NATIONAL NEWS
India’s first graphene innovation centre to come up in KeralaIndia’s first innovation centre for graphene will be set up in Kerala by the Digital University Kerala (DUK), along with Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) in Thrissur, for Rs 86.41 crore.
- This will be the first graphene Research and Development (R&D) incubation centre in the country. Tata Steel Limited is set to be the industrial partner of the centre.
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, has given approval for the project. The project, which will be implemented with the support of the Kerala government, is expected to accelerate the state’s growth in the knowledge industry sector.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai launched Gram One programme in 3026 Gram Panchayats spread over 12 districts. The scheme is aimed at taking government services to the doors of people at the grass-root level.
- Gram One kiosks will provide Aadhar Card, Ration card, Caste certificates and other services related to the department of Agriculture, Horticulture, Revenue, Women and Child Welfare and Social Welfare.
- A separate cell is set up with equipment and data entry operators in the offices of tahsildars to receive the applications.
A joint maritime exercise involving all three wings of Indian armed forces and also the Coast Guard, that provided the participants an opportunity to operate together under realistic conditions and enhance inter-service synergy, has concluded, the Navy said.
- The exercise, 'Paschim Lehar (XPL-2022)', involving the Navy, the Air Force, the Army and the Coast Guard concluded off the West Coast, the Navy said.
- The drill was conducted over a duration of 20 days with an objective to validate operational plans of the Western Naval Command and enhance inter-service synergy among the Navy, the IAF, the Army and the Coast Guard. The exercise was conducted under the aegis of FOC-in-C (flag officer commanding in-chief), Western Naval Command.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi host the first India-Central Asia Summit in a virtual format during which the leaders are expected to deliberate on steps to take forward relations to newer heights as well as the evolving regional security situation.
- The first meeting of the India-Central Asia Summit, with the participation of the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, in a virtual format. This will be the first engagement of its kind between India and the Central Asian countries at the level of leaders.
- During the Summit, the leaders are expected to discuss steps to take forward India-Central Asia relations to newer heights.
- They are also expected to exchange views on regional and international issues of interest, especially the evolving regional security situation.
India and France have signed an MoU with a scope for cooperation in health research. Science and Technology Ministry said, the MoU was signed between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR and Institut Pasteur, France.
- CSIR and Institut Pasteur will jointly research and focus on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and inherited disorders and enable delivery of effective and affordable healthcare solutions not only for the people of India and France but for the global good.
- The MoU provides for developing potential scientific and technological cooperation and networking in advanced and emerging areas of Human Health.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Iran, China and Russia hold naval drills in north Indian OceanIran, Russia and China began a joint naval drill in the Indian Ocean aimed at boosting marine security, state media reported.
- Navies from Iran's armed forces and Revolutionary Guards are taking part in the "2022 Marine Security Belt" exercise over an area of 17,000 square kilometres (6,560 square miles), Rear Admiral Mostafa Tajoldini, spokesman for the drills, told.
- The drills will include various tactical exercises such as rescuing a burning vessel, releasing a hijacked vessel, and shooting at air targets at night.
BANKING & FINANCE
City Union Bank launches fitness watch debit card in tie-up with GOQiiCity Union Bank, the oldest Private Sector Bank in India, in association with smart-tech-enabled preventive healthcare platform GOQii and powered by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has launched a wearable payment solution called CUB fitness watch debit card.
- Customers need to hold this wristwatch in front of the PoS device during payment like tapping the card on PoS. For payments above Rs 5,000, customers need to tap and enter their PIN. The introductory price of a smartwatch debit card is Rs 3,499, as compared to an actual cost of Rs 6,499).
- Customers can set limits for their payments using Net / Mobile Banking. Payments made using this Debit Card in a Fitness Watch are safe and secure, the bank said in a statement. For each transaction done using the watch, SMS will be sent to the registered mobile number.
Pencilton, a teen-focused fintech company, has launched PencilCard, a debit card with NCMC for teens. PencilCard is an NCMC-compliant (National Common Mobility Card) RuPay debit card specially designed for the teenager segment. It has been launched in partnership with Transcorp.
- According to a statement for users, a single PencilCard will serve multiple needs as this debit card which works for online & offline payments just like any other debit card also doubles up as a metro card, and bus card - an all-in-one card.
- The debit card can already work as a metro card for travel in Delhi (Airport line) & as a bus card in Goa (across KTC buses).
Fintech company Lendingkart said it has partnered with Bank of Maharashtra to co-lend business loans to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).
- Through this partnership, Lendingkart aims to make economical credit available to MSME borrowers at their doorstep powered by the ‘zero touch’ technology platform Lendingkart ‘2gthr’.
- Lendingkart explained ‘2gthr’ enables banks and NBFCs to seamlessly onboard and disburse unsecured business loans up to ₹10 lakh to MSME borrowers across the country in a live environment.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Apple retains world's most valuable brand title in 2022: ReportApple retained the title of the world’s most valuable brand in 2022, with a valuation of $355.1 billion (about Rs. 26,72,600 crore), according to a report. The valuation of the Cupertino company increased by 35%, thanks to the growth of its recognition in the market.
- After Apple, Amazon and Google were named among the three most valuable brands of the year. TikTok, on the other hand, has become the fastest growing brand in the world, with its valuation increasing by 215% in 2022.
- Brands in the top 10 are Apple, Amazon,Google,Microsoft,Walmart,Samsung,Facebook,Industrial and Commercial Bank of China,Huawei and Verizon.
- The Indian conglomerate Tata Group has emerged as the most valuable brand from India and also in South Asia. It is the only brand from the country in the top 100. The Global Rank of Tata Group 78. The brand value of Tata Group is US$23.9 billion.
AWARDS
ICC Awards: Joe Root, Shaheen Afridi, Smriti Mandhana grab the honoursThe International Cricket Council announced the awards for the year 2021. While Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi bagged the Cricketer of the Year award in the men’s category, India’s opening batter Smriti Mandhana was felicitated with the same honour in the women’s category.
- Apart from the two, the likes of Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, South Africa’s Lizelle Lee and her compatriot Janneman Malan too had a terrific season. Check out the complete list to see who bagged what prize and their performance in the year.
- Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year:Smriti Mandhana (India)
- Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year:Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
- ICC Umpire of the Year:Marais Erasmus
- ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year :Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
- ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year:Tammy Beaumont (England)
- ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year:Janneman Malan (South Africa)
- ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year:Fatima Sana (Pakistan)
- ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year:Zeeshan Maqsood (Oman)
- ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year:Andrea-Mae Zepeda (Austria)
- ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Babar Azam (Pakistan)
- ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year:Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
- ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year:Joe Root (England)
Friendship Hospital, in the southwestern town of Satkhira in Bangladesh has been adjudged the most transformative building of the world for the year 2021 by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
- The 80 bed community hospital designed by the Bangladeshi architect Kasef Chowdhury is designed to ‘work with and withstand the climate change effects of rising sea water in the adjoining area’, said the RIBA in an announcement.
- The low cost building is designed to collect the rainwater as it is a valuable commodity in this area where water has become saline due to the impact of cyclone Sidr of 2007 and rising sea level.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Meta aims to build the World’s Fastest AI SupercomputerFacebook's parent company Meta said that it has created a new artificial intelligence supercomputer that it believes will be the fastest in the world.
- Meta said it believed the computer will be the fastest in the world when completed in mid-2022.
- According to the company, developing the next generation of AI will require supercomputers capable of "quintillions of operations per second".
- RSC, the company said, will help build new and improved AI models and allow for work across hundreds of different languages.
ENVIRONMENT
Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary set to be notified as 4th tiger reserve of RajasthanRamgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary, which is among the proposed five sites in the country, is expected to be formally notified as tiger reserve (TR) soon before the Global Tiger Summit, which is to be held at Vladivostok, Russia.
- The Centre also announced the development during the 4th Asia ministerial conference on tiger conservation. It was said that the Centre has already given its approval of granting tiger reserve status to Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary, along with MM Hills in Karnataka, Guru Ghasidas National Park in Chhattisgarh.
OBITUARIES
Sydney Olympics Rings Champion Szilveszter Csollány passes awayFormer Olympic gymnastic champion Szilveszter Csollany died at the age of 51 after spending weeks hospitalized with COVID-19, Hungarian sports officials said.
- Csollány won a gold medal in the men's rings competition at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He also won silver in 1996 in Atlanta and a world championship gold in 2002.
- He was a six-time medalist at the European gymnastics championships, and the recipient of Hungary's “Sportsman of the Year” award in 2000 and 2002.
Milena Salvini, an Italy-born dancer who was a great enthusiast of Indian classical art, especially Kathakali, passed away in France. She was 84.
- The 84-year-old dancer, who arrived in Kerala in 1965 to learn Kathakali, had established Centre Mandapa, a school of Indian dance forms in Paris, which flourished as a learning centre.
- She sponsored Kathakali troupes from Kerala and arranged stage performances in many European countries. This helped to increase the acceptance of Indian classical dance in the west. India had honoured her with Padma Shri in 2019.
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