FEDERAL ECGC IBPS RRB PO CLERK CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS 22092022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS

22nd September 2022

 

 

National News

There should be zero tolerance towards communalism: Rahul on PFI raids

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday reacted to the crackdown on the Popular Front of India (PFI) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), stating that there should be "zero tolerance" towards communalism. "Communalism, regardless of where [it comes] from, should be combatted," he added. As many as 106 activists of the PFI have been arrested for allegedly supporting terror activities.

PFI office in Hyderabad sealed by the NIA, raids conducted

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has raided multiple locations linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and has also sealed the organisation's office in Hyderabad. A notice was put on the sealed office in Chandrayangutta area of Hyderabad's old city. The building's owner was asked to approach the special NIA court at Nampally.

PM Modi to visit Japan for state funeral of Japan's ex-PM Shinzo Abe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Japan on September 27 to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. He will also separately meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the visit. Abe was assassinated in July. Notably, protests were held in Japan against the state funeral.

India 'strongly' calls for immediate end of Ukraine war at UNSC

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while speaking at United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on Ukraine on Thursday, said, "India strongly reiterates the need for an immediate cessation of all hostilities & return to dialogue & diplomacy." He added, "Clearly, as PM Narendra Modi has emphasised, this cannot be an era of war."

 

Former Tripura CM Biplab Deb elected as Rajya Sabha MP

Former Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb has been elected to the Rajya Sabha on the lone seat in the state that went for by-election. The BJP leader polled 43 votes, 36 of BJP and seven of its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura. Following his victory, he tweeted, "Under [PM Narendra Modi's leadership], we'll...take NorthEast to newer heights of progress."

 

Which states in India have the highest unemployment rate and which have the lowest?

As per the latest data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), Haryana (37.3%) has the highest unemployment rate among Indian states and UTs, followed by Jammu and Kashmir (32.8%), Rajasthan (31.4%) and Jharkhand (17.3%). Chhattisgarh has the lowest unemployment rate (0.4%), while Meghalaya and Maharashtra have unemployment rates of 2% and 2.2%, respectively.

World Bank approves loan worth $350 million for Gujarat

The World Bank's Executive Board of Directors has approved a loan of $350 million for Gujarat. "[It'll help Gujarat] to improve the quality and access of its public healthcare services, with special focus on adolescent girls and disease surveillance," it said. The loan will be utilised through the state government's Systems Reform Endeavours For Transformed Health Achievement In Gujarat Programme.

PM CARES Fund: Govt appoints Industrialist Ratan Tata as Trustee

According to the prime minister's office, Veteran industrialist Ratan Tata, former Supreme Court judge KT Thomas, and former deputy Lok Sabha speaker Kariya Munda have been nominated as trustees of the PM CARES Fund.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the PM CARES Fund, which was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.  The trust further decided to nominate other eminent persons for the constitution of the Advisory Board to the PM CARES Fund.  These eminent personalities included: Rajiv Mehrishi, Former Comptroller and Auditor General of India; Sudha Murthy, Former Chairperson, Infosys Foundation, and Anand Shah, Co-founder of Teach for India and Former CEO of Indicorps and Piramal Foundation.

Cabinet Approves An Additional PLI Plan For Solar Cells

The Union cabinet approved the second tranche of the Performance Linked incentive (PLI) scheme on ‘National programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules’ for achieving manufacturing capacity of Giga Watt (GW) scale to boost manufacturing of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in India, Union minister Anurag Thakur announced in a press briefing.  With the second tranche of the PLI scheme the government is hoping that about 65GW per annum manufacturing capacity of fully and partially integrated, solar PV modules would be installed in the country. “The second tranche of the PLI scheme for the national programme on ‘high efficiency solar PV modules’ has been approved with an outlay of Rs.19,500 crore.

India first MotoGP to be held in Noida's Buddh circuit in 2023

India is set to host its maiden MotoGP World Championships race at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida in 2023.  MotoGP commercial rights owner Dorna and Noida-based race promoters Fairstreet Sports signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to host the premier two-wheel racing event in India for the next seven years.  Riders from as many as 19 countries will participate in the event, which will give a push to trade and tourism in the country, besides generating employment.

International News

USA --Fed's 3rd big hike, liquidity slides into deficit, and more

Federal Reserve officials raised interest rates by 75 basis points for the third consecutive time and forecast they would reach 4.6% in 2023 .  Federal Reserve officials raised interest rates by 75 basis points for the third consecutive time and forecast they would reach 4.6% in 2023. Liquidity in the banking system — as gauged by the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) daily operations — has slipped into a deficit mode for the first time in over three years. Read more on these in our top headlines.


Russia orders airlines to stop selling tickets to men aged 18-65 amid war: Report

Kremlin has reportedly ordered Russian airlines to stop selling international flight tickets to men aged 18-65. This comes amid reports that the citizens have been scrambling for flights out of Moscow after President Vladimir Putin said the country will mobilise reservists to fight in Ukraine. Only men who have approval from Russia's government will be allowed to leave, said reports.

Bank of England raises interest rate to 2.25% from 1.75%

Bank of England (BoE) raised its key interest rate from 1.75% to 2.25% on Thursday and said it would continue to "respond forcefully, as necessary" to inflation. BoE's Monetary Policy Committee also voted unanimously to reduce its government bond holdings worth £838 billion by £100 billion over the coming year. Inflation in October to peak at about 11%, BoE said

Why aren’t India, Japan & Ukraine UNSC permanent members: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has questioned why countries like India, Brazil, Japan, and his own are not the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) permanent members. Zelenskyy made the remark in a pre-recorded message for a UN General Assembly session on Wednesday. “There was a lot of talking about reforming the UN. How did it all end? No result,” Zelenskyy said.

 

Project "Saaras" for menstruation health launched by Israeli embassy in Ghaziabad

The women of Arthala village in Ghaziabad are fond of 27-year-old Uzma Kazmi; it was she who gave them better coping mechanisms for those "uncomfortable days" of the month by bringing affordable and environmentally friendly sanitary napkins, "Saraas," within their grasp.  As part of project "Saraas," an initiative of the Israeli embassy in India in conjunction with NGO Khushii, which aims to raise awareness about menstruation health and cleanliness and improve skills and capacity for women, the centre was opened by Naor Gilon, the Israeli ambassador to India.

BANKING, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

₹58,521 cr lost due to illicit trade in 5 key industries including FMCG: Report

According to a FICCI report, the government suffered a tax loss of ₹58,521 crore in 2019-20 due to illicit trade in goods in five key industries, including FMCG, mobile phones, tobacco products and alcohol. The illicit market across industries was valued at ₹2.60 trillion. Tobacco products and alcoholic beverages accounted for nearly 49% of the overall accounted loss.

 

110-year-old Rupee Co-operative Bank in Pune to shut down today

Pune's Rupee Co-operative Bank, which was established 110 years ago as part of the Swadeshi movement, is set to shut down today (Thursday). The Reserve Bank of India cancelled its licence last month because it didn't have adequate capital. Notably, many high-value depositors still hold around ₹340 crore in deposits. They would only be reimbursed up to ₹5 lakh each.

Maha's Laxmi co-operative bank's licence cancelled, depositors can claim up to ₹5 lakh

The RBI has cancelled the licence of the Laxmi Co-operative Bank Limited, Solapur, Maharashtra. The bank is prohibited from accepting and repayment of deposits with effect from the close of business on September 22, 2022. On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of deposits up to ₹5 lakh, the RBI said.

Rice production to drop by 6% this Kharif: Agriculture Ministry

Rice production in the Kharif season of 2022-23 will be 104.99 million tonnes (mt), which is 6% lower than last season's production, the Union Ministry of Agriculture said in its estimates report. In the last Kharif season, 111.76 mt rice was produced. The ministry said this season's estimate is 4.40 mt higher than the average of last five years.

Who is Neha Narkhede, the youngest self-made woman entrepreneur on Hurun India Rich List?

Neha Narkhede, Co-founder of Confluent, a streaming data technology company, is the youngest self-made woman entrepreneur on Hurun India Rich List 2022. The 37-year-old Indian-American grew up in Pune, and studied Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She has been ranked 336 with estimated wealth of ₹4,700 crore. Narkhede earlier worked for Oracle Corporation and LinkedIn.

Stop loan recovery through outsourcing arrangements: RBI to Mahindra Finance

The RBI has directed Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services to immediately cease carrying out any recovery or repossession activity through outsourcing arrangements. The company, however, may continue to carry out recovery activities through its own employees. The directive comes days after a pregnant woman died in Jharkhand after she was allegedly run over by a tractor by loan recovery agents.

IKEA India raises ₹600 crore to increase presence in country

Swedish furniture retailer IKEA's Indian unit raised ₹600 crore, according to financial data accessed by business intelligence platform, Tofler. Ingka Pro Holding BV, The Netherlands and Ingka Holding Overseas BV were the investors for IKEA. The Ingka Group, the owner and operator of IKEA Retail, has planned to open two shopping destinations in NCR via Ingka Centres.

 

Asian Development Bank pares 2022-23 GDP growth forecast for India to 7% 

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pared its 2022-23 growth projection for India’s economy to 7% from 7.5% estimated in April, terming it a “modest downward revision” driven by higher-than-anticipated inflation and monetary tightening.  The Bank also raised its inflation forecast for India to 6.7% for this year, while widening its current account deficit (CAD) estimate to 3.8% of GDP.  The CAD is expected to drop to 2.1% of GDP in 2023-24 while inflation will moderate to 5.8% as demand pressures from strengthening economic activity are tamped down by easing supply bottlenecks, the Bank reckoned.

RBI Governor Launches 3 key Digital Payment Initiatives at Global Fintech Fest 2022 

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Shaktikanta Das, launched three key digital payment initiatives at the Global Fintech Fest 2022. The three digital payment initiatives that were launched by the RBI are RuPay Credit Card on Unified Payments Interface (UPI), UPI Lite, and Bharat BillPay Cross-Border Bill Payments.  UPI Lite will provide users with a convenient solution for faster and simpler low-value transactions, the National Payments Corp Of India (NPCI) said in a statement. Currently, India has been using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for low-value payments with 50 per cent of transactions through UPI below ₹200.

Schemes News

Delhi Lt General V K Saxena launched ‘We Care’ community policing initiative

Lt General V K Saxena inaugurated 'We Care' a community policing initiative here aimed at spreading awareness about various schemes of the Delhi Police among people.  This initiative is inaugurated at an event organised at Kartvaya Path at India Gate on the occasion of 'Sewa Divas, which is being celebrated to mark the 72nd birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  The aim of this initiative is to spread awareness among people about different schemes of the Delhi Police to maintain coordination and establish a police-public interface.  In the 'We Care' initiative, all DCPs will hold community policing activities in their respective areas on every Saturday and Sunday for the next three months.  These initiatives help in providing protection to children, women, senior citizens and foreign tourists.

Dharmendra Pradhan introduces SCALE app to advance leather industry skills

Dharmendra Pradhan introduces SCALE app: The SCALE (Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees) app was unveiled on September 20th by Minister of Education and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) in Chennai.  This app provides a one-stop solution for the education, testing, and employment requirements of the leather sector.  The Union Minister claimed during his speech at the event that the leather industry, which already employs over 44 lakh people, is crucial to the development of widespread employment in the country.  He commended the CSIR-CLRI for its critical role in the expansion of this sector and for achieving the perfect balance between academics and skill development.

Defence News

Abhyas drill: India & U.S coast guards showcase maritime ties

Abhyas drill: The Coast Guards of India and the United States participated Off the coast of Chennai in the massive Abhyas drill or the Abhyas joint drill.  The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Midgett's four-day visit came to an end. The USCG ship and the Indian Coast Guard discussed best practices for search and rescue operations while they were in port.  The joint training exercises aimed to promote a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region and familiarise the coast guards of the two nations with one another's capabilities.  Fleet manoeuvres, which simulate the hijacking of a ship and subsequent rescue of its crew in a planned cooperative anti-piracy operation, are the show's high points.  The exercise's other high points included the interception of a pirated ship, a well-organized combined boarding operation, a SAR demonstration, and external fire-fighting to save burning ships.

Sports News
L Nageswara Rao appointed by SC to oversee IOA elections

Former Justice L Nageswara Rao has been appointed by the Supreme Court to conduct the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) elections. A bench of justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli gave the direction. Earlier, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) directed the IOA to address governance issues and said failure to hold elections could result in its suspension.

 

Czech Republic’s Linda Fruhvirtova won Chennai Open 2022 title

Czech Republic’s 17-year-old, Linda Fruhvirtova scripted a brilliant comeback to win the Chennai Open 2022 WTA 250 tennis singles. The teenager beat Magda Linette of Poland, the third seed, in the final. At 17 years and 141 days old, she is the youngest titlist of the season on the WTA Tour so far.  In doubles, the top-seeded pair of Brazil’s Luisa Stefani and Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski defeated Russian Tennis Federation’s Anna Blinkova and Georgia's Natela Dzalamidze 6-2, 6-1 in the one-sided final.  The Chennai Open was the first WTA tournament held in India in 14 years.

Important Days

World Rhino Day 2022 observed on 22 September

World Rhino Day is observed on 22nd September to spread awareness about the different Rhinoceros species and the dangers they face. This day also celebrates all five rhino species namely the Sumatran, Black, Greater One-horned, Javan, and White rhino species.  This year’s World Rhino Day will be observed under the theme "Five Rhino Species Forever".  The goals of this day are to promote the noble cause of raising awareness about the need to save rhinos from danger to their lives. The rhinos are constantly under severe threat.  World Rhino Day was first observed in 2011, and every year since then, it has been observed worldwide.

World Rose Day (Welfare of Cancer Patients) 2022

World Rose Day for the welfare of cancer patients worldwide is celebrated annually on the 22nd of September. This day aims to encourage and support those people who are fighting their battle against cancer.  The day aims to bring happiness and hope into the lives of such patients and reminds them that they can emerge victorious in their battle against cancer through determination and positivity.  World Rose Day was first observed in honour of 12-year-old cancer patient Melinda Rose from Canada, who died in 1996. According to reports, Rose was diagnosed with Askin’s Tumour in 1994, which is a rare form of blood cancer.

Obituaries News

Sanskrit scholar Padmashree Acharya Ramayatna Shukla passes away

Padma Shri awardee, Prof Acharya Ram Yatna Shukla, a Sanskrit scholar and former President of Kashi Vidwat Parishad, passed away at the age of 90 years.  He is popularly called as “Abhinav Panini” due to his contribution towards inventing new methods of Sanskrit Grammar and Vedanta teaching and modernisation.  He was honoured with more than 25 awards including the Keshav award, Vachaspati Award, and Vishwabharti award. He has been conferred the title of “Mahamahopadhye”.  He was awarded Padma Shri in 2021 for his immense contribution in social work. He has authored several books and research papers. One of his key publications is “Vyakaran Darshne Shristi Prakriya Vimarsha”. 

 

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