Daily Current Affairs 22nd April, 2023

Daily Current Affairs 22 April 2023 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Bengal tops list of States with most ponds and reservoirs
The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched the first-ever census of water bodies in convergence with the Sixth Minor Irrigation Census (reference year 2017-18), under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme – “Irrigation Census”.

• According to the report, “West Bengal has the highest number of ponds and reservoirs, whereas Andhra Pradesh has highest number of tanks. Tamil Nadu has the highest number of lakes and Maharashtra is the leading state with water conservation schemes.”
• The census also collected data on encroachment of water bodies for the first time.1.6% water bodies are reported to be encroached, out of which 95.4% are in rural areas and remaining 4.6% in urban areas.

NHAI to develop 10,000 kms of ‘Digital Highways’ in India by 2025 
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced plans to develop an integrated network of around 10,000 kilometers of optic fiber cables (OFC) infrastructure across India by the fiscal year 2025. The project will be implemented by NHAI’s special purpose vehicle, National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), which will create utility corridors along the national highways to develop the OFC infrastructure.

• The OFC network will provide internet connectivity to remote regions in India and facilitate the country’s transition to modern telecommunication technologies such as 5G and 6G.
• Pilot tracks for the development of digital highways have already been identified by NHAI, with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and Hyderabad-Bangalore corridor included in the plan.

Uttar Pradesh on track to be first Indian state with 100% EVs in govt depts
In a major push to promote sales and usage of electric vehicles (EVs) in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s government has set a target and has flung into action to convert vehicles used in all government departments into EVs in a phased manner by 2030.

• For this, instructions have been given that all the government departments can purchase EVs on the basis of nomination even without tender, while the purchase of EVs can be spent more than the maximum limit as per the requirement.
• By achieving this target before 2030, Uttar Pradesh can become the first state in the country to have 100 per cent EV in government departments.

Tamil Nadu Assembly passes bill allowing 12-hour work in factories
The Tamil Nadu assembly passed a Bill seeking amendment in the Factories Act, 1948, extending the daily working hours from 8 to 12 hours.

• The Bill will not have any impact on the current 48 hours work-week, and that there will be no changes in terms of weekly holidays and additional wages.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

IIT Madras to set up its first international campus in Tanzania
IIT Madras will set up its first International campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania, with plans to to start the classes by October 2023, said its Director V Kamakoti in his presidential address at IIT Madras’ 64th Institute Day.

• In February, a team of five professors from IIT Madras visited Tanzania and held discussions with various officials on starting the campus.
• This would be the first IIT to be set up in Africa and can be instrumental in growth and nation building of not only Tanzania but of the continent.

New York City tops the list of world’s wealthiest cities 2023
According to a recent report by London-based consultancy Henley & Partners, New York City has been ranked as the world’s wealthiest city in 2023. The second and third spots were claimed by Tokyo in Japan and Silicon Valley’s Bay Area, respectively . London, UK and Singapore placed at 4th and 5th position.

• Notably, Mumbai made it to the 21st spot while Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Hyderabad were also mentioned in the report.
• The rankings were based on the number of resident millionaires (rounded off to the nearest 100) as of December 31, 2022. Interestingly, the top 10 cities were dominated by those in the United States and China, with no European city featuring in the list, except for London.

BANKING & FINANCE

SBI looks to raise $500 million via dollar bonds
SBI has initiated initial discussions with overseas banks to obtain roughly $500 million by releasing bonds in US dollars, complying with regulations under Reg S/144 A.

• The objective behind this action is to gather funds and monitor the upcoming FOMC meeting planned for the first week of May.

InPrime Finserv recognised as Non-Banking Financial Company by RBI
Bangalore-based InPrime Finserv (legal name – STK credit private limited), a financial services start-up catering to the informal economy, has achieved a significant milestone by obtaining a Certificate of Registration (COR) from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).

• With this license, InPrime joins an exclusive group of startups that have received approval from the RBI to build a lending business, achieving this feat in less than five months.

APPOINTMENTS

Star Sports signs Rishabh Pant as ‘Believe Ambassador’
The Walt Disney Company-owned Star Sports has signed cricketer Rishabh Pant as its latest brand ambassador. The company said it also has other cricketers as its ‘Believe Ambassadors’ like Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer.

• Star Sportssaid it only had two ambassadors in 2017. Cricketer Virat Kohli is also part of this association. The ambassadors will represent different parts of the country as well as different IPL Teams.

HSBC India ropes in Virat Kohli as their brand influencer
HSBC India has recently announced Virat Kohli, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, as its brand ambassador. The financial services company said.

• According to the release, the association with Kohli will involve a multi-media campaign that will showcase the benefits of banking with HSBC.The campaign will highlight the value proposition of the bank and demonstrate how HSBC can help customers achieve their financial goals.

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