Excellence by Saikat Sir: Daily Current Affairs April 02 2022

Daily Current Affairs April 02 2022

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

Odisha Day or Utkal Divas- 1st April 2022:

The foundation day of Odisha, known as Odisha Day, or Utkal Diwas will be observed on 1st April.
The state of Odisha got its own identity as a separate state in the year 1936, after disassociating itself from Bihar and Bengal.
The state was originally called Orissa but the Lok Sabha passed the Orissa Bill, and Constitution Bill (113rd amendment), in March 2011 to rename it Odisha.
The region witnessed the epic “Kalinga War” led by King Ashoka who invaded and conquered the region in 260 BC.
Later, the state was invaded and taken over by the Mughals till the British took over the administrative powers of the region and divided it into small units in 1803.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

National Dairy Development Board in collaboration with the National Bee Board organized National Conclave on ‘Production of Bees Wax’:

A National Conclave on “Production of Bees Wax” was organized by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Gujarat in collaboration with the National Bee Board (NBB), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on 30th March, 2022.
The conclave was supported by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) & Tribal Co-Operative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED).
The objective of this National Conclave is to create awareness about the production of other high-value beekeeping products viz. Bees Wax, Bee pollen, Royal Jelly, Propolis, bee venom, etc.

Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry approves construction of two lakh 42 thousand houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban):

Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has approved the construction of two lakh 42 thousand houses in six states under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
These states are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tripura, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
The approval was given in the 60th Meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee held in New Delhi.
The houses are proposed to be constructed under Beneficiary-Led Construction, Affordable Housing in Partnership and In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation verticals of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
The total number of sanctioned houses under the Mission is now over one crore 17 lakh, out of which around 95 Lakh have been grounded for construction.

Doordarshan FreeDish becomes largest DTH platform with reach of over 43 million households:

Doordarshan FreeDish has become the largest DTH platform with reach of more than 43 million households.
Information and Broadcasting Ministry,the free DTH service of Doordarshan clocked stellar growth of almost 100 per cent from 22 Million in 2017 to 43 Million in 2022.
Prasar Bharati’s DTH service DD FreeDish is the only Free-to-Air Direct-To-Home (DTH) Service where the viewer does not have to pay any monthly subscription fee.
It only requires a small one-time investment of about two thousand rupees for purchase of the DD FreeDish set-top box.
DD FreeDish hosts a total of 167 TV channels and 48 Radio channels, including 91 Doordarshan channels and 76 private TV channels.

Prime Minister Modi has attended virtual summit of BIMSTEC:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended the 5th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation)
PM Modi will attend the summit virtually.
Sri Lanka, the current chairholder of the seven-country grouping, will host the summit conference, which will be held virtually.
Meetings of BIMSTEC Senior Officials (SOM) were held on March 28 to prepare for the Summit, followed by meetings of BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers (BMM) on March 29.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the 18th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting in Colombo, where he underscored the grouping’s resolve to enhance and extend cooperation in sectors like connectivity, energy, and marine links.
EAM Jaishankar concluded a “productive and congenial” BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Goa CM presents the budget of Rs 24, 467crore for FY 2022-23

Newly-elected Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant presented the state Budget of Rs 24, 467crore for 2022-23 in the legislative assembly.
Gross State Domestic Product of Goa for 2022-23 – Rs 91,416.98 crore, a growth of 7.07 per cent.
Revenue expenditure – Rs 17,097 crore
Capital expenditure – Rs 7,369 crore
The growth rate of Gross Value Added (GVA) was estimated at 4.73 per cent for the primary sector, 6.52 per cent for the secondary sector and 9.66 percent for the tertiary sector.
Goa’s per capita income at current prices continues to be among the highest in the country at Rs 5.80 lakh.
The Budget allocated an amount of Rs 40 crore for providing three LPG cylinders free of cost to the people of the state.
The state treasury would benefit by Rs 650 crore through harvesting of iron ore dumps which are a part of the landscape in the state’s mining belt.

Health Sector :

The allocation for the Health Department was increased to Rs 1,970.20 crore, 12.86 per cent more than in the previous fiscal.
Sawant allocated Rs 173 crore for strengthening infrastructure at the Goa Medical College and Hospital.
He allocated Rs 20.12 crore for Covid-19 Relief To Marginalized/Unorganized Sector’ scheme under which one-time financial relief is given.
Sawant also stated his government intends to notify new rules for casino operations under the Goa, Daman & Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976.
The Budget also proposed Rs five crore for promoting the arrival of international chartered flights mainly used by tourists in the state by bearing a part of parking and landing fees at the Dabolim International Airport.

About Goa :

Chief minister: Pramod Sawant
Governor : P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
Capital: Panaji

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

HDFC Bank & Shoppers Stop Launch Co-Branded Credit Cards

HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank and Shoppers Stop, India’s leading fashion and beauty destination have joined hands to launch co-branded credit cards.
The credit cards will be available to over 9 million “First Citizen” customers of Shoppers Stop along with HDFC Bank customers, with an endeavour to provide an elevated and rewarding shopping experience.
The partnership draws on HDFC Bank’s strengths as India’s leading issuer of credit cards and Shoppers Stop position as a reputed retail brand.
The credit cards will be available in two categories,

Shoppers Stop HDFC Bank Credit Card
Shoppers Stop BLACK HDFC Bank Credit Card.

The reward points will differ depending upon the card, with Black Card ensuring higher loyalty points.
Customers can redeem their points at Shoppers Stop in-store, online or with their partner Estee Lauder Group stores in India while making the purchases.

Benefits of Shoppers Stop HDFC Bank Credit Card:

It offers 6 Shoppers Stop First Citizen Points (SSP) for every Rs. 150 spent on Private Brands exclusively available at Shoppers Stop capped at 500 SSP per month.
2 SSP for every Rs. 150 spent on spends on other brands of Shoppers Stop and outside (except fuel and wallet) without any cap
Annual milestone benefits include 2000 SSP on spending Rs 2 Lakh per annum, 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India up to Rs. 250 per month
1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India with a limit of Rs.250 per month.
Card holders can enjoy accelerated savings and benefits using HDFC Bank platform and portfolio offers via PayZapp and SmartBuy

Benefits of Shoppers Stop BLACK HDFC Bank Credit Card:

Members will get complimentary Shoppers Stop First Citizen Black Membership worth Rs 4500 that will earn them 20 SSP for every Rs. 150 spent on Private Brands at Shoppers Stop and 15 SSP for every Rs. 150 spent on all other brands of Shoppers Stop, including premium brands
They would also get 5 SSP for every Rs. 150 spent on other spends (except fuel and wallet), without any cap
1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations across India with a limit of Rs.500 per month.
Enjoy accelerated savings and benefits using the HDFC Bank platform and portfolio offers via PayZapp and SmartBuy.
Access over 1,000 airport lounges across India.
Provide accidental air death cover worth Rs 3 Crore, loss card liability of up to Rs 9 Lakh, and emergency overseas hospitalization cover up to Rs. 50 Lakh

About HDFC Bank :

Founded: August 1994
MD & CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Deadline to link PAN with Aadhaar ends on March 31^st:

The deadline to link a permanent account number (PAN) with Aadhaar will end on March 31.
Default will invite a penalty of 1,000 rupees.
As per the Income Tax Act, it is mandatory for all users to link PAN with their Aadhaar number, or else the PAN will become inoperative from March 31, next year.
This would mean that users will not be able to conduct transactions where quoting PAN is mandatory.
For people who miss the deadline, PAN will remain functional for 1 more year till March 2023, for filing ITR, claiming refunds, and other I-T procedures.
In order to mitigate the inconvenience to taxpayers, a window of opportunity has been provided to taxpayers up to March 31, 2023, to intimate their Aadhaar to the prescribed authority for Aadhaar-PAN linking without facing repercussions.

Govt to sell upto 1.5% stake in ONGC via OFS for Rs 3000 crores:

The government plans to sell upto 1.5% equity stake in state-run oil and gas giant ONGC Ltd via an offer for sale of equity shares over two days beginning on March 29, to raise upto Rs 3,000 crore.
It will sell about 19 crore shares at a floor price of Rs 159 per share.
The ONGC OFS will open tomorrow, ie, 30 March for non-retail bidders, and will be open on 31 March for retail investors.
The proposed offer consists of a base offer of about 5 crore shares or 0.75% equity stake, and an equal amount to retain in case of oversubscription, taking the total potential offer size to 1.5%.
The Government of India has a little over 60% stake in ONGC Ltd, per the last shareholding data available.

IDBI Bank to sell stake in life insurance JV to Ageas:

Indian private lender IDBI Bank has announced plans to sell its stake in the life insurance joint venture with Ageas Insurance International and Federal Bank.
The deal will see IDBI Bank exit Ageas Federal Life Insurance (AFLI), which was formerly called IDBI Federal Life Insurance (IFLI).
IFLI was renamed AFLI after IDBI Bank sold a 23% stake in the joint venture in 2020.
The board of directors of the Bank at its meeting held on Tuesday, 29 March 2022, has approved to sell IDBI Bank’s entire stake of 20,00,00,000 equity shares in Ageas Federal Life Insurance Company Limited (AFLI) to Ageas Insurance International NV (Ageas) pursuant to exercise of call option by Ageas

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

PM of Malta Robert Abela sworn in for second term

Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela has been sworn in for a second term after his rulingLabor Party won the 2022 general election in a landslide victory.
He was administered the oath of office during a ceremony at the Palace in Valletta presided over by President George Vella.
The Labor Party won the general election with 55.1 percent of the vote, against the Nationalist Party’s (PN) 41.7 percent.
This is the Labor Party’s third consecutive general election win since 2013.

About Robert Abela :

Robert Abela born on 7 December 1977 in Sliema in the Northern Harbour District, Malta.
He is a Maltese lawyer and politician serving as the prime minister of Malta from 2020.
He was first sworn in as prime minister in January 2020 after the former Labor Party leader and prime minister Joseph Muscat resigned.

About Malta :

Capital: Valletta
Currency: Euro
President : George Vella
PM : Robert Abela

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONORS

Prof Wilfried Brutsaert bags Stockholm Water Prize 2022

The Stockholm Water Prize 2022 has been awarded by The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) in cooperation with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to Professor Wilfried Brutsaert for his innovative advertisement evaluating environmental evaporation.

About Wilfried Brutsaert :

Wilfried Brutsaert is Professor in Engineering Emeritus at Cornell University, USA.
He has pioneered novel approaches to understanding changes in groundwater storage.

About Stockholm Water Prize :

The Stockholm Water Prize is an award that recognizes outstanding achievements in water related activities.
It is the world’s most prestigious water award and is often described as the Nobel Prize of water.
The Stockholm Water Prize Laureate is announced each 22 March at the UN World Day for Water and honored each August during the World Water Week in Stockholm at a Royal Prize Ceremony and Banquet in the Stockholm City Hall.

About Stockholm International Water Institute :

Founded: 1991
Executive Director: Torgny Holmgren
Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden

CURRENT AFFAIRS : MOU & AGREEMENTS

BEL & MoD signs contracts worth Rs. 3,102 Cr for supply of Advanced Electronic Warfare

The Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India, signed two contracts worth a total of Rs. 3,102 Crores with the Bengaluru and Hyderabad Units of Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), at New Delhi.

BEL-Bengaluru & MoD :

It concluded a contract for supply of the Advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) suite for fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The overall cost of the contract is estimated to be Rs 1,993 crores.
The supply of advanced EW systems will significantly enhance the battle-survivability of IAF fighter aircraft.
The EW suite has been indigenously designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

BEL-Hyderabad & MoD :

The MoD also signed a contract with BEL-Hyderabad for the Instrumented Electronic Warfare Range (IEWR) for the IAF.
The contract is a significant step towards enhancing the capabilities of the IAF to prepare for future warfare.
The overall cost of the contract is estimated to be Rs 1,109 crore.
The IEWR will be used to test and evaluate airborne EW equipment and validate their deployment in an operational scenario.
The two projects essentially embody the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India and will help facilitate realising the journey towards self-reliance.

India & Australia to collaborate in lithium and cobalt identification projects

India’s Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to invest $6 million with Australia’s Critical Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO) on lithium and cobalt identification projects in Australia in the next six months.
Engagements are also underway with other source countries (primarily LATAM nations) such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile etc (which are endowed with lithium and cobalt in hard rock formations and in brine).
The MoU has outlined inclusion of any other Central Public Sector Enterprise as investment partner in the asset acquisition process.
It also includes a collaborative framework for building an Australia-India partnership in the critical mineral eco-system; development of a robust and commercially-viable critical mineral supply chain to support sustainable production; and ensuring reliable supplies of the materials needed to fuel sectors such as transport, energy, telecommunications, medicine, aviation and defence.

Additional Info :

China and Hong Kong are the biggest lithium battery suppliers to India.
Lithium is a key component used in the battery used in Electric Vehicles (EV) & India, through its ₹18,100-crore PLI scheme is offering incentives for companies to build battery cells locally for EVs.

About KABIL :

It is a joint venture company namely Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) is to be set up with the participation of three Central Public Sector Enterprises namely, National Aluminium Company Ltd.(NALCO), Hindustan Copper Ltd.(HCL) and Mineral Exploration Company Ltd. (MECL).

Objective :

To ensure a consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals to the Indian domestic market.
Incorporated : 08 August 2019
Headquarters : New Delhi
Directors : Sridhar Patra, Arun Kumar Shukla, Sanjay Lohiya, Veena Kumari Dermal, Ranjit Rath, Satendra Singh,

About CMFO :

The Critical Minerals Facilitation Office is the Australian Government’s central coordination point to help grow our critical minerals sector & position Australia globally as a secure, reliable and ethical supplier of critical minerals.
CMFO operates under the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER).
Established : 21 January 2020

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Navy’s 2nd P-81 Air Squadron INAS 316 Commissions at INS Hansa, Goa

Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 316, the Navy’s second P-8l aircraft squadron, will be commissioned at Indian Navy Ship (INS) Hansa Naval air base in Goa in the presence of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar.

About INAS 316 :

INAS 316 has been christened ‘Condors’, which are one of the largest flying land birds with a massive wingspan.
It is commanded by commander Amit Mohapatra, a Boeing P-8I pilot with extensive operational experience.
INAS 316 will operate the second batch of four additional aircraft acquired, adding teeth to the armour of the Indian Navy, to deter, detect and destroy any threat to the nation in the IOR.

About P-8I :

The Boeing P-8I, a multi-role Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare (LRMR ASW) aircraft, that can be equipped with a range of air-to-ship missiles and torpedoes.
The P-8I aircraft is powered by twin jet engines and can be equipped with air-to-ship missiles and torpedoes.
The aircraft replaced the Indian Navy’s ageing fleet of Tupolev Tu-142 aircraft.

Note :

The Indian Navy acquired the first batch of eight P-8I aircraft in 2013 that are stationed at INS Rajali in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu.

About Indian Navy :

Founded : 26 January 1950
Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee : General Manoj Mukund Naravane
Chief of the Naval Staff : Admiral R. Hari Kumar

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China’s new Long March-6 rocket makes maiden flight

China’s modified version of the Long March-6 carrier rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province & sent two satellites into preset orbits.
The rocket is developed by the Shanghai Academy of Space Technology (SAST), a subordinate of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
It is China’s first “hybrid” rocket, with its main body adopting a liquid engine, while the surrounding boosters use solid engines.
The modified rocket is also China’s first type of carrier rocket equipped with solid strap-on boosters, which uses non-toxic and non-polluting propellants.
The rocket is equipped with an intelligent launch-safety system.
The two satellites launched by the rocket will carry out different tasks including scientific tests and research, land and resources surveys, and space environment detection.
The rocket has a weight of 530 tons and is capable of sending a payload of no less than 4 tons to the Sun-synchronous orbit.
The new rocket has four 2-meter-diameter solid-propellant boosters attached to its body.

About China :

President: Xi Jinping
Capital: Beijing
Currency: Renminbi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITION AND MERGERS

SIDBI acquires stake in ONDC to facilitate market access to MSMEs:

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has acquired 7.84 percent stake in the open public digital infrastructure framework entity, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), through an investment of Rs 10 crore.
ONDC had been incorporated in 2021 with an objective to create a first of its kind open public digital infrastructure to develop and transform the Indian digital commerce ecosystem for both goods and services.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Mirabai Chanu bagged ‘BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year’ award 2021:

Olympic silver medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of The Year award.
Chanu created history last year when she became the first Indian weightlifter to clinch a silver medal at the Summer Olympics.
Young India opener Shafali Verma was awarded the The ‘BBC Emerging Player’ award.
Verma is the youngest female cricketer to have played for India.
The first Indian woman to have won a medal at the Olympics in 2000, former weightlifter Karnam Malleswari was presented the ‘BBC Lifetime Achievement’ award.
Olympians and the Paralympians from the Tokyo Games were also honoured in this edition of BBC ISWOTY.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Former Sikkim CM BB Gurung passes away:

Former chief minister of Sikkim – BB Gurung passed away at 92 years
BB Gurung was the third chief minister of Sikkim.
He sworn-in as Sikkim CM in 1984 and was in office for just 13 days.
Gurung’s term as CM of Sikkim was the shortest in the history of the Himalayan state.
Before joining politics, Gurung had worked as a journalist.
Gurung was born on 11 October 1929 at Chakhung village in West Sikkim.
He started his political career in 1947 as a member of Sikkim Rajya Congress Party.
Meanwhile, the Sikkim government has announced a seven-day mourning from March 28 to April 3.

Daily CA on April 02 :

The foundation day of Odisha, known as Odisha Day, or Utkal Diwas will be observed on 1st April.
A National Conclave on “Production of Bees Wax” was organized by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Gujarat in collaboration with the National Bee Board (NBB), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on 30th March, 2022.
Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has approved the construction of two lakh 42 thousand houses in six states under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
Doordarshan FreeDish has become the largest DTH platform with reach of more than 43 million households.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended the 5th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation)
Newly-elected Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant presented the state Budget of Rs 24, 467crore for 2022-23 in the legislative assembly.
HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank and Shoppers Stop, India’s leading fashion and beauty destination have joined hands to launch co-branded credit cards & The credit cards will be available in two categories, Shoppers Stop HDFC Bank Credit Card & Shoppers Stop BLACK HDFC Bank Credit Card.
The deadline to link a permanent account number (PAN) with Aadhaar will end on March 31.
The government plans to sell upto 1.5% equity stake in state-run oil and gas giant ONGC Ltd via an offer for sale of equity shares over two days beginning on March 29, to raise upto Rs 3,000 crore.
Indian private lender IDBI Bank has announced plans to sell its stake in the life insurance joint venture with Ageas Insurance International and Federal Bank.
Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela has been sworn in for a second term after his ruling Labor Party won the 2022 general election in a landslide victory.
The Stockholm Water Prize 2022 has been awarded by The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) in cooperation with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to Professor Wilfried Brutsaert for his innovative advertisement evaluating environmental evaporation.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India, signed two contracts worth a total of 3,102 Crores with the Bengaluru and Hyderabad Units of Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), at New Delhi.
India’s Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to invest $6 million with Australia’s Critical Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO) on lithium and cobalt identification projects in Australia in the next six months.
Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 316, the Navy’s second P-8l aircraft squadron, will be commissioned at Indian Navy Ship (INS) Hansa Naval air base in Goa in the presence of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar.
China’s modified version of the Long March-6 carrier rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province & sent two satellites into preset orbits.
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has acquired 7.84 percent stake in the open public digital infrastructure framework entity, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), through an investment of Rs 10 crore.
Olympic silver medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of The Year award.
Former chief minister of Sikkim – BB Gurung passed away at 92 years

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