Daily Current Affairs 23rd & 24th October, 2022

Daily Current Affairs 23 & 24 October 2022 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Government to launch Rs 500 Cr Accelerator Programme for Agri Startups
On the second day of PM Kisan Samman Sammelan at Pusa Mela Ground in Delhi, an Agri startup conclave was organised. Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar was also present, where he announced a major initiative by the government.

• Narendra Tomar said that an accelerator programme of Rs 500 crore will be started for popularizing and taking forward the successful initiatives by agriculture startups. The Agriculture Minister also talked about the linkage that will be created between the organisations like E-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) and the National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED).
• A distinct division will be established inside the Ministry of Agriculture under the leadership of the Joint Secretary for Agriculture Startups. Moreover, a cell will be established to serve as a one-stop shop for Agri Startups, facilitating all necessary connections with certifying bodies, financial institutions, agricultural universities, etc.

Hardeep Puri inaugurated Asia’s largest Compressed Bio Gas plant
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated Asia’s largest Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant in Lehragaga, in Punjab’s Sangrur.

• The plant has been commissioned with a foreign direct investment of approximately Rs. 220 crores by Verbio AG, one of Germany’s leading bio-energy companies.
• The CBG plant at Sangrur is spread across an area of 20 acres. The plant’s present production is about six tonnes per day but soon it will process 300 tonnes of paddy straw per day to produce 33 TPD of compressed biogas using eight digesters of 10,000 cubic meters.

UIDAI topped Grievance Redressal Index for second consecutive month
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has topped amongst all Group A Ministries, Departments and Autonomous Bodies for resolving public grievances in the rankings report published by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) for the month of September 2022. This is the second consecutive month UIDAI has topped the said rankings.

• UIDAI has been a top performer in the resolution of Public Grievances received through CPGRAMS and making continuous efforts to make Aadhaar holders’ experience better.

Indian Railways announces the closure of COFMOW
The Ministry of Railways announced the closure of the four-decade-old Central Organisation for Modernization of Workshops (COFMOW),New Delhi.

• On the recommendations of the Principal Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance, on the rationalization of government bodies, the Railway Board confirmed the winding up of (COFMOW).
• From December 1, COFMOW’s matters will be handled by the traction and rolling stock division of the railway board. Officers with COFMOW will be transferred to other divisions, while non-gazetted officers will be redeployed or released on a case-by-case basis.

PM Modi launched Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi. Furthermore, the Prime Minister also launched Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana – One Nation One Fertiliser. The PM also inaugurated 600 Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PMKSK) under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers.

• The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Agri Startup Conclave and Exhibition. During the event and launched ‘Indian Edge’, an e-magazine on fertiliser. Modi took a walkthrough of Theme Pavilion of Startup Exhibition and inspected the products on display.
• The Pradanmantri Kisan Samrudhi Kendra (PMKSK) will cater to the needs of the farmers in the country and provide agri-inputs (fertilisers, seeds, implements) including testing facilities for soil, seeds and fertilisers. These Kendras will also help create awareness among the farmers.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

One Health Joint Plan of Action: WHO, UNEP, and FAO lay a plan
The One Health Joint Plan of Action concentrated on six major areas, including: One Health capability for health systems, Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic epidemics, Endemic zoonotic, Neglected tropical and vector-borne illnesses, Antimicrobial resistance and the environment, and Food safety hazards.

• This will support sustainable development while enhancing the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment.
• The One Health Joint Plan of Action, which was created through a participatory process, offers a series of initiatives that are meant to improve coordination, cooperation, communication, and capacity building.

BANKING & FINANCE

LIC launched new ‘Dhan Varsha’ Plan
The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India has introduced a new plan Dhan Varsha which is a non- linked, non-participating, individual, savings, single Premium Life Insurance plan which offers a combination of Protection and savings.

• This plan provides financial support for the family in case of unfortunate death of the life assured during the policy term. It also provides guaranteed lumpsum amount on the date of maturity for the surviving life assured.
• The proposer can choose the term either for 10 years or 15 years. The minimum age at entry for 10 year term is 8 years and 3 years for 15 year policy term. The maximum age at entry varies from 35 to 60 years depending on the term and option of Sum Assured on Death chosen. The minimum Basic Sum Assured is Rs.125000/- and there is no limit for maximum Basic Sum Assured.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Google partners with Assam Government to power digitalled learning
Google has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support and accelerate the Government of Assam’s mission to promote digital growth and development in the State.

• Under this new initiative, Google will collaborate with the Assam Government’s Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship Department (SEED) to strengthen their school digitization efforts with digital learning tools and solutions to aid teaching and learning, while also promoting the fundamentals of online safety and digital citizenship to school children through the ‘Be Internet Awesome’ program.
• Google will also extend scholarships for Google Career Certificates to Assam’s youth in collaboration with the Assam Skill Development Mission (ASDM).

China’s total trade surplus with India ‘surpasses $1 trillion’
The favourable trade balance that China has enjoyed with India, since bilateral commerce began to boom in the early 2000s, has cumulatively exceeded $1 trillion, according to estimates.

• The trade gap has particularly widened in the past decade. In 2021, annual two-way trade crossed $100 billion for the first time, reaching $125.6 billion, with India’s imports accounting for $97.5 billion, pegging the imbalance at close to $70 billion.
• In 2021, annual two-way trade crossed $100 billion for the first time, reaching $125.6 billion, with India’s imports accounting for $97.5 billion, pegging the imbalance at close to $70 billion.

APPOINTMENTS

Deependra Singh Rathore named as Interim CEO of Paytm Payments Bank
Paytm Payments Bank has appointed Deependra Singh Rathore as the interim chief executive officer (CEO), in addition to his role as chief product & technology officer.

• He will replace Satish Gupta, who is presently serving as the bank’s CEO and retire in October 2022. The bank will announce the new full-time CEO after receiving regulatory approvals.
• The bank has also appointed Sunil Chander Sharma, a former IRS officer as chief operating officer (COO).

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