Daily Current Affairs 15 July 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
NATIONAL NEWS
Punjab Govt Announces Waiver of Rs 590 Cr of Loans of Labourers, Landless Farmers
The Punjab government announced waiver of Rs 590 crore worth of loans under the farm debt waiver scheme for labourers and the landless farming community.
- The Punjab government will pay off loans to the tune of Rs 520 crore of 2,85,325 members of the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS), thus ensuring a relief of Rs 20,000 per member, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said.
Union Cabinet hikes DA for Central government employees to 28 percent
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval to hike the Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners from existing 17 per cent of the Basic Pay and Pension to 28 per cent. It will be effective from 1st of this month.
- The Union Cabinet also approved continuation of Rebate of State and Central taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) on exports of Apparel, Garments and Made-ups. Mr Anurag Tahakur said that the scheme will continue till the 31st of March 2024 and the step will boost export in global markets.
- The Cabinet also approved scheme for promotion of flagging of merchant ships in India by providing subsidy support to Indian shipping companies in global tenders floated by Ministries and Central Public Sector Enterprises.
CCEA approves implementation of special livestock sector package
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved implementation of special livestock sector package consisting of several activities by revising and realigning various components of Government of India’s schemes for next five years starting from 2021-22.
- The step will further boost growth in livestock sector and thereby making animal husbandry more remunerative to 10 crore farmers engaged in Animal Husbandry Sector.
Cabinet approves continuation of National AYUSH Mission as Centrally-sponsored Scheme
The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of National AYUSH Mission as a Centrally-sponsored Scheme from 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2026 with financial implication of nearly four thousand 607 crore rupees.
- Out of it, three thousand crore rupees will be as Central share and 1,607 crore rupees as State share. The Mission was launched on 15th September 2014.
Assam launches scheme to provide ₹2.5 lakh aid to Covid widows
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a scheme wherein social and financial security would be provided to women who have lost their husbands to the coronavirus disease.
- Under the ‘Chief Minister’s COVID-19 Widows Support Scheme’, a one-time assistance of ₹2.5 lakh each will be given to such women whose family income is less than ₹5 lakh.
- Beneficiaries of ‘Orunodoi’ and ‘Widow Pension’ programmes are also eligible for the one-time financial assistance under the ‘Chief Minister’s COVID-19 Widows Support Scheme’.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
2021 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World – Report
The annual UN-FAO report titled “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021” states that between 720 and 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020, which is around 161 million more than in 2019.
- The report was jointly produced by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Keypoints of the report:
- Asia: 418 million (More than half of world hunger population)
- Africa: 282 million (One-third)
- Latin America and the Caribbean: 60 million
- Nearly 2.37 billion people did not have access to adequate food in 2020, an increase of 320 million people over 2019.
- Children under 5 affected by stunting (low height-for-age): 22.0 percent (149.2 million)
- Children under 5 affected by wasting (low weight-for-height): 6.7 per cent (45.4 million)
- Children under 5 who are overweight (high weight-for-height): 5.7 per cent (38.9 million)
- Percentage of women of reproductive age affected by anaemia: 29.9%
- Percentage of infants aged below 6 months who were exclusively breastfed: 44%.
EAM Jaishankar unveils Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Georgia
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Georgia at a prominent park.
- During his two-day visit to Georgia, a strategically important country situated at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Jaishankar held talks with the country’s top leadership and also handed over the relics of 17th century St. Queen Ketevan to the government and the people of Georgia at a ceremony in Tbilisi.
BANKING & FINANCE
Bhutan becomes first neighbouring country to use BHIM UPI
BHIM UPI, the Indian government’s digital payment app, was launched in Bhutan via a virtual ceremony by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Bhutanese counterpart Lyonpo Namgay Tshering.
- Bhutan becomes the first country, in India’s immediate neighbourhood, to use the BHIM app for mobile-based payments and “to adopt UPI standards for its QR deployment”.
- The services have started in Bhutan under India’s neighbourhood first policy and India is proud of our achievement and feel pleasure in sharing it with our valued neighbour.
NARCL incorporated with authorised capital of Rs 100 crore
The National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) became a legal entity now and has been registered with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) Mumbai.
- As per the data available with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), NARCL was assimilated on July 7 with an authorised capital of Rs 100 crore and paid-up capital of Rs 74.6 crore. The Indian Banks Association (IBA) is likely to approach the RBI.
Exim Bank lends $35.26 mn for Senegal power project executed by Kalpataru
Export Import (Exim) Bank of India said it has extended a USD 35.26 million loan for a power transmission project being executed by Kalpataru Power Transmission in Senegal.
- The buyer’s credit facility was extended under the National Export Insurance Account (NEIA) scheme, which provides a safe mode of financing option to Indian project exporters backed by cover from NEIA Trust.
- The bank signed a credit agreement with the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Co-operation of the Republic of Senegal for the purpose of construction and installation of 225 kV overhead transmission line from Tanaff to Ziguinchor (approximate distance 92 km) and bay extensions in Tanaff and Ziguinchor in Senegal.
Equitas SFB gets RBI nod to apply for amalgamation of promoter into itself
Equitas Holdings, the promoter of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB), said the bank has received Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) nod to apply for amalgamation of the promoter into itself.
- As per the SFB licensing guidelines of RBI, a promoter of SFB can exit or to cease to be a promoter after the mandatory initial lock-in period of five years (initial promoter lock-in) depending on RBI’s regulatory and supervisory comfort and SEBI regulations at that time.
RBI Bars Mastercard from Acquiring New Customers in India from July 22
The Reserve Bank barred Mastercard Asia Pacific from onboarding new credit, debit and prepaid card customers with effect from July 22 as it failed to comply with data storage norms.
- The supervisory action will not impact existing customers of Mastercard, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said.
RBI launches ‘RBI Retail Direct’ scheme to aid investment in govt securities by individuals
The Reserve Bank issued a scheme ‘RBI Retail Direct’, a one-stop solution to facilitate investment in government securities by individual investors.
- No fee will be charged for opening and maintaining ‘Retail Direct Gilt account’ with the RBI. However, fee for payment gateway, as applicable, will be borne by the registered investor.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Delhi Govt Joins Hands with Google to Give Real-time Info About Buses to Commuters
The Delhi government joined hands with tech giant Google to provide real-time information about buses to commuters and make public transport in the national capital more user friendly.
- With this partnership with Google Maps, Delhi joins the league of global cities that provide seamless, real-time information about public transport.
SPORTS
AR Rahman and Ananya Birla launch Tokyo Olympics cheer song ‘Hindustani Way’
Singer Ananya Birla has teamed up with music maestro AR Rahman to launch a cheer song for Indian sports personalities as they gear up for Tokyo Olympics. Titled “Hindustani Way”, the song has been sung by Ananya and composed by Rahman.
- The video of the song follows a family from 1996 to the present day as they cheer for Indian sports personalities across different Olympic seasons. The video features archival footage from Atlanta (1996), Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), London (2012), Rio (2016) and some exclusive training footage of this year’s contingent.
APPOINTMENTS
Vietnam appoints first honorary Consul General in India
Industrialist N.S. Srinivasa Murthy based in Bengaluru has been appointed as Honorary Consul General of Vietnam for Karnataka.
- He is the first honorary consul general of Vietnam from India and the 19th across the world. He is the third Consul General to be appointed globally this year.
OBITUARIES
Former Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain passes away
Former president of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain passed away, after a prolonged illness. He was 80.
- Hussain, who was born in Agra in 1940 and migrated with his parents to Pakistan in 1947, served as the 12th President of Pakistan between September 2013 and September 2018.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
VP Venkaiah Naidu releases book ‘Palleku Pattabhishekam’ on rural India and agriculture
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released the book titled ‘Palleku Pattabhishekam’ on rural India and agriculture.
- The book has written by former MP Shri Yalamanchili Sivaji.
‘The Great Big Lion’: Book By 3-Year-Old Canadian Girl Releases in India
The book titled ‘The Great Big Lion’drawn and written by child prodigy Chryseis Knight, is a story about a lion and two children. It talks about friendship, inclusivity, wildlife conservation and the world of imagination.
- Earlier published independently abroad, the book was released for the first time in India under Penguin Random House India’s “Puffin” imprint.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Youth Skills Day
World Youth Skills Day, observed annually on 15 July, focuses on the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.
- The theme of World Youth Skills Day 2021 is Reimagining Youth Skills Post-Pandemic.