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24th September 2022

 

National News

₹100-crore Jagannath Temple in WB's Digha to be completed by 2023

The ₹100-crore Jagannath Temple being built by the West Bengal government in Digha will be completed by December 2023, an official said on Saturday. The temple, resembling the centuries-old Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri, is being built on a 20-acre plot near the Old Digha beach. The 65-metre-high temple will have idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra.

 

 

Security tightened in TN as petrol bomb attacks continue

 

Tension prevailed in Coimbatore and a few other districts of the State, including Dindigul and Chengalpattu, as unidentified miscreants unleashed attacks on properties of Hindu outfit leaders on Saturday as well.

With two more cases of petrol bomb attacks on Saturday, a sense of panic gripped several parts of Coimbatore, which had witnessed similar incidents on Friday.

Instill confidence among people and to keep the situation under control, beefed up the security across the city and district. Coimbatore District Collector GS Sameeran and City Commissioner of Police V Balakr- ishnan after a high-level meeting with 94 Jammat leaders from the district, announced that those involved in offences would soon be arrested and detained under the Goondas Act. Later, the Collector held a meeting with BJP and RSS functionaries.

Subsequently, Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu also held a meeting through video conferencing with the Collector, IGP (Western Zone) Sudhakar and Commissioner of police Balakrishnan and discussed the security arrangements.

India's under-5 mortality rate declines by 3 points; largest drops in UP and Karnataka

India's under-5 mortality rate declines by 3 points: According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2020, India's under-5 mortality rate has dramatically decreased from 35 per 1,000 live births in 2019 to 32 per 1,000 live births in 2020, with the largest fall observed in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Karnataka.  Towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets by 2030, the country has been experiencing a progressive decline in infant mortality rate (IMR), under 5 mortality rate (U5MR), and neo-mortality rate (NMR), according to a report released by the Registrar General of India, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

J&K Observes Holiday On Birth Anniversary Of Maharaja Hari Singh

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided to declare Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary a public holiday. The announcement was made by lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha following his meeting with a delegation comprising prominent political leaders, members of the Yuva Rajput Sabha, civil society members, including head of J&K transport union.  The government has taken a decision to declare Maharaja Hari Singh Ji’s birthday as a public holiday. Maharaja Hari Singh was a great educationist, progressive thinker, social reformer and a towering man of ideas and ideals. The public holiday will be a fitting tribute to Maharaja Hari Singh Ji’s rich legacy,” the LG observed.

International News

 

Is Xi under house arrest? Social media abuzz with coup rumours

 

 According to several posts on social media, Xi Jinping is currently under house arrest after being removed as the chief of China’s PLA (People’s Liberation Army).

However, there is no official confirmation yet from the state media on this.

Former Cabinet minister and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in a tweet mentioned, "New rumour to be checked out: Is Xi jingping under house arrest in Beijing ? When Xi was in Samarkand recently, the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party were supposed to have removed Xi from the Party’s in-charge of Army. Then House arrest followed. So goes the rumour."

Japan to welcome back foreign tourists from October 11

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida has said his country will welcome back tourists from October 11 this year, after an over two-year-long coronavirus-forced travel suspension. "Finally, Japan will reopen the border...visa waiver is back, no daily limit and free individual visits," Japanese Digital Minister Taro Kono tweeted. Japan suspended its visa programme in March 2020 after the COVID-19 outbreak.

730 detained in anti-mobilisation protests across Russia: Rights group

At least 730 people were detained across Russia on Saturday at protests against Kremlin's military mobilisation order, a rights group cited by Reuters said. The OVD-Info protest monitoring group said it was aware of detentions in 32 different cities. Earlier this week, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's first military draft since World War 2 for the conflict in Ukraine.

Palm oil Alliance formed by 5 South Asian Countries

Edible oil trade associations from five palm oil importing countries in South Asia – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, announced the setting up of Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA).  The idea is to gain collecting bargaining power and make imports sustainable. India’s annual imports of edible oil is around 13-14 million tonne (MT). Around 8 MT of palm oil is imported from Indonesia and Malaysia, while other oils, such as soya and sunflower, come from Argentina, Brazil, Ukraine and Russia.  Asia accounts for around 40% of the global palm oil consumption while Europe accounts for 12% of palm oil trade. Indonesia and Malaysia are the biggest palm oil exporters in the world. India is the largest importer of palm oil in Asia, accounting for 15% of global imports, followed by China (9%), Pakistan (4%) and Bangladesh (2%).

G-4 Countries Reiterates UNSC Reform

The G4 grouping comprising India, Japan, Germany and Brazil expressed their concern over lack of any "meaningful" forward movement on long-pending reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and demanded "urgency" on the issue.  The foreign ministers of the G4 countries held a virtual meeting coinciding with the 75th session of the UN General Assembly during which they held extensive discussion on the need for urgent reform of the UNSC.  A joint press statement said the ministers highlighted the urgency of reforming the UN and updating its main decision-making bodies, in order to better reflect contemporary realities.

Agreements News

ESSCI partnered with Samsung India to train Indian youth

The Electronics Sector Skill Council of India (ESSCI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Samsung India to empower the youth with industry-relevant skills.  It will be a part of the government’s 'Skill India' initiative that aims to empower the youth with industry-relevant skills in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Big Data and Coding & Programming, in a bid to enhance their employability.
The MoU was exchanged by Ken Kang, President and CEO of Samsung Southwest Asia, and Abhilasha Gaur, COO, ESSCI.  The programme, ‘Samsung Innovation Campus’ aims to upskill over 3,000 unemployed youth from 18-25 years of age in future technologies, in partnership with the government's Skill India initiative.  The programme will be executed by ESSCI, which is a National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) entity through its nationwide network of approved training and education partners.

TerraPay partnered with NPCI to enable cross-border transactions via UP

TerraPay, a Dutch payments infrastructure company has joined forces with India's NPCI International Payments (NIPL) to facilitate cross-border transactions for Indian consumers and merchants.  Indian consumers and merchants who have an active Unified Payments Interface Id (UPI Id) will be able to transfer money abroad. This service will utilize TerraPay's infrastructure and the UPI network.  The UPI-enabled QR code-based service will allow Indian customers with active UPI IDs to make transactions through 350 million bank accounts across the globe.  The firms seek to expand the use of UPI payments and QR for international transactions by merchants.  The customer-initiative UPI payments and QR transactions require two-factor authentication.
The two-factor authentication is capable of minimizing disputes and issues related to grievance redressal.

BANKING, BUEINESS AND ECONOMY

Bids invited for bullet train project tunnel passing under sea

The National High Speed Rail Corporation has invited bids for constructing a 21-km underground tunnel as part of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project. A 7-km stretch of the tunnel will be constructed under the sea, making it a complex engineering work. This is the third time bids are being invited for the project after failed attempts in 2019 and 2021.

 

 

REC Ltd becomes 12th company to get ‘Maharatna’ company status 

Power sector-focussed non-banking finance company (NBFC) REC Ltd. has been accorded the status of a ‘Maharatna’ Central Public Sector Enterprise, thus providing it with greater operational and financial autonomy.  The granting of ‘Maharatna’ status will impart enhanced powers to the company’s board while taking financial decisions. REC Ltd. is the 12th company to be given the Maharatna Status.  The board of a ‘Maharatna’ CPSE can make equity investments to undertake financial joint ventures and wholly-owned subsidiaries and undertake mergers and acquisitions in India and abroad, subject to a ceiling of 15 per cent of the net worth of the CPSE concerned, limited to ₹5,000 crores in one project. The board can also structure and implement schemes relating to personnel and human resource management and training.

UCO Bank becomes first lender to get RBI's approval for rupee trade

UCO Bank has received the approval of the Reserve Bank of India to open a special Vostro account with Gazprom Bank of Russia for trade settlement in Indian rupees.  UCO Bank which is a Kolkata-based lender is the first bank to receive the regulator's approval following the decision of RBI to allow Indian Banks to settle trade in Indian currency in July.  UCO Bank was formerly known as United Commercial Bank which was established in 1943 in Kolkata. It is one of the nationalized banks in India. It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

 

RBI cancelled the licence of Maharashtra-based Laxmi Cooperative Bank

Reserve Bank of India has canceled the license of Solapur-based The Laxmi Co-operative Bank Limited as the lender does not have adequate capital and earning prospects.  The Laxmi Co-operative Bank Limited submitted the data, which shows more than 99 percent of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their deposits from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).  The DICGC has already paid Rs 193.68 crore of the total insured deposits on 13th September 2022.  The Laxmi Co-operative Bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business.
The Laxmi Co-operative Bank Limited has failed to comply with the requirements of the Banking Regulation Act 1949.

Ranks and Reports News

Adani & family top IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List

According to the IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2022, Gautam Adani and family have topped with an estimated wealth of Rs. 10,94,400 crore. His daily wealth creation was estimated at Rs. 1,612 crores which showed 116 per cent growth as compared with the 2021 list.  Mukesh Ambani and family have been named as the 2nd richest in India with an estimated wealth of Rs. 7,94,700 crore and a growth of 11 per cent compared with the 2021 list. His daily wealth creation velocity is Rs. 210 crores.  Nykaa Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Falguni Nayar became India’s richest self-made woman by surpassing Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw in net worth.

Top 5 richest people in the list:

 

Rank	Person	Wealth estimate
1	Gautam Adani and family	Rs. 10,94,400 crore
2	Mukesh Ambani and family	Rs. 7,94,700 crore
3	Cyrus Poonawalla and family	Rs. 2,05,400 crore
4	Shiv Nadar	Rs. 1,85,800 crore
5	Radhakishan Damani & family	Rs. 1,75,100 crore

Schemes News

Nirmala Sitharaman to launch e-learning platform Bharat Vidya

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman will launch the Bharat Vidya, which is an online learning platform for Oriental and South Asian Studies.  The Bharat Vidya is designed and developed by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI).  Bharat Vidya is a first-of-its-kind online platform, which will offer both free and paid courses covering various aspects of Indology about art, architecture, philosophy, language, and science.  The Bharat Vidya will have six courses at the beginning including Veda Vidya, Bharatiya Darshanshastra, Sanskrit learning, 18 Parvas of Mahabharata, Fundamentals of Archaeology, and Kalidasa and Bhasha.  BORI will collaborate with Indian and Foreign universities for awarding credits for its courses. During the inaugural event, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced that the courses offered complied with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

VP Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated Lok Manthan programme

Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar will inaugurate the third edition of the Lok Manthan program at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. The event will be facilitated by the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sharma.  This year's theme for the Lok Manthan is Lokparampara (Lok Traditions) which will emphasize that the Lok Traditions have kept our culture and heritage alive and intact, and has strengthened our feelings toward National Selfhood.  The Chief Guest of the Lok Manthan will be the Governor of Kerala Arif Muhammad. The Lok Manthan is an occasion where artists, intellectuals, and academicians from different parts of the country converge and brainstorm on the topics that come out of the society to reshape the narratives of people and lead the nation to play its civilizational roles.

Awards News

Indian author & poet Meena Kandasamy won the German PEN award 

Indian author and poet Meena Kandasamy has been announced as this year’s recipient of the Hermann Kesten Prize by the PEN Centre in Germany’s Darmstadt.  The Hermann Kesten Prize honours personalities who, in the spirit of the charter of the PEN association, stand up for the rights of persecuted authors and journalists.  The PEN Center, Germany, will present the award to the Indian author at a ceremony in Darmstadt on November 15 this year. The winner will receive an amount of €20,000 ($19,996) as prize money.  This year, the PEN Center is also honouring the website "Weiter Schreiben" (German for "Keep writing") with a special award for encouragement, for giving authors in exile and writers from conflict zones a platform to express their thoughts.

Sports News

ICC announced "Oval and Lord's" to host World Test Championship finals

The International Cricket Council has announced that the World Test Championship 2023 Final will be hosted by The Oval in June 2023 while the 2025 final will be played at Lord’s.  The two venues in London will succeed Southampton, which hosted the inaugural final between New Zealand and India in 2021. New Zealand emerged as the victors in the first edition.  The top two teams from the World Test Championship standings will make it to the finals with Australia and South Africa currently leading.

Books and Authors News

M Venkaiah Naidu released a book on PM Modi’s selected speeches

Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released a collection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s selected speeches at Akashvani Bhawan in New Delhi.  The book titled "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas" Prime Minister Narendra Modi Speaks (May 2019-May 2020)’ was released in the presence of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan at a function here organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.  During the release of the book, former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the book gives the readers a glimpse into PM Narendra Modi’s vision for India’s future and a clear roadmap of journey ahead, through his speeches on diverse topics of national importance.

Important Days

National Cinema Day 2022 observed on 23rd September

The National Cinema Day was previously announced to be held on September 16, however, on request from various stakeholders and in order to maximize participation, it was rescheduled to September 23.  The day has been scheduled by the Multiplex Association of India (MAI). Over 4,000 screens at multiplexes from across the country, including PVR, INOX, Cinepolis, Carnival, and Delite, have teamed up to offer a "celebratory admission price" of Rs 75 to mark National Cinema Day.  National Cinema Day is scheduled to be celebrated as a 'thank you' to the moviegoers and an invitation to those who haven't made it back to the cinema after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nation Observes Antyodaya Divas 2022: 25 September

Antyodaya Diwas is celebrated annually on 25th September in India. It marks the birth anniversary of Indian leader Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and is celebrated in his honour to remember his life and legacy.  He was one of the most prominent personalities in the history of Indian politics. This year, the Antyodaya Diwas marks the 105th birth anniversary of Upadhyaya. He was the co-founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) and a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) thinker.

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