Latest Current Affairs For Sunday 10th April, 2022

India’s first case of XE variant of coronavirus disease reported from Mumbai

The first case of the XE variety of the coronavirus illness (Covid-19) in India was reported in Mumbai. The city civic authority Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced the results of its 11th genome sequencing, which identified one sample positive for the XE variant and another for the Kappa variant.

According to BMC officials, the person who tested positive for the XE strain was a fully vaccinated 50-year-old woman who had no co-morbidities and was asymptomatic.

She had arrived from South Africa on February 10th with no prior travel experience. She had tested negative for the virus when she arrived.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the new subvariant ‘XE’, which is a hybrid strain of two Omicron subvariants, could be the most transmissible coronavirus strain ever discovered.

INSACOG, which sequenced the case’s genome, stated that the sample did not indicate the presence of the variation.

XE is a hybrid or recombinant of Omicron’s two sub-variants (BA.1 and BA.2). The BA.2 sub-lineage has been linked to COVID-19 instances in the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.

UGC gives approval for the establishment of Bhima Bhoi Chair at DU, GGV

The Bhima Bhoi Chair at Delhi University and Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, have been authorised by the University Grants Commission.

Bhima Bhoi was a saint, poet, and philosopher from Odisha. He battled against the caste system in Hinduism. Bhima Bhoi, a saint, poet, and philosopher from Odisha, India, was born in 1850 and died in 1895.

Bhima Bhoi was a Mahima Swamy bhakta (commonly referred to as Mahima Gosain and whose birth name is said to have been Mukunda Das). Bhima Bhoi would be initiated into Mahima Dharma, an Indian religious tradition that challenged caste Hinduism on its own terms, from Mahima Swamy.

57th CRPF Valour Day 2022 observed on 9th April

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Valour Day (Shaurya Diwas) is observed on 9 April every year, as a tribute to the brave men of the Force. The year 2022 marks the 57th CRPF Valour Day.

It was on this day in 1965, a small contingent of CRPF created history by defeating an invading Pakistani army, several times larger, at the Sardar Post located in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat.

The CRPF men eliminated 34 Pakistani soldiers and captured four alive. In the conflict, CRPF lost six personnel who had attained martyrdom.

The Central Reserve Police Force is India’s largest Central Armed Police Force. It functions under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India.

The CRPF’s primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and counter-insurgency.

Important For All Exam 2022:

Central Reserve Police Force Headquarters: New Delhi, India.

Central Reserve Police Force Formed: 27 July 1939.

Central Reserve Police Force Motto: Service and Loyalty.

CRPF director general: Kuldiep Singh.

Riya Jadon wins 11th DGC Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship

Thirteen-year-old Riya Jadon won the DGC Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship, following a close fight with older sister Lavanya Jadon. Riya, who carded 78, 80 and 74, also won the junior girls trophy.

Over a hundred women golfers took part in this year’s tournament, which resumed at the Delhi Golf Club after a two-year hiatus.

Usha International vice-president Anju Munjal, who was present during the presentation ceremony, said, “As part of our ethos of promoting an active and healthy lifestyle, Usha is proud to have supported golf platforms that have paved the way for juniors and amateurs as champions in the making.

‘Not Just A Nightwatchman: My Innings with BCCI’, book by Former CAG Vinod Rai

Former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and chief of Supreme court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) in 2017, Vinod Rai has penned a book titled as, “Not Just A Nightwatchman: My Innings with BCCI” in which the former bureaucrat encapsulates his 33-month stint at the BCCI.

In the book, Rai – whose stint of overseeing the administration of one of the richest sports bodies in the world ended in September 2019 – has made some major revelations. Notwithstanding his ardent support for the game, Rai refused to be blind to the flaws in its governance.

And so the nightwatchman decided to play on the front foot; a characteristic style that he carries forward as he describes his innings in Not Just a Nightwatchman.

‘Tomb of Sand’ becomes first Hindi novel to get shortlisted for International Booker Prize

In the history of the International Booker Prize, the novel ‘Tomb of Sand’, authored by Geetanjali Shree, has become the first Hindi language work of fiction to be shortlisted for the prestigious literary prize.

The novel has been translated into English by Daisy Rockwell. The book Tomb of Sand will compete with five other novels from around the world. The literary prize comes with a cash award of 50,000 pounds, which is split equally between the author and translator.

Cabinet gives approval to extension of AIM till March Next year

The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) until March 2023. AIM’s stated goals include developing 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), 101 Atal Incubation Centres (AICs), and sponsoring 200 entrepreneurs through the Atal New India Challenges, according to the statement.

A total budgeted expenditure of Rs 2,000 crore plus will be incurred in the establishment and support of the beneficiaries.

According to the finance minister’s proclamation in the 2015 Budget speech, the mission will be run by the NITI Aayog.

The AIM’s goals are to foster an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country through interventions at the school, university, research, MSME, and industry levels.

The AIM has concentrated on both infrastructural development and institution formation, according to the statement.

According to the announcement, AIM-supported businesses have received over Rs 2,000 crores from the government and private equity investors, in addition to creating thousands of jobs.

The AIM programmes, which span 34 states and union territories, are aimed at maximising India’s demographic dividend by encouraging more engagement in the innovation ecosystem.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting establishes the AVGC Promotion Task Force 

An animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics (AVGC) promotion task group has been established by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The task force, which will be led by the I&B Secretary, will produce its first action plan within 90 days. Industry, academics, and state governments are all represented.

In her Budget speech, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the formation of an AVGC promotion task team.

The organisation will develop a national AVGC policy, recommend a national curriculum framework for graduation, post-graduate, and PhD courses in AVGC-related fields, and collaborate with academic institutions, vocational training centres, and industry to assist skilling programmes.

It will increase job possibilities, assist in promotion and market development operations to expand Indian industry’s worldwide reach, increase exports, and recommend incentives to attract foreign direct investment in the sector.

According to the I&B Ministry, the country’s AVGC industry has the potential to be the torchbearer of Create in India and Brand India.

World Press Photo of the Year 2022: Kamloops Residential School

A photograph by Canadian photographer Amber Bracken titled “Kamloops Residential School” has won the 2022 World Press Photo of the Year award.

The photo shows children’s clothing hung on crosses commemorating the more than two hundred children who died of maltreatment, neglect and disease at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. Ms Bracken’s photo also won the Singles award in the regional North and Central America category.

Australian photographer Matthew Abbott won the Photo Story of the Year prize for a series of images for National Geographic/Panos Pictures that document how the Nawarddeken people of West Arnhem Land in northern Australia fight fire with fire by deliberately burning off undergrowth to remove fuel that could spark far larger wildfires.

The Long-Term Project award went to Lalo de Almeida of Brazil for a series of photos for Folha de São Paulo/Panos Pictures called “Amazonian Dystopia” that charts the effects of the exploitation of the Amazon region, particularly on Indigenous communities forced to deal with environmental degradation.

In regional awards announced previously, Bram Janssen of The Associated Press won the Stories category in Asia with a series of photos from a Kabul cinema and AP photographer Dar Yasin earned an honourable mention for photos from Kashmir titled “Endless War.”

DRDO successfully flight-tests Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested “Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet” (SFDR) booster on April 08, 2022, at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.

The test met all the mission objectives. The SFDR-based propulsion enables the missile to intercept aerial threats at very long range at supersonic speeds. It has an extremely high projected range of 350 km.

The SFDR-based propulsion enables the missile to intercept aerial threats at very long range at supersonic speeds. The performance of the system has been confirmed from the data captured by a number of range instruments like Telemetry, Radar and Electro-Optical Tracking Systems deployed by ITR.

The SFDR has been developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories such as Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Pune.

Important For All Exam 2022:

Chairman DRDO: Dr G Satheesh Reddy;

DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi;

DRDO Established: 1958.

Infosys and Rolls-Royce launched ‘Aerospace Engineering and Digital Innovation Centre’ 

IT major Infosys and leading industrial tech company Rolls-Royce opened their joint “aerospace engineering and digital innovation centre’’ in Bengaluru, Karnataka. This centre has been established to provide high-end R&D services integrated with advanced digital capabilities to Rolls-Royce’s engineering and group business services from India.

As part of this collaboration, Infosys and Rolls-Royce will combine their aerospace, engineering and digital services capabilities to explore opportunities for driving digital and engineering innovation and associated cost optimisation strategies.

Infosys and Rolls-Royce’s collaboration has been reinforced through strategic deals, aimed at yielding mutual benefits to both organisations over the next seven years.

Important For All Exam 2022:

Infosys Founded: 7 July 1981;

Infosys CEO: Salil Parekh;

Infosys Headquarters: Bengaluru;

Rolls-Royce CEO: Torsten Müller-Ötvös (Mar 2010–);

Rolls-Royce Founded: 1904;

Rolls-Royce Headquarters: Westhampnett, United Kingdom;

Rolls-Royce Founders: Henry Royce, Charles Rolls. 

Axis Bank and IDBI Bank have each been fined Rs 93 lakh by the RBI

The Reserve Bank of India announced that it has fined IDBI Bank and Axis Bank Rs 93 lakh each for a variety of infractions, including those connected to KYC standards. 

The RBI, on the other hand, stated that the penalties are based on regulatory compliance issues and are not intended to rule on the validity of any transaction or arrangement they have with their clients.

IDBI Bank and Axis Bank have been fined Rs 93 lakh by the Reserve Bank of India for failing to follow certain recommendations provided by the regulator, according to a press release.

The private sector lender also broke several loans and advance provisions, as well as Know Your Customer (KYC) guidelines and the “levy of penal costs for non-maintenance of minimum balances in savings bank accounts,” according to the complaint.

IDBI Bank was fined for failing to follow instructions on ‘fraud classification and reporting by commercial banks and select financial institutions.’

According to another announcement, it was also punished for violating standards on strengthening the controls of the payment ecosystem between sponsor banks and corporate customers such SCBs/UCBs’ and ‘cyber security framework.’

Two separate Sebi panels to review ownership norms of MFs, trustees

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has formed two expert groups to look into the responsibilities, qualifications, and functions of sponsors and trustees at asset management firms (AMCs).

A sponsor, similar to a promoter, provides funds for the establishment of an AMC, whereas a trustee serves as a supervisor and is responsible for safeguarding the interests of investors.

Sebi stated in a statement that an alternative set of eligibility standards might be developed to allow new players who would otherwise be ineligible to function as a sponsor to do so.

Balasubramanian, MD & CEO of Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC, will chair the working group on sponsors.

The Sebi has intimated that it may enable private equity (PE) firms to establish AMCs.

AAI launches ‘AVSAR’ Scheme to provide platform to SHGs

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has launched an initiative “AVSAR” to encourage the talent of women, artisans and craftsmen and provide them with the right opportunities. AVSAR stands for ‘Airport as Venue for Skilled Artisans Of The Region’.

Under “AVSAR” (Airport as Venue for Skilled Artisans Of The Region), which is an initiative of AAI, an opportunity to help the indigent to mobilize their households into functionally effective self-earned groups for self-reliance and self-dependence, has been provided.

An area of 100-200 square feet has been earmarked at each AAI operated airport. The space is being allotted to the self-help groups, turn on a turn basis, for a duration of 15 days.

Few outlets have already been commissioned at Chennai, Agartala, Dehradun, Kushinagar, Udaipur & Amritsar Airport wherein SHGs operated by local women, are showcasing and marketing their homemade local products like Puffed Rice, Packaged Papad, Pickles, Bamboo based Ladies Bag/Bottle/Lamp Sets, local artefacts, traditional craft, natural dyes, embroidery and indigenous weaves with contemporary design to the air travellers.

The initiative to strengthen SHGs by allotting space at AAI Airports will provide huge visibility to these small groups and prepare them to promote/market their products to the wider spectrum, reaching out to the larger population.

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.