CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS 14th April 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS

14th April 2022

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Matter of pride that most of our PMs are from humble families: PM

PM Narendra Modi on Thursday said it's a great pride for Indians that most of our PMs belonged to humble families. "Coming from a remote countryside, from a very poor family, coming from a farmer's family, reaching the post of PM, this strengthens the faith in the great traditions of Indian democracy," he said at the inauguration of 'Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya'.

2 women's petition to recognise their 'marriage' dismissed by Allahabad HC

A plea by two women aged 23 and 22 to recognise their 'marriage' on the argument that such union was not "opposed" by the Hindu Marriage Act has been rejected by the Allahabad High Court. Uttar Pradesh government's counsel said that same-sex marriage was against Indian culture and Indic religions, and was invalid under Indian laws.

Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor get married, share pics

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt got married on Thursday in an intimate wedding ceremony. Alia shared pictures and wrote, "Surrounded by our family and friends, at home...in our favourite spot - the balcony we've spent...last 5 years of our relationship - we got married." "With so much already behind us, we can't wait to build more memories together," she added.

PM realising Ambedkar's dream by ensuring equal rights for everyone: Irani

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday said that BR Ambedkar was a great national hero, adding that PM Narendra Modi is realising his dream by ensuring equal rights for everyone. She also said that the PM has taken a pledge for the betterment of society by rising above the politics of casteism and regionalism.

 

 

International News

Death toll from storm Megi in Philippines reaches 123

The death toll from tropical storm Megi that struck the Philippines has reached up to 123. As many as 86 people were killed and 236 injured in Baybay in Leyte province, said the government. The Philippine Army is carrying out the search and rescue operations. Over 1.62 lakh displaced people have reportedly taken shelter in the evacuation centres.

WTO cuts global trade growth forecast to 3% in 2022 

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has revised down its projection for global trade growth (in volume) for 2022 to 3 per cent. Earlier in October 2021, this was estimated at 4.7 per cent.  The downward revision follows the Russia-Ukraine conflict that has impacted commodity prices, disrupted supplies and intensified geopolitical and economic uncertainty. For 2023, this merchandise trade volume growth is projected at 3.4%.  In the longer term, the WTO said the conflict could even trigger the disintegration of the global economy into separate blocs. India’s real GDP, in such a scenario, would falter by 9% (deviation from a baseline projection), China’s by 7% and Russia’s by as much as 10%, it added.

Appointments News

Ex-IPS officer Lalpura reappointed National Commission for Minorities chief

The central government has re-appointed retired Punjab-cadre IPS officer Iqbal Singh Lalpura as the chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities.  Lalpura, who was first appointed as chairman in September last year, had to resign from the post in December to contest as the BJP candidate from the Ropar assembly constituency, which he lost.  A Sikh intellectual, who has written books on Sikh and Punjabi culture, Lalpura, was appointed BJP spokesperson in September last year. He had retired as deputy inspector general (DIG), Punjab Police, before joining the BJP in 2012. He served as the senior superintendent of police of Amritsar Rural, Kapurthala and Tarn Taran districts.

 

Agreements News

Microsoft and BPCL collaborated to step up digital transformation

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), an Indian oil refinery, has teamed with Microsoft to improve its customer experience. It will also integrate cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) to help the oil and gas business adapt digitally.  Microsoft will supply BPCL with infrastructure-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service, and cloud network and security services over the course of the seven-year partnership.  BPCL plans to employ Microsoft's secure cloud platform to accelerate its cloud transformation, create smarter supply chains, and improve customer engagement. BPCL will also make use of Microsoft Teams and other productivity tools to improve employee communication.  The two companies will work together to create a digital experience for BPCL consumers, reaffirm BPCL's brand promise of quality and trust, and develop Urja, a conversational AI platform that will provide 24/7 customer care.  Microsoft has been an indisputable worldwide leader in technology.

UNDP Declares Grants of $2.2 Million in Climate Action for Innovators

The UNDP and partners of the Adaptation Innovation Marketplace (AIM) have announced $2.2 million in climate action funding for 22 local innovators from 19 countries, including India.  The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) window's first round of funding will improve local climate action and speed the achievement of the Paris Agreement's and Sustainable Development Goals' ambitions.  The project enables local actors and contributes to UNDP's and partners' worldwide endorsement of the principles for locally driven adaptation action.  The Adaptation Innovation Marketplace will provide technical support and know-how for new funding applications launched.  AIM is a strategy platform that supports scaled-up adaptation at the local level, concentrating on civil society, non-governmental organisations, and women and youth innovators, and was launched by UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner at the Climate Adaptation Summit in January 2021.

BANKING, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

Rising tax revenue keeps us on track to becoming $5 tn economy: Govt

The Finance Ministry on Thursday said the government's focus on capital expenditure will boost manufacturing and tax revenue collections, thereby keeping India on track to becoming a $5 trillion economy. Tax revenues in FY22 witnessed a 33.5% rise to ₹27.07 lakh crore. The Ministry added that the government has managed to keep nominal GDP growth above 10% in recent years.

GI-tagged Purandhar figs from Pune exported for the first time

Fig fruit from Pune's Purandhar, which has a geographical indication (GI) tag, has for the first time been exported. A 10-kg consignment of the highly perishable fruit was exported to Germany, Rohan Ursal, Chairman of the Purandhar Highland Farmer’s Producers Company said. The produce of figs has a high demand but growers haven't sought its full potential yet, Ursal added.

Bank of India files for insolvency proceedings against Future Retail

Bank of India on Thursday filed a petition with the National Company Law Tribunal to initiate insolvency proceedings against Future Retail for non-payment of dues. This comes amid an ongoing legal battle between Future Retail and Amazon over the former's ₹24,713 crore deal with Reliance Industries. "Amazon wanted to destroy us...they've destroyed us," Future Retail had said earlier.

India’s Retail Inflation Rose to 6.95% in March 

India’s retail inflation surged to a 17-month high of 6.95% in March from 6.07% in the previous month due to a sharp increase in food prices, the National Statistical Office (NSO) data showed.  Retail inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has remained above the upper limit of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) tolerance band for the third consecutive month. The retail inflation stood at 6.01 per cent in January 2022.  The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based on inflation stood at 5.52% in March 2021. The price rise was sharper in rural India than in urban. CPI for rural India surged to 7.66% in March from 6.38% in the previous month. CPI-based inflation for urban India rose to 6.12% in March 2022 from 5.75% in the previous month.  The Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation data is released monthly by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Awards News

Falguni Nayar Crowned EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2021

Falguni Nayar has been named as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2021, at the 23rd edition of the EY Entrepreneur of The Year India awards. She is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of beauty supply company Nykaa (FSN E-commerce).  She will now represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) on June 9, 2022, at Monaco. The Lifetime Achievement was given to A. M. Naik, Group Chairman of Larsen & Toubro.

The winners were announced over nine other Categories for the Entrepreneur Of The Year Program.

Start-up: Vidit Aatrey, Co-founder & CEO and Sanjeev Barnwal, Co-founder & CTO, Fashnear Technology (Meesho).

Business Transformation: Abhay Soi, Chairman and Managing Director, Max Healthcare.

Manufacturing: Sunil Vachani, Founder and Executive Chairman, Dixon Technologies.

Services: Sahil Barua, Co-founder and CEO, Delhivery.

Consumer Products & Retail: Shiv Kishan Agarwal, Chairman; and Manohar Lal Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director respectively, Haldiram Group.

Life Sciences & Healthcare: Dr. Satyanarayana Chava, Founder and CEO, Laurus Labs.

Financial Services: Harshil Mathur, Co-founder and CEO; and Shashank Kumar, Co-founder and CTO, Razorpay.

Technology, Media and Telecom: Girish Mathrubootham, Co-founder and CEO, Freshworks.

Entrepreneurial CEO: Vivek Vikram Singh, Managing Director and Group CEO, Sona Comstar.

Sports News

Netherlands Won FIH Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup 2022

The Netherlands has lifted their fourth title of FIH Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup 2022 after beating Germany at Potchefstroom, South Africa. The Netherlands is the most successful team. England claimed the bronze medal in the third-place match after defeating India by 3-0 in the shoot-out.  The FIH has banned Russia from the 2022 Women’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cup due to 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The 2023 Women’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cup will be the tenth edition and will be held in Santiago, Chile.

R Praggnanandhaa wins prestigious Reykjavik Open chess tournament

16-year-old chess sensation R Pragganandhaa has won the prestigious Reykjavik Open chess tournament in Reykjavik, Iceland. In the final played between two Indian players, it was R Praggnanandhaa who won the contest beating compatriot GM D Gukesh in the final round.  The Indian youngster scored 7½/9 and finished a half-point ahead. R Praggnanandhaa also posted four other wins, including the one over American Abhimanyu Mishra, who, last year, became the then youngest Grandmaster at the age of 12 years and four months.

Australia's Victoria to Host the 2026 Commonwealth Games

In a deviation from the conventional single host city approach, the Commonwealth Games will be held in Victoria in 2026, with the majority of events being organised by the state's regional centres.  In March 2026, the Games will be held in numerous towns and regional centres around Australia, including Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, and Gippsland, each with its own athletes' village.  The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) confirmed that the opening ceremony will be held at the famous 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground.  Following an exclusive consultation session between the CGF, Commonwealth Games Australia (CGAus), and Victoria, the announcement was made.  A preliminary list of 16 sports has been proposed for the Games, including Twenty20 cricket, with further sports to be added later this year.  However, sports like shooting and wrestling, which India has excelled in in earlier editions of the sporting spectacular, are not included on the original list.

Books and Authors

Indian author Prem Rawat launches his book ‘Hear Yourself’

Indian author Prem Rawat has launched his book ‘Hear Yourself’ for the Indian subcontinent in Mumbai. This New York Times bestseller book is already available in 58 countries and five languages.  This book is to help people understand their own potential. It will help them find peace in a noisy world. He also advised the audience that they have more wisdom in themselves than they perceive. This book is to help them develop better self-understanding.

Important Days

103 years of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919. This year we commemorate the 103rd anniversary of the terror that shook the entire country to a standstill.  The Jallianwalabagh garden has been converted into a memorial. And thousands of people on this day come to pay their respects to the martyred men, and women, who were killed on that fateful day for the nation.  The number of deaths caused due to the firing had been a disputed issue till now. While the official enquiry by the British informed about 379 deaths, the death toll was quoted to be around 1,000 by Congress. There were about 120 dead bodies recovered from the well also.

World Chagas Disease Day observed on 14 April

World Chagas Disease Day is observed on 14 April to raise public awareness and visibility among people about Chagas Disease (also called American trypanosomiasis or silent or silenced disease) and the resources needed for the prevention, control or elimination of the disease.  The theme for 2022 is finding and reporting every case to defeat chagas disease.  The WHO approved the designation of Chagas Disease Day on May 24, 2019, at the 72nd World Health Assembly. The first World Chagas Disease Day was observed on 14 April 2020. The day has been named after Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas, the Brazilian doctor who diagnosed the first case on 14 April 1909.

 

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