Latest Current Affairs For Saturday 3rd September, 2022

Meghalaya CM launches 'Rural Backyard Piggery Scheme' for farmers' welfare

Meghalaya CM, Conrad K Sangma has launched "Rural Backyard Piggery Scheme" with an aim to ensure that the farmers earn a sustainable livelihood through different livestock farming activities.

Under the phase 1 of this Scheme, the govt has earmarked Rs 15.18 crore under which four high-yielding improved varieties will be distributed to 6000 families.

The additional Rs 25 crore will be earmarked to roll out the second phase of the programme.

AICTE partnered with Adobe to advance digital literacy in India

The All-India Council for Technical Education has partnered with Adobe to accelerate digital creativity skills across the country.

As per the agreement, Adobe will offer courses and expertise for upskilling educators, and integrate digital creativity into the curriculum, to prepare students with the essential creative and digital literacy skills.

Aim: To empower educators across higher education institutions with essential digital creativity skills by 2024.

Tejas Mark-2 Project approved by Cabinet Committee on Security

The Cabinet Committee on Security  has approved Tejas Mark-2 Project and sanctioned 6,500 crore rupees for designing and developing of Tejas Mark-2 fighter jet with prototypes, flight testing, and certification.

The allocation comes in addition to the existing 2500 crore rupees sanctioned to HAL.

Tejas 2.0 will be equipped with more powerful GE- F414 engines in the 98 Kilonewton thrust class and carry additional payload and weapons as compared to the existing version. 

India’s first indigenously developed vaccine for cervical cancer

Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh has launched India’s first indigenously developed quadrivalent Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer.

Vaccine name: CERVAVAC

DCGI had granted market authorisation to Serum Institute of India to manufacture an indigenously-developed vaccine against cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer in India ranks as the second most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age.

Muthoot FinCorp, IME India joins hands for money transfer service to Nepal

Muthoot FinCorp has partnered with IME India Pvt Ltd to expand its money remittance services between Indo-Nepal corridor.

Muthoot has been assisting the Nepali community in India in remitting money through their existing partner (Prabhu Money Transfer Pvt Ltd).

Now, Muthoot will be able to serve a larger mass of Nepalese diaspora living in India.

IDFC First Bank, India and Global IME Bank Ltd., Nepal are the banking partners to facilitate Indo-Nepal remittance service.

World Coconut Day 2022: 2nd September

World Coconut Day is observed annually on September 2 to highlight the significance of coconut in our daily lives and how beneficial are they for health.

Theme 2022: Growing coconut for a better future and life

The event started on September 2, 2009, by the Asia Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) to raise awareness and the significance of coconuts and their impact on society.

Top exporters of coconuts: Indonesia, India, Philippines, Brazil and Sri Lanka

SBI Card launches cashback card

SBICard has launched ‘CASHBACK SBI Card’, a cashback focused credit card, to boost the online transactions.

Consumers across country, including tier-2 and 3 cities, can apply for the card on the digital application platform ‘SBI Card SPRINT’.

CASHBACK SBI Card customers will earn unlimited 1% cashback on all spends, cashback will increase to 5% on all online spends up to maximum of ₹ 10,000 per monthly statement cycle.

MD & CEO, SBI Card: Rama Mohan Rao Amara

GST collection in August was ₹1.43 lakh crore

According to Finance Ministry data, the government has collected ₹1,43,612 crore as the gross GST revenue in the month of August 2022.

CGST is ₹ 24,710 crore, SGST is ₹ 30,951 crore, IGST is ₹ 77,782 crore.

It includes ₹ 42,067 crore collected on import of goods and cess is ₹ 10,168 crore (including ₹ 1,018 crore collected on import of goods).

The revenues for the month of August 2022 are 28% higher than the GST revenues in the same month in 2021 of ₹ 1,12,020 crore.

Services exports rise 20.2% to $23.26 billion in July 2022: RBI data

As per the Reserve Bank India data, the services exports of India has been increased by 20.2% year-on-year to $23.26 billion in July 2022.

However, the July exports were lower than June by $25.29 billion in 2022.

As per the monthly data on India's international trade in services for July 2022, the imports surged by 22.3% to $13.92 billion in July.

The exports during April-July 2022-23 stood at $94.75 billion, and the imports totalled $58.94 billion during the period.

Air traffic of India may surge annually by average 7% till 2040

As per the Boeing report, the air traffic of India will grow by an average of 7% per year till 2040 even as the country’s carriers face challenges like high fuel prices, rupee depreciation and low fares.

While the air traffic of India will grow 6.9% till 2040, the south-east Asian market will grow at an average annual rate of 5.5%.

The Chinese, African and the Latin American market will grow at an average annual rate of 5.4%, 5.4% and 4.8% respectively, till 2040.

India's unemployment rate increases to 1-year high of 8.3% in August

As per the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy data, the unemployment rate of India has been surged to a one-year high of 8.3% in August 2022, as employment sequentially fell by 2 million to 394.6 million.

In August, the urban unemployment rate has been increased to 9.6% and rural unemployment rate also increased to 7.7%.

In July 2022, the unemployment rate was at 6.8% and the employment was 397 million.

In August, the unemployment was the highest in Haryana (37.3%).

NZ cricketer, Colin de Grandhomme retires from international cricket

New Zealand all-rounder, Colin de Grandhomme has announced his retirement from international cricket.

He has played 29 Test matches scoring 1432 runs at 38.70, including centuries against the West Indies and South Africa.

His best score was 120 not out.

He has also registered 49 wickets in the format at an average of 32.95, including six for 41 on debut against Pakistan.

He has played 45 ODIs and 41 T20Is for New Zealand.

Rajasthan govt launches ‘Mahila Nidhi’ to support women entrepreneurs

Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot has launched loan scheme ‘Mahila Nidhi’ with an aim to ensure easy loans for women in business.

The scheme also aims the social and economic development of women through credit.

CM Ashok Gehlot has announced in the budget 2022-23 about the ‘Mahila Nidhi’ scheme through Rajasthan Rural Livelihood Development Council.

The scheme will disburse loans of up to Rs 40,000 within 48 hours, and above Rs 40,000 within 15 days. 

Indian-origin Laxman Narasimhan appointed as CEO of Starbucks

Starbucks has appointed Laxman Narasimhan as the next chief executive officer and a member of the Starbucks Board of Directors.

He will work closely with the interim CEO, Howard Schultz, before taking charge as CEO role.

Howard Schultz will continue as interim CEO until April 1, 2023.

Prior to this, he served as global chief commercial officer at PepsiCo; worked as a senior partner at the consulting firm McKinsey & Company; served as CEO in Reckitt.

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.