Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 31st August, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 31 August 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

“Vriksharopan Abhiyan - 2021”of Coal Ministry launched
The Ministry of Coal in India launched the Vriksharopan Abhiyan 2021, as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav. Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs will launch the Abhiyan via video conference.
  • The coal/lignite Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) of the Ministry of Coal, Government of India has an ambitious target under the Go Greening drive to bring 2,385 hectares of land under bio-reclamation or plantation.
  • The Abhiyan is expected to give the right stimulus to the Go Greening drive and thereby connecting more than 300 plantation sites in and around coalfields in India.
1000 new Health & Wellness Centres to be opened in NE States as part of National Ayush Mission: Sarbananda Sonowal
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal announced a slew of major initiatives planned to boost the traditional medicinal practices in the North-Eastern states at a Conference of Ayush and Health Ministers of North Eastern states in Guwahati.
  • The Union Minister announced that as many as 1000 new Health & Wellness Centres (HWC), as part of the National Ayush Mission (NAM) Scheme, will be opened in the North Eastern states for growth and development of Ayush systems. The aim of these centres is to provide a holistic wellness model based on principles of Ayush systems of medicine. A total of 12,500 HWC are to be operationalised in the country.
  • Sonowal also announced that a new Ayurvedic College will come up at Dudhnoi in Goalpara district of Assam with a Central allocation of Rs.70 crore under NAM support in order to boost the education and training of Ayush medicinal experts in North East.
PM Modi inaugurates renovated Jallianwala Bagh memorial complex in Punjab
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh memorial.
  • Museum galleries have been developed at the memorial and the event showcased multiple development initiatives taken by the government to upgrade the complex.
  • They showcase the historical value of events that unfolded in Punjab during that period, with the fusion of audio-visual technology, including projection mapping and 3D representation, as well as art and sculptural installations.
MeitY Startup Hub collaborates with Paytm to support deep-tech startups
Digital payments and financial services firm Paytm said it has signed an agreement with IT ministry's startup hub to scale deep-tech startups by providing access to platform, knowledge series, experts, resources, and larger community of stakeholders.
  • The collaboration also focuses on fostering partnerships with incubators, accelerators, investors, offering a startup toolkit to solve payments, distribution and growth challenges for early stage startups.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India extends up to a million USD for climate resilient agriculture in Zimbabwe
The Government of India has contributed almost USD one million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Zimbabwe to help affected populations tackle climate shocks.
  • The contribution, provided through the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, will be used to assist more than 5200 smallholder farmers in Chiredzi and Mangwe districts.
  • Working alongside partners, WFP Zimbabwe will provide expertise through its Smallholder Agricultural Market Support (SAMS) programme, to strengthen the resilience and capacity of selected smallholder farmers. The project will promote the cultivation of drought-tolerant small grains and legumes – reducing the negative effects of recurring droughts in Zimbabwe.

BANKING & FINANCE

PhonePe receives insurance broking licence from Irdai
Payments major PhonePe has received an insurance broking licence from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), the Bengaluru-based company.
  • Now, with this new ‘direct broking’ licence, PhonePe can distribute insurance products from all insurance companies in India.
  • The new broking licence will also allow PhonePe to start offering personalized product recommendations to its over 300 million users, and offering a much more diverse portfolio of insurance products for Indian consumers.
Max Life Partners with BillDesk to Enable Safe and Secure E-mandate for Premium Payments
Max Life Insurance Company Ltd has enabled a safe and secure E-mandate process on premium payments for its customers in partnership with BillDesk, a payment gateway solutions provider.
  • With this, Max Life becomes the first life insurer to extend the facility of E-mandate for recurring premium payment options to its customers.
  • This will allow Max Life customers to choose the maximum amount through E-mandate for longer tenure and have greater control over the recurring transactions.
SBI Report: India's GDP Likely to Grow by 18.5% in April-June Quarter This Fiscal
The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow at around 18.5 per cent with an upward bias in the first quarter of the current financial year, according to SBI research report Ecowrap. 
  • This estimate is lower than the Reserve Bank of India’s GDP growth projection of 21.4 per cent for the April-June quarter.
  • Based on our ‘Nowcasting’ model, the forecasted GDP growth for Q1 FY22 would be around 18.5 per cent (with upward bias), the report said. Higher growth in the second quarter of 2022, or Q1 FY22 is mainly on account of a low base.
RBI extends PIDF scheme to street vendors covered under PM SVANidhi in tier 1, 2 centres
Reserve Bank extended the scheme for encouraging deployment of Point of Sale (PoS) infrastructure to street vendors covered under the PM SVANidhi programme in tier 1 and 2 centres.
  • The Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) scheme, with a corpus of Rs 345 crore, envisages creating 30 lakh new touch points every year for digital payments in tier-3 to tier-6 centres.
  • The scheme, operationalised in January this year, has now been extended to select street vendors in tier 1 and 2 centres

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

India's exports to ASEAN estimated at USD 46 billion in FY22
Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel said that India is expected to export USD 46 billion to ASEAN in the financial year 2022.
  • Patel inaugurated the "India-ASEAN Engineering Partnership Summit" organised by the Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) with support from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Commerce.
  • Both India and ASEAN have large share of skilled population, robust service and manufacturing sectors and there are many complementary sectors and products available for greater cooperation. With a combined economy of approx. USD 5.8 trillion, there is significant potential for enhancing trade and investment partnership between India and ASEAN.
India's Data Centre Industry Capacity to Double by 2023 to 1,008 MW: Report
The capacity of data centre industry is expected to double by 2023 to over 1,000 MW to meet the rising demand amid sharp growth in digitalisation, according to property consultant JLL. The industry’s capacity is expected to double from 499 MW in January-June 2021 to 1,008 MW by 2023, it added. MW indicates IT design power load.
  • The capacity expansion is “driven by strong digitalisation, rising cloud adoption and ambitious growth plans of data centre operators.
  • JLL released its ‘H1 2021 India Data Centre Market Update’. Stating that acceleration of digitalisation has forced enterprises to scale up their IT infrastructure, the consultant said a strong demand for co-location/cloud facilities, which offer scalability, security, and connectivity at lower costs, has been witnessed across India.

SPORTS

Stuart Binny announces retirement from first class and International cricket
India all-rounder Stuart Binny, who owns the record of the best bowling figures in ODI format, announced his retirement from first class and international cricket. 
  • The 37-year-old Binny began his career with his state Karnataka and represented India in six Tests, 14 ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals.
  • He had bettered the record of his compatriot Anil Kumble, who had also taken a six-wicket haul against the West Indies in 1993 but had conceded 12 runs.
Tata Motors, Wrestling Federation Extend Contract to Go for Gold at Paris Olympics 2024
Tata Motors and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) strengthened their long-term partnership with the launch of an initiative to win a gold medal in the next edition of Olympics. The initiative, ‘Quest for Gold at Paris Olympics 2024′, is a holistic development programme with the singular objective to win the coveted gold medal at the next Olympics.
  • As part of this initiative, WFI, with support from Tata Motors, will focus on the growth, progress and advancement of both men and women wrestlers, across age groups, by providing access to the right infrastructure, platform, opportunities and security.

APPOINTMENTS

In a First, 9 Supreme Court Judges, Including 3 Women, Take Oath in One Go
Nine new judges, including three women, were administered oath of office as judges of the Supreme Court, taking its strength to 33. It is for the first time in the history of the apex court that nine judges took oath of office at one go.
  • Chief Justice of India N V Ramana administered the oath of office to the new judges in a swearing-in ceremony held in the auditorium of the Supreme Court’s additional building complex.
Names of 9 new Supreme Court Judges 1) Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka 2) Justice Vikram Nath 3) Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari 4) Justice Hima Kohli 5) Justice B V Nagarathna. 6) Justice C T Ravikumar 7) Justice M M Sundresh 8) Justice Bela M Trivedi 9) Justice P S Narasimha Three out of these nine new judges -- Justices Nath, Nagarathna and Narasimha -- are also in line to become the CJI. Pankaj Kumar Singh appointed as new BSF director general
Pankaj Kumar Singh, a 1988-batch Indian Police Service officer, was appointed as director general of the country's largest border guarding force BSF.
  • Singh is a Rajasthan cadre officer and is presently serving as the special director general (DG) of the force that guards over 6,300 km of the Indian fronts with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
  • He will take charge on August 31 after the retirement of IPS officer and ITBP DG S S Deswal, who is holding additional charge of the BSF DG after the tenure of Gujarat cadre officer Rakesh Asthana ended in July.
Indian Idol Winner Pawandeep Rajan Becomes Uttarakhand's Brand Ambassador for Art, Tourism, Culture
Indian Idol 12 winner Pawandeep Rajan was made Uttarakhand’s brand ambassador for art, tourism, and culture.
  • Twenty-three-year-old Rajan, who won the 12th edition of the music reality show Indian Idol on August 15, is a resident of Champawat in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.
Govt approves extension of terms of three MD-CEOs, 10 EDs of PSU banks
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has accepted the proposal of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) to extend the tenure of three managing directors and chief executive officers (MDs and CEOs) and ten executive directors (EDs) of public sector banks.
  • The ACC has approved the extension of tenure of S S Mallikarjuna Rao, MD and CEO of Punjab National Bank, until January 31, 2022, when he is due for superannuation.The appointments panel has also approved a two-year extension for Atul Kumar Goel, MD and CEO of UCO Bank as well as A S Rajeev, MD and CEO of Bank of Maharashtra.
  • The  ACC has also approved a two-year extension to Bank of Baroda ED Ajay K Khurana, ED of Canara Bank A Manimekhalai and P R Rajagopal, Bank of India ED. Terms of Sanjay Kumar and Vijay Dube (Punjab National Bank), Gopal Singh Gusain and Manas Ranjan Biswal (Union Bank of India), Vikramaditya Singh Khichi (Bank of Baroda), Shenoy Vishwanath Vittal (Indian Bank), and Alok Srivastava (Central Bank of India) as EDs have been approved for an extension until their age of superannuation.
  • The DFS, in a letter to DoPT, had also suggested extending the term of Shanti Lal Jain, the former ED of Bank of Baroda for two years. However, earlier this month, Jain was appointed the MD and CEO of Indian Bank for a period of three years.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur launches FIT India Mobile Application
To celebrate the second anniversary of Fit India Movement and as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur launched the Fit India Mobile Application.
  • The Fit India App is available on both Android and iOS platforms and has been developed in such a way that it works even on basic smartphones.
  • This mobile application will help monitor fitness and through it an attempt has been made to show that fitness is easy.
  • Currently, the Fit India Movement is also conducting Fit India Freedom Run 2.0 in celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence.

OBITUARIES

Renowned coach Vasudev Paranjape passes away
Vasudev, alias Vasoo, Paranjape - a former First Class cricketer who mentored numerous greats of the game - passed away at his home. He was 82.
  • Paranjape’s career as a cricketer was restricted to 29 appearance for Mumbai from 1956 to 1970. But it was his great cricketing acumen, ability to mentor cricketers and an uncanny knack to motivate young and veterans alike that elevated him into the stature of one of the greatest guides of the game in Indian cricket.
  • He was the coach of India Under-19 for the inaugural Youth World Cup in 1988, with the squad including the likes of M. Senthilnathan, Pravin Amre, Nayan Mongia, Narendra Hirwani, Venkatapathy Raju and Subroto Banerjee.
Legendary actor Ed Asner passes away at 91 
Seven-time Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner died at the age of 91.
  • He won seven - five for portraying Lou Grant (three as Supporting Actor in a Comedy Television Series on 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' and two as Lead Actor in a Dramatic Television Series on spin-off 'Lou Grant').
  • His other Emmys were for performances in two television drama series: 'Rich Man, Poor Man' (1976), where he won for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Performance in a TV series, and 'Roots' (1977), for which he won for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a TV series.
  • Asner also served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1981-85 and sparred often with Charlton Heston, a noted conservative who preceded him as head of the guild. He received the SAG Life Achievement Award in 2002, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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Monday, August 30, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 30th August, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 30 August 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

World's highest altitude movie theatre opens in Ladakh
A newly launched mobile digital movie theatre in Ladakh has made history as the highest theatre in the world. The inflatable theatre has been established at an altitude of 11,562 feet at the Paldan area of Leh in Ladakh.
  • The inflatable theatre can operate in -28 degrees Celcius. The initiative aims to bring cinema watching experience to most remotest areas of India. It must be noted that four such theatres will be established in Leh in the coming period.
Govt introduces new registration mark under BH-series for new vehicles
The Government introduced a new registration mark for new vehicles under the "Bharat series (BH-series)" to facilitate seamless transfer of vehicles, informed Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways.
  • The series has been introduced by the road transport ministry, and notified by central government. The government has said that the new series will be available on voluntary basis to defense personnel, employees of central government/ state government/ central/ state public sector undertakings and private sector companies/organisations, which have their offices in four or more states/union territories.
  • The existing rules, which have been in place since past few years, allow a person to keep the vehicle in a state where it has not been registered for a certain period of time.. The current rules say that a person is allowed to keep vehicle for a maximum of 12 months in any state other than the state where it is registered. The owners has to get such vehicles re-registered before the expiry of 12 months.
FM Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates ‘My Pad, My Right’ project in Tripura
In Tripura, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated a project called ‘My Pad, My Right’ initiated by NABARD  and NABFOUNDATION at Killa village in Gomati district on the second and concluding day of her visit to the state.
  • The project aims to bring livelihood and menstrual hygiene closer to rural women by way of grant, wage support and capital equipment.
  • The Union Minister also flagged off the mobile ATM van of Tripura State Co-Operative Bank Limited which will cover all Gram Panchayats and Village Committees of South Tripura District.
Finance Min Nirmala Sitharaman Promises Rs 1300 Crore Development Package for Tripura Tribal Areas
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman promised that a Rs 1300-crore project for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure Development for Tripura's Tribal areas would be cleared within the next 10 days.
  • Addressing a meeting after inaugurating a slew of 11 projects at Mohanpur, about 50 km from here, Sitharaman said the Rs 1300-crore project with World Bank funding would ensure an all-round development in the state’s tribal areas.
  • She also announced that two other projects worth over Rs 21 crore were cleared by the Centre itself. The two projects include- widening of state highways (Rs. 14.15 crore) and various works in the capital city (7.4 crore).
Central govt’s flagship financial inclusion programme, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana completes seven years 
Central government's flagship financial inclusion programme, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana completes seven years on August 28,2021.
  •  The scheme was launched on this day in 2014 with an aim to provide universal access to banking facilities to the people across the country.
  • Over 43 crore four lakh bank accounts have been opened under the scheme since its inception. There is a balance of over one lakh 46 thousand crore rupees till date in the beneficiary accounts. More than 8 crore Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana account holders receiving direct benefit transfer from the Government under various schemes.
Centre forms committee to streamline revenue litigation in Supreme Court
The Centre has formed a committee to streamline revenue litigation pending before the Supreme Court, solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the top court after the judges sought reduction in long delays in filing tax appeals.
  • The committee comprising representatives of the National Informatics Centre, law ministry, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIT, and the department of revenue will work on an electronic case management system by which revenue litigation from tribunals and high courts can be monitored to provide for a time-bound mechanism for filing appeals in the top court.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Navies of India and Germany Carry Out Joint Exercise in Gulf of Aden
Navies of India and Germany carried out a joint exercise, which included helicopter landings and search and seizure operations, in Gulf of Aden near Yemen.
  •  The Indian Navy’s frigate ‘Trikand’ exercised with German frigate ‘Bayern’ in the Gulf of Aden, an official statement said.
  • The exercise included cross deck helo (helicopter) landings and visit board search and seizure operations," the Indian Navy's statement mentioned. INS Trikand is deployed in the Gulf of Aden region for anti-piracy patrol.

BANKING & FINANCE

Remittances to Nepal: RBI hikes per transaction cap to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 50,000
The Reserve Bank of India has made enhancements to the Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility Scheme, whereby the ceiling per transaction has been increased four-fold to ₹2 lakh and the cap of 12 remittances in a year per remitter has been removed.
  • The aforementioned enhancements, which come into effect from October 1, have been announced to boost trade payments between the two countries, as also to facilitate person-to-person remittances electronically to Nepal.
  • Under the scheme, the beneficiary receives funds in Nepalese Rupees through credit to her / his bank account maintained with the subsidiary of State Bank of India in Nepal, — Nepal SBI Bank Limited (NSBL) or through an agency arrangement.
RBI raises incentives for distribution of coins to ₹ 65 from ₹ 25 per bag
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased incentives for banks for the distribution of coins to the general public to Rs 65 per bag with effect from September 1.Currently, the incentive is Rs 25 per bag.
  • In circular, the RBI said that an additional incentive of Rs 10 per bag would be paid for coin distribution in rural and semi-urban areas on the submission of a auditor certificate to this effect.
  • Further, the RBI said that with a view to meet the coin requirements of bulk customers (requirement of more than 1 bag in a single transaction), banks are advised to provide coins to such customers purely for business transactions. The banks may also endeavour to provide such services as part of their Board approved policy on 'Door Step Banking' services.
RBI announces issue price for Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2021-22 - Series VI
Reserve Bank of India has announced issue price for Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2021-22 - Series VI. RBI has fixed price of 4,732 Rupee per gram for bonds which will be available for subscription from August 30,2021 and will remain open till 3rd September 2021.
  •  A discount of Rupees 50 will be given to investors applying in online mode.
FinX Labs opens start-up accelerator at IFSC, GIFT city
FinX Labs opened its start-up accelerator and co-working space in the International Financial Services Centre at GIFT CIty. FinX Labs has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Stock Exchange (NSE) as a knowledge partner.
  • The first of its kind start-up accelerator in the fintech space at GIFT City, FinX Labs is a joint venture between DevX Co-working & Accelerator, Flexworx by Collated and Ahmemdabad-based developer Savvy Infrastructure’s Jaxay Shah.
  • FinX labs would look to create a start-up ecosystem to provide a platform for budding entrepreneurs in the fintech space.
LIC launches Ananda mobile app for agents, intermediaries
The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched the mobile application of its digital paperless solution, “ANANDA” for LIC agents. ANANDA stands for Atma Nirbhar Agents New Business Digital Application.
  • The ANANDA Digital application was launched in November 2020 for LIC Agents / Intermediaries.With Mobile App in place, the usage level of ANANDA among the Agents / Intermediaries will go up and help LIC to take the New Business fortunes to bigger heights.
  • The ANANDA tool enables LIC agents to register new LIC policies from the comfort of their homes.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

India attracts total FDI inflow of 22.53 billion during April to June, 2021
India has attracted total FDI inflow of 22.53 billion dollars during April to June, this year which is 90 per cent higher as compared to first three months of 2020-21 which was 11.84 billion dollars.
  • FDI equity inflow grew by 168 per cent in the first three months of Financial Year 2021-22 which is 17.57 billion dollars compared to the year ago period which was 6.56 billion dollars.
  • Karnataka is the top recipient state during the Financial Year 2021-22 upto June, 2021 with 48 per cent share of the total FDI Equity inflows followed by Maharashtra 23 per cent and Delhi 11 per cent.
India 6th biggest country in terms of DeFi adoption: Chainalysis
DeFi or decentralised finance represents one of the fastest growing and most innovative sectors of the cryptocurrency economy, and India ranks sixth in terms of DeFi adoption, according to the 2021 Global DeFi Adoption Index by blockchain data platform Chainalysis.
  • US showed the highest DeFi adoption, followed by Vietnam, Thailand, China and the UK.
  • DeFi refers to a class of decentralised cryptocurrency platforms that can run autonomously without the support of a central company, group, or person
  • DeFi platforms are built on top of smart contract-enriched blockchains-- primarily the Ethereum network--and can fulfill specific financial functions determined by the smart contracts’ underlying code.

SPORTS

Max Verstappen wins bizarre Belgium Grand Prix
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the rain-hit Belgian Grand Prix without racing even a single lap as half-points were awarded for only the sixth time in Formula One history.
  • George Russell finished second for Williams, his first Formula One podium, with seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton third for Mercedes.

APPOINTMENTS

Amit Banerjee appointed as CMD of BEML Limited
Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), an Indian Public Sector Undertakings, has appointed Amit Banerjee as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD).
  • Currently, he is serving as Director (Rail & Metro), BEML Limited.He succeeds former BEML CMD DK Hota, who superannuated on January 31, 2021.
TN Governor Banwarilal Purohit gets additional charge of Punjab, Chandigarh
Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has been given the additional charge of Punjab and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, according to an official statement issued.
  • Earlier, V P Singh Badnore was the Governor of Punjab and the Administrator of Chandigarh.

AWARDS

Three municipal corporations in Andhra Pradesh get 'Water Plus'
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has recognised three municipal corporations in Andhra Pradesh with 'Water Plus' certification. With this, Andhra Pradesh has become the first state to be recognized with more than one 'Water Plus' certified municipal corporation.Overall, nine municipalities across the country were awarded the 'Water Plus' certification.
  • Tirupati Municipal corporation, Vijayawada Municipal corporation, and Greater Vishakhapatnam Municipal corporation (GVMC) were certified as 'Water Plus' under the Swachh Bharat Mission and Swachh Survekshan Assessment.
  • As per the existing protocols prescribed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Water plus certification is the next step after receiving Open Defecation Free (ODF/ODF+ /ODF++) status.
UK, India Covid-19 study awarded Guinness world record
A worldwide COVID-19 study led by UK experts and conducted at Indian hospitals among others around the world has been awarded the ‘Guinness World Records’ title for the world’s largest scientific collaboration, involving over 140,000 patients in 116 countries.
  • The record for ‘Most authors on a single peer-reviewed academic paper’ is now held by the Universities of Birmingham and Edinburgh after 15,025 scientists around the globe contributed to the major research into the impact of COVID-19 on surgical patients.
  • The co-lead author of the study, Indian-origin surgeon Aneel Bhangu from the University of Birmingham, said the study was aimed at improving our understanding of the deadly virus.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

IIT-Roorkee, IISc Bangalore, C-DAC develop India’s first Quantum Computer Simulator toolkit
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India launched the country’s first ‘Quantum Computer Simulator (QSim) Toolkit’.
  • QSim is a first-of-its-kind toolkit to be indigenously developed and is intended to be a vital tool in learning and understanding the practical aspects of programming using Quantum Computers.
  • It is the country’s first collaborative initiative in this field, brought together by IISc Bangalore, IIT Roorkee and C-DAC to address the common challenge of advancing the Quantum Computing research frontiers in India.
  • It will enable researchers and students to research Quantum Computing in a cost-effective manner.

OBITUARIES

Eminent Bengali writer Buddhadeb Guha passes away 
Eminent Bengali writer Buddhadeb Guha, author of many notable works such as Madhukari (Honey Gatherer), has died. He was 85.
  • His novels and short stories have been highly acclaimed by critics, winning him fans across the sub-continent and several awards, including Ananda Purashkar in 1976, Shiroman Purashkar and Sharat Puraskar.
  • The writer’s important works besides `Madhukari’, include `Koeler Kachhe’ (Near the Koel river) and `Sobinoy Nibedon’ (Humble Offering).
  • An award-winning Bengali film ''Dictionary'' was also made based on two of his works - `Baba Howa’ (Being a Father) and `Swami Howa’ (Being a Husband).

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Sports Day
National Sports Day is celebrated every year in India on 29 August. The day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Indian hockey legend, Major Dhyan Chand.
  • Major Dhyan Chand was a legendary figure in Indian and world hockey. He played a very significant role in helping India complete their first hat-trick of Olympic gold medals with victories at the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics.
National Small Industry Day
Every year on August 30, the country celebrates National Small Industry Day.
  •  The day is dedicated to encouraging small businesses around the country. This day is observed with the goal of encouraging small businesses and offering job chances to the jobless.
International Day against Nuclear Tests
International Day against Nuclear Tests is observed every year on August 29.
  • International Day against Nuclear Tests day aim to bring about awareness regarding the harmful effects of testing nuclear weapons and calls for an end to such tests.

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Sunday, August 29, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 29th August, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 29 August 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Punjab to launch 'Mera Kaam Mera Maan' scheme to help unemployed youth soon
The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh gave the go-ahead to an innovative new scheme 'Mera Kaam Mera Maan' (MKMM), to facilitate the unemployed youth, enhancing their skills and employability in their chosen field.
  • Chief Minister's Office, the scheme provides an employment assistance allowance of Rs 2500 per month for a period of 12 months from the start of the training course under the short-term skill training programmes in the Punjab Skill Development Mission training centers.
  • The Cabinet decided to roll out the scheme from the current fiscal on a pilot basis with a target of 30000 beneficiaries at a cost of Rs 90 crore.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Indian scientists partner with BRICS to set up Genomic Surveillance Network
The Department of Biotechnology under the Ministry of Science and Technology is implementing the SARS-CoV-2 NGS-BRICS consortium and multicentric programme to study the impact of severe Covid-19 conditions on TB patients in collaboration with the BRICS countries.
  • The SARS-CoV-2 NGS-BRICS consortium is an interdisciplinary collaboration to advance Covid-19 health-relevant knowledge and to contribute to improvements in health outcomes.
  • The consortium will accelerate the translation of genomic data, leading to clinical and public health research and interventions from clinical and surveillance samples by utilising the high-end genomic technologies, and epidemiologic and bioinformatics tools for future use in diagnostic assays and tracking transmission dynamics of Covid-19 and other viruses
Smriti Irani addresses 1st ever G20 ministerial conference on women’s empowerment
The Union Minister of Women & Child Development, Smriti Irani addressed the First ever G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment which was held at Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy in a hybrid format.
  • During the conference, union minister highlighted India’s commitment of addressing gender and women centric issues by means of mutual cooperation.
  • She also joined the Gender Equality Ministers of the G20 for the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women through cooperation and coordination at all the relevant fora.
China, Pakistan, Thailand, Mongolia to hold military exercise
The militaries of China, Pakistan, Mongolia and Thailand will take part in a multinational peacekeeping exercise to be organised by the People's Liberation Army in the country's central Henan province next month, a senior official said.
  • The four countries will take part in the first multinational peacekeeping live exercise “Shared Destiny-2021” at the combined-arms tactical training base of the PLA in Henan's Queshan county from September 6 to 15. 
  • All the four countries will dispatch more than 1,000 troops to participate in the drills, involving units of infantry, fast response, security, helicopter, engineering, transportation and medical services.

BANKING & FINANCE

Jana SFB ties up with two co-op banks to offer digital, payment services
Jana Small Finance Bank (Jana SFB) will provide its digital infrastructure and payments services to HCBL Co-operative Bank and Mysore Merchants Co-operative Bank under the bank sponsorship programme.
  • Under the bank sponsorship programme, the RBI has permitted Core Banking Solution (CBS) enabled co-operative banks to issue ATM cards or ATM-cum debit cards to its customers in association with the sponsor bank.
  • With this tie-up, HCBL Co-operative Bank and Mysore Merchants Co-operative Bank will be able to extend ATM, point of sale (PoS) and e-commerce services to its customers.
IIM Ahmedabad, Bank of America partner to set up CDT
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), the global management institution, has partnered with Bank of America to launch a Centre for Digital Transformation (CDT).
  • The Centre aspires to become a vibrant knowledge hub for academia, policymaking, and the private sector by facilitating cutting-edge research on digital transformation and innovation.
  • The Centre has also launched an advisory Council on Responsible Digital Transformation. The council will play a critical role in enhancing core competencies of the Centre and help guide the projects, a statement from IIM Ahmedabad said.
Decimal Technologies partners with Ujjivan Small Finance Bank to digitise loan process
Fintech firm Decimal Technologies, and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (USFB) Limited, a mass market bank, has entered into a partnership through which Ujjivan SFB and its channel partners will use Decimal’s digital lending platform – Saarathi.
  •  This collaboration will enable the Bank to digitize loan sourcing through its sales force as well as Direct Selling Agents (DSAs). This is part of the Bank’s strategy to strengthen its digital infrastructure which has been on one of it’ s key focus areas.
  • Saarathi can be used by bank’s sales channels to source loan files digitally. Unlike any digitisation project, Saarathi requires no upfront capital investment and significantly reduces the time-to-market by 95 percent (i.e. from 6-9 months to one week).
Karnataka Bank launches KBL FASTag for seamless toll deduction
Karnataka Bank launched KBL FASTag for seamless movement of vehicles at toll plazas by facilitating automatic deduction of the toll amount.
  • Karnataka Bank launched its KBL FASTag, a pre-loaded payment instrument to facilitate seamless movement of vehicles at the toll plazas across India, in association with NPCI and Worldline, the FASTag processor.
  • The FASTag facilitates the users with the ease and convenience during transit through the toll plaza by saving time, fuel and money.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Google launches kids safety programme in India
Tech leader Google has launched a programme in partnership with comic book publisher Amar Chitra Katha to inculcate safe internet practices in children. 
  • The lessons – intended to make the internet a safer place for children - will be available in eight Indian languages under the ‘Be Internet Awesome’ programme launched.
  • On the overall safety and security of users online, Google said it employs over 20,000 people across the world in global trust and safety operations and that it was committed to expanding the team significantly.

SPORTS

Indian Grandmaster GM Sethuraman wins Barcelona Open
Indian Grandmaster SP Sethuraman won the Barcelona Open chess tournament title in Barcelona while compatriot Karthikeyan Murali finished third in the tournament.
  • Sethuraman (Elo 2644) collected 7.5 points from nine rounds to emerge the winner on the basis of a better tie-break score after Daniil Yuffa of Russia also finished level with the Indian player.

APPOINTMENTS

Reserve Bank of India appoints 3 executive directors The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has promoted three new officials to the post of executive directors (EDs), the central bank said in an internal circular.
  • According to this circular issued by RBI’s human resources department, Ajay Kumar, A.K. Choudhary and Deepak Kumar are the three officers in Grade F who have been promoted as executive directors for the year 2021-22.
  • Before being promoted to the new post, Ajay Kumar was heading New Delhi regional office of RBI as regional director.
  • Choudhary was the chief general manager-in-charge of department of supervision in Mumbai and Deepak Kumar was the chief general manager in charge of department of information technology at RBI.

OBITUARIES

Padma Shri awardee agriculture scientist BV Nimbkar passes away
  Noted agricultural scientist and recipient of Padma Shri award, B.V. Nimbkar, died at Phaltan in Maharashtra's Satara district due to his age-related ailments, sources close to his family said. He was 90.
  • Born in 1931, Nimbkar was the founder of Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and worked in the research and development of animal husbandry and agriculture.
  • He was awarded the Padma Shri Award in 2006 for his contribution in the field of agriculture. He was also the recipient of the prestigious Jamnalal Bajaj award.

BOOKS & AUTHORS 

‘An Invitation to Die: A Colonel Acharya Mystery’ book by Tanushree Podder
The book titled ‘An Invitation to Die: A Colonel Acharya Mystery’ book written by Tanushree Podder has been released recently.
  • The book begins with a simple mystery – elderly widow Violet William’s van goes missing after her granddaughter Pia forgets to lock the door when using it to cater for a wedding reception. But this is Ramsar, and soon, a simple case turns sinister when ASP Timothy Thapa finally finds the missing van, and promptly discovers a dead body inside it.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Women’s Equality Day 
August 26 is celebrated every year as Women’s Equality Day in the US.
  • It was first observed in 1971 to commemorate the event of the 1920 adoption of the 19th Amendment to the US constitution which granted American women the constitutional right to vote.
  •  Women’s Equality Day is an attempt to eradicate gender discrimination and ensure equal opportunities for women in every walks of life.

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Saturday, August 28, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 28th August, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 28 August 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Niti Aayog releases NER District SDG Index report; East Sikkim tops chart
East Sikkim has topped in terms of meeting sustainable development goals in the Niti Aayog's North Eastern Region (NER) District SDG Index Report 2021-22 and Nagaland's Kiphire featured at the bottom, as per the specified parameters.
  • It was the release of the first edition of the North Eastern Region (NER) District SDG Index Report and Dashboard 202122 by NITI Aayog and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (M/DoNER).
  • The index measures the performance of the districts of the eight states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their corresponding targets and ranks the districts based on the same.
  • According to the report, out of the 103 districts considered for ranking, 64 districts belonged to the front runner category while 39 districts were in the performer category in the composite score and ranking of districts.
  • All districts in Sikkim and Tripura fall in the Front Runner category and there are no districts in the aspirant or achiever categories.
MP becomes second state after Karnataka to implement National Education Policy 2020
Madhya Pradesh becomes the second state after Karnataka to implement the National Education Policy 2020.
  • Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the implementation of the National Education Policy in the presence of Governor Mangubhai Patel.
  • He said that the new National Education Policy fulfills the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure all round development of the new generation along with education and skill promotion.
President Ram Nath Kovind to lay foundation stone of Uttar Pradesh's first Ayush University in Gorakhpur
On the third day of his visit to Uttar Pradesh, President Ram Nath Kovind, he laid the foundation stone of the state’s first AYUSH University. He also inaugurated the Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath Vishwavidyalaya in the city.
  • The state government plans to spend ₹815 crore on the construction of AYUSH University, for which it had acquired 52-acre land for the university near Pipri and Tarkulhi villages.
  • The AYUSH University will be run according to the guidelines of the Central Council of Indian Medicine, regarding the establishment of Ayurveda, Unani, homeopathy, yoga, and naturopathy educational institutions in the university.
Rajnath Singh inaugurates Army Sports Institute’s stadium in Pune named after Neeraj Chopra
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Army Sports Institute’s stadium in Pune named after Olympic gold medal winner Neeraj Chopra. 
  • Highlighting the Indian Army’s legacy, he proudly said that Subedar Neeraj Chopra has added his name to the list of great sportspersons like Major Dhyan Chand, Capt. Milkha Singh, Col Rajyavardhan S Rathore and Captain Vijay Kumar.
Centre announces Drone Rules-2021
The Centre has announced Drone Rules-2021 which reduced the Yellow Zone from 45 kilometres to 12 kilometres from the airport perimeter. No permission is required for operating a drone in Green Zones and upto 200 feet in the area between eight and twelve kilometres from the airport perimeter.
  • As per the rules, the coverage of drones has been increased from 300 to 500 kilograms to include heavy payload-carrying drones and drone taxis. The number of permissions has been reduced from twenty-five to five. No security clearance will be required before any registration or licence issuance. The government has also reduced fees for permissions to nominal levels. The maximum penalty has also been reduced to one lakh rupees.
  • This will, however, not apply to penalties in respect of violation of other laws. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade  will regulate the import of drones. No pilot licence will be required for operating nano drones and micro drones for non-commercial use.  All drone training and examination will be carried out by an authorised drone school.
Cabinet approves MoU between ICAI and Institute of Professional Accountants of Russia
Union Cabinet has also approved the signing Memorandum of Understanding between Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and Institute of Professional Accountants of Russia.
  • The proposed MoU aims to strengthen cooperation in matters of accountancy profession through exchange of views, information in respect of Professional Accountancy Training, Professional Ethics, Technical Research, Professional Development of Accountants.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Smriti Irani addresses 1st ever G20 ministerial conference on women’s empowerment
Union Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt. Smriti Irani addressed the First ever G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment which was held at Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy in a hybrid format.
  • The Union Minister reaffirmed India’s commitment towards addressing gender and women centric issues through mutual cooperation. The Minister highlighted the various initiatives undertaken in India by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi led government towards fostering gender equality, ensuring better healthcare and strengthening women’s safety & security.
  • G20 Conference on Women Empowerment acknowledged the common objectives and shared responsibilities to advance the goals of equality and development of women and girls in all spheres including STEM, Financial and Digital Literacy, Environment and Sustainability.
India elected to key bodies of Universal Postal Union
India has won the elections for membership of two key bodies of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), during the 27th UPU Congress in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
  • ZaIndia got elected to the Council of Administration(CA) with 134 votes, out of 156 countries. The country received the highest votes in CA elections from South Asia and the Oceania region.
  • Apart from this, India has also been elected to the Postal Operations Council (POC) with 106 votes. India will now work with all to strengthen cooperation in the Universal Postal Union.

APPOINTMENTS

Sonu Sood becomes brand ambassador of Delhi government’s ‘Desh Ke Mentor’ programme
Delhi government announced that actor Sonu Sood would be the brand ambassador of its ‘Desh Ke Mentor’ programme that is set to launch.
  • The programme will help students of Delhi government’s schools find a ‘Mentor’ who will help them unlock their potential.
  • Children will find answers to their career related questions through Mentors who sign up to be a part of the programme.
President appoints TN Governor Banwarilal Purohit to discharge functions of Governor of Punjab
President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Tamil Nadu Governor  Banwarilal Purohit, to discharge the functions of the Governor of Punjab, in addition to his own duties from the date he assumes charge of the office of the Governor of Punjab.
  • Mr Kovind also appointed Mr Purohit to be the Administrator of Union Territory of Chandigarh, in addition to his duties as Governor of Punjab.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 

Rajnath Singh commissions Indian Coast Guard Ship Vigraha in Chennai Harbour
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned the state of the art Indian Coast Guard Ship Vigraha in Chennai Harbour.
  • Speaking on this occasion, the Minister said that the commissioning  of the ship showcases significant improvement in coastal defence capability as also the ever increasing self-reliance in the defence sector.
  • The 100-metre long indigenously designed ship has been fitted with state of the art navigation system useful for patrolling the coastal borders.
  • Vigraha is the seventh in the series of offshore patrol vessels and will be based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
24x7 Mental Health Helpline 'SUKOON' inaugurated at SDRF Headquarters, Jammu
In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Commandant General, Home Gaurds and SDRF, V.K Singh and Principal Government Medical College, Jammu, Dr. Shashi Sudan inaugurated SUKOON, a 24x7 Mental Health Helpline at SDRF Headquarters, Jammu.
  • Mr. V. K Singh emphasized that the helpline shall offer guidance to persons or their well-wishers who are experiencing mental problems or mental health emergency and pandemic induced psychologists stress.

OBITUARIES

Noted elocutionist of West Bengal Gouri Ghosh passes away at 83
Noted elocutionist of West Bengal Gouri Ghosh passed away in Kolkata after prolonged illness. She was 83.
  • She was associated with All India Radio, Kolkata for a long period. Gouri Ghosh had been awarded Kazi Sabyasachi Samman by the State Government in 2018.

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Daily Current Affairs 27th August, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 27 August 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

NSG commandos undertake counter-terrorist drills across country
Multiple cities in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and the National Capital Region are hosting synchronised commando drills as part of a national mock exercise being carried out by the counter-terrorist force National Security Guard (NSG) to check its response time and reaction to hostage and hijack-like situations.
  • The third edition of the week-long annual exercise called ‘Gandiv’ was launched at these locations by the NSG from August 22 and it will continue till August 28.
Punjab Government Selects SBI General Insurance To Handle Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana
The government of Punjab has selected SBI General Insurance to service Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (AB-SSBY).
  •  The scheme will provide cashless health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh annually to eligible families. There are more than 40 lakh eligible families that are expected to come under the ambit of the scheme.
  • The families will also be eligible to get benefits related to secondary and tertiary care at public as well as private hospitals. This will be based upon the coverage of the pre-existing diseases. According to Punjab Government, all the farmers with ‘J’ forms and ‘sugarcane weighment ships’ will be eligible under the scheme to reap the benefits.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India signs pact with Maldives for $500 million Greater Male Connectivity Project
India and Maldives will sign a contract on the mega Greater Male Connectivity project (GMCP), the largest infrastructure project in the country.
  • The project, funded by an Indian grant of $100 m and a Line of Credit of $400 m is also the biggest new development project by India in its neighbourhood in recent years.
  • The project, the largest in the Indian Ocean atoll nation, will begin with the signing of the contract between the Maldives government and Indian infrastructure company AFCONS in Male.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI empanels South Indian Bank as 'Agency Bank'
The Kerala based private sector lender South Indian Bank has been empanelled as an ‘Agency Bank’ by Reserve Bank of India to undertake general banking businesses of Central and State government on behalf of the RBI.
  • South Indian Bank is now authorised to undertake transactions related to government businesses such as revenue receipts and payments on behalf of the Central/State governments, pension payments in respect of Central/State governments, work related to Small Savings Schemes (SSS), collection of stamp duty through physical mode or e-mode and any other item of work, specifically devised by the RBI as eligible for agency commission.
Neobank Freo partners Equitas SFB to launch savings account with 7% interest
India’s first credit-led neobank, Freo, has tied up with Equitas Small Finance Bank to launch zero-balance savings account that will offer a 7% interest rate on a minimum balance of ₹1 lakh.
  • According to the neobank, the new product, Freo Save, will allow customers to make informed financial decisions and strengthen their credit profile in the process.
  • Apart from facilities such as zero-balance and interest rate of 7%, the savings account will enable seamless integration with UPI to make funds transfer and bill payments easier
PNB gives Rs 5100 cr for Ganga expressway project in UP
The work for the ambitious Ganga expressway project received a boost when Punjab National Bank (PNB) transferred a loan sanctioned letter of Rs 5100 crores to the Uttar Pradesh government for the project.
  • The 594 km expressway will be the longest in North India and the second longest in the country. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 36,230 crore.
  • The Ganga Expressway would become the backbone of the state’s economy. The project will connect Meerut in west Uttar Pradesh with Prayagraj in the east. Travelling time from Lucknow to Meerut will decrease to five hours and 6.5 hours from Prayagraj to Meerut through the Ganga Expressway.
RBI extends scope of tokenisation to laptops, wearable devices
The Reserve Bank of India has extended the scope of permitted devices for undertaking tokenised card transactions to include consumer devices such as laptops, desktops, wearables (wrist watches, bands, etc.), and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. In an update, the RBI provided reference to its circular DPSS.
  • The facility was available only for mobile phones and tablets of interested card holders. There has been an uptake in the volume of tokenised card transactions during the recent months.
  • This initiative is expected to make card transactions more safe, secure and convenient for the users.
Bank Employees Family Pension to be increased to 30% of last pay drawn
Family pensions of deceased bank employees will more than treble now, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman removing its cap in favour of a uniform 30 per cent slab to be calculated on the last salary drawn by the employee.
  • With this, the family pension rises from a maximum of Rs 9,284 per month to as high as Rs 35,000, depending on the last drawn pension amount.
  • Debasish Panda, secretary, Department of Financial Services, announced this in the presence of the FM. He also announced an increase in pension contributions by banks under the National Pension System (NPS).

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

NCDEX Launches GUAREX – India's First Agri Sectoral Index
India’s first sectoral index in the Agri commodities basket i.e. GUAREX was launched by the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX).
  •  On the first day the total open interest was recorded at 111 lots while total volume stood at 318 lots.
  • GUAREX is a price based sectoral index which tracks the movement in the futures contracts of guar gum refined splits and guar seed on a real-time basis. This index product will offer a lot of opportunities to value chain participants in terms of risk management as well as various trading strategies.
Niti Aayog, Cisco launch next phase of Women Entrepreneurship Platform
The government’s policy think tank NITI Aayog and US-based multinational firm Cisco launched the next phase of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP).
  • The next phase of the WEP, known as WEPNxt, will utilise Cisco’s technology and experience of working with Indian startup ecosystem to enable more businesses owned by women all over India.
  • WEP is a one-of-its-kind, unified portal, which is focused on providing women from different backgrounds with access to resources, support and learning.
Flipkart Wholesale launches new credit program to support kiranas & retailers
Flipkart Wholesale, the digital B2B marketplace of Flipkart Group, has launched credit programs to help kiranas manage their working capital requirements and grow their business.
  • Flipkart Wholesale’s credit offerings, including ‘Easy Credit’ in partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank can help kiranas avail credit in two minutes at zero cost, through digital onboarding.
  • The credit line will range from ₹5,000 to ₹2 lakh with an interest-free period of upto 14 days. Kiranas will also be able to avail flexible repayment options through cash and online transfers as well as instant refunds in case of order cancellation while seamlessly keeping a tab on their credit balance and bills.

SPORTS

India's Arjun Erigaisi wins chess tourney in Portugal, Gukesh second
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi emerged victorious in the II Terras de Tras-os-Montes Chess Open while his compatriot D Gukesh finished second.
  • The 17-year old Erigaisi (Elo 2597) secured 8.5 points from nine rounds to finish clear winner in the field comprising over 140 players.
  • The Chennai-based Gukesh's wins came against GM Max Warmerdam (Holland), Georgia's Nodar Lortkipanidze, Vojtech Zwardon (Cze) and Lennis Martinez Ramirez (Cuba).

APPOINTMENTS

Alia Bhatt becomes brand ambassador of Samsung's premium Galaxy smartphones
Samsung India has hired Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt as the brand ambassador for its premium foldable smartphones from the Galaxy Z series, Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Galaxy Z Flip3 5G.
  • Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3 are an amalgamation of style, premium looks, innovation and utility that promise a smooth smartphone experience for our young users. Alia’s immense popularity among young Gen Z and millennial consumers will help us deepen our bonds with them. P, P km.
RBI appoints Hitendra Dave as CEO of HSBC India
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Hitendra Dave as Chief Executive Officer, HSBC India for a period of three years with effect from August 24, 2021, the bank said.
  • Dave is a General Manager within the HSBC Group and a member of the Asia Pacific Executive Committee of HSBC, underlining the importance of the India business to HSBC, the bank said.
Carol Furtado to be Ujjivan SFB's interim CEO
Ujjivan Small Finance has appointed Carol Furtado as the officer on special duty (OSD) of the bank, with effect from August 26, 2021, after the surprise resignation of the current chief executive officer (CEO) Nitin Chugh, citing personal reasons.
  • Furtado is currently serving as the CEO of Ujjivan Financial Services, the holding company of the bank, a post she has to resign from to be appointed as the OSD of the bank.

AWARDS

Sahitya Akademi announces 2020 Odia, Malayalam awards
The Sahitya Akademi named authors Yashodhara Mishra and Omcherry N.N. Pillai as the winners of the 2020 awards for their works in Odia and Malayalam, respectively.
  • Ms. Mishra had been selected for her work Samudrakula Ghara and Mr. Pillai was awarded for his work Akasmikam Omcheriyute Ormmakkurippukal.

SCIENCE  & TECHNOLOGY

Pakistan successfully tests multi-launch rocket system Fatah-1
Pakistan successfully test launched a indigenously developed guided multi-launch rocket system, Fatah-1.
  • The weapon system will give Pakistan Army the capability of precision target engagement deep in enemy territory.
  • This was the second flight of Fatah-1, after its first launch in January. At the time, Director General of Pakistan Army, Media Wing, Major General Babar Iftikhar, said Fatah-1 weapon system can hit targets up to a range of 140 km.

OBITUARIES

Former England captain Ted Dexter passes away at 86
Former England captain Ted Dexter has died at Wolverhampton after a bout of illness, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) said.He was 86.
  • A powerful middle-order batsman and medium-pace bowler, Dexter played 62 Tests between 1958 and 1968, leading the side in 30 of those and scoring 4502 runs at an average of 47.89, besides taking 66 wickets.
  • Known for his ability to dominate top-class fast bowling, he slammed nine hundreds, six of which were scores of above 140.He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame earlier this year.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

KJ Alphons presents his book 'Accelerating India: 7 Years of Modi Government'
Former Union Minister, K J Alphons has presented his book ‘Accelerating India: 7 Years of Modi Government’ to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
  • The Prime Minister said that he has made a commendable effort to encapsulate facets of India’s reform journey in his work, ‘Accelerating India.’
Bestselling author Ajitabha Bose launches the biography of Kapil Sharma 
Ajitabha Bose has written a biography on the life journey of Kapil Sharma. The book's name is The Kapil Sharma Story.
  • This is the first book which is been written on the journey of the self-made superstar, Kapil Sharma.
  • The foreword of the book is written by the superstar Dharmendra. Other celebrities like Archana Puran Singh, Sonu Sood, Kiku Sharda, Sumona Chakravati, Shruti Seth, Pranay Parmar, Sufiyan Siddiquie, and many more have shared their experiences about working with Kapil Sharma.

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Daily Current Affairs 26th August, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 26 August 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Ministry of Jal Shakti launches 100 days 'SUJALAM' Campaign
Jal Shakti Ministry began SUJALAM, a 100 days campaign as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations to create more and more ODF Plus villages by undertaking waste water management at village level.
  •  During this campaign ten lakh Soak-pits will be created. The Ministry said, the effort of campaign would be directed towards achieving the ODF plus status for villages across the country in an accelerated manner in a short time. The Campaign will continue to run for the next 100 days.
  • The focus area of this campaign is to ensure that all newly emerging Households in the village have access to toilets.
Govt launches SAMRIDH programme to boost start-up ecosystem in country
With an aim to boost the start-up ecosystem in the country, the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology (MeitY) launched Start-up Accelerators of MeitY for pRoduct Innovation, Development and growth (SAMRIDH).
  • The SAMRIDH programme will focus on accelerating the 300 start-ups by providing customer connect, investor connect, and international immersion in the next three years.
  • Also, an investment of up to Rs 40 lakh to the start-up based on current valuation and growth stage of the Start-Up will be provided through selected accelerators. It will also facilitate equal matching investment by the accelerator/investor.
  • The programme aims to further the Indian start-up growth which has seen the emergence of 63 Unicorns is now the third-largest Unicorn hub globally with a total valuation of 168 billion USD.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

'Ain Dubai': UAE announces the world's tallest observation wheel
The world’s largest and tallest observation wheel will open in the UAE on October 21, the latest landmark to join Dubai’s long list of record-breaking attractions.
  • At nearly twice the height of the London Eye, Ain Dubai will take visitors to a height of 250 metres from where they could enjoy a majestic view of Dubai’s picturesque skyline.
  • Located at Bluewaters Island, it will offer experiences starting with one rotation of approximately 38 minutes, up to two rotations of approximately 76 minutes.

BANKING & FINANCE

BharatPe enters consumer P2P lending with '12% Club' app
BharatPe said it has entered peer-to-peer (P2P) lending with its product '12% club', which will allow consumers to not only earn 12 per cent interest on the funds they invest but also borrow at an interest rate of 12 per cent.
  • The fintech company has partnered with central bank approved non-banking finance companies to offer this product to consumers and is aiming to achieve an investment asset under management (AUM) of $100 million and a lending AUM of $50 million by March 2022. 
  • Consumers on the '12% Club' app can invest their savings anytime by choosing to lend money through BharatPe’s partner P2P NBFCs. Additionally, consumers can avail of collateral-free loans of upto Rs 10 lakhs on the '12% Club' app for a tenure of three months, as per their convenience. There are no processing charges or pre-payment charges on the consumer loans.
Bajaj Finserv gets in-principle approval from SEBI for mutual fund business
Bajaj Finserv will be the latest entrant to the Rs 35-trillion mutual fund (MF) industry after the company received in-principle approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
  • In an exchange notification on the BSE, Bajaj Finserv stated that the company has received approval from Sebi through its letter dated August 23 for sponsoring an MF.
  • Accordingly, the company would be setting up an asset management company (AMC) and the trustee company, directly or indirectly i.e., itself or through its subsidiary in accordance with applicable Sebi regulations and other applicable laws.
Dubai sets up specialised money laundering court
Dubai has formed a specialist court that will focus on fighting money laundering and other financial crimes, as the emirate seeks to strengthen the integrity of its financial system and support nationwide efforts to clamp down on money laundering.
  • The new entity will be set up within the Court of First Instance and Court of Appeal, the Dubai Media Office.
  • The move comes after the UAE established the Executive Office of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), under directives from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to oversee the implementation of the country's anti-money laundering strategy.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Infosys becomes 4th Indian company to touch $100 billion m-cap
Infosys became the fourth Indian company to touch a market valuation of $100 billion.
  • The IT services major has joined the league of TCS, Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank for crossing the $100 billion-mark in terms of market capitalisation (m-cap).
  • The milestone was achieved during the morning trade when the scrip was trading at its 52-week high value of Rs 1,755.6 on the BSE, which took the m-cap to Rs 7. 47 trillion or $100.78 billion. However, during the close of the trading session, it pared the earlier gains and settled 1.06 per cent lower at Rs 1,720.75.
Microsoft teams up with Invest India to support 11 tech startups
US-based multinational technology company Microsoft has teamed up with India’s national investment promotion and facilitation agency Invest India to support tech startups in the country.
  •  Under this collaboration, Microsoft for Startups program will work with the Government’s Accelerating Growth for New India’s Innovations (AGNIi Mission), a program of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India which helps startups become enterprise ready.
India pips US to be 2nd most attractive manufacturing hub
India has overtaken the US to become the second-most sought-after manufacturing destination globally, driven mainly by cost competitiveness, according to real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield.
  • China remains at number one position, the consultant said in its 2021 Global Manufacturing Risk Index, which assessed the most advantageous locations for global manufacturing among 47 countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.
  • The US is at the third position, followed by Canada, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Lithuania, Thailand, Malaysia and Poland.
US-based Ohmium launches India’s first green hydrogen electrolyzer gigafactory
Ohmium International, a US-based renewable energy start-up, said it has launched India’s first green hydrogen electrolyzer gigafactory at Bengaluru through its India subsidiary.
  • The gigafactory will manufacture India-made Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) hydrogen electrolyzers with an initial manufacturing capacity of about 500 MW per year and will scale it up to 2 GW per year.
  • The PEM hydrogen electrolyzer is the main equipment for the production of green hydrogen as it uses power generated from renewable resources to break water into hydrogen and oxygen.

SPORTS

Manika Batra, G. Sathiyan win mixed doubles final at World Table Tennis Contender
Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran put up a clinical show in the mixed doubles final at the WTT (World Table Tennis) Contender Budapest 2021 as they defeated the Hungarian pair of Nandor Ecseki and Dora Madarasz 3-1. 
  • They registered an 11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 11-6 win in the final to win the title. However, Manika lost in the semi-final of the women’s singles and could not make the final.
  • Manika lost her semi-final 4-0 to Russian Elizabet Abraamian, who takes on Mongolia’s Xiaoxin Yang in the final. Manika lost 10-12, 9-11, 10-12, 8-11 to lose the chance of a double at the event.
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran Wins ITTF Czech International Open Men's Singles Title
India’s top paddler G Sathiyan beat Yevhen Ryshchepa of Ukraine comprehensively and in straight sets 11-9, 11-6, 11-6,14-12 in the final of the Czech International table tennis tournament at Olomouc in Czech Republic.
  • The Indian stormed into the final after his semifinal rival Truls Moregard of Sweden conceded in the third game due to back pain 11-4, 11-8, 8-2. Last week, the Swedish sensation had won the WTT Contender Budapest.
  • This is only his third ITTF Challenger title following triumphs in Belgium Open 2016 and Spanish Open 2017.

APPOINTMENTS

Sandeep Bakshi re-appointed as MD and CEO of ICICI Bank
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of Sandeep Bakhshi as the managing director and chief executive officer of ICICI Bank, the private lender said in a regulatory filing on August 24.
  • The re-appointment will come into effect on October 15, 2021, and the tenure will continue till October 3, 2023.
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya takes over charge as Chairperson of Stop TB Partnership Board
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya took over charge as the Chairperson of Stop TB Partnership Board. He will hold the responsibility until 2024.
  • He will lead the efforts of the Stop TB Partnership Secretariat, partners, and the TB community towards reaching the UN TB targets by 2022, in the effort to end TB by 2030.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Dog Day
International Dog Day is observed every year on August 26 to raise awareness about dog adoption and the importance of providing rescue dogs with a safe and loving environment.
  • International Dog Day celebrates dogs of all breeds. It also highlights animal cruelty prevalent in society.
Akshay Urja Diwas 2021
India celebrates Akshay Urja Diwas every year on 20 August, to create awareness about the importance of renewable resources of energy and to commemorate the birth anniversary of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
  • The main objective or aim behind celebrating this day is to make people aware of the use of natural sources of energy like hydroelectric power, solar energy, wind energy, and biogas because the earth’s resources are depleting at a dangerous rate every day.

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Daily Current Affairs 25th August, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 25 August 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

NITI Aayog, WRI launch forum for decarbonisation of transport sector
NITI Aayog and World Resources Institute (WRI), India, jointly launched the ‘Forum for Decarbonizing Transport’ in India as part of the NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project.
  • The project aims at bringing down the peak level of GHG emissions (transport sector) in Asia (in line with a well below 2-degree pathway), resulting in problems like congestion and air pollution.
  • The Forum has been launched under the NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project. The NDC Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA 2020-2023) is a joint programme of seven organizations that will engage China, India, and Vietnam in promoting a comprehensive approach to decarbonizing transport in their respective countries.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

5th edition of Indo-Kazakhstan joint training exercise to be conducted from Aug 30
As part of military diplomacy and to strengthen the growing strategic relation with Kazakhstan, the fifth edition of Indo- Kazakhstan Joint Training Exercise, KAZIND-21 will be conducted at Aisha Bibi in Kazakhstan, from August 30 to September 11.
  • The exercise is a joint training between both the Armies, which will boost the bilateral relations between India and Kazakhstan.
Children in India, 3 other South Asian nations at extremely high risk of climate crisis impacts: UNICEF
India is among four South Asian countries where children are most at risk of the impacts of climate change threatening their health, education, and protection, according to a new UNICEF report.
  • ‘The Climate Crisis Is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index’ [CCRI] is UNICEF’s first focussed on children. It ranks countries based on children’s exposure to climate and environmental shocks such as cyclones and heatwaves, as well as their vulnerability to those shocks based on their access to essential services.
  • Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and India are among four South Asian countries where children are at extremely high risk of the impacts of the climate crisis, with a ranking of 14th, 15th, 25th and 26th respectively.India’s neighbours Nepal is ranked 51st and Sri Lanka 61st. Bhutan is ranked 111th, with children at relatively lower risk.
  • Approximately 1 billion children live in one of the 33 countries classified as “extremely high-risk”, including the four South Asian countries.It is estimated that more than 600 million Indians will face ‘acute water shortages’ in the coming years, while at the same time flash flooding is to increase significantly in the majority of India’s urban areas once the global temperature increase rises above 2° Celsius.
Copenhagen ranks highest in the Safe Cities Index 2021
The Economist Intelligence Unit has published its 2021 Safe Cities Index, ranking 60 major global cities across 76 indicators based on digital, health, infrastructure, environmental and personal security. Copenhagen tops the rankings this year with a score of 82.4 out of 100.It waa followed by Toronto and Singapore.
  • New Delhi and Mumbai have found a place in the index. New Delhi is placed at 48th position with a score of 56.1, while Mumbai is at 50th place with a score of 54.4.
  • Yangon is at the bottom of the index, as least safe city, with a score of 39.5.

BANKING & FINANCE

Nabard's loans rise 25.2% to reach Rs 6 trn in FY21
The total loans and advances extended by NABARD during 2020-21 registered a growth of 25.2 per cent year-on-year to reach Rs 6 lakh crore, with half of it going into production and investment, the bank said in its annual report.
  • The report said NABARD earned Rs 34,671.2 crore income during 2020-21, or a 6.1 per cent increase over the preceding year. Its profit before tax in 2020-21 was Rs 6,081.4 crore, against Rs 5,234.3 crore in the year-ago period.
  • NABARD also said its balance sheet size reached Rs 6.57 lakh crore as on March 31, 2021, most of which is on account of non-idle (earning) assets that, in turn, helped create private and public investments at the ground level.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

CCEA approves FDI proposal of Rs 15000 cr investment by Anchorage Infrastructure Investments Holdings Ltd
The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the FDI proposal for an investment of upto 15 thousand crore rupees by Anchorage Infrastructure Investment Holding Limited.
  • The investment will be a major boost to the infrastructure, construction and also to the Airport sector.
  •  It will also be a significant boost to the recently announced National Monetisation Pipeline, as it will help fund leasing out of state-owned infrastructure assets which involves handling assets like roads, railways, airports, sports stadiums, power transmission lines and gas pipelines to private operators.

SPORTS

Princepal Singh becomes first Indian to be part of NBA championship roster
Young cager Princepal Singh became the first Indian to be part of an NBA title winning team when his side Sacramento Kings clinched the 2021 NBA Summer League crown. The 6-foot-9 forward made history by being the first Indian to be part of a championship roster at any level of the NBA.
  • The Kings dominated the championship game against the Boston Celtics, clinching the title with a 100-67 win.
  • The win also made the Kings the only franchise to win multiple Summer League titles, having previously clinched it in 2014.
Javelin thrower Tek Chand named new flag bearer of India for opening ceremony in Tokyo Paralympics
Javelin thrower Tek Chand will be India's flag-bearer during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 as Thangavelu Mariyappan was quarantined after he came in close contact with a COVID-19 positive person on the flight to Tokyo.
  • The Paralympic Games is scheduled to be held between August 24 and September 5 and the opening ceremony of the event will take place on August 24.
  • The event is all set to begin after a year-long delay due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Just like the Olympics, the event will be marked by strict virus rules.

APPOINTMENTS

Abhay Kumar Singh appointed as Joint Secretary jn Ministry Of Cooperation
Abhay Kumar Singh has been appointed as joint secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation which was recently formed with an aim to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country, according to a Personnel Ministry order issued.
  • Among other appointments, Vijaya Lakshmi Nadendla, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, and Priya Ranjan, a 1998-batch Indian Forest Service officer of the Rajasthan cadre, have been appointed as joint secretaries in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
  • Pramod Kumar Meherda, a 1997-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, has been appointed as managing director in National Food Security Mission (NFSM) under the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare with additional charge of the post of secretary, Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB).
  • Kavita Garg, a 1999-batch Indian Defence Accounts Service officer has been named as joint secretary in the Ministry of AYUSH.
  • Kavita Singh, a 2004-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre, was appointed as joint secretary in Cabinet Secretariat by temporarily upgrading the post of director held by the officer to be further adjustable against a regular vacancy.
  • Vibhu Nayar, a 1990-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, was named as executive director, India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) under the Department of Commerce.
  • The ACC also cleared the appointment of Madnesh Kumar Mishra, a 1990-batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer as joint secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Dinesh Kumar, a 2004-batch lAS officer of the Nagaland cadre as joint secretary in Department of Defence.
  • Appointments of Sanjay Kumar, a 1995-batch Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer, as additional FA and joint secretary, Ministry of Defence (Finance); Vedveer Arya, a 1997-batch Indian Defence Accounts Service officer, as additional FA and joint secretary in the Ministry of Defence (Finance) and Peeyush Kumar, a 1997-batch lAS officer as joint secretary, Department of Economic Affairs have also been cleared.
  • Sreekanth T, a 2004-batch lAS officer, was appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, while Shailendra Singh, a 1997-batch IFoS officer was named as Deputy Director General (DDG), UIDAI headquarters in New Delhi under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

AWARDS

Sri Basava International Award for seer of Bhalki Hiremath
Karnataka government has selected Sri Basavaliga Pattaddevaru, senior seer of Bhalki Hiremath, for the prestigious Sri Basava International Award. Minister for Kannada and Culture V. Sunil Kumar will present the award at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bengaluru.
  • The septuagenarian seer has spent over five decades in the Lingayat religious institution in the Bidar district.
  • The centre was set up in 2003 when an abandoned baby from Ujani village near Aurad in Bidar district was adopted. The seer moved the court to adopt the child. The Central and State governments later recognised the centre as an authorised Central adoption resource agency.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Centre launched e-Shram portal – National Database on Unorganized Workers 
The government launched e-Shram portal – National Database on Unorganized Workers (NDUW). Unveiling the logo for the E-Shram portal, Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that targeted identification of the unorganized workers was a much-needed step.
  • He said the portal will be the national database of nation builders, the ‘Shram Yogis’, and help take welfare schemes to their doorstep.
  • Mr Yadav said targeted delivery and last-mile delivery has been a major focus of the schemes of the government and the E-Shram portal is another key step towards that.

OBITUARIES

Former Indian Footballer O Chandrasekharan passes away
Former Indian Footballer O Chandrasekharan passed away in Kochi. He was 86.
  • Chandrasekharan  was part of the  Indian team that participated in the 1960 Rome  and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
  • He was also a member of the Indian team that won the gold in 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta and the silver medal in Asian Cup in Tel Aviv the same year. He captained the Maharashtra team that won the 1963 Santhosh Trophy.
British Comedian Sean Lock passes away
Comedian Sean Lock, best known for starring in British comedy panel show "8 Out of 10 Cats," has died. He was 58.
  • He was one of Britain’s finest comedians, his boundless creativity, lightning wit and the absurdist brilliance of his work, marked him out as a unique voice in British comedy.
  • In the year 2000, Sean Lock had won the gong at the British Comedy Awards for the best live stand-up performance.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Last book of author Subhadra Sen Gupta released
The last book of author Subhadra Sen Gupta, who lost her life to COVID-19 in May 2021, was released by Puffin Books, the children's imprint of Penguin Books.
  • The book is titled 'Let's Go Time Travelling Again' and has illustrations by Tapas Guha, a well-known illustrator for children.
  • Subhadra was the winner of Sahitya Akademi's 2015 Bal Sahitya Puraskar and wrote over 40 books. Her book, 'Mystery of the House of Pigeons', was adapted into a television series for Doordarshan as 'Khoj Khazana Khojher'. Most of her books are in the genres of historical fiction and non-fiction, but she also wrote travelogues, comic strips, and detective and ghost stories.
‘Address Book: A Publishing Memoir in the time of COVID’ book by Ritu Menon
 A book titled has ‘Address Book: A Publishing Memoir in the time of COVID’ has been written by Indian feminist writer and publisher Ritu Menon.
  • The book has been published under the imprint ‘Women Unlimited’, a non-profit trust, and an associate of ‘Kali for Women’, first Indian publishing house dedicated to publishing on and for women.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Entrepreneurs’ Day 2021
Every year, August 21 is celebrated as the World Entrepreneurs’ Day.
  •  The purpose of the World Entrepreneurs’ Day is to create awareness for entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership throughout the world.

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