Latest Current Affairs For Thursday 10th March, 2022

GeM launches 'Stitching and Tailoring Services' in partnership with USHA

Government eMarketplace (GeM) has launched Stitching and Tailoring Services on the GeM portal in partnership with USHA International through its Silai School Programme. 

It will open new opportunities for Usha Silai Women and self-help groups to enhance their livelihood incomes through sewing orders placed by various Govt depts and agencies. 

Under this initiative, GeM will collaborate with USHA Silai School in developing stitching and tailoring service for Govt buyers. 

V Srinivas inaugurates Symposium on Imagining India-2047 through innovation

Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension Secretary, V Srinivas has inaugurated a three-day conference of 160 young civil service officers, entrepreneurs and academicians from across the country in Madras IIT. 

It is titled ‘Imagining India-2047 through innovation’. 

The webinar saw the participation from 22 Ministries/Departments including NITI Aayog, Senior Management from PSEs/Government Organization, Senior Management, Global Pension Funds, etc.

TEC, DoT launches Skill Development training program for girl students

Telecommunication Engineering Center (TEC) in collaboration with industry has organized skill development training program for girl students from rural backgrounds.

EMC Test and Training Center, has volunteered to impart online training program on EMI/EMC testing for one-week duration.

25 girl students from far-flung rural areas of various states have enrolled for this one-week training programme. 

TEC is the designated authority for the implementation of this scheme.

AIM, NITI Aayog joins hands with Snap Inc to drive AR skilling

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has announced its partnership with Snap Inc. to drive Augmented Reality (AR) skilling among the Indian youth.

The partnership is initially for 2 years and is expected to train over 12,000 teachers affiliated with Atal Tinkering Labs on Augmented Reality, enabling the reach of the program to millions of students affiliated with ATL’s network of schools.

Snap Inc also announced its partnership with Atal Incubation Centers (AICs). 

Union Minister launches Virtual Smart Grid Knowledge Center and Innovation

Union Minister for Power, R.K. Singh has launched Virtual Smart Grid Knowledge Center (SGKC) and Innovation Park virtually as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav Programme.

It has been established by POWERGRID for the demonstration and advancement of frontier smart grid technologies.

It will be the leading Centers of Excellence globally to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and research in smart grid technologies and create capacities in the power distribution sector.

India, Japan holds joint military exercise in Karnataka

India and Japan are conducting an annual joint military exercise titled ‘Dharma Guardian 2022’ at Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre in Belgaum, Karnataka from 27th February to 10th March. 

It is being participated by 15 Maratha LIRC UNIT and Japan 30 Infantry Regiment. 

It covers platoon-level joint training on operations in the jungle and semi-urban and urban terrain.

Insertion by helicopter into the ‘area of operation’ is being carried out in the Regimental Center. 

India ranked ‘partly free’ in Freedom of the World 2022 report

India has been termed as ‘partly free’ country in terms of democracy and free society, as per the annual report titled ‘Freedom in the World 2022 – The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule’ for the second consecutive year with a score of 66. 

The report is published every year since 1973 by Freedom House (US NGO that assesses political-civil liberties). 

India was a free country till 2020 with 71 score. 

In 2022, 85 countries were free, 56 as partly free, 69 as not free. 

Russia became the most sanctioned country in the world

Russia has become the most sanctioned country of the world, after its invasion on Ukraine, according to New York-based sanctions watchlist site ‘Castellum.AI’.

Russia faced 2,778 new sanctions since 22nd February 2022, led by the US and European nations, bringing the total sanctions to 5,530.

It was already having 2,754 sanctions in place before February 22.

Before this, Iran was the most sanctioned country, facing 3,616 sanctions against it over last decade.

Iran successfully launches second military satellite Noor-2 into orbit

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has successfully launched a military satellite, Noor-2, into orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometres (311 miles) from the earth.

It was launched from three-stage Qased, or Messenger, carrier from Shahroud space port. 

This is the 2nd military satellite launched by the Islamic Republic.

First military satellite, 'Noor' was launched in April 2020 at an orbit of 425km (265 miles) above earth’s surface.

Ministry of Culture organize ‘Jharokha – Compendium of Indian handicraft’

Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Textiles are organizing programme ‘Jharokha-Compendium of Indian handicraft/ handloom, art and culture’ as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. 

Jharokha: PAN India programme that will be held at 16 locations in 13 states and UTs. 

Its first event is organized in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh at Rani Kamlapati Railway Station from 8th March 2022 (Women’s Day). 

It will continue for 8 days and will include folk performances by local artists. 

RBI launches UPI123pay for feature phones and DigiSaathi Helpline

RBI has launched two initiatives related to digital payments:

UPI123pay: It will provide UPI payment facility on feature phones. 

DigiSaathi: It is a 24×7 Helpline for Digital Payments.

UPI123pay currently offers four mediums/options to the users of feature phones to make UPI payments.

Users can access DigiSaathi using following mode:

toll-free number (1800-891-3333)

a short code (14431)

website – http://www.digisaathi.info, and chatbots.

Air Marshal B Chandra Sekhar takes over as Commandant of Air Force Academy

Air Marshal B Chandra Sekhar has taken over as Commandant of Air Force Academy, Indian Air Force. 

He is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College Wellington, College of Defence Management, Flying Instructors School and National Defence College New Delhi. 

He was commissioned in Indian Air Force in 1984. 

He has more than 5400 hrs of incident-free flying on various aircraft. 

He also holds the distinction of landing first MLH class of helicopter in the Siachen Glacier. 

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.