Daily Current Affairs October 15 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

Global Handwashing Day: October 15

• Global Handwashing Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October.
• Hand washing is such a basic habit, but it can change everything and save lives.
• Global Handwashing Day 2022 theme is, “Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene.”
• The Global Handwashing Partnership established Global Handwashing Day as a chance to develop and put into practise original strategies for inspiring people to wash their hands with soap, particularly in times of need.
• In 2008, the first Global Handwashing Day was observed.

International Day of Rural Women: October 15

• International Day of Rural Women 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022.
• This day serves as a reminder that millions of women in isolated rural communities still require our assistance.
• There are several methods to reach out and improve the lives of these women, from providing necessities to financial aid.
• It was proposed to empower and recognize women in 1995 during the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.
• To recognize the importance of rural women to agriculture, food production, and food safety, it was suggested that October 15 be observed as International Day of Rural Women.
• October 15 will be recognized yearly as International Day of Rural Women globally, according to a resolution 62/136 passed by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 2007.

White Cane Safety Day: October 15

• White Cane Safety Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022.
• This day is dedicated to visually impaired people
• This day is a chance to connect with others that might need your assistance.
• On White Cane Safety Day, you can participate in gatherings and activities that will benefit persons who are blind or visually impaired.
• James Biggs, a photographer from Bristol, came up with the concept of white canes.
• Biggs had an accident in 1921 that left him blind.
• During that time, there were more cars on the road, so Biggs decided to paint his cane white to make himself more visible to drivers and other pedestrians.
• White Cane Safety Day was established annually on October 15 by a joint resolution that President Lyndon B. Johnson and the U.S. Congress signed on October 6, 1964.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day: October 15

• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022.
• The purpose of this day is to increase awareness, remembrance, and support for the 1 in 4 people and families whose lives are reportedly irreversibly changed by the death of their child(ren) during pregnancy, delivery, or infancy.
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (PAILRD) is a memorial day that is annually honored on October 15 in the United States and Canada.
• To honor, commemorate, and remember infants who have died from miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, and other causes of baby loss, the day was created in 2002.
• Robyn Bear, Lisa Brown, and Tammy Novak started the movement by petitioning the federal government to recognize the particular day on October 15.
• On September 28, 2006, the House of Representatives finally approved National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.
• The month of October had previously been declared to be Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month by President Ronald Reagan.

World Students Day: October 15

• World Students Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022, to honor the birthday of our former president, the late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
• In 2010, World Students Day was established by the United Nations.
• In honor of former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam, who was born on the same day in 1931, October 15 of each year is observed as World Students’ Day.
• The purpose of the day is to honor Kalam’s contributions to education and students
• Early in his life, Kalam studied science and physics.
• He was born in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
• Through his insightful lectures, Kalam devoted his life to teaching and encouraging students to become the best versions of themselves.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Anurag Thakur has launched WADA Athlete Biological Passport Symposium 2022:

• Shri Anurag Thakur, the union minister of Youth Affairs and Sports launched the World Anti-dopping Agency (WADA) Athlete Biological Passport Symposium 2022.
• The event is jointly organized by the National Anti-Dopping Agency and National Dope Testing Laboratory for the first time in India.
• As per Union Minister Anurag Thakur, on the anti-dopping front, the Government has tied up with the National Forensic Science University and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India so that the nutrition supplements can be tested.
• The World Anti-Dopping Agency, WADA had played a significant role in making the sports ecosystem more transparent and NADA executes the same process in India.

About WADA:

• The World Anti-Doping Agency is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic Committee based in Canada to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against drugs in sports.
• Headquarters: Montreal, Canada
• President: Craig Reedie
• Founded: 10 November 1999

Union Cabinet approved the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to give a one-time grant amounting to Rs 22,000 crore:

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to give a one-time grant amounting to Rs 22,000 crore to three Public Sector Undertaking Oil Marketing Companies (PSU OMCs).
• The grant will be distributed among Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL).
• The approval will help the PSU OMCs to continue their commitment to the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, ensuring unhindered domestic LPG supplies and also supporting the procurement of Make in India products.
• Domestic LPG Cylinders are supplied at regulated prices to consumers by the public sector Oil Marketing companies namely, IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL.

Union Cabinet approved a 6600-crore scheme for developing India’s north-eastern states:

• The Union Cabinet approved a ₹6600 crore scheme for developing India’s northeastern states.
• The scheme, Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE), will apply for the remaining four years of the 15th Finance Commission from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
• PM-DevINE will function as a Central Sector Scheme with full 100% funding provided by the union government.
• The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) will implement the scheme.
• The PM-DevINE project will provide support to infrastructure and social development projects which require larger outlays.
• PM-DevINE will be implemented by the Ministry of DoNER through North Eastern Council or Central Ministries/ agencies.
• Measures would be taken to ensure adequate operation and maintenance of the projects sanctioned under PM-DevINE so that they are sustainable
• The objectives of PM-DevINE are to:

(a) Fund infrastructure convergently, in the spirit of PM Gati Shakti;

(b) Support social development projects based on the felt needs of the NER;

(c) Enable livelihood activities for youth and women;

(d) Fill the development gaps in various sectors.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Textiles Committee signs Cooperation Agreement with UNEP to promote Sustainability and Circularity in Textile Value Chain

• The Textiles Committee (TC) of the Government of India (GoI) has entered into a Cooperation Agreement with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on “Mainstreaming Sustainability & Circularity in the Textiles Sector” to promote Sustainability and Circularity in Textile Value Chain in
• The Cooperation Agreement was exchanged between the Secretary of Textiles Committee Ajit B Chavan and Head of UNEP India Country Office Atul Bagai in presence of Secretary (Textiles) U.P. Singh.

Key Highlights :

• A one-day Stakeholders Consultation on “Sustainability in the Textile Value Chain (TVC) in India” was also organized in New Delhi to commemorate World Cotton Day, 2022 (Oct 07)
• The Textile Value Chain (TVC) plays an important role in the world economy but at the same time is also adversely contributing to the environment.
• According to estimates, the global textile industry emits 1.20 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year and it is estimated that every second an equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is either burnt or landfilled.
• India is also experiencing the challenge of balancing its growth in TVC with sustainability in the production & consumption of
• The UNEP India and Textiles Committee have joined hands to support the Textile, Trade & Industry on this endeavor with proactive support and guidance of Prajakta Verma, Joint Secretary Fibre who is heading the newly created Sustainability Cell in the Ministry of Textiles.

About Ministry of Textiles :

• Minister of Textiles: Piyush Goyal

About UNEP :

• Established: 5 June 1972
• Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
• Executive Director: Inger Andersen

UNICEF & Pure earth report reveals India bears the world’s highest health and economic burden due to lead poisoning

• According to the 2020 report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and non-profit Pure Earth had found India is home to a major chunk of the 800 million children poisoned by lead globally.
• The report, prepared jointly by the government think tank National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), was published in July 2022.

Key Highlights :

• According to the report, among the Indian States Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh had the highest average blood lead levels (BLL).
• These states account for 40% of India’s population that is plagued with this poor health indicator.
• India accounted for 275,561,163 of the 800 million children suffering from lead poisoning globally.
• In India, 23 states have an average Blood Lead Level (BLL) that exceeds 5 micrograms per decilitre (μg / dl) & 4.9  (μg / dl).
• The statistics are worrying on a national level with the average for the country being 4.9 μg / dl for children less than two years old.
• CSIR and NITI Ayog assessed 89 data sets from 36 studies carried out between 1970 and 2014 to corroborate the findings of the Unicef report.

About UNICEF :

• Established: December 11, 1946
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Executive Director: Catherine Russell
• UNICEF is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.

About Pure Earth :

• Establishment: 1999
• Global Headquarters: New York, United States
• India Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
• President: Richard Fuller
• Pure Earth is an international not-for-profit organization that works to identify, clean up, and solve pollution problems in low- and middle-income countries.

PwC partners with Coursera to address the skill gap in the taxation space

• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the professional services firm has partnered with Coursera, an online learning platform to handle India’s present and future talent hole within the taxation house.

Aim :

• To achieve skilling at scale and create greater employment opportunities.
• The skilled companies agency has partnered with the web studying platform to construct two entry-level skilled certificates Goods & Service Tax (GST) Tax Govt and Direct Tax Govt.
• The entry-level professional certificates will take about 24 weeks to complete enabling learners to learn while pursuing other education or work opportunities simultaneously.
• Through projects and instruction, the certificates will provide learners with a foundational understanding of the GST and direct tax practices, equipping them with the knowledge required for a beginner role in the field.
• The courses will be launched in September 2022 and early 2023.
• PwC is also working with Coursera to establish a ‘Tax Academy’, a knowledge hub that will equip India’s taxation professionals.

About Coursera :

• Founded: 2012
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, U.S
• CEO : Jeff Maggioncalda

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

India’s first sanctuary for endangered Slender Loris to be set up in Tamil Nadu

• The Tamil Nadu government has notified the Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary, the first Indian sanctuary for the endangered Slender Loris in Karur and Dindigul districts.

About Slender Loris :

• Slender Lorises are native to India and Sri Lanka.
• Their genus comprises two species, the red slender loris found in Sri Lanka and the gray slender loris which is found both in India and in Sri Lanka.
• According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Slender Loris is listed as an endangered species.
• The survival of the species depends on its habitat improvement, conservation efforts, and mitigation of threats.
• They have a lifespan of approximately 15 years and generally feed on insects, reptiles, plant shoots, and fruit.
• These mammals are also protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, of 1972.

About Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary :

• A total of 11,806 hectares in the forest areas of the Karur (5,700 ha) and Dindigul (6,106 ha) districts will be merged to form the Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary.
• The sanctuary is to cover Vedasandur, Dindigul East, and Natham taluks in the Dindigul district and Kadavur taluk in the Karur district.
• The government has already notified India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay, Kazhuveli Birds Sanctuary in Villupuram, Agasthiarmalai Elephants Reserve, and Nanjarayan Tank Birds Sanctuary, Tiruppur.

About Tamil Nadu :

• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Chief minister: M. K. Stalin
• Capital: Chennai
• Dance : Bharatnatyam, Karakattam
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve: Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Annamalai Tiger Reserve
• National Park: Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Mukurthi National Park, Amirthi Zoological Park

Center grants three Bulk Drug Parks to Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh

• The Department of Pharmaceuticals has conveyed ‘in-principle’ approval to the proposals of the three States Viz, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh under the Scheme for “Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks”, a key initiative to support Bulk Drugs manufacturing in India.

Aim :

• To bring down the cost of manufacturing bulk drugs by the creation of world-class common infrastructure facilities supported by the Central Government.
• The financial assistance to the proposed Bulk Drug Park in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh would be 70% of the project cost of common infrastructure facilities.
• In the case of Himachal Pradesh, being the Hilly States, financial assistance would be 90% of the project cost.
• Maximum assistance under the scheme for one Bulk Drug Park would be limited to 1000 crores.

About the Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks Scheme :

• The Scheme, with a financial outlay of Rs. 3,000 crores notified in 2020, provides financial assistance to 3 States for establishing Bulk Drug Parks.
• Under the scheme, proposals were received from 13 States.
• Under this scheme, a total of 51 projects have been approved, out of which, 14 projects have already been commissioned and started manufacturing the drugs.
• The Department was guided by an Advisory Committee under the CEO, NITI Aayog in the appraisal of the proposals, based on quantitative as well as qualitative methodology.
• The scheme will also help the industry meet the standards of the environment at a reduced cost through innovative methods of the common waste management system.

Key Highlights :

• The Indian Pharmaceutical industry is the 3rd largest in the world by volume.
• India exported pharmaceuticals worth 1,75,040 crore in the financial year 2021-22, including Bulk Drugs/ Drug Intermediates.
• Also, India is one of the major producers of Active Pharma Ingredients (API) or bulk drugs in the world.
• India exported Bulk Drugs/ Drug Intermediates worth Rs. 33,320 crores in the financial year 2021-22.
• As per the proposals submitted by these States, the Bulk Drugs will be established in44 acres of land at Tehsil Haroli, District Una, Himachal Pradesh, 2015.02 acres of land at Tehsil Jambusar, District Bharuch, Gujarat, and 2000.45 acres of land at K.P. Puram &Kodhada of Thondagi Mandal of East Godavari District, AP.

About Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers :

• Cabinet Minister : Mansukh L. Mandaviya
• Minister of State: Bhagwanth Khuba

Leh in Ladakh all set to host 1st-ever Mountain Bicycle World Cup

• Ladakh Police in collaboration with the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh, and the Cycling Association of India organized the first-ever Mountain Bicycle (MTB) World Cup – the ‘UCI MTB Eliminator World Cup in Leh, Ladak, India.
• The event will be flagged off by the Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Leh CEC Tashi Gyaltson, and Ladakh ADGP SS Khandare.
• The UCI MTB Eliminator World Cup is going to be a short track race with Cross Country Eliminator, XCE, the format of 500 meters with natural and artificial obstacles.
• A total of 20 international, 55 national, and local cyclists are going to participate in the upcoming event.
• Since the UCI MTB Eliminator World Cup is going to be held for the first time in India, all cyclists are excited about the event.
• The winner of the Men Elite Category -Cross-Country Eliminator- is Felix Klausmann (Germany) & Winner of the Men Elite Category -Cross-Country Eliminator is Marion Fromberger (Germany).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

Paytm partners with Jana Small Finance Bank for the deployment of card devices

• One97 Communications Limited (OCL), which owns the brand Paytm, has partnered with Jana Small Finance Bank to deploy card machines to further drive digitisation among merchants across India.
• With this partnership, Paytm and Jana Small Finance Bank will further drive the digital payments revolution in

About the Partnership :

• The partnership will enable Jana Small Finance Bank bank to extend Paytm’s All-in-one Electronic Data Capture (EDC) machines to its existing and potential customers, providing a one-stop solution for all their digital payment needs.
• Paytm’s card machine provides multilingual support to its merchant partners to accept payments through UPI, credit/debit cards, net banking, international cards, Paytm Postpaid, Paytm Wallet, and EMI.
• With over 5 million devices deployed, Paytm continues to be the market leader in offline payments.

About Paytm :

• Founded: August 2010
• Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
• Founder & CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma

About Jana Small Finance Bank :

• Founded: 2018
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• CEO: Ajay Kanwal

SBI first bank to achieve this milestone, home loan AUM crosses ₹6 trillion

• India’s largest home loan provider, the State Bank of India (SBI) continues to lead the Home Loan segment and has surpassed ₹6 trillion in Assets Under Management (AUM). 

Aim :

• To make home loans affordable for all prospective buyers amidst the ongoing festive season.
• SBI has launched the Festive Bonanza for its home loan buyers.
• The bank crossed ₹5 trillion mark in January 2021.
• As a part of the Festive Bonanza, SBI will offer a concession of up to 0.25% on Home Loans, 0.15% on Top Up Loans, and 0.30% on Loan Against Property.
• The bank has further waived the processing fees on home loans till January 31, 2023.

About SBI :

• Founded: 1 July 1955
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara
• Tagline: The Banker to Every Indian

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation retail inflation rose to 7.41 %:

• IMF has lowered its forecast of growth for India to 6.8% and highlighted the threat of inflation, the retail inflation rose to a 5-month high of 7.41 percent in September from 7 percent in August, data released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• The rise in inflation in September was driven by higher food prices, with food inflation surging to 8.6 percent from 7.62 percent in August.
• This is the 9th month in a row that inflation is above the RBI mark and it does not look likely to come down any time soon.
• Separately, India’s factory output, measured through the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), witnessed a contraction of (-) 0.8 percent in August, the data showed.

Hero MotoCorp launched its first electric scooter worldwide:

• Hero MotoCorp, India’s largest two-wheeler maker, launched its first electric scooter worldwide, as it looks to catch up with newer firms who have taken the lead in the country’s clean mobility push.
• The new Hero Vida V1 electric scooter will be offered in two variants, which are Vida V1 Plus and Vida V1 Pro.
• It would be first launched in New Delhi, Jaipur, and Bangalore and the deliveries of this electric scooter will start in the second week of December.
• Hero MotoCorp Limited, formerly Hero Honda, is an Indian multinational motorcycle and scooter manufacturer headquartered in New Delhi.
• Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO at Hero Moto Corp.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

BHEL has signed an MoU with CIL and NLCIL for setting up Coal Gasification based plants:

• Aimed at gainfully utilizing the country’s vast reserves of coal & lignite, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has entered into strategic MoUs with Coal India Limited (CIL) and NLC India Limited (NLCIL) for setting up Coal Gasification based plants.
• Under these MoUs, BHEL will jointly set up a Coal to Ammonium Nitrate Project with CIL based on the gasification of high ash Indian coal, and a lignite-based gasification pilot plant with NLCIL for power generation, utilizing BHEL’s indigenously-developed Pressurised Fluidised Bed Gasification (PFBG) technology.
• Significantly, this will be a breakthrough step towards meeting the National Coal Gasification Mission target of 100 Million MT.
• BHEL is a pioneer in the development of indigenous coal gasification technology, i.e. PFBG, and has successfully gasified high-ash Indian coals.
• This technology was earlier utilized to establish a 6.2 MWe IGCC-based Combined Cycle Plant at BHEL Trichy.
• The company has already successfully set up India’s first high-ash Indian coal to Methanol (0.25 TPD) pilot plant at its Corp.
• R&D, Hyderabad, which was dedicated to the nation by the Hon’ble Minister of Heavy Industries in January 2022.

IIT Kharagpur & ONGC signed an MOU to strengthen the industrial and interdisciplinary research:

• To strengthen the industrial and interdisciplinary research in cost-effective exploration activities, IIT Kharagpur has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with an institute of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
• Under this MoU, the two institutes will take on several developmental projects and research projects in drilling, drilling fluids, cementing fluids and completion fluids, etc.
• The MoU between IIT Kharagpur and the Institute of Drilling Technology, Dehradun was signed earlier in the week.
• The collaboration will bring forth the industrial and interdisciplinary research initiatives that are currently being undertaken at the Deysarkar Centre of Excellence in Petroleum Engineering (DCEPE).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Karur Vysya Bank re-appoints Mr. KG Mohan as Non-Executive Independent Director

• Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has re-appointed Mr. KG Mohan as its non-executive independent director for the 2nd term of three years on its board.
• The first term of Mohan was completed on October 11, 2022.

About KVB :

• Founded: 1916
• Headquarters: Karur, Tamil Nadu
• MD & CEO: Mr. Ramesh Babu
• Tagline: Smart Way to Bank
• KVB is a Scheduled Commercial Bank in India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

NSDL Acquires 5.6% Stake in ONDC for INR 10 crore

• National Securities Depository (NSDL) has acquired a 5.6% stake in the digital commerce platform Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
• The  NDSL has invested 10 crores to buy 1 million shares which translates to a 5.6% equity stake.

About NSDL :

• Founded: 1996
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO : Padmaja Chunduru
• It was the first electronic securities depository in India with national coverage.

About ONDC :

• Founded: December 31, 2021
• ONDC is a private non-profit Section 8 company established by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Government of India.

Aim :

• To provide a digital platform that aggregates sellers and buyers of various goods.

Daily CA on October 15:

• Global Handwashing Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October.
• International Day of Rural Women 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022.
• White Cane Safety Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022.
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022.
• World Students Day 2022 is observed on the 15th of October 2022, to honour the birthday of our former president, the late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
• Shri Anurag Thakur, the union minister of Youth Affairs and Sports launched the World Anti-dopping Agency (WADA) Athlete Biological Passport Symposium 2022.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to give a one-time grant amounting to Rs 22,000 crore to three Public Sector Undertaking Oil Marketing Companies (PSU OMCs).
• The Union Cabinet approved a ₹6600 crore scheme for developing India’s northeastern states.
• IMF has lowered its forecast of growth for India to 6.8% and highlighted the threat of inflation, the retail inflation rose to a 5-month high of 7.41 percent in September from 7 percent in August, data released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• Hero MotoCorp, India’s largest two-wheeler maker, launched its first electric scooter worldwide, as it looks to catch up with newer firms who have taken the lead in the country’s clean mobility push.
• Aimed at gainfully utilizing the country’s vast reserves of coal & lignite, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has entered into strategic MoUs with Coal India Limited (CIL) and NLC India Limited (NLCIL) for setting up Coal Gasification based plants.
• To strengthen the industrial and interdisciplinary research in cost-effective exploration activities, IIT Kharagpur has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with an institute of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
• The Textiles Committee (TC) of the Government of India (GoI) has entered into a Cooperation Agreement with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on “Mainstreaming Sustainability & Circularity in the Textiles Sector” to promote Sustainability and Circularity in Textile Value Chain in
• According to the 2020 report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and non-profit Pure Earth had found India is home to a major chunk of the 800 million children poisoned by lead globally.
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the professional services firm has partnered with Coursera, an online learning platform to handle India’s present and future talent hole within the taxation house.
• The Tamil Nadu government has notified the Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary, the first Indian sanctuary for the endangered Slender Loris in Karur and Dindigul districts.
• The Department of Pharmaceuticals has conveyed ‘in-principle’ approval to the proposals of the three States Viz, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh under the Scheme for “Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks”, a key initiative to support Bulk Drugs manufacturing in India.
• Ladakh Police in collaboration with the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh, and the Cycling Association of India organized the first-ever Mountain Bicycle (MTB) World Cup – the ‘UCI MTB Eliminator World Cup in Leh, Ladak, India.
• One97 Communications Limited (OCL), which owns the brand Paytm, has partnered with Jana Small Finance Bank to deploy card machines to further drive digitisation among merchants across India.
• India’s largest home loan provider, the State Bank of India (SBI) continues to lead the Home Loan segment and has surpassed ₹6 trillion in Assets Under Management (AUM). 
• Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has re-appointed Mr. KG Mohan as its non-executive independent director for the 2nd term of three years on its board.
• National Securities Depository (NSDL) has acquired a 5.6% stake in the digital commerce platform Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).