Daily Current Affairs April 30 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Stationery Day – 27th April:

• World Stationery Day is celebrated every year on the last Wednesday of April.
• This year World Stationery Day 2022 is observed on the 27th of April.
• The day is celebrated to mark the importance of stationery and writing on paper than using computers.
• It is celebrated around the world by enthusiasts to protect and encourage the use of Stationery.
• World Stationery Day is celebrated every year since 2012 to honour the 800th anniversary of the creation of the Magna Carta which is one of the most important written documents in British history.
• It stands as an excellent example to show the longevity of handwritten documents. Magna Carta was created in 1215.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi to inaugurate Semicon India Conference-2022 in Bengaluru:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Semicon India Conference-2022.
• This three-day event will take place in
• The three-day conference, is being organised to take forward the vision of Prime Minister to make India a leader in the electronics manufacturing, semiconductor design, manufacturing and innovation.
• Semicon India 2022 conference will attract best minds from across the world from the semiconductor industry, research and academia and will act as a big step in fulfilling Prime Minister’s vision on making India a global hub for electronics manufacturing and Semiconductor industry.
• The government is looking forward to number of MoUs to be signed during the three-day conference forging partnerships and alliances in the semiconductor space.

PM Modi has inaugurated Global Patidar Business Summit (GPBS) in Surat Gujarat:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Global Patidar Business Summit (GPBS) in Surat Gujarat via video conferencing.
• Sardardham is organizing GPBS under Mission-2026 to provide an impetus to the socio-economic development of Patidar community.
• The Summit is organized every two years.
• The first two Summits were held in Gandhinagar in 2018 and 2020 and the current Summit is now being held in Surat.
• The main theme of GPBS-2022 is Aatmanirbhar Community to Aatmanirbhar Gujarat and India.
• The Summit aims to bring together small, medium and large enterprises within the community; nurture and support new entrepreneurs and provide training and employment assistance to the educated youth.

Samba becomes first district in India to cover 100% households under ABPMJAY- SEHAT scheme:

• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Samba district of Jammu division has become the first district in India to cover 100% households under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY)- SEHAT scheme.
• The district achieved this milestone after the conclusion of special registration drive organized by State Health Agency (SHA) from April 11 to April 21 in all BDO offices across the district which was aimed to cover all families under ABPMJAY SEHAT scheme in the district.
• The Samba district has a total of 62,641 families with 3,04,510 people eligible for ABPM-JAY SEHAT golden cards.
• However, 100% family coverage for the Ayushman Bharat Golden card in the district is a major achievement for the UT Government.
• The ABPMJAY SEHAT scheme is the world’s largest health insurance scheme fully financed by Government and the people with Ayushman Bharat Golden Card get free treatment up to 5 lakh in all government and empanelled private hospitals across India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Jharkhand’s Jamtara becomes country’s first district with library in every village

• Jamtara in Jharkhand has become the only district in the country where all gram panchayats have community libraries.
• This district with a population of about eight lakh has a total of 118 gram panchayats under six blocks and each panchayat has a well-equipped library which is open for students from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Career counselling sessions and motivational classes are also held free of cost here.
• Sometimes, IAS and IPS officers also visit these libraries to guide students. Everyone is welcome to visit these innovative sites!
• From the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds received from several companies and money received by the district under the 14th and 15th Finance Commission, Rs 60,000-2.5 lakh was spent on the restoration and infrastructure of these libraries.
• Gradually, libraries were set up in panchayats such as Chandradeep, Panjaniya, Menjhia, Gopalpur, Shaharpura, Champapur, and Jhilua.
• The villagers elected a President, Treasurer, and Librarian from amongst themselves, to run these libraries.

Note :

• On November 13, 2020, the district’s first ever community library was inaugurated.

About Jharkhand :

• Chief minister: Hemant Soren
• Governor : Ramesh Bais
• Capital: Ranchi

Agra becomes 1st city to have vacuum-based sewer systems

• Agra has become the first city in the country to have vacuum-based sewer systems used in public places.
• Agra Smart City has connected 240 such houses near the Taj Mahal with vacuum-based sewer where conventional sewer systems can not be used.
• It has been constructed at Rs 5 crore.
• These homes are connected to a vacuum-based sewer in a low-lying area.
• Also about 112 chambers have been made in this area, in which the sensor is installed.
• The work of sewer connection is estimated at Rs 100 crore & 60000 houses have been connected with a 53 km long sewer line.
• If the trial in Agra becomes successful, then the vacuum sewer will be used by the Kochi Municipal Corporation.

About UP :

• Governor: Anandiben Patel
• Capital: Lucknow
• Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

SBI Card Partners with TCS to revamp digital experience    

• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is expanding its strategic partnership with SBI Cards and Payments Services Ltd., India’s largest pure-play credit card issuer, to power the latter’s next leg of digital transformation.
• Under the new engagement, TCS will further digitalise and transform SBI Cards’ online onboarding processes to enable a faster turnaround and frictionless experience which is expected to drive greater customer satisfaction.
• It will enable SBI Card to further expand its e-card issuance, delighting end customers and giving it a competitive edge in the market.
• In the run up to SBI Card’s blockbuster IPO in 2020, TCS had helped the company transform its core cards sourcing platform and digitised a significant portion of the process.
• The future-ready, agile platform personalised customer experience and helped boost sales and retention.
• During the COVID-19 crisis, TCS worked closely with SBI Card to implement video KYC and e-signature features to fully digitalize its cards sourcing process.

About SBI Card :

• Founded: October 1998
• CEO: Rama Mohan Rao Amara
• Headquarters : Gurgaon, Haryana
• SBI Cards & Payment Services Ltd., previously known as SBI Cards & Payment Services Private Limited.

BoB launches bob World Gold for Senior Citizens

• Bank of Baroda has launched a new feature ‘bob World Gold’on its bob World mobile banking platform designed especially for seniors and the elderly.

About Bob World Gold :

• Bob World Gold is a unique digital banking platform that has been designed especially for this demographic and provides its senior customers with a simple, smooth and secure mobile banking experience.
• The bob World Gold feature is available on both Android and
• It offers over 250 services, bob World Gold brings the essential, frequently used services and favourite transactions of senior citizens upfront such that they are conveniently available and easily accessible on the home screen.
• These include services such as deposit renewal, comparison of savings accounts, retirement & succession planning services, health services/ pharmacy search etc.

Features of bob World Gold:

• Simple and Easy User Interface: A minimalistic design and simple infographics supported by easy- to-navigate screens and ready-to-assist voice-based search service, provided right on the dashboard.
• Customisation: bob World Gold is customised to understand the preferences of senior citizen customers with relevant and favourite menu options.
• Preferential research based service: bob World Gold is customised specifically for senior citizens (60 years and above) and provides a new revamped dashboard with larger icons and fonts, better contrasting colours with special attention given to help text, tooltips and navigation.

About BoB :

• Founded : 20 July 1908
• MD & CEO : Shri Sanjiv Chadha
• Chairman : Hasmukh Adhia
• Headquarters : Vadodara, Gujarat, India

Pencilton Launches PencilKey Contactless RuPay Card

• Pencilton, a teen-focused fintech startup, has launched PencilKey, a Nationwide Widespread Mobility Card (NCMC) compliant RuPay contactless keychain, in partnership with Nationwide Funds Company of India (NPCI) and Transcorp.
• Pencilton has taken a step forward in encouraging financial literacy in youngsters by providing them with cutting-edge financial tools and technology.
• Transcorp PPI is the fastest & resilient issuer for co-branded instruments and has demonstrated success for its partners to achieve their desired goals by aligning stakeholder deliverables.

About PencilKey Contactless RuPay Card :

• Users can activate and manage their PencilKey through the Pencilton app which is also used to load money, check spends, block/unblock the account, set limits, and so on.
• PencilKey is linked to the PencilCard which is an all-in-one Prepaid card, metro card, and bus card.
• PencilKey is equipped with the benefits of NCMC which works at the Delhi Airport Metro line and Goa’s buses currently.
• It is also scheduled to be accepted for metro travel in Pune, Chennai & Mumbai as well as in BEST buses in Mumbai.
• Users can manage their money with access to features like category-wise spend analysis which is present in form of an interactive pie chart, savings goals, piggy bank along with smart & fun insights such as details of favourite merchant, preferred time of shopping, etc.

Additional Info :

• According to Pencilton, the virtual PencilCard comes for free.
• Users can buy their PencilKey for ₹150 and PencilCard for ₹100, but as part of the company’s launch offer, users can also buy a PencilKit (combo) which includes both PencilCard and PencilKey for ₹200.

About Pencilton :

• Headquarters : Hyderabad, Telangana

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Vijay Sampla appointed as chairperson of NCSC        

• BJP leader and former Union minister Vijay Sampla has been appointed as the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) for a second time.
• The official order for his appointment was issued by President Ram Nath Kovind.
• Sampla had resigned as the NCSC chairman ahead of the Punjab elections and had contested the polls.

About Vijay Sampla :

• Vijay Sampla, a prominent Dalit politician from Punjab, began his political career in 1998 as the Sarpanch of Sofipind village in Jalandhar Cantonment.
• He was the Chairman of Punjab Khadi Board from 2008-2012 and the Chairman of Punjab State Forest Development Corporation in 2014.
• Then he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Hoshiarpur, Punjab, and became a Union minister in 2015.
• He is a former Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in India from 2014 to 2019 and a former member of parliament from Hoshiarpur (Lok Sabha constituency).

About NCSC :

• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Minister Responsible : Virendra Kumar Khatik
• Vice Chairman : Arun Haldar
• The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is an Indian constitutional body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GoI.
• Article 338 of the Indian constitution deals with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
• Article 338 A deals with the National Commission for Scheduled tribes.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONORS

Ardeshir B K Dubash conferred the Order of Merit in the Diplomatic Service of Peru Jose Gregorio Paz Soldan from Government of Peru

• The former Honorary Consul of Peru in Mumbai, Ardeshir B.K. Dubash, received the Order of “Merit in the Diplomatic Service of Peru José Gregorio Paz Soldán”, the highest distinction conferred by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru.
• The award was conferred by the Ambassador of Peru in India, E. Carlos R. Polo who travelled from Delhi to Mumbai for this special occasion, bringing the decoration issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru, H.E. Cesar Landa.

About Ardeshir B K Dubash :

• Dubash was designated as Honorary Consul of Peru on August 13, 1973.
• His career as Honorary Consul, which spans almost half a century, has seen 14 Presidents of Peru and 15 Ambassadors of Peru to India
• His work has been instrumental in strengthening the image of Peru in India and fostering consular, commercial and cultural ties between both countries.
• The Order of Merit, which was instituted in 2004, takes its name from Jose Gregorio Paz Soldan, a distinguished Peruvian official who established the Peruvian diplomatic service and who held the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs on three different occasions.
• The award is normally reserved for career diplomats who have excelled in their work to promote the democratic, historical and institutional values of the Ministry, and who have made outstanding contributions to Peruvian foreign policy.

About Peru :

• President: Pedro Castillo
• Capital: Lima
• Currency: Sol

CURRENT AFFAIRS : MOU & AGREEMENTS

L&T collaborates with IIT Bombay to develop Green Hydrogen Technology

• Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, to jointly pursue research and development work in the green hydrogen value chain.

About the Agreement :

• Under the agreement, both the institutions would contribute towards development of the Green Hydrogen industry in India while developing technology in this field.
• Through this, L&T’s engineering expertise, product scale-up and commercialisation know-how and IIT Bombay’s cutting-edge research in hydrogen technologies.
• This collaboration with IIT Bombay and its world-class technologists will support the cause of developing indigenous globally competitive technologies and nudge India towards Aatmanirbhar in green hydrogen technology.

About Green Hydrogen :

• Hydrogen when produced through an electrolysis process using renewable energy is known as green hydrogen which has no carbon footprint.

About Green Hydrogen Policy :

• In February 2022, the central government notified the green hydrogen policy aimed at boosting the production of green hydrogen and green ammonia to help the nation become a global hub for the environmentally friendly version of the molecule.

About L&T  :

• Founded: 7 February 1938
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Anil Manibhai Naik
• CEO & MD : S N Subrahmanyan

Google signs MoU with Telangana govt to provide digital training solutions

• Tech giant Google signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Telangana government to bring benefits of digital economy to the youth and women entrepreneurs in the state, and kicked off the ground-up development of its three million square foot building in Telangana.
• A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed in the presence of IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao, Country Head and Vice-President of Google India Sanjay Gupta, Principal Secretary for ITE&C Jayesh Ranjan and others.

About the MoU :

• Under the new initiative, Google will collaborate with the government through its various arms to extend scholarships for Google Career Certificates to Telangana’s youth, support women entrepreneurs through digital, business and financial skills training, and strengthen the government’s school modernisation efforts with digital teaching and learning tools and solutions.
• As part of the joint effort, the US-based company will also support the state government’s efforts to improve public transportation and use of digital technologies in agriculture.

About Google :

• Founded : September 4, 1998
• Headquarters : California, US
• CEO: Sundar Pichai
• Founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin

About Telangana :

• Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
• Capital: Hyderabad
• Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao

NTPC Inks MoU with Energy Vault for Gravity-based Energy Storage Technology

• The largest power generating utility in India, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Energy Vault to formalise a long-term strategic partnership for deploying the NYSE-listed firm’s gravity-based energy storage technology and software solutions to support the state-run power genco’s clean energy transition.

Objective of the MOU :

• To collaborate and formalise a long-term strategic partnership for deployment of Energy Vault’s EVx™, a gravity-based energy storage technology and software solutions based on the outcome of a joint feasibility study.
• The technology also offers beneficial utilization of coal ash for manufacturing composite blocks for Energy Vault’s gravity-based energy storage system.
• The collaboration with Energy Vault will help NTPC in furthering its energy transition goals through a sustainable approach by way of utilizing coal ash for the manufacturing of composite blocks.

About NTPC Limited :

• Founded : 7 November 1975
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi,India
• Chairman & MD : Gurdeep Singh
• It is a statutory corporation incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 and is under the ownership of the Ministry of Power, GoI.

About Energy Vault :

• Founded : 2017
• Headquarters : Lugano, Switzerland
• Chairman, Co-Founder and CEO : Robert Piconi

IFSCA Signs MoU with National Insurance Academy (NIA)

• The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has signed an MoU with the National Insurance Academy to provide a skilled talent pool in the insurance sector.

Aim :

• To develop a strong global connection and focus on the needs of the Indian economy as well as to serve as an international financial platform at regional and global level.
• The MoU endeavours to build required skilled manpower for the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
• To address needs of IFSC Insurance entities, IFSCA had already executed an MoU with Insurance Institute of India (III).

About IFSCA :

• Established on April 27, 2020 under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019.
• Headquarters : GIFT City, Gandhinagar,Gujarat
• The IFSCA is a unified authority for the development and regulation of financial products, financial services and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in India.

About NIA :

• Established : 1980
• Located at : Pune, Maharashtra
• Director : Mr. G Srinivasan
• The National Insurance Academy (NIA) is a premium institution devoted to equipping the insurance industry with the best of talents.
• NIA has been involved in devising and continuously upgrading the curriculums and imparting the training program in the insurance industry in India to meet the needs of the ever-dynamic insurance sector.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Department of Posts starts providing NPS services through online mode:

• Department of Posts has started providing the National Pension Scheme, NPS, services through online mode.
• Any Citizen of India in the age group of 18 to 70 years can avail this online facility by visiting the website www.indiapost.gov.in under the menu head “National Pension System – Online Services.”
• Facilities like new registration, initial or subsequent contribution and SIP options under NPS Online are available to the customers at minimum charges and NPS service charge is amongst the lowest.
• The subscriber is also eligible for tax deduction in NPS as per declaration made by Ministry of Finance time to time under section 80CCD1(B).
• Till 25th of April, the Department of Posts was providing the National Pension Scheme, a voluntary Pension Scheme of Government of India managed by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority through its designated Post Offices since 2010 through physical process system.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Asian Wrestling Championships 2022: India finished with 17 medals:

• India finished with a total tally of 17 medals, one gold, five silvers and 11 bronze, 35th edition of Asian Wrestling Championships 2022 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Tokyo Olympian Deepak Punia won the men’s freestyle 86kg silver while Viky bagged a bronze in the 92kg category at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2022 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Tokyo medallist Ravi Kumar Dahiya won the solitary gold in the men’s 57kg weight class.
• In 2021, India had won 14 Medals out of Five gold.

Indian medallists at Asian Wrestling Championships 2022:

• Greco Roman
• Sunil Kumar (87kg) – bronze
• Arjun Halakurki (55kg) – bronze
• Neeraj (63kg) – bronze
• Harpreet Singh (82kg) – bronze
• Sachin Sahrawat (67kg) – bronze

Women’s freestyle

• Sarita Mor (59kg) – bronze
• Sushma Shokeen (55kg) – bronze
• Manisha (62kg) – bronze
• Anshu Malik (57kg) – silver
• Radhika (65kg) – silver

Men’s freestyle

• Ravi Kumar Dahiya (57kg) – gold
• Bajrang Punia (65kg) – silver
• Gourav Baliyan (79kg) – silver
• Naveen (70kg) – bronze
• Satywart Kadian (97kg) – bronze
• Deepak Punia (86kg) – silver
• Viky (92kg) – bronze

2022 Asian Wrestling Championships Medals Table:

Rank	Country	Total
1	Japan	21
2	Iran	15
3	Kazakhstan	21
5	India	17

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Former Indian women’s hockey team captain Elvera Britto passes away:

• Former Indian women’s hockey team captain Elvera Britto died due to old age-related problems.
• She was 81.
• He led Karnataka’s domestic team to win seven national titles.
• She represented India against Australia, Sri Lanka and Japan.
• In 1965, Elvera became only the second woman hockey player to be conferred with the Arjuna Award after Anne Lumsden (1961).

Former CM of Meghalaya J.D. Rymbai passes away:

• Meghalaya’s former chief minister D. Rymbai died after a brief illness.
• He was 83.
• He entered active politics in 1983 and contested elections to the legislative assembly of Meghalaya on the Congress party ticket from the Jirang constituency successfully.
• In 1993, he was elected the speaker of the Meghalaya Assembly.
• Since 1998, he has held charge of several ministries in the government.
• He was regarded as a loyalist of the 2003-2006 chief minister D.D. Lapang.
• After dissidence over Lapang’s leadership in 2006, he replaced Lapang as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya in 2006 for a year.
• Rymbai resigned from the Assembly and from the Congress party in 2008.

Daily CA On April 30^th:

• World Stationery Day is celebrated every year on the last Wednesday of April.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Semicon India Conference-2022.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Global Patidar Business Summit (GPBS) in Surat Gujarat via video conferencing.
• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Samba district of Jammu division has become the first district in India to cover 100% households under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY)- SEHAT scheme.
• Department of Posts has started providing the National Pension Scheme, NPS, services through online mode.
• Jamtara in Jharkhand has become the only district in the country where all gram panchayats have community libraries.
• Agra has become the first city in the country to have vacuum-based sewer systems used in public places.
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is expanding its strategic partnership with SBI Cards and Payments Services Ltd., India’s largest pure-play credit card issuer, to power the latter’s next leg of digital transformation.
• Bank of Baroda has launched a new feature ‘bob World Gold’on its bob World mobile banking platform designed especially for seniors and the elderly.
• Pencilton, a teen-focused fintech startup, has launched PencilKey, a Nationwide Widespread Mobility Card (NCMC) compliant RuPay contactless keychain, in partnership with Nationwide Funds Company of India (NPCI) and Transcorp.
• BJP leader and former Union minister Vijay Sampla has been appointed as the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) for a second time.
• The former Honorary Consul of Peru in Mumbai, Ardeshir B.K. Dubash, received the Order of “Merit in the Diplomatic Service of Peru José Gregorio Paz Soldán”, the highest distinction conferred by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru.
• Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, to jointly pursue research and development work in the green hydrogen value chain.
• Tech giant Google signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Telangana government to bring benefits of digital economy to the youth and women entrepreneurs in the state, and kicked off the ground-up development of its three million square foot building in Telangana.
• The largest power generating utility in India, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Energy Vault to formalise a long-term strategic partnership for deploying the NYSE-listed firm’s gravity-based energy storage technology and software solutions to support the state-run power genco’s clean energy transition.
• The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has signed an MoU with the National Insurance Academy to provide a skilled talent pool in the insurance sector.
• India finished with a total tally of 17 medals, one gold, five silvers and 11 bronze, 35th edition of Asian Wrestling Championships 2022 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Former Indian women’s hockey team captain Elvera Britto died due to old age-related problems.
• Meghalaya’s former chief minister D. Rymbai died after a brief illness.