essential than mere prosperity.
• Ramkrishna Mission has a long history of providing practical education.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has declared Andaman and Nicobar Islands as India's first Swachh Sujal
Pradesh:
• Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has declared Andaman and Nicobar
Islands as India's first Swachh Sujal Pradesh.
• He handed over the certificate to Lieutenant Governor Admiral DK Joshi.
• Now, all villages of Andaman and Nicobar Island have been certified as Har Ghar Jal and
verified as open defecation free - ODF plus.
• As per numerous efforts, the sanitation level of the country has widened and ODF status has
been achieved before the set target as per Sustainable Development Goals, which is a
remarkable achievement.
• He further stated that now the focus has been shifted to basics like water, toilets, and sanitation
as more than one lakh 10 thousand villages became ODF plus.
PM has launched the world’s first Cheetah Rehabilitation Project:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has released wild cheetahs in Kuno National Park and
initiated the world's first Cheetah Rehabilitation Project.
• Cheetahs from Namibia are being introduced into India as part of Project Cheetah, the world's
first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.
• The Prime Minister's release of wild Cheetahs is part of his efforts to revitalize and diversify
India's wildlife and habitat.
• There are five female Cheetahs and three males among the eight Cheetahs.
• Mr. Modi released two cheetahs in Kuno National Park.
• He also interacted with Cheetah Mitras, the Cheetah Rehabilitation Management Group, and
students at the event.
India’s 1st lithium-ion cell factory inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh:
• Mr. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, has
inaugurated India's first lithium-ion cell manufacturing facility in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
• Munoth Industries Limited, based in Chennai, spent Rs 165 crores to build this cutting-edge
facility.
• The factory is located in one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two Electronics Manufacturing
Clusters established in the temple town in 2015.
• The facility now has a capacity of 270 MWh and can generate 20,000 cells of 10Ah capacity
per day.
• These cells are utilized in power banks, and their capacity is approximately 60% of India's
current requirement.
• Cells for various consumer gadgets such as mobile phones, hearables, and wearables will also
be manufactured.
• Currently, India imports all of its lithium-ion cell requirements from China, South Korea,
Vietnam, and Hong Kong.

Andaman & Nicobar becomes India’s first UT/State to achieve 100 percent coverage of precautionary
dose:
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands were the first Indian state/UT to attain 100% preventive dose
coverage.
• More than 2,87,216 beneficiaries aged 18 have received a preventive dose of vaccination.
• Vaccination rates increased after July 15th, when the government decided to offer free
preventative shots in honor of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.'
• To ramp up the campaign, healthcare workers visited houses and established many camps.
• The camps were held in urban and rural regions and were highly accepted.
• The aim was met before the time limit of September 30th.
• The Nicobar district has been fully immunized as a preventive measure.
• Later, North, Middle, and South Andaman districts were entirely vaccinated.
• Corbevax and Covishield were among the preventive doses.
USAID and UNICEF launch series titled ‘Door Se Namaste’:
• At a ceremony in New Delhi, the Doordarshan and YouTube series "Door Se Namaste" was
officially launched by UNICEF and the US Agency for International Development.
• During the occasion, a theatrical version of Duur Se Namaste was presented, taking the
audience through the major plot and demonstrating how the entertainment education series
has incorporated both the message of vaccine promotion and COVID-19 Appropriate
Behaviour (CAB).
• In a post-pandemic society, a new television show called Door Se Namaste encourages
healthy behaviors.
• It is a made-up Hindi television program that highlights the difficulties of living in a post-
pandemic society and encourages the development of healthy habits.
• Every Sunday from 11 AM to 12 PM, the program will be broadcast.
• The series is made by Elleeanora Images Pvt. Ltd., the production company of Padmashee, a
National Film Award winner, and Nil Madhav Panda.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched National Logistics Policy (NLP):
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched National Logistics Policy (NLP) in New Delhi.
• The need for a National Logistics Policy was felt because of the high logistics costs in India as
compared to other developed countries.
• Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) is an important initiative under the National Logistics
Policy (NLP).
• ULIP will bring all the digital services related to the transportation sector into a single portal.
• Under the policy, a new digital platform is Ease of Logistics Services (E-Logs).
• The National Logistics Policy will assist in lowering India's logistical expenses to increase the
competitiveness of Indian goods in the global market.
• It aims to bring down the logistics cost from 13 percent of the GDP to 7.5 percent of the GDP.
• The growth in exports will increase by 5 to 8%, as a result of the decline in logistics costs.
• National Logistics Policy will address the issues by laying down an interdisciplinary, cross-
sectoral, and multi-jurisdictional framework for the development of the entire logistics
ecosystem.
• The National Logistics Policy will give a boost to the GatiShakti National Master Plan.
• According to the (latest available) World Bank Logistics Index of 2018, India is ranked 44th in
logistics costs, lagging behind countries like China and Vietnam, which are at the 26th and 39th
positions, respectively.
• The logistics cost in India is estimated at 13-14% of GDP, compared to 7-8% in developed
economies.
The center is planning to launch the PM Promotion of Alternate Nutrients for Agriculture Management
Yojana:
• The Centre is planning to launch the PM Promotion of Alternate Nutrients for Agriculture
Management Yojana or PM PRANAM. The scheme will incentivize the states
• PM PRANAM scheme will pass on 50% of subsidy savings as a grant to the state that saves
the money.
• Of this grant, the states have to use 70% on creating assets that would lead to the
technological adoption of alternate fertilizers.
• The remaining 30% can be used by the states to reward and encourage farmers, panchayats,
farmer-producer organizations, and self-help groups involved in generating awareness and
helping in reducing the use of fertilizer.
• There will be no separate budget for the PM PRANAM scheme.
• PM PRANAM scheme will be financed through the savings of existing fertilizer subsidies
provided by the department of fertilizers under various schemes.
India’s first MotoGP to be held in Noida’s Buddh circuit in 2023:
• In 2023, India will hold its first MotoGP World Championship race at the Buddh International
Circuit in Greater Noida.
• Dorna, the owner of the MotoGP commercial rights, and Noida-based race producers Fairstreet
Sports inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to host India's top two-wheel racing
event for the next seven years.
• Riders from as many as 19 countries will take part in the event, which will boost trade and
tourism in the country while also creating jobs.
• MotoGP also has plans to also introduce MotoE into the Indian racing scenario, which will not
only be a first in Asia but a significant green initiative with net zero carbon emission.
Central Universities UG Admission Web Portals have released:
• Approximately 81 CUET 2022 participating universities will admit students to undergraduate
programs through the Common University Entrance Test (CUET Admission 2022), formerly
known as CUCET.
• The Web portal has been launched by the universities.
• Five new universities have recently accepted CUET, including Lakshmibai National Institute of
Physical Education, RNGB Global University, NIIT University, and National Rail and Transport
Institution.
• North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) will not take the CUET 2022 exam.
• Instead of CUET, NEHU's affiliated universities will employ their present admission procedures
to enroll students in their undergraduate programs.

Cabinet Approves an Additional PLI Plan for Solar Cells:
• The Union cabinet approved the second tranche of the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI)
scheme on the 'National Program on High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules' for reaching Giga Watt
(GW) manufacturing capacity to enhance manufacturing of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in
India, Union minister Anurag Thakur revealed in a press conference.
• The second tranche of the PLI scheme for the national program on ‘high-efficiency solar PV
modules has been approved with an outlay of Rs.19,500 crore.
• The government has also set a goal of 500GW of installed non-fossil electricity capacity by
2030, which equates to around 280-300GW of solar energy capacity.
Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar addresses the Leeds-2022 conference:
• Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, the union minister for Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare, virtually
addressed the Leeds-2022 conference in New Delhi, which was hosted by the Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
• The conference was briefed by the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare that despite
being affected by a worldwide pandemic, India's agriculture industry has had a growth of 3.9%.
• Given its rapid progress toward becoming a global leader in the agriculture industry, India can
supply a significant portion of the world's food demands.
• India's exports of agricultural goods surpassed the Rs. 4 lakh crore milestone.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched the app in Chennai:
• Union Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched the SCALE (Skill Certification Assessment
for Leather Employees) app at Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai.
• It is a one-stop solution for the skilling, learning, assessment, and employment needs of the
leather industry.
• The SCALE app has been developed by the Leather Skill Sector Council.
• People interested in leather craft can access online live-streamed classes through the app.
• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, NSDC, CLRI, and Leather Sector Skill
Council will collaborate to set up Common Facilities and Skilling Centre across India.
• Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan lauded the role of CSIR-CLRI for playing an important
role in the development of the leather sector.

• The Indian leather industry contributes around 13 percent to the world's leather production of
hides/skins.
• The major production centers for leather and leather products in India are located in the state of
Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.
The government of India recently unveiled an ambitious plan to be a world leader in tourism by 2047:
• For the tourism sector, the Government of India recently unveiled an ambitious plan for
recovery to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, a $250 billion contribution to GDP by 2030, and a
world leader by 2047, with a long-term revenue goal of $1 trillion by 2047, when the country
turns 100.
• This plan is part of the 'Dharamshala Declaration 2022,' which was adopted after the three-day
National Tourism Conference.
• The Tourism sector generated Rs 16.91 lakh crore (USD 240 billion) or 9.2% of India’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) in 2018 and has supported around 42.67 million jobs or 8.1% of total
employment.
• The new National Tourism Policy will be released before the next Budget session.
• Several projects have been sanctioned under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme for building
tourist infrastructure across various themes.
• The Ministry of Tourism has recently launched the Swadesh Darshan Scheme 2.0 to develop
sustainable and responsible destinations following a tourist and destination-centric approach.
• The PRASHAD Scheme aims to strengthen the tourist facilities around spiritual locations,
under which 39 projects have been sanctioned in 24 States.
• According to the Ministry of Tourism, the financial assistance to the tourism sector, which is the
biggest sufferer due to Covid 19, continues to be extended up to 31st March 2023.
The Dharamshala Declaration 2022:
• The Conference ended with the adoption of the “Dharamshala Declaration” which affirms
commitment toward developing “sustainable and responsible tourism” and positions India as a
“global leader in the tourism sector by 2047”.
Union Finance Minister has launched an e-learning platform, Bharat Vidya:
• Union Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman launched an e-learning platform, Bharat
Vidya.
• Bharat Vidya is an e-learning platform for Oriental and South Asian studies.
• This e-learning platform has been designed and developed by the Bhandarkar Oriental
Research Institute (BORI).
• It is the first-of-its-kind online platform to provide free and paid courses covering various
aspects of Indology related to art, architecture, philosophy, language, and science.
Six courses:
• Veda Vidya, Bharatiya Darshanshashtra, Sanskrit learning, 18 Parvas of Mahabharata,
Fundamentals of Archaeology, and Kalidasa and Bhasha will be provided through this platform.
• The courses have been designed as per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
About Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI):
• It was founded on 6 July 1917.
• It is famous for its collection of old Sanskrit and Prakrit manuscripts. It is located in Pune,
Maharashtra.
Cabinet approved modifications in the Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display
Manufacturing Ecosystem in India:
• Cabinet approved modifications in the “Programme for Development of Semiconductors and
Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India”.
• The government will provide financial support of 50% of the Project Cost under the modified
program to establish Semiconductor Fabs.
• Under the modified program, fiscal support of 50% of Capital Expenditure will be provided for
setting up compound semiconductors/ sensors / Discrete semiconductors fabs and
ATMP/OSAT.
• An Advisory Committee was formed for the development of the semiconductors and display
manufacturing ecosystem in India.
• The India Semiconductor Mission acts as the nodal agency for the efficient and smooth
implementation of the schemes in the Semiconductors and Display ecosystem.
Three applicants
• A Vedanta-Foxconn joint venture, international consortium ISMC, and Singapore-based
IGSS Ventures — have been approved for setting up semiconductor fabs.
• The Vedanta-Foxconn joint venture recently signed an agreement with the Gujarat government
for setting up a USD 20 billion semiconductor and display manufacturing plant in the state.
• ISMC, backed by Abu Dhabi-based Next Orbit and Israel’s Tower Semiconductor, and
Singapore-based IGSS Ventures are setting up in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, respectively.
• Vedanta and Elest have submitted applications for setting up display manufacturing.
PM to inaugurate the National Conference of Environment Ministers, Gujarat:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to inaugurate the National Conference of Environment
Ministers in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat.
• The main aim of the Conference is to create further synergy between the Central and State
Governments to implement policies for the elimination of plastic pollution and climate change.
• The conference will promote cooperative federalism for resolving environment-related
challenges.
• The two-day Conference will be organized on September 23-24.
• India’s per capita plastic consumption is 11 kg while the global average of plastic per capita
consumption is 28 kg.
• It will have six thematic sessions based on different topics, the topics given below:
➢ Combating Climate Change
➢ PARIVESH (Single Window System for Integrated Green Clearances)
➢ Forestry Management
➢ Prevention and Control of Pollution
➢ Wildlife Management
➢ Plastics and Waste Management
➢ LiFE- Lifestyle for Environment
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the third edition of the Lok Manthan program:
• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the third edition of the Lok Manthan program at
Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati.
• The theme for this year’s program is Lokparampara (Lok traditions).

• This will emphasize how Lok traditions have kept our cultural consciousness intact and
strengthened our feeling of National Selfhood.
• Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan will be the Chief Guest at its concluding session on 24
September 2022.
• Lokmanthan is an occasion where artists, intellectuals, and academicians from different parts
of the country brainstorm on the questions that face society.
Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries has launched a Joint Convergence Portal:
• The Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries has launched a Joint Convergence Portal for
its various schemes.
• The portal has been launched between Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Pradhan Mantri
Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme, and Pradhan Mantri
Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.
• The convergence portal was launched in the presence of Union Minister, of Agriculture &
Farmers’ Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister, of Food Processing Industries
Pashupati Kumar Paras, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Kailash
Choudhary; along with the senior officials of both the Ministries
• The objective of the joint portal is that all the government ministries and departments together
serve the country's people according to their capacity.
• This is a step towards realizing the Prime Minister's dream of a self-reliant India and will also
promote the concept of 'Vocal for Local'.
About Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF):
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing AIF for the creation of
post-harvest management infrastructure and community farm assets.
• It is a medium to long-term credit financing facility launched on July 08, 2020.
About the PMFME scheme:
• Ministry of Food Processing Industries launched a centrally sponsored PPMFME scheme to
enhance the competitiveness of individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment &
promote the formalization of this sector.

• It was launched on June 29, 2020, as a part of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.”
About PMKSY:
• It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
• It is envisaged as a comprehensive package and helps in the creation of a modern
infrastructure with efficient supply chain management, from farms to retail outlets.
Ministry of Tourism and Culture has announced a special tourist train to cover the “Ambedkar Circuit”:
• Union Ministry of Tourism and Culture has announced a special tourist train to cover the
“Ambedkar Circuit”.
• The modalities — such as the date of the journey, ticket price, and the number of passengers
—are still in the works.
• The government first proposed the Ambedkar Circuit, or Panchteerth, in 2016.
• The journey will include meals, ground transportation, and entry to the sites.
• The government had identified 15 tourist circuits under the Swadesh Darshan scheme in 2014-
15.
• In terms of train collaboration, the Ramayana, Buddhist, and North East Circuits are already
active, while Ambedkar will be fourth.
• The Panchteerth would include Janma Bhoomi, Ambedkar’s birthplace in Madhya Pradesh’s
Mhow; Shiksha Bhoomi, the place in London where he stayed while studying in the UK;
Deeksha Bhoomi in Nagpur where he embraced Buddhism; Mahaparinirvan Bhoomi or the
place of his demise in Delhi; and Chaitya Bhoomi, the place of his cremation, in Mumbai.
• The idea is to attract tourists beyond the Dalit community, who mostly visit these places as a
pilgrimage.
The second phase of the ambitious dairy development project is set to kick off in April 2023:
• The second phase of the ambitious dairy development project, the National Dairy Plan
(NDP-II), with the support of the World Bank is set to kick off in April next year, with a
targeted focus on the unexplored dairy-potential areas in the country.
• This comes about three years after the first phase of NDP-I ended with the financial closure in
March 2020.
About The NDP-II:
• The outlay for the second phase of the dairy plan will remain the same.
• It will be focused on forming dairy cooperatives (in new areas), enabling testing equipment, etc.
• NDDB is the implementing agency for the NDP that was first started in 2012 with World Bank
support to increase the productivity of milch animals and improve market access of milk
producers in project areas.
• The phase-I outlay was ₹2,242 crore, while the second phase is expected to be about ₹1,500
crore.
• The productivity enhancement programs continued parallelly irrespective of the NDP but with
the Central support under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM).
• Milk production per animal increased from a baseline of 5.03 liters per day in 2012 to 6.09 litres
per day in 2019
• Share of milk sold to the organized sector up from 45 percent in 2012 to 75 percent in 2019.
Corporate Affairs Ministry (MCA) has revised the cap on the fees for impact assessment
• Corporate Affairs Ministry (MCA) has revised the cap on the fees that could be paid by
corporates for impact assessment.
• It has also provided clarity on the entities through which CSR obligations could be fulfilled.
• Corporates can now pay more than ₹50 lakh for impact assessment.
• In January 2021, impact assessment was made mandatory for companies with a CSR budget
of ₹10 crores or more in a fiscal year and projects with outlays of ₹1 crore or more.
• As per the rules, companies cannot carry out a self-assessment on the impact of their CSR
spending.
• Under the revised norms, expenses on impact assessment are capped at 2% of total CSR
spend or ₹50 lakh, whichever is higher.
• MCA has also said that companies shall have CSR Committee even in cases where the
amounts transferred to an ‘unspent CSR account’ is less than ₹50 lakh.
Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated an international conference on Consciousness.
• Union Minister Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated an international conference on

Consciousness.
• It has been organized under the theme, “Exploring Consciousness- From Non-Locality to Non-
Duality: The Man- Machine Debate” at NIMHANS, Bengaluru.
• It has been organized by India Foundation and NIMHANS and supported by the Ministry of
Ayush.
• The conference aims to bring eminent researchers and inventors in the areas of physics,
biology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, etc. on one platform.
• Sarbananda Sonowal also inaugurated the Centre of Excellence project as part of the
“Ayurswasthya Yojana” at NIMHANS.
• The Centre of Excellence (CoE) will strengthen the competencies of Ayush professionals in
Education Technology, and Research & innovation.
Ministry of Textiles recently cleared 23 strategic research projects worth around Rs 60 crores:
• The Ministry of Textiles recently cleared 23 strategic research projects worth around Rs 60
crores in Specialty fibres, Sustainable Textiles, Geotextiles, Mobiltech, and Sports textiles
under the National Technical Textiles Mission.
• Technical textiles are functional fabrics that have applications across various industries
including automobiles, civil engineering, construction, agriculture, healthcare, industrial safety,
personal protection, etc.
• National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) was approved in 2020 by the Cabinet Committee
on Economic Affairs (CCEA) with a total outlay of Rs.1480 Crore.
• The implementation period is four years, from FY 2020-21 to FY 2023-24.
• The mission aims to position India as a global leader in Technical Textiles by taking the
domestic market size from USD 40 billion to USD 50 billion by 2024.
• It also supports the ‘Make in India’ Initiative promoting domestic manufacturing of related
machinery and equipment.
India launched the “Innovation Roadmap of the Mission Integrated Biorefineries”:
• India launched the “Innovation Roadmap of the Mission Integrated Biorefineries” at Global
Clean Energy Action Forum-2022.

• “Innovation Roadmap of the Mission Integrated Biorefineries” has been developed from the
leads and results received from Brazil, Canada, EC, and the UK.
• The main goals of the initiative are to increase global cooperation and boost funding for R&D in
the energy sector.
• “Innovation Roadmap of the Mission Integrated Biorefineries” aims to fill the identified gaps and
resolve the current challenges in biorefining value chains.
• It will also provide a strategic framework for policymakers to move toward research and
development over the next five years.
• A pilot plant of 10 Tons/day capacity plant with integrated enzyme production will be
commissioned at Panipat, Haryana by 2022.
• It will be the first indigenous technology for on-site enzyme production.
• During the conference, India agreed to reach 500-Gigawatt non-fossil energy capacity and
reduce the carbon intensity of the economy by 45% over 2005 levels.
Union Health Minister has inaugurated Arogya Manthan in 2022:
• Health Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya will inaugurate Arogya Manthan 2022.
• Arogya Manthan 2022 will be inaugurated to celebrate the completion of four years of
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and one year of implementation of
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
• AB-PMJAY completed four years of its implementation.
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) will celebrate its first anniversary on 27 September
2022.
About AB-PMJAY:
• The AB-PMJAY scheme aims to benefit more than 10 crores of poor families across the
country by providing them with an annual health insurance coverage of five lakh rupees.
• It was launched in September 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Global and national healthcare professionals, as well as members from academia, think tanks,
industry, and media, will attend the two-day event.
• NHA will also present the Ayushman Utkrishtata Puraskaar 2022 (Ayushman Excellence
Awards) to felicitate the top performing states, PMAMs (Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitra), and
public hospitals under the AB PM-JAY.
• Best-performing states/ UTs, districts, private & government health facilities, and digital health
solutions will be felicitated under ABDM.
The Central Bureau of Investigation conducted 'Operation Meghachakra' in 56 different places:
• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has carried out 'Operation Meghachakra' at 56
locations in 20 states against the circulation and sharing of child sexual abuse material online.
• CBI launched the exercise code ‘Operation Meghachakra’ using the inputs from the Interpol
unit of New Zealand.
• CBI carried out a similar exercise “Operation Carbon” in 2021 at 76 locations across the
country.
• CBI is the first probe agency to set up a cybercrime unit for the investigation of cybercrimes in
the country.
About Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI):
• It works under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions.
• It was established on the recommendation of the Santhanam Committee.
• Subodh Kumar Jaiswal is the current Director.
The Union Ministry of Environment will launch a single-window system:
• The Union environment ministry will launch a single-window system for environment, forest,
wildlife, and coastal regulation zone clearances by the end of the year to reduce the time taken
to process green nods for various infrastructure projects.
• Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive and Virtuous Environment Single-window
Hub or Parivesh is a single window system for environment, forest, wildlife, and coastal
regulation zone clearances.
• The government now intends to unveil Parivesh 2.0 by the end of the year.
• During the National Conference of ministers of environment, forest, and climate change held in
Ekta Nagar, Gujarat
• Provision has been made for every state to create a land bank in advance so that as soon as
the proposals come to the state they can take immediate actions for required compensatory
afforestation.
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will launch the Swachh Toycathon:
• Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry will launch Swachh Toycathon, a unique competition
to make toys from waste.
• The competition will be open to individuals and groups to bring forth innovation in toy designs
using dry waste.
• It will focus on efficient designs that can be replicated at a larger scale, and toys that comply
with minimum safety standards.
• The competition will be hosted on MyGov’s Innovative India portal.
• Center for Creative Learning, IIT Gandhinagar is the knowledge partner for the initiative.
National Action Plan for Toys 2020:
• It was introduced to promote the Indian toy industry including traditional handicrafts and
handmade toys to establish India as a global Toy hub.
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade along with 14 Ministries of Central
Government is currently implementing various aspects of the National Action Plan for Toys.
Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy inaugurates the 'SymphoNE' Virtual Conference:
• Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy launches Virtual Conference 'SymphoNE' to boost
Tourism Sector in North East India.
• SymphoNE is the start of a series of dialogues on the North Eastern Region's Development
Conference comprised of a broad range of Policy Thinkers, Stakeholders & Influencers to boost
the Tourism Sector in the North Eastern Region.
• The Virtual Conference 'SymphoNE' is being organized on the 24th & 27th of September 2022
by the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region on the occasion of World Tourism
Day.
• This two-day conference will aim to create a roadmap to showcase the unexplored beauty of
North East India & boost the tourism Sector in the North Eastern Region.
• SymphoNE aims to develop a one-stop solution to eliminate all obstacles that are being faced
by the tourists, and the tour operators while carrying out the operations for the visitors.
The upcoming DefExpo 2022, which is slated to take place in Gandhinagar
• The forthcoming DefExpo 2022, scheduled to be held in Gandhinagar from October 18 to 22,
will host the second edition of the India-Africa Defence Dialogue with invites extended to 53
African countries.
• A separate Indian Ocean Region plus (IOR+) conclave with the participation of approximately
40 countries is also on the anvil.
• The Expo, earlier scheduled to be held in March, was postponed due to “logistical challenges”.
• For DefExpo 2022, Indian companies, Indian subsidiaries of foreign Original Equipment
Manufacturers, a Division of a company registered in India, and exhibitors having joint ventures
with an Indian company will be considered Indian participants.
• The theme of DefExpo 2022 is ‘Path to Pride’, aiming to showcase the needs of the domestic
defense industry, which is now powering the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ resolve of the
Government and the nation at large.
Indian government introduces “Sign Learn” smartphone app:
• The Center produced the "Sign Learn" smartphone app, a lexicon of 10,000 words for Indian
Sign Language (ISL).
• The app was introduced by Pratima Bhoumik, a minister of state for social justice and
empowerment.
• Sign Learn is built on the lexicon of the 10,000-word Indian Sign Language Research And
Training Centre (ISLRTC).
• On the program, which is available on Android and iOS platforms, you can search for any term in
the ISL dictionary using Hindi or English.
• This year, ISL e-content for the NCERT textbooks for class 6 was released.
• The Center published some "Veergatha" volumes from the National Book Trust's "Veergatha"
series in ISL as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• For the "Sign Learn" smartphone app, ISLRTC and NCERT worked together to release 500
academic words in Indian Sign Language.
Shri Amit Shah to Inaugurate Dairy Cooperative Conclave in Gangtok:

• Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah are expected to inaugurate a day-long
dairy cooperative congress of the eastern and northeastern zones in Sikkim.
• The National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI)is organizing the colloquium
• According to NCDFI Chairman Mangal Jit Rai, Shah's office has confirmed his presence in the
Gangtok conclave.
• The function's honoree will be Sikkim Chief Minister P S Tamang.
• Top officials from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim,
Tripura, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal's cooperative milk unions and state dairy
federations are likely to participate, according to Rai.
• The event is expected to draw 1,200 participants from these 12 states.
India’s first e-marketplace for fuels and biomass supply platform for biomass supply.
• BiofuelCircle, a Pune-based startup, launched its platform for biomass supply.
• India’s first e-marketplace for fuels and biomass supply has been launched.
• It took one year for BiofuelCircle to build its platform.
• In January-June 2021, it launched a pilot before launching its services.
• The company aims to address the challenges related to the bioenergy supply chain.
• A start-up under the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) has developed e-trading
platforms to introduce online auctions in the Indian fisheries sector.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched the "Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan":
• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is planning to launch the "Swachh Vayu
Sarvekshan."
• It is being launched to reduce air pollution by 40% by 2025-26.
• For this survey, 131 cities have been divided into three groups based on population.
• The first group consists of 47 cities with a population of more than one million.
• The second group consists of 44 cities with populations ranging from three to one million.
• The third group includes 40 cities with a population of fewer than three lakhs.
• NCAP was launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change
(MoEFCC), Government of India.
• By the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, the Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB) will execute this nationwide program.
• The new target was conveyed to states during the recently held national conference of
Environment Ministers in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat.
Ministry of Rural Development has launched JALDOOT App:
• JALDOOT App has been launched by the Ministry of Rural Development.
• The app has been developed to track the water level in selected wells in villages across the
country.
• The app has been launched in New Delhi.
• The Gram Rozgar Sahayak will measure the water level of selected wells twice a year - before
and after the monsoon, through the Jaldoot app.
• The ministry has said that the data of this app will help in making a better action plan.
• Groundwater level data will be helpful in Gram Panchayat Development Plan and Mahatma
Gandhi planning exercises.
• This includes watershed development, afforestation, water body development, renovation, and
rainwater harvesting.
The Centre has extended the period of Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20:
• The government has extended the period of Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 on the demand from
Export Promotion Councils and leading exporters.
• The decision of extending the Foreign Trade Policy has been taken by the government due to
rising inflation and uncertainty due to geopolitical development.
• Foreign Trade Policy was launched in 2015 and was valid for five years – till 2020.
• This is for the second time that the current policy period has been extended since its launch in
2015.
• It is a framework to increase exports of goods and services.
• It also emphasizes improving the ease of doing business.
President has inaugurated The Integrated Cryogenic Engines Manufacturing Facility of HAL:
• The Integrated Cryogenic Engines Manufacturing Facility of HAL in Bengaluru has been
inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu.

• President Droupadi Murmu also laid the foundation stone of the South Zonal Institute of Virology.
• The Integrated Cryogenic Engines Manufacturing Facility of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) is spread over an area of 4,500 square meters.
• It has more than 70 hi-tech equipment and testing facilities for manufacturing cryogenic (CE20)
and semi-cryogenic (SE2000) engines of Indian rockets.
• The facility will full fill the entire Rocket Engine requirement of ISRO under one roof.
• It will boost self-reliance in the manufacturing of Hi-thrust Rocket engines.
• President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate the cutting-edge ICMF, which has been constructed
over a 4,500 square meter space and houses over 70 high-tech tools and testing facilities for the
production of cryogenic (CE20) and semi-cryogenic (SE2000) engines for Indian rockets.
• An MOU was signed with ISRO in 2013 for the establishment of a facility to produce cryogenic
engine modules at HAL's Aerospace Division.
• It was later updated in 2016 to allow for the establishment of the ICMF with an investment of
₹208 crores.
• Cryogenic engines are mostly used in launch vehicles for launching satellites.
• Only the USA, France, India, Japan, China, and Russia have cryogenic technology.
• President inaugurated the new campus of the Indian Institute of Information Technology in
Dharwad, Karnataka, and St Joseph University.
The government launched a Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment:
• The government launched a Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment scheme for
2022-23.
• States Governments will receive financial assistance under this scheme in the form of a 50-year
interest-free loan for capital investment projects.
• Under this scheme, Rs 3000 Crore is earmarked for capital projects on Optical Fibre Cable
(OFC) network.
• Recently, the Department of Expenditure has approved proposals of four States namely
Uttarakhand (50 cr), Jharkhand (84 cr), Haryana (65 cr), and Karnataka (156 cr).
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her 2022-23 Budget speech announced total financial
assistance of Rs 1 lakh crore for states in the form of 50-year interest-free loans for capital
investment projects.
• The financial assistance provided under the Scheme will be over and above the normal
borrowing ceiling allowed to the States.
• The Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment for 2022-23 has a total of
seven parts.
Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the One Week One Lab theme-based campaign in September 2022:
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the One Week One Lab theme-based campaign.
• The campaign has been launched to showcase technological breakthroughs and innovations.
• The campaign will be launched in 37 laboratories and institutes of the Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) across the country.
• CSIR’s achievements in Drone, Heliborne technology, state-of-the-art Sewage cleaning
machines, and Aroma Mission have opened new opportunities.
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh addressed the first-ever CSIR Leadership Meet.
About Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR):
• It is India’s largest research and development organization and an autonomous body.
• Its current Director-General is Dr. Nallathamby Kalaiselvi.
• It was established on September 26, 1942.
HCL has launched its new brand identity and logo:
• IT services major HCL Technologies has launched its new brand identity and logo, which seeks
to embrace a distinct global brand identity while retaining connectivity with HCL Group.
• The company's new 'HCLTech' brand and logo will be at the heart of its go-to-market strategy
and represent its differentiated portfolio of services and products that supercharge digital
transformation for enterprises at scale.
• C Vijayakumar, CEO & Managing Director, HCLTech.
• "For HCLTech, Supercharging Progress is about accelerating the digital transformation for our
clients every day as well as the ethos of the organization to advance the aspirations of the
people.
• The company also launched its new employee value proposition (EVP) - 'Find Your Spark'.
• Built on the broad tenets of opportunity, respect, and trusted employment, HCLTech's EVP
emphasizes its commitment to helping both current and prospective employees maximize their
career potential and ambitions.
IndiGo joins WEF's sustainable initiative
• India’s largest carrier IndiGo has joined a sustainable initiative spearheaded by the World
Economic Forum (WEF).
• The airline has become a signatory to the Clear Skies for Tomorrow (CST), India Coalition
campaign.
Key Highlights:
• IndiGo's commitment to the deployment of sustainable initiatives will help in achieving a
significant scale for SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) to gain a critical mass and bring in cost-
efficiency for widespread adoption in India.
• On February 18, 2022, IndiGo operated its brand new A320 neo plane from Toulouse, France
to New Delhi with a 10% blend of SAF.
• The goal is to have commercially viable SAF production (both bio and synthetic) at scale for
industry-wide adoption by 2030 to support aviation's overall net-zero pathway by 2050.
• The global coalition now has more than 80 members.
• In July 2022 IndiGo had a domestic market share of 58.8%.
About CST:
• Clean Skies for Tomorrow, launched in January 2019.
• It provides a crucial mechanism for top executives and public leaders, across and beyond the
aviation value chain.
• It is aligned on a transition to sustainable aviation fuels as part of a meaningful and proactive
pathway for the industry to achieve carbon-neutral flying.
About IndiGo:
• Founded: 2005
• Commenced Operations: 4 August 2006

• Headquarters: Gurgram, Haryana, India
• CEO: Rono Dutta
• Founder & MD: Rahul Bhatia
• IndiGo, is an Indian low-cost airline & It is the largest airline in India by passengers carried and
fleet size.
About WEF:
• Headquarters: Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland
• Founder & Executive Chairman: Klaus Schwab
India Contributes Rs 3 Crore to Voluntary Trust Funds For Protection Of UN Human Rights
• India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN), Geneva, Switzerland revealed that India
has contributed $ 400,000 (over Rs 3 crore) to 4 Voluntary Trust Funds.
List of 4 Voluntary Trust Funds:
1. Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture
2. Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation
3. Voluntary Fund for financial and technical assistance for the implementation of Universal
Periodic Review
4. Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to support the participation of Least Developed
Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDs) in the work of the council.
Note:
• In 2007, India became the first country to deploy an all-women contingent for the Formed
Police Unit to the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia.
About Voluntary Trust Funds:
• A special UN program called the 'Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture provides direct
assistance to victims of torture and their families.
• The General Assembly established it in 1981 to draw attention to the concerns of torture
victims on a global scale.
• The Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights was founded by
the UN Secretary-General in 1987.
• The Voluntary Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance in the implementation of the
universal periodic review came into force in 2007 by Human Rights Council resolution 6/17,
which got further enhanced by resolution 16/21 in 2011.
• The Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund was established in 2012 by Human Rights
Council resolution 19/26 to encourage the involvement of Small Island Developing States
(SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Council activities.
• The fund has been supported by voluntary donations from UN member states.
• The goal of the fund is to make sure that LDCs and SIDS, particularly those without a
permanent representation in Geneva, may take part in and contribute to the Council's work.
• In addition to that, India contributes USD 800,00 (Rs 6 crore) to promote the use of the Hindi
language at the UN
• In support of this initiative, the "Hindi @ UN" project was started in 2018 in partnership with the
UN Department of Public Information.
Goal:
• To expand the United Nations' public engagement in Hindi and raise awareness about global
concerns among millions of Hindi-speaking people worldwide.
About UN:
• Founded: 1945
• Secretary General: António Guterres
India & UK conduct Counter Ransomware Exercise for 26 Nations
• India’s National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and the Government of the United
Kingdom (UK) in collaboration with BAE Systems successfully designed & conducted the Cyber
Security Exercise for 26 Countries
• The exercise is a part of the India-led International Counter Ransomware Initiative- Resilience
Working Group, which is being led by India under the leadership of the National Cyber Security
Coordinator (NCSC).
Aim:
• To simulate a large, widespread cyber security incident affecting organizations within a
Country.
• All 26 invitees for the exercise are from CRI Partner Nations and their respective organizations
that include Cyber Security, National Crisis Management, National Security Policy, Critical
National Infrastructure, and Law Enforcement Agencies.
About the Exercise:
• The exercise has been facilitated by BAE Systems via the Immersive Labs platform.
• The theme of the exercise is based on the Energy Sector in which the respective National
Cyber Crisis Management Teams of the CRI Partner Nations will have to deal with a
ransomware attack on multiple electricity distribution companies.
• The exercise explores the complexity of decision-making around response to ransomware on
Critical National Infrastructure.
• It demonstrates the benefit of sharing information and collaborating during a major incident;
provides opportunities for the CRI Nations to share their approaches to countering
ransomware.
PM Shri Narendra Modi to Attend SCO Meeting With Putin And Xi:
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will go to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the summit of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
• After the SCO summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in June 2019, this will be the first summit to take
place in person.
• According to the current vacation itinerary, the Prime Minister will probably leave for
Samarkand on September 14 and return on September 16.
• India's participation at the summit is crucial since, after the Samarkand summit, it will take up
the rotating chairmanship of the SCO.
• Up to September 2023, Delhi will rule over the organization for a full year.
• Thus, India will host the SCO summit the following year, which will include participation from
the presidents of China, Russia, and Pakistan, among others.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi are among the leaders expected at the
summit.
Indian students receive the most student visas from the US in 2022
• In 2022, the United States (US) awarded a record 82,000 student visas to Indians, more than
any other country.
• This is according to the United States (US) Embassy in India.
• Patricia Lacina, charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in India, claimed.
• This shows that the majority of Indian families continue to choose the US as their primary
destination for higher education.
• The fact that Indian students will receive the majority of student visas from the US in 2022
highlights the important contributions that Indian students make to our two countries as they
develop long-lasting relationships with American peers to support and grow international
collaborations and work together to address current and upcoming global concerns.
• There were 1,67,582 Indian students in the 2020–2021 academic year, making up around 20%
of all overseas students studying in the United States, according to the Open Doors report from
2021. (US).
• The Minister Counsellor for Consular Affairs, Don Heflin, expressed his happiness at having
helped Indian students pursue a top-notch education.
India & Madagascar sign MoU on the training of diplomats
• India and Madagascar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the training of
diplomats between India and Madagascar.
Signatories:
• The MoU was signed between Foreign Affairs Minister of Madagascar Richard
Randriamandrato and Indian Ambassador to Madagascar Abhay Kumar during a special
ceremony organized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar.
• The MoU was signed between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS) & the
Foreign Affairs Ministry of Madagascar.
About the MoU:

• The MOU will enhance cooperation between India and Madagascar, the crucial arena of
training diplomats.
• It will encourage the exchange of information and content of training programs for diplomats.
About SSIFS:
• Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Dean: Arun Kumar Chatterjee
• The Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service is the civil service training institute in New
Delhi where Indian Foreign Service officers are trained.
• The institute functions under the Ministry of External Affairs, GoI.
About Madagascar:
• President: Andry Rajoelina
• Prime Minister: Christian Ntsay
• Capital: Antananarivo
• Currency: Ariary
India to assume G20 presidency for 1 year starting from December 2022
• India will assume the presidency of the G20 (Group of Twenty) for one year starting 1
December 2022 to 30 November 2022.
• Under its Presidency, India is expected to host over 200 G20 meetings across the country,
beginning in December 2022.
• The G20 Leaders' Summit at the level of Heads of State / Government is scheduled to be held
on 09 and 10 September 2023 in New Delhi.
About G20:
• The G20, or Group of Twenty, is an intergovernmental forum of the world’s major developed
and developing economies.
• It comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India,
Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
Turkey, the UK, USA) and the European Union (EU).

• The G20 accounts for 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the
world population making it the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
• India is currently part of the G20 Troika (current, previous, and incoming G20 Presidencies)
comprising Indonesia, Italy, and India.
• During India’s Presidency, India, Indonesia, and Brazil would form the troika.
• This would be the first time when the troika would consist of three developing countries and
emerging economies
Mastercard Partners with UNDP on free of charge startup program – Lighthouse MASSIV
• Mastercard has partnered with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on
Mastercard’s Lighthouse MASSIV: a free start-up partnership program designed to help 1
billion people lead more prosperous and secure lives by 2025.
Aim:
• To support impact tech companies on their impact measurement and management and
connect them to the broader United Nations network and initiatives
• Mastercard & UNDP will focus on the sustainability, monetary inclusion, and social effect of
targeted firms to achieve 2030 Sustainable Growth Objectives (SDG).
About Mastercard Lighthouse MASSIV:
• MASSIV - Make and Scale Social Impact Vision.
• The Mastercard Lighthouse MASSIV program was launched in 2019
• It has featured scale-ready companies focused on solving some of the most complex global
challenges, including climate change, poverty, and social and economic exclusion.
• It focuses on the Nordic and Baltic regions, and to date, it has helped 27 impact tech
companies from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia to scale through
partnerships.
First inter-modal digital TIR-based transport from India to Iran flagged off
• The first intermodal digital Transports Internationaux Routiers or International Road Transports
(TIR)-based pilot transport along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
corridor from India to Iran was flagged off from Nhava Sheva ( (Jawaharlal Nehru Port),
Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• It will facilitate seamless and paperless cross-border transit of goods, under the customs
guarantee of the TIR system.
About TIR:
• It helps in the facilitation of trade and transport, preventing delays in border crossing operations
by minimizing the formalities, which decreases transportation costs.
• According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Globally,
such a system has been a successful model for reducing trade transaction costs & facilitating
higher growth of intra-regional and inter-regional trade.
• As per FICCI, This system provides many benefits by simplifying the movement of national and
international transport, giving access to over 64 TIR operational countries.
About INSTC:
• The INSTC is India's vision and initiative to reduce the time taken for EXIM (Export-Import)
shipments to reach Russia and Europe, and enter the Central Asian markets.
• The Chabahar Port, which has been developed with Indian assistance, is the commercial
transit center for the region, especially Central Asia.
• India is participating in the development of the first phase of the Shahid Beheshti Terminal at
Chabahar Port in cooperation with the Iranian government.
About Iran:
• Capital: Tehran
World’s first public database on fossil fuels launched
• According to the Carbon Tracker and Global Energy Monitor, The world's first database for
tracking global fossil fuel production, oil and gas reserves, and emissions is named Global
Registry of Fossil Fuels and is set to launch.
• The registry was jointly developed by Carbon Tracker, a nonprofit think tank that researches
the energy transition's effect on financial markets, and the Global Energy Monitor, which tracks
a range of global energy projects.
Key Highlights:
• The inventory includes data from more than 50,000 oil, gas, and coal fields in 89 countries,
covering 75% of global production.
• It also makes previously disparate or hard-to-access data publicly available, including to
investors, experts, and activists.
• It was released to coincide with the two important international climate talks – the UNGA, which
is set to commence in New York on September 13, 2022, and COP27, which will be organized
in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in November 2022.
• The inventory would help remove gaps in knowledge about the global supply of oil, gas, and
coal and enable policymakers to better manage their phase-out.
• According to this inventory, burning of the world’s remaining fossil fuels would release 3.5
trillion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
• This is 7 times the remaining carbon budget to keep the global temperature at 1.5 °C.
Note:
• Founder of Carbon Tracker: Mark Campanale
Indo-Danish Hon'ble Ministers launch White Paper highlighting ‘Urban Wastewater Scenario in India’
at IWA World Water Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Hon'ble Minister for Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon'ble Minister Ms. Lea
Wermelin, Minister of Environment, Denmark, and Hon'ble Minister Mr. Flemming Møller
Mortensen, Minister of Development Co-operation, Denmark along with the Indian Delegation
launched a Whitepaper on ‘Urban Wastewater Scenario in India’ at International Water
Association (IWA) World Water Congress & Exhibition 2022 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
About the Whitepaper:
• It was prepared by an interdisciplinary team which was formed with partners from Atal
Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, Ministry of Jal Shakti and National Mission for Clean
Ganga (NMCG), international agency Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK) and academia Indian
Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB).
• The whitepaper holistically captures the current status of wastewater treatment in India and
potential pathways for future treatment structures, co-creation and collaborations collectively
produced.
• It is an outcome of the Green Strategic Partnership with a focus on green hydrogen, renewable
energy, and wastewater management between India and Denmark.
• Further, it highlights some success stories, the need for wastewater treatment, the scope for
improvement and augmentation in existing infrastructure and technologies, methods for public
participatory approach, financing and co-financing options, smart technologies for rapid data
collection and dissemination and building capacity via training and stakeholder apex bodies.
• India has committed investments of more than US $ 140 Billion by 2024 in the water sector.
• Also, the GoI adopted a community-centric approach whereby at least 10% of funds are
contributed by the community in every program ensuring community ownership and
participation.
• Next Generation Water Action (NGWA) is an international initiative with the ambition to engage
young talents from leading universities and innovation hubs before, during, and after the IWA
World Water Congress & Exhibition 2022.
MEPs: Hungary is no longer a full democracy becomes an 'electoral autocracy
• The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) declared in a non-binding but highly
symbolic report, that Hungary is no longer a fully functioning democracy.
• Hungary should be considered a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy" in which elections are
regularly held but without respecting basic democratic norms.
• A resolution was passed against Hungary with the support of 433 members, while 123
members voted against the resolution & 28 abstentions.
• This is the first time an EU institution declares a member state is not a proper democracy, an
essential prerequisite to join the European Union (EU).
Key Highlights:
• Led by Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, a French MEP who sits with the Greens, the report
examines the developments that have taken place in Hungary since the hemicycle triggered
the Article 7 procedure in 2018.
• The European Commission launched in April 2022 is a new system that can freeze a country's
allocated share of the EU budget when the bloc's financial interests are potentially endangered.
• The European Commissioner for Budget, Johannes Hahn, has proposed a 70% cut in
Hungary's funding if the government fails to implement the necessary measures to strengthen
democratic standards and effectively fight corruption.
• Earlier, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán signed a decree to establish an anti-corruption agency,
together with a separate task force with both governmental and non-governmental delegates.
Saudi Arabia overtakes Russia to become India’s second-biggest oil supplier in August 2022
• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has overtaken Russia by a narrow margin to become
India’s second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq in August 2022 after a three-month gap.
• Iraq remained the top oil supplier to India in August 2022.
• India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, shipped in 863,950 barrels per day
(bpd) of crude from Saudi Arabia, up 4.8% from Aug 2022, while purchases from Russia fell
2.4% to 855,950 bpd.
• The share of oil from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in India fell to
59.8%, the lowest in at least 16 years as India cut African imports.
• In August 2022, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stayed at No. 4 while Kazakhstan replaced
Kuwait to become the 5th-largest oil supplier to India, followed by the United States (USA).
• India's overall crude imports in August 2022 declined to a five-month low of 4.45 million bpd,
down 4.1% from July, due to maintenance at some refinerie
• A higher intake of Caspian sea oil, mainly from Kazakhstan, Russia, and Azerbaijan, has hit
India's purchases from Africa and other countries.
• African oil's share in August halved to 4.2% while Latin America's share fell to 5.3% from about
7.7%.
World’s first public database on fossil fuels launched
• According to the Carbon Tracker and Global Energy Monitor, The world's first database for
tracking global fossil fuel production, oil and gas reserves, and emissions is named Global
Registry of Fossil Fuels and is set to launch.
• The registry was jointly developed by Carbon Tracker, a nonprofit think tank that researches
the energy transition's effect on financial markets, and the Global Energy Monitor, which tracks
a range of global energy projects.
Key Highlights:
• The inventory includes data from more than 50,000 oil, gas, and coal fields in 89 countries,
covering 75% of global production.
• It also makes previously disparate or hard-to-access data publicly available, including to
investors, experts, and activists.
• It was released to coincide with the two important international climate talks – the UNGA, which
is set to commence in New York on September 13, 2022, and COP27, which will be organized
in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in November 2022.
• The inventory would help remove gaps in knowledge about the global supply of oil, gas, and
coal and enable policymakers to better manage their phase-out.
• According to this inventory, burning of the world’s remaining fossil fuels would release 3.5
trillion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
• This is 7 times the remaining carbon budget to keep the global temperature at 1.5 °C.
Note:
• Founder of Carbon Tracker: Mark Campanale
Kazakhstan renames capital to Astana & extends the presidential term to 7 Years
• The president of Kazakhstan Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed constitutional amendments
that extended the presidential term to 7 years from 5 years and officially changed the name of
the capital Nur Sultan to Astana.
• The changes are among political and economic reforms that President has called for after
violent protests in January 2022, killing more than 200 people.
• The Amendment bar any president from running for a second term in office.
• Astana became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997 when Nazarbayev, led the country for 3
decades under the Soviet Union.
• In 2019, Tokayev, moved to name it Nur-Sultan in honor of Nazarbayev, who retained

enormous influence as head of the country's ruling party and security council.
About Kazakhstan:
• President: Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
• Prime Minister: Älihan Smaiylov
• Currency: Tenge
Indo-Danish Hon'ble Ministers launch White Paper highlighting ‘Urban Wastewater Scenario in India’
at IWA World Water Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Hon'ble Minister for Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon'ble Minister Ms. Lea
Wermelin, Minister of Environment, Denmark, and Hon'ble Minister Mr. Flemming Møller
Mortensen, Minister of Development Co-operation, Denmark along with the Indian Delegation
launched a Whitepaper on ‘Urban Wastewater Scenario in India’ at International Water
Association (IWA) World Water Congress & Exhibition 2022 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
About the Whitepaper:
• It was prepared by an interdisciplinary team which was formed with partners from Atal
Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, Ministry of Jal Shakti and National Mission for Clean
Ganga (NMCG), international agency Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK) and academia Indian
Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB).
• The whitepaper holistically captures the current status of wastewater treatment in India and
potential pathways for future treatment structures, co-creation and collaborations collectively
produced.
• It is an outcome of the Green Strategic Partnership with a focus on green hydrogen, renewable
energy, and wastewater management between India and Denmark.
• Further, it highlights some success stories, the need for wastewater treatment, the scope for
improvement and augmentation in existing infrastructure and technologies, methods for public
participatory approach, financing and co-financing options, smart technologies for rapid data
collection and dissemination and building capacity via training and stakeholder apex bodies.
• India has committed investments of more than US $ 140 Billion by 2024 in the water sector.
• Also, the GoI adopted a community-centric approach whereby at least 10% of funds are
contributed by the community in every program ensuring community ownership and
participation.
• Next Generation Water Action (NGWA) is an international initiative with the ambition to engage
young talents from leading universities and innovation hubs before, during, and after the IWA
World Water Congress & Exhibition 2022.
MEPs: Hungary is no longer a full democracy becomes an 'electoral autocracy
• The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) declared in a non-binding but highly
symbolic report, that Hungary is no longer a fully functioning democracy.
• Hungary should be considered a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy" in which elections are
regularly held but without respecting basic democratic norms.
• A resolution was passed against Hungary with the support of 433 members, while 123
members voted against the resolution & 28 abstentions.
• This is the first time an EU institution declares a member state is not a proper democracy, an
essential prerequisite to join the European Union (EU).
Key Highlights:
• Led by Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, a French MEP who sits with the Greens, the report
examines the developments that have taken place in Hungary since the hemicycle triggered
the Article 7 procedure in 2018.
• The European Commission launched in April 2022 is a new system that can freeze a country's
allocated share of the EU budget when the bloc's financial interests are potentially endangered.
• The European Commissioner for Budget, Johannes Hahn, has proposed a 70% cut in
Hungary's funding if the government fails to implement the necessary measures to strengthen
democratic standards and effectively fight corruption.
• Earlier, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán signed a decree to establish an anti-corruption agency,
together with a separate task force with both governmental and non-governmental delegates.
Saudi Arabia overtakes Russia to become India’s second-biggest oil supplier in August 2022
• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has overtaken Russia by a narrow margin to become
India’s second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq in August 2022 after a three-month gap.
• Iraq remained the top oil supplier to India in August 2022.
• India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, shipped in 863,950 barrels per day
(bpd) of crude from Saudi Arabia, up 4.8% from Aug 2022, while purchases from Russia fell
2.4% to 855,950 bpd.
• The share of oil from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in India fell to
59.8%, the lowest in at least 16 years as India cut African imports.
• In August 2022, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stayed at No. 4 while Kazakhstan replaced
Kuwait to become the 5th-largest oil supplier to India, followed by the United States (USA).
• India's overall crude imports in August 2022 declined to a five-month low of 4.45 million bpd,
down 4.1% from July, due to maintenance at some refinerie
• A higher intake of Caspian sea oil, mainly from Kazakhstan, Russia, and Azerbaijan, has hit
India's purchases from Africa and other countries.
• African oil's share in August halved to 4.2% while Latin America's share fell to 5.3% from about
7.7%.
UNEP & Reef-World Foundation launches new worldwide digital platform to encourage sustainable
marine tourism
• The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), along with UK-based charity Reef-
World Foundation, launched the Green Fins Hub, a global digital platform.
• It would give sustainable marine tourism a ‘major boost’.
About Green Fins Hub:
• The Green Fins Hub is the first-ever global marine tourism industry platform.
Aim:
• To help diving and snorkeling operators across the world to make simple, cost-efficient
changes in their daily practices by implementing international best practices that promote the
sustainability of marine tourism.
• It would also help them keep track of their annual improvements and communicate with their
communities and customers.
• Green Fins Hub will host two types of membership.

• Digital membership is available for diving, snorkeling, and liveaboard operations globally.
• Green Fins Certified Members will continue to be assessed annually and trained in person at
their operation (0-330 point system, with a low score implying the low impact of a business on
coral reefs).
• It is expected to scale up to a potential 30,000 operators worldwide from about 700 operators
across 14 countries.
About UNEP:
5 Asian countries, including India, join hands to form a palm oil alliance
• Edible oil trade associations from five palm oil importing countries in South Asia India,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal for the first time allied with, Asian Palm Oil
Alliance (APOA).
Aim:
• To work worldwide to ensure that palm oil is recognized as a high-quality, economical, and
healthy vegetable oil and to change the negative image of palm oil, a statement by India's
edible oil industry body The Solvent Extractors' Association of India.
• APOA held its first general body meeting on the sidelines of the Globoil Summit held in Agra,
Uttar Pradesh (UP)
• In the first general body meeting of the Alliance, Atul Chaturvedi, the President of the Solvent
Extractors Association (SEA), was elected as the first Chairman.
• The next meeting of APOA is expected to be held in Indonesia in early 2023.
• The Alliance is expected to safeguard the economic and business interests of the palm oil-
consuming countries and create a level playing field for all fats and oils used in food, feed, and
oleochemicals in Asia.
• Also, the 5 country Alliance members separately held a meeting with the 10-member
delegation from the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs and Indonesia, the
Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI), and the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO)
Secretariat to explore joint research to scientifically demonstrate the health benefits of palm oil
and also launch joint consumer campaigns in Asian markets.
Note:
• India’s annual imports of edible oil are around 13-14 million tonnes (MT).
• Around 8 MT of palm oil is imported from Indonesia and Malaysia, while other oils, such as
soya and sunflower, come from Argentina, Brazil, Ukraine, and Russia.
• Asia accounts for around 40% of the global palm oil consumption while Europe accounts for
12% of the palm oil trade.
• Indonesia and Malaysia are the biggest palm oil exporters in the world.
• India is the largest importer of palm oil in Asia, accounting for 15% of global imports, followed
by China (9%), Pakistan (4%), and Bangladesh (2%).
Vitamin Angels India & UNICEF India Partner For Poshan Maah 2022
• Vitamin Angels India has announced a partnership with United Nations International Children's
Emergency Fund (UNICEF) India for Poshan Maah 2022.
Aim:
• To implement a comprehensive, unified outreach and awareness program to enhance nutritional
content, delivery, outreach, and outcomes with a renewed focus on fostering health, wellness,
and immunity to disease and undernutrition.
About Poshan Innovation Platform (PIP):
• The Poshan Innovation Platform aims to develop continuous sandboxing of ideas, mentoring by
experts, and seed funding by the private sector.
• In January 2023, the PIP to combat undernutrition will be launched in the Country.
• The initiative calls for ideas for innovations around Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition
(MIYCN) interventions from across the country.
• The 5th National Family Health Survey (2019-2021) has indicated a slight improvement in
undernutrition indicators, several other associated factors like anemia and vitamin A deficiency in
children continue to be major challenges.
Note:
• President of Vitamin Angels India: Sunish Jauhari
About UNICEF:
• Headquarters: New York, United States of America
• Executive Director: Catherine Russell
G4 countries highlight ‘urgent need’ for reform in U.N. Security Council
• On the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, the G-4 comprising India,
Japan, Germany, and Brazil highlighted the ‘urgent need’ for reform in the U.N. Security Council
(UNSC).
• The United Nations requires urgent and comprehensive reforms while emphasising that the
Security Council must be reflective of the "aspirations and perspectives of the developing world"
that form the majority of UN global membership.
• India emphasized its concerns in a statement of 32 countries highlighting the urgency to push
reforms in the UN Security Council.
Note:
• Foreign Minister of Brazil: Mr. Carlos Alberto Franco França
• Federal Foreign Minister of Germany: Ms. Annalena Baerbock
• Minister for External Affairs of India: Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
• Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan: Mr. Yoshimasa Hayashi
About UNSC:
• Membership: 15 countries (5 permanent members: the United States, the Russian Federation,
France, China, and the United Kingdom)
• The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations & is charged with ensuring
international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the
General Assembly, and approving any changes to the UN Charter.
About G4:
• Founded: 2005
• Headquarters: United Nations

• Membership: India, Germany, Brazil, and Japan
India Supports Hanimaadhoo International Airport Project in Maldives With Concessional Line Of Credit
• The Government of Maldives signed the agreement with JMC Projects (India) Ltd. for the
development of Hanimaadhoo International Airport.
• The agreement was signed by the Managing Director of Regional Airports, Mr. Mohammed Rizvi,
on behalf of the Maldives government, and JMC's Vice-President, Mr. KS Reddy, signed the
agreement on behalf of the company
• It is the first-ever major infrastructure project to be undertaken outside the Greater Male region
and is funded under the USD 800 million concessional Line of Credit (LoC) extended by the
Government of India to the Maldives.
• The total contract value is approximately USD 136 million.
• The project is scheduled to kick off later in 2022 & will be completed in 2024.
About the Project:
• The Hanimaadhoo airport development project will include a 2.46 km runway and a brand new
terminal with the capacity to cater to 1.3 million passengers per annum.
• The project will be funded through India EXIM Bank’s line of credit, which was signed earlier in
2019.
• Once completed, the airport will be able to serve Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft for
international flights.
About Maldives:
• President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
• Capital: Malé
• Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa, United States dollar
India Attends 'Blue Pacific' Event as Observer In the US
• India as an observer attended the Blue Pacific Partners (PBP) Foreign Ministers Meeting, during
which the partners aimed to support the Pacific region and committed to working with the region
to consider other potential initiatives, including areas such as education and infrastructure.
• 6 prospective Lines of Effort and initial projects for PBP were discussed, aligned with the
thematic areas of the Forum's 2050 Strategy.

An in-depth discussion on these issues
• Climate change resilience, adaptation, and disasters
• Secure and flexible technology and connectivity, protecting the ocean and the environment
• People-centered development, resource, and economic development and political leadership,
and regionalism
• Apart from India, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Japan, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue,
Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga,
United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Canada, France, Germany, Representatives from the Republic of
Korea, the Pacific Islands Forum and the European Union attended.
IMPORTANT MOU’s & AGREEMENTS
AAI and Sweden Sign an MoU for Sustainable Aviation Technology:
• A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and
the Swedish company LFV Air Navigation Services in New Delhi.
• The agreement between Sweden and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) brings together two
air navigation service providers, India and Sweden, who have a history of developing and
implementing the most recent generation of environmentally friendly aviation technology, to
investigate smart aviation solutions.
• This MoU will pave the way for bilateral sharing of aviation technology and know-how between
the two countries.
• Swedish ingenuity and expertise may be used to help Indian enterprises expand more quickly.
• Under the aegis of the MoU, the firms may collaborate in areas of mutual interest.
ONGC inks agreement with ExxonMobil for deepwater exploration in India:
• Indian oil explorer and producer Oil and Natural Gas Corp signed a Heads of Agreement (HoA)
with global petroleum giant ExxonMobil Corp for deepwater exploration in India's East and
West coasts.
• The Heads of Agreement document was signed in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas by
Rajesh Kumar Srivastava, Director (Exploration), ONGC, and Monte K Dobson, CEO & Lead
Country Manager, ExxonMobil India in the presence of Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Ministry of
Petroleum & Natural Gas.
• The collaboration areas focus on the Krishna Godavari and Cauvery Basins in the eastern
offshore and the Kutch-Mumbai region in the western offshore.
• There has been a scientific exchange of exploration data in the last few years, which has led to
this partnership
• Collaboration between ONGC and ExxonMobil will be a strategic fit where ONGC’s knowledge
and experience in these areas will be coupled with ExxonMobil’s global insights
CDRI and GoI signed the Headquarters Agreement (HQA) in New Delhi:
• In New Delhi, the Government of India (GoI) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure (CDRI) signed the Headquarters Agreement (HQA), establishing CDRI as an
"Independent and International Legal Entity."
• The HQA is signed with CDRI to provide exemptions, immunities, and privileges in line with
Section 3 of the United Nations (Privileges & Immunities) Act, 1947, which designates CDRI as
an "International Organization."
• It will provide CDRI with a legal identity that is independent and worldwide, enabling it to carry
out its duties more successfully and effectively on a global basis.
• Amit Prothi, the director general of CDRI, and Noor Rahman Sheikh, the joint secretary of the
ministry of external affairs, both signed the HQA.
CERT-In in collaboration with the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore:
• Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and
IT, in collaboration with the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, successfully designed and
conducted the Cyber Security Exercise “Synergy” for 13 Countries
• It was a part of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative- Resilience Working Group.
• The Group is being led by India under the leadership of the National Security Council
Secretariat.
• The theme of the exercise was “Building Network Resiliency to counter Ransomware Attacks”.
• The exercise scenario was derived from real-life cyber incidents, in which a domestic-level
(limited impact) ransomware incident escalates to a global cyber security crisis.

• The Exercise “Synergy” was hosted by CERT-In on its exercise simulation platform. Each State
participated as a National Crisis Management Team composition from different government
agencies.
• The specific objective of the exercise was to Assess, Share and Improve strategies and
practices among Member-States to build network resiliency against ransomware & cyber
extortion attacks.
About Indian-Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In):
• It is an office under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• It is the nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing.
• It was established on 19 January 2004.
• Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.
POSCO signed a MoU with ZeroC to make green hydrogen and to jointly pursue opportunities in
renewables:
• Global steelmaker POSCO signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ZeroC, a
subsidiary of renewable energy company Greenko to make green hydrogen, and to jointly
pursue opportunities in renewables, and other derivatives of green hydrogen.
• That this MoU will contribute toward the mission of making India a green hydrogen hub.
• Under a memorandum of understanding signed at a trade fair on the northwestern outskirts of
Seoul, POSCO Holdings and Greenko will carry out a feasibility study on green hydrogen
production after discovering a proper site by the end of 2022.
• Greenko, which is majority owned by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, runs about 7.5
gigawatts capacity of renewable energy facilities in India
• In April this year, Greenko Group and Belgium’s John Cockerill finalized the terms of a 50:50
joint venture to set up two alkaline electrolyzer factories of a gigawatt each in India over the
next 12 to 18 months to make the lowest cost hydrogen in the country for industrial users.
BEL signed a MoU with Smiths Detection, for offering advanced, high-energy scanning systems to the
Indian market:
• Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a public sector undertaking announced the signing of a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Smiths Detection, a threat detection, and security
inspection technologies company, to offer advanced, high-energy scanning systems to the
Indian market.
• BEL will handle front-end requirements in the market, supporting the localization of projects.
• Smiths Detection will provide its expertise and screening technology for the project.
• The MoU is for five years and can be extended further by mutual consent.
• To facilitate the ease of doing business and enhance safety, the Indian government is investing
in port and land border security.
• Also, the requirement for high-energy scanning technology is being driven by defense
installations, which screen large volumes of vehicles and impose restricted entry to sensitive
areas.
About BEL:
• Bharat Electronics Limited is an Indian Government-owned aerospace and defense electronics
company.
• Founded: 1954.
Tata Steel and Punjab govt inked an MoU to establish a steel facility in Ludhiana:
• Punjab Government and Tata Steel sign an MoU of 0.75 million tonnes per year (MnTPA) long
products steel factory with an electric arc furnace (EAF) fuelled by scrap will be built by the
Tata Steel Company and the Punjabi government.
• Tata Steel decided to construct the brand-new facility at Kadiana Khurd in the Hitech Valley of
Ludhiana as part of its commitment to promoting a circular economy and moving to the
production of low-carbon steel by recycling steel.
• According to the company, its objective of has Net Zero carbon emissions by 2045.
• Tata Steel’s flagship retail brand, “Tata Tiscon,” would be produced by the cutting-edge EAF-
based steel mill, allowing the corporation to significantly expand its market share.
Adobe and AICTE collaborate to promote digital literacy in India:

• The All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Adobe have partnered to strengthen
the nation's capacity for digital innovation.
• To give children the core creative and digital literacy skills they need to flourish in today's
digital-first world, the agreement's conditions include that Adobe will educate teachers, offer
courses, and integrate digital creativity into the curriculum.
• The collaboration aims to provide essential digital creativity skills to more than 75,000
educators working in 10,000 institutions of higher education by 2024.
• If India aspires to become the world's talent capital, the key is to foster digital and creative
capacities.
• Adobe hopes to boost the nation's skilling ecosystem through our relationship with AICTE and
provide teachers and students with the cutting-edge skills they need to thrive in the post-
pandemic, digital-first future.
KCCI signed an MoU with BSMES in Manama, Bahrain:
• The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Srinagar signed an MoU with Bahrain
Small & Medium Enterprises Society (BSMES) in Manama, Bahrain.
• Focusing on MSME development the pact aims to create and deliver suitable services and
programs for the member clients of the Bahrain SME Society and KCCI.
• Initially, Kashmir can offer medical packages to the citizens of Bahrain as Kashmir has one of
the best doctors in the country, suggested the ACS.
• BSMES delegation can act as ambassadors of India in general and Kashmir in particular so
that more and more people would visit J&K and added that the MoU signing is a step in that
process.
IIT Madras is collaborating with MDA to offer a remediation program for children with dyslexia
studying in Tamil medium:
• The National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), IIT Madras, is
collaborating with Madras Dyslexia Association (MDA) to offer a remediation program for
children with dyslexia studying in Tamil medium.
• This program is being offered in online mode, completely free of charge through NPTEL.
• Dyslexia, a language-based processing difficulty, manifests itself as a difficulty in processing

not just English but other languages as well; hence, MDA has designed and developed ‘Tamil
Vazhi Payirchi’ to provide support to children studying in Tamil medium primary schools.
• MDA has designed and developed ‘Tamil Vazhi Payirchi’ - a complete package to address the
remediation needs of such children.
• It includes a screening tool that can be administered in a Tamil medium primary class, a
remedial kit, and a training program that equips the teachers with strategies they can impart to
children with dyslexia.
NIESBUD, IIE, and ISB Signs MoU to offer Entrepreneurial Programmes to India’s Youth:
• Under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the National Institute
for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and the Indian Institute of
Entrepreneurship (IIE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) separately with the
Indian School of Business (ISB), a top-ranked global business school, to provide top
management education through entrepreneurial programs aimed at youth and job-seeking
entrepreneurs.
• The collaboration will allow ISB academics and other industry specialists to create and
implement two programs: Business Foundation & Entrepreneurial Skills and the Behavioral
Skills Programme.
• To participate in the two training programs, NIESBUD and IIE will begin enrolling students in
the ISB LMS.
• Upon successful completion of the course, the participants will each get a joint certification.
Vedanta and Foxconn to Invest 1.54 Lakh Crore In Gujrat For Chip Manufacturing:
• Vedanta Limited, managed by Anil Agarwal, and the Foxconn Group would contribute more
than Rs 1.54 lakh crore to Gujarat's semiconductor ecosystem development.
• The oil-to-metals conglomerate announced that Vedanta Displays Limited will establish a
display fabrication unit with an investment of Rs 94500 crore and Vedanta Semiconductors
Limited will establish an integrated semiconductor fabrication unit and OSAT (Outsourced
Semiconductor Assembly and Test) facility with an investment of Rs 60000 crore.
• Thus, two MoUs will collectively attract investment totaling more than Rs. 1.54 trillion and
create almost 1 lakh new job opportunities in the state.

MeitY Startup Hub and Meta Collaborate to speed up XR technology startups in India:
• MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) and Meta will collaborate to launch a program to support and
accelerate XR technology entrepreneurs in India.
• Joel Kaplan, vice president of global policy at Meta, and Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister
of state for electronics and information technology, skill development, and entrepreneurship,
will also be present at the event.
• This partnership is one of the government's initiatives to promote technologically advanced and
future-focused talents.
• India is well-positioned to play a significant role in the metaverse because of its large talent
pool of artists and developers and burgeoning technological ecosystem.
IBM and IIT Madras collaborate to promote quantum computing in India:
• International Business Machines (IBM) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-
Madras) have partnered to advance quantum computing research and talent development in
India.
• Through this partnership, IIT Madras joins the worldwide membership of the IBM Quantum
Network, which consists of more than 180 organizations.
• In addition, IIT Madras becomes the "first Indian university" to join the worldwide network of
Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, academic institutions, and research laboratories that use
IBM Quantum technology to advance quantum computing and look into business use cases.
• The partnership will open up new opportunities to collaborate with business partners to
accelerate research and make quantum real in areas like supply chain improvements, logistics,
and the modeling of financial data, among other things.
NSDF signed an MoU with NTPC and REC Foundation for the development of sports in the country:
• National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) of the Department of Sports, Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NTPC (National
Thermal Power Corporation) Foundation and REC (Rural Electrification Corporation)
Foundation for the development of sports in the country.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur and Union
Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh.

• The financial support to be given by NTPC is Rs 115 Crores over the next 5 years and they will
be supporting Archery discipline in India
• REC Foundation has also committed an amount of Rs 100 Crores over 3 years to support
Women’s Hockey, Athletics, and Boxing.
• The support towards NSDF has come through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
mandate.
• The support from NTPC and REC Foundation will cover the following: Grassroots development
of the sports, training of identified talent, training of elite talent, coach development, sports
science support, advance training, and more.
Indian Navy signed an MoU with Amity University for Academic Cooperation:
• Amity University Uttar Pradesh inked an MoU with the Indian Navy to establish a long-term
academic collaboration connection.
• The Memorandum of Understanding between Amity University and the Indian Navy will
improve educational credentials, increasing the likelihood of 'in-service' acceptable nautical
assignments and better postings in retirement from the Indian Navy.
• The MoU between Amity University and the Indian Navy calls for specialized courses in
specialized sectors for the Indian Navy.
• 5G Technology and IoT, Control System Integration, AI, Blockchain, Machine Learning,
Cryptology, Data Science, Big Data Analysis, Digital Marketing, Computer Networks, Anti
Drone Warfare, Cyberwarfare, Security, Automation, Surveillance, and Tracking are among the
different fields.
• This will also help to improve the 'Scholar Warriors,' who will be able to think more clearly and
adapt to future war problems.
• This training will help naval people get better postings.
India and Egypt signed an MOU to enhance cooperation between their defense industries:
• India and Egypt agreed to enhance cooperation between their defense industries.
• The MoU has been signed by Defence Minister Shri Rajanth Singh and his counterpart,
General Mohamed Zaki.
• Defence Minister Shri Rajanth Singh was on a two-day visit to Cario, Egypt.
• India and Egypt also agreed to enhance the conduct of joint exercises and exchange of
personnel for training.
• Both sides also exchanged views on regional security and acknowledged the contribution of
both countries to peace and stability.
• Rajnath Singh invited his Egyptian counterpart to the India-Africa Defense Dialogue and Indian
Ocean Region (IOR) Defense Ministers’ conclave.
About India-Egypt:
• India and Egypt friendship started with the signing of the Friendship Treaty in 1955.
• India-Egypt’s Bilateral Trade Agreement has been in operation since March 1978.
• Egypt participated in the Multinational Training Exercise for friendly African countries held at
Pune in March 2019.
• The first ever IAF-EAF Joint Tactical Air Exercise, Dessert Warrior, was held in October 2021.
• The first ever Special Forces exercise “Cyclone 1” between India and Egypt planned in Jodhpur
in January 2022 stands postponed.
Defence Ministry has signed an MoU with Bank of Baroda, and HDFC Bank under SPARSH- an
initiative to cover 17 lakh, defense pensioners.
• Defence Ministry has signed an MoU with the Bank of Baroda, HDFC Bank.
• This MoU has been signed under SPARSH- System for Pension Administration initiative to
cover seventeen lakh, defense pensioners.
• According to Defence Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar, 17 lakh pensioners out of the total 32 lakh
defense pensioners will be added to SPARSH by the end of this month.
• The remaining pensioners will be brought under SPARSH at the earliest.
• The Ministry said MoU will onboard over 14,000 bank branches as Service Centres to provide
an effective medium for pensioners to perform profile update requests, register grievances, and
seek redressal.
About SPARSH:
• SPARSH is an initiative of the Ministry of Defence.
• It aims to provide a comprehensive solution to pension administration for the Defence
pensioners.
Hero MotoCorp tie-up with HPCL to set up EV charging infrastructure:
• Hero MotoCorp has partnered with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd to establish
charging infrastructure throughout the country for electric two-wheelers.
• The two firms will first develop charging infrastructure at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation's
(HPCL) existing network of stations as part of the effort, with the possibility of later widening
the relationship for more business prospects.
• The charging stations will be set up in select cities, which will then be expanded to other key
markets to establish a high-density of EV charging station network across the country.
About Hero MotoCorp
• Founder: Brijmohan Lall Munjal
• CEO: Pawan Munjal
NCC and UNEP sign an agreement in presence of the defense minister:
• The National Cadet Corps (NCC) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
signed a Memorandum of Understanding in front of defense minister Rajnath Singh.
• To battle plastic pollution and attain the goal of clean water bodies, a Memorandum of
Understanding was signed to combine the Tide Turners Plastic Challenge initiative and the
Puneet Sagar Abhiyan.
• It seeks to organize activities that encourage young people to support clean water bodies.
• The Resident Representative of the UN World Food Programme, Bishow Parajuli, and
Director General of the NCC, Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh, signed the Memorandum
of Understanding.
About Puneet Sagar Abhiyan:
• The NCC launched the Puneet Sagar Abhiyan on December 1st, 2017.
• The campaign's goals are to clean up plastic and other waste from seashores and to make
people aware of how vital cleanliness is.
TSSC has launched a center of excellence with Huawei Technologies:
• Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC), a skill development institution for the telecom industry,
has launched a center of excellence with Huawei Technologies at NIT Patna for capacity
building.
• The center which will come up under the aegis of the ministry of skill development and
entrepreneurship will cater to roles in information and communications technology, cyber
security, electronics, and communication including technical, services, and allied fields.
• The MoU, which has been signed for five years, is aimed at skilling, reskilling, and upskilling
aspiring students to enhance their employability through training in innovative technologies.
IIT Madras has partnered with Accenture to set up a Centre of Excellence:
• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has partnered with information technology (IT)
consulting firm Accenture to set up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) to undertake collaborative
research projects.
• They will also jointly develop intellectual properties and thought leadership focused on digital
engineering and manufacturing across industries.
• Specific areas of collaboration will include autonomous robotics systems (ARS), industrial
internet of things (IIoT), digital twins, and advanced automotive technologies such as electric
mobility services, according to a joint statement.
• The CoE will also work as an incubator and identify disruptive early-stage startups to drive
innovation and research in these areas.
• Earlier in September, International Business Machines (IBM) partnered with the IIT-Madras to
advance quantum computing skills development and research in India.
• Also, Accenture collaborated with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru to establish
Accenture Centre for Advanced Computing.
• University collaboration has been the key to Accenture’s innovation agenda.
AMTZ has signed an MOU with NSIC for cooperation in the healthcare sector:
• Andhra Pradesh Med Tech Zone (AMTZ), India’s largest life-saving medical devices
manufacturing cluster, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Small
Industries Corporation (NSIC) for cooperation in the healthcare sector.
• Union Minister for MSME Narayan Rane, the MoU is a significant step for enhancing the
competitiveness of MSMEs in the healthcare sector.
• Both organizations can leverage their expertise and create excellent opportunities for MSMEs
in the healthcare sector to form global alliances and get access to the latest medical
technologies along with creating skilled manpower for this sector.
Airlines have signed an MOU with CSIR–IIP to collaborate and work together on research:
• Airlines under the Tata umbrella have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Council
of Scientific And Industrial Research–Indian Institute Of Petroleum (CSIR–IIP) to collaborate
and work together on research, development, and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels.
• The focus of the MoU is the exploration of Single Reactor HEFA Technology for Drop-in liquid
Sustainable Aviation and Automotive Fuel (DILSAAF).
• The MoU was signed by Air India, AirAsia India, and Vistara airlines with CSIR-IIP.
• Sustainable aviation fuel is made from sustainable resources, such as forestry and agricultural
waste and used cooking oil, and can be blended with fossil jet fuel to reduce emissions.
• It is a ‘drop-in’ fuel, meaning it can be added with no changes needed to the aircraft.
• In December last year, IndiGo partnered with CSIR-IIP on sustainable aviation fuel, including
work on single Reactor HEFA Technology for Drop-in liquid Sustainable aviation and
Automotive Fuel (DILSAAF).
Additional Info:
• In 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted a global market-based
mechanism, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA),
to address CO2 emissions from international aviation.
• CORSIA aims to stabilize net carbon emissions from international civil aviation using offsetting
programs.
• Under this, from 2021 until 2026, only flights between states that volunteer to participate will be
subject to offsetting requirements.
• The countries that have volunteered cover about 77% of all international aviation activity.
• Beginning in 2027, virtually all international flights will be subject to mandatory offsetting
requirements, representing more than 90% of all international aviation activity.

• Until September 2021,107 states have volunteered to join CORSIA for 2022.
CIL inked an MoU with BHEL, IOC, and GAIL
• Easing the way for setting up coal-to-chemical projects through Surface Coal Gasification
(SCG) route, Coal India Limited (CIL) inked a Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) with Bharat
Heavy Electricals Limited, Indian Oil Corporation and GAIL (India).
• Through the SCG route, coal is converted into syngas that can be subsequently processed for
downstream production of value-added chemicals.
• These are otherwise produced through imported natural gas or crude oil.
• Envisaged end products would be di-methyl ether, synthetic natural gas, and ammonium
nitrate.
• The upside of the proposed projects is reduced forex outgo and direct and indirect employment
generation to the tune of 23,000.
• With the twin objectives of self-reliance and energy independence, the Ministry of Coal has set
a target for achieving 100 million tonnes of coal gasification by 2030.
About CIL:
• Headquarters: Kolkata
• CEO: Pramod Agrawal
• Founded: November 1975
About BHEL:
• CEO: Nalin Singhal
About GAIL
• CEO: Shri Manoj Jain
• Founded: 1984
BPCL has signed an MOU with Petrobras for sourcing crude oil:
• State-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) has signed an agreement with Brazilian
national oil company Petrobras for sourcing crude oil from the Latin American nation as part of
plans to diversify its sourcing needs.
• BPCL imports a large volume of crude oil which is turned into fuel such as petrol and diesel at
its three oil refineries at Mumbai, Bina in Madhya Pradesh, and Kochi in Kerala.
• The firm, which gets the majority of its supplies from west Asian nations such as Iraq and Saudi
Arabia, is looking to diversify its sources of supply in an attempt to cut down reliance on any
particular region.
• Company chairman and managing director Arun Kumar Singh and Petrobras CEO Caio Paes
de Andrade signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Brazil.
• Bharat PetroResources Limited (BPRL), the upstream oil and gas exploration and production
subsidiary of BPCL, plans to invest USD 1.6 billion to develop an oil block in Brazil.
Additional Info.:
• On July 27, the Union Cabinet approved the firm to invest an additional USD 1.6 billion in the
Brazilian oil block BM-SEAL-11.
• The block is to start production from 2026-27.
• BPRL has a 40 percent stake in the block.
• Brazil's national oil company Petrobras is the operator with 60 percent interest.
• Multiple oil discoveries have been made in the block, which is being developed now.
Air India Signed an MOU With Willis Lease for Aircraft Engines:
• Air India announced a definitive sale and leaseback agreement with Nasdaq-listed Willis Lease
Finance Corporation for 34 CFM56-5B engines installed on its Airbus A320 family fleet.
• The engines will be covered by Willis Lease's ConstantThrust, which will provide considerable
dependability and cost savings over a standard MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations)
shop visit program.
• 13 Airbus A321 aircraft and four Airbus A320 aircraft will be powered by 34 engines that Willis
Lease will buy from Air India as part of the sale side of the deal.
• Willis Lease will supply replacement and standby spare engines through the program, enabling
the airline to avoid potentially expensive and unpredicted service visits on engines powering a
fleet of transitional aircraft.

Eve Air Mobility has signed an MoU with FlyBlade to bring eVTOLs to India by 2026:
• Embrear’s Eve Air Mobility has signed an MoU with FlyBlade India to bring at least 200 electric
vertical take-offs and landing (eVTOLs) to India by 2026.
• eVTOL aircraft is a type of VTOL aircraft that uses electric power to hover, take off, and land
vertically.
• They are designed to pick up passengers from rooftops of their apartment blocks to ferry them
across the city to their respective offices or entertainment centers.
• FlyBlade India was incorporated on 26 October 2018.
• BLADE India is a facilitator which provides a common platform to members who wish to avail of
helicopter carriage services.
• It is a joint venture between BLADE USA and Hunch Ventures.
ISA and ICAO signed an MoU:
• International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) signed
an MoU.
• On the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
Assembly, ISA and ICAO have signed an MoU.
• The MoU has been signed by Juan Carlos Salazar, Secretary-General, ICAO, and Joshua
Wycliffe, Chief of Operations, ISA.
• The idea of making ICAO a partner organization of ISA was mooted by Jyotiraditya M. Scindia
during his visit to Montreal in May 2022.
• With this MoU, ICAO has become a partner organization of ISA.
• The partnership between ISA and ICAO will help in developing building capacity to use solar
energy.
• The MoU will work towards providing information, providing advocacy, capacity building, and
demonstration projects
• ICAO is committed to reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector through various initiatives.
• India, with the support of France, has invited countries to invest in solar projects.
NHPC Limited and IIT Jammu have signed a pact for availing services:
• NHPC Limited and IIT Jammu have signed a pact for availing services of the latter for
undertaking R&D activities in the field of science, engineering, and technology.
• NHPC has an established R&D division undertaking various innovative initiatives in different
fields of construction, operation, and maintenance of hydropower projects/stations.
• S L Kapil, Executive Director (R&D), and Prof Manoj Singh Gaur (Director, IIT Jammu) signed
the agreement on behalf of NHPC Limited and IIT Jammu, respectively.
CCI approves merger of Aditya Marketing & Manufacturing into Umang Commercial
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the merger of Aditya Marketing and
Manufacturing Private Limited into Umang Commercial Company Private Limited.
• Umang Commercial Company Private Limited (Acquirer) is a part of Aditya Birla Group, an
Indian multinational conglomerate.
• The Acquirer is an investment holding company and holds shareholding in various entities on
behalf of Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla.
• The Acquirer is registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a Non-banking Financial
Company (NBFC)
• Aditya Marketing and Manufacturing Private Limited (Target) is a part of B K Birla Group, a
diversified group having businesses in various industry sectors.
• The proposed combination involves the merger of Target into Acquirer by the Scheme of
Amalgamation under Sections 230 and 232 of the Companies Act, 2013.
• The Acquirer group will acquire control over the below listed and unlisted entities:
• Padmavati Investment Private Limited
• Pilani Investment and Industries Corporation Limited
• Century Textiles and Industries Limited
• Century Enka Limited; and
• Ganesh Tubes and Services Private Limited.
About CCI:

CCI approves acquisition of shares in Olam Agri Holdings Pte. Ltd. by SALIC International Investment
Company
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of 35.43% stake shares
in Olam Agri Holdings Pte. Ltd. (Olam Agri / Target) by SALIC International Investment
Company (SIIC / Acquirer).
About SIIC:
• SIIC is an unlisted limited liability company based in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• It is fully owned and controlled by Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Corporation
(SALIC).
• SALIC is a Saudi Arabian investment company, active in the agricultural and food industries
with investments both in Saudi Arabia and other countries.
About Olam Agri:
• Olam Agri is a company incorporated and headquartered in Singapore and operates as a
merchant and processor of agricultural goods.
• Olam Agri, both directly and indirectly, undertakes the sale of various agri-commodities,
including rice in India, both at the wholesale and retail levels.
CCI Approves Acquisition of 7.49% Stake in Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Limited
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of approximately 7.49%
shareholding in Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited on a fully diluted basis by Caladium
Investment Pte. Ltd(GIC Investor) by way of preferential issues of equity and warrants.
• Caladium Investment Pte. Ltd. (Acquirer/GIC Investor) is wholly owned by Lathe Investment
Private Limited, an entity that is in turn wholly owned by GIC (Ventures) Private Limited (GIC
Ventures).
• The GIC Investor is a special purpose vehicle organized as a private limited company in
Singapore that is part of a group of investment holding companies managed by GIC Special
Investments Private Limited (GICSI).
• Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (Target/ABFRL) is a publicly listed company that along
with its subsidiaries is engaged in the manufacture and retailing of branded apparel, footwear,
and accessories (AFA).
About CCI:
CCI approves the acquisition of 100% of the equity share capital of IndiaIdeas.com Limited (IIL) by
PayU India
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of 100% of the equity
share capital of IndiaIdeas.com Limited (IIL) by PayU Payments Private Limited (PayU India)
under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
• The CCI has approved payments major PayU's $4.7 billion acquisition of online payments firm
BillDesk.
About the Acquisition:
• PayU India primarily provides payment aggregation services that enable merchants (and other
entities) to receive payments from their customers across various digital payment methods.
• The shares of PayU India are indirectly held by Prosus N.V. (“Prosus”).
• Prosus is a global consumer internet group and one of the leading technology investors in the
world.
• Prosus has a primary listing on Euronext Amsterdam. Naspers Limited holds 73.6% voting
rights in Prosus.
• Naspers is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
• IIL is an unlisted public limited company.
• It uses the name “BillDesk” as its trading/ business/ brand name in India.
• The PayU-BillDesk deal is pegged as the second-largest buyout in the Indian internet sector
after Walmart’s $16 billion acquisition of e-commerce major Flipkart in 2018.
About CCI:
RIL to acquire 79.4% stake in US-based solar energy software maker for $32 million
• Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) will acquire a 79.4% stake in California-based solar energy
software developer SenseHawk for USD 32 million (around Rs 256 crore)
• Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Reliance, Mr. Mukesh Ambani, partners with
SenseHawk to revolutionize the green energy sector and has the vision to enable 100 GW of
solar energy by 2030.
About SenseHawk:
• Founded: 2018
• Headquarters: Saratoga, California
• CEO and co-founder: Swarup Mavanoor
• President and co-founder: Rahul Sankhe
• SenseHawk is an early-stage California-based developer of software-based management tools
for the solar energy generation industry with operations in the US, UAE, and India.
• SenseHawk’s Software Digitization Platform (SDP) SaaS helps with process optimization,
automation, and asset information management.
About RIL:
• Chairman & MD: Mukesh Ambani
• Director: Nita Dalal Ambani

CCI approves the acquisition of a stake in Apraava Energy Private Limited by CDPQ Infrastructures
Asia II Pte. Ltd.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of a stake in Apraava
Energy Private Limited (Target) by CDPQ Infrastructures Asia II Pte. Ltd. (Acquirer) under
Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
About the Acquisition:
• The Proposed Combination pertains to the acquiring an additional 10% shareholding in the
Target from CPL GPEC (Mauritius) Holding Limited.
• The Acquirer presently holds a 40% shareholding in the Target.
About CDPQ Infrastructures Asia II Pte. Ltd:
• It is incorporated in Singapore and is a direct and wholly owned subsidiary of Caisse de dépôt
et placement du Québec, a long-term institutional investor with net assets of approximately
CAD 420 billion invested globally that manages funds primarily for public and para-public
pension and insurance plans.
About Apraava Energy Private Limited:
• It is a foreign investment in the Indian power sector with an investment spread across
renewable energy (including wind and solar), transmission, supercritical coal, and gas-fired
generation.
• It entered the country in 2002 and has since expanded its portfolio of operating conventional
and renewable assets.
LIC cuts stake in Glaxo Pharma to 4.357%
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has diluted its stake in GlaxoSmithKline
Pharmaceuticals from 6.402% to 4.357%.
• In a disclosure to the stock exchanges, LIC has sold about 34.20 lakh shares or 2.045% of its
holding in the global pharma major during September 2018-22 period.
• The stake sale took place at an average price of ₹1,549.40
• Shares of insurance coverage mainly closed 1% decrease at ₹663.20, whereas those of Glaxo
slid 0.55% at ₹1,409.90.

• According to the June-end shareholding pattern, besides LIC, General Insurance Corporation
of India (GIC), holds a 1.42% stake in GSK Pharma.
About LIC:
• Chairman: M R Kumar
Google to acquire cybersecurity firm Mandiant for $5.4 billion
• Google Cloud Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Thomas Kurian announced that Google has
completed the $5.4 billion acquisition of cyber-security firm Mandiant.
• Mandiant will join Google Cloud to help organizations improve their threat, incident, and
exposure management.
• Mandiant is known for unearthing the SolarWinds hack that shook the world.
• Several big companies, including tech giants like Intel, Cisco, VMware, and Nvidia, suffered
part of the SolarWinds hack allegedly orchestrated by Russia-backed cybercriminals.
• Google Cloud will retain to hold the Mandiant brand & continue Mandiant's mission to make
every organization secure from cyber threats and confident in their readiness
About Mandiant:
• Founded: 2004
• Headquarters: Reston, Virginia, U.S
• CEO: Kevin Mandia
ADIA to invest Rs 665 cr in Aditya Birla Health Insurance gets CCI nod under green channel route
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has given its approval for ₹665-crore primary
capital infusion in Aditya Birla Health Insurance (ABHI) by an entity controlled by the Abu Dhabi
Investment Authority (ADIA).
Key Highlights:
• The proposal has been approved by the competition watchdog under the green channel route.
• Once the transaction is complete, ADIA will own a 9.99% stake, Aditya Birla Capital Limited
45.91%, and Momentum Metropolitan Holdings 44.10% stake in Aditya Birla Health Insurance.
About ABHI:
• ABHI is a 51:49 joint venture between Aditya Birla Capital Ltd (ABCL) and Momentum
Metropolitan Strategic Investments (Pty) Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of South Africa-based
Momentum Metropolitan Holdings Ltd.
Adani Group acquires Ambuja & ACC to become India’s second-largest cement maker
• The Adani group has completed the acquisition of major cement players Ambuja Cements
Limited and ACC Limited, becoming India’s second-largest cement player.
• After the transaction, Adani holds a 63.15% stake in Ambuja Cements and 56.69% in ACC (of
which 50.05% is held through Ambuja Cements).
• The acquisition of Ambuja Cements and ACC is the largest acquisition ever by the Adani
Group, and India’s largest ever in the infrastructure and materials space.
• Ultratech Cement is the largest player with a market valuation of over Rs 1.87 lakh crore.
• The Gautam Adani-led group has paid $6.4 billion (over 51,000 crores) in cash to acquire
Switzerland-based Holcim.
• The transaction involved the acquisition of Holcim’s stake in Ambuja and ACC along with an
open offer in both entities as per SEBI [Securities and Exchange Board of India] regulations.”
• Ambuja Cements and ACC currently have a combined installed production capacity of 67.5
Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA).
State Bank of India to acquire balance stake in SBI Global Factors
• The State Bank of India (SBI) has acquired 13.82% (ie 2,20,98,780 equity shares) stake of SBI
Global Factors Ltd (SBIGFL) from its existing shareholders Small Industries Development Bank
of India (SIDBI) 6.53%, Union Bank of India (UBI) 2.95% and Bank of Maharashtra (BoM)
4.34%.
• The transaction entailed cash consideration of Rs 67.84 crore (Rs 30.70 per share).
• The transaction is expected to be completed in September 2022.
About SBI:

Canadian Pension fund OTPP to buy 30% of Mahindra arm for Rs 2371 crores
• Canadian fund Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board is picking up a 30% stake in Mahindra
Susten Private Limited, the renewable energy player for Rs 2,371 crore ($300 million).
• The proposed transaction envisages the establishment of an infrastructure investment trust,
InvIT.
• The InvIT will initially include Mahindra Susten’s operating renewable portfolio of around 1.54
GWp.
Key Highlights:
• As part of the deal, shareholder loans of Rs 575 crore advanced by Mahindra Group to the
platform would also be repaid.
• The Mahindra group will receive an inflow of around Rs 1,300 crore ($165 million) from the deal
• The Mahindras and Ontario Teachers will jointly explore the sale of an additional 9.99% stake
in Susten by May 31, 2023.
• It will deploy Rs 3,050 crore (Rs 1,300 crore from the stake sale and an additional Rs 1,750
crore) into the business and InvIT over the next 7 years.
• On its part, OTPP will infuse an additional amount of up to Rs 3,550 crore during the same
period.
About OTPP:
• Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Chairman: Steve McGirr
• CEO: Jo Taylor
• The OTPP is an independent organization responsible for administering defined-benefit
pensions for school teachers in the Canadian province of Ontario.
• The plan is a multi-employer pension plan, jointly sponsored by the Government of Ontario and
the Ontario Teachers' Federation.
CCI approves merger of Jio Cinema OTT platform with Viacom18

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the amalgamation of the over-the-
top platforms Jio Cinema with Viacom 18 Media.
• This nod by the national competition regulator follows an investment by BTS Investment 1 Pte.
Ltd. (BTS1) and Reliance Projects and Property Management Services Limited (RPPMSL).
• BTS1 is a company incorporated under the laws of Singapore.
• This approval comes after Reliance Industries and Viacom18 announced their strategic
partnership in April with Bodhi Tree Systems (BTS) to form one of the largest TV and digital
streaming companies in India.
• BTS, along with a host of investors, announced that it will invest Rs 13,500 crore in Viacom18
to launch the entertainment platform and lead the transformation of the media landscape to a
‘streaming first’ approach.
About RPPMSL:
• RPPMSL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries.
• It is engaged in the provision of IT support services, business and infrastructure support
services, manpower support services, and the erection and commissioning of telecom facilities.
• Bodhi Tree Systems, a newly formed platform between Lupa Systems Founder and CEO
James Murdoch and Uday Shankar.
About CCI:
Mahindra & Mahindra to acquire Swaraj Engines' 17.41% stake from Kirloskar Industries
• Mahindra & Mahindra(M&M) will acquire 21,14,349 equity shares constituting a 17.41% stake
in Swaraj Engines Ltd (SEL) from Kirloskar Industries Ltd (KIL) for Rs 296 crore.
• The acquisition will result in increasing the M&M stake in Swaraj Engines (SEL) to 52.13% from
34.72%.
• The paid-up equity share capital of SEL from KIL at Rs 1,400 per share.
• Consequently, SEL, which is currently an associate of the company, would become a
subsidiary of M&M.
About Mahindra & Mahindra:
• Chairman: Anand Mahindra
• MD & CEO: Dr. Anish Shah
About SEL:
• Headquarters: Mohali, Punjab
• SEL is in the business of manufacturing diesel engines and their components.
Ageas Federal Life Insurance becomes the first life insurer to have a 74% stake held by a foreign
shareholder
• Ageas Federal Life Insurance (AFLI) has become the first life insurance company in India to
have a 74% stake held by a foreign partner after Belgium-based Ageas Insurance International
completed the acquisition of the 25% stake in the life insurance joint venture (JV) from IDBI
Bank.
• Ageas has acquired the additional 25% stake of IDBI Bank in Ageas Federal Life Insurance for
a total cash consideration of Rs 580 crore.
• After the acquisition of the additional 25% stake, Ageas’ shareholding in the JV rose to 74%
from the earlier-held 49%.
• Federal Bank continues to hold a 26% stake in the life insurer, while IDBI Bank exited as a
shareholder.
About AFLI:
• Founded: 2007
• CEO & Whole Time Director: Vighnesh Shahane
• AFLI (Formerly known as IDBI Federal Life Insurance) is a joint venture of Federal Bank, which
is a private sector bank in India and Ageas.

Axis Bank to Acquire Up To 9.94% Stake In Go Digit-Life Insurance
• India's 3rd largest private sector lender Axis Bank has entered into an indicative and non-binding
term sheet with Go Digit-Life Insurance for a proposed investment of Rs 49.90 to Rs 69.90 crore
for a 9.94% stake in the Initial Public Offering (IPO) bound Go Digit, a firm backed by Canada-
based Fairfax Group.
• The company proposes to carry out life insurance business in India, subject to the grant of a
certificate of registration by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
(IRDAI).
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) stated in a public disclosure on its website
on Monday that the “issuance of observations (has been) kept in abeyance" about the IPO of Go
Digit.
• Axis Bank along with its two subsidiaries Axis Capital and Axis Securities owns a 12.99% stake
in Max Life Insurance.
Mr. Santosh Iyer appointed as MD & CEO of Mercedes-Benz India
• German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has appointed Mr. Santosh Iyer as the Managing
Director (MD)& Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Indian operations with effect from January
1, 2023.
• He succeeds Mr. Martin Schwenk who will take up the position of President and CEO, of
Mercedes-Benz Thailand.
About Mr. Santosh Iyer:
• Mr. Santosh Iyer has been with the Mercedes-Benz brand since 2009.
• In 2016, he was appointed as Vice President - Customer Services and Retail Training
Business.
• Currently, he is working as Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Mercedes-Benz.
• During his tenure, Mercedes launched its first electric car in India, introduced key ICE products,
and successfully implemented the ‘Retail of the Future’ business model in India.
Note:
• Santosh Iyer will be the youngest & first Indian to serve as the head of Mercedes-Benz India
operations.
About Mercedes-Benz:
• Established:1926
• Headquarters: Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
MP Shri Anurag Sharma elected as CPA treasurer
• Lok Sabha Minister of Parliament (MP) Shri Anurag Sharma from the Jhansi-Lalitpur
parliamentary constituency, has been elected as the International Treasurer of the
Parliamentary Association Conference (CPA) at the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association Conference in Halifax, Canada.
• Mr. Sharma is the second Indian office-bearer in the CPA, the world’s largest and oldest
International Parliamentary Association.
• He will be handling annual funding of millions of pounds and the trust funds, ensuring their
smooth and effective utilization.
• He is all set to add that extra mile of ROI (return on investment) and showcase the Indian
effectiveness of India in this global responsibility.
• Sharma is a member of the delegation of Indian parliamentarians, led by Lok Sabha Speaker
Shri Om Birla, to the conference.
About Anurag Sharma:
• Sharma did his management studies at the Harvard Business School, in Boston,
Massachusetts.
• He took over as Executive Director at Shree Baidyanath Ayurvedic Bhavan as a reputed
industrialist.
About CPA:
• Founded: 1911
Mission:
• To promote the advancement of parliamentary democracy by enhancing knowledge and
understanding of democratic governance, youth engagement in democracy, gender equality,

and equal representation
Shri Nagesh Singh was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Thailand
• Shri Nagesh Singh has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of
Thailand.
• He will replace the incumbent ambassador Shri Suchitra Durai.
• Bilateral relations between India & Thailand continued to strengthen during 2021, marked by
cooperation at regional and sub-regional levels within the framework of ASEAN, Mekong
Ganga Cooperation, and BIMSTEC as well as at other multilateral fora.
About Shri Nagesh Singh:
• Shri Nagesh Singh is a 1995 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) who has served
as Consul General of India in Atlanta.
• Currently, he is working as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
About Thailand:
• Prime Minster: Prayut Chan-o-cha
• Capital: Bangkok
• Currency: Baht
Acefour Accessories appointed Jasprit Bumrah as brand ambassador for Uppercase
• The travel accessories company, Acefour Accessories, has appointed Indian cricketer Jasprit
Bumrah as brand ambassador for its eco-friendly luggage brand “uppercase” for two years.
• Jasprit Bumrah, managed by rising Worldwide, a Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) initiative and
India’s largest sports and entertainment company.
• He will lead the D2C brand’s ‘Never Ordinary’ campaign.
Shri MV Iyer appointed as an additional charge of CMD Gail
• Shri MV Iyer has been given additional charge as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)
of State-run GAIL (India) Limited.
• He has been appointed to the post for three months with effect from September 1, 2022
• His appointment comes after former CMD Shri Manoj Jain superannuated from the services of
GAIL.
About Shri MV Iyer:

• Shri Iyer is Director of the GAIL's new Joint venture company Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited
(IGGL) for the implementation of the North East Gas Grid.
• He had worked as Executive Director (Projects) with the GAIL.
• Currently, he is working as Director (Business Development), Additional Charge of Director
(Marketing) of GAIL (India) Limited.
About GAIL (India) Limited:
• Founded: 1984
• GAIL (India) Limited is a government-owned natural gas explorer and producer responsible for
natural gas processing and distribution in India.
• Its operations are overseen by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Kriti Sanon becomes first brand ambassador for Heads up for Tails
• Pet-care brand Heads Up For Tails (HUFT) has announced Bollywood actor, a passionate
animal lover Kriti Sanon as their first brand ambassador.
About HUFT:
• Founded: 2008
• Founder: Rashi Narang
Aim:
• To help remove hunger and provide health, safety, and shelter for street animals.
Starbucks appoints Indian-origin executive Mr. Laxman Narasimhan as CEO
• The world's biggest coffee chain, Starbucks has appointed Mr. Laxman Narasimhan as the
next chief executive officer (CEO) and a member of the Starbucks Board of Directors.
• He will replace its long-time head, Mr. Howard Schultz.
• Mr. Narasimhan will be joining the company on October 1, 2022, & will completely take over
the helm in April 2023.
• Mr. Howard Schultz will continue as interim CEO until April 1, 2023.
About Mr Laxman Narasimhan:
• Mr. Laxman Narasimhan was born on 15 April 1967 in Pune, Maharashtra, India.
• He was the Chief Commercial officer (CEO) of PepsiCo.
• He is an Indian-American business executive who was the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of
Reckitt Benckiser, a multinational consumer health, hygiene, and nutrition company.
• He is the trustee of the Brookings Institution and a member of the Council on Foreign
Relations.
• He has served as a member of the UK Prime Minister's Build Back Better Council and is a
member of Verizon's Board of Directors.
About Starbucks:
• Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States
• Chairperson: Mellody Hobson
Government appoints Mr. Rajesh Kumar Srivastava as interim chairman of ONGC
• India's top oil and gas producer, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) appointed Mr.
Rajesh Kumar Srivastava as an additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)
for a period of 4 months with effect from September 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022.
• Srivastava succeeds Mr. Alka Mittal who superannuated on Aug 31, 2022.
• He is the third interim chief of ONGC.
Other Appointments:
• Mr. Subhash Kumar, the then senior-most director on the ONGC board & the director for
finance, was named officiating head after Mr. Shashi Shanker superannuated on March 31,
2021.
• After the retirement of Mr. Kumar on December 31, 2021, Mr. Alka Mittal, Director for Human
Resources, was given the additional charge.
About Mr Rajesh Kumar Srivastava:
• Mr. Srivastava joined ONGC as Geologist in 1984 at Krishna Godavari Basin, Rajahmundry,
Andhra Pradesh.
• He played a key role in the formulation of ‘Hydrocarbon vision-2030 for North East India’ driven
by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Awards & Honors:
• He was honored with the National Mineral Award in 2009.
About ONGC:
• ONGC is without a regular chairman and managing director since April 2021.
Mr. Yamuna Kumar Chaubey gets charge as Chairman & MD of NHPC
• State-owned hydro power giant NHPC Limited announced that Mr. Yamuna Kumar Chaubey
has been given the charge of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) for 3 months beginning
September 1, 2022.
• He succeeded Mr. Abhay Kumar Singh who superannuated on August 31, 2022.
About Mr Yamuna Kumar Chaubey:
• Chaubey, 59, joined NHPC Limited in 1985 as a Probationary Executive (Civil) at 540 MW
Chamera Hydro-Electric Project, now Chamera-I Power Station, Himachal Pradesh.
• He served as Chairman on the board of Bundelkhand Saur Urja Ltd & was appointed as
nominee director on the boards of Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited and Ratle
Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd from October 1, 2020, and June 1, 2021, respectively.
• Currently, he is the Director (Technical) of NHPC and is also holding the additional charge of
Director (Personnel), of NHPC.
About NHPC Limited:
• Founded: 1975
• Headquarters: Faridabad, Haryana
• NHPC Ltd is an Indian government hydropower board under the ownership of the Ministry of
Power, GoI.
IAS Officer Mr. Paban Kumar Borthakur took charge as the new Chief Secretary of Assam
• Senior IAS officer Mr. Paban Kumar Borthakur took charge as the new chief secretary of
Assam.
• He replaced Mr. Jishnu Barua, who retired from service on Aug 31, 2022.
• Mr. Barua will continue as the chairman of the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited
(APDCL) for two years or till further orders.
About Mr. Paban Kumar Borthakur:
• Mr. Borthakur, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service officer.
• He served as the additional chief secretary to the state government in the transformation and
development, cultural affairs, and tourism departments.
• He is also the chairman of the Assam Administrative Tribunal.
About Assam:
• Capital: Dispur
Serbian President Nominated Mr. Ana Brnabic as PM of Serbia
• Serbian President Mr. Aleksandar Vucic has nominated Mr. Ana Brnabic as Prime Minister of
Serbia for the second consecutive time.
Note:
• Mr. Ana Brnabic became the first woman & the first openly gay person to hold the Position.
About Mr. Ana Brnabic:
• Brnabić was born in Belgrade, Serbia.
• In 2016, She entered government as the minister of public administration and local self-
government.
• She is the president of the Council for Innovative Entrepreneurship and Information
Technologies of the Government of Serbia.
• She has served as the prime minister of Serbia since 2017.
About Serbia:
• President: Aleksandar Vučić
• Capital: Belgrade
• Currency: Serbian dinar
Mr. Kalyan Chaubey becomes the new AIFF President, beats Bhaichung Bhutia
• Indian politician of Bhartiya Janta Party & a former professional Indian football player Mr.
Kalyan Chaubey has become the new All India Football Federation (AIFF) President after
beating former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia 33-1 in polls.
• He succeeds Mr. Praful Patel (2009-2022)
• Out of the 36 state associations in India, 34 were allowed to vote, barring Ladakh and Jammu
& Kashmir.
About Mr Kalyan Chaubey:
• Mr. Chaubey graduated from Tata Football Academy in 1995 & became a professional football
player.
• He was a member of the Indian teams at U-17 Asian Youth Championship in 1994 in Iran and
U-20 Asian Youth Championship in South Korea in 1996, and the senior Indian national team
from 1999 to 2006.
• He took over as the CEO of Mohun Baagan Academy from 2010 to 2013.
Awards & Honors:
• He played as a goalkeeper and won the award – "Indian Goalkeeper of the Year" in 1997–98
and 2001–02.
• He won the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship in 1999 & 2005 with India.
• He also won the South Asian Games Bronze medal in 1999.
Note:
• Mr. Chaubey became the first Indian former footballer to become the president in the 85 years
of AIFF's existence.
About AIFF:
• Headquarters: Dwarka, Delhi
• AIFF is the governing body of football in India under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports, GoI.
Senior IIS officer Dr. Vasudha Gupta was appointed as DG of the News Services Division of AIR
• Senior Indian Information Ser

Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule - August 2022

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Important Monthly Current Affairs Capsule – August 2022

2. Im portant Banking and Economy News 13

3. Im portant State News 97

4. Im portant National News 141

5. Im portant International News 186

6. Im portant MOU’s and Agreement News 204

7. Im portant Mergers and Acquisitions News 219

8. Im portant Appointments and Resignation News 235

9. Im portant Awards and Honours News 276

10. Im portant Defence News 285

11. Im portant Summit & Conference News 304

12. Im portant Schemes News 305

13. Im portant Science and Technology News 311

14. Im portant Environment News 329

15. Im portant Apps and Services News 329

16. Im portant Rankings and Indices News 330

17. Im portant Books and Authors 336

18. Im portant Sports News 344

19. Im portant Obituaries 375

• World Breastfeeding Week or WBW is observed from August 1 to 7 every year.

community support, ecology, economy, science, education, and human rights.

• In 2018, a World Health Assembly resolution endorsed WBW as an important breastfeeding

important role in the early development of a baby.

U.S. Coast Guard Day- August 4 th:

organization for its valor and discipline.

service members of the Coast Guard.

Alexander Hamilton and was later on known as the Revenue Marine.

known as Revenue Service cutters.

Hiroshima Day- August 6

awareness of the effects of the bomb attack on Hiroshima.

• It was the first city to be attacked by a nuclear bomb.

• This wiped out 39 percent of the civilians in the city.

‘The Fat Man in the city of Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 respectively.

National Handloom Day- August 7, 2022

• In India, National Handloom Day is observed annually on August 7 to promote wearing

clothing manufactured by hand by indigenous tribes.

and the contribution of citizens to the socioeconomic development of handloom weavers.

launched as part of the Indian independence movement, on August 7, 1905.

• The movement started the production of khadi in almost every household.

Movement was birthed.

Day for the first time in Chennai.

The Quit India Movement Day – August 8

session of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC).

took place in the country.

country after which Indian National Congress leaders were arrested.

people from Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

effects of the bomb attack on Nagasaki.

• rsary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city.

Man in the city of Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 respectively.

International Day of World's Indigenous People- August 9

awareness and protect the rights of the world's indigenous population.

• In India, the indigenous population is also known as the Scheduled Tribes.

• It declared the decade 2005-2015 as the Second International Decade.

World Biofuel Day

of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels.

wastes, is known as biofuel.

mechanical engine with peanut oil.

source of energy in the next century.

World Lion Day- August 10

Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.

Bengal Tiger, Indian Leopard, Clouded leopard, and Snow Leopard.

Geographic made a partnership to create World Lion Day.

• This also works on the safety measures of the lion communities.