Daily Current Affairs March 22 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination:

• The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March.
• The 2022 edition of the International Day focuses on the theme “VOICES FOR ACTION AGAINST RACISM”.
• On that day, in 1960, police opened fire at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid pass laws; 69 people were killed, and 180 were injured.
• In 1979, the General Assembly adopted a programme of activities to be undertaken during the second half of the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.
• On that occasion, the General Assembly decided that a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination, beginning on 21 March, would be organized annually in all States.

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)- 83rd Raising Day:

• The CRPF Raising Day is held on March 19 after India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel presented colours to the CRPF following the enactment of the CRPF Act by the Parliament in 1950.
• The CRPF was raised in 1939 and was then known as the Crown Representative’s Police.
• The CRPF was raised as the Crown Representative’s Police on this very day in 1939.
• It was given a fresh lease of life soon after Independence when it was renamed and redesigned as the Central Reserve Police on 28th December 1949 and was mandated to secure the internal security of the country

International Day of Forests-21 March:

• The world celebrates the International Day of Forests on March 21 every year with the aim to increase awareness about the unprecedented role forests play in sustaining lives on this planet.
• The theme for 2022 is “Forests and sustainable production and consumption.”
• Forests provide food, water, and shelter to animals and human beings. They reduce the impact of events threatening to life, such as floods and climate change
• The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests (IDF) in
• The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests.
• On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.
• The theme for each International Day of Forests is chosen by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.

World Sparrow Day 2022:

• World Sparrow Day is celebrated on 20th March every year and puts the spotlight on the tiny-chirpy House Sparrow and other birds.
• The theme of World Sparrow Day is “LOVE Sparrows.”
• The purpose of World Sparrow Day is to raise awareness and protect the bird all across the world.
• A few years ago, house sparrows were commonly seen in people’s homes. As a result of rising noise pollution, the bird is now on the edge of extinction.
• World Sparrow Day was established by Mohammed Dilawar, the founder of The Nature Forever Society.
• He started several projects, including the biodiversity Photo Contest, the annual Sparrow Awards, Project Save Our Sparrows, and the Common Bird Monitoring of India programme.
• The first World Sparrow Day was held in the year 2010.
• In 2011, the World Sparrow Awards were established.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

CAMS launches Central Record Keeping Agency under NPS:

• Computer Age Management Services Limited (CAMS), India’s largest registrar and transfer agent of mutual funds (a SEBI regulated entity) has announced the go-live and launch of Central Record Keeping Agency (CRA) under the National Pension System (NPS).
• Sector regulator Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) appointed CAMS as a CRA to broad-base the services to NPS subscribers and the ecosystem.
• NPS, a voluntary retirement scheme, designed and regulated by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), was launched on 1st January 2004 by the Central Government to help build a retirement corpus.

NITI Aayog to Organize 5th Edition of Women Transforming India Awards:

• NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is organizing the fifth edition of the Women Transforming India Awards (WTI) on 21 March 2022.
• This year, as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate 75 years of India’s independence, the WTI Awards will be conferred on 75 women achievers to celebrate their contribution towards a ‘Sashakt Aur Samarth Bharat’.
• The 75 awardees represent different regions and sectors and have been selected through an elaborate process spanning several months.
• The awardees have been selected on the basis of nominations received on WEP and through shortlisting by a search-and-select committee.
• Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is an aggregator portal that aims to catalyse the entrepreneurial ecosystem for women and address information asymmetry.
• To build a vibrant ecosystem for women-led enterprises, the platform works to strengthen industry linkages and increase awareness of existing programmes and services.

India unveils its Arctic policy, focuses on combating climate change:

• The Centre has released India’s Arctic Policy, with the aim of enhancing the country’s cooperation with the resource-rich and rapidly transforming region.
• The policy also seeks to combat climate change and protect the environment in the region, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world.
• Titled ‘India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development’, the policy is built on six central pillars — science and research, climate and environmental protection, economic and human development, transportation and connectivity, governance and international cooperation, and finally, national capacity building.
• It was unveiled by Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh.
• The adverse effects of climate change are not only impacting the availability of mineral and hydrocarbon resources but are also transforming global shipping routes, according to an analysis of the policy published by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

India adds 1.2 GW of new solar open access capacity in 2021:

• India added 1.2 GW of new solar open access capacity in 2021, marking a growth of 222% year-over-year (YoY), according to a Mercom India report.
• The cumulative installed solar capacity in the open access market crossed 5 GW.
• The country added 298 MW of new solar open access capacity in the fourth quarter (Q4) of calendar year 2021, a 75% increase compared to the same period in 2020.
• Solar power through Open Access is an arrangement where a power producer establishes a solar power plant and signs a medium/long-term power purchase agreement with a consumer.
• The top five states with the highest QoQ growth are Telangana (329%), Karnataka (102%), Andhra Pradesh (88%), Maharashtra (52%), and Uttar Pradesh (4%).
• The country added 298 MW of new solar open access capacity in the fourth quarter (Q4) of CY 2021, a 75% increase compared to the same period in 2020.
• The report mentioned that the development pipeline of solar open access projects stood at 1.5 GW at the end of 2021.
• Of the pipeline, 75% is spread across the three states~ Karnataka, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

HAL, Safran to set up Helicopter engines MRO facility in Goa:

• The ground-breaking ceremony for a new facility of Helicopter Engines MRO Pvt Limited (HE-MRO), a joint venture of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Safran, was held at Sattari, 40 km from Panaji, in Goa.
• The facility will be operational by the end of 2023 with a capacity to repair 50 engines a year and a full-capacity goal of 150 engines in the coming years
• An earlier planned construction of this project had to be postponed due to a “major crisis impacting the international helicopter market, closely followed by the worldwide COVID-pandemic
• HAL CMD R Madhavan, Safran Helicopter Engines CEO Franck Saudo and senior officers from the Indian Armed Forces were present on the occasion, Bengaluru-headquartered HAL.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

TN finance minister Palanivel Thiagarajan presents budget for 2022-23

• Tamil Nadu finance minister Palanivel Thiagarajan presented the budget for 2022-23.
• For the first time since 2014 the revenue deficit was to decrease by over ₹7,000 crore.
• The state’s fiscal deficit is set to decline – by 61 percent to 3.80 percent.

Agriculture :

• The government has allocated Rs 33,007.68 crore to the Agriculture department for the year 2022-23.
• It will provide free electricity to all farmers across the state and has allocated Rs 5,157.56 crore.
• Also it will allocate Rs 5 crore as additional 20 percent of subsidy to SC/ST farmers.
• The Tamil Nadu government will set up 3,000 solar powered pump sets.
• Rs 150 crore has been allocated to procure machinery inorder to overcome agriculture labour shortage.
• TN govt will provide a subsidy of 75% for the production of value added products like Jaggery & Rs 3 crore will be allocated for ginger and turmeric cultivation.
• Rs 12 crore will be allocated to encourage tree plantation across the state.
• New soil testing centre will be set up in Mayiladuthurai at Rs 75 lakhs.
• 200 youth graduates to get Rs 1 lakh to start agro-related businesses
• The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 2,339 crore for the state’s crop insurance scheme for 2022-23 & Rs 400 crore has been allocated to boost organic farming.

Key Highlights :

• The state’s capex (capital expenditure) in FY22 was Rs 37,936 crore against the budgeted Rs 42,180 crore.
• Revenue expenditure was also lower at Rs 2,59,150 crore against the budgeted Rs 2,61,188 crore.
• It has budgeted its FY23 revenues (both own and central transfers) at Rs 2,31,407 crore
• The state will end FY23 with a debt of Rs 6,53,348 crore, which is 26.29 percent of its GSDP.

Schemes :

• The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 30.56 crore for the ‘Vaazhnthu Kaatuvom’ scheme which is being implemented to develop manufacturers groups and community farm schools.
• The government has allocated Rs 698 crore for recognising that the enrolment of girls from government schools will receive Rs 1,000 a month directly in their bank accounts; those who have studied in government schools (classes 6 to 12) will be eligible.
• Also the Thalikku Thangam scheme provides for gold and a cash grant at the time of marriage of poor girls.
• The Perasiriyar Anbazhagan School Development Scheme, aimed at modernising government schools, will be launched over the next five years & Rs 7,000 crore is to be spent on this scheme.
• The Tamil Nadu government will implement a new scheme called State Agricultural Development Plan at a budget of Rs 71 crore.
• Sustainable Cotton Cultivation Mission will be implemented at a budget of 15.32 crore with Union and State Government fund, in order to enhance the Cotton yield during the year 2022-23.
• Rs 381 crore allocated to set up food parks in 3 cities ie Theni, Tindivanam and Manaparai

About Tamil Nadu :

• Chief minister: M. K. Stalin
• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Capital: Chennai

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

Moody’s lowers India growth estimate for CY22 to 9.1% amid Russia-Ukraine conflict

• Rating agency Moody’s has revised downwards the economic growth forecast of India by 40 basis points to 9.1 per cent in CY2022 due to adverse effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the global economy.
• Earlier in February 2022, Moody’s estimated India’s GDP in CY2022 to 9.5 percent.
• Moody’s has projected India’s GDP growth forecast for the Calendar Year (CY) 2023 at 5.4 percent.

About Moody’s Investors Service :

• Founded : 1909
• Headquarters : New York City, United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONORS

Diébédo Francis Kéré becomes the First African to receive Pritzker Architecture Prize 2022

• Burkina Faso-born architect Diebedo Francis Kere has become the first African to be awarded the 51st Pritzker Architecture Prize 2022 , architecture’s most prestigious honor.

About Diébédo Francis Kéré :

• His architectural practice has been recognized internationally with awards including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (2004) for his first building, the Gando Primary School in Burkina Faso, and the Global Holcim Award 2012 Gold.
• In 2017 he accepted the professorship for “Architectural Design and Participation” at TU München (Germany).

Awards & Honors :

1. Aga Khan Award for Architecture (2004)
2. Global Award for Sustainable Architecture (2009)
3. BSI Swiss architectural Award (2010)
4. Marcus prize for architecture (2011)

About Pritzker Architecture Prize :

• The Pritzker Architecture Prize is an award presented annually “to honor a living architect or architects & it was sponsored by the Hyatt Foundation.
• It is considered to be one of the world’s premier architecture prizes, and is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture.
• First awarded : 1979

Karnataka Bank receives best MSME Bank of the year at ASSOCHAM’s Excellence Awards

• Karnataka Bank has bagged “Best MSME Bank of the year – Winner” award among private sector Banks at the 8th MSMEs Excellence Awards Ceremony and Summit instituted by ASSOCHAM at New Delhi.
• The award was received by Shri Gopalakrishna Samaga B, DGM, Credit Marketing Department on behalf of Karnataka Bank Ltd in the presence of Shri Narayan T Rane, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of MSME, GoI.
• Karnataka Bank has been focusing on the MSME sector with various digital products.
• It has ensured expeditious disposal of MSME credit proposals by duly adhering to all quality standards and is actively participating in various Public/Private initiatives to promote the cause of MSME.

Rane awarded seven MSMEs for their contribution to their respective industries:

• Best Global Business of the Year – Saga Laboratories
• Most Innovative Company of the Year – Prathista Industries Ltd.
• Women Entrepreneur of the Year – SpiceHealth Pvt. Ltd & Fixderma India Pvt. Ltd.
• MSME of the Year – Prevest DenPro Limited
• Excellent Services of the Year – Satya MicroCapital Ltd.
• Best MSME Bank of the Year (PSU Category) – Punjab National Bank
• Best MSME Bank of the Year (Private Category) – Karnataka Bank Limited

Union Minister Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma also awarded 11 MSMEs that include:

• Best Employment Initiatives of the Year – Nuflower Foods and Nutrition Pvt. Ltd.
• Quality Excellence of the Year – L. R. Foods Pvt. Ltd.
• Tech-SME of the year – Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd.
• Most Socially Responsible Company of the Year – Integra Micro Systems (P) Ltd.
• Best Green Initiatives of the Year – Ethan Power Pvt. Ltd.
• Fair Business Practices of the Year – Delhi Institute of Digital Marketing (DIDM)
• Most Promising Brand of the Year – Knowledge Integration Services (India) Pvt. Ltd.
• Best MSME Lending of the Year – MAS Financial Services Limited
• Best Fintech Company of the Year – Treds Ltd (Invoicemart)
• Best Technology Enabler of the Year – Karur Vysya Bank Ltd
• Market Intelligence Facilitator of the Year – Netrika DFIR

Additional Info :

• The Summit was Organised under the theme ‘Enabling Indian MSMEs to Go Global’, the summit was organised by Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Minister of State (MoS) of MSMEs.

About Karnataka Bank :

• Founded : 18 February 1924
• Headquarters: Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
• Part-Time Non-Executive Chairman : P. Pradeep Kumar
• MD & CEO : Mahabaleshwara M. S
• Tagline : Your Family Bank Across India

About ASSOCHAM :

• Established : 1920
• President: Vineet Agarwal
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Secretary General : Deepak Sood

Poland’s Karolina Bielawska crowned 70th edition of Miss World 2021

• Karolina Bielawska from Poland was honoured with the Miss World 2021 crown at the 70th edition of the event at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• Bielawska was crowned by her predecessor Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica, who won the pageant in 2020.
• This is the second Miss World title for Poland, Aneta Kreglicka won the coveted pageant back in 1989 for the country.

Key details :

• First Runner-up – Indian-American Shree Saini from the United States
• Second Runner-up – Olivia Yace from Cote d’Ivoire
• India was represented by Manasa Varanasi, the winner of Femina Miss India 2020.

About Karolina Bielawska :

• Karolina, who is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Management, wishes to pursue her PhD.
• Currently, working as a model, she hopes to become a motivational speaker.

About Miss world :

• Miss World is the oldest-running international beauty pageant.
• It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951.
• Headquarters : London, UK
• President : Julia Morley

Narayan Pradhan selected for GD Birla Award for Scientific Research

• Professor Narayan Pradhan has been selected for the 31st GD Birla Award for Scientific Research for his outstanding contribution in the field of material sciences.
• Pradhan’s research work focused on understanding the chemistry and physics of light-emitting semiconductor nanocrystals.
• He has provided his expertise in crystal modulations to help design new shapes of these tiny lighting materials.

About GD Birla Award for Scientific Research :

• The GD Birla Award for Scientific Research Instituted in 1991.
• The award recognises eminent Indian scientists below the age of 50 for their original and outstanding contributions to any branch of science.
• It carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh.
• The recipient is chosen by a selection board, whose present head is professor Chandrima Shaha, the president of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA).

About Professor Narayan Pradhan :

• Pradhan graduated from Odisha’s Fakir Mohan College and did his master’s in chemistry from the Ravenshaw University, Cuttack.
• In 2007, he joined the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science as an assistant professor.

Awards & Honors :

• Pradhan has been a recipient of the LNJ Bhilwara Nanoscience award, the DST Swarnajayanti Fellowship award, the DST Nanoscience Young Career award, and the Oxford Nanoscientist award.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : MOU & AGREEMENTS

DCI and CSL sign agreement to build 1st indigenous dredger

• Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) signed an agreement with Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) to build India’s largest dredger, in collaboration with IHC Holland.
• The contract for the construction of the 12,000-cubic-metre Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD) is a culmination of efforts by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to bring in ‘best-in-class’ global technology into India under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Signatories :

• The agreement was signed by CSL chairman and managing director Madhu S. Nair and DCI managing director in the presence of Sarbananada Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and Marten van-den Berg, the Ambassador of the Netherlands in India.

About the Dredger :

• The 127-metre-long, 28-metre-wide vessel is based on the globally acclaimed ‘Beagle’ platform of IHC.
• The vessel with a 12,000 cubic metre capacity, will cost around ₹920 crore and is expected to be completed within 34 months.

About DCI :

• Founded : 29 March 1976
• Headquarters : Visakhapatnam, AP, India
• Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer : Prof.Dr. G.Y.V Victor
• DCI is mainly involved in maintenance dredging & also involved in capital dredging, beach nourishment, and land reclamation.
• The main seaports in which DCI does business are Visakhapatnam Port, Haldia, Kandla, Cochin Port and Ennore Port.
• DCI presently owns and operates around 17 vessels, including 10 Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHD).

About CSL :

• Founded : 1982
• Headquarters : Kochi, Kerala, India

HSL signs MoU with Eker Group, Vaanmoto to build speed boats

• Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) has entered into a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Eker Group of Norway and Vaanmoto of Kerala to explore opportunities in the field of manufacturing speed boats.

About the Boats :

• These boats are high-end boats with good, versatile options with superior manoeuvrability, which could be operated from the shore at a maximum velocity of 75 knots.
• The boats with a complement of 4 crew members and 4 passengers are outfitted with navigation and communication gear.
• The high-end platforms can simply undertake the roles of search and rescue, surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, ambulances, firefighters and harbour management and shut safety.

About HSL :

• Founded: 22 June 1941
• Chairman & MD : Commodore Hemant Khatri
• Headquarters : Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India

About Eker Group :

• Eker Group is a leading player in design, development and manufacturing, with a unique collection of innovative and dynamic startups and smaller premium companies.
• The group has long experience with industries like transportation, health and high technology electronics.
• Headquarters : Fredrikstad, Norway
• CEO : Bård Eker

About Vaanmoto :

• Founded : 2019
• Headquarters : Kochi, Kerala

NMDC Signs MoU With IIT Kharagpur For Drone-Based Mineral Exploration

• National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIT) Kharagpur for drone-based mineral exploration.
• Both would develop spectral products, methods and algorithms for exploration using drones (UAV) for mining.
• The collaboration would further lead to the development of software spectral tools for mineral excavation and capacity-building programs on mining technology.
• NMDC is conducting exploration for various minerals in Madhya Pradesh and in the Beloda-Belmundi block in Chhattisgarh for diamonds.
• It is also the first CPSE to use space geophysics in central Indian diamond province and the first to use online monitoring of exploration of data on the BHUVAN platform.

Note :

• NMDC would be the first Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) in India to conduct drone-based geophysical surveys and hyperspectral studies for mineral exploration in the country.

About NMDC :

• Founded : 1958
• Headquarters : Hyderabad, Telangana
• Chairman & MD : Sumit Deb
• NMDC Limited is a government owned mineral producer.
• It is under the ownership of Ministry of Steel, Government of India
• NMDC has been exploring minerals for six decades for a wide range of minerals such as copper, rock phosphate, limestone, magnesite, diamond, tungsten and beach sands amongst others right from the reconnaissance G4 level to the detailed G1 level of UNFC.

About IIT Kharagpur :

• Established : 1951
• Chairman : Sanjiv Goenka
• Director General : Virendra Kumar Tewari
• Located at : Kharagpur, West Bengal, India

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Gen Bipin Rawat Memorial Chair of Excellence instituted at the United Service Institution of India (USI)

• On the 65th birthday of late Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, The Indian Army has dedicated a Chair of Excellence in the memory of late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat at the United Service Institution of India (USI).
• The official announcement for the formal institution of “General Bipin Rawat Memorial Annual Chair of Excellence” was made by Gen MM Naravane at a solemn ceremony organized at the South Block in New Delhi
• It will focus on the field of Jointness and Integration.
• A cheque of Rs 5 lakhs was handed over to Maj Gen BK Sharma (retd), Director, USI which will be paid as honourarium to the nominated Chair of Excellence.
• The Chair will be open to Veterans of three Services and civilians having expertise in the field of National Security.

Aim of the Chair :

• To conduct research on strategic issues pertaining to the armed forces.

About General Bipin Rawat :

• Late General Bipin Rawat served as India’s first CDS as well as the 27th Chief of the Indian Army.
• Prior to taking over as the CDS, he served as the 57th Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (Chairman COSC) of the Indian Armed Forces as well as 26th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army.
• Rawat will be posthumously awarded Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, at an investiture ceremony to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 21.

About Ministry of Defence :

• Defence Minister :  Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State : Ajay bhatt
• Defence Secretary : Dr. Ajay Kumar

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates DRDO’s Flight Control System integration facility in Bangalore

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a seven-storeyed Flight Control System (FCS) Integration facility at Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The technology has been developed by DRDO with the help of M/s Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
• Design check and technical support has been provided by the teams of IIT Madras and IIT Roorkee.
• FCS facility is a state-of-the-art complex constructed by DRDO in record 45 days, using in-house hybrid technology consisting of conventional, pre-engineered and precast methodology.
• This FCS facility will support Research & Development (R&D) activities for developing Avionics for Fighter Aircraft and FCS for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft being undertaken by ADE, Bengaluru.
• The building, with a plinth area of 1.3 lakh square feet, will house research and development facilities for the development of a fifth-generation medium weight deep penetration fighter jet for the Indian Air Force.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Pankaj Advani Won Asian Billiards title for 8th time:

• Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani defeated compatriot Dhruv Sitwala by six frames to win his eighth title at the 19th Asian 100 UP Billiards Championship 2022 in Doha.
• This is Advani’s 40th international title and 8th Asian crown.
• Against Sitwala, a two-time Asian Billiards champion, Advani won the first frame before following it up with a smooth century break to extend the lead to 2-0.
• Advani won the fifth frame to establish a 4-1 lead and stormed ahead to take the sixth too.
• Sitwala capitalised on a miss by his countryman to take the seventh frame before Advani re-focussed to capture the eighth frame despite an impressive break by his opponent for a 6-2 triumph.
• Earlier, Advani had held off the stiff challenge of Pauk Sa of Myanmar to secure a spot in the final.

F1 Bahrain Grand Prix 2022 won by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc:

• Charles Leclerc of Ferrari won the Formula One season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after reigning champion Max Verstappen was forced out with engine trouble with just two laps remaining.
• Carlos Sainz made it a Ferrari one-two while Lewis Hamilton snatched third place for Mercedes after Sergio Perez added to Red Bull’s disastrous day by spinning out of the race on the last lap.

Daily CA On Mar 22 :

• The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March.
• The CRPF Raising Day is held on March 19 after India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel presented colours to the CRPF following the enactment of the CRPF Act by the Parliament in 1950.
• The world celebrates the International Day of Forests on March 21 every year with the aim to increase awareness about the unprecedented role forests play in sustaining lives on this planet.
• World Sparrow Day is celebrated on 20th March every year and puts the spotlight on the tiny-chirpy House Sparrow and other birds.
• Computer Age Management Services Limited (CAMS), India’s largest registrar and transfer agent of mutual funds (a SEBI regulated entity) has announced the go-live and launch of Central Record Keeping Agency (CRA) under the National Pension System (NPS).
• NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is organizing the fifth edition of the Women Transforming India Awards (WTI) on 21 March 2022.
• The Centre has released India’s Arctic Policy, with the aim of enhancing the country’s cooperation with the resource-rich and rapidly transforming region.
• India added 1.2 GW of new solar open access capacity in 2021, marking a growth of 222% year-over-year (YoY), according to a Mercom India report.
• The ground-breaking ceremony for a new facility of Helicopter Engines MRO Pvt Limited (HE-MRO), a joint venture of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Safran, was held at Sattari, 40 km from Panaji, in Goa.
• Tamil Nadu finance minister Palanivel Thiagarajan presented the budget for 2022-23 & for the first time since 2014 the revenue deficit was to decrease by over ₹7,000 crore.
• Rating agency Moody’s has revised downwards the economic growth forecast of India by 40 basis points to 9.1 per cent in CY2022 due to adverse effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the global economy.

• Burkina Faso-born architect Diebedo Francis Kere has become the first African to be awarded the 51st Pritzker Architecture Prize 2022 , architecture’s most prestigious honor.
• Karnataka Bank has bagged “Best MSME Bank of the year – Winner” award among private sector Banks at the 8th MSMEs Excellence Awards Ceremony and Summit instituted by ASSOCHAM at New Delhi.
• Karolina Bielawska from Poland was honoured with the Miss World 2021 crown at the 70th edition of the event at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• Professor Narayan Pradhan has been selected for the 31st GD Birla Award for Scientific Research for his outstanding contribution in the field of material sciences.
• Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) signed an agreement with Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) to build India’s largest dredger, in collaboration with IHC Holland.
• Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) has entered into a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Eker Group of Norway and Vaanmoto of Kerala to explore opportunities in the field of manufacturing speed boats.
• National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIT) Kharagpur for drone-based mineral exploration.
• On the 65th birthday of late Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, The Indian Army has dedicated a Chair of Excellence in the memory of late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat at the United Service Institution of India (USI).
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a seven-storeyed Flight Control System (FCS) Integration facility at Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

• Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani defeated compatriot Dhruv Sitwala by six frames to win his eighth title at the 19th Asian 100 UP Billiards Championship 2022 in Doha.
• Charles Leclerc of Ferrari won the Formula One season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after reigning champion Max Verstappen was forced out with engine trouble with just two laps remaining.