Current Affairs Quiz 24th August 2022 : Daily GK Update

Exp. Union Government launched ‘Rashtriya Puruskar Portal ‘

Union Government has launched the ‘Rashtriya Puruskar Portal’ to bring together all the awards of the various Ministries of the government under one platform.

Objective – To facilitate citizens to nominate individuals/organizations for various awards instituted by the Government.

With this portal, for the first time, information regarding all national awards would be available on a single digital platform.

Exp. Union MoS Darshana Jardosh inaugurated Silk Mark Expo in New Delhi

Union Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Jardosh has inaugurated the Silk Mark Expo in New Delhi.

It is being organized by the Silk Mark Organisation of India under Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles.

39 exhibitors from 12 states are participating in the expo.

Objective – To protect the interests of silk consumers and the stakeholders of the silk value chain.

Exp. India signed an MoU with Iran for smooth movement of seafarers

India has signed an MoU with Iran to smoothen the movement of seafarers between the two countries.

The MoU was signed between Union Minister of Ports & Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal & his Iranian counterpart Rostam Ghasemi.

The Iranian government is ready to conclude a long-term contract with India, prioritizing the development of transit of goods through the Chabahar Port. The contract will also aim at ramping up activities of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

About Iran

• Capital –Tehran
• Currency –Rial
• President –Ebrahim Raisi

Recent Agreements

• ReNew signed an MoU with Egypt government to set up green hydrogen plant in Egypt
• Indian and Malaysian bodies signed an MoU to promote palm oil
• India signed an MoU with UK for Mutual Recognition of Educational Qualification
• India and Maldives signed an MoU for judicial cooperation to accelerate court digitization.
• India signed an MoU with Namibia for wildlife conservation

Exp. SIDBI partnered with Tata Power’s TPRMG to foster green entrepreneurs

TP Renewable Microgrid (TPRMG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), have partnered with to launch an innovative program that will see 1,000 green energy enterprises established throughout the nation.

The Government of India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat will be supported by this initiative as it will foster sustainable entrepreneurship models across the nation leading to the empowerment of rural entrepreneurs.

TPRMG will also provide rural enterprises with green energy solutions, and the technical know-how for maximizing energy utilization and conservation.

About Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

Founded – 2 April 1990

Headquarters – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Chairman & MD – Siva S Ramann

Recent Agreements

• Castler partnered with Yes Bank for digital escrow services
• Axis Bank signed an MoU with FCI to provide “Ultima Salary Package”
• Yes Bank partnered with SellerApp to facilitate adoption of ONDC
• IDFC FIRST Bank partnered with LetsVenture to support startups
• HDFC Bank partnered with M1xchange for Trade receivables Discounting System (TReDs)
• Indian Bank signed an MoU with SRM University-AP for starts up

Exp. PM Modi to dedicate health facilities to the nation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated dedicated two important health initiatives to the nation.

1.  Amrita Hospital at Faridabad
2. Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Mullanpur, Mohali

Amrita Hospital is a super-specialty hospital that will be equipped with two thousand 600 beds.

The hospital is being constructed at an estimated cost of around 6000 crore rupees and will provide state-of-the-art health care facilities to the people of Faridabad and the entire NCR region.

Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre is a tertiary care hospital of 300-bed capacity and is equipped with modern facilities to treat all types of cancers using every available treatment modalities like Surgery, Radiotherapy and Medical Oncology – Chemotherapy, immunotherapy and Bone marrow transplant.

The hospital has been built at a cost of over 660 crore rupees by Tata Memorial Centre, an aided institute under the Department of Atomic Energy.

Exp. IREDA signed an MoU with MAHAPREIT to provide loans for green energy projects

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) has signed an MOU with Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Ltd (MAHAPREIT).

IREDA will offer financing facilities to MAHAPREIT for the renewable energy projects to be implemented for state utilities, local bodies and the infrastructure of renewable energy parks.

The Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Ltd. (MAHAPREIT) is a fully owned subsidiary of MPBCDC (49% owned by the Government of India and 51% owned by the Government of Maharashtra).

Recent MoUs

• Bharat Forge arm signed an agreement with Talgo for manufacturing trains
• ONGC signed an MoU with Greenko to produce green hydrogen
• ONGC signed gas sale agreements with GAIL & AGCL
• NHPC signed an MoU with DVC for setting up hydropower projects and pump storage projects
• JSW Steel partnered with BCG to accelerate decarbonization journey

Exp. Godrej Agrovet signed MoUs with Assam, Manipur & Tripura for oil palm cultivation

Godrej Agrovet has signed MoUs with Assam, Manipur, and Tripura governments for the development and promotion of oil palm cultivation under a central scheme.

Godrej Agrovet is the largest oil palm processor in India and works directly with farmers for the entire crop cycle.

It will be allotted land across the three states for the promotion and development of sustainable palm oil plantations in the region.

Recent Agreements

• JSW Steel partnered with BCG to accelerate decarbonization journey
• Telangana government partnered with UNDP for Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture (DiCRA)
• NASSCOM partnered with Google for DigiVaani Call Center
• RBI and Bank Indonesia signed an MoU to improve mutual cooperation
• RIL partnered with Athletics Federation of India to support Indian Athlete

Exp. India nominated Garba to be inscribed on UNESCO’s list

India has nominated the dance form Garba to be inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

Garba is a dance form which has originated in Gujarat, India. The term Garba has derived from the Sanskrit term Garbha, which means womb

In 2021, ‘Durga Puja’ was included in the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage representative.

India was elected by UNESCO to serve on the distinguished Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in July 2022.

The UNESCO’S list of Intangible Cultural Heritage was established in 2008 after the convention for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage,2003 came into effect.

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in India

1. Chhau Dance
2. Ramlila
3. Koodiyattam
4. Kumbh Mela
5. Mudiyett
6. Sankirtana
7. Ramman
8. Kalbelia
9. Vedic Chanting
10. Traditional Brass and Copper Craft of Utensil making
11. Yoga
12. Nawruz
13. Buddhist Chanting
14. Durga Puja

About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

• Formation– 16 November 1945
• Headquarters – Paris, France
• Director General– Audrey Azoulay (France)
• Member countries –193

Exp. Adani Group acquired 29.2% stake in NDTV

Adani Group indirectly acquired a 29.2% stake in New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) by buying VCPL and offered to buy another 26% from the open market.

Vishvapradhan Commercial Pvt Ltd (VCPL) for 1.14 billion rupees. VCPL owns warrants of NDTV shareholder RRPR and exercised its rights to convert those warrants into shares amounting to 99.5% of RRPR.

NDTV is a leading media house and operates three national news channels, NDTV 24×7, NDTV India and NDTV Profit. RRPR holds a 29.18% stake in NDTV.

Exp. India ranks 3rd at International Astronomy Olympiad

Indian team has secured the third rank in the medal tally at the 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA).

India held the third position jointly with Singapore with students winning three gold and two silver medals.

In the medals tally, India was placed jointly in the third position along with Singapore, behind Iran’s official team (5 golds) and guest team (4 golds, 1 silver).

This year’s competition was originally scheduled to be held in Kyiv, Ukraine. it was shifted to Kutaisi, Georgia in March 2022 due to the war in Ukraine.

About Georgia

• Capital –Tbilisi
• Currency –Georgian lari
• President –Salome Zourabichvili

Exp. SEBI joined RBI’s account aggregator framework

Capital markets regulator SEBI joined the account aggregator framework, a move that will give a boost to the RBI-regulated financial-data sharing system.

Under the framework, Financial Information Providers (FIPs) in the securities market, like depositories and asset management companies (AMCs) — through their Registrar and Transfer Agents or RTAs — will provide financial information pertaining to securities markets to the customers and consented Financial Information Users (FIUs) through any of the account aggregators registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The move will allow customers to share information about their mutual fund and stock holdings with financial service providers.

Account aggregator (AA) framework is a non-banking financial institution (NBFC) governed by the RBI.

About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

Founded – 1988

Act – 1992

Headquarters – Mumbai

Chairman – Madhabi Puri Buch

SEBI Set up – Uday Kotak committee

Exp. Dixit Joshi appointed as new CFO of Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse has hired Deutsche Bank’s Dixit Joshi as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and promoted Francesca McDonagh to the chief operating officer.

He replaced David Mathers who is stepping down.

Last Month Ulrich Koerner became the new CEO of Credit Suisse.

For the last five years, Joshi served as Group Treasurer at Deutsche Bank, where he played a significant role in the bank’s reorganization and overhauling of its balance sheet.

Credit Suisse Group AG is a global investment bank and financial services firm headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

Recent Appointments

• Director of the National Institute of Immunology (NII) – Debasisa Mohanty
• MD and CEO of Paytm – Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• MD of NaBFID – Rajkiran Rai
• MD & CEO of Unity SF Bank – Inderjit Camotra
• CFO of BharatPe – Nalin Negi
• Chief Economist of World Bank – Indermit Gill

Exp. Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga elected as interim PM of Mali

In Mali, the military has appointed Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga as interim Prime Minister after the country’s civilian PM Choguel Kokalla Maiga was admitted to hospital.

Before this appointment, Colonel Maiga was working as a Government Spokesman and Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation.

Choguel Kokalla was named premier after the military took power in August 2020.

About Mali

• Capital –Bamako
• Currency –Franc

Exp. Vikram Doraiswami appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to UK

Vikram Doraiswami, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1992 batch, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom.

He will succeed Gaitri Issar Kumar, who retired on 30 June 2022.

Doraiswami is presently the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.

Pranay Kumar Verma has been appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Bangladesh.

Exp. First-of-its-kind naval shooting range inaugurated at INS Karna

A first-of-its-kind, Composite Indoor Shooting Range (CISR) was inaugurated by Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta at INS Karna.

The CISR is a state-of-the-art, self-contained, 25 m, six-lane, live firing range for all primary and secondary weapons in the Navy.

INS Karna is the first in the Navy & the only military unit in the country to set up and use a facility of this kind.

The range has been set up to contemporary international standards by an Indian firm and is a shining example of Atma Nirbhar Bharat in the year of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

The entire facility was set up in a record time of 120 days from the award of the contract to the firm.

Exp. Fahmida Azim won the Pulitzer Prize 2022 in Illustrated Reporting

Bangladesh-born Fahmida Azim working for the Insider online magazine of the US has been selected for the Pulitzer Prize 2022.

She will be awarded under the category of Illustrated Reporting and Commentary.

She is among the four journalists including Anthony Del Col, Josh Adams, and Walt Hickey of Insider being published from New York, selected for their work on the Chinese oppression of the Uyghurs. The work ‘I escaped a Chinese internment Camp’ has illustrations by Fahmida Azim.

Exp. 23 August – Internaut Day

‘Internaut Day’ is celebrated on 23 August every year to mark the invention of the World Wide Web.

An ‘internaut’ is a person who possesses a thorough knowledge of how to use the Internet & its history.

August 23 marks the day when the World Wide Web was opened to the public back in the year 1991 for the first time by WWW inventor Tim Berners Lee.

Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989.