Current Affairs Quiz 22nd May 2024 Quiz

Exp. Swiggy joins hands with device-first risk AI platform SHIELD

Online food delivery platform Swiggy has partnered with SHIELD, a device-first risk AI platform, to enhance its fraud prevention and detection capabilities.

SHIELD’s Device Intelligence will enable Swiggy to reduce promo abuse and deter fraudulent practices within the Delivery Partner ecosystem.

It will enable Swiggy to reduce promo abuse, including the exploitation of platform discounts, sign-up incentives, referral bonuses and monopolisation of limited-time deals to reduce promo abuse and prevent fraudulent practices within the Delivery Partner’s ecosystem.

Exp. Assam unveiled the” DRIMS” platform For Disaster Management

Assam Government has launched the Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS) platform to facilitate efficient disaster reporting and aid distribution in collaboration with UNICEF.

DRIMS captures critical impact data, expediting relief delivery for damaged crops, livestock losses, and other post-disaster restoration efforts.

About Assam

• Capital – Dispur
• Chief Minister –Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Governor – Gulab Chand Kataria

Exp. India climbs to 39th position in World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index

India’s rank on the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 has risen to 39th place, with global tourism activities returning to pre-pandemic levels, the annual report showed.

While the US topped the list, India is ranked highest in South Asia and among the lower-middle-income economies, the WEF said.

India was ranked 54th in the previously published index in 2021, though changes made to the index parameters limit its comparability to earlier years.

After the US, Spain, Japan, France and Australia figure among the top five in the 2024 list. Germany was ranked 6th, followed by the UK, China, Italy and Switzerland in the top ten.

The biennial index analysed the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries around a range of factors and policies.

The index, prepared in collaboration with the University of Surrey, showed India is highly price-competitive (18th) and boasts competitive Air Transport (26th) and Ground and Port (25th) infrastructure. Country’s overall Travel and Tourism Development Index score is 2.1% below its 2019

Exp. NPS assets surge 26% y-o-y to ₹11.94 lakh crore as of May 11: PFRDA

Riding on buoyant equity markets, National Pension System (NPS) assets grew 26 per cent year-on-year to touch ₹11.94 lakh crore, according to PFRDA data.

This overall AUM including that of Atal Pension Yojana (APY) — slightly short of ₹12 lakh-crore milestone mark —was higher than end March 2024 level of ₹11.73 lakh crore.

The frenetic pace of overall NPS assets growth can be gauged from the fact that only in August last year the NPS assets had touched the ₹10-lakh crore mark.

NPS took six years and six months to reach the milestone of ₹1 lakh crore AUM after its implementation in 2009. It then took 4 years and 11 months to further increase AUM to ₹5 lakh crore.

NPS AUM had doubled to ₹10 lakh crore as of August 25 last year from ₹5 lakh crore in a span of just 2 years and 10 months.

Exp. SBI General Insurance signs bancassurance partnership with Jana SFB to increase insurance penetration

SBI General Insurance has signed a strategic bancassurance collaboration agreement with Jana Small Finance Bank to facilitate the sale of non-life insurance products.

Under this strategic relationship, SBI General Insurance will provide Jana Small Finance Bank customers with a comprehensive variety of general insurance products.

These products will include a broad range of insurance options, such as health, personal injury, house, auto, and travel insurance.

MD & CEO of SBI General Insurance – Kishore Kumar Poludasu

Recent MoUs Signed in Banking Sector

• Tata Motors’ arms partner with Bajaj Finance to provide financing to passenger
• PhonePe has partnered with LankaPay to allow its users to pay using UPI across Sri Lanka
• Aurm partnered with Tata AIG General Insurance to provide comprehensive insurance coverage to its customers for their valuables.
• South Indian Bank and Northern Arc Capital join hands to set new benchmarks in the financial sector*
• Infibeam’s CCAvenue partners with Shivalik SFB to improve merchant access

Exp. Airbus Helicopters, SIDBI sign MoU for helicopter financing in India

Airbus Helicopters and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for financing the purchase of Airbus helicopters in India.

Under the MoU, Airbus Helicopters and SIDBI would identify potential civil helicopter operators in India interested in financing solutions for purchasing the helicopters.

While Airbus would provide the technical and helicopter-industry knowledge, SIDBI would be responsible for evaluating the prospects and financing them exclusively for Airbus.

Exp. Pakistan’s Sirbaz Khan conquers Mount Everest without Oxygen.

A notable mountaineer, Sirbaz Khan scaled Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen, making him only the 2nd Pakistani to achieve this feat.

Khan aims to be the 1st Pakistani to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters, having already climbed 13, two with oxygen support.

Khan had previously scaled the 8849-metre peak using bottled oxygen. The only other person in Pakistan to achieve this feat is mountaineer Sajid Sidpara.

He began his mountaineering career in 2016 and has since become a pioneering figure in Pakistani high-altitude climbing.

Exp. Mahindra Finance appoints Mahesh Rajaraman as CRO

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services has appointed Mahesh Rajaraman as Chief Risk Officer (CRO) of the company with effect from August 1, 2024.

He replaces Mallika Mittal.

Rajaraman has been associated with various banks namely Yes Bank, HDFC Bank, HSBC Bank and ANZ Grindlays Bank.

During his overall banking career, his areas of expertise and specialisation include retail assets, credit cards, agri lending and SMEs in the domains of policy /risk, underwriting, fraud risk management and anti-money laundering across all banking products.

Exp. John Slaven appointed as VC of International Aluminium Institute

Vedanta Aluminium has appointed its CEO John Slaven as Vice-Chairman of the International Aluminium Institute (IAI).

In this capacity, Slaven will spearhead global initiatives aimed at fostering the sustainable transformation of the aluminium industry and promote the critical role of aluminium in enabling the energy transition to a zero-carbon modern world.

Slaven is a global leader with over three decades of rich experience in the metals, mining and modern manufacturing industries.

About International Aluminium Institute (IAI)

• Established in 1972, IAI is the sole organisation representing the primary aluminium industry worldwide.
• It is tasked with enhancing awareness of the industry’s operations, advocating for responsible production, and emphasizing the significant benefits of using aluminium in building greener technologie.

Exp. DAHD & UNDP MoU on Digitalisation of Animal Vaccine Cold Chain Management

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying has signed an MoU with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India on Digitalization of Vaccine Cold Chain Management, Communication Planning and Capacity Building.

The agreement was signed by Alka Upadhyay, Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, and Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in India in New Delhi.

The MoU will help create a digital future through digitalisation and remote temperature monitoring of cold chains by UNDP India. To maintain their effectiveness, the vaccines will be stored within the prescribed temperature limit of 2-8 degrees Celsius.

The partnership will also focus on skill development to improve the technical know-how and capacities of stakeholders in the animal husbandry sector and the extension services.

Exp. Ekta Bhyan secures Gold Medal in Women’ F51 Club Throw Competition at World Para Athletic Championship

India’s Ekta Bhyan has secured a gold medal with a season’s best throw of 20.12 metres in the women’s F51 club throw competition at the World Para Athletic Championships at Kobe in Japan.

While Kashish Lakra took the silver with an effort of 14.56 metres, Nadjet Boucherf of Algeria won the bronze with a score of 12.70 metres.

Deepthi, Para Asian Games gold medallist, had smashed a world record time of 55.07 seconds in the women’s 400 metre T20 category race to win gold medal.

Exp. Germany midfielder Tony Kroos to retire after Euro 2024

The Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has announced he will retire after this summer’s European Championship.

The 34-year-old is to hang up his boots after a trophy-laden decade at the Bernabéu.

Signed from Bayern Munich, Kroos made 463 appearances for Madrid and won 21 trophies including four Champions Leagues, five Club World Cups and four La Liga titles.

Exp. 22 May – International Day for Biodiversity

International Day for Biodiversity is celebrated every year on May 22.

Theme 2024 – Be Part of the Plan

The International Day for Biological Diversity was established by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in 1993.

Initially, it was celebrated on December 29 to mark the day the Convention on Biological Diversity came into effect.

However, on December 20, 2000, the date was changed to May 22 to commemorate the adoption of the Convention at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992 and to avoid the many holidays in late December.