Latest Current Affairs For Sunday 13th March, 2022

A book titled “Soli Sorabjee: Life and Times” authored by Abhinav Chandrachud

A new biography, titled “Soli Sorabjee: Life and Times” was announced, during the occasion of the 92nd birth anniversary of Soli Sorabjee. It is authored by advocate and legal scholar Abhinav Chandrachud and will be released in April 2022.

The book highlights the personal details of the life of Soli Sorabjee, his family background. He was the former Attorney General (AG) of India and served two times for the years 1989-90 and then from 1998- 2004.

V-Dem’s Democracy Report 2022: India ranked 93rd

The latest edition of Democracy Report was released recently by the V-Dem Institute at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg. The study was titled ‘Democracy Report 2022: Autocratisation Changing Nature?’.

The report classifies countries into four regime types based on their score in the Liberal Democratic Index (LDI): Liberal Democracy, Electoral Democracy, Electoral Autocracy, and Closed Autocracy.

India’s performance:

It classifies India as an electoral autocracy ranking it 93rd on the LDI, out of 179 countries.

India is one of the top ten ‘autocratisers’ in the world says the report.

India is part of a broader global trend of an anti-plural political party driving a country’s Autocratisation.

Ranked 93rd in the LDI, India figures in the “bottom 50%” of countries.

It has slipped further down in the Electoral Democracy Index, to 100, and even lower in the Deliberative Component Index, at 102.

In South Asia, India is ranked below Sri Lanka (88), Nepal (71), and Bhutan (65) and above Pakistan (117) in the LDI.

Six Indian Airports named the ACI World’s ASQ Awards 2021

From India, six airports have found a place among the ‘Best Airport by Size and Region’, by the Airports Council International (ACI), in its Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey for the year 2021.

The airports have been adjudged among the Asia Pacific region in different categories based on annual passenger traffic. The ACI Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards takes into account 33 parameters related to passenger amenities to recognize airport excellence in customer experience.

The six Indian airports include:

Category – Over 40 million passengers per year

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai  (5th consecutive year)

Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi  (4th consecutive year)

Category – 15 to 25 million passengers per year

Rajiv Gandhi International airport, Hyderabad

Category – 5 to 15 million passengers per year

Cochin International Airport, Cochin

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad

Category – 2 to 5 million passengers per year

Chandigarh Airport, Chandigarh

Important For All Exam 2022:

Airports Council International Headquarters: Montreal, Canada;

Airports Council International Founded: 1991.

Australia’s AARC tie up with India’s CLAWS

From March 8 to March 10, 2022, Lt Gen Richard Burr, the Chief of the Australian Army, was in India for three days. The Australian Army Chief paid a visit to the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), an Indian Army think tank in New Delhi.

Lt. Gen Richard Burr met with Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Manoj Pande, Chairman, Board of Governors, CLAWS, and Director CLAWS, Lt Gen Dr Ranbir Singh (Retd). CLAWS research efforts and outreach strategies were briefed to the visiting General.

On the sidelines of the tour, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Australian Army Research Centre (AARC) and the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) to create academic cooperation and engagement.

RBI directs Paytm Payments Bank Ltd to stop onboarding of new customers

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed Paytm Payments Bank Ltd to stop the onboarding of new customers with immediate effect. The bank has also been directed to appoint an IT audit firm to conduct a comprehensive System Audit of its IT system. The RBI took the decision in exercise of its powers under section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

RBI has advised Paytm Payments Bank to appoint an IT audit firm to conduct a comprehensive System Audit of its IT system. Once the audit is over, RBI will review the reports of IT auditors and based on the reports grant or review its permission for onboarding of new customers.

Onboarding of new customers by Paytm Payments Bank Ltd will be subject to specific permission to be granted by RBI after reviewing the report of the IT auditors. This action is based on certain material supervisory concerns observed in the bank.

Important For All Exam 2022:

Chairman of Paytm Payments Bank Ltd: Vijay Shekhar Sharma;

MD and CEO of Paytm Payments Bank Ltd: Satish Kumar Gupta;

Paytm Payments Bank Ltd Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Debasish Panda named as Chairman of IRDAI

Debasish Panda has been appointed as the chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). He is a former financial services secretary.

The post of Chairman of IRDAI was lying vacant since May 2021 when Subhash Chandra Khuntia completed his term. Panda, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, retired as financial services secretary in January this year after a two-year stint.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Panda’s appointment as chairperson of the insurance regulator initially for a period of three years from the assumption of charge. The appointment of IRDAI chairman comes nearly 9 months after the vacancy was created following Subhash Chandra Khuntia completing his term in May last year.

Important For All Exam 2022:

IRDAI Founded: 1999;

IRDAI Headquarters: Hyderabad.

Justice AK Sikri named as Chairperson of Chardham project Committee

The Supreme Court of India has named Justice (retd) AK Sikri as Chairperson of the High Powered Committee (HPC), of the Chardham project.

The previous Chairperson Professor Ravi Chopra had resigned from his post in February 2022, after being appointed as the chairperson of the HPC on August 8, 2019.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant accepted the resignation of Professor Ravi Chopra as chairperson of the committee after he wrote a letter in January wishing to relinquish his post.

Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurates first drone school at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh

The Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan jointly inaugurated the first drone school in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

This drone school is one of the five Drone Schools planned to be opened in different cities of Madhya Pradesh. The other four cities are Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Satna.

This drone school of Gwalior will not only pave the way for the youth of Madhya Pradesh to move forward by connecting them with technology, but it will also increase employment opportunities. This school will prove to be a milestone in the progress and progress of Madhya Pradesh along with Gwalior.

Important For All Exam 2022:

Madhya Pradesh Capital: Bhopal;

Madhya Pradesh Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel;

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Tripura Govt announced “Mukhyamantri Chaa Srami Kalyan Prakalpa” scheme

Tripura Government has announced a special scheme ‘Mukhyamantri Chaa Srami Kalyan Prakalpa’ for tea workers. A special scheme, allotting Rs. 85 crores for its implementation, as a step towards bringing the 7000 tea garden workers of Tripura under the social security net.

This special scheme would ensure housing, rations, and financial support to the tea garden workers by integrating the facilities that are entitled to them, by the state government and the central government.

Important For All Exam 2022:

Tripura Capital: Agartala;

Tripura Chief Minister: Biplab Kumar Deb;

Tripura Governor: Satyadeo Narain Arya.

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.