Daily Current Affairs 23 August for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
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NATIONAL NEWS
Gadkari launches Bharat NCAP to make Indian cars safer
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari launched the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) in New Delhi aiming to enhance road safety by elevating vehicle safety standards for up to 3.5-tonne vehicles in India.
- Under the voluntary programme, automobile manufacturers will have the option to get their vehicles tested and be accorded star ratings based on their performance in crash tests and on other safety parameters, which will be based on the Automotive Industry Standard 197.
India’s rank moves up to 11 in global direct selling even as global retail sales plunge
With retail sales of $3.23 billion (around ₹26,852 crore) in 2022, India jumped to 11th position in the top markets of direct sellers, as per the World Federation of Direct Selling Association (WFDSA) report.
- The report which was quoted by the news agency PTI said that in the previous year, India witnessed a jump of 5.4% in retail sales. Moreover, during the last 3 years, India witnessed the highest Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 13.3% on a constant dollar basis.
- The WFDSA report mentioned that globally retail sales plunged by 1.5 to $172.89 billion during 2022. The United States continues to remain a top retail seller with direct sales worth $40.52 billion, a decline of 5% over 2021. The other markets in top categories include Korea, Germany, China, Japan, and Malaysia.
India, ASEAN agree to review FTA by 2025
India and the ASEAN countries reached an agreement to review their free trade pact for goods and set a 2025 goalpost for concluding the review aimed at addressing the “asymmetry” in bilateral trade, the Commerce Ministry said.
- The aim of this review is to address the existing trade imbalances and disparities between the two parties. The announcement was made by the Commerce Ministry, indicating the commitment to enhance bilateral trade relations.
Om Birla inaugurates 9th C’wealth Parliamentary Conference in Udaipur
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurate the ninth India Region Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in Rajasthan’s Udaipur.
- The theme of the two-day conference is ‘Strengthening Democracy and Good Governance in the Digital Age’.
- The India Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) comprises 31 legislatures from across the country and has the second largest number of member branches after the African Region.
BANKING & FINANCE
Canara Bank launches UPI Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile application
Canara Bank launched UPI Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile application as a part of the Reserve Bank of India’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot project.
- Canara Bank is the first Bank among public and private sector banks to introduce this feature in Bank’s CBDC mobile app called ‘Canara Digital Rupee app’.
- With the introduction of this feature, customers will be able to scan merchant UPI QR codes using the app and make the payment through digital currency. Further, this feature empowers the merchants to accept digital currency payments using their existing UPI QR codes in addition to the UPI based payments without the requirements of a separate on boarding process for CBDC.
SPORTS
Wrestling: India’s Mohit Kumar becomes Under 20 World Champion in Men’s 61 kg Freestyle category
Creating history, Indian wrestler Mohit Kumar has became the Under 20 World Championship in men’s 61 Kg Freestyle category at Amman City in Jordan. Mohit defeated Russia’s Eldar Akhmadudinov by 9-8 in the final to become the fourth Indian Freestyle Wrestler to win a Junior World Championship .
- Mohit is the fourth male wrestler from India to earn a gold medal in the U20 World Championships, following Palwinder Cheema in 2001, Ramesh Kumar in 2001, and Deepak Punia in 2019.
APPOINTMENTS
State Bank of India appoints four directors to the central board
The State Bank of India (SBI) has appointed four directors namely Ketan Shivji Vikamsey, Mrugank Madhukar Paranjape, Rajesh Kumar Dubey and Dharmendra Singh Shekhawat to the central board of the bank. They were appointed for a period of 3 years with effect form 26th June 2023 to 25th June 2026.
- Ketan Shivji Vikamsey and Mrugank Madhukar Paranjape have been reappointed as the director (elected under Section 19(c) of SBI Act 1955) at SBI’s Central board. They have been holding this position since June 2020.
- Rajesh Kumar Dubey and Dharmendra Singh Shekhawat have been appointed as the Directors (elected under section 19 (c) of the SBI Act, 1955) at SBI’s Central Board.
AWARDS
Kanniyakumari’s Matti banana variety gets GI tag
The Matti banana variety native to Kanniyakumari district has been granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. These bananas thrive uniquely in the district’s climate and soil, resulting in a larger-than-human finger-sized fruit with a sweet aroma and honey-like taste.
- There are six known types of the Matti banana and they are indigenous to Kanniyakumari, where it thrives in the unique climate and soil.They are known as ‘Baby Banana’ which flourishes mainly in Kalkulam and Vilavancode taluks.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
India gets its first hydrogen bus in Leh
NTPC Limited, a prominent Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) operating under the Ministry of Power (MoP), has embarked on a groundbreaking venture by launching the trial of India’s inaugural hydrogen bus in the picturesque region of Leh, situated in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh.
- The first hydrogen bus reached Leh on August 17, 2023 as part of a three-month-long process of field trials, roadworthiness tests and other statutory procedures. This will be India’s first ever deployment of hydrogen buses on public roads.
- This remarkable endeavor not only marks the country’s first utilization of hydrogen buses on public roads but also reflects NTPC’s commitment towards fostering sustainability and reducing carbon emissions.
ENVIRONMENT
‘Namoh 108′ new lotus species named after PM Modi
Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh unveiled a new variety of lotus flower with 108 petals, named “Namoh 108″, developed by the city-based National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI).
- The lotus, which boasts an astonishing 108 petals, was discovered several years ago in the region of Manipur and has since been part of the institute’s collection of flora under study.
- The government has also launched the Lotus Mission and said this project was being undertaken in a mission mode like other priority schemes such as the National Honey and Bee Mission, National Bamboo Mission, National Food Security Mission, National Mission on Natural Farming, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture and Gokul Mission.