Latest Current Affairs For Saturday 20th November, 2021

India stands at 82 in global bribery risk rankings

India has slipped to 82nd position in 2021, five places down from 77th rank last year, in a global list that measures business bribery risks.

The list by TRACE measures business bribery risk in 194 countries, territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.

According to this year's data, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Eritrea pose the highest commercial bribery risk, while Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand present the lowest.

Centre to repeal farm laws after a year

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of three farm laws, which triggered protests by the farmers.

Apologizing the nation, the PM said that his government has always worked for the welfare of the farmers.

The three laws to be repealed are:

Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020. 

Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. 

Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.

Coal Ministry Constitutes Sustainable Development Cell

The Ministry of Coal has decided to establish a Sustainable Development Cell (SDC).

Aim:  To advice, mentor and plan action to minimise the adverse impact of mining. 

SDC is also formulating future policy framework for environmental mitigation in Coal and Lignite sector of our country. 

It will also monitor the effective utilisation of the Mine Closure Fund and environment budgets of different coal companies. 

SIDBI launches second window of Swavalamban Challenge Fund

SIDBI launched the second window of Swavalamban Challenge Fund (SCF) with Green Bharat as prioritised theme.

The focus of the fund is on innovative projects addressing the green, clean or efficient climate change.

Other themes are sustainable livelihood, financial inclusion, and access to financial services and promoting the culture of entrepreneurship.

It is a financing support mechanism to allocate funds for specific purposes using competition among organisations.

Smriti Irani Turns Author With Debut Novel 'Lal Salaam'.

Union Minister Smriti Zubin Irani turns author with her debut novel 'Lal Salaam'. 

The book is being published by the publishing house 'Westland'. 

'Lal Salaam' is based on the tragic killings of 76 CRPF personnel in Dantewada in April 2010. 

The book will be released on November 29. 

Lal Salaam is the story of a young officer, Vikram Pratap Singh, and of the challenges he faces against a system that is steeped in backroom politics and corruption.

World Toilet Day 2021: 19th November

Every year, World Toilet Day is celebrated on 19th November under various themes that are set by the UN.

This year’s World Toilet Day theme is "valuing toilets". 

The theme aims to stress the absolute necessity of toilets in our lives.

The day is is celebrated to create awareness among the people regarding the importance of sanitation and to initiate action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. 

WTD was established in 2013 by the United Nations.

552nd Guru Nanak Jayanti Observed on 19th November 2021

The auspicious occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti is one of the most important festivals in Sikhism.

It marks the birth anniversary of the first of the ten Sikh gurus, Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

While Diwali falls on the 15th day of the Kartik month as per the Hindu Lunar calendar, Guru Nanak Jayanti falls fifteen days after that on the auspicious occasion of Kartik Purnima.

This year, the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev will fall on November 19.

IndusInd Bank launches mobile app for merchants

IndusInd Bank has launched a comprehensive mobile app, 'Indus Merchant Solutions' to enable merchants, retailers and professionals to carry out banking transactions digitally, on a single platform.

It will enable merchants and retailers to undertake an array of activities such as accept instant cashless payments on mobile phones from customers through multiple digital modes.

Any current account holder of IndusInd Bank can download the app and start using it.

Union Bank of India ranks third in PSB reforms

According to  Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), Union Bank of India ranked 3rd amongst 12 PSBs in EASE 4.0 Reforms Index for Q1 FY22.

UBI also recorded stellar performance under four out of six themes in the Agenda.

UBI has been adjudged Winner in the themes ‘Collaborating for synergistic outcomes’ & ‘Governance & outcome-centric HR’ and bagged Runner-Up positions in ‘New age 24×7 Banking’ &‘Tech-enabled ease of Banking’.

SBI and U GRO Capital join hands to finance MSMEs

U GRO Capital, a small business lending platform,  has entered into a co-lending partnership with the State Bank of India to provide credit to MSMEs.

Through this, SBI and U GRO aim to disburse up to ₹500 crore by March 2022.

U GRO lends to SMEs in 8 sectors -- Healthcare, Education, Chemicals, Food Processing, FMCG, Hospitality, Electrical Equipment and Components, Auto Components, Light Engineering.

Chairman SBI: Dinesh Kumar Khara. 

CMD, U GRO: Shachindra Nath

Kotak Mahindra Bank, PVR Cinemas launch co-branded movie debit card

Kotak Mahindra Bank and PVR Cinemas launched a co-branded movie debit card.

With the Kotak PVR Movie Debit Card, cardholders will receive joining vouchers and earn points on every transaction on the debit card at PVR and outside PVR as well, with no upper limit on the points earned.

Further, Kotak PVR debit cardholders will get automatically enrolled to the PVR Privilege Plus programme.

KMB CEO: Uday Suresh Kotak

Network International, NPCI International sign MoU

NPCI International Payments signed an MoU with Network International to discuss their collaboration on acceptance of the UPI in the UAE. 

The proposed collaboration will benefit Indian travellers visiting the UAE. 

It will allow them to make payments through UPI-based mobile applications leveraging Network’s trusted payment infra. 

The proposed rollout of UPI mobile payment solutions on Network International’s merchant network is expected to start in the 1st quarter of 2022. 

eBikeGo acquires ‘Velocipedo’ brand from Spanish company Torrot

Electric two-wheeler mobility platform eBikeGo has acquired the rights to manufacture the smart electric trike ‘Velocipedo’ of a leading Spanish automotive company Torrot in India.

With this, eBikeGo now plans to enter the luxury electric three-wheeler industry.

It aims to manufacture these scooters at its factory in Pune.

Velocipedo will be produced in three basic models — a personal vehicle, Trick Taxi and a cargo vehicle.

Hema Malini, Prasoon Joshi to be awarded Film Personalities of the Year

Hema Malini and Prasoon Joshi will be facilitated with the Indian Film Personality of the Year award at the 52nd  International Film Festival of India 2021 in Goa.

Actor Hema Malini is 2 time BJP MP from Mathura while lyricist Joshi is  former chairperson of CBFC.

The IFFI will kick off on 20th November in a hybrid — virtual and physical — format.

Prasoon Joshi is a poet, writer, lyricist, screenwriter and communication specialist and marketer. 

PM Narendra Modi to be awarded prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award 2023

The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh) would confer the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2023 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pune on August 1, 2023.

Reason: This award recognizes PM Modi's supreme leadership under which India has climbed the ladder of progress

It is presented annually on the occasion of Lokmanya Tilak's death anniversary.

Other awardees: Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sharad Pawar, Cyrus Poonawalla, and Manmohan Singh. 

J&K Bank wins award for Best Performance in CASA

Jammu & Kashmir Bank has been felicitated for the Best Performance in CASA-India (1st Runner up in Small Bank Category) at ICC Emerging Asia Banking Conclave & Awards 2022.

The event was participated by banks from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & Myanmar.

The function was organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Goa.

Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group headquartered in Calcutta.

India poised to become world’s 2nd-largest economy by 2075: Goldman Sachs

According to the Investment Bank Goldman Sachs, India is poised to become the world’s second-largest economy by 2075.

As per the report, India would cross Japan, Germany, and the US With a population of 1.4 billion people.

India’s GDP is estimated to expand remarkably, reaching 52.5 trillion dollars surpassing the US GDP projection.

The labour force participation set to make India the second-largest economy in the world by 2075.

L&T and Spain's Navantia sign agreement for submarine project

L&T has signed a teaming agreement with Spanish-based Navantia for the submission of a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navy’s prestigious P75 (India) submarine program.

P75 (India) Submarine Project is expected to be valued at €4.8 billion.

Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines.

The first S80 class submarine was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy. 

India overtakes China as most attractive emerging market for investing

According to a study by Invesco Global Sovereign Asset Management, India has overtaken China to become the most attractive emerging market for investing in sovereign wealth funds this year.

Reason: This is due to its solid demographics, political stability, and proactive regulation. 

Positives for the nation also include the rapidly expanding demography, strong regulatory actions, and a welcoming climate for sovereign investors.

World Population Day 2023: 11 July

World Population Day is observed every year on July 11 in order to raise awareness about global population issues, including population control.

2023 theme: Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities. 

It was established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1989, after the day the world approximately reached a population of five billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987.

MoHUA conducts SBM-U 2.0 Planning & Implementation Review-cum-Workshop

The Housing Ministry organized a review-cum-workshop to evaluate and accelerate the planning and implementation of the SBM-Urban 2.0.

PM Modi launched the 2.0 versions of SBM-U and AMRUT on October 1, 2021.

SBM-U 2.0: Achieving 100% waste segregation in all households and premises and 100% door-to-door collection of segregated waste from each. 

AMRUT 2.0: To provide complete coverage of water supply to all households and sewerage and septage in 500 AMRUT cities. 

Gujarat CM launches pilot project of ‘Antyodaya Shramik Suraksha Yojana’

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel launched the Antyodaya Shram Suraksha Accident Insurance Scheme from Kheda

All those registered under the e-Shram portal from Nadiad will benefit from the scheme.

It is being implemented through the Indian Postal Department, the IPPB, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Under this scheme, insurance with a premium of Rs. 289 and Rs. 499 per year will be a big support to workers in the event of death or partial disability.

OCA elects Sheikh Talal as the new President

Kuwait’s Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah has been elected as the new President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

He replaced his older brother Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who led the OCA for 30 years until 2021.

The OCA was founded in 1982 by his father Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who led it until 1990.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance wins Insurer Innovation Award 2023

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has won the Insurer Innovation Award 2023 for the APAC region at the 8th World Digital Insurance Awards, hosted by TDI - The Digital Insurer.

Recognition: Bajaj Allianz Life's ground-breaking WhatsApp Conversational Platform - empowering customers to digitally services their policies seamlessly. 

The award entries were shortlisted by industry experts and the winner was selected by the community through pre-voting and live event voting.