Daily Current Affairs 29th April, 2022

Daily Current Affairs 29 April 2022 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Vice-President unveils 100 metre-tall tower at ‘Akasavani’ FM Station in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh 
The Vice-President, M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the newly built 100-metre-tall tower at ‘Akasavani’ FM Station in Nellore.

• After the inauguration, the Vice President interacted with elite persons in Nellore during a ‘High Tea’ at the Radio Station.

MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar launches Digital India RISC-V Microprocessor (DIR-V) Program
Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar has launched Digital India RISC-V Microprocessor (DIR-V) Program. Its overall aim is to enable the creation of Microprocessors for the future in India, for the world and achieve industry-grade silicon and Design wins by December 2023.

• The Minister unveiled the Blueprint of the roadmap for the design and implementation of the DIR-V Program as well as the strategic Roadmap for India’s Semiconductor Design and Innovation to catalyze the semiconductor ecosystem.

Cabinet approves 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric project in J&K’s Kishtwar
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the construction of 540 Megawatt Kwar Hydro Electric project located on river Chenab in Kishtwar district of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

• The project will be implemented by Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited which is a joint venture company between NHPC and JKSPDC. The project has been approved with an investment of over 4 thousand 526 crore rupees.

J&K: Samba becomes first district in India to cover 100% households under ABPMJAY- SEHAT scheme
In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Samba district of Jammu division has become the first district in India to cover 100% households under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY)- SEHAT scheme. The district achieved this milestone after the conclusion of special registration drive organized by State Health Agency (SHA) from April 11 to April 21 in all BDO offices across the district which was aimed to cover all families under ABPMJAY SEHAT scheme in the district.

• The Samba district has a total of 62,641 families with 3,04,510 people eligible for ABPM-JAY SEHAT golden cards. However, 100% family coverage for the Ayushman Bharat Golden card in the district is a major achievement for the UT Government.

Over 3 lakh 66 thousand ABHA Health IDs created across the country
More than 27 lakh people have participated in Ayushman Bharat block-level Health Melas in a week. The Health Melas were organized at more than three thousand blocks spread across 33 States and Union Territories. Union Health Ministry has said, more than three lakh 66 thousand Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) IDs were created across the country.

• The Ministry said, more than one lakh 17 thousand Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana golden cards were issued. It said, more than one lakh 76 thousand tele-consultations were conducted across the country and a cumulative of 6 lakh 75 thousand hypertension screenings and 6 lakh 11 thousand diabetes screenings were done in the Health Melas.
• Health Ministry in collaboration with States and Union Territories has celebrated the 4th Anniversary of Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav from 16 to 22nd of this month.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russia withdraws from UN tourism body ahead of vote on its suspension
Russia is withdrawing from the United Nation’s tourism body, the UN World Tourism Organization ahead of a vote to suspend Moscow’s membership over its military operation of Ukraine.

• The UNWTO announced in March that it wanted to suspend Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
• It said that the decision must be approved by two-thirds of its 159 member states at a two-day extraordinary general assembly.

Insurance coverage for fisheries, aquaculture units abysmal in India, says FAO report
Given the low penetration of insurance products in the fisheries sector, the FAO World Review of Capture Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 has suggested involvement of public and private insurance service providers to undertake proactive measures to turn the tide on fisheries and aquaculture insurance in India.

• With weather playing truant in the fisheries sector, the involvement of insurance service providers should be encouraged for the overall competitiveness and efficiency of service delivery in the sector.

BANKING & FINANCE

BoB launches new feature for seniors on mobile banking platform
Bank of Baroda announced the launch of bob World Gold – a new feature on its bob World mobile banking platform designed especially for seniors and the elderly.

• bob World Gold is a unique digital banking platform that has been designed especially for this demographic and provides its senior customers with a simple, smooth and secure mobile banking experience.
• bob World Gold has easy navigation, large fonts, sufficient spacing, and clear menus with added features like a ready-to-assist voice based search service.

Pencilton introduces contactless RuPay card in the form of keychain
Pencilton, a teen-focused fintech startup, has launched PencilKey, a National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) compliant RuPay contactless keychain, in partnership with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Transcorp.

• Users can activate and manage their PencilKey through the Pencilton app which is also used to load money, check spends, block/unblock the account, set limits, etc.
• PencilKey is linked to the PencilCard which is an all-in-one prepaid card, metro card, and bus card.
• PencilKey is equipped with the benefits of NCMC which works at the Delhi Airport Metro line and Goa’s buses currently.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

FinMapp partners Bajaj Finance to launch fixed deposit feature
Fintech firm FinMapp has collaborated with Bajaj Finance to launch a fixed deposit feature on its application by adding a new icon for an improved customer experience.

• The fintech firm is offering an interest rate of 7.35% on the fixed deposit of app users, which will assist in beating the high inflation rate that is currently prevailing. Investors have multiple tenures to choose from for their fixed deposits of 15, 18, 22, 30, 33, and 44 months, or opt for tenures of one, three, and five years, respectively.

L&T, IIT Bombay collaborate to develop green hydrogen technology
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, to jointly pursue research and development work in green hydrogen value chain.

• They will work together to develop green hydrogen industry in India and to develop next-generation technology in this emerging field.

ONGC inks MoU with Norway’s Equinor
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, ONGC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Equinor, the Norwegian state-owned multinational energy company. The MoU was inked in for collaboration and partnership in areas of upstream exploration and production, midstream, downstream and Clean energy options.

• Equinor is the leading operator on the Norwegian continental shelf, present in around 30 countries worldwide.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman says India’s economic growth in current year is estimated to be 8.9 percent
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that India’s economic growth in the current year is estimated to be 8.9 per cent, highest among all large economies. She said, it reflects country’s resilience and strong recovery. Nirmala Sitharaman attended the Development Committee Meeting of the World Bank in Washington DC.

Finance Ministry says, with release of over Rs 2 lakh cr as GST compensation to States, no payments are pending for FY 2020-21
The Ministry of Finance has said that an amount of 2 lakh 78 thousand crore rupees towards GST compensation has been released to the States for the financial year 2020-21 itself and nothing is pending for the year. The Ministry in a statement said that it has so far released 7 lakh 35 thousand crore rupees to the States including the assistance released on back-to-back basis.

• It added that currently, only for the year 2021-22, compensation of 78 thousand 704 crore rupees is pending due to inadequate balance in the fund, which is equivalent to compensation of four months.

APPOINTMENTS

Nasscom appoints Krishnan Ramanujam as Chairperson for 2022-23
IT industry body Nasscom has appointed Krishnan Ramanujam, a senior executive at Tata Consultancy Services, as its Chairperson for 2022-23.

• Krishnan was the Vice Chairperson of the body. He succeeds Accenture’s Senior Managing Director in India Rekha M Menon, who had served as the Chairperson for 2021-22.
• Nasscom (National Association of Software and Services Companies) has appointed Anant Maheshwari, President of Microsoft India, as the Vice Chairperson for 2022-23.

Generali Asia appoints Bruce de Broize as MD & CEO of Future Generali India Life Insurance
International insurance company Generali Asia has announced the appointment of Bruce de Broize as managing director and chief executive officer of Mumbai-based Future Generali India Life Insurance (FGILI).

• Broize takes over from Miranjit Mukherjee who was serving as interim CEO since September 2021.

AWARDS

Ardeshir B K Dubash conferred highest diplomatic award by the Government of Peru
The former Honorary Consul of Peru in Mumbai, Ardeshir B.K. Dubash, received the Order of “Merit in the Diplomatic Service of Peru Jose Gregorio Paz Soldan”, the highest distinction conferred by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru.

• The Order of Merit, which was instituted in 2004, takes its name from Jose Gregorio Paz Soldan, a distinguished Peruvian official who established the Peruvian diplomatic service and who held the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs on three different occasions.

OBITUARIES

Veteran actor Salim Ghouse passes away 
Veteran actor Salim Ghouse has passed away. He was 70-year-old. Born in Chennai, the veteran actor was one of the most familiar faces of television in 80s. Salim Ghouse worked in several films and television shows, but he gained popularity after starring in Doordarshan’s Subah, a TV series.

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