Current Affairs Quiz 20th April 2022 : Daily GK Update Quiz

Exp. J&K launched ‘Jan Nigrani’ app to help people lodge complaints online

The Department of Rural Development and Panchayati raj, Jammu and Kashmir, under the e-governance initiative has launched an app ‘Jan Nigrani’, intended to help people lodge their complaints related to various schemes online.

The Jan Nigrani app is a 24×7 internet-based platform aimed at reporting and resolving the grievances of the residents of J&K, against various government schemes launched by the department.

The app would act as a single link between the residents and the officials by mapping concerned authorities related to the complaint for faster grievance redressal.

Exp. India’s 1st portable solar rooftop system inaugurated in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

The nation’s first portable solar rooftop system has been unveiled at Swaminarayan Akshardham temple complex in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The 10 Photovoltaic Port has been manufactured by New Delhi-based Servotech Power Systems Ltd (New Delhi). It is designed by the German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

The solar rooftop system has been installed under the initiative of the government to develop renewable energy cities across India.

Exp. SC reconstituted expert committee for Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor Expressway project; headed by Chandra Prakash Goyal

The Supreme Court of India has reconstituted the expert committee to monitor the compensatory afforestation and other mitigation measures for the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor Expressway project.

The independent 12-member expert committee was formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and was previously headed by Sukhbir Singh Sandhu Chief Secretary, Uttarakhand.

CP Goyal, Director-General of Forests in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change will be the Chairperson of the reconstituted Committee. Chandra Prakash Goyal is currently appointed as the Director-General of Forests and Special Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Apart from the new Chairperson, the Supreme Court has also included Anil Prakash Joshi (founder of Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation) and Vijay Dhamsana (environmentalist) as additional members in the committee.

Exp. PM Modi laid the foundation stone for WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicines

The World Health Organization launched its Global Centre for Traditional Medicine at Jamnagar in Gujarat, aimed at unlocking its potential by blending ancient practices with modern science.

During the event, the WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus spoke in Hindi which surprised all. The WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus and Prime Minister of Mauritius Shri Pravind Kumar Jugnauth were present at the event.

Traditional medicines products abound globally and the centre will go a long way in bringing the promise of traditional medicine to fruition. The New Centre will focus on data, innovation and sustainability and will optimize the use of traditional medicine.

Exp. India signed MoU with Finland to establish Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing

India has signed an MoU with Finland to establish an Indo-Finnish Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing.

India has identified three premier institutes IIT Madras, IISER Pune, and C-DAC Pune for Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing.

Aim: To stimulate innovative research and development projects, demonstrate high industrial relevance, and commercial potential.

Exp. India signed 7 MoUs with Maldives under Indian Grant Assistance Scheme to implement HICDP

India and Maldives signed seven MoUs for projects to be built under the Indian grant assistance scheme for the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) through local bodies.

These projects are worth a total grant of 26.8 million Rufiyaa (equivalent to approximately USD 1.7 million), and will promote health, sports, youth empowerment & heritage preservation along with socio-economic development of Maldives.

This signing of MoU was on the lines of the announcement made during the official visit of India’s Union Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to Addu City, Maldives in March 2022.

About Projects under MoU:

The projects include the following:

Establishing a mental health centre at Addu Equatorial Hospital,

A speech therapy unit at Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital,

Prosthetics and orthotics manufacturing workshop at Hulhumale’ Hospital,

Preservation of cultural places in Noonu Landhoo Maabudhuge and Thaa Dhiyamigili Ganduvaru,

Development of a multi-sports complex in Noonu Manadhoo

Development of youth centres in Gaafu Alif Gemanafushi and Alif Dhaalu Dhigurah

Exp. Cyrus S Poonawalla topped Hurun Global Healthcare Rich List 2022

Chairman and Managing Director of Serum Institute of India (SII), Dr Cyrus S. Poonawalla has topped the Hurun Global Healthcare Rich List 2022 and became the richest billionaire in the healthcare sector 2022.

He has topped the list with a new value of USD 26 billion (up 41%). Cyrus Poonawalla is followed by Thomas Frist Jr & Family of HCA Healthcare, Li Xiting and Xu Hang of Mindray at the 2nd position with a net value of USD 19 billion.

Dilip Shanghvi & Family, of the Sun Pharmaceuticals, is at the 5th position with a net worth of USD 18 billion.

China (34) has the most healthcare industry billionaires, followed by the United States of America (16), Switzerland (15), Germany (11), and India (9).

Exp. Reserve Bank of India capped lending limits of NBFCs

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened the rules for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) relating to their large exposures.

RBI capped aggregate exposure of NBFCs which are in the upper layer toward one entity at 20% of capital base. The limit can only be extended by another 5% with board’s approval.

For a particular borrower group, the cap is at 25%, with additional 10% if exposure is towards infrastructure. The upper-layer NBFCs are typically the top 10 ones in terms of asset size.

However, NBFCs which are into infrastructure finance can have exposure of 25 per cent, with an option of additional 5 per cent of Tier I capital to a single counterparty. For a group of connected counterparties, infrastructure companies can have an exposure of 35 per cent of Tier-I capital.

These norms will come into effect from October 1, 2022.

Exp. RBI imposed Rs 17.63 lakh monetary penalty on Manappuram Finance for non-compliance of KYC, PPI norms

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 17.63 lakh on Manappuram Finance Limited for non-compliance with certain provisions of the Master Direction on Issuance and Operation of Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) dated October 11, 2017 (updated as on February 28, 2020) and the Master Direction – Know Your Customer (KYC) Direction dated February 25, 2016 (as updated on April 20, 2020).

The penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under Section 30 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

Exp. IMF projected India’s GDP growth forecast for FY 2023 at 8.2%

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slashed the gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for India in FY23 to 8.2% in its latest World Economic Outlook report, released on April 19, 2022.

Earlier in January report, this was estimated at 9%. IMF has also cut India’s FY24 GDP growth forecast to 6.9%. Earlier this was 7.1%.

In the case of the global economy, IMF has cut the growth forecast for the calendar year 2022 to 3.6% from 4.4%.

Exp. Satya Easwaran appointed as Wipro’s country head of India

IT major Wipro has announced the appointment of Satya Easwaran as the Country Head for India.

He will be in charge of strengthening Wipro’s business in India across segments through strategic consulting, transformation and modernisation engagements.

He will help clients leverage Wipro’s capabilities and investments in cloud, digital, engineering R&D, data/analytics and cybersecurity.

Prior to joining Wipro, Easwaran was the head of business consulting and telecom, Media & technology sector leader at KPMG India.

Exp. Shanti Sethi appointed as Kamala Harris’s defence advisor

Indian-American Navy veteran Shanti Sethi has been appointed as USA Vice President Kamala Harris’s Defence Adviser.

Shanti Sethi is the first Indian-American commander of a major US Navy combat ship. Shanti Sethi commanded the guided-missile destroyer, USS Decatur, from December 2010 to May 2012.

She joined the Navy in 1993. Recently, US Senate has confirmed the appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson (the first Black woman) to Supreme Court Judge.

Exp. Jasleen Kohli appointed as MD & CEO of Digit Insurance

Digit Insurance has appointed Jasleen Kohli as the company’s new managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) with effect from April 20, 2022.

She succeeds Vijay Kumar who retired from the company on April 19, 2022. She served as chief distribution officer (CDO) at Digit, where she was responsible for all of the company’s sales and distribution channels.

In 2021, Digit increased its worth to USD 3.5 billion in less than six months after raising USD 200 million in a funding round. \

The company also announced it has promoted Adarsh Agarwal from the role of Appointed Actuary to Chief Distribution Officer (corporate business). Nikhil Kamdar has been appointed as the next Appointed Actuary, replacing Agarwal.

Exp. Sunil Kumar, Arjun Halakurki & Neeraj won bronze medal in Asian Wrestling Championship

Three out of five Greco Roman wrestlers of India have won bronze medals in the Asian Wrestling Championship, Mongolia.

The three bronze medal winners are Sunil Kumar (87Kg), Arjun Halakurki (55Kg), Neeraj (63Kg). Arjun Halakurki has defeated Davaabandi Munkh Erdene by 10-7 points in the bronze play-off.

Neeraj got the better of Uzbekistan’s Islomjon Bakhramov 7-4 to win the bronze medal. However, Sajan Bhanwal (77Kg) and Prem Kumar (130Kg) missed out on a bronze.

Exp. 20 April: UN Chinese Language Day

The UN Chinese Language Day is observed on April 20 annually. The day has been chosen to pay tribute to Cangjie, who is a mythical figure who is presumed to have invented Chinese characters about 5,000 years ago.

The UN Department of Public Information established the day in 2010 to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization.

The 1st Chinese Language Day was celebrated in 2010 on the 12th of November, but since 2011 the date has been on the 20th of April.