Current Affairs Merged PDF

List of Important Articles of the
Constitution of India - GK Notes PDF!

At the time that the Constitution commenced, it was divided into 395 articles in 22 part
and 8 schedules. Already the longest constitution in the world, it has now grown to 448
articles in 25 parts, 12 schedules with 5 appendices and 98 amendments. The
Constitution of India, whose chief architect was Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, was adopted by the
Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949 and came into force on 26th January
1950. It is the highest law of the land and cannot be overridden by the Parliament. Being
the 68th Constitution Day, this article talks about the parts of the Constitution as
well as the important articles of the Constitution of India. This is an important lesson in
Civics and Polity, and is useful for all competitive and recruitment exams.
Parts of the Constitution and What They Deal with
1|Page
PARTS SUBJECTS ARTICLES
I The Union and its territory 1-4
II Citizenship 5-11
III Fundamental Rights 12-35
Directive Principles of State

IV 36-51
Policy
IV- A Fundamental Duties 51-A
THE UNION
The Executive 52-78
Parliament 79-122
V Legislative Powers of the

123
President
The Union Judiciary 124-147
Comptroller and Auditor-

148-151
General of India
THE STATES
VI
General (Definition) 152
2|Page
The Executive 153-167
The State Legislature 168-212
Legislative Powers of the

213
Governor
The High Courts in the States 214-231
Subordinate Courts 233-237
VIII The Union Territories 239-242
IX The Panchayats 243 to 243-0
243-P to 243-
IX-A The Municipalities
ZG
243-ZH to
IX-B The Co-Operative Societies
243-ZT
The Scheduled and Tribal

X 244 to 244-A
Areas
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNION

AND THE STATES
XI
Legislative Relations 245-255
Administrative Relations 256-263
3|Page
FINANCE, PROPERTY, CONTRACTS
AND SUITS
Finance 264-290
Borrowing 292-293
XII
Property, Contracts, Rights,

Liabilities, Obligations and 294-300
Suits
Right to Property 300-A
Trade, Commerce and

XIII Intercourse within the territory 301-307
of India
SERVICES UNDER THE UNION AND

THE STATES
XIV
Services 308-314
Public Service Commissions 315-323
323-A to 323-
XIV- A Tribunals
B
XV Elections 324 to 329
Special Provisions Relating to

XVI 330-342
Certain Classes
4|Page
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
Language of the Union 343-344
Regional Languages 345- 347

XVII
Languages of the Supreme

348- 349
Court, High Courts, etc.
Special Directives 350- 351
XVIII Emergency Provisions 352-360
XIX Miscellaneous 361-367
XX Amendment of the Constitution 368
Temporary, Transitional and

XXI 369-392
Special Provisions
Short Title, Commencement,

XXII Authoritative Text in Hindi and 393-395
Repeals
The Constitution has been amended several times so that the original 22 parts now
stand at 25 parts.
5|Page
ADDED
REMOVED
Some Important Articles of the Constitution of India
Let us now look at some of the important articles of the Constitution of India and what
they deal with.
ARTICLE DEALS WITH
1 Name and Territory of Union
6|Page
New States Formation, Alteration of
3
Boundaries etc.
Laws inconsistent with or in

13 derogation of the Fundamental
Rights
Equality before Law (popularly

14
known as Right to Equality)
Prohibition of Discrimination (on

15 basis of religion, race, caste, sex or
place of birth)
Equality in case of Public

16
Employment
17 Abolition of Untouchability
18 Abolition of Titles
Protection of Certain Rights to

19 Freedom (popularly known as Right
to Freedom)
19a Freedom of Speech & Expression
19b Right to Peaceful Assembly
19c Freedom of Association
7|Page
19d Right to Move Freely through India
19e Freedom of Settlement & Residence
(Omitted as a fundamental right –

19f governed by article 300A.) Right to
Own Personal Property.
Freedom to Practice any Profession,

19g
Occupation, Trade or Business
21 Right to Life and Personal Liberty
21A Right to Education
Prohibition of Human Trafficking

23
and Forced Labor
24 Prohibition of Child Labor
Freedom to Practice & Propagate

25
Religion Freely
29 Protection of Interests of Minorities
Remedies for enforcement of

32
Fundamental Rights including writs
44 Uniform Civil Code
50 Separation of Judiciary from
8|Page
Executive
Promotion of International Peace

51
and Security
51A Fundamental Duties
Powers of President to Grant

72
Pardons etc.
76 Attorney-General of India
78 Duties of Prime Minister
Sessions of Parliament, Prorogation

85
and Dissolution
The Speaker & Deputy Speaker of

93
Lok Sabha
100 Voting in Houses
Powers, Privileges etc. of Members

105
of Parliament
Salaries and Allowances of Members

106
of Parliament
Joint Sitting of both Houses of

108
Parliament
9|Page
109-110 Money Bills
112 Annual Financial Budget
President’s Power to Promulgate

123 Ordinance while Parliament in
Recess
Appointment of ad hoc Judges in the

127
Supreme Court
Supreme Court’s Powers to Issue

139
Certain Writs
Supreme Court’s Law Binding on All

141
Courts
Comptroller and Auditor-General of

148-149
India
155 Appointment of Governor
Power of Governors to Grant Pardon

161
etc.
165 Advocate-General for the State
167 Duties of Chief Minister
Appointment of Additional & Acting

224
Judges in High Courts
10 | P a g e
Appointment of Retired Judges in
224A
High Courts
226 Power of High Courts to issue writs
280 Finance Commission
312 All India Services
324 Election Commission
SCs and STs claim to Services and

335
Posts
343 Official Language
352 National Emergency
President’s Rule in case of Failure of

356
Constitutional Machinery in States
360 Financial Emergency
Power of Parliament to Amend the

368
Constitution
Temporary provisions with respect

370
to the state of Jammu and Kashmir
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The Monthly Hindu Review | Current Affairs | April 2022
1 www.bankersadda.com | www.sscadda.com | www.careerpower.in | Adda247 App

Contents
The Most Important Current Affairs April 2022 ........................................................................................... 3
Banking and Financial Current Affairs ........................................................................................................ 10
Economy Current Affairs ................................................................................................................................ 12
Business Current Affairs ................................................................................................................................. 14
International Current Affairs ......................................................................................................................... 15
National Current Affairs ................................................................................................................................. 17
States Current Affairs....................................................................................................................................... 19
Schemes/Committees ....................................................................................................................................... 21
Agreement/Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)................................................................................. 22
Appointments/Resignations (National & International) .......................................................................... 23
Ranks and Reports ............................................................................................................................................ 25
Sports Current Affairs ...................................................................................................................................... 26
Summits And Conferences ............................................................................................................................. 28
Awards & Recognition ..................................................................................................................................... 29
Important Days .................................................................................................................................................. 31
Defence Current Affairs .................................................................................................................................. 34
Science and Technology .................................................................................................................................. 35
Books & Authors ............................................................................................................................................... 36
Miscellaneous Current Affairs ....................................................................................................................... 37
Obituaries ........................................................................................................................................................... 39
Static Takeaways ............................................................................................................................................... 39

The Most Important Current Affairs April 2022
RBI Monetary Policy 2022: key rates unchanged The composition of the Monetary Policy Committee is
as follows:
The six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)
• Governor of the Reserve Bank of India – Chairperson,
voted unanimously to keep the repo rate unchanged at 4
per cent. MPC committee keeps the reverse repo rate ex officio: Shri Shaktikanta Das.
unchanged at 3.35 per cent as Russia’s invasion of • Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, in
Ukraine added to a rise in inflation. The Reserve Bank of charge of Monetary Policy– Member, ex officio: Dr
India’s Monetary Policy Committee headed by Reserve Michael Debabrata Patra.
Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das kept the • One officer of the Reserve Bank of India to be
repo rate unchanged for the 11th consecutive time. The nominated by the Central Board – Member, ex officio:
repo rate or the short-term lending rate was the last cut Dr Mridul K. Saggar.
on May 22, 2020. Since then, the rate remains at a • A professor at the Mumbai-based Indira Gandhi
historic low of 4 per cent. Institute of Developmental Research: Prof. Ashima
The Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and bank Goyal.
rates remain unchanged: • A professor of finance at the Indian Institute of
• Policy Repo Rate: 4.00% Management in Ahmedabad: Prof. Jayanth R Varma.
• Reverse Repo Rate: 3.35% • An agricultural economist and a senior adviser with
• Marginal Standing Facility Rate: 4.25% the National Council of Applied Economic Research in
• Bank Rate: 4.25% New Delhi: Dr Shashanka Bhide.
• CRR: 4%
• SLR: 18.00%
Grammy Awards 2022: Check the list of
Key Points: Winners
• The GDP growth forecast has been lowered to 7.2 per
cent, owing to inflationary pressures due to the The 64th annual Grammy Awards are being held for the
ongoing Russia Ukraine War. Earlier, the central bank first time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with Trevor
had kept the GDP growth rate at 7.8 per cent. Noah as host. The 64th GRAMMY Awards recognizes
• RBI announced that now people can withdraw money recordings (including musical artists, compositions and
from ATMs without a card in all banks across the albums) released between September 01, 2020, to
nation. This has been done to give a push to Digital September 30, 2021. Jon Batiste received the most
India. nominations with eleven and Batiste also received the
• Net worth requirement for Bharat Bill Payments
most awards with five.
System Operating Units lowered from Rs 100 crore
to Rs 25 crore. Here is the list of winners of the 64th annual Grammy
• Rationalisation of risk weights for individual housing Awards:
loans to be extended till March 31, 2023.
• RBI sees the Current account deficit at sustainable S.No Category Winners
levels and forex reserves at $606.5 billion. Album Of The
1. ‘We Are’ by Jon Batiste
• Inflation is now projected at 5.7% in 2022-23 with Year
Q1 at 6.3%, Q2 at 5%, Q3 at 5.4% and Q4 at 5.1%. ‘Leave the door open’ by
• India’s 10-year bond yield rises to 7%, the highest
Record Of The
2. Bruno Mars and Anderson
since 2019. Year
Paak
3. Best New Artist Olivia Rodrigo
“Call Me If You Get Lost,”
4. Best Rap Album
Tyler, the Creator
Best R&B Album “Heaux Tales,” Jazmine
5.
Winner Sullivan.
“Jail,” Kanye West featuring
6. Best Rap Song
Jay-Z
Best Country “Starting Over,” Chris
7.
Album Stapleton
“Leave the Door Open,” Silk
Sonic (Brandon Anderson,
8. Song Of The Year Christopher Brody Brown,
Dernst Emile II and Bruno
Mars)

S.No Category Winners Forbes Billionaires 2022: The Richest People
“Medicine at Midnight,” Foo In The World
9. Best Rock Album
Fighters
The Forbes billionaires 2022 list is out, which compiles
“Waiting On a War,” Foo
10. Best Rock Song the list of the world’s richest, who this time was hit by the
Fighters
impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, coronavirus
Best
“Subconsciously,” Black pandemic and sluggish markets. Elon Musk, the Tesla
11. Dance/Electronic and SpaceX founder topped Forbes’ list for the first time
Coffee
Album ever with a net worth of $219 billion. Elon Musk is leading
Producer of the the Forbes billionaires list with a net worth of $219
12. Year, non- Jack Antonoff billion, followed by Amazon chief Jeff Bezos at $171
classical: billion.
13. Best Music Video “Freedom,” Jon Batiste America has most number of billionaires at 735 worth a
Best Country collective net worth of $4.7 trillion, including Elon Musk,
14. “Cold,” Chris Stapleton who tops the World’s Billionaires list for the first time.
Song
“They’re Calling Me Home,” China (including Macau and Hong Kong) remains
15. Best Folk Album Rhiannon Giddens with number two, with 607 billionaires worth a collective $2.3
trillion. Forbes uses stock prices and exchange rates from
Francesco Turrisi
March 11, 2022, to calculate net worths.
Best Comedy “Sincerely Louis CK,” Louis
16.
Album C.K. Here is the list of the top 10 billionaires:
Best rap “Family Ties,” Baby Keem Net
17. Rank Name Country
performance: featuring Kendrick Lamar Worth
Best rock Tesla, United
18. “Making a Fire,” Foo Fighters 1 Elon Musk $219 B
performance: States
19. Best music film: “Summer of Soul” Amazon, United
2 Jeff Bezos $171 B
Best musical “The Unofficial Bridgerton States
20.
theater album: Musical” Bernard Arnault
3 $158 B LVMH, France
Best global & family
21. “Mohabbat,” Arooj Aftab Microsoft, United
music: 4 Bill Gates $129 B
Best global music “Mother Nature,” Angélique States
22. Berkshire
album: Kidjo 5 Warren Buffett $118 B
Hathaway, US
Best historical
Google, United
album: “Joni 6 Larry Page $111 B
23. The Early Years (1963-1967) States
Mitchell
Google, United
Archives, Vol. 1: 7 Sergey Brin $107 B
States
Best Pop Duo / Oracle, United
Doja Cat and SZA for “Kiss Me 8 Larry Ellison $106 B
24. Group States
More”
Performance: Microsoft, United
Best American 9 Steve Ballmer $91.4 B
States
25. roots “Cry,” Jon Batiste Reliance Ind Ltd,
10 Mukesh Ambani $90.7 B
performance: India
History of Grammy Award:
Indian Scenario:
The Grammy Award is an award presented by the
• Forbes Billionaires 2022: Men billionaires of India
Recording Academy to recognize achievements in the
Ambani ranked at the 10th position on the global list,
music industry. The first Grammy Awards ceremony was followed narrowly by fellow industrialist and Adani
held on May 4, 1959, to honour and respect the musical Group founder Gautam Adani, whose fortune climbed
accomplishments of performers for the year 1958. The by almost $40 billion over the past year, to an
trophy represents a gilded gramophone. estimated $90 billion.

Here are the top 10 richest Indians on the Forbes Net
Rank Name Company
Billionaires List 2022: Worth
Smita Crishna- $2.5
Rank Name Net Worth Company 1238. Godrej
Godrej billion
10th Mukesh ($90.7 Reliance
$1.9
rank Ambani billion) Industries Ltd 1579. Anu Aga Thermax
billion
11th Gautam ($90
Adani Group Parekh
rank Adani billion) $1.8
47th ($28.7 HCL 1645. Mudula Parekh Medisales Pvt
Shiv Nadar billion
rank billion) Technologies Ltd
56th Cyrus $24.3 Serum Institute $1.7 Zoho
1729. Radha Vembu
rank Poonawalla billion) of India billion Corporation
81st Radhakishan ($20 Sara George $1.4 Muthoot
DMart 2076.
rank Damani billion) Muthoot billion Finance Ltd
89th Lakshmi ($17.9 $1.1
ArcelorMittal 2448. Kavita Singhania J K Cement
rank Mittal billion) billion
91st Savitri Jindal ($17.7 Bhawari Bai
O.P.Jindal Group 2578. $1 billion Micro Labs
rank and family billion) Surana
106th ($16.5 Aditya Birla
Kumar Birla
rank billion) Group
Australia wins ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup
115th ($15.6 Sun
Dilip Sanghvi 2022
rank billion) Pharmaceuticals
129th ($15.3 Kotak Mahindra Australia beat England by 71 runs in the finals to claim
Uday Kotak
rank billion) Bank their seventh Women’s World Cup on April 03, 2022, at
• Forbes Billionaires List 2022: Women billionaires Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand. Australia
of India posted a record of 356 on the board. In reply, Nat Sciver
waged a lone battle and remained unbeaten on 148 but it
Savitri Jindal, the chairperson of the Jindal Group, is the
was not enough as England was bowled out for 285 in
richest woman in India, according to the Forbes’
Billionaires List 2022, with a net worth of $17.7 billion. A 43.4 overs. Alyssa Healy of Australia scored 170 runs in
total of 11 Indian women, with 4 newcomers, joined the the match, the highest individual score made by any
global rich list this year. cricketer, male or female, in the World Cup Final. She was
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, cosmetics giant also the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 509
L’Oréal’s founder’s granddaughter, was listed as the runs.
richest woman in the world this year – with a net worth of
The Player of the Tournament went to Alyssa Healy.
$74.8 billion, according to the report. Meyers’ net worth
Sophie Ecclestone of England was the leading wicket-
increased significantly in the past two years, from $48.9
taker in the tournament, with 21 dismissals. The 2022
billion in 2020.
ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup was the 12th edition of
Here’s the list of Indian women on the Forbes the Women’s Cricket World Cup. The tournament was
Billionaires List 2022: held in New Zealand from 4 March to 3 April 2022.
Net Key points of Women’s World Cup:
Rank Name Company
Worth
• Most Successful team Australian (7th)
$17.7
91. Savitri Jindal Jindal Group • Player of the Match (Finals) 2022: Alyssa Healy
billion
• Player of the tournament 2022: Alyssa Healy
$4.5
637. Falguni Nayar Nykaa • Most runs (All time): Debbie Hockley (1,505), New
billion
Zealand
$3.8 USV Private
778. Leena Tewari • Leading wicket-taker in the tournament: Sophie
billion Limited
Kiran $3.3 Ecclestone (England, 21 dismissals)
913. Biocon • Most wickets (All time): Jhulan Goswami (45), India
Mazumdar-Shaw billion

Miami Open Tennis Tournament 2022 The Content Displayed at the Pradhanmantri
Overview Sangrahalaya:
• From the freedom struggle to the framing of the
The 2022 Miami Open tennis tournament was the 37th Constitution, the museum will have displays that
edition of the men’s and women’s event, held from March
showcase stories of how the respective Prime
22 to April 3, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida. Miami
Ministers steered the nation.
Open is classified as an ATP Masters 1000 event on the
2022 ATP Tour and a WTA 1000 event on the 2022 WTA • Personal items, gifts and memorabilia like medals,
Tour. commemorative stamps, speeches of PMs and
anecdotal representations of ideologies will be on
The Miami Open (also known as the Miami Masters, and display at the museum. The families of the former
currently branded as the Miami Open presented by Itaú Prime Ministers were contacted for information about
for sponsorship reasons) is a tennis tournament held at them.
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It is part of • The Sangrahalaya will also include the Nehru
the men’s ATP Tour Masters 1000 circuit, and part of the
Museum. Officials have said it has been upgraded with
women’s WTA 1000 circuit. The Miami Open is usually
a technologically advanced display to showcase the
held between March and April.
life and contributions of the country’s first PM,
Here is the complete list of winners: Jawaharlal Nehru. Several gifts received by him from
Award Winner Runner-Up all over the world are on display for the first time.
• The Sangrahalaya will use holograms, virtual reality,
Men’s Carlos Alcaraz Casper Ruud
Single (Spain) (Norway) augmented reality, multi-touch, multimedia,
Women’s Iga Świątek interactive kiosks, computerised kinetic sculptures,
Naomi Osaka (Japan) smartphone applications, interactive screens,
Single (Poland)
Men’s Hubert Hurkacz / Wesley Koolhof / experiential installations etc, to make the exhibition
Double John Isner Neal Skupski content interactive.
Veronika
Women’s Laura Siegemund / Champion of Change Award 2021 in Madhya
Kudermetova / Elise
Double Vera Zvonareva
Mertens Pradesh announced
Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief
PM Modi Inauguartes Pradhanmantri
Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have reached the
Sangrahalaya in New Delhi program of Champions of Change Madhya Pradesh
PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Pradhanmantri 2021 organized by ‘Interactive Forum on Indian
Sangrahalaya in New Delhi on April 14. The Economy’(IFIE) at Kushabhau Thackeray auditorium in
Sangrahalaya, located at the iconic Teen Murti complex, Bhopal. The organization recognizes them for the great
was inaugurated as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav — work done by individuals and organizations towards
a 75-week celebration launched to mark 75 years of promoting the values of courage, community service and
Independence. inclusive social development.
The museum will become a source of inspiration for the
youth who will be able to witness the hardships each PM Celebrities including the Chief Minister will be honoured
faced and how they overcame them to lay the foundations in the program. Here are the names of the awardees:
of a new India. The museum will reflect the shared • Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
heritage of each government. The Congress alleged that Chouhan;
the new museum was an attempt to dilute the legacy of • Former Governor of UP and Mizoram Dr Aziz
India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, a charge rejected by Qureshi;
the Centre. • Music performer Padma Vibhushan Teejan Bai;
Key Features of Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya: • Mayor of Indore Malini Laxmansingh Gaur;
• The project to build the new museum faced stiff • Rajya Sabha MP Syed Zafar Islam;
opposition when the government announced its plan • Indian actress Divyanka Tripathi;
in 2018. • Indian film actor and lyricist Piyush Mishra;
• The museum building integrates the Teen Murti • BJP leader Vikram Verma, Banwari Lal Chouksey,
Bhawan in New Delhi, designated as Block I, with the Dr Bhagirath Prasad, Kalapini Komakali, Sudhir
newly-constructed Block II. The total area of the two Bhai Goyal, Girish Agarwal, Dilip Suryavanshi,
blocks is over 15,600 square metres. There are 43 Abhijeet Sukhdane, Aarya Chavda, Rohit Singh
galleries in the Sangrahalaya. Tomar, Megha Parmar, Vikas Bhaduaria, Priyanka
• The logo of the Sangrahalaya, meanwhile, shows Dwivedi.
hands holding the dharma chakra, symbolising the • CEO of FidyPay Manan Dixit, Mayur Sethi, Renu
nation and democracy. Sharma, Dr Prakash Jain and Rajneet Jain.

About the Award: NITI Aayog’s State Energy and Climate Index
Champions of Change is an Indian award, for promoting
NITI Aayog has launched the State Energy & Climate
Gandhian values, (Swachata), community service and Index (SECI) Round I. The State Energy & Climate Index
social development (in Aspirational district in India), (SECI) Round I ranks the states’ performance on 6
selected by constitutional jury members headed by K.G. parameters, namely, (1) DISCOM’s Performance (2)
Balakrishnan, Former Chief Justice of India and Former Access, Affordability and Reliability of Energy (3) Clean
Chairman NHRC along with Former Judge of Supreme Energy Initiatives (4) Energy Efficiency (5)
Court of India. The champions of Change Telangana award Environmental Sustainability; and (6) New Initiatives.
is a state version of the Champions of change national These parameters are further divided into 27 indicators.
award. Based on the composite score of SECI Round I, the states
IFIE annually organizes the Champions of Change Award and UTs have been ranked as larger states, smaller states,
and UTs, based on size and geographical differences.
at the International, National and state-Level in India and
States and UTs are categorized into three groups: Front
it is usually presented by the President, Vice-President, Runners, Achievers, and Aspirants.
Governor or a leading figure of India. Mr Nandan Jha is
the founder and Chairman of the Champions of Change Top Three States among Larger States Category
Award. • Gujarat
• Kerala
• Punjab
New Zealand Cricket Awards 2022 announced
Top Three States among Smaller States Category
New Zealand announced awards for Men and Women’s • Goa
cricketers. New Zealand speedster Trent Boult and White • Tripura
Ferns skipper Sophie Devine won the ‘T20 • Manipur
International Player of the Year’ in the recently Top Three UTs
announced New Zealand Cricket Awards 2022. • Chandigarh
New Zealand pace bowler Tim Southee has been • Delhi
• Daman & Diu/Dadra & Nagar Haveli
awarded the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal at the New
Zealand Cricket (NZC) Awards on April 14, 2022. This is
ICC Players of the Month for March 2022
Southee’s first Sir Richard Hadlee Medal in his 14-year-
long career. He has been awarded for his consistency The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that
throughout the 2021-22 season. Sir Richard Hadlee’s Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and Australia’s run-
medal is the highest cricketing honour of New Zealand machine Rachael Haynes were named the ICC Men’s and
(Black Cap). Women’s Players of the Month for March 2022. Fans
can continue to vote every month for their favourite male
Other category awards announced are given below: and female cricketers across all formats of international
• Women’s Super Smash Player of the Year: Amelia Kerr cricket as part of the ICC Player of the Month initiative.
(Wellington Blaze) In the men’s category:
• Men’s Super Smash Player of the Year: Michael Azam had several thrilling batting displays in Pakistan’s
Bracewell (Wellington Firebirds) multi-format series against Australia recently. He
• Fan Moment of the Summer: Ross Taylor’s final amassed 390 runs in the three-Test series, which the
wicket in his last Test hosts lost 0-1. Azam received the award ahead of West
• International Women’s ODI Player of the Year: Amelia Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite and Australia Test skipper Pat
Kerr (Wellington Blaze). Cummins, and in doing so, became the first player to win
the ICC Men’s ‘Player of the Month’ award on two
• International Men’s ODI Player of the Year: Will
occasions, after being crowned back in April 2021.
Young (Central Stags).
• Redpath Cup for first-class batting: Devon Conway Among the women category:
(Wellington Firebirds). Rachael Haynes had a formidable set of displays on the
• Ruth Martin Cup for women’s domestic batting: Suzie road to Australia’s seventh ICC Women’s Cricket World
Cup trophy. She scored 429 runs in eight games at an
Bates (Otago Sparks).
average of 61.28, her feats at the top of the order proving
• Winsor Cup for first-class bowling: Tim Southee crucial to her side’s unbeaten run to the final, where they
(Northern Districts). thrashed England to lift the trophy at Christchurch in New
• Phyl Blackler Cup for women’s domestic bowling: Zealand. She overcame fellow nominees Sophie
Eden Carson (Otago Sparks). Ecclestone (England) and Laura Wolvaardt (South
• New Zealand Umpire of the Year: Chris Gaffaney. Africa) for the award.

About the award: The International Cricket Council (ICC) PANCHAYATI RAJ DAY: IMPORTANCE
presents the ICC Player of the Month to recognise male The day is significant because, in 1957, a committee was
and female cricketers who have best performed across all formed under the head of Balwantrai Mehta with the
forms of international cricket in a particular month. goal of bringing about reforms in the central electricity
system. The committee suggested a decentralised
Bumrah, Rohit among Wisden's five 'Cricketers
Panchayati Raj hierarchy, with Gram Panchayats at the
of the Year'
village level, Panchayat Samiti at the block level, and Zila
The Wisden Almanack has named India captain Rohit Parishad at the district level, according to the study.
Sharma and bowler Jasprit Bumrah among the “Five
Cricketers of the Year ” for 2022. Rohit Sharma PANCHAYATI RAJ DAY: THEME
amassed 368 runs at an average of 52.57 in four Tests, Every year, the Prime Minister meets with members from
completing an outstanding tour with a second-innings Gram Panchayats and reviews their progress reports. In
127 at The Oval, his first Test century away from home. addition, a variety of village-level festivities, seminars,
Key Points: and other events are held. This year, however, it will be
• Others that made the cut include England fast bowler held without a theme. The award ceremony, which will
Ollie Robinson, South African women’s player Dane honour the outstanding work of panchayats across the
van Niekerk, and New Zealand opener Devon country for their participation under the Panchayat
Conway. Empowerment Accountability Incentive Scheme, will be
• Former England captain Joe Root has been crowned
the centrepiece of the event this year. On National
the World’s Leading Cricketer, while South African
Panchayati Raj Day, the Central government honours
Lizelle Lee has been named the World’s Leading
Woman Cricketer, and Pakistan’s Mohammad around 170 Panchayati Raj institutions.
Rizwan has been named the World’s Leading T20 BACKGROUND
Cricketer.
Despite the fact that Panchayati Raj Institutions have
existed for a long time, it has been observed that they
National Panchayati Raj Day 2022
have not been able to achieve the status and dignity of
National Panchayati Raj Day is a national holiday in viable and responsive people's bodies due to a variety of
India that honours the Panchayati Raj system. Every factors including the lack of regular elections, prolonged
year on April 24th, it is commemorated. The 73rd
super sessions, insufficient representation of weaker
Constitutional Amendment Act, which was passed in
sections such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and
1992, is also commemorated on this day. The Panchayati
Raj system, which is one of the country's oldest women, insufficient devolution of powers, and a lack of
governing organisations, governs about 6 lakh financial resources.
communities in India. The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act of 1992, which
The day was initially observed in April 2010 to took effect on April 24, 1993, gave Panchayati Raj
commemorate the decentralisation of power, which is institutions constitutional standing. As a result, this date
considered one of India's most significant milestones. As symbolises a watershed point in the history of
Panchayati Raj Diwas 2022 approaches, we bring you
decentralisation of governmental power to the people.
additional information about the event's history,
The 73rd Amendment's influence on rural India is
significance, and topic.
palpable, as it has irreparably altered power dynamics. As
a result, the Indian government decided, in conjunction
with the states, to commemorate April 24th as National
Panchayati Raj Day. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is
leading the commemoration.
Smart Cities Awards 2022

The Smart Cities India 2022 Awards are a one-of-a-kind
platform that honours, recognises, and encourages
individuals, policymakers, businesses, municipalities,
government organisations, and associations for their
efforts in both the urban and rural sectors. The 3-day
expo comes to a close with the Awards Ceremony.

Categories Winners Projects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gets
Best Green John F. Kennedy Award
Faridabad Smart
Buildings ICCC Building
City Limited The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, for the first
Project
Bhopal Smart City time ever, awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in
Best COVID
Development Courage Award 2022 to five individuals. The award will
Healthcare Management
Corporation be presented by Caroline Kennedy and her son, Jack
Initiatives through ICCC
Limited Schlossberg on May 22, 2022, at the John F. Kennedy
Bhopal Smart City
Presidential Library, Boston, USA.
Best Startup Development
B-Nest Foundation
Initiatives Corporation These five individuals are:
Limited • Ukrainian President: Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Pipeline
• United States (US) Representative: Liz Cheney
Best Water Solinas Integrity Management
• Michigan Secretary of State: Jocelyn Benson
Management Private Limited Project for 24×7
Water Supply • Arizona Representative: Russell “Rusty” Bowers
City Ujjain Smart City • Fulton County, Georgia, elections worker: Wandrea
Digital Center
Innovation Limited “Shaye” Moss
COVID 19-
Leveraging ICCC Important point:
Recovery Jabalpur Smart
against COVID • Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President is named
Innovation City Limited
Pandemic
Award for his valour to protect the Ukrainian people
New Town during the Russia-Ukraine Conflict.
Kolkata Green Digital Services in
Digital City About the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award:
Smart City New Town Kolkata
Corporation John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award was created
Governance Pimpri by the family of the late president John Fitzgerald
and Chinchwad Smart Smart Sarathi Kennedy to honour public figures who risk their careers
Economy City Limited by embracing unpopular positions for the greater good,
Public and is named after Kennedy’s 1957 Pulitzer Prize-winning
Indore Smart City
Private
Development She Kunj book, ”Profiles in Courage”.
Partnership
Limited
Initiatives
Dehradun Smart Sir David Attenborough earns UN ‘Champion of
Safe City DICCC
City Limited the Earth Lifetime Achievement award’
Smart
Jabalpur Smart United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has
Energy Smart Light Project
City Limited
Project named Sir David Attenborough, English natural history
Smart Indore Smart City broadcaster and naturalist, as the recipient of the
Two Wheeler
Parking Development Champions of the Earth Award 2021 under the
Multi-Level Parking
Initiatives Limited Lifetime Achievement category. This award is given to
Smart Urban Silvassa Smart
E-Bus Project him for his dedication to research, documentation, and
Mobility City Limited
advocacy for the protection of nature and its restoration.
New Town Integrated Solid
Smart Waste Sir David Attenborough is well known for his innovative
Kolkata Green Waste Management
Disposal and educational television programs, especially the nine-part
Smart City System in New
Clean City
Corporation Town Kolkata Life series forming the Life collection. His well-known
Smart City of Ujjain Smart City documentaries include The Green Planet and A Plastic
MRIDA
the Year Limited Ocean. He was knighted twice by Queen Elizabeth II in
Athar Aamir 1985 and again in 2020. He has won 3 Emmy Awards and
Best City
Khan, IAS, CEO,
Leader of - 8 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
Srinagar Smart
the Year awards.
City Limited

Other Winners of 2021 Champions of the Earth Max Verstappen named Laureus Sportsman of
Awards: the Year 2022
Category Winners Country F1 champion Max Verstappen has been named the 2022
Policy Mia Mottley (Prime Laureus Sportsman of the Year while Jamaican Olympic
Barbados sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah has been named
Leadership Minister, Barbados)
Papua New Sportswoman of the Year. The awards recognise the
greatest sporting achievements of 2021, one of the
Guinea and
Inspiration And Sea Women of highlights of which was the European Championship
the victory by the Italian Men’s Football Team who won
Action Melanesia
Solomon their second Laureus Team of the Year Award as a
Islands result.
Dr Gladys Kalema-
Other awardees:
Zikusoka
Science And
Founder and CEO of Uganda Category Winner
Innovation
Conservation Through Breakthrough of the Year
Emma Raducanu
Public Health (CTPH) prize
Enterpreneurial Kyrgyz Laureus Sporting Icon
Maria Kolesnikova Valtentino Rossi
Vision Republic Award
Laureus Lifetime
Tom Brady
Achievement Award
India Pharma and India Medical Devices
Exceptional Achievement
Awards 2022 Robert Lewandowski
Award
The India Pharma Awards 2022, and India Medical World Team of the Year Italy Men’s Football
Device Awards 2022 were handed over by the Minister Award Team
World Comeback of the Sky Brown
of State for the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers
Year Award (Skateboard)
Bhagwanth Khuba. The awards were handed over during
Sportsperson of the Year
the seventh edition of India Pharma and Indian Medical Marcel Hug
with a Disability Award
Device 2022 which was organized by the Federation of Laureus Sport For Good
Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Real Madrid
Society Award
the Department of Pharmaceuticals. Action Sportsperson of the
Bethany Shriever
The awards were given to various industry players in Year
the field of medical and pharmaceutical devices.
Banking and Financial Current Affairs
Category Winners
• The Reserve Bank of India has delayed the deadline
Indian Pharma Leader of
Cipla Ltd. for banks to use lockable cassettes in their ATMs
the Year
that can be swapped during cash replenishment by a
India Pharma Innovation of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals year, till March 31, 2023. The decision was made
the Year Ltd. after the RBI received representations from various
Indian Pharma banks and the Indian Banks’ Association noting
Micro Labs Ltd.
(Formulation) difficulty in achieving the deadline, according to a
Indian Pharma CSR of the notification released yesterday.
Zydus Lifesciences Ltd • Central Bank of India partnered with ID to
year
India Medical Device implement digital Know Your Customer (KYC), video
Poly Medicure Ltd. KYC and eKYC for its network across India. The aim of
Leader of the Year
the partnership is to bring seamless onboarding and
India Medical Device Trivitron Healthcare Pvt
provide efficient digital facilities to the customers
Company of the Year Ltd. across India.
India Medical Device MSME Nice Neotech Medical • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has turned 87
of the Year Systems Pvt Ltd. year. The Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (II of
Indian Medical Device Vanguard Diagnostics Pvt 1934) establishes the legal framework for the Bank's
Start-up of the Year Ltd. operations, which began on April 1, 1935. The Central
Indian Medical Device Office of the Reserve Bank was initially established in
Meril Lifesciences Pvt Ltd. Kolkata but was permanently moved to Mumbai in
Innovation of the Year
1937.

• The Reserve Bank reduced the Ways and Means • ‘Indus Merchant Solutions’, a mobile app for
Advances (WMA) for states and union territories to merchants of IndusInd Bank, got the Digital CX
Rs 47,010 crore from Rs 51,560 crore on Friday, Awards 2022 for ‘Outstanding Digital CX – SME
citing an improvement in the economic scenario. Payments’. The Digital CX Awards is organized by
WMAs are short-term loans provided by the RBI to Digital Banker, a globally trusted financial news
the government to help it deal with any discrepancies service provider. Indus Merchant Solutions being
between receipts and payments. adjudged as a winner is a testament to its strength in
• HDFC Bank Limited has been adjudged Best offering customers a seamless banking experience,
Performing Bank in Self Help Group (SHG) Linkage which aligns with the Bank’s ethos of ’customer-
by Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural centricity.
Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM). Ministry of Rural • Bank of Maharashtra announced that it will sell its
Development, Government of India at the event entire 4% ownership in India SME Asset
organised at the Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. HDFC Reconstruction Company for almost Rs 4 crore.
Bank is the only private bank to be honoured with the According to a regulatory statement, the Bank of
award for their contribution in SHGs by NRLM. Maharashtra (BoM) has entered a share purchase
• The State Bank of India (SBI) has tied up a agreement for the sale of the entire equity position
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the of 4% in India SME Asset Reconstruction Company
Border Security Force (BSF) to provide solutions for Ltd (ISARC).
financial security to BSF personnel through the • Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL) has launched Kotak
Central Armed Police Salary Package (CAPSP) FYN, a new enterprise platform designed specifically
Scheme. The MoU will offer a bouquet of benefits to for Business Banking and Corporate clients.
the serving security forces, retired personnel as well Customers of the bank can utilise the portal to
as family pensioners. conduct all trade and service transactions.
• The Boards of Directors of HDFC Ltd. and HDFC • Punjab National Bank, India’s second-largest bank
Bank Ltd. approved a composite scheme for the has celebrated its 128th Foundation Day on April
amalgamation of HDFC Investments Ltd. and HDFC 12, 2022. On the occasion of foundation day, MD &
Holdings Ltd with and into HDFC Ltd; and HDFC Ltd
CEO of PNB, Atul Kumar Goel has launched a
with and into HDFC Bank, as well as their respective
cardless cash withdrawal service and a virtual debit
shareholders and creditors. As a result, when the
card for its customers. Bank also launched various
scheme takes effect, public shareholders would
services on its mobile app named PNB One for safe
control 100% of HDFC Bank, while existing HDFC
banking transactions.
Ltd. shareholders will own 41%.
• Fino Payments Bank has approved a minority
• Union Bank of India has launched its super-app
strategic investment in New Delhi based fintech
named UnionNXT and digital transformation project
company Paysprint Pvt Ltd of up to 12.19%. This is
SAMBHAV, with an investment outlay of around Rs
the first strategic investment for Fino Payment Bank
1,000 crore for the current financial year 2022-23
(FY23). The public sector lender expects recovery after its public listing. The partnership will transform
from the spending in two years and aims to have 50 the digital banking space in coming days.
per cent of business originating on the digital • Union Bank of India (UBI) is set to buy out 75%
platform by 2025. stake held jointly by Bank of Baroda (BoB) – 40%
• Punjab National Bank has implemented the Positive and Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) – 35%, in India
Pay System (PPS) being compulsory for cheque International Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (IIBM). India
payments worth Rs 10 lakh and above. This is being International Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (IIBM) was a
done as a move to protect its over 180 million locally incorporated three-way joint venture between
customers from any security threats. The bank had the Bank of Baroda (40%), the IOB (35%) and Andhra
announced to make the Positive Pay System Bank (25%).
mandatory last month, and the same has been • ICICI Bank has signed an MoU with GIFT SEZ
implemented today. (Special Economic Zone), India’s first International
• The Reserve Bank of India announced that current Financial Services Centre (IFSC), located at GIFT City
banks can open digital banking units to provide in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The MoU aims to promote
products and services 24 hours a day, 7 days a the GIFT SEZ to Indian and international businesses,
week, in both self-serve and assisted modes. The particularly in the areas of information technology
government announced in the Union Budget that at (IT), IT-enabled services (ITeS), and financial services.
least 75 such units will be established in 75 districts GIFT SEZ is being developed as a global financial
to commemorate the country’s 75th anniversary of services hub. ICICI Bank has been a prominent player
independence as the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. in GIFT SEZ with its banking business since 2016.
• State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest commercial • Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
bank, has raised USD 500 million through a three- Development Authority (APEDA) in association
year syndicated loan facility, via its International with the India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO)
Financial Services Centre (IFSC) Gujarat is organizing Asia’s biggest international food and
International Finance Tec (GIFT) City branch. The hospitality fair AAHAR-2022 at Pragati Maidan in
facility is worth USD 400 million, with a USD 100 New Delhi.
million greenshoe option. SBI, on the other hand, did
not provide pricing information. The SBI’s Gift City
branch has raised its first offshore USD Secured Economy Current Affairs
Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) linked syndicated • The gross collection of goods and service tax (GST)
loan. soared to an all-time high of over Rs 1.42 lakh crore
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened the in March aided by the rationalization of rates and
rules for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) aggressive anti-evasion measures. GST cess
relating to their large exposures. RBI capped collections amounted to Rs 9,417 crore (including Rs
aggregate exposure of NBFCs which are in the upper 981 crore collected on import of goods).
layer toward one entity at 20% of the capital base.
• The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce
The limit can only be extended by another 5% with
& Industry (FICCI) has estimated India’s GDP to
the board’s approval. For a particular borrower
group, the cap is at 25%, with an additional 10% if grow at 7.4 per cent in the financial year 2022-23
exposure is towards infrastructure. (FY23). The Ficci’s Economic Outlook Survey was
• Manappuram Finance Limited was fined Rs 17.63 released on April 03, 2022. The report has stated that
lakh by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for failing to rising prices due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict is the
comply with Know Your Customer (KYC) and biggest challenge to the global economic recovery.
Prepaid Payment Instruments regulations (PPIs). • As she launched an ideathon to promote
• Suryoday Small Finance Bank has partnered with innovation, Sebi Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch
New York, US-based Kyndryl, an IT infrastructure said that India is ideally positioned to harness
services provider for a period of 5 years. The bank technology in the securities market to give bespoke
will partner with Kyndryl to drive its technology solutions at a very low cost to individuals across the
transformation program, improve operational country.
efficiency, and increase digital banking adoption • The greatest ever GST was collected in March, which
among its customers as part of a five-year is a very good for the economy. The Goods and
transformation deal. Services Tax (GST) collection totaled Rs 1,42,095
• Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with IndusInd crore, breaking the previous high of Rs 1,40,986
Bank to offer fixed deposit (FD) facilities to its crore set in January 2022.
customers. A customer can open FD of Rs 500 up to • Asian Development Bank projected a 7 per cent
Rs 190,000 on the Airtel Thanks app. With this collective growth for South Asian economies in 2022
partnership, customers of Airtel Payments Bank with the subregion’s largest economy India growing
savings account will get an interest rate of up to 6.5 by 7.5 per cent in the current fiscal year before
%p.a. and senior citizens will get an additional 0.5% picking up to eight per cent the next year.
on all fixed deposits.
• According to government data released, India’s
• Bank of Baroda has launched “bob World Gold”, a
trade imbalance increased by 87.5 percent to
new feature on its bob World mobile banking
$192.41 billion in 2021-22, up from $102.63
platform for seniors and the elderly. It is a unique
digital banking platform that has been designed to billion the previous year. While total exports hit a
provide its senior customers with a simple, smooth new high of $417.81 billion last fiscal year, imports
and secure mobile banking experience. This platform also hit a new high of $610.22 billion, resulting in a
has easy navigation, large fonts, sufficient spacing and $192.41 billion trade deficit.
clear menus. • Exports of agricultural products from India
• RBI imposes Rs 1.12 crore penalty on Bank of surpassed the USD 50 billion mark for the first time
Maharashtra. This penalty has been imposed in the during the financial year 2021-22 (FY22), owing to
exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions significant growth in sugar, rice, wheat, and other
of section 47 A (1) (c) read with sections 46 (4) (i) cereals exports. The Directorate General of
and 51 (1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (the Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S),
Act), it added. RBI has also imposed a monetary Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has released
penalty of Rs 25 lakh on Haryana State Co-operative provisional figures stating that agricultural exports
Apex Bank Limited for non-compliance with its rose to USD 50.21 billion in 2021-22, which is
directions on Housing Finance. 19.92%.
• According to the official data, the import of gold in • The wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation in
India has been rose by 33.34% to Rs 46.14 billion India in the month of March rose to 14.55% due to
on account of higher demand in 2021-22. The import an increase in power prices and rising edible oil
of gold in 2020-21 was about Rs 34.62 billion. The prices. In March 2022, the high rate of inflation was
increase in gold imports has contributed to the recorded due to a rise in prices of mineral oils, crude
widening of the trade deficit to $192.41 billion, petroleum and natural gas, and basic metals owing as
against $102.62 billion in 2020-21. there was a disruption in the global supply chain
• India’s retail inflation surged to a 17-month high of caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In March 2021,
6.95% in March from 6.07% in the previous month the WPI-based inflation had stood at 7.89%.
due to a sharp increase in food prices, the National • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slashed
Statistical Office (NSO) data showed. Retail inflation the gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for
as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has India in FY23 to 8.2 per cent in its latest World
remained above the upper limit of the Reserve Bank Economic Outlook report, released on April 19, 2022.
of India (RBI) tolerance band for the third consecutive Earlier in January report, this was estimated at 9 per
month. The retail inflation stood at 6.01 per cent in cent. IMF has also cut India’s FY24 GDP growth
January 2022. forecast to 6.9 per cent. Earlier this was 7.1 per cent.
• The World Bank has slashed the GDP growth In the case of the global economy, IMF has cut the
forecast for India in FY2022/23 to 8 per cent in its growth forecast for the calendar year 2022 to 3.6 per
bi-annual “South Asia Economic Focus” report, due cent from 4.4 per cent.
to the negative impact of the war in Ukraine on FY23 • The World Bank has lowered the global growth
growth. Earlier in January 2022, the growth forecast forecast for 2022 to 3.2%. Earlier this was estimated
for FY23 was estimated at 8.7 per cent. at 4.1%. The downward revision is due to the impact
• According to the evaluation made at a high-level of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the world economy.
review meeting, the central government has • Securities and Exchange Board of India’s advisory
exceeded its asset monetization target of 88,000 council on leveraging regulatory and technological
crore for FY22 and has concluded agreements worth solutions has been reconstituted advisory
96,000 crore. Roads, power, and coal and mineral committee on leveraging regulatory and
mining are among the industries that have made technology solutions (ALeRTS). Sunil Bajpai will
significant contributions to asset monetisation. The now lead the seven-member panel.
Centre has set an asset monetisation target of over • India will provide an additional $500 million in
1.6 trillion dollars for FY23, for which proposals financial aid to help the Srilanka island nation buy
from various ministries are in various stages of fuel, and that Bangladesh was willing to postpone
processing.
$450 million in swap repayments to help Colombo.
• London-based Cryptocurrency lender, Nexo has This is the second $500 million in gasoline credit
joined hands with global payments company that India has given to a Sri Lankan government
Mastercard to launch the world’s first “crypto-
grappling with the country’s greatest financial crisis
backed” payment card. Electronic money firm
in living memory.
DiPocket is Nexo’s card issuer. The card requires no
minimum repayments, monthly, or inactivity fees.
There are no FX fees for up to 20,000 euros per
month. Interest remains at 0% for customers who
maintain a loan-to-value ratio of 20% or below.
• For the collection of taxes, Dhanlaxmi Bank has
signed a memorandum of understanding with the
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
(CBIC). Dhanlaxmi Bank said in a regulatory filing
that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has authorised
the bank to collect different taxes based on a
recommendation from the Controller General of
Accounts.
Business Current Affairs • The World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB) stated that the Gujarat
• Google Pay has launched ‘Tap to Pay for UPI’, new government’s Mission School of Excellence
functionality to bring the seamless convenience of project, which aims to improve education quality in
Tap to Pay to Unified Payments Interface (UPI). The
the state, will receive a loan worth Rs 7,500 crore.
initiative has been launched in collaboration with
The state government will spend Rs 10,000 crore
Pine Labs. To complete a payment, all a user will
over the next five years on the Mission School of
need to do is tap their phone on the POS terminal and
Excellence initiative, which would cover all 35,133
authenticate the payment from their phone, using
their UPI PIN, making the process virtually government and 5,847 grant-in-aid schools in the
instantaneous, as compared to scanning a QR code or state.
entering the UPI-linked mobile number. • IT major Infosys and leading industrial tech company
• HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company has Rolls-Royce opened their joint “aerospace
launched its VAULT program. It is India’s first engineering and digital innovation centre’’ in
industry-based digital customer engagement and Bengaluru, Karnataka. This centre has been
rewards program. This program is an experiment to established to provide high-end R&D services
test a new idea under the Regulatory Sandbox of integrated with advanced digital capabilities to Rolls-
IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Royce’s engineering and group business services from
Authority of India). The testing period will be till India.
14th May 2022 and further continuance of the • The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the
product beyond the testing period will be subject to Government of India signed an agreement to
IRDAI approval. provide a $2 million project readiness financing
• Citigroup has announced that Axis Bank will be (PRF) loan to Nagaland for the design of climate-
acquiring Citibank’s India consumer business for resilient urban infrastructure, strengthening
an amount of USD 1.6 billion (Rs 12,325 crores) in
institutional capacity, and improving municipal
an all-cash deal. This transaction will be including
resource mobilisation.
Citibank India’s consumer banking businesses, which
include retail banking, credit cards, consumer loans, • Three public sector general insurance businesses –
and wealth management. National Insurance Company Limited, Oriental
• Homegrown e-commerce giant, The Flipkart Group Insurance Company Limited, and United India
has constituted and launched the Flipkart Insurance Company – have had their authorised
Foundation, a new platform with a focus on share capital increased by the government. This will
development in rural areas and providing equitable allow for a capital inflow of Rs. 5,000 crore into these
access to growth opportunities for women and other businesses.
disadvantaged communities. The Flipkart Foundation • HDFC Ltd, a mortgage lender, announced the sale of a
aims to positively influence 20 million lives directly 10% share in its private equity arm, HDFC Capital
and indirectly in the coming decade across a wide Advisors, to an Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
array of areas by utilising Flipkart’s learnings over the (ADIA) wholly-owned subsidiary for Rs 184 crore
years. on Wednesday.
• HP has completed its acquisition of Poly for $1.7 • Paytm has become an official digital payments
billion in an all-cash deal worth $3.3 billion when partner for the prime ministers’ museum. It is offering
debt is factored in. Poly is a manufacturer of office its payment gateway, EDC (Electronic Data Capture)
communication devices such as headsets, AV
machines and QR code payment options to make way
conference room equipment such as desk phones,
for superfast, convenient and secure transactions. The
and software.
museum, which is a tribute to former Prime Ministers
• Jio-bp and TVS Motor Company announced that they
of India, will be opened to the public on April 21,
had agreed to explore the establishment of a
comprehensive public EV charging infrastructure in 2022. PM Modi also purchased the first ticket of the
India for electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers, museum before its inauguration.
building on Jio-developing bp’s network in this field. • Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, agreed to
Customers of TVS electric vehicles are likely to gain acquire Twitter for $44 billion, ending a drama that
access to Jio-extensive bp’s charging network, included hostile takeover threats before handing
which is also open to other vehicles, as part of this him personal control of one of the world’s most
proposed agreement. powerful social media networks.

• NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the International Current Affairs
International arm of the National Payment
Corporation of India has announced that BHIM UPI • The largest electric cruise ship in the world has
is now live at NEOPAY terminals, across the UAE. returned back to port in Yichang in central Hubei
This initiative will empower millions of Indians who province, China after travelling up and down the
Yangtze River for its maiden voyage. This cruise ship
travel to the UAE, to safely and conveniently make
has been powered by a 7,500-kilowatt-hour
payments using BHIM UPI. NIPL and NEOPAY, the
massive-sized marine battery. This battery has
payment subsidiary of Mashreq bank, partnered last
been provided by Contemporary Amperex
year to create the acceptance infrastructure in the
Technology, the No. 1 battery manufacturer for
UAE.
electric cars in the world.
• Reliance Industries Limited has become the first
• The Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC is all set to
Indian company to hit the Rs 19 lakh crore market be admitted as the seventh member of the East
valuation mark in intra-day trade. The market African Community(EAC). Democratic Republic of
heavyweight stock jumped 1.85 per cent to its record Congo comes into the bloc with a huge market of 90
high of Rs 2,827.10 during the day on the BSE. It million people and the potential to contribute to an
finally settled flat at Rs 2,777.90, up 0.08 per cent. expanded market and investment opportunities.
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has expanded its • Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban won a
strategic partnership with SBI Cards and Payments fourth successive term in office by a landslide victory
Services Ltd to power SBI Card’s digital in the country’s general elections for 2022. His right-
transformation. TCS had helped the SBI cards to wing Fidesz party secured 53.1% of the total 98% of
transform its core cards sourcing platform and the count complete. The 58-year-old is already the
digitized a significant portion of the process. TCS has longest-serving head of government in the EU, since
been providing services to SBI Card for over a decade assuming the role of Prime Minister in May 2010.
since 2008, and the new deal represents an extension • The United Nations Human Rights Council
of that relationship. (UNHRC) has appointed Dr Ian Fry as the world’s
• Pencilton, a teen-focused fintech startup, has first independent expert for human rights and climate
launched PencilKey, a National Common Mobility change. Dr Fry has been appointed for a period of
Card (NCMC) compliant RuPay contactless keychain, three years. He holds dual citizenship of Tuvalu and
Australia. The first to hold the post will be Ian Fry,
in partnership with the National Payments
who holds both Australian and Tuvaluan nationality.
Corporation of India (NPCI) and Transcorp. Users
• Aleksandar Vučić has been re-elected as the
can activate and manage their PencilKey through the
President of Serbia. The pollster organizations
Pencilton app which is also used to load money, check
CeSID and Ipsos had predicted victory for Vucic. The
spends, block/unblock the account, set limits, etc.
pro-European and centrist Alliance for Victory
• The World Bank has approved a USD 47 million
coalition was represented by Zdravko Ponos, a retired
projects to support the Government of India's
army general. The pollsters had predicted that
Mission Karmayogi, a national program to build civil Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) would win
service capacity. There are nearly 18 million civil most of the votes with 43 per cent and they would be
servants employed across India, with approximately followed by the United for Victory of Serbia
two-thirds at the state government and local opposition.
authority levels. • China successfully launched a new Earth
• Tata-owned Air India has reached out to the anti- observation satellite Gaofen-3 03 on April 07, 2022,
trust regulator Competition Commission of India from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on board a
(CCI) for the merger of its low-cost subsidiary Long March-4C rocket. The new satellite will
AirAsia India. AirAsia India, a low-cost Indian carrier, become part of its land-sea radar satellite
is run by the Tata Group. Presently, Tata Sons holds constellation by forming a network with the orbiting
83.67 per cent of the company. Gaofen-3 and Gaofen-3 02 satellites.

• Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s • Tropical Storm Megi wreaked havoc on the
handling of the island nation’s mounting economic Philippines, killing at least 167 people in landslides
crisis degenerated into violence, with hundreds of and floods. According to the national disaster
protestors clashing with police for several hours. Due organisation, another 110 persons are missing, and
to a significant lack of foreign money, Rajapaksa’s 1.9 million people have been impacted. Hillside
government has been unable to pay for basic avalanches and overflowing rivers wreaked havoc on
imports, like as fuel, resulting in power outages
the villages surrounding Baybay city in central
lasting up to 13 hours. After the country depreciated
its currency last month ahead of talks with the Leyte province.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a loan • The flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Moskva,
programme, ordinary Sri Lankans are also suffering was being hauled to port when it sank due to stormy
with shortages and rising inflation. waves. The 510-crew missile cruiser, which led
• Pakistan’s opposition leader, Shehbaz Sharif has Russia’s naval attack on Ukraine, was a symbol of
been elected unopposed as the 23rd Prime Minister of the country’s military might.
the country through voting in the National Assembly. • Indian-American Navyveteran Shanti Sethi has been
The 70-year old Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) appointed as USA Vice President Kamala Harris’s
Chief will succeed Imran Khan, who has been Defence Adviser. Shanti Sethi is the first Indian-
removed by a no-trust vote recently in the National American commander of a major US Navy combat
Assembly. Shehbaz Sharif is the brother of former
ship. Shanti Sethi commanded the guided-missile
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
destroyer, USS Decatur, from December 2010 to May
• Ecuador, a South American Country, became the first
country in the world to give legal rights to wild 2012.
animals. The highest court in the country has ruled in • A cyber organisation recognised by the North
favour of the case that focused on a woolly monkey Atlantic Treaty Organisation will undertake the
named “Estrellita” who was taken from her home to world’s largest and most complicated “live-fire” cyber
a zoo, where she passed just a week later. defence drills. The biennial Locked Shields event,
• The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has revised according to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence
down its projection for global trade growth (in Centre of Excellence in Estonia, is designed to
volume) for 2022 to 3 per cent. Earlier in October improve the skills of cybersecurity experts protecting
2021, this was estimated at 4.7 per cent. The national IT systems and vital infrastructure against
downward revision follows the Russia-Ukraine real-time attacks.
conflict that has impacted commodity prices,
• Patrick Achi has been re-appointed as Prime
disrupted supplies and intensified geopolitical and
Minister of Ivory Coast by President Alassane
economic uncertainty. For 2023, this merchandise
trade volume growth is projected at 3.4%. Ouattara. He was appointed prime minister in March
• Israel successfully tested a new laser missile-defence 2021. He was the third prime minister in the West
system ‘Iron Beam‘ which can destroy any airborne African state (Ivory Coast) in the last three years after
object including drones. Iron Beam is the world’s first Amadou Gon Coulibaly (who died in 2020) and
energy-based weapons system that uses a laser beam Hamed Bakayoko (who died in 2021).
to shoot down incoming UAVs, rockets, mortars, • Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his
long-range missiles, anti-tank missiles etc. The military had successfully test-fired an
Iron Beam which is developed by the Rafael Advanced intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a
Defense Systems is using a directed-energy weapon big nuclear payload, but the Pentagon said the missile
system and can go a long way in providing aerial did not pose a substantial danger to the US. Russia’s
defence.
most powerful ICBM is the RS-28 Sarmat, dubbed
• According to a United Nations report released, the
“Satan 2” by NATO.
pandemic pushed 77 million additional people into
severe poverty last year, and many developing • Robert Golob has defeated three-time prime minister
nations are unable to recover due to the heavy cost of Janez Janša in the Slovenia Prime Minister
loan repayments — and that was before the extra election. State election authorities have confirmed
burden of the crisis in Ukraine. that the Freedom Movement won nearly 34% of the
• Indonesia has stopped imports of agricultural votes as compared to around 24% for the governing
products from India, citing a failure by New Delhi conservative Slovenian Democratic Party. The New
officials to register laboratories that evaluate food Slovenia party with 7%, followed by the Social
safety and issue certificates of analysis (COA), Democrats with more than 6%, and the Left party
causing worry among cereal exporters. with just 4%.
• French President Emmanuel Macron was re-elected • As part of a month-long pan-India operation on
as he defeated his far-right rival Marine Le Pen. illicit ticketing, the Railway Protection Force
Macron, 44, has become the third French president (RPF) detained 1,459 touts and blocked 366 IRCTC
who has managed to secure a second term. His margin agent IDs and 6,751 personal IDs, the Railways
of victory, however, was tighter than when he first announced on the 2nd of April, 2022. The
beat Le Pen in 2017.
‘Operation Upalabdh’ push was launched following
• The USA has put India & 6 other countries
the reinstatement of long-distance train services, with
including China & Russia on its annual 'Priority
Watch List' for intellectual property protection & the expectation that the festival and summer rush
enforcement. Other countries on the watch list would result in a sharp increase in demand for
include: Argentina, Chile, Indonesia, and Venezuela. reserved train tickets. In response to the feedback, the
These countries will be the subject of particularly Railway Protection Force (RPF) increased its efforts
intense bilateral engagement during the coming year and launched a pan-India offensive against touting
said the Office USTR. practises in March 2022.
• In the presence of Union Minister of Environment,
National Current Affairs Forest & Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav,
the mascotto ‘Prakriti’ was launched today to raise
• Chief Justice of India NV Ramana unveiled the ‘Fast
and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records’ public awareness about small changes that can be
(FASTER), a digital platform that allows the supreme made to our lifestyle for a better environment. As well
court to send interim orders, stay orders, and bail as various green initiatives taken by the Ministry of
orders to the appropriate authorities via a secure Environment, Forest & Climate Change and the
electronic channel. The online introduction of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to ensure
FASTER programme was attended by CJI Ramana, effective Plastic Waste Management (PWM) in the
Justices AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud, and country.
Hemant Gupta, as well as Chief Justices and Judges of • President Ram Nath Kovind landed in Amsterdam
High Courts. for the final leg of his two-nation journey — his first
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister,
visit to the Netherlands in 34 years — during which
Narendra Modi has approved a hike in Dearness
he would hold talks with the Dutch top leadership
Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees
and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners by 3 per names a new yellow tulip variety ‘Maitri‘.
cent to 34%, over the existing rate of 31% of the • The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,
Basic Pay/Pension. The hike announced will be Government of India, has contributed an amount of
effective from January 1, 2022, to compensate for the USD 72,124 towards the UNESCO Fund for
price rise. Elimination of Doping in Sport 2022. This is double
• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag the amount of the minimum agreed value. As per the
Singh Thakur and Governor of Karnataka, TC Gehlot resolution of 7COP held at Paris between 29-31
launched the logo, jersey, mascot and anthem of the September 2019, the State Parties had agreed for
Khelo India University Games 2021 (KIUG 2021) contributing 1% of the regular budget of their
on April 01, 2022, at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium
respective nations to UNESCO towards the Fund for
in Bengaluru. The theme song has been composed by
the Elimination of Doping in Sport.
Kannada rapper Chandan Shetty. The KIUG 2021
will be held in Karnataka between April 24 and May 3, • The Broadcast Seva Portal was developed by the
2022. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to
• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), improve the convenience of doing business in the
under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has broadcast industry. This will be an online portal
announced an extension in the existing Foreign option for broadcasters to quickly file and process
Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-20 by another six months applications for various types of licences,
till September 30, 2022, to ensure policy continuity permissions, registrations, and other things.
in external trade. This is the fourth extension given to • Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the
the existing FTP policy. Umiya Mata Temple, a religious site in Gujarat’s
• The Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs,
Junagadh, has now become a central focus for social
Meenakshi Lekhi has launched a website ‘Temple
consciousness. He explained that the temple helps
360’. Temple 360 is a digital platform where anyone
can visit or do darshan of 12 Jyotirlinga and Char the underprivileged members of the community by
Dham from any location, making everyone’s life providing free health treatment as well as religious
convenient while also keeping people connected. and social activities.
• The United Nations Food and Agriculture • The Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya,
Organisation (FAO) and Arbor Day Foundation have organised a week-long celebration under the “Azadi
jointly recognised Mumbai and Hyderabad as the Ka Amrit Mahotsav”, marking the fourth anniversary
‘2021 Tree City of the World. The two Indian cities of Ayushman Bharat- Health and Wellness Centres
have won the recognition for their “commitment to (AB-HWCs) from April 16 to April 22. The
growing and maintaining urban trees and greenery in inauguration of the first AB-HWC on 14th April
building healthy, resilient and happy cities”. 2018, at Jangla, a serene village in the Bijapur
• As per the data by the Ministry of Commerce and District of Chhattisgarh.
Industry, the number of domestic patent filings at the • The World Health Organization launched its Global
Indian patent office exceeded that of international Centre for Traditional Medicine at a site in Gujarat,
filings for the first time in the last 11 years. The aimed at unlocking its potential by blending ancient
number of patent filings increased from 42,763 in practices with modern science. During the event, the
2014-15 to 66,440 in 2021-22, more than a 50% WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus spoke in Hindi
increase in a span of 7 years. which surprised all. The WHO chief Tedros
• Shri Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs Ghebreyesus and Prime Minister of Mauritius Shri
and Cooperation, launched the Amrit Samagam, a Pravind Kumar Jugnauth were present at the event.
summit of the country’s tourism and cultural • The Department of Rural Development and
ministers, in New Delhi. The Ministry of Culture is Panchayati Raj, Jammu and Kashmir, under the e-
hosting a two-day conference, as part of the Azadi ka governance initiative has launched an app ‘Jan
Amrit Mahotsav. Nigrani’, intended to help people lodge their
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated to the complaints related to various schemes online. The Jan
nation, a 200-bed KK Patel Super Speciality Nigrani app is a 24×7 internet-based platform aimed
Hospital in Bhuj in the Kutch district of Gujarat, via at reporting and resolving the grievances of the
residents of J&K, against various government schemes
video-conferencing. This hospital has been built by
launched by the department.
Shree Kutchi Leva Patel Samaj, Bhuj and is the first
charitable super speciality hospital in the Kutch • To bolster India’s cyber posture, the National
Security Council Secretariat is holding a National
region.
Cyber Security Incident Response Exercise (NCX
• The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has
India) for government officials and key sector
unveiled a 108 ft statue of Lord Hanuman ji in
organisations. The National Cyber Security Incident
Morbi, Gujarat, at the Ashram of Bapu Keshvanand ji,
Response Exercise was kicked off by National Security
via video conferencing, on the occasion of Hanuman
Advisor Ajit Doval.
Jayanti. This statue is the second among the four
• Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture
statues being built in the four directions across the
Minister, recently launched the National Conference
country, as part of the ‘Hanumanji Char Dham’
on Agriculture for the Kharif Campaign 2022-23 at
project.
the NASC Complex in New Delhi. The production of
• NITI Aayog plans to launch the National Data and
pulses and oilseeds will be 269.5 lakh tonnes and
Analytics Platform (NDAP), which would give
371.5 lakh tonnes, respectively. Horticulture
government data in a user-friendly manner and production is expected to reach 3310.5 lakh tonnes
encourage data-driven decision-making and in 2020-21, the greatest level ever for Indian
research. The platform, which was conceived in horticulture, according to third advanced projections.
2020, aims to standardise data across government
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation
sources and provide flexible analytics that allow stone and inaugurated the various projects worth
users to easily analyse data using numerous datasets. 22,000 crore rupees at a function organized at Dahod
• The first portable solar rooftop system in India has in Gujarat. Dahod District Southern Area Regional
been inaugurated at Swaminarayan Akshardham Water Supply Scheme, constructed at Narmada River
temple complex in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The 10 Basin (Rs 840 crore); Dahod Smart City (Rs 335
Photovoltaic PV Port system has been manufactured crore).
by New Delhi-based Servotech Power Systems Ltd • The government-run organisation, Niti Aayog’s Vice
and designed by the German development agency Chairperson, Rajiv Kumar has resigned due to a
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale government order. Suman Bery, an economist, will
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). take over as the new head of the planning agency.
• NITI Aayog has released a draft battery swapping • In a move to provide safe transport to women and girl
policy, under which all metropolitan cities with a students, the police in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor
population above 40 lakh will be prioritized for the have set up three ‘She Auto’ stands, the first of its
development of a battery swapping network under kind in the state. The three ‘She Auto’ stands have
the first phase. All major cities such as state capitals, been set up in RTC Bus Stand, Mahila University,
UT headquarters, and cities with populations above 5 and Ruia Hospital in Tirupati.
lakh will be covered under the second phase. • YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Chief Minister of
Andhra Pradesh, inaugurated 13 new districts in
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated a 500 KV
the state via video conference on Monday, April 4 in
solar plant to the nation in the unassuming hamlet of
Tadepalli, Guntur district. As a result, there will be a
Palli in Jammu and Kashmir’s border region of
total of 26 districts in the state. The new districts
Samba making it the country’s first ‘carbon neutral were created using Parliamentary constituencies as a
panchayat.’ guide. With the addition of 13 new districts, Andhra
• As announced in the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Pradesh now has a total of 26 districts.
Modi – President Emmanuel Macron Joint • The Gangaur festival is celebrated in Rajasthan and
Statement released in 2018 during the French some parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and West
President’s visit to New Delhi, India has been Bengal. It is one of Rajasthan’s most important
designated as the Guest of Honour Country at the festivals and is observed with great fervour across the
Paris Book Festival 2022, which will take place from state. The women worship Gauri, the wife of Lord
April 21 to April 24, 2022. Shiva during the period of this festival which is from
• India’s first ‘Amrit Sarovar’ has been completed at March to April. This festival celebrates the harvest,
Rampur’s Gram Panchayat Patwai, thanks to the spring, childbearing, and marital fidelity.
efforts of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M K Stalin has launched
government in Uttar Pradesh. As part of the Azadi the ‘Kaaval Uthavi’ app which helps citizens to seek
police assistance during any emergency. The app is
Ka Amrit Mahotsav, 75 water bodies will be
containing sixty features that are used to send an
developed and regenerated as part of the Amrit
emergency alert to the police control room. By
Sarovar initiative. pressing the emergency red button, the user’s live
location will be shared with the control room. The
States Current Affairs user can also identify the nearest police station/patrol
vehicle.
• The Basavaraj Bommai government announced the
• Sarhul is the festival of the New Year celebrated in
Vinaya Samarasya Yojana as a public awareness
the state of Jharkhand by the tribal communities as
campaign against caste prejudice in the state’s part of the local Sarna religion. It is celebrated in the
gramme panchayats. It will be formally launched on Hindu month of Chaitra, three days after the
April 14, the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. appearance of the new moon. It is also a celebration of
• The Maharashtra government has introduced a the beginning of spring. The word ”Sarhul” is
scheme that allows prisoners to obtain personal loans connected with tree worship. It is a festival where
from banks of up to Rs. 50,000 to help their families nature is venerated. In the year 2022, it falls on 04
improve their living conditions and meet expenses April, Monday.
related to their legal matters. It will be a first of its
kind initiative in our country. The Maharashtra State
Co-operative Bank would provide loans up to 50,000
under the scheme at a 7% interest rate. The scheme
would be implemented in Yerawada Central Jail in
Pune, Maharashtra, on a pilot basis. This type of loan
is called a “khavti” loan, and benefits approximately
1,055 prisoners.
• The Haryana Agriculture Minister J P Dalal launched
the portal of Mukha Mantri Bagwani Bima Yojana’
with an initial corpus of Rs 10 crore for the scheme.
Under this the farmers will be compensated for the
damage caused to their crops due to adverse weather
and natural calamities.
• Karnataka Chief Minister, Basavaraj Bommai • The Government of Uttarakhand is set to implement
Establishing the ‘Nandini Ksheera Samridhi the ‘Him Prahari’ Scheme which is meant for ex-
Cooperative Bank’ is a revolutionary initiative, servicemen and youngsters. The Uttarakhand Govt is
which will provide greater financial strength for the seeking the cooperation of the Union Government to
milk producers. Karnataka is the only state in the implement the scheme in areas bordering the
country to set up an exclusive bank for milk Uttarakhand. The scheme will also prioritise settling
producers. Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched ex-servicemen in areas bordering the state.
the logo of “Nandini Ksheera Samurdhi Sahakar • Chief Minister MK Stalin announced in the Assembly
Bank”. that the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar (April 14)
• Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh will be commemorated as ‘Samathuva Naal’
Chouhan will launch the Udyam Kranti Yojana. (Equality Day), and that a promise will be
According to officials, the MP Mukhyamantri Udyam administered on that day, in accordance with Rule
110.
Kranti plan was announced for the first time in
• Manipur chief minister, N Biren Singh announced
November 2021, as per the MSME department’s
that a 165-foot-high Indian national flag, the tallest in
gazette announcement, but it was never executed.
the Northeast, would be hoisted at the Indian
Loans ranging from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh would
National Army (INA) headquarters complex in
be offered to youth under this scheme for self-
Moirang in Manipur’s Bishnupur district, for which
employment.
a pole had already been erected.
• Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra Tea will soon get a • The Karnataka State Government in association
European Commission Geographical Indication Tag with NIMHANS and Niti Ayog launched the
(GI Tag); this tag helps Kangra tea to get an Karnataka Brain Health Initiative (Ka-BHI) in
opportunity to enter the European market. Kangra tea January. Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has been
received the Indian GI tag in 2005. Since 1999, the recently appointed as the brand ambassador for
cultivation and development of tea have improved Karnataka- Brain Health Initiative (Ka-BHI).
constantly in the Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh. Training of doctors and preparations to start Brain
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami Health Clinics in the three pilot hospitals has also
has launched an anti-corruption mobile app named commenced.
1064 Anti-Corruption Mobile App. This mobile • Maharashtra State Environment Minister Aditya
application has been developed by the vigilance Thackeray inaugurated the tap-in tap-out service on
department, Uttarakhand. It helps the citizens to the Gateway of India to Churchgate route in an
lodge corruption-related complaints directly with the effort to make commuting across Mumbai easier.
authorities. Aditya Thackeray stated during the event that
• M.K. Stalin, the Deputy Chief Minister, launched a Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport
Periyar memorial samathuvapuram at (BEST) is India’s first fully digital bus service.
Pilipakuttai in Namagiripettai panchayat union. • Rich tributes were paid in Manipur to the valiant
Allottees were given the keys at the function. 100 sons of the state who made tremendous sacrifices
dwelling units with all basic amenities were built at fighting against the British in the battle of
the cost of 2 crores 88 lakh rupees. Khongjom during the 1891 Anglo-Manipuri War to
• Himachal Day is observed on the 15th of April in maintain Manipur’s independence.
Himachal Pradesh. The state became a full-fledged • Health and Medical Education Minister of Karnataka,
state on this day. Four districts of Mandi, Chamba, Keshava Reddy Sudhakar has launched the ‘Social
Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia
Mahasu and Sirmour were integrated with over two
Successfully’ (SAANS) Campaign. SAANS is a
dozen princely states, leading to the formation of
campaign that has been launched to ensure early
Himachal Pradesh as a Union Territory in 1948.
detection and greater awareness of pneumonia in
Decades later, in 1971, Himachal Pradesh became the
children under the age of five. As per SRS 2018,
18th state in India with Shimla as its capital.
Karnataka’s under-five mortality is at 28 per 1000
• Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu, one of the biggest live births.
festivals of Assam, falls in the second week of April • Tamil Nadu government has announced that
every year, marking the beginning of the harvest December 18, every year will be observed as
period. This year Bohag Bihu is being observed from Minorities Rights Day at the state level. The state
April 14 to April 16. Rongali means joy in Assamese government promotes the upliftment and economic
and the festival indeed is the time to rejoice and make advancement of the minorities through effective
merry with family and community. implementation of schemes and welfare measures.
• Jamtara in Jharkhand has become the only district • The Government of India’s Department of Animal
in the country where all gram panchayats have Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has launched a
community libraries. This district with a population of pilot project in Uttarakhand to implement the One
about eight lakh has a total of 118-gram panchayats Health Framework through the One Health
under six blocks and each panchayat has a well- Support Unit. The Unit’s main goal is to create a
equipped library that is open for students from 9 a.m. national One Health roadmap based on the lessons
to 5 p.m. learned during the pilot project’s deployment. The
• Agra, Uttar Pradesh has become the first city in the implementation of the One Health Support Unit
country to have vacuum-based sewer systems. would be led by an inter-ministerial One Health
These vacuums would be used in public places. Agra committee chaired by the Principal Scientific
Smart City officials told the media that the municipal Adviser to the Government of India.
corporation has linked 240 such houses near the • An animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics
Taj Mahal with vacuum-based sewers, where (AVGC) promotion task group has been established
conventional sewer systems could not be used. by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• Maharashtra became the first state in India to The task force, which will be led by the I&B
develop a website-based Migration Tracking System Secretary, will produce its first action plan within 90
(MTS) application to track the movement of migrant days. Industry, academics, and state governments
workers through individual unique identity numbers.
are all represented.
The MTS project aims to ensure the continuity of
• The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) for
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) until March 2023.
migrant beneficiaries, such as children under the age
of 18, lactating mothers, and pregnant women who AIM's stated goals include developing 10,000 Atal
are registered with Anganwadi centres. Tinkering Labs (ATLs), 101 Atal Incubation
Centres (AICs), and sponsoring 200 entrepreneurs
through the Atal New India Challenges, according to
Schemes/Committees
the statement. A total budgeted expenditure of Rs
• The Delhi government has set up Hobby Hubs for 2,000 crore plus will be incurred in the establishment
government schools in Delhi after school hours to and support of the beneficiaries.
promote extra-curricular activities. This project will • The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, or PMMY, is
implement in the single shift government school. A celebrating its seventh anniversary. Prime Minister
project to set up ‘Hobby Hubs’ in government schools Narendra Modi announced the initiative on April 8,
in Delhi with after-school dance, music, arts and crafts 2015, with the goal of granting loans up to ten lakh
activities during this new academic session is in the rupees to non-corporate, non-farm small, or
works. micro-enterprises. Since the inception of the
• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath begins the ‘School Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, more than 34 crore 42
Chalo Abhiyan‘ in order to secure 100 per cent lakh loans worth 18.60 lakh crore rupees have been
enrollment in elementary and upper primary schools sanctioned as per the official statement. Pradhan
in Uttar Pradesh. Citing an official announcement, Mantri Mudra Yojana has provided wings to millions
the state government will make an effort to shape the of people who have seen their hopes and aspirations
future of primary education and the holistic
realised, as well as a sense of self-worth and
development of elementary schools.
independence, thanks to the Yojana PMMY.
• Stand-Up India scheme has completed its six years
• In the presence of senior officials from States/UTs
on 5th April 2022. Under the Stand-Up India Scheme,
and several Central Ministries, Shri Manoj Joshi,
over 30,160 crore rupees have been sanctioned to
more than 1 lakh 33 thousand 995 accounts since Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
the launch of the Scheme. The scheme was launched (MoHUA), launched the ‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’
by PM Modi on 5th April 2016. Stand Up India programme in an additional 126 cities across 14
scheme was extended till 2025. States/UTs. PMSVANidhi’s extra initiative,
• The government announced the formation of a ‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi,‘ was launched in 125 cities
Semicon India advisory committee, which will in Phase 1 in 2021, covering around 35 lakh street
include top government officials, established vendors and their families. They have been given
academicians, as well as industry and domain 22.5 lakh scheme sanctions, which include 16 lakh
specialists. The Minister of Electronics and IT, insurance benefits under the Pradhan Mantri
Ashwini Vaishnaw, will head the Committee, with Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeeban
Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Minister of State, Ministry Jyoti Yojana, and 2.7 lakh pension benefits under the
of Electronics and IT (MeitY), as Vice-Chairperson. Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana,
The convenor will be MeitY, the Secretary. among other things.

• National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), a pan-India • In a significant development, Hindustan Aeronautics
online trading portal, has completed six years on Limited (HAL) and Israel Aerospace Industries
April 14, 2022. This flagship programme was (IAI) have entered into a Memorandum of
launched by PM Modi in 2016 with an aim to join the Understanding (MoU) to convert civil passenger
physical wholesale markets and mandis of States/UTs aircraft to Multi Mission Tanker Transport
to facilitate the electronic trading of agricultural (MMTT) aircraft in India. The Indian Air Force (IAF)
goods. e-NAM is completely funded by the Central has been looking to procure new mid-air refuellers
Government and is being implemented by the Small for sometime.
Farmers Agribusiness Consortium.
• Arya.ag, an integrated grain commerce platform,
has joined the United Nations Global Compact
Agreement/Memorandum of Understanding
India, voluntarily adhering to universal sustainability
(MoU) principles and taking actions to support the UN
• The state government of Manipur has signed a Sustainable Development Goals.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with • Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI),
Samsung Data System India Pvt Ltd and Abhitech MeitY has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
IT Solutions Pvt Ltd for setting up a world-class with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC),
“Sports Digital Experience Centre” as a domain of ISRO, Hyderabad for technical collaboration. NRSC
Manipur Olympian Park and Khuman Lampak Sports will develop a Bhuvan-Aadhar portal for providing
Complex. The MoU was exchanged in the presence of information and locations about the Aadhaar centres
chief minister N Biren Singh at the cabinet hall of the across India.
Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), an
• IBM India has collaborated with the Nagaland
Indian oil refinery, has teamed with Microsoft to
school education department to introduce digital
improve its customer experience. It will also integrate
training for girl students in more than 250 secondary
cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) to help
and higher secondary schools across 15 districts of
the northeastern state. The programme, IBM Stem the oil and gas business adapt digitally. Microsoft will
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) for Girls, supply BPCL with infrastructure-as-a-service,
aims to provide 21st century skills to more than platform-as-a-service, and cloud network and security
12,000 girls. services over the course of the seven-year
• India and Australia signed an Economic partnership.
Cooperation and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA), • The UNDP and partners of the Adaptation
hailing it as a watershed moment and one of the Innovation Marketplace (AIM) have announced
biggest economic doors there is to open in the $2.2 million in climate action funding for 22 local
world. It will provide zero-duty access to 96 per cent innovators from 19 countries, including India. The
of India’s exports to Australia, including shipments Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator
from key sectors like engineering goods, gems and (AFCIA) window’s first round of funding will improve
jewellery, textiles, apparel, and leather. local climate action and speed the achievement of the
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese Paris Agreement’s and Sustainable Development
colleague Sher Bahadur Deuba met in New Delhi, Goals’ ambitions.
initiating a number of projects and signing four
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Institute of
important agreements across a variety of fields.
Technology (IIT) Madras have signed a
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and Nepal Oil
memorandum of understanding for technology
Corporation Ltd. signed agreements on Nepal
becoming the 105th member of the International development and finding indigenous solutions for the
Solar Alliance (ISA), technical cooperation in sustenance of various weapon systems. The joint
railways, petroleum product delivery, and technical partnership between IAF and IIT Madras aims to
experience sharing in the petroleum sector. accelerate IAF’s indigenisation efforts for achieving
• With a sustained focus on the environment, NTPC has ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
taken the initiative of blending green hydrogen in the • The International Financial Services Centres
GGL (Gujarat Gas Limited) Piped Natural Gas Authority (IFSCA) has signed a Memorandum of
(PNG) network at NTPC Kawas. In the presence of Understanding (MOU) with the National Insurance
Mohit Bhargava, CEO, NTPC REL & ED RE, NTPC, and Academy with the goal of creating capacity and
Sanjeev Kumar, MD-GGL & GSPL, a formal agreement establishing a qualified talent pool in the insurance
between the two firms was signed. sector in International Financial Services Centres.
• The latest report on the State of India’s Children: • Google has signed a memorandum of understanding
Status and Trends in Multidimensional Child (MoU) with the Telangana Government to provide
Development will be jointly developed and launched benefits of digital economy to the youth and women
by NITI Aayog and UNICEF India. This was entrepreneurs.
determined, when the two organisations signed a
Statement of Intent (SoI), reiterating their joint Appointments/Resignations (National &
commitment to achieving children’s rights in India.
International)
• The Tripura state government has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the • Vishwas Patel has been re-elected as the Chairman
NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre to develop an of Payments Council of India (PCI) for the second
international grade Data Centre in the state. To time in 2022, previously he was elected as a Chairman
establish the projected Data Centre, the National of PCI in the year 2018. In 2013, he served as Co-
Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and CSE e- Chairman of PCI. PCI is a payment ecosystem industry
governance services Ltd have formed a joint venture body and is a part of the Internet and Mobile
called NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre. Association of India (IAMAI). PCI aims to promote a
• Power System Operation Corp. Ltd.’s (Posoco) cashless transaction society and vision to grow digital
Northern Regional Load Despatch Centre signed a payment in India.
memorandum of understanding with Indian • Dr S Raju has taken over as the Director-General of
Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT Delhi) to the Geological Survey of India (GSI) with effect
encourage research on issues relating to India’s
from April 01, 2022. He succeeds R. S. Garkhal who
power sector and strengthen interaction between
superannuated on March 31, 2022. Prior to this, Dr
academia and industry.
Raju was holding the post of Additional Director
• Prasar Bharati has signed an MoU with the Public
General and National Head, Mission-III & IV at GSI HQ.
Broadcaster of Argentina Radio Television
Argentina (RTA) for collaboration in the field of • Vice-Chancellor of Indraprastha University, Mahesh
broadcasting. The MoU encompasses a range of fronts Verma has been appointed as the new chairperson of
in Media and Broadcasting that is set to exemplify the the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and
communication and transmission networking of both Healthcare Providers (NABH). NABH is a
nations. India and Argentina share cordial relations constituent board of the Quality Council of India
and developmental partnerships in the areas of (QCI).
political, economic, scientific and technological • Kalyan Jewellers has announced the appointment of
cooperation. former Comptroller and Auditor General of India
• Kerala and the Netherlands have signed a Vinod Rai as the chairman and independent non-
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the executive director on the company’s board. TS
‘Cosmos Malabaricus’ project. This study will Kalyanaraman will, however, continue as the
contribute to a better understanding of Kerala’s Managing Director.
history in the 18th century. • Aprajita Sharrma, an Indian Post & Telecom
• Netflix India, in collaboration with the Information Account and Finance (IP&TAF) Service officer from
& Broadcasting Ministry, has released a series of 1995 batch, has been appointed as the vice-
short video series under an initiative called ‘Azadi Ki chairperson of Council Standing Committee on
Amrit Kahaniya’, highlighting the role of women Administration and Management of International
achievers. As part of a broader partnership, the global Telecommunication Union (ITU). Aprajita Sharrma
OTT platform will also conduct workshops and will remain as vice chair for the years 2023 and 2024.
masterclasses for the skill development of Indian After that she will assume the role of Chairperson for
filmmakers. the years 2025 and 2026.
• Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed an agreement • Vikas Kumar has been appointed as the new
with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail
Bombay to jointly pursue research and development
Corporation (DMRC). He succeeds Mangu Singh,
work in the Green Hydrogen value chain. Under the
whose tenure ended on March 31, 2022.
agreement, both the institutions would contribute to
• PharmEasy, a consumer healthcare “super app,”
the development of the Green Hydrogen industry in
has unveiled its new campaign, which introduces
India while developing technology in this field.
Hydrogen when produced through the electrolysis Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan as its brand
process using renewable energy is known as Green ambassador. API Holdings Limited is in charge of the
Hydrogenwhich has no carbon footprint. PharmEasy brand.

• United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet,
appointed Arunabha Ghosh (India) to a High-Level approved Vikram Dev Dutt’s appointment as the
Expert Group on the Net-Zero Emissions Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Air
Commitments of Non-State Entities. India Asset Holding (AIAHL), with effect from 27th
• The Government of India has appointed IFS Vinay January 2022, in the rank and pay of Additional
Mohan Kwatra as the new Foreign Secretary of India. Secretary to the Government of India.
• Lieutenant General Manoj Pande has been appointed
He is currently serving as India’s envoy to Nepal, from
as the next Chief of Army Staff. Lt Gen Pande is the
March 2020. He will replace the current foreign
incumbent Vice-Chief of the Army. He will take over
secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who will from General MM Naravane, who is set to retire on
superannuate on April 30, 2022. April 30, 2022. Lt Gen Manoj Pande is the first-ever
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved an officer from the Corps of Engineers to be appointed as
extension in the tenure of Murli M Natarajan as the Army Chief.
managing director and chief executive officer (MD & • India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the
CEO) of DCB Bank for a period of two years. His apex body for India’s pulses trade and industry, has
extended term will be applicable from April 29, 2022, appointed Bimal Kothari as the new Chairman with
to April 28, 2024. Natrajan is serving as MD & CEO of immediate effect. Kothari takes over from Jitu Bheda,
the bank since April 2009. who was the IPGA chairman since 2018.
• Currently a Member of the Union Public Service • IT major Wipro has announced the appointment of
Commission (UPSC), Dr Manoj Soni has been Satya Easwaran as the Country Head for India. He
will be in charge of strengthening Wipro’s business in
appointed the chairman of the country’s premier
India across segments through strategic consulting,
government recruiting agency. He has been
transformation and modernisation engagements.
associated with the Swaminarayan sect’s Anoopam
• Digit Insurance has appointed Jasleen Kohli as the
Mission, at Mogri in Anand district, since a young age company’s new managing director (MD) and chief
and received diksha (initiation) as a nishkarma executive officer (CEO) with effect from April 20,
karmayogi (selfless worker) on Jan 10, 2020. 2022. She succeeds Vijay Kumar who retired from
• Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla will take the company on April 19, 2022. She served as chief
over next month as G20 chief coordinator, the distribution officer (CDO) at Digit, where she was
government officially announced. The appointment is responsible for all of the company’s sales and
significant as India will assume the G20 presidency on distribution channels.
December 1, 2022, from Indonesia, and will convene • Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar has been
the G20 Leaders Summit for the first time in India in appointed as the next Director-General of Military
2023. Operations. He would take charge of the new office on
• The central government has re-appointed retired May 1st. An alumnus of the National Defence
Academy, Lieutenant General Katiyar was
Punjab-cadre IPS officer Iqbal Singh Lalpura as the
commissioned in the 23rd Battalion of the Rajput
chairperson of the National Commission for Regiment in June 1986.
Minorities. Lalpura, who was first appointed as • Procter & Gamble India appointed LV Vaidyanathan,
chairman in September last year, had to resign from who leads the company’s business in Indonesia, as the
the post in December to contest as the BJP candidate new chief executive officer. He takes over from
from the Ropar assembly constituency, which he lost. Madhusudan Gopalan who will move into a new role
at the parent company. Vaidyanathan takes over as
the CEO from July 1, 2022.
• According to a home ministry notification released,
senior IAS officer Naresh Kumar has been appointed
as the chief secretary of Delhi. Kumar, an IAS
officer from the 1987 batch of the AGMUT cadre,
has been shifted from Arunachal Pradesh to Delhi.
Before being transferred, he was the chief secretary of
Arunachal Pradesh.
• Babita Singh, a serial entrepreneur, was named a
Global Peace Ambassador for her work in
promoting peace through education, sports, art,
culture, and diplomacy at the India International
Conclave 2022, which was held in collaboration with
the Asia Africa Consortium (AAC) in New Delhi.
• Ajay Kumar Sood, a member of the Science, • BJP leader and former Union minister Vijay Sampla
Technology and Innovation Advisory Council to has been appointed as the chairperson of the
the Prime Minister, has been appointed to the post for National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)
a period of three years to succeed renowned biologist for a second time. Sampla had resigned as the NCSC
K VijayRaghavan. The Appointments Committee of chairman ahead of the Punjab elections and had
the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of contested the polls. The official order for his
Sood as Principal Scientific Advisor to the appointment was issued by President Ram Nath
government. Kovind.
• YuWaah (Generation Unlimited India) in India • Online lending platform, Indifi Technologies has
announced today that Ashwin Yardi, CEO of appointed former chairman of SBI, Rajnish Kumar as
Capgemini in India, has joined the organisation, an advisor. Presently, he sits on the boards of HSBC
starting immediately, alongside Yasumasa Kimura, Asia Pacific, L&T Infotech, Hero MotoCorp and
UNICEF Representative, as being the co -chair of the BharatPe.
organisation. • Shivalik Small Finance Bank has appointed Anshul
• Vishakha Mulye has been appointed as the next Swami as the bank’s managing director and chief
executive officer effective from April 26.
Chief Executive Officer of Aditya Birla Capital. The
company said in its stock filing that the board of
directors approved the appointment based on the Ranks and Reports
recommendations of the Nomination, Remuneration • Uttar Pradesh at 29.58 mt has become the top
and Compensation Committee. She replaces Ajay producer of vegetables, getting back its first
Srinivasan, who is taking up other responsibilities position by demoting West Bengal at 28.23 mt to the
within the group, as per the exchange filing. second position, with a difference of a million tonnes
• AP Abdullahkutty has been elected as the in production in 2021–22 Crop Year (CY) (July–June),
chairperson of the Haj Committee of India, while after two years since 2020. Other top producers of
for the first time, two women have been chosen as its vegetables as per the data in the current year 2021-22
vice-chairpersons– Munnawari Begum and Mafuja include Madhya Pradesh at 20.59 mt, Bihar at 17.77
Khatun. Ministry of Minority Affairs is the nodal mt and Maharashtra at 16.78 mt.
ministry to conduct the Haj pilgrimage in India. Haj • Andhra Pradesh remains the top fruit producer.
pilgrimage for the Indian pilgrims is conducted either India’s horticulture output is likely to drop marginally
through Haj Committee of India (HCoI), or the Haj by 0.4% to 333.25 mt in 2021–22 from the previous
Group Organisers (HGOs) approved by the Ministry. year (2020–21) as production of vegetables, spices,
• Tata Sons executive chairman N Chandrasekaran has and plantation crops is set to decline. In 2021–22,
formally taken charge as chairman of Tata Digital. Andhra Pradesh is expected to produce 18.01 million
At present, Tata’s digital strategy is being tonnes of fruit, up from 17.7 million tonnes in 2020–
spearheaded by its CEO Pratik Pal along with Mukesh 21. Maharashtra is anticipated to produce 12.3 million
Bansal, founder of Cultfit. Chandrasekaran’s formal tonnes of fruit, up from 11.74 million tonnes in 2020–
appointment is of significance considering its future 21.
plans of raising funds from external investors. • As per the data from the Centre for Monitoring
Indian Economy (CMIE), the overall unemployment
• The National Association of Software and Services
rate in India fell to 7.6 per cent in March 2022. This
Companies (Nasscom) announced that Krishnan
rate was 8.10 per cent in February 2022. Haryana
Ramanujam, President, Enterprise Growth Group at
recorded the highest unemployment rate in March
Tata Consultancy Services, has been appointed as its
2022, at 26.7 per cent. It was followed by Rajasthan
Chairperson for 2022-23. Ramanujam succeeds
(25%) and Jammu and Kashmir (25 %), Bihar
Rekha M. Menon, Chairperson and Senior Managing (14.4%), Tripura (14.1%) and West Bengal
Director of Accenture in India, in this role. (5.6%). Chhattisgarh has registered an
• Generali Asia has appointed Bruce de Broize as MD unemployment rate of 0.6 per cent this March, which
and CEO of Future Generali India Life Insurance is the lowest so far.
(FGILI). He takes over from Miranjit Mukherjee who • According to the list of Hurun Richest Self-Made
served as interim CEO since September 2021. He was Women In The World 2022 released by the Hurun
the Regional Head of Distribution for Generali Asia Research Institute. Wu Yajun co-founder of Longfor
based in Hong Kong for over five years. In March, (China has topped the list); Falguni Nayar, Founder
Generali has become the majority shareholder of the and Chief Executive Officer of Nykaa, is ranked 10th
Indian life insurance joint venture after getting all with a wealth of USD 7.6 billion. She is the only Indian
regulatory approvals. among the top 10.
• QS Quacquarelli Symonds released the 12th edition Sports Current Affairs
of the QS World University Rankings by Subject
• Al Rihla – the Official Match Ball for the FIFA World
2022, the subject-wise rankings of institutes across
Cup Qatar 2022 has been revealed by Adidas. It is
the world are compilations of multiple lists. Indian
Adidas’ 14th World Cup ball, and it is designed to
Institute of Technology(IIT)-Bombay ranked 65th
accommodate the fastest game speeds possible, since
and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)- Delhi it flies quicker in flight than any other World Cup
ranked 72nd, are the only Indian institutes to be ball.
featured among the top 100 ranks under the • Indian Railways’ men Hockey team won the
Engineering and Technology category. IIT Bombay prestigious Obaidullah Khan Heritage Hockey Cup
has scored 79.9 and IIT Delhi has scored 78.9. held at Bhopal (MP) from 21.03.2022 to 27.03.2022.
• The Airports Council International (ACI) released In the final match held on Sunday, Railway Sports
the list of the top 10 busiest airports worldwide for Promotion Board (RSPB) team beat Army XI by 2. The
2021. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International prestigious hockey tournament was played at Major
Airport (ATL) has topped the list with 75.7 million Dhyanchand Stadium, Bhopal.
passengers. Dallas/Fort Worth International • Meghalaya is all set to host the 83rd National Table
Airport (DFW) 62.5 million passengers) is second, Tennis Championship 2022 scheduled to begin from
followed by Denver International Airport (DEN, April 18th till 25th, 2022 at SAI Indoor Training
58.8 million passengers) at the third spot. Among the Centre, NEHU in Shillong. This is the second time the
top 10 airports for passenger traffic, 8 are in the biggest table tennis event is being hosted in the
United States with the two remaining in China. The Northeast.
airports are ranked based on the preliminary • Thirteen-year-old Riya Jadon won the DGC Ladies
compilation of 2021 global data from airports around Open Amateur Golf Championship, following a
the world including passenger traffic, cargo volumes, close fight with older sister Lavanya Jadon. Riya, who
and aircraft movements. carded 78, 80 and 74, also won the junior girls trophy.
• The extreme poverty rate in India fell from 22.5% Over a hundred women golfers took part in this year's
in 2011 to 10.2% in 2019 as per World Bank Policy tournament, which resumed at the Delhi Golf Club
Research Working Paper. This represents a decline after a two-year hiatus.
of 12.3 percentage points in extreme poverty count • Charles Leclerc (Ferrari- Monaco) has won the
Formula One (F1) 2022 Australian Grand Prix,
between 2011 to 2019 in the country. The decline in
held on 10 April 2022 in Melbourne, Victoria. It was
rural areas was much higher than in urban areas.
the third round of the 2022 Formula One World
• Chairman and Managing Director of Serum Institute
Championship. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull Racing-RBPT –
of India(SII), Dr Cyrus S. Poonawalla has topped the Mexico) came second while George Russell
Hurun Global Healthcare Rich List 2022 and (Mercedes – Britain) came third.
became the richest billionaire in the healthcare • The second-seeded Indian duo Dipika Pallikal
sector 2022. He has topped the list with a new value Karthik and Saurav Ghosal won the mixed double
of USD 26 billion (up 41%). Cyrus Poonawalla is title at the 2022 WSF World Doubles Squash
followed by Thomas Frist Jr & Family of HCA championship at Glasglow, Scotland.
Healthcare, Li Xiting and Xu Hang of Mindray at the • The 15-member Indian boxing contingents ended
2nd position with a net value of USD 19 billion. Dilip their campaign at the Thailand Open International
Shanghvi & Family, of the Sun Pharmaceuticals, is at Boxing Tournament 2022 in Phuket with 10 medals,
the 5th position with a net worth of USD 18 billion. including three golds, four silvers, and three bronze.
• According to the Sweden-based think-tank • Rajasthan Royals all-rounder, Ravichandran
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Ashwin became the first player in IPL history to get
(SIPRI) report, titled “Trends in World Military retired out during the high-octane clash against
Expenditure Report 2021”, India’s military Lucknow Super Giants. Ashwin played a crucial
expenditure is the third highest in the world behind knock of 28-run off 23 balls to revive Rajasthan’s
the US and China. Military spending in India is innings from a tricky stage when they were four down
amounting to $76.6 billion in 2021 which grew by for 67.
0.9% from 2020. Russia has also increased its military • The first Khelo India National Ranking Women
expenditure for the third consecutive year. The five Archery will be held in Tata Archery Academy,
largest spenders in 2021 were the US, China, India, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. The Sports Authority of
the UK (United Kingdom) and Russia, together India (SAI) has approved Rs 75 Lakh to host the
accounting for 62% of expenditure. Khelo India National Ranking Women Archery
Tournament over six phases.
• Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, has been appointed to • Top Indian swimmer Sajan Prakash won the men’s
the ICC Cricket Committee as a Member Board 200m butterfly gold at the Danish Open swimming
Representative, while Mahela Jayawardene has meet in Copenhagen, Denmark.
been reappointed as the Past Player • Haryana has emerged as the champions of the 12th
Representative. Other important decisions were also Senior Men’s National Hockey Championship by
made at the ICC Board Meeting in Dubai. defeating Tamil Nadu 3-1 in the shootout after the
• The Netherlands has lifted their fourth title of FIH final ended 1-1 in the regulation time. The
Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup 2022 after tournament was held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
beating Germany at Potchefstroom, South Africa. The from April 6 to 17, 2022. Haryana has won the trophy
Netherlands is the most successful team. England for the first time since 2011. Karnataka prevailed
claimed the bronze medal in the third-place match over Maharashtra 4-3 in the third/fourth place
after defeating India by 3-0 in the shoot-out. classification match.
• In a deviation from the conventional single host city • Indian Grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh has
approach, the Commonwealth Games will be held clinched the 48th La Roda International Open
in Victoria in 2026, with the majority of events being chess tournament title in Castile-La Mancha,
organised by the state’s regional centres. In March Spain.
2026, the Games will be held in numerous towns and • In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the second edition of
regional centres around Australia, including the Khelo India University Games to be held in the
Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, and tech capital Bengaluru will have its own mobile
Gippsland, each with its own athletes’ village. application. A brainchild of the Department of Youth
• 16-year-old chess sensation R Pragganandhaa has Empowerment and Sports (DYES) and hosts Jain
won the prestigious Reykjavik Open chess Deemed-to-be University, the unique ‘Khelo India
tournament in Reykjavik, Iceland. In the final played Uni Games 2021’ mobile app promises to be a one-
between two Indian players, it was R Praggnanandhaa stop-shop for all information regarding the
who won the contest beating compatriot GM D prestigious event scheduled to begin on the 24th
Gukesh in the final round. April.
• India is ready to host the Street Child Cricket World • West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard has
Cup in 2023. This world is organized by Street Child announced his retirement from international cricket.
United and Save the Children India, the Street Pollard, who was the captain of West Indies’ limited-
Child Cricket World Cup 2023 will welcome 22 overs teams, played a total of 123 ODIs and 101
teams from 16 countries to India next year. The Street T20Is.
Child Cricket World Cup 2023 will welcome 22 teams • Formula One champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull-
from 16 countries to India next year. Netherlands) won the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
• Indian shuttler Mithun Manjunath has won silver in in Italy. It was Verstappen’s second win this season
Men’s Singles at the Orléans Masters 2022, a after Saudi Arabia, which has also included two
retirements, and the 22nd of his career. Sergio Perez
badminton tournament held from 29th March to 3rd
(Red Bull-Mexico) finished second and Lando
April 2022 in Orleans, France.
Norris (McLaren-UK) finished third.
• Tamil Nadu defeated defending champion Punjab
• Andrey Rublev (Russian) has defeated world No. 1
87-69 in the final to win the men's title in the 71st
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) to win his third title in the
Senior National Basketball Championship. The
Serbia Open. Andrey Rublev has saved five set points
formidable Indian Railways team won the women's
in the second set to force a tie-break, but he was
title, beating Telangana 131-82 in convincing
unable to prevent Djokovic from levelling the match.
fashion, riding on Poonam Chaturvedi's 26 points.
Rublev has now equalled Rafael Nadal (Spain) for
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has unveiled
the most tour-level titles in 2022 He also clinched
the logo of the 2023 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup crowns in Marseille and Dubai in February 2022.
at the Kalinga stadium in the capital Bhubaneswar.
• The 30-member Indian contingent participated at the
To be held in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and
35th Edition of Asian Wrestling Championships
Rourkela, the prestigious quadrennial tournament is 2022 held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Indian
scheduled from January 13 to 29. wrestlers secured a total of 17 medals, that includes
• The 35-year-old, New Zealand pacer (fast bowler) (1-Gold, 5-Silver, and 11-Bronze medals). Gold
Hamish Bennett, has announced his retirement from Medalist: Ravi Kumar Dahiyais the only Gold
his 17-year-old cricket career with the 2021/22 medalist representing India, in the men’s 57kg
season as the last one. Before retiring, Bennett freestyle category, beating Kazakhstan’s Rakhat
represented New Zealand in T20I against Bangladesh Kalzhan on technical superiority.
in Mirpur, Pakistan in September 2021.
Summits And Conferences • In the 80th SKOCH Summit and SKOCH Awards,
held recently in New Delhi, India’s largest iron ore
• The 4th edition of the India Boat & Marine Show
(IBMS) was held at Bolgatty Palace in Kochi in producer, National Mineral Development
Kerala. IBMS is India’s only and most influential Boat Corporation (NMDC), under the Ministry of Steel,
and Marine industry related exhibition. The event is received one gold and one silver medal. The SKOCH
organised by Kochi-based Cruz Expo. The IBMS 2022 Summit’s subject was ‘State of BFSI & PSUs.’ The
showcased leading international brands as well as project ‘Promotion of Technical Education and
indigenous boat manufacturers from across the Skill Development in Dantewada District through
country. Around 45 exhibitors from all over India and
two international exhibitors participated in the expo. NMDC ITI Bhansi’ got the Gold Award in the category
• The Union Minister of AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal social responsibility, and the project ‘Project
has inaugurated a two-day scientific convention on Kalpataru’ for ERP implementation earned the Silver
the theme ‘Homoeopathy: People’s Choice for Award in the category digital inclusion. Shri Amitava
Wellness’ in New Delhi. The convention has been Mukherjee, Director (Finance), accepted the honours
organised jointly by the three apex bodies under the on behalf of Chairman and Managing Director,
Ministry of Ayush namely, the Central Council for
Shri Sumit Deb, via video conference.
Research in Homoeopathy, the National Commission
for Homoeopathy and the National Institute of • The 20th edition of the India-France Joint Staff talks
Homoeopathy to mark the occasion of the World focused on new initiatives within the framework of
Homoeopathy Day. the existing bilateral defence cooperation
• The 20th NTCA in Arunachal Pradesh is chaired by mechanism, as well as improving current defence
Bhupender Yadav. The 20th Meeting of the National engagements. The two-day talks took place in a nice,
Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was held in warm, and courteous setting in Paris. The Joint Staff
Pakke tiger reserve in Arunachal Pradesh and was
led by Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Consultations between India and France are a
Climate Change Bhupender Yadav. forum intended to improve defence cooperation
• Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary between the two countries through frequent talks at
of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III welcomed Ministers of the operational and strategic levels.
Defense Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Dr S. • The three-day “Smart Cities, Smart Urbanization”
Jaishankar to Washington, D.C. for the fourth US- conference kicked off today in Surat. Under the
India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. A virtual conference
clarion call of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM),
between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
President Joseph Biden preceded the Dialogue. With given by Hon’ble Prime Minister to commemorate the
a shared commitment to democracy and pluralism, 75th anniversary of Independence, the event is
a multifaceted bilateral agenda, and growing being organised by the Ministry of Housing and
convergence of strategic interests, the United States Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, in
and independent India are celebrating 75 years of collaboration with Surat Smart City Corporation
diplomatic relations. Both countries seek to
Development Ltd.
maintain a resilient, rules-based international order
that protects sovereignty and territorial integrity, • Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will open the
upholds democratic values, and promotes peace Global Ayush Investment & Innovation Summit
and prosperity for all. 2022 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The three-day conference will bring together key
policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, startups,
and other national and international players to
discuss innovation and how India can become a
global Ayush destination for entrepreneurship.
• Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports,
Shipping and Waterways, and AYUSH, said that the
1st Incredible India International Cruise
Conference-2022 hosted in Mumbai. The two-day
event in Mumbai is being organised by the Ministry of
Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Mumbai Port
Authority, and the Federation of Indian Chambers
of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

• According to the Institute of Chartered Accountants • A photograph by Canadian photographer Amber
of India (ICAI) president, Debashis Mitra, India is Bracken titled “Kamloops Residential School” has
set to host the 21st World Congress of Accountants won the 2022 World Press Photo of the Year
(WCOA), the Kumbh of accountants, for the first time award. Australian photographer Matthew Abbott
in 118 years of its existence. About 6000 top won the Photo Story of the Year prize for a series of
accountants from 130 countries will participate in the images for National Geographic/Panos Pictures. The
programme physically. The event will be held from Long-Term Project award went to Lalo de Almeida
of Brazil for a series of photos for Folha de São
November 18 to 21 after outbidding France. The
Paulo/Panos Pictures called “Amazonian Dystopia”. In
event will be held at Jio World Convention Centre in
regional awards announced previously, Bram
Mumbai. The theme for 2022 would be `Building Janssen of The Associated Press won the Stories
Trust Enabling Sustainability’. The WCOA, a forum category in Asia with a series of photos from a Kabul
for thought leadership and global exchange of views, cinema and AP photographer Dar Yasin earned an
is held every four years since it started in 1904. honourable mention for photos from Kashmir titled
• The Tallinn, Estonia NATO Cooperative Cyber “Endless War.”
Defence Centre of Excellence, abbreviated as • The Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu has
CCDCOE, is organising the Locked Shields 2022, the presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
largest and most complex annual international live- and Sangeet Natak Awards for the year 2018 to 43
fire cyber defence exercise in the world. This year’s eminent artists (4 Fellows and 40 awardees). Naidu
exercise has particular importance as it takes place also presented Fellowships and National Awards of
amid the rising threat of cyber-attacks since the Lalit Kala Akademi for the year 2021 to 23 people
Russian invasion of Ukraine. (3 Fellows and 20 National Awards ).
• The first edition of the Naval Commanders' • Veteran Bengali author Amar Mitra was awarded this
year’s O.Henry prize for a short story he wrote 45
Conference of 2022 is underway in New Delhi. The
years back. He bagged the award for his short story
conference serves as a platform for naval
titled ‘Gaonburo’- a Bengali short fiction, which was
commanders to discuss important maritime matters translated into English (The Old Man Of Kusumpur)
at the military-strategic level as well as interact with earlier. The translated work was published in an
senior government functionaries through an American magazine in 2020. Mitra was awarded the
institutionalised forum. Sahitya Academy award in 2006.
• Assam Chief Minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma
Awards & Recognition presented the country’s highest literary award, the
56th Jnanpith for the year 2021 to one of the most
• A journalist from Mumbai, Aarefa Johari was celebrated poets of Assam, Nilamani Phookan.
awarded the Chameli Devi Jain Award for an Nilmani Phookan is the third person to win the
Outstanding Woman Media person 2021. It was Jnanpith Award from Assam after Mamoni Roisom
announced by the Media Foundation. Aarefa Johari Goswami and Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya. The
works for ‘Scroll. in’ in Mumbai, Maharashtra. In 2020, Award carried a Citation, a shawl, and Rs. 11 lakh.
Neetu Singh got this award. She is associated with • Novelist Damodar Mauzo was chosen for the 57th
‘Goan Connection’ media house. Jury: Nirupama Jnanpith Award 2022 for his contribution to Indian
Subramania, Githa Hariharan and Ashutosh. literature. The 77-year-old writer was conferred with
• Noted poet and litterateur Prof Ramdarash Mishra the country’s highest literary award for his
will be awarded the prestigious Saraswati Samman, “outstanding contribution to literature”.
2021, for his collection of poems ‘Mein to Yahan • Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be honoured
Hun’, the KK Birla Foundation announced. The with the inaugural Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar
Award which is instituted in the memory of the
recipient is chosen by a selection committee, whose
veteran singer of Lata Mangeskar. PM Modi will
current head is Dr Subhash C Kashyap.
receive the award for selfless service to the nation
• Indian-American singer Falguni Shah won a Grammy and society. The award ceremony will be held on
Award for A Colorful World in the Best Children’s April 24 which marks the 80th death anniversary
Album category. Falguni Shah has even performed of Master Deenanath Mangeshkar (singing
and collaborated with music maestro AR Rahman and legend’s father). Among the other awardees will be
she is the only Indian-origin woman to be nominated singer Rahul Despande, who will receive the Master
in the Best Children’s Music Album category at the Deenanath Award besides three other special
Grammys twice. Falguni Shah was earlier nominated awardees including veteran actress Asha Parekh,
for a Grammy in the same category for her 2018 actor Jackie Shroff and the Mumbai Dabbawalas,
album Falu’s Bazaar. represented by Nutan Tiffin Suppliers.

• Falguni Nayar has been named as the EY • The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce has
Entrepreneur of the Year 2021, at the 23rd edition picked Indian-American chief executive of General
of the EY Entrepreneur of The Year India awards. Atomics Global Corporation Vivek Lall for the
She is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of prestigious Entrepreneur Leadership Awards in
beauty supply company Nykaa (FSN E-commerce). appreciation of his contribution to the defence sector.
She will now represent India at the EY World The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC)
Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) on June 9, was founded in 1968 and is the premier bi-lateral
2022, at Monaco. The Lifetime Achievement was given chamber for India-US commercial cooperation.
to A. M. Naik, Group Chairman of Larsen & Toubro. • The National Mineral Development Corporation
• Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu has Ltd. (NMDC) swept the Public Relations Society of
India’s (PRSI) Public Relations Awards 2022,
presented the International Gandhi Awards for
taking first place in four categories. Shri V Srinivas
Leprosy, 2021 to Dr Bhushan Kumar of Chandigarh
Goud, Telangana Minister of Prohibition and Excise,
under the Indian nomination (individual) category
Sports and Youth Services, Tourism and Culture, gave
and Sahyog Kushtha Yagna Trust, Gujarat under
the award to NMDC’s Shri Praveen Kumar, ED
the institutional category. The award was given (Personnel) and Shri Ch. Srinivasa Rao, DGM
during a function in New Delhi on April 13, 2022. (Corporate Communications) on behalf of the
• Well-known Indian economist and political Navratna PSU. On behalf of the Navratna PSU, Shri
commentator, Prabhat Patnaik has been selected for Srinivasa Rao, DGM (Corporate Communications),
the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2022. The award is accepted the honours.
annually given by the Malcolm and Elizabeth • The important effort of Meghalaya’s Planning
Adiseshiah Trust to an outstanding social scientist Department, the e-Proposal System, which is part
selected from nominations received by a specially of Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA),
constituted national jury. The award includes a has been awarded the prestigious UN Award – World
citation and prize money of Rs 2 lakh. Summit on the Information Society Forum (WSIS)
• The Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN Prizes 2022.
(UdeDeshkaAamNagrik), the flagship scheme of the • The founder of the educational charity ‘Bidyanando’
Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has been selected Kishore Kumar Das from Bangladesh has been
for Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public chosen for the United Kingdom’s Commonwealth
Administration 2020 under the category “Innovation Points of Light Award for his exceptional work in
(General) – Central”. improving access to education for children from
• Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and marginalised backgrounds. UK’s Commonwealth
Highways, presented the 2021 AIMA Managing Point of Light Awards recognises outstanding
India Awards (AIMA) in multiple categories in Delhi. individual volunteers who are making a change in
their community.
In the films category, Shoojit Sircar was honoured
• The former Honorary Consul of Peru in Mumbai,
with the Director Of The Year award for Sardar
Ardeshir B.K. Dubash has received the Order of
Udham. This year, the 12th edition of the AIMA
“Merit in the Diplomatic Service of Peru Jose
Managing India Awards is being organised physically,
Gregorio Paz Soldan” by the Ministry of Foreign
coinciding with the 7th National Leadership Conclave. Affairs of Peru.
• IndusInd Bank has been awarded the global ‘Celent • Noted snow leopard expert and wildlife
Model Bank’ award under the category of conservationist Charudutt Mishra has won the
‘Payments System Transformation’ for building a prestigious Whitley Gold Award for his contribution
best-in-class Enterprise Payments Hub (EPH). The to involving indigenous communities in the
award recognises the Bank’s outstanding journey in conservation and recovery of big cat species in Asia’s
creating a cloud-based central payments hub. high mountain ecosystems. Princess Anne presented
• The “National Metallurgist Award 2021” will be the award to Mishra at London’s Royal Geographic
held here tomorrow by the Union Ministry of Steel. Society. This is his second Whitley Fund for Nature
Shri Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, the Union (WFN) Award. He got the first in 2005.
Minister of Steel, will host the event. The programme • The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) engineering
aims to recognise the outstanding contribution of marvel, Atal Tunnel, built-in Rohtang in Himachal
metallurgists/engineers working in the field of iron Pradesh, received the Indian Building Congress (IBC)
and steel in the areas of manufacturing, research 'Best Infrastructure Project' award in New Delhi.
and development, design, education, waste More than thirty state-of-the-art infrastructure
management, and energy conservation, as well as projects were nominated for the award. The IBC jury
their specific contribution to achieving Atmanirbhar selected the strategic tunnel as the 'Best Project for
Bharat’s objectives. Excellence in Built Environment' in 2021.

Important Days • World Health Day is a global health awareness day
celebrated on the 7th April every year. Every year,
• Utkal Divas or Utakala Dibasha or Odisha Day is World Health Day focuses on contemporary health
celebrated on April 1st every year to remember the issues that require immediate attention, with varied
formation of the Odisha state after a struggle to be themes. The theme for World Health Day 2022 is
recognised as an independent state. The state was ‘Our Planet, Our Health’. This year’s theme aims to
originally called Orissa but the Lok Sabha passed the direct global attention toward the well-being of our
Orissa Bill, and Constitution Bill (113rd planet and the humans living in it.
amendment), in March 2011 to rename it Odisha. • International Day of Reflection on the 1994
• World Autism Awareness Day is observed annually Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda is
on 2nd April by the member states of the United commemorated by UNESCO on April 07, every year.
Nations. The theme for ‘World Autism Awareness 2022 marks the 28th anniversary of the genocide
Day 2022’ is “Inclusive Quality Education for All”. against the Tutsi in Rwanda, one of the darkest
Access to education that was made easy for years, chapters in human history. On April 7th, the date
especially for autistic persons was disrupted after where the genocide against members of the Tutsi
2020 with the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. began.
• World Theatre Day is celebrated annually on March • World Homeopathy Day is observed every year on
27, promoted by the International Theatre April 10 to spread awareness about homoeopathy
Institute (ITI) through its centres, and supported by and its contribution to the world of medicine. The day
theatre communities all over the world. is also celebrated to commemorate the birth
• The International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) is anniversary of Dr Christian Friedrich Samuel
organised annually on the 2nd of April since 1967, Hahnemann. Hahnemann, born in Paris in 1755,
by the International Board on Books for Young founded this branch of medicine and is considered the
People (IBBY). IBBY is an international non-profit father of Homeopathy. This year, the theme for World
organization, to inspire a love of reading and to call Homeopathy Day 2022 in India is ‘People’s Choice
attention to children’s books. In 2022, Canada is For Wellness.’
hosting International Children’s Book Day with this • Every year, April 11 is observed as World
chosen theme: “Stories are wings that help you Parkinson’s Day to raise awareness of Parkinson’s
soar every day.” disease, which is a progressive nervous system
• The United Nations’ International Day for Mine disorder. This year, the theme is integrated
Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is healthcare. The day marks the birthday of Dr James
celebrated every year on the 4th of April. In 2022 the Parkinson from London, who was the first person to
United Nations Mine Action Service marks the Day systematically described the six individuals with the
under the theme “Safe Ground, Safe Steps, Safe symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. Additionally, the
Home.” month of April is observed as Parkinson’s
• National Maritime Day in India is observed on 5 Awareness Month.
April every year. This year is the 59th edition of the • In India, the National Safe Motherhood Day is
National Maritime Day. The theme of the National observed every year on April 11 to raise awareness
Maritime Day is “Sustainable Shipping beyond about adequate access to care for women during
Covid-19’’. pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal services. National
• The International Day of Sport for Development Safe Motherhood Day is an initiative of the White
and Peace (IDSDP) is observed globally on April 6. Ribbon Alliance India (WRAI), to enforce that
To raise awareness of this potential, 6 April was women must have availability and adequate access to
declared as the International Day of Sport for care during pregnancy childbirth and postnatal
Development and Peace (IDSDP) by the UN General services. The day also marks the birth anniversary of
Assembly. The global theme of IDSDP 2022 is, Kasturba Gandhi, the wife of the father of the Nation
“Securing a Sustainable and Peaceful Future for Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi.
All: The Contribution of Sport,” which creates an • The International Day of Human Space Flight is
opportunity for the Day’s celebrations to promote the celebrated annually on April 12 to mark the
use of sport as a tool to advance human rights and anniversary of the first human space flight by Yuri
sustainable development. Gagarin on April 12, 1961. The day was proclaimed
• The United Nations General Assembly has designated at the 65th session of the United Nations General
5 April to be observed as an International Day of Assembly on April 7, 2011, a few days before the
Conscience every year. The resolution was adopted 50th anniversary of the flight. In the Soviet Union,
on 31 July 2019 by the UN General Assembly. The the day is observed as the International Day of
year 2022 marks the third edition of the celebrations. Aviation and Cosmonautics.’

• International Turban Day is celebrated every year • World Art Day is observed every year on 15 April
on April 13 since 2004 to bring awareness of the globally. This day is being celebrated all over the
strict requirement on Sikhs to put the turban as a world to emphasize the importance of art that
mandatory part of their religion. The 2022 Turban nurtures creativity, innovation and cultural diversity
Day marks the 553rd birth anniversary of Guru for all peoples across the globe. The day was declared
by the International Association of Art (IAA), an
Nanak Dev and the festival of Baisakhi. The turban,
NGO working in official partnership with UNESCO.
also known as “dastar” or “pagri” or “pag” refers to
• World Voice Day (WVD) is celebrated globally on
the garment worn by both men and some women to
April 16 every year. The day is observed to
cover their heads. demonstrate the enormous importance of the voice in
• Indian Army marks Siachen Day on April 13 every the daily lives of all people. This year, the theme of the
year. The day is observed to commemorate the World Voice Day campaign is ‘Lift your voice’.
courage of the Indian Army under “Operation • Save the Elephant Day is celebrated on April 16
Meghdoot”. The Day also honours Siachen Warriors every year to raise awareness about the dangers
serving their motherland successfully from the elephants face and the various difficulties they have to
enemy. overcome to live. Save The Elephant Day aims to
• Ambedkar Jayanti ( also known as Bhim Jayanti) is change this alarming trend by educating people about
celebrated on 14 April to commemorate the birth elephants and the plights they face, encouraging
everyone to do their bit and helping save them from
anniversary of Babasaheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar.
extinction.
The Day has been observed as an official public
• Every year on April 18, the United Nations
holiday throughout India since 2015. In 2022, we are commemorates World Heritage Day. The Day is
marking the 131st birth anniversary of Babasaheb. observed to preserve the human heritage and
• World Chagas Disease Day is observed on 14 April recognize the efforts of the organizations working for
to raise public awareness and visibility among people it. Monuments and ancient buildings are an asset to
about Chagas Disease (also called American the world. They make for the rich heritage of the
trypanosomiasis or silent or silenced disease) and nation. Since 1983, the International Council on
the resources needed for the prevention, control or Monuments and Sites has set a theme around which
elimination of the disease. The theme for 2022 is events are centred on the day. The theme for World
finding and reporting every case to defeat chagas Heritage Day 2022 is “Heritage and Climate”.
disease. • World Liver Day is observed on 19 April annually to
spread awareness about the causes of liver disease
• The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the
and tips for its prevention so as to take holistic care
Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919. of the liver. The liver is the second largest and the
This year we commemorate the 103rd anniversary second most complex organ in the body, after the
of the terror that shook the entire country to a brain.
standstill. The Jallianwalabagh garden has been • The UN Chinese Language Day is observed on April
converted into a memorial. And thousands of people 20 annually. The day has been chosen to pay tribute
on this day come to pay their respects to the martyred to Cangjie, who is a mythical figure who is presumed
men, and women, who were killed on that fateful day to have invented Chinese characters about 5,000
for the nation. years ago.
• World Creativity and Innovation Day is celebrated
on April 21 every year. The day aims to raise
awareness about the importance of creativity and
innovation in problem-solving and encourage creative
multidisciplinary thinking at the individual and group
levels. The World Creativity and Innovation Week is
also observed from April 15-21. The theme of World
Creativity and Innovation Day 2022: Collaboration
• India observes National Civil Services Day on April
21 every year to acknowledge the works of officers
engaged in several public service departments in the
country. The day also marks a reminder for civil
servants, who collectively run the country’s
administrative machinery and their dedication to
serving the citizens of the country.

• World Earth Day, also known as International • International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance
Mother Earth Day, is celebrated every year on April Day is observed every year on April 26 to raise
22. The Day will be celebrated all over the world to awareness of the consequences of the 1986 Chernobyl
spread awareness for Earth’s wellbeing and to disaster and the risks of nuclear energy in general.
encourage people to support environmental
The day not only informs us about the man-made
protection. The day focuses on the global climate
crisis that is worsening with each passing day. World disaster but also educates human beings about the
Earth Day 2022 will mark the 52nd Anniversary. risks of nuclear energy in general.
• Every year on April 23, World Book and Copyright • World Immunization Week is celebrated worldwide
Day is observed to promote the love of reading. April in the last week of April, to highlight the collective
23 is significant in world literature because it action required and to promote the use of vaccines to
commemorates the death on this date of prominent protect people of all age groups against disease. This
writers such as Miguel de Cervantes and William year, WHO is going to celebrate World Immunization
Shakespeare. Week from April 24 to April 30. To commemorate
• Every year on April 23, the United Nations
the day, WHO has decided the theme of this year’s
celebrates English Day. The date of April 23 was
chosen for English Language Day because it is Immunization Week as “Long Life for All”.
"traditionally honoured as both the birthday and date • International Girls in ICT Day is marked annually on
of death of William Shakespeare." the fourth Thursday in April. This year International
• National Panchayati Raj Day is a national holiday in Girls in ICT Day is observed on 28th April 2022. This
India that honours the Panchayati Raj system. Every year’s theme is access and safety.
year on April 24th, it is commemorated. The 73rd • The annual World Day for Safety and Health at
Constitutional Amendment Act, which was passed Work on 28 April promotes the prevention of
in 1992, is also commemorated on this day. The occupational accidents and diseases globally. The
Panchayati Raj system, which is one of the country’s
World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2022
oldest governing organisations, governs about 6 lakh
communities in India. focuses on enhancing social dialogue towards a
• Every year on April 25th, World Malaria Day is culture of safety and health. This year’s theme of the
commemorated to raise awareness about this life- World Day for Safety and Health at Work is ”
threatening disease that continues to be a menace Participation And Social Dialogue In Creating A
to humanity. Malaria affects over half of the Positive Safety And Health Culture”
world’s population, with the chances of people living • World Stationery day is celebrated every year on the
in poor nations catching the disease being last Wednesday of April. This year World
substantially higher. The theme for World Malaria Stationery Day 2022 is observed on the 27th of
Day this year is “Harness innovation to reduce the
April. The day is celebrated to mark the importance
malaria disease burden and save lives”.
• On December 12, 2018, the International Day of of stationery and writing on paper than using
Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace was computers. It is celebrated around the world by
established. To promote and maintain the UN’s three enthusiasts to protect and encourage the use of
pillars of peace and security, development, and Stationery.
human rights, it is critical to preserve the values of • The International Dance Day is observed globally on
multilateralism and international cooperation that 29 April every year. The day celebrates the value and
underpin the UN Charter and the 2030 Agenda for importance of the dance and encourages participation
Sustainable Development.
and education in this art form through events and
• Every year on April 25th, the world celebrates
festivals. This day is also celebrated to promote the
International Delegates Day. This day is
commemorated to increase awareness of the multiple benefits of dancing, to recognize dance as a
function of Member States‘ representatives and stress reliever, expressing oneself, a way of
delegates at the United Nations. celebrating happiness, and an activity that brings
• World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated on people together.
the 26th of April to learn about the role that • International Jazz Day is celebrated every year
intellectual property (IP) rights play in encouraging around the world on 30 April. This day is observed to
innovation and creativity. The day recognizes the promote Jazz and raise awareness about its
huge potential of young people to find new and better
significance. The theme for International Jazz Day
solutions that support the transition to a sustainable
future. This year, World Intellectual Property Day 2022 is ‘A Call for Global Peace and Unity’. It focuses
2022’s theme focuses on IP and Youth innovating on the importance of unity and peace through
for a Better Future. dialogue and diplomacy.
• World Veterinary Day is observed on the last • The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Valour
Saturday of April every year. This year it falls on Day (Shaurya Diwas) is observed on 9 April every
30th April 2022. The theme for World Veterinary year, as a tribute to the brave men of the Force. The
Day 2022 is “Strengthening Veterinary Resilience”. year 2022 marks the 57th CRPF Valour Day. It was on
This essentially means providing veterinary doctors this day in 1965, a small contingent of CRPF created
with all kinds of help, and resources they require in history by defeating an invading Pakistani army,
their journey. several times larger, at the Sardar Post located in the
Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. The CRPF men eliminated
Defence Current Affairs 34 Pakistani soldiers and captured four alive. In the
conflict, CRPF lost six personnel who had attained
• The 20th edition of the Bilateral Naval Exercise martyrdom.
between the Indian Navy and French Navy named
• The Defence Research and Development
‘VARUNA’ is being conducted in the Arabian Sea
Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested
from March 30 to April 03, 2022. The Bilateral
“Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet” (SFDR) booster on April
Naval Exercises between the two Navies is being held
08, 2022, at the Integrated Test Range (ITR),
since 1993 and the exercise was christened as
Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. The test met all
‘VARUNA’ in 2001. Various ships, submarines,
the mission objectives. The SFDR-based propulsion
maritime patrol aircraft, fighter aircraft and
enables the missile to intercept aerial threats at very
helicopters of the two navies will be participating in
long range at supersonic speeds. It has an extremely
the VARUNA-2022 exercise.
high projected range of 350 km.
• During an amazing Color Presentation Parade held
• The Defence Research and Development
at the Dogra Regimental Centre, Faizabad (UP),
Organisation and Indian Army successfully flight-
General MM Naravane, Chief of the Army Staff,
tested a new version of the Pinaka rocket system at
gave the prestigious President’s Colours to two
the Pokhran firing ranges. These included Pinaka
battalions of the Dogra Regiment, namely 20 DOGRA
Mk-I (Enhanced) Rocket System (EPRS) and
and 21 DOGRA.
Pinaka Area Denial Munition (ADM) rocket
• The Ministry of Defence has formally placed an
systems. With these trails, the initial phase of
order with Goa Shipyard Limited for 8 fast patrol
technology absorption of EPRS by the industry has
vessels for the Indian Coast Guard. GSL was awarded
successfully been completed and the industry
the Rs 473 cr contract after the Vasco-based shipyard
partners are ready for user trials/series production of
emerged as the lowest bidder for the project. The
ministry is expected to ink two contracts with GSL for the rocket system.
8 fast patrol vessels & 7 next generation off-shore • A team of scientists from the Defence Research and
patrol warships. Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Army
• The Indian Air Force organised a conclave at Air and Indian Air Force (IAF) jointly conducted the
Force Station, Hakimpet on 02 April 2022, to successful flight test of the indigenously developed
commemorate 60 years of glorious service by helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile
Chetak Helicopter in IAF. The conclave was ‘HELINA’ at high-altitude ranges. The flight trials
inaugurated by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh. were conducted from an Advanced Light Helicopter
Raksha Mantri released a Special Cover, a Coffee Table (ALH), and the missile was fired successfully,
Book and a Commemorative Movie on Chetak engaging a simulated tank target in the Pokhran
Helicopters during the conclave. desert ranges, Rajasthan.
• Vice Chief Lieutenant General, Manoj Pande is all set • Two Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL)
to become Chief of the Army Staff as the incumbent Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters Mark-III were
Army Chief General M.M. Naravane, who is being inducted into the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The
seen as the frontrunner for the Chief of Defence Staff’s choppers will be based out of Kochi’s Coast Guard
post, is due to retire by the end of this month. Being Aviation Squadron. These choppers were the ninth
senior-most in the office after General Naravane, Lt and tenth in a series of 16 ALH.
Gen Pande will take over the reign. • Union Home and Cooperative Minister, Amit Shah
• The 9th Edition of the India-Kyrgyzstan Joint has inaugurated the Seema Darshan Project at
Special Forces Exercise was held in March-April, Nadabet on the Indo-Pak border in Banaskantha
2022 at Special Forces Training School, Bakloh District of Gujarat. The project was launched with
(HP). Special Forces contingents from India and the aim to provide an opportunity for the citizen to
Kyrgyzstan have shared their experience and best observe the life and work of the BSF personnel on our
practices in terms of tactics, techniques, and border. The tourist can see missiles, tanks, aircraft etc
procedures for countering present and emerging which are used by the Indian Army and BSF at
threats throughout the conflict spectrum. Nadabet.

• Exercise KRIPAN SHAKTI, an Integrated Fire Power Science and Technology
exercise was recently conducted by The Indian
Army’s Trishakti Corps at the Teesta Field Firing • Microsoft launched a new digital and inclusive
Ranges (TFFR), near Siliguri, West Bengal. The platform for startup founders in India. The platform
exercise was led by Lieutenant General Tarun Kumar called as ‘Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub’ in
and General Officer Commanding Trishakti Corps. India, will support startup founders in India at every
• In New Delhi, the Army Commanders’ Conference, stage of their startup journey. This platform will offer
an apex level biannual event, has commenced. The over USD 300,000 worth of benefits and credits to
conference serves as an institutional forum for high– startups, including free access to the technology,
level discussions that lead to major policy tools, and resources from the tech giant and partners.
decisions for the Indian Army. The initiative will help the Startups to gain
• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) kicked off the 8th mentorship and skilling opportunities with industry
edition of the two-day National Level Pollution experts and Microsoft Learn.
Response Exercise, ‘NATPOLREX-VIII’, on April 19, • The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), a
2022, off Mormugao harbour, Goa. The marine spill collaborative project of the Ministry of Electronics
preparedness exercise was inaugurated by Defence and Information Technology (MeitY) and the
Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar. Department of Science and Technology, has dedicated
• The Indian Navy launched the sixth and last PARAM Shakti, a Petascale Supercomputer, to the
submarine, Yard 11880, of the French Scorpene-class country at IIT Kharagpur (DST).
under Project 75, at the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin • Pixxel, a space data startup, launched its first fully
of Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai. The operational satellite, TD-2, on SpaceX’s
submarine has been named ‘Vagsheer’. The Transporter-4 mission. TD-2 is Pixxel’s first full-
submarine will now undergo rigorous harbour trials fledged satellite, carrying one of the highest-
and sea trials, before being commissioned in the resolution hyperspectral commercial cameras
Indian Navy. These submarines are designed by ever flown, taking the company one step closer to
French naval defence and energy company ‘DCNS’ developing a global health monitoring system that
while Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai has operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
manufactured them.
• The tech firm has secured up to 83 launches over a
• A national seminar on Logistics Management
five-year period, which the company claims is the
‘LOGISEM VAYU – 2022’ was held on 28 April 2022
greatest commercial launch vehicle procurement in
at Air Force Auditorium, New Delhi. The Chief of the
history. Arianespace, Blue Origin, and United
Air Staff Vivek Ram Chaudhari inaugurated the
Launch Alliance (ULA) have agreed to deploy the
seminar and delivered the keynote address. He
majority of Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites,
emphasized the need for exploiting advancements in
which aim to provide high-speed, low-latency
digital technologies, which would aid in sustaining
logistics stamina in support of operations. CAS also broadband to a wide variety of clients around the
urged stakeholders in IAF to work towards achieving world.
the broad aims of the National Logistics Policy (NLP) • Astronomers have discovered an identical twin of
and Atmanirbharta goals of Govt of India. Jupiter dubbed as K2-2016-BLG-0005Lb, Which has a
similar mass and is at a similar location (420 million
miles away) from its star as Jupiter is from our Sun
(462 million miles away). The study has been
published as a preprint on ArXiv.org and submitted to
the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Society.
• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology,
Madras, have unveiled India’s first Polycentric
Prosthetic Knee, which seeks to improve the
conditions for thousands above the amputees.
‘Kadam,‘ a polycentric knee for above Knee
Prosthesis created in collaboration with Society for
Biomedical Technology (SBMT) and Mobility India,
and is also a ‘Made in India’ product.
• According to the most recent report of NASA’s • Dr Sreeram Chauliahas authored a new book titled
Orbital Debris Program Office’s Orbital Debris “Crunch Time: Narendra Modi’s National Security
Quarterly News, there are 25,182 pieces of space Crises”. The book was released by Meenakshi Lekhi,
debris larger than 10 cm in lower earth orbits near Minister of State for External Affairs at the India
2,000 kilometres of the planet’s surface. India is International Centre in New Delhi, Delhi.
responsible for only 114 space debris items, • Award-winning children’s writer and historian,
whereas the United States has 5,126 space debris Devika Rangachari has authored a new novel titled
objects in Earth’s orbit and China has 3,854 space “Queen of Fire”, which explores the story of Rani
debris objects in Earth’s orbit, including spent Lakshmibai of Jhansi.
rocket bodies. • Union Minister of Education and Skill Development,
• A study led by experts from the Indian Institute of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan released a book titled
Science (IISc), Bengaluru, discovered that “Birsa Munda – Janjatiya Nayak”. The book has been
microplastics and other contaminants may be causing written by Prof. Alok Chakrawal, Vice-Chancellor,
growth abnormalities and skeletal deformities in fish Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur,
in the Cauvery river. In the states of Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh.
Karnataka, the Cauvery provides a source of • A new book titled ‘’Decoding Indian Babudom’’
drinking water for humans and animals, as well as authored by Ashwini Shrivastava and published by
agriculture. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Vitasta Publishing Private Limited launched. This is
is the publication where the research was published. a first-of-its-kind book by a journalist covering the
• IIT Guwahati, Assam has partnered with NTPC bureaucratic system of India.
Limited to design and develop a highly energy- • “The Maverick Effect”, tells the untold story of how
efficient plant to capture carbon dioxide(CO2) from in the 1970s and 80s a ‘band of dreamers’ joined
power plants. This technology works on flue gas (a hands to create NASSCOM and pave the way for the IT
mixture of gases produced by the burning of fuel or revolution in India. The book, touted to be an
other) using a newly-activated amine solvent (IITGS), authoritative biography of the National Association of
consumes up to 11% less energy compared to Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), the
commercial activated MDEA (Methyl diethanolamine) apex body of software and IT service companies, is
solvent and up to 31% energy compared to the MEA written by Harish Mehta.
(monoethanolamine) solvent. • Meena Nayyar, Mother of Captain Anuj Nayyar and
• The launch of the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Himmat Singh Shekhawat, a part of Rashtriya
program was announced on 27th April 2022 by the Riders, a biking group that pays homage to martyrs
government of India with the aim of creating and their families has authored a new book titled
Microprocessors for the country’s and the world’s “Tiger of Drass: Capt. Anuj Nayyar, 23, Kargil
future and to achieve industry-grade commercial Hero”, published by HarperCollins Publishers India.
silicon and design for the next generation of • In the history of the International Booker Prize, the
microprocessors by the month of December 2023. novel ‘Tomb of Sand’, authored by Geetanjali Shree,
has become the first Hindi language work of fiction to
be shortlisted for the prestigious literary prize.
Books & Authors
• Former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and
• Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, released a book chief of Supreme court-appointed Committee of
titled ‘Spoorthi Pradatha Sri Somayya’ authored by Administrators (CoA) in 2017, Vinod Rai has penned
Syam Prasad. The book is based on the life story of a book titled as, "Not Just A Nightwatchman: My
late Shri Somepalli Somaiah, a social worker from Innings with BCCI" in which the former bureaucrat
Andhra Pradesh. He inspired youth to dedicate their encapsulates his 33-month stint at the BCCI.
lives to social welfare. • Indian author Prem Rawat has launched his book
• Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare ‘Hear Yourself’ for the Indian subcontinent in
(MoA&FW), Narendra Singh Tomar has released a Mumbai. This New York Times bestseller book is
book titled “Indian Agriculture towards 2030: already available in 58 countries and five languages.
Pathways for Enhancing Farmers’ Income, This book is to help people understand their own
Nutritional Security and Sustainable Food and potential. It will help them find peace in a noisy world.
Farm Systems”, at an event organized by NITI Aayog He also advised the audience that they have more
and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of wisdom in themselves than they perceive. This book
the United Nations. is to help them develop better self-understanding.

• Dr BR Ambedkar’s 131st birth anniversary, a new Miscellaneous Current Affairs
book titled “The Boy Who Wrote a Constitution: A
play for Children on Human Rights” authored by • The first forest fire was recorded in Chandrapur
district, the third hottest place in the entire world.
Rajesh Talwar, a fact-based drama on Bhimrao Ramji
Ambedkar’s own recollections of his childhood has The fire was witnessed in the area of Irai dam. The
been released. It is published by Ponytale Books. fire was seen at the border of Regional forest area,
Talwar’s also authored books include “The Vanishing private farms, and buffer zone of national tiger
project.
of Subhash Bose”, “Gandhi, Ambedkar, and the
Four-Legged Scorpion”, and “Aurangzeb”. • In Ladakh, a community museum opened in the Gya
• Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik released 2 – Sasoma villages of the Leh district to preserve and
promote the region’s rich cultural history. Tashi
books, a coffee table book titled “The Magic of
Mangalajodi” by Avinash Khemka; and a Gyaltson, Chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill
compilation of the Sikh history of eastern India titled Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, inaugurated
the Community Museum.
“My Research Works On Sikh History &
Philosophy”, authored by Abinash Mahapatra. The • On World Health Day and the 75th day of the
coffee table book “The Magic of Mangalajodi” provides countdown to International Day of Yoga, the
a bird’s eye view of Mangalajodi in Chilika lake Ministry of Ayush is hosting a magnificent
through various images and descriptions. programme for the presentation of the Common
• HarperCollins India has published a new book titled Yoga Protocol in the backdrop of 15th August Park,
Lal Quila, (Red Fort) Delhi.
“Chinese Spies: From Chairman Mao to Xi Jinping”
authored by French journalist Roger Faligot and • The National Commission for Women launched an
translated by writer, editor and translator, Natasha Anti-Human Trafficking Cell to improve
Lehrer. effectiveness in tackling cases of human trafficking,
• Padma Bhushan Vinod Rai, former(11th) raising awareness among women and girls, capacity
Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) India, building and training of Anti Trafficking Units and
increasing responsiveness of law enforcement
has authored a new book titled “Not Just A
agencies. The Cell has been set up with an aim of
Nightwatchman: My Innings in the BCCI”. The book
increasing awareness among law enforcement
features his 33-month stint as the Chairman of the
Supreme Court-appointed Committee of officials and facilitating their capacity building.
Administrators (CoA) of the Board of Control for • The Bhima Bhoi Chair at Delhi University and Guru
Cricket in India (BCCI). Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya in Bilaspur,
Chhattisgarh, have been authorised by the
• Devendra Fadnavis, former Chief Minister(CM) of
University Grants Commission. Bhima Bhoi was a
Maharashtra, released a Marathi book on Amit Shah,
Union Minister of Home Affairs, titled “Amit Shah Ani saint, poet, and philosopher from Odisha. He
Bhajapachi Vatchal”, a Marathi version of the book battled against the caste system in Hinduism. Bhima
“Amit Shah and The March of BJP”. The book is Bhoi, a saint, poet, and philosopher from Odisha,
published by Bloomsbury India. India, was born in 1850 and died in 1895. Bhima
Bhoi was a Mahima Swamy bhakta (commonly
referred to as Mahima Gosain and whose birth name
is said to have been Mukunda Das). Bhima Bhoi
would be initiated into Mahima Dharma, an Indian
religious tradition that challenged caste Hinduism on
its own terms, from Mahima Swamy.
• The South-Central Railway has introduced the “One
Station, One Product” campaign at six main stations
across its six divisions. Arun Kumar Jain, SCR in-
charge General Manager, has opened stalls at
Secunderabad Station as part of the new initiative.
The Railway stations are ideal for promoting
indigenous and local products, and the programme
aims to turn them into a sales and promotional centre.
• The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind • According to the Ministry of Culture, India entered
inaugurated the five-day long Madhavpur Ghed Fair, the Guinness Book of World Records by
at Madhavpur Ghed, Porbandar in Gujarat. The simultaneously waving 78,220 flags at the ‘Veer
Madhavpur Ghed Fair is being organised by the
Kunwar Singh Vijayotsav’ programme in Bhojpur,
Government of Gujarat in association with the
Bihar. India made history and entered the Guinness
Ministry of Culture since 2018 every year to celebrate
the sacred union of Lord Krishna and Rukmini. Book of World Records by simultaneously waving the
• BRO Director General Lieutenant General Rajeev largest number of national flags. Amit Shah, the
Chaudhary announced that the Border Roads Union Home Minister, was present at the historic
Organisation will build the world’s highest tunnel at event.
Shinku La Pass, at 16,580 feet, to connect Himachal • Deepika Padukone will grace the Cannes Film
Pradesh and Ladakh. He said this while opening the Festival as a member of the jury, this year. The
strategically crucial Himachal to Zanskar Road at
actress-producer has attended the prestigious film
Shinku La Pass, where more than a half-dozen
vehicles crossed from the Zanskar side towards festival several times in the past, in the capacity of an
Manali. ambassador of the beauty brand L’Oreal. The jury for
• India’s first-ever radio channel for the visually the 75th edition of the film festival is headed by
impaired, named ‘Radio Aksh’ has been launched in French actor Vincent Lindon, who won Best Actor at
Nagpur, Maharashtra. Nagpur’s 96-year-old Cannes in 2015.
institution, The Blind Relief Association Nagpur • IndiGo becomes the first airline in Asia to land its
(TBRAN) and Samdrushti Kshamata Vikas Avam
aircraft using the indigenous navigation system
Anusandhan Mandal (Saksham) are the
organisations behind this idea. The channel will be GAGAN. This is a huge leap for Indian Civil Aviation
available on various internet radio platforms for free. and a firm step toward Aatmanirbhar Bharat, as India
• Leh has taken the first step in building an IT sector. SS becomes the third country in the world to have its
Khandare, the Additional Director General of own SBAS system after the USA and Japan.
Police for Ladakh, has opened Ethosh Digital’s first • In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the
IT Training and Services centre in Leh. Samba district of the Jammu division has become the
• Biliti Electric Inc (Biliti), based in California, United
first district in India to cover 100% of households
States of America, has announced its intention to
under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan
establish the world’s largest electric three-wheeler
manufacturing facility in Telangana. The plant will be Arogya Yojana (ABPMJAY)- SEHAT scheme.
built in 2 phases over an area of 200 acres. Phase I of • The Ministry of Civil Aviation organized a mega event-
13.5 acres with a capacity to produce 18000 Electric Yog Prabha at Safdarjung Airport in New Delhi.
Vehicles (EV) per year will become operational in The event was inaugurated by Union Minister of Civil
2023 and the larger facility of 200 acres with a Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia and the Minister of State
production capacity of 240000 EV per year will for Civil Aviation Dr. VK Singh. Over 900 officials
become operational in 2024.
participated in this mega event.
• Guadalajara, Mexico was named World Book
Capital for the year 2022 by the Director-General of
UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, on the recommendation of
the World Book Capital Advisory Committee. The city,
already a UNESCO Creative City since 2017, was
selected for its comprehensive plan for policies
around the book to trigger social change, combat
violence and build a culture of peace.
• Mr. Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, Minister of Steel,
praised India’s steel sector on its remarkable
performance on a global scale and encouraged it to
continue at this level in the year 2022. This
production momentum will help India to meet the
predicted level of 500 million tonnes of production
capacity in the following 25 years.
Obituaries • Eminent structural biologist M. Vijayan, DAE Homi
Bhabha Professor at the Indian Institute of Science
• Veteran Belgian footballer, Miguel Van Damme has
passed away aged 28 after a long battle with (IISc), passed away in Bengaluru. Vijayan, who was
leukaemia. Van Damme was diagnosed with instrumental in the development of macromolecular
leukaemia in 2016 and was undergoing treatment for crystallography in India, was 80.
cancer for over five years. During his eight-year • Former Indian women’s hockey team captain, Elvera
professional career, Van Damme played for Cercle Britto has passed away at 81 due to old-age-related
Brugge and made 40 appearances for the team. problems. He led Karnataka’s domestic team to win
• The 3rd Chief Minister of Sikkim, Bhim Bahadur seven national titles. She ruled the domestic circuit
Gurung has passed away at his residence in Lumsui from 1960 to 1967. She also represented India
in Gangtok, Sikkim. B. Gurung served as a teacher against Japan, Sri Lanka, and Australia. She is the
and a staff reporter in a Calcutta (Kolkata)-based second women hockey player to be conferred with the
newspaper the Amrita Bazar Patrika and he also Arjuna Award (1965) after Anne Lumsden.
edited the first news-based Nepali Journal of Sikkim,
• The former Chief Minister of Meghalaya, James
called Kanchenjunga. Gurung started his political
Dringwell Rymbai, died at the age of 88. He was born
career with Sikkim Rajya Congress Party in 1947
and was later appointed as the General Secretary in in Meghalaya on October 26th, 1934.
1958. He served as the 3rd CM of Sikkim from 11 May • Film and TV actor Salim Ghouse passed away in
to 24 May 1984, the shortest term in the history of Mumbai after suffering a cardiac arrest. He started his
Sikkim. Between 2014 and 2015 he served as the acting journey in 1978 with the movie Swarg Narak,
political advisor to the CM of Sikkim. following which he featured in films like Chakra
• Pulitzer Prize awardee American poet, Richard (1981), Saaransh (1984), Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!
Howard passed away at age of 92. Richard Joseph (1984), and several others.
Howard was born on 13 October 1929 in Cleveland,
Ohio, United States (US). He was an American poet, Static Takeaways
literary critic, essayist, teacher, and translator.
• Actor-screenwriter Shiv Kumar Subramaniam has • Malta Capital: Valletta; Currency: Euro
passed away, he was known for his roles in the serial • Manipur Capital: Imphal; Governor: La. Ganesan.
Mukti Bandhan and Meenakshi Sundareshwar. He • Central Bank of India Founded: 21 December 1911;
started his career by writing a screenplay for the • Central Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai,
1989 film Parinda which was directed by Vidhu Vinod
Maharashtra;
Chopra. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Story for
Hazaron Khawaishein Aisis. He has worked in films • Central Bank of India Tagline: ‘Central’ to you since
like 2 States, Hichki, Nail Polish, Rocky Handsome 1911.
and more. • PVR Cinemas Founded: June 1997;
• Veteran Hindi television presenter and actor, Manju • PVR Cinemas Headquarters: Gurugram;
Singh has passed away due to cardiac arrest. She was • Google Founded: 4 September 1998;
one of the pioneers in the Indian television industry • Google Headquarters: Mountain View, California,
and was fondly remembered as didi. She was the United States.
anchor of the children’s program, Khel Khilone for 7 • HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company
years.
Headquarters: Mumbai;
• Popular Odia singer and music director Prafulla Kar
• HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Founded:
has passed away following age-related ailments. Kar
was an eminent musician, singer, lyricist, writer and 2002.
columnist. He received the prestigious Padma Shri • International Labour Organisation Founded: 1919;
award in 2015. • International Labour Organisation Headquarters:
• Eminent writer of Odisha and Padma Shri awardee Geneva, Switzerland.
(2020), Binapani Mohanty passed away at the age of • Broadcast Audience Research Council Founded: 2010;
85. She was born in Berhampur and started her • Broadcast Audience Research Council Headquarters:
teaching career as a lecturer in Economy in 1960. Mumbai;
• Former president of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki passed • Badminton Association of India Founded: 1934;
away at the age of 90. He led the country from 2002 to
• Badminton Association of India Headquarters: New
2013. During his rule, more than 1,100 people died in
Delhi.
bloody ethnic battles after disputed 2007 polls, but to
prevent such unrest he adopted a new constitution • Stockholm International Water Institute
with reforms. His rule was ruined by uncontrolled Headquarters location: Stockholm, Sweden;
corruption and lavish spending on flagship projects • Stockholm International Water Institute Founded:
which increased the country’s debt. 1991.
• United Nations Environment Programme • Union Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai;
Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya. • Union Bank of India CEO: Rajkiran Rai G. (1 Jul 2017–
• World Wide Fund Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland. );
• World Wide Fund Founded: 29 April 1961, Morges, • Union Bank of India Founded: 11 November 1919,
Switzerland. Mumbai.
• World Autism Organisation: 1998; • Punjab National Bank Founded: 1894;
• World Autism Organisation Founded: Luxembourg. • Punjab National Bank Headquarters: New Delhi;
• Double Negative (DNEG) Headquarters: London, • Punjab National Bank Tagline: The Name You Can
United Kingdom; Bank Upon.
• Double Negative (DNEG) Founded: 1998, London, • Flipkart headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka;
United Kingdom. • Asian Development Bank Headquarters:
• UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945; Mandaluyong, Philippines;
• UNESCO Headquarters: Paris, France; • Asian Development Bank Membership: 68 countries;
• UNESCO Members: 193 countries; • Asian Development Bank Founded: 19 December
• International Board on Books for Young People 1966.
Founded: 1953, Zürich, Switzerland. • World Bank Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United
• International Board on Books for Young People States.
Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland. • World Bank Formation: July 1944.
• National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and • AIIB Headquarters: Beijing, China;
Healthcare Providers Founded: 2006, India; • AIIB Membership: 105 Members;
• National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and • AIIB Formation: 16 January 2016;
Healthcare Providers Headquarters: New Delhi. • AIIB Head: Jin Liqun.
• Axis Bank Founded: 3 December 1993; • RBI 25th Governor: Shaktikanta Das; Headquarters:
• Axis Bank Headquarters: Mumbai; Mumbai; Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.
• Axis Bank Tagline: Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi. • DMRC Opened: 24 December 2002.
• China Capital: Beijing; • DCB Bank Headquarters: Mumbai;
• China Currency: Renminbi; • DCB Bank Founded: 1930.
• China President: Xi Jinping. • World Health Organization Headquarters: Geneva,
• Microsoft Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, Switzerland;
United States. • World Health Organization Founded: 7 April 1948;
• Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports: Anurag Singh • National Commission for Women Formed: 1992;
Thakur. • National Commission for Women Headquarters: New
• Hungary Capital: Budapest; Delhi;
• Hungary Currency: Hungarian forint. • Amazon Founded: 5 July 1994.
• United Nations Human Rights Council Headquarters: • DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi;
Geneva, Switzerland; • DRDO Established: 1958.
• United Nations Human Rights Council Founded: 15 • Minister of Civil Aviation: Jyotiraditya M. Scindia;
March 2006. • Airports Authority of India Headquarters: New Delhi;
• Serbia Capital: Belgrade; • Airports Authority of India Founded: 1 April 1995;
• Serbia Currency: Serbian dinar; • Infosys Founded: 7 July 1981;
• Serbia President: Aleksandar Vučić. • Infosys Headquarters: Bengaluru;
• China Capital: Beijing; • Rolls-Royce Founded: 1904;
• China Currency: Renminbi; • Rolls-Royce Headquarters: Westhampnett, United
• China President: Xi Jinping. Kingdom;
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Founded: 1940; • Central Reserve Police Force Headquarters: New
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Headquarters: Delhi, India.
Bengaluru, Karnataka; • Central Reserve Police Force Formed: 27 July 1939.
• HDFC Bank Headquarters: Mumbai; • Central Reserve Police Force Motto: Service and
• HDFC Bank Founded: August 1994; Loyalty.
• HDFC Bank Tagline: We understand your world. • Pakistan Capital: Islamabad;
• SBI Founded: 1 July 1955; • Pakistan President: Arif Alvi;
• SBI Headquarters: Mumbai; • Pakistan Population: 22.09 crores;

• Pakistan Currency: Pakistani rupee. • SBI Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Ecuador Capital: Quito; • World Bank Founded: July 1944, United States;
• Ecuador Currency: United States Dollar; • World Bank Headquarters: Washington DC, USA;
• Ecuador President: Guillermo Lasso. • World Bank Member Countries: 189 (including India).
• World Trade Organization Headquarters: Geneva, • Paytm Founded: August 2010;
Switzerland; • Paytm Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India;
• World Trade Organization Founded: 1 January 1995; • Wipro Founded: 29 December 1945, India;
• ISRO Founded: 15 August 1969; • Wipro Headquarters: Bengaluru.
• ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru; • Digit Insurance Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka;
• Microsoft Founded: 4 April 1975, Albuquerque, New • Puduchery Chief Secretary: Shri Ashwini Kumar
Mexico, United States • NDMC chairman: Shri Naresh Kumar
• Microsoft Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, • Union Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
United States • Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs:
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Headquarters: Shri Kaushal Kishore
Mumbai • Minister of Education, Andhra Pradesh: Dr
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Founded: Audimulapu Suresh
1952 • Mayor, Surat: Hemali Kalpeshkumar Boghawala
• IndusInd Bank Founded: 1994; • Secretary, MoHUA: Shri Manoj Joshi
• IndusInd Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; • Prime Minister of Mauritius: Shri Pravind Jugnauth
• IndusInd Bank Tagline: We Make You Feel Richer. • Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways,
• Border Security Force Headquarters: New Delhi; and AYUSH: Sarbananda Sonowal
• Border Security Force Founded: 1 December 1965; • Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and
• India’s External Affairs Minister: Dr. S Jaishankar; Waterways: Dr. Sanjeev Ranjan
• Netherlands Capital: Amsterdam; • Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India:
• Netherlands Currency: Euro; Sanjay Bandopadhyay
• Netherlands Prime minister: Mark Rutte. • World Bank Founded: July 1944, Bretton Woods, New
Hampshire, United States;
• ICC Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates;
• World Bank Headquarters: Washington DC, USA;
• ICC Founded: 15 June 1909.
• World Bank Member Countries: 189 (including India).
• White Ribbon Alliance India was launched in 1999.
• Headquarters of International Council on Monuments
• Headquarters of WHO: Geneva, Switzerland.
and Sites (ICOMOS): Paris, France;
• WHO was founded: 7 April 1948.
• International Council on Monuments and Sites
• Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs: Hardeep Singh (ICOMOS) Founded: 1965;
Puri
• United Nations Environment Programme
• Israel Capital: Jerusalem; Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.
• Israel President: Isaac Herzog; • United Nations Environment Programme Founded: 5
• Israel Prime minister: Naftali Bennett; June 1972, Nairobi, Kenya.
• Israel Currency: Israeli Shekel. • Minister of Information and Broadcasting : Anurag
• Fino Payments Bank Founded: 4 April 2017 Thakur
• Fino Payments Bank Headquarters: Juinagar, Navi
Mumbai
• National Security Advisor: Ajit Doval
• Union Agriculture Minister: Shri Narendra Singh
Tomar
• Ivory Coast Capital: Yamoussoukro;
• Ivory Coast Currency: West African CFA franc;
• Ivory Coast President: Alassane Ouattara.
• Mastercard Founded: 16 December 1966, United
States;
• Mastercard Headquarters: Purchase, Harrison, New
York, United States;
• SBI Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara;
• SBI Establishment: 1955; e

Heads of various organizations in News in month of April 2022
Sr. No. Head of Organization Name of Person

1 Central Bank of India MD & CEO Matam Venkata Rao
2 PVR Cinemas Founder & CEO Ajay Bijli
3 Google CEO Sundar Pichai
4 HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company CEO Ritesh Kumar
5 Broadcast Audience Research Council CEO Nakul Chopra
6 Stockholm International Water Institute Executive Director Torgny Holmgren
7 United Nations Environment Programme Head Inger Andersen
8 United Nations Environment Programme Founder Maurice Strong
9 World Wide Fund President and CEO Carter Roberts
10 World Autism Organisation President Dr Samira Al Saad
11 UNESCO Head Audrey Azoulay
12 International Board on Books for Young People Founder Jella Lepman
13 Axis Bank MD & CEO Amitabh Chaudhary
14 Axis Bank Chairperson Shri Rakesh Makhija
15 Microsoft CEO and Chairman Satya Nadella
16 United Nations Human Rights Council President Federico Villegas
17 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited CMD R Madhavan
18 HDFC Bank CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan
19 HDFC Bank Chairman Atanu Chakraborty
20 SBI Chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara
21 Punjab National Bank MD & CEO Atul Kumar Goel
22 Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy
23 Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa
25 World Bank President David Malpass
26 DCB Bank CEO Murali M. Natrajan
27 World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom
28 National Commission for Women executive Lalitha Kumaramangalam
29 Amazon CEO Andrew R. Jassy
30 Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy
31 Airports Authority of India Chairman Arvind Singh
32 Infosys CEO Salil Parekh
33 Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös
34 Rolls-Royce Founders Henry Royce, Charles Rolls
35 CRPF director general Kuldiep Singh
36 Director-General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
37 ISRO Chairman S Somanath
38 Microsoft Founders Bill Gates, Paul Allen
39 Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
40 Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Chairman Arun Kumar Singh
41 IndusInd Bank MD & CEO Sumant Kathpalia

Sr. No. Head of Organization Name of Person
42 Border Security Force Director General Pankaj Kumar Singh
43 Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane
44 ICC Chairman Greg Barclay
45 ICC CEO Geoff Allardice
46 Director general of WHO Tedros Adhanom
47 Fino Payments Bank MD & CEO Rishi Gupta
48 UNICEF India’s Chief of Social Policy Hyun Hee Ban
49 Officer in Charge – Deputy Representative UNICEF Arjan de Wagt
50 Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach
51 Mastercard Executive Chairman Ajay Banga
52 World Bank President David Robert Malpass
53 Deutsche Bank’s head of corporate banking technology in India Puneet Narang
54 TCS Research and Innovation’s Principal Scientist Girish Keshav Palshikar
55 Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma
56 Wipro CEO Thierry Delaporte
57 Wipro Founder M.H. Hasham Premji
58 Wipro Owner Azim Premji
59 Digit Insurance Chairman Kamesh Goyal
60 Indian Army Chief Lieutenant General Manoj Pande
61 Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
62 Chairman of the Mumbai Port Authority Rajiv Jalota
63 World Bank President David Robert Malpass
64 President of International Council on Monuments and Sites Toshiyuki Kono
65 United Nations Environment Programme Head Inger Andersen
66 United Nations Environment Programme Founder Maurice Strong
Banking Abbreviations: Complete List of Terms for Banking & Finance Exam
Abbreviation Full Form
2FA Two Factor Authentication
A&AS Account & Audit Section
ACLF Additional Collateralised Lending Facility
AIDBs All India Development Banks
AIFIs All India Financial Institutions
ALM Asset Liability Management
ANBC Adjusted Net Bank Credit
ANSI American National Standards Institute
APACS Association of Payment and Clearing Services
APSFC andhra Pradesh State Financial Corporation
ARCIL Asset Reconstruction Company of India Limited
ARCs Asset Reconstruction Companies
ATM Automated Teller Machine
BACS Bankers Automated Clearing System
BCBS Basel Committee On Banking Supervision
BCP Branch Credit Plan
BFS Board of Financial Supervision
BLBC Block-Level Bankers Committee
BO Banking Ombudsman
BOD Board of Directors
BPC Benefits Processing Corp
BPLR Benchmark Prime Lending Rate
CAAP Capital Adequacy Assessment Process
CAMELS Capital, Assets, Management, Earnings, Liquidity, and Systems and Control
CBT Computer-Based Terminal
CC Cash Credit
CDR Corporate Debt Restructuring
CDs Certificates of Deposit
CED Centre For Entrepreneurship Development
CFMS Centralised Funds Management System
CFS Committee on The Financial System
CFS Consolidated Financial Statements
CHAPS Clearing House Automated Payment System
CIBIL Credit Information Bureau of India Ltd.
CLB Company Law Board
CLF Collateralised Lending Facility
CMA Collateral Management Agreement
CNP Card Not Present
CPs Commercial Papers
CRAR Capital to Risk-Weighted Asset Ratio
CRM Customer Relationship Management
CRR Cash Reserve Ratio
CSGLA Constituent’s Subsidiary General Ledger Account
DCCB District Central Cooperative Banks
DCP District Credit Plan
DD Demand Draft
DDM District Development Manager
DFI Development Financial Institutions
DFID Department For International Development
DICGC Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation
DIR Differential Interest Rate
DNPD Derivatives and New Products Departments
DPN Derivative Usance Promissory Note
DPs Depository Participants
DR! Beneficiaries of Differential Interest Rate
ECB External Commercial Borrowing
ECS Electronic Clearing Service
ED Enforcement Directorate
EFT Electronic Funds Transfer
EFTPOS Electronic Funds Transfer Point of Sale
EMI Equated Monthly Instalment
EPS Earnings Per Share

ETFs Exchange Traded Funds
EXIM Bank Export-Import Bank of India
FATF FERA Financial Action Task Force
FCA Foreign Currency Assets
FCD Fully Convertible Debentures
FCNRA Foreign Currency Non-Resident Account
FD Fixed Deposit
FDI Foreign Direct Investment
FEMA Foreign Exchange Management Act
FIMMDA Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India
Fls Financial Institutions
FRNs Floating Rate Notes
FRO Foreigners Registration officer
FRRO Foreigners Regional Registration officer
FSS Financial Software Systems
GDCF Gross Domestic Capital Formation
GlC General Insurance Corporation of India
GIPSA General Insurance Public Sector Association
GSTPA Global Straight Through Processing Association
HFCs Housing Finance Companies
HPFC Himachal Pradesh Financial Corporation
HSBC Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
HUDCO Housing and Urban Development Corporation
IBA Indian Banks’ Association
IBRD International Bank For Reconstruction and Development
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organisation
ICC Integrated Circuit Card
ICICI Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Limited
ICRA Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency
IDBI Industrial Development Bank of India
IDFC Infrastructure Development Finance Company Limited
IDRBT Institute For Development and Research In Banking Technology
IFCI Industrial Finance Corporation of India Limited
lIB I Industrial Investment Bank of India Limited
IMF International Monetary Fund
INFINET Indian Financial Network
IP Internet Provider
IPO Initial Public offering
IPSS Integrated Payment and Settlement System
IRE Internal Rating Based
IRa Industrial Reconstruction Corporation of India Limited
IRDP Integrated Rural Development Programme
IRR Internal Rate of Return
ISIN International Securities Identification Number
ISO International Standard Organisation
IVP Indira Vikas Patra

JCB Japan Credit Bureau
JLGs Joint Liability Groups
KCC Kisan Credit Card
KVP Kisan Vikas Patra
KYC Know Your Customer
LAF Liquidity Adjustment Facility
LAN Local Area Network
LBS Lead Bank Scheme
LETS Local Exchange Trading Systems
LIC Life Insurance Corporation of India
LOC Lines of Credit
LTF Long-Term Finance
MBFC Mutual Benefit Financial Company
MFIs Micro-Financial Institutions
MICR Magnetic Ink Character Recognition
MIRSD Market Intermediaries Registration and Supervision Department
MNBCs Miscellaneous Non-Banking Companies
MPBF Maximum Permissible Bank Finance
MRD Market Regnlation Department
MSS Market Stabilisation Scheme
M&As Mergers and Acquisitions
MTNs Medium-Term Notes
NABARD National Bank For Agriculture and Rural Development
NAFCUB National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks and Credit Societies
NAFED National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation
NAV Net Asset Value
NBC Net Bank Credit
NBFCs Non-Bank Financial Companies
NCAER National Council of Applied Economic Research
NCC National Clearing Cells
NCS Network Computing System
NDA Net Domestic Assets
NDC Non-Dues Certificate
NDS Negotiated Dealing System
NDTL Net Demand and Time Liabilities
NFA Net Foreign Assets
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
NHB National Housing Bank
NIl Net Interest Income
Nof Net Owned Funds
NPAs Non-Performing Assets
NPLM Non-Performing Loan Management
NPS Non-Priority Sector
NRE Non-Resident (External) Rupee Account
NRI Non-Resident Indian
NRNR Non-Resident Non-Repatriable Term Deposit Account

NRO Non-Resident Ordinary Account
NRSR Non-Resident (Special) Rupee Account
NSE National Stock Exchange
NSIC National Small Industries Corporation
NSS National Savings Scheme
OBC Oriental Bank of Commerce
OBE Off-Balance Sheet Exposures
OBUs Offshore Banking Units
OCB Overseas Corporate Bodies
OD Overdraft
OFCS Offshore Financial Centers
OTCEI Over The Counter Exchange of India Limited
OTS One-Time Settlement
PACS Primary Agricultural Credit Societies
PAN Permanent Account Number
PBS Projected Balance Sheet
PBT Profit Before Tax
PC Participation Certificate
PCA Prompt Corrective Action
PCDs Partly Convertible Debentures
PFls Public Financial Institutions
PIN Personal Identification Number
PIO People of Indian Origin
PKI Public Key Infrastructure
PLIs Prime Lending Institutions
PLP Potential Linked Plan
PLR Prime Lending Rate
PMLA Prevention of Money Laundering Act
POA Power of Attorney
POS Point of Sale
PSBs Public Sector Banks
PTCs Pass-Through Certificates
QIB Qualified Institutional Buyers
QIP Qualified Institutional Placement
QIS Quantitative Impact Study
RAROC Risk-Adjusted Return On Capital
RBI Reserve Bank of India
RBS Risk-Based Supervision
RCF Risk Capital Foundation
RCI Refinance Corporation For Industry
REPOS Ready Forward Contracts
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
RML Reverse Mortgage Loan
RNBCs Residuary Non-Banking Companies
ROA Return On Assets
ROC Registration of Companies

ROE Return On Equity
RRBs Regional Rural Banks
RTGS Real Time Gross Settlement
SACs Settlement Advisory Committees
SAMIS Strategic Asset Management Information System
SARFAES Securities and Reconstruction of Financial and Enforcement of Security Interest
SBI State Bank of India
SCB State Cooperative Apex Bank
SEPUP Self-Employment Programme For Urban Poor
SEZs Special Economic Zones
SFCs State Financial Corporations
SFMS Structured Financial Messaging Solution
SGSY Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana
SHGs Self-Help Groups
SIDC State Industrial Development Corporation
SIM Subscriber Identity Module
SJSRY Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana
SLBC State-Level Bankers’ Committee
SLR Statutory Liquidity Ratio
SME Small and Medium Enterprises
SPOM Self-Programmable One-Chip Microcomputer
Spy Special Purpose Vehicle
SSIDC State Small Industries Development Corporation
SSls Small Scale Industries
STF Short-Term Finance
STP Straight -Through Processing
SW IFT Society For Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication
T/T Telegraphic Transfer
TAN Transaction Number/Tax Deduction Account Number
TCS Tata Consultancy Services
TDF Technical Development Fund
TDICI Technology Development and Information Company of India Limited
UBI United Bank of India
UTI Unit Trust of India
VCFs Venture Capital Funds
VCP Village Credit Plan
VRS Voluntary Retirement Scheme
VUB Vseobecmi Uverova Banka
WAN Wide Area Network
WCDL Working Capital Demand Loan
WOS Wholly Owned Subsidiary
WWW World Wide Web

The Monthly Hindu Review | Current Affairs | May 2022

Contents
The Most Important Current Affairs May 2022 ............................................................................................ 3
Banking and Financial Current Affairs ........................................................................................................ 10
Important Days .................................................................................................................................................. 36
Books & Authors ............................................................................................................................................... 42
Obituaries ........................................................................................................................................................... 45
Heads of various organizations in News in month of May 2022 ............................................................. 48

The Most Important Current Affairs May 2022
IPL 2022 Final: Gujarat Titans won the title • IPL 2022 Emerging Player Of The Season: Umran
Malik
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 ended with
• Unacademy Let’s Crack It Sixes Award Of The Season:
Gujarat Titans (GT) lifting the trophy by defeating
inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Jos Buttler
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on May 29. The • Punch Super Striker Of The Season: Dinesh Karthik
Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, was the 15th edition of (SR – 183.33)
the professional Twenty20 cricket league established by • Dream 11 Game Changer Of The Season: Jos Buttler
the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). • PayTM Fairplay Award: Gujarat Titans & Rajasthan
Royals
Brief scores of Rajasthan Royals Vs Gujarat Titans Final
Match: • CRED Powerplayer Of The Season: Jos Buttler
• Rajasthan Royals: 130/9 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 39; • SwiggyInstamart Fastest Delivery Of The Season:
Rashid Khan 1/18, Hardik Pandya 3/17). Lockie Ferguson (157.3 KMPH)
• Gujarat Titans: 133/3 in 18.1 overs (Hardik Pandya • Rupay On The Go 4s Of The Season: Jos Buttler
34, Shubman Gill 45 not out). • Tata IPL Catch Of The Season: Evin Lewis
Key points of IPL 2022 Final:
• IPL 2022 Closing Ceremony: It was a full house at the Cannes Film Festival 2022: Complete List Of
Narendra Modi Stadium as the attendance marked Winners
1,04,859.
• BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and General The 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival came to a
Secretary Jay Shah then receive a certificate as IPL glittering close with the nine-member jury giving out the
created a Guinness world record for the world’s big awards at the prestigious festival. The awards were
largest cricket jersey. selected by a nine-member jury headed by French actor
• AR Rahman, the Academy Award winner, was the Vincent Lindon and presented in a closing ceremony
star of the show at the IPL 2022 Closing Ceremony. inside Cannes’ Grand Lumière Theater. The jury included
• Ranveer Singh’s dance performance, which included an Indian face in actor Deepika Padukone. A separate
the ‘Vaathi Coming’ from Master and ‘Naatu Naatu’ section of two awards for documentary films was
from RRR, was the perfect start of the electric evening adjudged earlier on Saturday. Those awards were
of the IPL 2022 Closing Ceremony. adjudged by a separate jury.
IPL 2022 Final: List Of All Prize Winners
FULL LIST OF WINNERS AT 2022 CANNES FILM
• Aramco Purple Cap Winner Of The Season:
FESTIVAL
Yuzvendra Chahal (27 Wickets)
• Palme d’Or: Triangle of Sadness, directed by Ruben
• Aramco Orange Cap Winner Of The Season: Jos
Buttler (863 Runs) Östlund
• Player Of The Match (Final): Hardik Pandya • Grand Prix: Stars at Noon, directed by Claire Denis
• Upstox Most Valuable Player Of The Season: Jos and Close directed by Lukas Dhont
Buttler • Jury Prize: Eo, directed by Jerzy Skolimowski and Le
• Punch Super Striker Of The Match (Final): David Otto Montagne, directed by Charlotte Vandermeersch
Miller and Felix van Groeningen
• Dream11 Game Changer Of The Match (Final): Hardik • Best Director: Park Chan-wook for Decision to Leave
Pandya • Best Actor: Song Kang-ho for Broker
• Unacademy Let’s Crack It Sixes Award (Final): • Best Actress: Zar Amir Ebrahimi for Holy Spider
Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Best Screenplay: Tarik Saleh (Boy from Heaven)
• CRED Powerplayer Of The Match (Final): Trent Boult
• Camera d’Or: Gina Gammell and Riley Keough for
• Upstox Most Valuable Asset Of The Match (Final):
War Pony
Hardik Pandya
• SwiggyInstamart Fastest Delivery Of The Match • Jury Special Award: Tori and Lokita
(Final): Lockie Ferguson • L’Oeil d’Or: All That Breathes
• Rupay On The Go 4s Of The Match (Final): Jos Buttler • Jury Special Award (documentary): Mariupolis 2

Fortune 500 list: Elon Musk, world's richest Consequently, the various rates are as under:
man, was 2021's highest paid CEO • Policy Repo Rate: 4.40%
• Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)= 4.15%
Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire CEO of Tesla and • Marginal Standing Facility Rate: 4.65%
SpaceX highest-paid executive in the world. Musk has • Bank Rate: 4.65%
topped the Fortune’s new list of the most highly • CRR: 4.50% (Effective from May 21, 2022)
compensated CEOs on the Fortune 500. In 2021, Musk • SLR: 18.00%
“realized” compensation worth almost USD 23.5 billion,
from exercising some Tesla stock options awarded in a The Government Securities (G-Sec) market reacted
2018 multiyear “moonshot” grant. After Musk, the 10 negatively to the rate hike. The price of the 10-year
most highly compensated Fortune 500 CEOs of 2021 are benchmark G-Sec crashed about Rs 1.90 intraday, with
all tech and biotech CEOs, including the heads of Apple, its yield shooting up by 28 basis points.
Netflix, and Microsoft.
World Food Prize 2022 received by NASA’s
List of top 10 most highly compensated CEOs: Cynthia Rosenzweig
1. Elon Musk, Tesla: USD 23.5 Billion
2. Tim Cook, Apple: USD 770.5 Million A senior research scientist and head of the Climate
3. Jensen Huang, NVIDIA: USD 561 Million Impacts Group at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space
4. Reed Hastings, Netflix: USD 453.5 Million Studies (GISS) in New York City, Cynthia Rosenzweig has
5. Leonard Schleifer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals: USD received the 2022 World Food Prize from the World
452.9 Million Food Prize Foundation. Rosenzweig was selected for the
6. Marc Benioff, Salesforce: USD 439.4 Million award for her research to understand the relationship
7. Satya Nadella, Microsoft: USD 309.4 Million between climate and food systems and forecast how both
8. Robert A. Kotick, Activision Blizzard: USD 296.7 will change in the future.
Million Her modelling work has provided a foundation for
9. Hock E. Tan, Broadcom: USD 288 Million decision-makers around the world to create strategies to
10. Safra A. Catz, Oracle: USD 239.5 Million mitigate climate change and adapt our food systems to a
changing planet, which has helped communities
RBI Monetary Policy: RBI hikes Repo Rate by worldwide address the consequences of Earth’s changing
climate.
40 bps to 4.40 percent
About the Cynthia Rosenzweig
In an unscheduled meeting of the Monetary Policy
• Rosenzweig has been a research scientist at NASA
Committee, the central bank, however, retained the
GISS and head of the Climate Impacts Group since
accommodative monetary policy. The sudden RBI move 1994. Her research focuses on improving models and
— the first hike after August 2018 — is expected to push assessments of how climate change will affect
up interest rates in the banking system. Equated monthly agriculture and the food supply in the future.
instalments (EMIs) on home, vehicle and other personal • She uses data from NASA satellites and models to
and corporate loans are likely to go up. Deposit rates, study agricultural regions around the world and how
mainly fixed term rates, are also set to rise. they are changing.
All six members of the MPC unanimously voted for a rate
hike while maintaining the accommodative stance. RBI
Governor Shaktikanta Das said the decision was taken in
view of rising inflation, geopolitical tensions, high crude
oil prices and shortage of commodities globally, which
have impacted the Indian economy.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its Monetary Policy
Committee (MPC) meeting held between May 2-4, 2022
has decided to increase the policy repo rate under the
liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 40 basis points
(bps) to 4.40 per cent with immediate effect from 4.00%
earlier. RBI has also hiked the cash reserve ratio (CRR) by
50 basis points to 4.50 per cent effective from May 21,
2022.

• Rosenzweig has previously served as coordinating Pulitzer Prizes 2022 Announced: Complete List
lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on of Winners
Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II Fourth
The 106th class of Pulitzer Prize winners in Journalism,
Assessment Report in 2007 and the IPCC Special
Books, Drama and Music were announced. The Pulitzer
Report on Climate Change and Land in 2019.
Prize is an award for achievements in newspaper,
About the World Food Prize: magazine, online journalism, literature and musical
According to the World Food Prize Foundation, the World composition within the United States. It was established
Food Prize is a prestigious international award conceived in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who
as the “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture” with a had made his fortune as a newspaper publisher, and is
mission to elevate innovations and inspire action to administered by Columbia University.
sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability Here’s the full list of winners in journalism and their
of food for all. awards:
Reward(s): A diploma, a commemorative sculpture and a
Public Service
monetary award of US$ 250,000. • The Washington Post for its account of the assault
on Washington on January 6, 2021.
World Press Freedom Index 2022: India
Breaking News Reporting
ranked 150th • The staff of the Miami Herald for its coverage of the
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has released the 20th collapse of the Seaside apartment towers in Florida.
World Press Freedom Index 2022, which assesses the Investigative Reporting
state of journalism in 180 countries and territories. The • Corey G. Johnson, Rebecca Woolington and Eli
Index highlights the disastrous effects of news and Murray of the Tampa Bay Times for an expose of
information chaos – the effects of a globalised and highly toxic hazards inside Florida’s only battery
unregulated online information space that encourages recycling plant that forced the implementation of
fake news and propaganda. safety measures to adequately protect workers and
nearby residents.
Key points of the Index:
• India’s ranking in the Index has fallen down to
Explanatory Reporting
• Staff of Quanta Magazine, notably Natalie
150th position from last year’s 142nd rank.
Wolchover, for reporting on how the Webb Space
• The ranking of India’s neighbours, except that of
Telescope works.
Nepal, has also slid down, with the index placing.
Nepal has climbed up by 30 points in the global Local Reporting
ranking at 76th position. • Madison Hopkins of the Better Government
• Pakistan at 157th position, Sri Lanka 146th, Association and Cecilia Reyes of the Chicago Tribune
Bangladesh 162nd and Maynmar at 176th for an examination of Chicago’s long history of failed
building and fire safety code enforcement.
position.
• Norway (1st) Denmark (2nd), Sweden (3rd) National Reporting
Estonia (4th) and Finland (5th) grabbed the top • The staff of The New York Times for a project that
positions, while North Korea remained at the bottom quantified a disturbing pattern of fatal traffic stops by
of the list of the 180 countries and territories. police.
• Russia was placed at 155th position, down from International Reporting
150th last year, while China climbed up by two • The staff of The New York Times for reporting that
positions with the Reporters Without Borders placing exposed the vast civilian tolls of US-led airstrikes,
it at 175th position. Last year, China was placed at challenging official accounts of American military
177th position. engagements in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
• The invasion of Ukraine (106th) by Russia (155th) Feature Writing
at the end of February reflects this process, as the • Jennifer Senior of The Atlantic for a portrayal of a
physical conflict was preceded by a propaganda war. family’s reckoning of loss in the 20 years since 9/11.

Commentary Biography
• Melinda Henneberger of the Kansas City Star for • Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of the Jim
persuasive columns demanding justice for alleged Crow South, by the late Winfred Rembert as told to
victims of a retired police detective accused of being a Erin I. Kelly
sexual predator.
Poetry
Criticism • frank: sonnets, by Diane Seuss
• Salamishah Tillet, contributing critic at large for The
General Nonfiction
New York Times, for writing about Black stories in
• Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an
art and popular culture.
American City, by Andrea Elliott
Editorial Writing
Music
• Lisa Falkenberg, Michael Lindenberger, Joe Holley
• Voiceless Mass, by Raven Chacon
and Luis Carrasco of the Houston Chronicle for a
campaign that, with original reporting, revealed voter
Special Awards and Citations
suppression tactics, rejected the myth of widespread
The Journalists of Ukraine: The Pulitzer Board awards a
voter fraud and argued for sensible voting reforms. special citation to the journalists of Ukraine for their
Illustrated Reporting and Commentary courage, endurance, and commitment to truthful
• Fahmida Azim, Anthony Del Col, Josh Adams and reporting during Vladimir Putin’s ruthless invasion of
Walt Hickey of Insider for a comic on an Uyghur their country and his propaganda war in Russia. Despite
internment camp. the bombardment, abductions, occupation, and even
deaths in their ranks, they have persisted in their effort to
Breaking News Photography provide an accurate picture of a terrible reality, doing
• Marcus Yam of the Los Angeles Times for raw and honour to Ukraine and to journalists around the world.
urgent images of the US departure from Afghanistan.
• Win McNamee, Drew Angerer, Spencer Platt,
Lionel Messi topped Forbes’ highest-paid
Samuel Corum and Jon Cherry of Getty Images for
athletes list for 2022
comprehensive and consistently riveting photos of
the attack on the US capitol. Lionel Messi has topped the list of Forbes Highest-Paid
Athletes 2022 with a reported income of $130 million,
Feature Photography
followed by Basketball player, Lebron James with $121.2
• Adnan Abidi, Sanna Irshad Mattoo, Amit Dave and
million while Cristiano Ronaldo was third with $115
the late Danish Siddiqui of Reuters for images of
million. Messi had moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-
Covid’s toll in India.
Germain in August 2021 and Cristiano Ronaldo rejoined
Audio Reporting Manchester United from Juventus in the same month.
• Staffs of Futuro Media and PRX for “Suave” — an Forbes calculates the estimates based on prize money,
immersive profile of a man re-entering society after salaries and bonuses, and sponsorship deals.
more than 30 years in prison.
The top 10 highest earners, collectively brought in
$992 million in pre-tax gross earnings over the last
Here’s the list for books, drama and music:
year.
Fiction 1. Lionel Messi: $130 million
• The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and 2. LeBron James: $121.2 million
Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a 3. Cristiano Ronaldo: $115 million
Very Famous Family, by Joshua Cohen. 4. Neymar: $95 million
5. Stephen Curry: $92.8 million
Drama
6. Kevin Durant: $92.1 million
• Fat Ham, by James Ijames
7. Roger Federer: $90.7 million
History 8. Canelo Alvarez: $90 million
• Covered with Night, by Nicole Eustace and Cuba: An 9. Tom Brady: $83.9 million
American History, by Ada Ferrer 10. Giannis Antetokounmpo: $80.9 million

Italian Open 2022: Check the complete list of Mascot
winners The mascot of the Deaflympics is the Ring-tailed Coati –
Nino, meaning priceless, worthy of appreciation, cheerful,
World No.1 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic has defeated happy, very lucky, and auspicious.
Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the 79th edition of the Italian
Open (Internazionali BNL d’Italia) in Rome and to capture Events and Participation
the 38th ATP Masters 1000 crown. Novak Djokovic A total number of 226 events across 18 sports were held
became the fifth man in the Open Era to earn 1,000 match with a participation of 2,349 athletes representing 71
wins after defeating Casper Ruud in the semi-finals. In nations.
women’s singles, Iga Swiatek has won the Italian Open Total Medal Tally:
title after defeating Ons Jabeur.
Rank Country Total
Here is the list of winners and runner-ups of the
Italian Open finals: 1 Ukraine 138 (Gold- 62, Silver- 38, Bronze- 38)
2 USA 55 (Gold- 20, Silver- 11, Bronze- 24)
Category Winner Runner-up 3 Iran 40 (Gold- 14, Silver- 12, Bronze-14)
Men’s Novak Djokovic Stefanos Tsitsipas 9 India 17 (Gold- 8, Silver- 1, Bronze- 8)
singles (Serbia) (Greece)
Women’s Ons Jabeur Medals Won by India:
Iga Świątek (Poland)
singles (Tunisia) Athlete Event Medal
John Isner (United
Men’s 10m air
Men’s Nikola Mektić and States) & Diego Dhanush Srikanth Gold
rifle
doubles Mate Pavić (Croatia) Schwartzman
Men’s 10m air
(Argentina) Abhinav Deshwal Gold
pistol
Veronika Gabriela
Dhanush Srikanth & Mixed team 10m
Kudermetova and Dabrowski Gold
Women’s Priyesha Deshmukh air rifle
Anastasia (Canada) &
doubles Mixed team
Pavlyuchenkova Giuliana Olmos Badminton Team Gold
badminton
(Russia) (Mexico)
Women’s singles
Jerlin Jayaratchagan Gold
badminton
Highlights of the 2021 Summer Deaflympics
Diksha Dagar Women’s golf Gold
The 24th edition of 2021 Summer Deaflympics i.e. Jerlin Jayaratchagan & Mixed doubles
Gold
Caxias 2021, officially called the XXIV Summer Abhinav Sharma badminton
Deaflympic Games, was an international multi-sport event Men’s freestyle
Sumit Dahiya Gold
held at Festa da Uva, Caxias do Sul, Brazil. The 97kg
International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) Prithvi Sekhar & Men’s doubles
is the main governing body responsible for the Silver
Dhananjay Dubey tennis
organisation of the Deaflympics and other World Deaf Men’s 10m air
Championships. Shourya Saini Bronze
rifle
This is the first time the Games are being held in a Latin Vedika Sharma Women’s 10m air pistol Bronze
American country and not during the summer of the host
Men’s singles
city (as it is autumn in May in the south of Brazil) and the Abhinav Sharma Bronze
badminton
third time for the Games to be held in the Southern
Men’s singles
Hemisphere only after 1989 games held in Christchurch Prithvi Sekhar Bronze
tennis
in New Zealand and 2005 games in Melbourne, Australia.
Prithvi Sekhar & Jafreen Mixed doubles
The event was opened by Michelle Bolsonaro, the First Bronze
Shaik tennis
Lady of Brazil.
Men’s freestyle
Virender Singh Bronze
The motto of the 2021 Deaflympics 74kg
The Motto of the event is “Sports comes from the our Men’s freestyle
Amit Krishan Bronze
hearts” 86kg

Music Academy announced Sangita Kalanidhi Indian novel ‘Tomb of Sand’ wins International
awards 2020-22 Booker Prize
Renowned vocalist and guru, Neyveli R Santanagopalan, Indian writer Geetanjali Shree and American translator
eminent mridangam artiste and guru, ‘Tiruvarur’ Daisy Rockwell won the International Booker Prize for
Bhakthavathsalam, and Lalgudi violin duo, G J R
“Tomb of Sand,”. Originally written in Hindi, it’s the first
Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi were named for the
prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi awards of the Music book in any Indian language to win the high-profile
Academy for 2020, 2021, and 2022. award, which recognizes fiction from around the world
The Music Academy announced Sangita Kalanidhi award that has been translated into English. The 50,000-pound
winners for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. The physical ($63,000) prize money will be split between New Delhi-
festival could not be conducted in the last two years based Shree and Rockwell, who lives in Vermont.
because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Minister M K “Tomb of Sand” is published in Britain by a small
Stalin will present the awards while inaugurating the 96th publisher Tilted Axis Press. It was founded by translator
Annual Conference and Concerts on December 15, 2022, Deborah Smith, who won the 2016 International Booker
N Murali, President, Music Academy.
for translating Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian” to publish
Sangita Kalanidhi awards: books from Asia.
• Santanagopalan will receive the Sangita Kalanidhi
award for the year 2020 while Bhakthavathsalam The essence of the book:
has been chosen for the award for the year 2021. The book tells the story of an octogenarian widow who
• Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi, “torchbearers of the dares to cast off convention and confront the ghosts of her
Lalgudi lineage of violinists and renowned experiences during the subcontinent’s tumultuous 1947
performers” will receive the award for 2022. partition into India and Pakistan. Shree’s book beat five
For the Sangita Kala Acharya awards: other finalists including Polish Nobel literature
The Academy has chosen nagaswaram exponent Kivalur laureate Olga Tokarczuk, Claudia Piñeiro of Argentina
N G Ganesan (2020), vocalist, musicologist, and guru Dr and South Korean author Bora Chung to be awarded
Ritha Rajan (2021), and Vainika and musicologist Dr R the prize at a ceremony in London.
S Jayalakshmi (2022).
T T K Award for 2020, 2021, and 2022: About the International Booker Prize:
Noted vocalist and guru Thamarakkad Govindan The International Booker Prize is awarded every year to a
Namboodri, versatile percussionist Nemani Somayajulu, translated work of fiction published in the U.K. or Ireland.
and noted Kanjra artiste A V Anand will receive the T T K It is run alongside the Booker Prize for English-language
Award for 2020, 2021, and 2022 respectively. fiction. The prize was set up to boost the profile of fiction
Musicologist award: in other languages, which accounts for only a small share
The Musicologist award for 2020 will be presented to Dr of books published in Britain and to salute the often
V Premalatha for the year 2020. Nritya Kalanidhi will unacknowledged work of literary translators.
be presented to Bharatanatyam exponents Rama
Vaidyanathan (2020) and Narthaki Nataraj (2021). Time’s 100 most influential people 2022:
Bragha Bessell, widely respected Abhinaya expert and
Check the complete list
guru, will be awarded the prize for 2022.
Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy, business tycoon
Gautam Adani and prominent Kashmiri human rights
activist Khurram Parvez have been named among the
world’s 100 most influential people of 2022 by TIME
magazine. The list has been divided into six categories:
Icons, Pioneers, Titans, Artists, Leaders and
Innovators.
While Adani has been named under the Titans category
along with the likes of Apple CEO Tim Cook and American
host Oprah Winfrey, Nundy and Parvez found their place
under the Leaders category along with Russian President
Vladimir Putin and his Ukraine counterpart Volodymyr
Zelenskyy.

Here is the full list of the world’s 100 most influential • Sevgil Musaieva
people of 2022: • Francis Kéré
• David Vélez
TITANS
• Michael Schatz
• Gautam Adani
• Karen Miga
• Tim Cook
• Evan Eichler
• Oprah Winfrey
• Adam Phillippy
• Christine Lagarde
• Michelle Yeoh ARTISTS
• Kris Jenner • Simu Liu
• Andy Jassy • Andrew Garfield
• Sally Rooney • Zoë Kravitz
• Hwang Dong-hyuk • Sarah Jessica Parker
• Sam Bankman-Fried • Amanda Seyfried
• Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Alex Morgan • Quinta Brunson
• Elizabeth Alexander • Pete Davidson
• David Zaslav • Channing Tatum
• Nathan Chen
LEADERS
• Mila Kunis
• Karuna Nundy
• Jeremy Strong
• Khurram Parvez
• Faith Ringgold
• Mia Mottley
• Ariana DeBose
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• Jazmine Sullivan
• Ketanji Brown Jackson
• Michael R. Jackson
• Joe Rogan
• Xi Jinping ICONS
• Ursula von der Leyen • Mary J. Blige
• Ron DeSantis • Dmitry Muratov
• Joe Biden • Issa Rae
• Yoon Suk-yeol • Keanu Reeves
• Vladimir Putin • Adele
• Olaf Scholz • Rafael Nadal
• Samia Suluhu Hassan • Maya Lin
• Kevin McCarthy • Jon Batiste
• Abiy Ahmed • Nadine Smith
• Kyrsten Sinema • Peng Shuai
• Gabriel Boric • Hoda Khamosh
• Letitia James PIONEERS
• Valeriy Zaluzhnyy • Candace Parker
• Lynn Fitch • Sonia Guajajara
• Umar Ata Bandial • Valérie Masson-Delmotte and Panmao Zhai
• Sun Chunlan • Nan Goldin
INNOVATORS • Cristina Villarreal Velásquez and Ana Cristina
• Zendaya González Vélez
• Taika Waititi • Frances Haugen
• Miranda Lambert • Stephane Bancel
• Derrick Palmer and Chris Smalls • Eileen Gu
• Josh Wardle • Mazen Darwish and Anwar Al Bunni
• Michelle Zauner • Gregory L. Robinson
• Demna • Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson
• Emily Oster
• Timnit Gebru
• Tulio de Oliveira and Sikhulile Moyo
• Mike Cannon-Brookes
• Emmett Schelling
• Bela Bajaria

IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its latest report
said India was one of the worst-hit nations during
The 12th edition of the 2022 International Boxing the Covid-19 pandemic and that it will take up to 13
Association (IBA) Women’s World Boxing years for India to fully recover from the scars of the
Championship (WWBC) was held at Başakşehir Youth Covid-19 pandemic. India suffered among the biggest
and Sports Facility, Istanbul, Turkey. The event saw the pandemic induced losses in the world in terms of
participation of 310 Boxers from 73 nations. Belarusian output, lives and livelihoods, which may take years to
and Russian boxers were not allowed to compete at the recover. Economic activity has barely recovered to
event after a ban as a result of the Russian invasion of pre-COVID levels even after two years.
Ukraine. • The public sector bank, The Indian Bank has
presented a pre-approved personal loan product
Key points: under Project WAVE. The Chennai-based bank
• India for the first time in the past four years, had won announced the World of Advance Virtual
a total medal tally of 3, which includes one Gold and Experience, WAVE digital transformation project
two Bronze. in January 2022 to introduce its first digital product,
• The India Boxer Nikhat Zareen( from Nizamabad, the Pre-Approved Personal Loan (PAPL), which
Telangana) won the gold in the flyweight (52kg) intends to give consumers with rapid loan
division with 5-0 points against Thailand’s Jitpong disbursements.
Jutamas. With this win, she became the fifth Indian • The Reserve Bank of India’s Central Board of
women boxer to win the World Championship. Directors met for the 595th time. The meeting was
• The other two Indian women boxers Manisha Moun held through video conferencing under the
(from Haryana) and Parveen Hooda(from Haryana) chairmanship of RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das,
had won the bronze medals in the 57kg and 63kg according to the RBI. The Board approved the
appointment of Executive Director Dr. Rajiv Ranjan
categories respectively.
to the Monetary Policy Committee as an ex-officio
Overall Medal Tally: member. Ranjan replaced Mridul Saggar, who
retired on April 30. Ranjan is the MPC’s third (ex-
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total officio) internal member.
1 Turkey 5 0 2 7 • Canara Bank has launched ‘skill loans’ in association
2 Ireland 2 0 0 2 with the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme
3 Canada 1 1 0 2 (ASAP), Kerala, the government company under the
4 India 1 0 2 3 Higher Education Department. Under this facility, the
loan is ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh. This
Banking and Financial Current Affairs loan can be availed of by students who are pursuing
skill training programmes which are offered by ASAP
• ICICI Bank has launched India’s first ‘open-for-all’ Kerala or any other Central or State government-
comprehensive digital ecosystem for all Micro, Small recognised agencies.
and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, • Indian Bank, a public sector bank, has introduced its
which can also be used by the customers of other digital broking solution – ‘E- Broking’, as a strategic
banks. Anyone can use the benefits of digital solutions move toward comprehensive digitalisation of its
customer products. E-Broking, an instant and
on the InstaBIZ app.
paperless demat & trading account opening service, is
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) changed the rules
now available through the bank’s mobile banking app,
for banks to claim the amount of interest subsidies
IndOASIS. The product was introduced in
paid to farmers under the short-term crop credit collaboration with Fisdom, the bank’s financial
plan via the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) during the technology partner.
previous fiscal year. • The Reserve Bank of India has given its nod to
• Union Bank of India became the first public sector Equitas Small Finance Bank and its parent company
bank to go live on the Account Aggregator (AA) Equitas Holdings Ltd’s merger plan, subject to
ecosystem. The framework facilitates sharing of certain restrictions. The RBI’s no objection comes
financial information on a real-time basis between with strings attached. The merger is being carried out
regulated entities. AAs are licensed by the Reserve to comply with RBI small finance bank regulations,
Bank of India to enable the flow of data between which require the promoter to cut his or her stake in
Financial Information Providers (FIPs) and Financial the subsidiary to 40% within five years of the SFB’s
Information Users (FIUs). start-up (Small Finance Bank).

• HDFC Bank, a private sector lender, has introduced • IDBI Bank has entered into a share purchase
30-minute ‘Xpress Car Loans’, an end-to-end digital agreement with Ageas Insurance International,
new car loan solution for both existing and non- wherein the bank is looking to sell its remaining stake
customers. The bank has integrated its lending of 25 per cent in private sector life insurer Ageas
application with automobile dealers throughout India. Federal Life Insurance for Rs 580 crore, making
It is the industry’s first automotive lending Ageas one of the few foreign insurers to raise its stake
experience, and it is expected to change the way in its Indian insurance joint venture to 74 per cent,
automobile financing is done in India. after the government raised the FDI cap in the
• ICICI Bank, one of India’s largest private sector insurance sector.
banks, established a partnership with Santander • The Reserve Bank of India’s Banknote Survey of
Bank in the United Kingdom, aimed at making Consumers' findings revealed that, among banknotes,
banking easier for businesses operating in both Rs100 was the most preferred while Rs 2,000 was
countries. The ICICI and Santander UK Plc signed a the least preferred denomination. The survey, that
MoU in Mumbai to build a framework of partnership was published in the Reserve Bank of India Annual
between the banks to satisfy the financial service Report this year said that Rs 100 notes were most
needs of corporate clients operating along the India- preferred among Indians, while Rs 2000 notes were
UK corridor. the least preferred. The RBI survey also found out that
• The Union Bank of India (UBI) has launched an the total number of Rs 2000 notes comprised only
online platform, ‘Trade nxt’, which enables
214 crores or 1.6 per cent of the total currency notes
corporate, and MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium
in circulation.
Enterprises) to transact all cross-border export-
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted
import transactions from the comfort of their place,
trade transactions with Sri Lanka to be handled in
i.e. eliminates the need for companies to visit a bank
Indian Rupees (INR), outside the Asian Clearing
branch for the same.
Union (ACU) mechanism, due to the difficulty faced
• Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs
by exporters in obtaining revenues from the island
59 lakh on the Korean bank, KEB Hana Bank for
country. The Indian government guaranteed a term
non-compliance with the certain norms related to
loan of $1 billion granted to Sri Lanka by the State
‘interest rate on deposits. The Korean bank has been
Bank of India to finance the acquisition of vital
penalised for non-compliance with the directions
commodities and services such as food, medicines,
issued by RBI on ”Reserve Bank of India (Interest Rate
gasoline, and industrial raw material.
on Deposits) Directions, 2016”.
• The Reserve Bank of India has sanctioned a surplus
• PNB MetLife India Insurance Company has
launched India’s first dental health insurance plan. transfer to the Central Government of 30,307 crore
This is the first insurance plan in India that covers rupees for the fiscal year 2021-22. The Reserve Bank
fixed-benefit outpatient expenses and provides of India’s Central Board of Directors met for the 596th
financial assistance with costs related to overall time in Mumbai, under the chairmanship of Governor
dental health. This launch reinforces PNB MetLife Shaktikanta Das, to adopt the Reserve Bank’s Annual
leadership in the industry with this one-of-a-kind, Report and Accounts for the year. The board agreed to
standalone, the dental health insurance plan that keep the Contingency Risk Buffer at 5.50 percent
covers major dental procedures without the hassles of after examining the present economic condition,
hospitalisation. global and domestic issues, and the effect of recent
• The Reserve Bank of India has said that public geopolitical developments.
sector banks reported over a 51 per cent fall in the • State Bank of India (SBI) has announced the
amount involved in frauds to Rs 40,295.25 crore introduction of Real-Time Xpress Credit on its Yono
during the financial year 2021-22 (FY22). As many platform, allowing eligible customers to get personal
as 12 PSBs (Public Sector Banks) had reported frauds loans of up to Rs 35 lakh. The bank said its flagship
worth Rs 81,921.54 crore in the preceding fiscal personal loan product for salaried customers “Xpress
2020-21, the central bank said in response to an Credit” now has a digital avatar and customers can
application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. now avail of it through Yono.

• HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank, • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has eased norms
announced the launch of a new range of co-branded for non-bank entities to set up Bharat Bill Payment
credit cards with Retailio, aimed largely at chemists operating units by reducing the net-worth
and pharmacies in the merchant market. Retailio is requirement to Rs 25 crore, with a view to
the largest B2B pharma marketplace in the country. It encouraging more players in the segment. At present,
is a useful app that is having a significant digital a net worth of Rs 100 crore is required to obtain
impact on the Pharma supply chain management in authorisation for a non-bank BBPOU (Bharat Bill
India. Chemists, retailers, distributors, pharmacists, Payment Operating Units). The reduction in net-
and hospitals can use the Retailio mobile application worth requirements follows an announcement
and web interface to place orders with their regarding the same by the central bank in April.
respective distributors. • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced
new guidelines to permit qualified jewellers to import
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) established a six-
gold through the India International Bullion
member committee to assess and review customer
Exchange IFSC Ltd. (IIBX) or any other exchange.
services in regulated firms with the goal of
IFSCA and the DGFT, the Government of India, must
safeguarding customers’ interests. The committee will
sanction the other exchanges. All payments by
also examine the adequacy of customer service authorised jewellers for gold imports through IIBX
standards and provide recommendations to improve must be done using an exchange mechanism
customer service, according to a statement from the recognised by IFSCA in accordance with the IFSC Act
banking regulator. The six-member committee will and regulations, according to the RBI.
also assess the effectiveness of customer service • MUFG Bank has obtained necessary approvals from
regulations and make recommendations for the International Financial Services Centre
improvements. Authority in India and the Financial Services Agency
• All banks have been urged by the Reserve Bank of in Japan, to open a branch at Gujarat International
India (RBI) to offer consumers the option of Financial Tech City (GIFT City).
Interoperable Card-less Cash Withdrawal (ICCW)
at their ATMs. At their ATMs, all banks, ATM Economy Current Affairs
networks, and WLAOs may offer the option of ICCW.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) • Goods and services tax (GST) collections hit an all-
has been advised to make Unified Payments time high of Rs 1.68 lakh crore in April, indicating
Interface (UPI) integration with all banks and ATM strong economic activity despite multiple headwinds
networks as simple as possible. and better tax compliance. The April number is up
• Rural NEO Bank Mahagram has tied up with the 20% from the year-earlier and Rs 25,000 crore more
IndusInd Bank to digitize the nation’s payment than the previous highest of Rs 1.42 lakh crore in
ecosystem and provide a wider scope to transact for March this year.
its customers in rural India. Mahagram was launched • The Insurance Regulatory and Development
with a vision to transform India into a digitally Authority of India (IRDAI) increased insurers’
empowered society and knowledge economy. The maximum investment limit in banking, financial
partnership between the two aims to boost financial services, and insurance (BFSI) companies from
inclusion, encourage socio-economic development, 25% to 30% of their assets. The threshold for
financial and insurance actions will now be 30
mitigate the risks of a shadow economy, and
percent of investment assets for all insurers,
accelerate the growth of a cashless society.
according to the most recent modifications to IRDAI’s
• Two days meeting of senior functionaries of the
investment Regulations, 2016. This will include
Postal Department and India Post payments Bank
investments in home finance companies and
(IPPB), AAROHAN 4.0 started in Shimla, Himachal infrastructure finance companies.
Pradesh. The agenda of the meeting is to discuss and • Adani Wilmar Limited became the largest Fast
deliberate ways to further deepen the Financial Moving Consumer Goods Company (FMCG) in India
Inclusion drive in the country and to provide banking beating Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), after
solutions to every citizen of India. Postal Department the announcement of its Quarter Four results for the
along with IPPB is working on the vision of the Prime financial year 2022 (Q4FY2022). AWL has reported
Minister’s Digital India initiative to promote digital total operating revenue of Rs 54,214 crore in the
payments and bring digital banking services to every Financial Year 2022 whereas HUL reported a revenue
nook and corner of the country in a customer-friendly of Rs 51,468 crore in the Financial Year (FY) 2021-
manner. 22.
• L&T Infotech and Mindtree, the two independently • Morgan Stanley downgraded India’s growth forecast
listed IT services companies under Larsen & Toubro to 7.6% from 7.9% for FY2023 amid a slowdown in
Group announced a merger that would create India’s global growth, higher commodity prices and risk
fifth-largest IT services provider. The combined aversion in global capital markets. This 7.6% forecast
entity will be known as “LTIMindtree”. is a baseline forecast for India while its bearish and
• At its facilities in Prantij, Gujarat, Nexcharge, a joint bullish growth projections are 6.7% and 8%,
venture between India’s Exide Industries Limited respectively.
and Switzerland’s Leclanché SA, has started mass
• According to the World Bank, India has surpassed
production of lithium-ion battery packs. The plant,
Mexico as the top remittance receiving country in
which covers six lakh square feet and has a 1.5 GWh
2021, pushing China to third place. In 2021, India
installed capacity, comprises six totally automated
assembly lines and testing facilities. received remittances totaling more than $89 billion,
• Reliance Industries become the first Indian an increase of 8% above the $82.73 billion received in
company to record annual revenue of more than a 2020. Despite the fact that the world was significantly
whopping $100 billion. The company has recorded a hit by Covid in 2020, remittances were somewhat
22.5% rise in net profit for the quarter ended March higher than the $82.69 billion in the non-Covid year of
2022. Reliance has recorded strong growth in retail, 2019.
digital services, and the oil & gas business. The • S&P Global Ratings cut India’s growth projection for
company has also reported the highest-ever quarterly the current fiscal to 7.3 per cent from 7.8 per cent
EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, earlier on rising inflation and the longer-than-
depreciation and amortisation) of Rs 33,968 crores expected Russia-Ukraine conflict. S&P had in
(28% up) year-on-year. December last year pegged India’s GDP growth in
• On the final day of bidding, the insurance behemoth 2022-23 fiscal, which began on April 1, 2022, at 7.8
Life Insurance Corporation of India’s (LIC) IPO, the per cent. For the next fiscal the growth has been
country’s largest ever, witnessed 2.95 times greater pegged at 6.5 per cent.
demand than the shares on sale, generating bids
• India’s wholesale inflation soared to a three-decade
totalling Rs 43,933 crore.
high in April as high commodity prices and supply-
• According to the National Payments Corporation of
chain disruptions pushed up input costs for
India (NPCI), Unified Payments Interface (UPI),
India’s flagship digital payments platform, has producers. The annual rate of inflation was 15.08%
recorded 5.58 billion(bn) transactions worth Rs (Provisional) for the month of April 2022 (Y-o-Y)
9.83 trillion in April 2022. This is the highest ever as compared to 10.74% in April 2021. The rate of
number of transactions recorded by UPI. The monthly inflation based on the WPI Food Index increased
UPI recorded a 3.33 % increase in transaction volume marginally from 8.71% in March 2022 to 8.88% in
from 5.4 billion transactions worth Rs 9.6 trillion in April 2022.
March 2022. • The United Nations Department of Economic and
• The central government has released Rs 7,183.42 Social Affairs (UN-DESA) in its ‘World Economic
crore as a revenue deficit grant to 14 states including Situation and Prospects (WESP) Mid-year Update
Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Punjab, 2022’ report has declined India’s GDP (Gross
Assam and Kerala. The Department of Expenditure, Domestic Product) growth projections from 6.7% to
Ministry of Finance released the money. This is the 6.4% for 2022-23. For 2023-24, 6% GDP growth is
2nd monthly instalment of Post Devolution Revenue forecasted for India as against 6.1%. In 2021, India's
Deficit (PDRD) grant to states. The grant has been
economy grew at 8.8%. The growth outlook for South
released as per the recommendations of the Fifteenth
Asia is also downgraded by 0.4 percentage points to
Finance Commission.
5.5% in 2022.
• India’s retail inflation surged to 7.79 per cent in
April, largely driven by rising fuel and food prices, • The central government announced that India has
government data showed. The consumer price-based recorded the highest ever annual FDI inflow of
inflation figure stayed well above the Reserve Bank $83.57 billion during FY22. In 2020-21, the inflow
of India’s (RBI’s) upper tolerance limit for the stood at $81.97 billion. India is rapidly emerging as a
fourth consecutive month. In April, the CPI inflation preferred country for foreign investments in the
expanded at its highest pace in eight years. The manufacturing sector. FDI equity inflow in
previous high was recorded at 8.33 per cent in May manufacturing sectors has increased by 76 per cent
2014. April’s print was higher than 6.95 per cent in in 2021-22 ($21.34 billion) compared to 2020-21
March and 4.23 per cent a year ago. ($12.09 billion).

• SEBI, the market regulator, announced that it had • The United States overtook China to become India’s
revoked the Indian Commodity Exchange Limited’s top trading partner in 2021-22, reflecting strong
(ICEX) recognition. The bourse’s recognition was economic ties between the two countries. According
revoked after Sebi issued an order declaring it non- to commerce ministry data, in 2021-22, bilateral
compliant on many grounds, including net worth and trade between the US and India stood at US$ 119.42
infrastructure criteria. As a result of the withdrawal, billion as against US$ 80.51 billion in 2020-21.
ICEX has been directed to transfer the funds in its
During 2021-22, India's two-way commerce with
Investor Protection Fund and Investor Services Fund
China aggregated at $115.42 billion as compared to
to the Investor Protection and Education Fund of Sebi.
• Moody’s Investors Service slashed India’s economic $86.4 billion in 2020-21, the data showed.
growth projection to 8.8 per cent for 2022 from 9.1
per cent earlier, citing high inflation. In its update to Business Current Affairs
Global Macro Outlook 2022-23, Moody’s said high-
frequency data suggest that the growth momentum • HDFC Life has joined the UN-backed Principles for
from December quarter 2021 carried through into the Responsible Investment (PRI), demonstrating its
first four months this year. commitment to long-term value creation and
• The Federation of Indian Export Organisations sustainable growth. HDFC Life is dedicated to the
(FIEO) has launched the first-of-its-kind online Responsible Investment principles (RI). The Group
marketplace for Indian exporters and foreign buyers. feels that it is its moral duty as an active asset
The marketplace - Indian Business Portal - will act manager for policyholders who have entrusted their
as a B2B digital marketplace to help micro, small and
funds to HDFC Life to deliver maximum risk adjusted
medium enterprises (MSME) exporters, artisans and
returns in the long run.
farmers to identify new markets for their products
and grow their sales globally. Minister of State for • India got its 100th unicorn when neobanking
Commerce & Industry Anupriya Patel, was present fintech portal, “Open”, raised fresh capital to push
at the launch. up its value to over a billion dollars. The five-year-old
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Bengaluru-based neobank raised $50 Mn in a Series D
has approved the government’s 29.5% stake sale in funding round from IIFL, Singaporean state holding
Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL). The sale of a 29.58% company Temasek, American investment firm Tiger
stake represents more than 124.96 crore shares Global and another Indian firm 3one4 Capital. This
which would raise around Rs 38,000 crores at the helped its valuation cross the $1 bn mark.
current market price. This decision will strengthen • Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom
the government’s disinvestment drive in the current operator, announced that the Airtel Startup
fiscal year. The government has budgeted 65,000
Accelerator Program has acquired a 7%
crores from PSU disinvestment and strategic sale.
investment in cloud-based networking solutions firm
• SBI’s research report Ecowrap, in its latest edition has
Cnergee Technologies. Cnergee, situated in Navi
projected India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
growth at 8.2 to 8.5 per cent for FY22. For Q4FY22, Mumbai, specialises in cloud-based comprehensive
the SBI research report expects growth of 2.7 per networking solutions for enterprises of all kinds.
cent. • Jeff Bezos, who established Amazon exactly 27 years
ago on July 5, 1994, has stepped down as CEO, and
Andy Jassy, a longtime AWS executive, has taken
over as the company’s new CEO. Jassy is currently
identified as President and CEO of Amazon.com, as
well as a member of the Board of Directors, on the
Amazon investor relations website.
• India’s payments system has been bolstered by the
fact that it registered the highest number of real-time
transactions in the world last year, with 48 billion.
India surpassed China, which had 18 billion real-
time transactions, and was 6.5 times larger than
the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom,
France, and Germany combined.

• Oil giant Saudi Aramco has dethroned Apple Inc. to • Tesla Inc has been excluded from S&P Dow Jones
become the world’s most valuable company, Indices’ widely watched S&P 500 ESG Index, citing
underscoring the recent surge in oil prices that have issues such as racial discrimination accusations and
boosted the energy giant this year. Aramco traded crashes tied to its autopilot vehicles, a move that
near its highest level on record, with a market provoked a series of angry tweets from Tesla CEO
capitalization of about $2.43 trillion, surpassing that Elon Musk. Tesla’s lack of disclosed details relating to
of Apple for the first time since 2020. The iPhone its low-carbon plan or business behaviour norms
maker fell 5.2% to close at $146.50 per share, giving it
were also significant factors, according to Margaret
a valuation of $2.37 trillion.
Dorn, the organization’s head of ESG indices for
• Bharti AXA Life Insurance, a joint venture between
North America, in an interview.
Bharti Enterprises, one of India’s largest business
groups, and AXA, one of the world’s largest insurance • Adani Group’s Adani Sportsline has acquired the
companies, announced the launch of its financial rights to own and operate a franchise in UAE’s T20
literacy campaign, ‘InspiHE₹– enabling an League. Licensed by Emirates Cricket Board, the UAE
empowered future, a special effort to propagate T20 League will be the first major move overseas by
financial awareness among women as well as allow the Adani Sportsline aiming to connect and engage
people to make good investment decisions for a stable with global fans from across the cricketing nations.
future. • Paytm has announced a Joint Venture (JV) general
• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) shares insurance company named as Paytm General
made a lacklustre start on the stock exchanges, Insurance Ltd (PGIL). Paytm has announced plans to
trading at a discount to the initial public offering infuse Rs 950 crore in PGIL in tranches, over a
price. The shares of the insurance behemoth began period of 10 years and to hold an upfront equity stake
trading on the BSE and NSE at Rs 872 per share, of 74% in JV. Following the investment, Paytm
down 8.11 percent from the IPO price of Rs 949 per General Insurance will become a subsidiary of Paytm.
share. The stocks fell despite the fact that the Sensex
• The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation)
and Nifty were in the green. The Rs 21,000-crore
has granted air operator’s permit to Jet Airways. This
public issuance by LIC is the largest Dalal Street has
will allow the airline to restart commercial flight
ever seen. Earlier this month, the issue had a robust
response from all investor groups over a large six-day operations after remaining grounded for more than
subscription window, rather than the regular three- three years. The approval comes after the airline
day window. conducted proving flights for the safety regulator
• Adani Group which belongs to Gautam Adani is set between May 15 and May 17. The airline aims to start
to acquire swiss multinational company Holcim’s operations in the second quarter, i.e. between July and
stake in Indian companies Ambuja Cements and its September. It will be a full-service carrier with
subsidiary ACC for $10.5 bn (around Rs 81,361 business and economy classes.
crore), including the open offers. The value for the • The state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
Holcim stake and open offer consideration makes this (ONGC) has become the first gas producer to sell
the largest ever acquisition by Adani and India’s domestic gas on the Indian Gas Exchange, exchanging
largest-ever Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) unidentified amounts from the KG-DWN-98/2 block
transaction in the infrastructure and materials space. off the coast of India. ONGC stated in a statement that
“Our move into the cement business is yet another
it will gradually raise output. ONGC has made history
validation of our belief in our nation’s growth story
by becoming India’s first exploration and
• Ruchi Soya, an edible oil company, has announced
production (E&P) company to trade domestic gas on
that it will buy Patanjali Ayurved’s food division for
the Indian Gas Exchange.
Rs 690 crore. Ruchi Soya’s transition to the fast-
moving consumer goods (FMCG) category is likely • Under the newly formed company Adani New
to be accelerated as a result of this. After regulatory Industries Ltd, Total Energies, the French oil and
permissions, the name of Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd gas major, is expected to acquire a minority share of
would be changed to Patanjali Foods Ltd. Ghee, 10% or more in Adani group’s hydrogen business
honey, spices, juices, and wheat are among the 21 (ANIL). The agreement is nearing completion, and an
products in the acquired food industry. announcement is expected in the coming months.
• HDFC Securities has launched "HDFC Money", a • With the launch of a UN-Energy Plan of Action
Robo-advisory investment platform that will offer Towards 2025, the UN took a major step towards
mutual fund schemes and other financial products catalyzing the large-scale action and support
without the need of a Demat account. Apart from needed for the transition to clean, affordable
mutual funds, one can also manage other aspects of energy for all and net-zero emissions against the
finances such as accessing, managing, and tracking backdrop of a global energy crisis and worsening
portfolios, starting goal planning, insurance planning, climate emergency.
creating e-Wills and managing or filing taxes. • Rodrigo Chaves, Costa Rica’s new president, was
• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), Department of sworn in, promising to tackle corruption and rebuild
Post (DoP), and Ministry of Communication have the country’s economy. Last month, he won a four-
introduced issuer charges for the Aadhaar Enabled year term in a runoff against former President Jose
Payment System (AePS). AePS Issuer transaction Maria Figueres, who was also stained by a
charges will be in effect from June 15, 2022. AePS is a corruption investigation.
bank-led model that enables online interoperable • The Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has
financial inclusion transactions at the Point of Sale declared a state of emergency. This is the second
(MicroATM) using Aadhaar verification through any time that the president has declared an emergency in
bank’s business correspondent. AePS provides six a month. The strikes and protests are increasing day
different transaction types. by day because of the increasing economic crisis in Sri
• The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), Lanka.
India’s largest insurer, has launched “Bima Ratna” – a • John Lee Ka-Chiu has been confirmed as Hong
non-linked, non-participating, individual, savings life Kong’s next chief executive. He will replace Carrie
insurance plan. The new plan, which is aimed at the
Lam. He will be the first security official to hold the
domestic market, provides both protection and
Chief Executive position of Hong Kong which
savings.
witnessed years of political unrest and recent
debilitating pandemic controls.
International Current Affairs • Yoon Suk-yeol was sworn in as South Korean
president in a huge ceremony at Seoul’s National
• North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
Assembly, taking office at a time of high tensions with
exercise, Defender Europe 2022 (DE22) and Swift
nuclear-armed North Korea. The ceremony was
Response 2022 (SR22) began on May 01, 2022,
attended by over 40,000 people, including officials
aimed at building preparedness and interoperability
from the US and China.
between Allies and partners of the United States (US)
• World’s Largest Glass Bottom Bridge was opened
and NATO. The exercises are scheduled from May 01
to May 27, 2022. in Vietnam. It is called as Vietnam’s Bach Long
• The inauguration of a statue of Sardar pedestrian bridge, which is 632m (2,073ft) long
Vallabhbhai Patel, the first in North America, in and located 150m (492ft) above a huge jungle. As per
Canada was praised by Prime Minister Narendra the reports, the Asian country has opened a glass-
Modi as “a benchmark for relations between the two bottomed bridge suspended above a lush jungle. It
countries.” The bronze monument was unveiled at a surpasses a 526m Glass Bottom Bridge in
ceremony at the Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre in Guangdong, China.
Markham, Ontario. It is a wonderful opportunity to • Another virus, Monkeypox, has made an appearance
recognise the longstanding and dynamic in the United Kingdom. The patient has a recent
relationship that exists between India and travel history from Nigeria, where they are suspected
Canada, as well as the significant contributions to the to have contracted the infection, before travelling to
Indo-Canadian community – numbering over 1.4 the UK, according to the UK Health Security Agency
million. (UKHSA), which confirmed the case.
• The State of the World’s Forests 2022 explores the • The Rock, the world’s largest white diamond, was
significance of three forest pathways for achieving auctioned for 18.6 million Swiss francs ($18.8
green recovery and addressing environmental million), significantly less than the previous record for
crises such as climate change and biodiversity such a gem. Christie’s auction house in Geneva sold
loss, against the backdrop of the Glasgow Leaders’ the 228.31-carat stone, which was larger than a golf
Declaration on Forests and Land Use and 140 ball. The Rock had high aspirations of breaking the
countries’ pledge to end forest loss by 2030 and global record for a white diamond, which stands at
support restoration and sustainable production and $33.7 million for a 163.41-carat rock sold in the Swiss
consumption. city in 2017.

• South Korea became the first Asian country join in • Somali legislators have elected former leader Hassan
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Cooperative Sheikh Mohamud as the country’s next president,
Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. South Korea’s following a long-overdue election in the troubled
National Intelligence Service (NIS) is joined as a Horn of Africa nation. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who
contributing participant in the NATO Cooperative served as Somalia’s president between 2012 and
Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. 2017, won the contest in the capital, Mogadishu, amid
a security lockdown imposed by authorities to
• Shri Bhagwant Khuba, Union Minister of State for
prevent deadly rebel attacks. He defeated Mohamed
New and Renewable Energy, has arrived in Munich,
Abdullahi Mohamed (also known as Farmajo).
Germany for Intersolar Europe 2022. In Munich, • Elisabeth Borne was appointed France’s new Prime
the Indian Union Minister will deliver a keynote talk Minister to become the second woman to hold the
at the investment promotion event India’s Solar post in the country. She has served as Labor Minister
Energy Market. The Indo-German Energy Forum in Macron’s previous government since 2020. Borne
(IGEF) is organising the event. is the second woman to hold the position after Edith
• Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Junior, a son of late Cresson, who was Prime Minister from 1991-to 1992
Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos claims the under Socialist President Francois Mitterrand.
victory in the 2022 Presidential Election of the • The future of SAARC seems bleak, with Sri Lanka,
Philippines with more than 30.8 million votes. A win Pakistan, and Nepal in economic limbo, and
would return the Marcos dynasty to power. Hundreds Afghanistan under Islamist Taliban control. This
leaves India with little choice but to engage in
gathered to protest the results of the election.
bilateral engagement with its neighbours in order to
• Following Russia’s suspension due to allegations of
protect its national security. Ironically, the Taliban in
horrendous rights violations by Russian military in Afghanistan are currently embroiled in a simmering
Ukraine, the United Nations General Assembly war with their tutor, the Pakistan Army, which
unanimously opted for the Czech Republic to replace refuses to recognise the Durand Line, which splits the
it on the world organization’s primary human rights Pashtun tribe between the two countries.
council. • After receiving criticism for its restrictions on wheat
• The Supreme Council of the Union elected Sheikh exports, India accused the West of neglecting
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, principles of justice, affordability, and accessibility in
as President of the UAE. The Council held a meeting the case of anti-Covid-19 vaccinations, and asked
at the Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi, headed by Sheikh them not to do so again in the case of food grains.
Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President
Guterres was present at the meeting, which was held
and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. He
at the UN headquarters. The United States and the
has replaced Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, other G-7 nations chastised New Delhi after it barred
who died at the age of 73. wheat exports without previous government
• Indian Government has prohibited wheat exports, approval.
claiming a threat to food security, partially owing to • National Geographic Society has installed the
the conflict in Ukraine and as a blistering heatwave "world's highest weather station" on Mount Everest
reduced supply and pushed local prices to new highs. at an altitude of 8,830 metres to automatically
Despite not being one of the world’s top wheat measure various meteorological phenomena. Nepal's
exporters, India’s prohibition might drive global Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM)
prices to new highs, putting a strain on impoverished said the automatic weather station was installed a few
metres below the summit point last week as the snow
customers in Asia and Africa. The prohibition would
and ice on the summit are not suitable for fixing
not last indefinitely and might be changed, authorities
equipment.
said during a press briefing.
• The World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting kicks
• The world’s largest suspension bridge has opened to off in Davos, Switzerland. The Indian delegation will
travellers in the Czech Republic. The bridge, which be led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush
had been under construction for nearly two years, Goyal throughout the five-day meeting. This event
was officially opened. Sky Bridge 721 is the name will assist to strengthen India’s status as a vital and
given to it. The promenade promises both beautiful relevant player in creating the global narrative,
views of the cloud-shrouded Jesenky mountains and especially as it prepares to take over the G-20
an exhilarating, but slightly dangerous experience. presidency next year.

• Australia’s Labor Party leader, Anthony Albanese • The World Health Organization (WHO) and the
was sworn in as the country’s new prime minister. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have
Albanese claimed the victory in the election, ending released the first Global Report on Assistive
his wait for power after nine years and with this Technology (GReAT). The paper, which was created
Anthony Albanese became the country’s 31st Prime in conjunction with UNICEF’s Office of Research –
Minister. Outgoing Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Innocenti, includes 10 important actionable
who was heading the Liberal-National coalition has suggestions for enhancing access to assistive
conceded defeat. technology for all children, as well as evidence-based
• Former independence fighter and Nobel Peace Prize best practise examples.
laureate, Jose Ramos-Horta has been sworn in as • Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister,
president of East Timor (Timor-Leste) ahead of presided over a virtual meeting of BRICS Foreign
celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Affairs/International Relations Ministers in Beijing.
The conference was attended by Naledi Pandor, the
independence for Asia’s youngest country.
South African Minister of International Relations and
• Belgium has become the first country to make a 21-
Cooperation, Carlos Alberto Franco França, the
day quarantine compulsory for monkeypox
Brazilian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, and
patients after four cases of the disease were reported.
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Indian External
The Belgian health authorities took this decision,
Affairs Minister. At the meeting’s opening session,
Saudi Gazette reported citing Belgian media. The
President Xi Jinping gave a video speech. President Xi
Belgian Institute of Tropical Medicine has said that Jinping spoke highly of the importance of the BRICS
the risk of a larger outbreak in the country is low. Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, elaborated on security
• Mansukh Mandaviya, the Minister of Health, and development, and expressed important views on
emphasized the need of creating a robust global deepening BRICS political and security cooperation,
supply chain to provide fair access to vaccines and according to Wang Yi, pointing out the direction for us
medicines. The Minister, speaking at the 75th World to make this meeting a success.
Health Assembly in Geneva, advocated for
simplifying WHO’s vaccine and treatment approval
procedures and strengthening WHO to establish a
National Current Affairs
more robust global health security infrastructure. Mr. • Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports,
Mandaviya reaffirmed India’s commitment to Shipping and Waterways, announced that the
strengthening the global health security framework. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways would
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the first Gulf develop and build India’s first indigenous
country to report a monkeypox case. The Czech hydrogen-fueled electric vessels at Cochin
Republic and Slovenia became the first countries Shipyard Limited (CSL), kicking off the country’s
outside of Africa to disclose cases, joining 18 other efforts toward green shipping.
countries. Although the number is projected to climb • Home Minister, Amit Shah inaugurates the National
even more, experts warn the overall risk to the Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) campus in Bengaluru.
general public remains minimal. According to Home Minister Amit Shah, the
Narendra Modi government has had a zero-
tolerance attitude toward terrorism since the
beginning. According to him, legal and security
authorities require automated, secure, and quick
access to data gathered from credible sources.
• Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting,
Anurag Thakur has announced that India will be the
official Country of Honour at the upcoming Marche’
Du Film, organized alongside the 75th edition of the
Cannes Film Festival, in France. The Country of
Honour Status thereby ensured India’s presence as
Focus Country at the Opening Night of Marche Du
Films being organized at the Majestic Beach with a
spotlight on India, its cinema, its culture & heritage.
• The Supreme Court of India formed a high-level • The Ministry of MSME has created a Centre for
committee, headed by retired Bombay High Court Experimentation, Innovation, and Design for the
Judge Pradeep Nandrajog, for recovery of money Khadi Village and Industries Commission (KVIC)
from the defaulters against whom the National Spot with the goal of empowering Khadi Institutions across
Exchange (NSEL) has secured money decrees. NSEL the country. The Center’s mission is to create clothing,
has already secured decrees and arbitration awards home goods, and fashion accessories that appeal to
of Rs 3,534 crores against the defaulters. Further, individuals of all ages. The goal of the Khadi Centre
defaulters’ liabilities of Rs 760 crores have already of Excellence (CoEK) is to make Khadi a worldwide,
been crystallised by the committee appointed by the classic, and value-driven brand.
Bombay High Court. • India has been unanimously elected as the new Chair
• Information and Broadcasting Minister, Anurag of the Association of Asian Election Authorities
Thakur said that an amount of Rs 363 crore has (AAEA) for 2022-2024 at the meeting of the
been allotted for the world’s largest film Executive Board and General Assembly in Manila,
restoration project under the National Film Philippines. Commission on Elections, Manila was the
Heritage Mission. The mission was launched in 2016 current chair of AAEA. The new member of the
with an outlay of 597 crore rupees. It aims at Executive Board now includes Russia, Uzbekistan,
preserving, restoring and digitizing the cinematic Sri Lanka, Maldives, Taiwan and the Philippines.
heritage. The Minister informed that the process of • With the excavation of a 5000-year-old jewellery-
restoring over 5900 short films, documentaries making factory, the Archaeological Survey of India
and features is underway.
(ASI), which has been working in Rakhi Garhi,
• A three-day Utkarsh Mahotsav is being organized by Haryana, for the past 32 years, has produced one of
Central Sanskrit University in New Delhi. The
its most significant findings yet. Rakhi Garhi is a
objective behind organising the Utkarsh Mahotsav is
village in Haryana’s Hisar district and one of the
to promote the Sanskrit language across the country
oldest Indus Valley Civilisation archaeological sites.
and beyond. They will leave no stone unturned to
• RailTel, a micro Ratna PSU, launched the Prime
promote the Sanskrit language across the country and
Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-
abroad. The main theme of this Mahotsav is ‘Global
WANI) scheme on Monday, providing access to its
Orientation of Sanskrit Studies in the New
Public WiFi services across 100 train stations in 22
Educational Era’ Vice-Chancellors of 17 Sanskrit
states. PM-WANI is a Department of Telecom (DoT)
Universities, Scholars and a large number of students
initiative to connect all silo Wi-Fi networks for
participated in the event.
simplicity of use and to increase broadband adoption
• The Lokpal of India will finally move into a swanky
among the general public.
office at World Trade Centre in south Delhi’s Nauroji
Nagar, four years after being appointed as the • President of India, Ram Nath Kovind conferred 13
country’s first anti-corruption ombudsman to Shaurya Chakras which included six posthumous to
investigate complaints against public functionaries, the personnel of the Indian Armed forces for their
including the Prime Minister, and almost a decade conspicuous courage displayed during operations.
after the Act was passed by Parliament. According to Army Chief General Manoj Pande was conferred with
the Department of Personnel and Training the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) for his
(DoPT), the administrative Ministry for the Lokpal, distinguished service of exceptional order at a
the office, which spans two storeys and covers 59,504 defence investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
square feet, was purchased for Rs 254.88 crore. • The government of India has contributed USD
• Lok Sabha (LS) Speaker, Om Birla has launched the 800,000 to the United Nations(UN) as part of the
one-of-its-kind literary initiative Kalam website of initiative which aims to enhance public outreach of
the Prabha Khaitan Foundation (PKF) to support the organisation in Hindi. R Ravindra, India’s Deputy
and encourage vernacular literature. The aim of Permanent Representative to the United Nations,
Kalam is to popularize Hindi literature and provide a handed over a cheque for the ‘Hindi @ UN’ project to
platform for veteran and young authors and poets to Mita Hosali, Deputy Director and Officer-In-Charge
talk about their writings and love for vernacular (News and Media Division), UN Department of Global
literature. Communications (DGC).

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the • The Ministry of Railways has announced that it’s
Madhya Pradesh “Startup Policy and going to collaborate with IIT Madras for the
Implementation Plan – 2022” via video development of a made-in-India Hyperloop system. It
conferencing and also address the startup has also announced that it’ll be setting up a Centre for
community during the Madhya Pradesh Startup Excellence for Hyperloop technologies at the
Conclave held in Indore. aforementioned institution. India has shown interest
• Home Minister Amit Shah launched the National
in Hyperloop tech since 2017, by then Railway
Cyber Forensic Laboratory’ (NCFL) on the premises
Minister Suresh Prabhu. In fact, the ministry also held
of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in
talks with US-based Hyperloop One, but nothing quite
Hyderabad. The NCFL plans to expedite the resolution
of cybercrime cases in the country. The Ministry of materialised.
Home Affairs (MHA) approved the establishment of • India joined a dozen other nations to launch the
the NCFL for evidentiary purposes in the CFSL, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity
Hyderabad, in December 2021. (IPEF), a US-led trade initiative meant to counter
• The National Data & Analytics Platform (NDAP) China’s aggressive expansion in the region. Among the
was launched by NITI Aayog for free public use. By 13 countries backing the initiative are Australia,
making data accessible, interoperable, interactive, and Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand,
available on a user-friendly platform, the platform the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand
intends to democratise access to public government and Vietnam, and the members jointly account for
data. 40% of the global GDP.
• Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change,
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the National
Bhupender Yadav has announced that Ramgarh
Health Authority has introduced a revised Ayushman
Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan has been
Bharat Health Account, ABHA mobile application to
notified as Rajasthan’s 4th and the 52nd tiger
reserve of India. It will help to conserve biodiversity manage health records. The ABHA app, formerly
and bring ecotourism and development to the area. known as the NDHM Health Records app, is
The National Tiger Conservation Authority available for download from the Google Play Store
(NTCA) had given in-principle approval to make and has already received over four lakh downloads,
Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining according to the Union Health Ministry. The ABHA
areas as tiger reserves on July 5 last year. app has been updated with a new User Interface and
• Union Cabinet Minister of Electronics & Information new functions that allow users to view their health
Technology, Communications and Railways, Ashwini records at any time and from any location.
Vaishnaw has inaugurated the National Institute of • Union Government of India has launched the Eighth
Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) Edition of Swachh Survekshan – SS-2023 under
Centre Leh, Extension Centre Kargil and IT Enabled
Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0. Secretary,
Incubation Centre for Handicraft and Handloom
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Manoj Joshi
Sector.
launched it at a virtual event in New Delhi. Designed
• The Supreme Court used Article 142 of the
Constitution to grant AG Perarivalan, a convict in the with the theme of ‘Waste to Wealth’ as its driving
assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, philosophy, Swachh Survekshan- 2023 is curated
extraordinary powers to “do complete justice in any towards achieving circularity in waste management.
cause or matter pending before it.” Perarivalan was The survey would give priority to the principle of 3
released free by a bench of justices led by L.N. Rao Rs- Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.
and B.R. Gavai, who took into account his lengthy • The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has urged
incarceration. infrastructure agencies to map their projects with the
• The Union Government has announced the water bodies being constructed under the Amrit
formation of the Cotton Council of India under the Sarovar. Mr Modi stated that this would be a win-win
Chairmanship of renowned veteran cotton man situation because the material needed for the Amrit
Suresh Bhai Kotak. The Council will have Sarovars could be used by the agencies for public
representation from Textiles, Agriculture, Commerce,
works. The Prime Minister presided over the 40th
and Finance Ministries along with Cotton Corporation
edition of PRAGATI, an ICT-based multi-modal
of India and Cotton Research Institute. Mr Goyal also
appealed to the spinning and trading community to platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely
ensure a hassle-free supply of cotton and yarn first to Implementation that brings together the Centre and
the domestic industry. State governments.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated • Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Lieutenant Governor,
India’s biggest drone festival here and interacted Manoj Sinha and Union minister Jitendra Singh
with Kisan drone pilots as well as witnessed open-air inaugurated the north India's first Industrial
drone demonstrations. ‘Bharat Drone Mahotsav Biotech Park constructed at Ghatti near Kathua.
2022’ is set to be a two-day event being held on May The Industrial Biotech Park at Kathua will transform
the economy and enable scientists to tackle the
27 and 28. The prime minister will interact with
challenges of climate change. The enabling
Kisan drone pilots, witness open-air drone
infrastructure will fuel a new wave of innovation and
demonstrations and interact with startups in the
impact various sectors, from health and agriculture to
drone exhibition centre. cosmetics and materials.
• The Inter-State Council has been formed, with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi as Chairman and Chief
Ministers of all States and six Union ministers as
States Current Affairs
members. Ten union ministers will be permanent • Maharashtra and Gujarat celebrated their statehood
invitees to the Inter-State Council. The government day on 1st May 2022. On May 1st, 1960, the bilingual
has also reestablished the Inter-State Council’s state of Bombay was divided into two separate states
standing committee, with Union Home Minister by the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960:
Amit Shah as its chairman. Maharashtra for Marathi speaking people and Gujarat
for Gujarati speaking people. Gujarat was established
• The Central Advisory Board on Archaeology
as the 15th state of the Indian Union.
(CABA), which was formed seven years ago to
• Maharashtra Cabinet approved the ‘Maharashtra
promote ties between the Archaeological Survey of
Gene Bank’, a first-of-its-kind project in India. To
India (ASI) and people working in the field of conserve genetic resources in Maharashtra including
archaeological research, was re-established. The ASI marine diversity, seeds of local crops, and animal
reconstituted the board, with the Culture Minister as diversity. In the next five years, an amount of Rs
chairwoman and members including officials from the 172.39 crores will be spent on these seven focus
Culture Ministry and ASI, MPs, State government areas.
nominations, university representatives, scientists, • Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has inaugurated
and Indus Valley script experts. India’s first ethanol plant in Purnia district, Bihar.
• Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has inaugurated The plant has been set up by Eastern India Biofuels
the country’s first ‘Lavendar festival’ at Jammu’s Private Limited at a cost of Rs 105 crores. Bihar
came up with an ethanol production promotion policy
Bhaderwah where the cultivation of lavender has
in the first half of 2021. It is the country’s first grain-
transformed the economy of the mountainous area.
based ethanol plant.
Bhaderwah in the Doda district is the birthplace of
• Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel has
India’s purple revolution. The minister described launched ‘Mukhyamantri Mitaan Yojana’ (Mitaan
Bhaderwah in the Doda district as the birthplace of stands for a friend), which will be implemented on a
India’s purple revolution. pilot basis in 14 municipal corporations including the
cities like Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon
in Chhattisgarh. Under the Scheme, the residents of
Chhattisgarh can avail around 100 public services at
their doorstep.
• According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker,
Rajasthan became the first state in India to reach 10
GW of cumulative large-scale solar installations.
The state has a total installed power capacity of 32.5
GW, with renewables accounting for 55 percent,
thermal energy for 43 percent, and nuclear energy
accounting for the remaining 2%. Solar is the most
common energy source, accounting for roughly 36
percent of total capacity and 64 percent of
renewables.

• At Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences (DRILS), a • The Haryana State Government launches the ‘e-
multi-industry-supported Flow Chemistry Adhigam’ scheme under which nearly 3 lakh
Technology Hub (FCT Hub) has been launched . students will be receiving tablet computers to aid
While inaugurating the hub, Jayesh Ranjan, Principal their online education. The state government has
Secretary of the Industries and Commerce (I&C) planned to provide the gadget to five lakh students.
and Information Technology (IT), said that this is Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched the
the first of its kind in our country and an enabler for Advance Digital Haryana Initiative of Government
the pharma business in India. with Adaptive Modules (Adigham) scheme at
Maharishi Dayanand University in Rohtak, Haryana.
• Odisha is planning to create India’s only
• In Manipur, the Poumai tribe has declared that
observatory, which will house data on the state’s
Poumai inhabited areas will be a Drug-Free Zone
indigenous population’s health. The ST and SC
supporting the State government’s War on Drug
Development Department and the RMRC, a regional campaign. A huge delegation of the Poumai tribe by
institution of the Indian Council of Medical MLA and leaders of the students union and civil
Research, signed a memorandum of understanding organization met Chief Minister N. Biren Singh today
(MoU) in this regard. at Imphal and conveyed the resolution of the Drug-
• A loan scheme named Jivhala has been launched by Free Zone in Poumai inhabited areas of the State.
the Maharashtra Department of Prisons for the • A three-member Delimitation Commission
inmates who are serving sentences in various jails redrawing the electoral map of Jammu and Kashmir
across Maharashtra. The scheme, implemented by allotted 47 Assembly seats for Kashmir division and
the Department of Prisons and Maharashtra State 43 for Jammu in its final decision submitted barely a
Cooperative Bank, has been started in Pune’s day before its two-year term was to end. After the
Yerawada Central Jail. Bank and prison officials panel, led by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana
believe the credit scheme could be the first of its kind Prakash Desai, approved the final verdict, giving
in India for inmates who are still serving their Jammu six additional seats and Kashmir one more, a
sentences. gazette notification was released. Jammu had 37
Assembly constituencies and Kashmir had 46 before
• Telangana State Government has announced the
the restructure, which increased the overall number
extension of insurance coverage to handloom and
of Assembly seats in the Union Territory to 90.
power loom weavers under the ‘Nethanna Bima’
• In Ayodhya, a significant crossing will be developed
(Weaver’s Insurance) Scheme. The State
and named for legendary vocalist Bharat Ratna late
Government has issued orders to extend insurance Lata Mangeshkar. The Ayodhya administration has
coverage of 5 lakh rupees for weavers under the been instructed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to
Insurance Scheme on par with farmers’ insurance pick a significant crossing in the temple town and
schemes. submit a proposal to the state government in the next
• Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has 15 days to rename it after Lata Mangeshkar.
launched a Vehicle Movement Tracking System • Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh
(VMTS) mobile app to track the vehicles carrying Chouhan launched the second phase of the Ladli
sand and other mining material. The app will be used Laxmi scheme (Ladli Laxmi scheme-2.0). The
at different checkpoints in all the districts of Haryana. scheme is an innovative initiative to encourage girl
• Uttar Pradesh government will provide free wi-fi children to pursue higher education and make them
facilities at more than 58 thousand places in the self-dependent. The scheme is being implemented by
villages of the state. This internet facility will be the government of Madhya Pradesh since 2007 to
available for the people within 50 meters of the enhance the economic and educational status of the
Gram Sachivalaya (village secretariat) building girls.
• In a few parts of Kerala, a new virus known as
which is being built in every Gram Panchayat of the
tomato flu has been detected after the covid-19
state.
pandemic. Almost 80 children in Kollam city of
• The government of Kerala is set to launch an
Kerala have been diagnosed with tomato flu and it is
Android App ‘Shaili’, aimed at diagnosing and spreading rapidly. All the cases that are confirmed
controlling lifestyle diseases among the people in the have been diagnosed in children below 5 years.
state of Kerala. The app has been set up as part of the They have been admitted to the local government
population-based screening project launched by the hospitals. The number of children admitted to the
Health Department under the Nava Kerala Karma private hospitals is not yet been included in the tally it
plan. may be higher than 80 cases.
• Haryana Agriculture Minister, Jai Parkash Dalal • Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann heard the
launched the ‘Chaara – Bijaee Yojana’, a scheme grievances of the people of the state and issued
launched to provide financial assistance of Rs 10,000 redressal directions in ‘Lok Milni’, a first-of-its-kind
per acre (Upto 10 acres) to farmers cultivating and public interaction programme. This interactive
supplying fodder to Gaushalas (Cowsheds). The programme was launched with the aim of providing a
single-window platform to the people of the state for
rationale behind the scheme is to address the State’s
the redressal of the complaints that they have. The
fodder shortage and rising stray cattle. The Subsidy
people of the state who had submitted various
will be directly credited to the farmer’s account under
grievances and complaints with the state government
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). in the previous two months were called to attend this
• Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country programme.
to restore the old pension scheme in order to provide • Minister for energy and urban development Arvind
assured income to retired employees.The state issued Sharma has launched the SAMBHAV (Systemic
Gazette notification to switch back to the Old Pension Administration Mechanism for Bringing
Scheme (OPS) from National Pension Scheme (NPS) Happiness and Value) portal for disposal of public
will be effective from April 1, 2022. grievances and monitoring programmes and schemes
• Rajya Sabha MP and BJP state president Manik Saha of the two departments in Uttar Pradesh. The portal,
is all set to take over as the new Chief Minister of www.sambhav.up.gov.in, will work as a platform for
flagging grievances received from the public to
Tripura. Manik Saha, the BJP State unit president and
officers who have been provided login IDs. The
lone Rajya Sabha MP from Tripura, was elected as
officers will have to feed their response and action
legislature party leader at a meeting held at the Chief
taken report (ATR).
Minister’s official residence. The decision was taken at • The National Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir is
a legislature party meeting following the resignation approaching, the Department of Information and
of CM Biplab Kumar Deb. Public Relations of J&K signed a Memorandum of
• World Bank has approved USD 350 million as Understanding with the National Film Development
financial aid for the Systems Reform Endeavors for Corporation Limited. The MoU was signed by Sh
Transformed Health Achievement in Gujarat Akshay Labroo, Director, Department of
(SRESTHA-G) project. The SRESTHA-G project will Information and Public Relations, J&K, and Sh D.
be worth USD 500 million, with the World Bank Ramakrishnan, General Manager, NFDC, in the
contributing USD 350 million. The project will include presence of Sh Nitishwar Kumar, Principal
Secretary to the Lt Governor.
transforming key health delivery systems in the state.
• Drones being used commercially to deliver great
• The Punjab Cabinet has authorised a Rs 1,500 per
healthcare to Indians in the most rural locations
acre incentive for farmers who grow paddy using the
appears to be a possibility now. In the United States’
direct seeding of rice technology. A total of Rs 450 Redcliffe Labs, a division of Redcliffe Lifetech, has
crore has been set aside to provide incentives to completed its first commercial drone flight in the
farmers who promote the DSR (Direct Seeding of healthcare sector. Between Uttarkashi and
Rice) technique, which uses less water and is more Dehradun, the business just launched a commercial
cost-effective. The incentive scheme was approved by drone corridor.
the Cabinet in a meeting headed by chief minister • During the present annual meeting of the World
Bhagwant Mann. Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, the
• The Kerala government will launch a state-owned Maharashtra government signed a memorandum of
over-the-top (OTT) platform on November 1, understanding (MoU) worth over 30,000 crore.
offering film lovers an array of movies, short films and Pharmaceuticals, medical devices, information
technology, data centres, textiles, food processing,
documentaries of their choice. Kerala will become the
packaging, paper and pulp, and steel were among the
first state in India to have a state-owned OTT
23 MoUs inked for investment. According to state
platform. Kerala Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji industries minister Subhash Desai, the investment
Cheriyan revealed the name of the OTT platform as will result in the creation of 66,000 employment in
CSPACE. the state.
• In Manipur, the 4th Edition of State-Level Shirui Schemes/Committees
Lily Festival 2022 has begun. This annual festival is
organised by the Department of Tourism, Government • The Delhi cabinet has approved the “Delhi Startup
of Manipur with an aim to create and raise awareness
Policy” with an aim to create an ecosystem for people
of the Shirui Lily flower which is also the State
Flower of Manipur. The four-day-long festival has to launch startups and provide them with fiscal and
inaugurated by the Governor of Manipur La. Ganesan non-fiscal incentives, collateral-free loans, and free
and the Chief Minister N. Biren Singh tomorrow at consultancy from experts, lawyers, and CA. The 20
Shirui Village Ground in Ukhrul district. members task force will be set up to oversee the
• The Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) startup policy. This committee will be headed by
of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was Delhi’s Finance Minister. To encourage, facilitate, and
launched in Odisha by Chief Minister Naveen support 15,000 startups by 2030.
Patnaik, in collaboration with the Abhinav Bindra
• Delhi govt will provide free sewer connections under
Foundation Trust (ABFT). The OVEP is a practical
set of resources aimed at introducing young people to the “Mukhyamantri Muft Sewer Connection
the Olympic values of excellence, respect and Yojana”. 25,000 households located in East Delhi will
friendship. It will be a values-based curriculum, to be be provided with free sewer connections under the
implemented initially in 90 schools in Rourkela and ‘Mukhyamantri Muft Sewer Connection Yojana.’ The
Bhubaneswar, catering to about 32,000 children. free sewer connections will be provided by the Delhi
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has recently government in 12 colonies in Mustafabad and
approved new guidelines for the implementation of Karawal Nagar.
‘Indira Gandhi Shahari Rozgar Yojana’. Under this
• Tamil Nadu chief minister, MK Stalin has announced
scheme, at least 100 days of employment per year
will be provided to the people residing in the that all government primary school students from 1st
urban areas. It is designed on lines of the Mahatma to 5th standards will be provided nutritious breakfast
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act on all working days. Tamil Nadu is set to become
(MGNREGA). the first state to offer breakfast along with midday
• Uttarakhand government has announced the meals. This includes the launch of integrated urban
formation of a 5-member drafting committee to health centres within the Corporation and Municipal
implement the much-debated Uniform Civil Code limits.
(UCC) in the state. The retired Supreme Court judge
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
Ranjana Desai, who currently heads the Delimitation
Commission of India is the Head of the committee. has constituted a committee for advising on
Other members of the committee are: Delhi High Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
Court judge Pramod Kohli, ex-state chief secretaries related matters in the securities market. The
Shatrughan Singh, Manu Gaud and Surekha committee will be chaired by Navneet Munot, the
Dangwal. The UCC is referred to a common set of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HDFC Mutual Fund.
laws governing personal matters such as marriage, • The AIM-PRIME Playbook was launched at the Dr.
divorce, adoption, inheritance and succession for Ambedkar International Center in New Delhi. The
all citizens, irrespective of religion.
AIM-PRIME programme, a national project of the Atal
• A survey by the Geological Survey of India has
stated that a gold reserve of around 222.88 million Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, is being executed by
tonnes including 27.6 tonnes of mineral-rich ore are Venture Center, Pune, with support from the Bill and
present in the Jamui district of Bihar. The Nitish Melinda Gates Foundation and the Office of
Kumar government in Bihar has now decided to give Principal Scientific Advisor. Following the launch, the
permission for the exploration of what is being called dignitaries attended a startup display where they
as India’s largest gold reserve. engaged with selected cohort start-ups and
• Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has incubators.
launched a new health and wellness app AAYU to
address and help heal chronic diseases and lifestyle • The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri
disorders through yoga. Swami Vivekananda Yoga Narendra Modi, has extended the Pradhan Mantri
Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA) collaborated Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) scheme for
to develop the App with RESET TECH, an AI-driven another six months, till September 2022, in order to
integrated health-tech platform that aims to deal with show care and compassion towards the
chronic diseases and lifestyle conditions through yoga underprivileged and vulnerable parts of society
and meditation. (Phase VI).
• In Chennai, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Agreement/Memorandum of
Ajay Kumar Mishra announced the New Repatriate
Welfare Scheme, a Repco Bank deposit scheme, a Understanding (MoU)
Repco Micro Finance Ltd. (RFML) micro finance
lending scheme, and an application. E. Santhanam, • Qualcomm India Private Limited, a subsidiary of
Chairman of Repco Bank, Managing Director R.S. Qualcomm Inc., proposes to launch and run the
Isabella, and the Board of Directors were in Qualcomm Semiconductor Mentorship Program
attendance.
2022 for selected semiconductor startups in India,
• The Department of Telecommunications has
launched the GatiShakti Sanchar portal, which with the goal of providing mentorship, technical
would streamline the application and approval training, and industry outreach. Qualcomm India
procedure for right of way (RoW) across the country. has established a partnership with the C-DAC, an
According to Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, autonomous scientific society within the Ministry of
the platform would help achieve the goal of Ease of Electronics and Information Technology of the
doing business for telecoms infrastructure projects, Government of India, which will serve as an
which is in line with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime
outreach partner for the programme and help
Minister.
• The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime participating entrepreneurs gain exposure.
Minister (EAC-PM) has recommended that the • The Ministry of Railways and the Centre for
government implement a guaranteed employment Development of Telematics (C-DOT) signed a
programme for the unemployed in cities and memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a
implement a universal basic income (UBI) scheme strong collaborative working partnership for
to eliminate income gaps. Citing the country’s uneven coordination and resource sharing in the provision of
income distribution, the report also advocated raising
telecommunication facilities in the delivery and
the minimum wage and increasing government
implementation of C-Telecom DOT’s Solutions and
investment on the social sector to make vulnerable
groups more resilient to shocks and prevent them services in railways.
from falling into poverty. • Union Minister for Power, New and Renewable
• Plumbex India Exhibition ceremony of was started by Energy, R.K Singh and German Minister for Economic
Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Affairs and Climate Change Dr Robert Habeck
Sh. Hardeep Singh Puri. He also announced the virtually signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on an
Bharat Tap project, a campaign to produce low-flow
Indo-German Hydrogen Task Force. India has
fixtures and sanitaryware to help India enter a new
emerged as a global leader in the energy transition,
era of water conservation and sustainable
development. Plumbex India is a three-day event with the world’s highest pace of expansion in
that will take place in the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi renewable energy capacity.
and is the country’s largest solo exhibition on • Air Works, an Indian maintenance, repair, and
plumbing, water, and sanitation products. overhaul (MRO) company, is partnering with the
• Union Health Secretary, Rajesh Bhushan has been Boeing Company to conduct heavy maintenance
appointed as the chairperson of the Committee B at checks on three Indian Navy P-8I long-range
the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA).
maritime patrol aircraft at Air Works, Hosur,
Committee B primarily discusses administrative and
financial matters of the World Health Organization demonstrating the success of the government’s
(WHO). Each year, the World Health Assembly has a Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) campaign.
long and complex list of health challenges and • Prasar Bharati, India’s national broadcaster, has
responses to review and the Assembly functions signed an MoU with Madagascar’s official ORTM
through two committees — A and B. (Office de la Radio et de la Television) for
• In a bid to protect the domestic paper industry, the broadcasting cooperation and collaboration. Indian
commerce and industry ministry has decided to make
Ambassador Abhay Kumar and ORTM Director
registration compulsory for importing major paper
General Jean Yves signed a Memorandum of
products such as newsprint, handmade paper,
envelopes, among others. All imports arriving on or Understanding. The MoU intends to exchange
after October 1 will be governed by the Paper Import programmes, investigate co-production of
Monitoring policy. programmes, and exchange persons.

• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare • RBL Bank, Amazon Pay and Amazon Web Services
(MoA&FW), the Government of India, and the United (AWS) have announced a collaboration to offer UPI
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have payments. The Bank has partnered with Amazon Pay
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to offer peer-to-peer and peer-to-merchant
under which UNDP will provide technical assistance transactions. With this integration Amazon Pay will
to the Centre’s ambitious Pradhan Mantri Fasal issue NPCI’s allocated UPI ID with the handle @rapl,
Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Kisan Credit Card – to RBL Bank.
Modified Interest Subvention Scheme. • A high-level group led by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
• Ministry of Skill Development and visited Jordan in a first-of-its-kind endeavor with the
Entrepreneurship (MSDE) recently partnered with goal of securing fertilizers and raw materials for the
the Indian School of Business (ISB) to conduct short and long term. The visit took place against the
capacity-building programs for MSDE officials. A total backdrop of the current global fertilizer crisis. Dr.
of 120 officers (30 per batch) across divisions under Mandaviya noted that the Jordan visit was historic in
MSDE would be undergoing a comprehensive five- terms of assuring India’s supply of phosphoric and
day-long residential training across ISB Hyderabad potassium fertilizers. Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya called
and Mohali campuses. Jordan as India’s chosen fertilizer partner during the
• Eight MoUs were signed at the first Incredible India meetings.
International Cruise Conference in Mumbai. • An MoU was signed between the Uttarakhand
Strategies for developing India as a cruise hub, policy government and Bharat Petroleum Corporation
initiatives and port infrastructure, the potential of Limited (BPCL) in the presence of Uttarakhand Chief
river cruise tourism, and the role of technology in the Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for the promotion of
post-pandemic world were some of the key issues the renewable energy industry and other projects in
deliberated at the event. the state. The Uttarakhand government and Bharat
• NSE Academy Ltd (NAL), a wholly-owned subsidiary Petroleum Corporation Limited inked a memorandum
of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) of understanding (MoU) for the development of new
has signed an agreement with HDFC Asset and renewable energy projects in the state.
Management Company Ltd (HDFC AMC) to launch a
first-of-its-kind programme, ‘Invest-verse: An Appointments/Resignations
Introduction to the World of Investing’. The
programme will be offered to college students across (National & International)
India. • Vinay Mohan Kwatra took charge as India’s new
• Government eMarketplace [GeM], CSC e- Foreign Secretary. A 1988-batch Indian Foreign
Governance Services India Ltd. (CSC-SPV), and the Service (IFS) officer, Mr Kwatra succeeded Harsh
Department of Posts inked a Memorandum of Vardhan Shringla who retired from service. Mr
Understanding (MoU) for the advocacy, outreach, Kwatra was serving as India’s envoy to Nepal before
mobilization, and capacity-building of last-mile Govt assuming the charge of the Foreign Secretary.
buyers, sellers and service providers in public • The Indian Army’s Director General of Military
procurement. Operations, Lieutenant General Baggavalli
• Centre for Development of Telematics(C-DOT), the Somashekar Raju has been appointed as the Vice
premier R&D centre of the Department of Chief of the Army Staff from May 1.
Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, • Andy Jassy will officially become the CEO of Amazon
Government of India and Vodafone Idea Limited, one on July 5th, the company announced at a shareholder
of the major telecom operators of India signed a meeting. Amazon announced that Jassy, who is the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the current CEO of Amazon Web Services (AWS), would
occasion of “World Telecommunication and replace Jeff Bezos as CEO of the entire company in
Information Society Day (May 17)”. February.
• Ministry of Heavy Industries has signed an MoU with • JioSaavn has named Sahas Malhotra, a former
National Research Development Corporation for Amazon Music director and entertainment
undertaking various activities for smooth industry expert, as its new CEO. Previously, Sahas
implementation of the Scheme for enhancement of Malhotra worked for Sony Music India and Tips
competitiveness in the Indian capital goods sector. Industries. Sahas Malhotra was the business leader
The vision of this MoU is to make India a global hub at Tips Music and the marketing director for Tips
for the manufacturing of capital goods. Film Production at Tips Industries.
• Sangeeta Singh, a 1986 batch Indian Revenue Service • Sudarshan Venu has been appointed as the new
(IRS) officer has been given additional charge of Managing Director of the TVS Motor Company. He
Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), is the son of Venu Srinivasan, who has now become
after incumbent JB Mohapatra retired as the head of the Chairman Emeritus. Prior to this, Sudarshan was
the direct taxes administration body on April 30. the Joint Managing Director of the company. TVS has
also announced the appointment of Prof. Sir Ralf
Currently, the board has four members including
Speth as the Chairman of the company.
Sangeeta Singh.
• The Union government of India has notified the
• Former petroleum secretary Tarun Kapoor has been appointment of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, the chief
appointed as an advisor to Prime Minister justice of Gauhati High Court, and Justice Jamshed
Narendra Modi, according to a government order Burjor Pardiwala, a judge of the Gujarat High Court,
issued. Kapoor, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the as judges of the Supreme Court. The Collegium headed
Himachal Pradesh cadre, superannuated as the by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana had
secretary of the ministry of petroleum and natural gas recommended their names for appointment on May 5.
on November 30, 2021. • Pushp Kumar Joshi, who recently took over as the
• Indian-Origin, Nand Mulchandani has been interim chairman and managing director of
appointed as the first-ever Chief Technology Officer Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), has
been appointed to the Board of the nation’s third-
(CTO) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the
largest oil refining and fuel marketing company. Joshi
first line of defence for the United States. Prior to
is also holding the additional charge of Director-
this, he served as the CTO and acting director of the Marketing of HPCL. Prior to this Dr Joshi was
Joint Artificial Intelligence Centre under the US Director-HR of the Corporation from August 01, 2012.
Department of Defence. He served as the CEO of • Alkesh Kumar Sharma, a senior IAS officer, has been
multiple successful startups like Oblix (acquired by named Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and
Oracle), Determina, OpenDNS, and ScaleXtreme. Information Technology (MeitY). He was previously
• IBM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Arvind the Cabinet Secretariat’s secretary (Coordination).
Krishna has been elected to the Board of Directors Alkesh Kumar Sharma previously served as Kerala’s
of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He will additional chief secretary for industries from May
fill the vacancy in the office for the remaining portion 2020 to April 2021. Sharma served as the Managing
of a three-year term ending December 31, 2023. Director of Kochi Metro Rail and the CEO of the
Cochin Smart City Mission from September 2019 until
• InterGlobe Aviation announced that
April 2021.
Venkataramani Sumantran has been named • MACN is made up of over 165 member companies
chairperson of the IndiGo board. Sumantran is a that combined represent 50% of global tonnage.
corporate leader, technocrat, and academician with a Captain Rajesh Unni, Founder and CEO of Synergy
37-year career spanning the United States, Europe, Group, one of the world’s leading ship managers and
and Asia. Sumantran is the managing director and one of India’s major marine firms, says that while the
chairperson of Celeris Technologies, a strategic shipping sector is becoming more open, more can and
advising firm. At IndiGo, he will succeed Meleveetil should be done to combat corruption. The shipping
Damodaran. industry has to pull out all the stops against
corruption after being elected Vice-Chair of the
Denmark-based Maritime Anti-Corruption
Network (MACN).
• Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar was appointed
as the next chief election commissioner. He will
assume charge on May 15 after incumbent Sushil
Chandra demits office on May 14, a notification
issued by the Law Ministry.
• Actress Deepika Padukone has become the first-ever
Indian brand ambassador of luxury brand Louis
Vuitton. The news was announced by the French
brand. The brand unveiled the role of a 36-year-old
Bollywood actress during their new handbag
campaign. It saw Padukone joining in actors Emma
Stone and Zhou Dongyu for promotional shots.
• Chairman of Bajaj Finserv Limited, Sanjiv Bajaj has • The chief of Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for
assumed the office of Confederation of Indian Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Industry (CII) President for the year 2022-23 after Dr Kamal Bawa has been elected to the US National
replacing the CEO of Tata Steel, TV Narendran. The Academy of Sciences. The election is the
newly constituted National Council of Confederation reaffirmation of our important work on the ecology,
of Indian Industry (CII) at a meeting elected its new conservation, and management of tropical forests that
office-bearers for the year 2022-23. are declining all over the world but are critical to
• REC Limited, (formerly Rural Electrification humanity’s well-being. He is also an elected fellow of
Corporation Limited) a Navratna company under the Royal Society (London) and the American
the administrative control of the Ministry of Power, Philosophical Society.
announced it has named Ravinder Singh Dhillon as • Leading stock exchange BSE Limited announced that
Chairman and Managing Director of the company, it has approved the appointment of SS Mundra,
with effect from May 10, 2022. He is serving as the Public Interest Director as the Chairman of the board
CMD of Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC). of directors of the company. Mundra will replace
• Senior IAS officer, Nidhi Chibber has been appointed Justice Vikramajit Sen who is the current chairman.
as the chairperson of the Central Board of Mundra was appointed as Public Interest Director at
Secondary Education (CBSE) in a top-level BSE in January 2018. He retired as Deputy Governor
bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre. of the Reserve Bank of India on 30th July 2017.
• Vivek Kumar Dewangen, a Manipur cadre 1993 • Bharti Airtel board has reappointed Gopal Vittal as
batch IAS officer, has been appointed Chairman and Managing Director & CEO for a further period of five
Managing Director of REC Ltd., Ministry of Power. In years ending on January 31, 2028. The reappointment
a top-level bureaucratic upheaval, the Centre has
came on a day the telco posted a consolidated net
nominated senior IAS officer Nidhi Chibber as the
profit at Rs 2,007.8 crore in the March quarter, up
chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary
141% sequentially and 164% on the year. Analysts
Education (CBSE).
had an estimated net profit of around Rs 1,970 crore.
• Rajiv Ranjan and Sitikantha Pattanaik have been
This was Airtel’s sixth successive quarter in the black
named executive directors by the Reserve Bank of
after six straight losses earlier.
India (RBI). Rajiv Ranjan was Adviser-in-Charge of
• The Board of Directors of InterGlobe Aviation
the Monetary Policy Department and Secretary to the
Limited (Indigo) appointed Pieter Elbers as Chief
Monetary Policy Committee before being appointed to
Executive Officer. He will join IndiGo on or before 1
executive director. Pattanaik was an adviser at the
Oct 2022. He succeeds Ronojoy Dutta who has
Department of Economic and Policy Research
before being appointed to ED. decided to retire on 30 September 2022. Elbers has
• S.N. Subrahmanyan, the current deputy managing served as the President and CEO of KLM Royal Dutch
director and president of Larsen and Toubro Ltd since 2014 and is also a member of the Executive
(L&T), has been named managing director and chief Committee of the Air France-KLM Group.
executive officer, marking the first change of guard at • Vijay Shekhar Sharma has been re-appointed as the
the top of India’s largest engineering and construction Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive
corporation in 18 years. S.N. Subramanyam will Officer (CEO) of Paytm for another 5 years term. His
replace A.M. Naik as the CEO of the company. tenure will be from December 19, 2022, to December
• Sunil Arora, the former chief election commissioner, 18, 2027. One 97 Communications which is listed
has been named as the new non-executive chairman under the Paytm brand, also announced the
of Gram Unnati’s board. Arora is a retired civil appointment of Madhur Deora as Additional Director
servant (IAS) with over 36 years of experience. He has of the company for a tenure of 5 years from May 20,
worked as the secretary of two important ministries, 2022, to May 19, 2027.
the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the • IT major Infosys announced that its Board of
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Directors has reappointed Salil S. Parekh as Chief
• Eicher Motors has appointed B Govindarajan as the Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO &
Chief Executive Officer of Royal Enfield. He will MD) of the Company effective from July 1, 2022, for a
also serve as the Wholetime Director of the Board period of five years till March 31, 2027, subject to the
of Eicher Motors Limited. Since 2021 August, approval of shareholders. This is based on the
Govindarajan had been serving the company as the recommendations of the Nomination and
executive director, prior to which he was associated Remuneration Committee (NRC) and is subject to
as the chief operating officer since 2013. the approval of shareholders.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has got IFS Vivek Ranks and Reports
Kumar as his new Private Secretary (PS). The Cabinet
Appointments Committee accepted Vivek Kumar’s • The Times Higher Education (THE) has released the
nomination as PM Modi’s press secretary. Vivek 2022 edition of its Impact Rankings. 8 Universities
Kumar is the director of the Prime Minister’s Office from India are placed in the top 300 universities in
and is a 2004 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) the world. The ranking is topped by Western Sydney
officer (PMO). University (Australia); followed by Arizona State
University (The US), Western University (Canada).
• Vinai Kumar Saxena will be the new lieutenant India is the joint fourth most-represented nation
governor of Delhi, President Ram Nath Kovind’s across the rankings, with 64 universities featuring in
office announced. The President of India has been total (the same number as Turkey). In South Asia,
pleased to appoint Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena to be the India breaks through into the world’s top 50, with
Lt. Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham claiming 41st place in
with effect from the date he assumes charge of his the overall table. Lovely Professional University
duties. The President of India has accepted the makes the top 100 at joint 74th place in the overall
resignation of Anil Baijal as Lt. Governor National table. Calcutta University has been ranked first
Capital Territory of Delhi. among all the central and state-aided public
universities in the country by Times Higher Education
• JSW group has appointed Gaurav Sachdeva as the (THE) Impact Rankings 2022.
CEO of JSW One Platforms, an e-commerce venture • According to the data released by crypto analytics
of the group. He has transitioned from his role at JSW firm Chainalysis, investors around the world realized
Ventures where he led venture capital investments total Crypto gains of $162.7 billion in 2021,
for the fund. In his role as the CEO of JSW One compared to $32.5 billion in 2020. This is 2nd
Platforms, Sachdeva will aim to create a nimble consecutive data by Chainalysis. Ethereum is the most
organization backed by the credibility and scale of noteworthy gainer among the crypto assets. The
JSW Group that will ease buying and selling of steel report highlights that Ethereum edged out Bitcoin in
and other products for manufacturing and total realized gains globally at $76.3 billion to $74.7
billion. However, India ranked lowly at 21st with
construction MSMEs in the country.
realized gains of around $1.85 billion while it is
• World Health Organization has re-appointed topped by the United States with an estimated
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as Director- realized Crypto gain of $49.95 billion.
General of WHO for the second term with effect from • The National Statistical Office (NSO) data has
16th August 2022. His re-election was confirmed revealed that the unemployment rate for people
during the 75th World Health Assembly in Geneva. He above 15 years in urban areas slipped from 10.3% to
was the sole candidate. Dr Tedros was first elected in 8.7% between October and December 2021.
2017. Before joining the WHO, Dr Tedros was served Joblessness or unemployment rate (UR) is defined as
as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as Minister of the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour
Health in Ethiopia. force. The work Population Ratio in urban areas for
persons of age 15 years and above stood at 43.2% in
• An Indian Government Officer, Anwar Hussain Shaik October-December 2021, up from 42.4% in the
has been made the chair of the World Trade same period a year ago. It was 42.3% in July-
Organisation’s Committee on Technical Barriers September 2021.
on Trade. Mr. Shaik will take this role from Elisa
Maria Olmeda de Alejandro from Mexico. WTO is a
164-member multilateral body which formulates
rules for global exports and imports and adjudicates
disputes between countries on trade-related issues.
India is a member since 1995.
• President Ram Nath Kovind has given justice Pradip
Kumar Mohanty the additional charge of Lokpal
chairperson after justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose
completed his term as the Lokpal chief. At present,
there are six members in the Lokpal. President Ram
Nath Kovind had on March 23, 2019, administered the
oath of office to justice Ghose as the Lokpal
chairperson.

• According to the report released by Organisation • The National Achievement Survey (NAS) report for
Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles the 2021 edition has been released. NAS2021: One of
(OICA), India has surpassed Germany to become 4th the largest surveys in the world, the National
largest vehicle market in the world. The 1st was
Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 was conducted on
occupied by China, followed by the US and Japan.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, India sold 3,759,398 12.11.2021 across the country, to identify the learning
vehicles in 2021 as compared to 2,973,319 vehicles in gaps & to take remedial measures. The NAS 2021
Germany. This is almost 26 per cent of growth and the report cards for the national, state and district levels
only country to register double-digit growth among have been made available at the official website
the top 5 countries. “nas.gov.in.” NAS 2021 conducted on November 12
• Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd
last year assessed over 34 lakh students in 1.18
climbed two spots to No. 53 on Forbes’ Global 2000
list of public companies worldwide 2022. Reliance is lakh schools at 720 districts across 36 states and
the top-ranked Indian firm on the list, followed by Union Territories.
State Bank of India at No. 105, HDFC Bank at No. • The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) ranked India
153 and ICICI Bank at No. 204. Berkshire Hathaway 54th position (down from 46th in 2019) with a score
took the No. 1 spot for the first time since Forbes of 4.1 in its Travel and Tourism Development
started publishing the Global 2000 in 2003,
Index 2021, but still, India remains the top performer
dethroning the Industrial and Commercial Bank of
China, which dropped to No. 2 after nine consecutive in South Asia. Japan has topped (1) the global chart
years at the top of the list. Saudi Arabian Oil and the bottom position (117) is occupied by the
Company (Saudi Aramco) took the 3 Spot. country Chad.
• According to the report released by Organisation • Kolkata is the first metro city in the country to
Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles prepare a detailed register of biodiversity. Kolkata
(OICA), India has surpassed Germany to become 4th
Municipal Corporation released the People’s
largest vehicle market in the world. The 1st was
occupied by China, followed by the US and Japan. Biodiversity Register (PBR), a document with
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, India sold 3,759,398 details about the floral and faunal varieties in the city
vehicles in 2021 as compared to 2,973,319 vehicles in as well as its land use and human activities. The
Germany. This is almost 26 per cent of growth and the document is prepared by the biodiversity
only country to register double-digit growth among management committee (BMC) of the civic body
the top 5 countries. under the supervision of the state biodiversity board
• Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council
and with help from NGOs. Chandigarh and Indore
Chairman Dr. Bibek debroy, launched the State of
Inequality in India Report (EAC-PM). The Institute for are other important cities which have prepared the
Competitiveness authored the research, which document.
provides a comprehensive examination of the level • According to the Global Food Policy Report 2022
and type of inequality in India. The study combines published by the International Food Policy
data on inequality in the health, education, Research Institute (IFPRI), India’s food production
household characteristics, and labour market
could drop 16% and the number of those at risk for
sectors. Inequities in these areas, according to the
research, render the population more vulnerable and hunger could increase 23% by 2030 due to climate
lead to multidimensional poverty. change. The number of Indians at risk from hunger in
• World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft 2030 is expected to be 73.9 million in 2030.
(WDMMA) has released the World Air Powers • Forbes magazine has released the 7th edition of the
Ranking of 2022. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List 2022, featuring 10
been placed at the third position on the World Air
categories each honouring 30 individuals under the
Power Index in terms of the total fighting strength of
the various air services of different nations of the age of 30. The list was edited by Rana Wehbe
world. This report has placed the Indian Air Force Watson. The honourees on the list represent 22
(IAF) above the Chinese Aviation based armed countries and territories across the Asia-Pacific
forces (PLAAF), Japan Air Self-Preservation Power region. India tops the list in terms of the number of
(JASDF), Israeli Aviation based armed forces, and entries with 61, followed by Singapore (34), Japan
French Air and Space Power. The report says that (33), Australia (32), Indonesia (30) and China
the Indian Air Force (IAF) currently counts 1,645 total
units in its active aircraft inventory. (28).

Sports Current Affairs • Olympian discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur has been
provisionally suspended by Athletics Integrity Unit
• In Asia Badminton Championships, India’s P.V. (AIU) for testing positive for a banned substance.
Sindhu won her second Asian bronze medal after a Kamalpreet, who was tested on March 29, was
heartbreaking three-game loss to top-seed and suspended for the presence/use of the prohibited
defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in substance stanozolol in her sample, a breach of the
the semifinal in Manila. She had won her first bronze World Athletics anti-doping rules. Kaur had made it
in the Asia Badminton Championships 2014 to the Tokyo Olympics final, finishing sixth with a
Gimcheon edition. throw of 63.7m.
• Kerala beat West Bengal 5-4 in the penalty shootout • Shooter Dhanush Srikanth has won gold and
to win the 75th Santosh Trophy 2022 at the Manjeri
Shourya Saini has won the bronze in the men’s 10m
Stadium in Malappuram, Kerala. The teams were level
air rifle competition in the 24th Deaflympics at
1-1 after extra time in a pulsating encounter in which
Caxias do Sul, Brazil.
plenty of chances were created at both ends with the
finishing being astray. • The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
• Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has has banned journalist Boria Majumdar for two years
announced that a stadium will be built in Olympic after an internal inquiry found him guilty of an
gold-medallist Neeraj Chopra’s native village in attempt to “threaten and intimidate” wicketkeeper
Panipat. A stadium would be built in Neeraj Chopra’s Wriddhiman Saha.
village for Rs 10 crore. Last year, Chopra became the • The Asian Games 2022, due to be held in Hangzhou,
first Indian to win a gold medal in the Olympic track China in September, has been postponed to 2023
and field. due to rising COVID-19 cases in the country, the
• Real Madrid clinched a record-extending 35th Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced. The OCA
Spanish league title after its reserve squad also announced that the third edition of the Asian
comfortably defeated Espanyol 4-0. Rodrygo scored Youth Games, scheduled to be held in Shantou in
twice and Marco Asensio and substitute Karim December, have been cancelled. The World University
Benzema added a goal each to give Madrid its second Games 2021, to be held from June 26 to July 27 in
league title in three seasons, and third in six years. Chengdu this year, have also been pushed to 2023.
• JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) with 20 gold, 7
• Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh has emerged as
silver and 5 bronze medals has won the 2nd edition of
champion in the 1st Chessable Sunway Formentera
the Khelo India University Games 2021. Lovely
Open 2022 chess tournament in Punta Prima. It
Professional University (LPU) with 17 golds has
placed second and Punjab University placed third was a hat-trick of titles for him after he had
with 15 gold medals. Siva Sridhar has emerged as the previously won the La Roda tournament and the
star swimmer by winning 11 gold. The closing Menorca Open in recent weeks.
ceremony of KIUG was held at Sri Kanteerava Outdoor • F1 world champion Max Verstappen has won the
Stadium, Bengaluru. Veera was the mascot of KIUG inaugural Miami Grand Prix for Red Bull after
2021. defeating the Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc. Leclerc
• Ronnie O’Sullivan (England) has won the 2022 (Ferrari) finished second and Spanish teammate
World Snooker Championship by defeating Judd Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) placed third in the Miami
Trump (England) against 18-13 in the finals, which Grand Prix 2022. The victory cut Leclerc’s lead over
were held from April 16 to May 2, 2022 at the Verstappen to 19 points in the championship, while
Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The the Monegasque’s Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz
tournament was organised by the World Snooker completed the podium.
Tour and sponsored by sports betting company • Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) has clinched the men’s
Betfred. The Total prize money is 2,395,000 Euros
singles Madrid Open title 2022 after beating the
and the Winner gets a share of 500,000 Euros.
defending champion Alexander Zverev (Germany).
• Harshada Sharad Garud made history by being the
Alcaraz has also defeated Rafael Nadal and Novak
first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the IWF
Junior World Championships in Heraklion, Greece. Djokovic (world No.1) to reach the final. It is his
She won the 45-kilogram weight category with a second Masters 1000 crown after Miami 2022 and his
total of 153 kilograms lifted, including 70 fourth title of the year. Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) has
kilograms in Snatch and 83 kilograms in Clean and clinched the women’s singles title to become the first
Jerk. African player to win a WTA 1000 event.
• Abhinav Deshwal has won the second gold medal for • Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul of the Lucknow
India in shooting at the ongoing 24th Deaflympics in Super Giants put up the best first-wicket stand in the
Caxias do Sul, Brazil. He was tied with silver winning Indian Premier League’s history. This is the first time
Ukrainian Oleksii Lazebnyk before winning gold in in the IPL where a team batted first and finished 20
a shoot-off. India has four medals in the shooting overs with an unbroken opening partnership.
competition at the 24th Deaflympics. Quinton de Kock blasted an unbeaten 140 off 70
• India’s Avinash Sable broke a 30-year-old record of balls against Kolkata Knight Riders, while KL Rahul
Bahadur Prasad in 5000m, setting a new national slammed 68 not out to create a new IPL record with
record with a timing of 13:25.65 at the Sound their 210-run stand in 20 overs.
Running Track meet in San Juan Capistrano, USA. The • Nikhat Zareen gave a dazzling performance to beat
27-year-old from Maharashtra broke the old record of Thai Olympian Jutamas Jitpong 5-0 and become the
13:29.70 set by Bahadur Prasad in 1992. fifth Indian woman to win a World title at the
• Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has launched Women’s World Championships, Istanbul. Nikhat
the mascot ‘Dhakad’ along with the official logo and thus becomes only the fifth Indian women’s boxer
official jersey of the Fourth Khelo India Youth after Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL and Lekha
Games at Panchkula and lauded the effort of Haryana KC to win a gold at the World Championships. The 25-
to host the games. The competition is being organized year-old Zareen is a former junior youth world
by the Sports Authority of India and the state champion.
government of Haryana. In this edition of the Khelo • German club Eintracht Frankfurt has won their first
India Youth Games, over 8,500 athletes will be European trophy in 42 years after defeating the
participating. Rangers by 5-4 on penalties in Seville, Spain.
• The 12th edition of the IBA Women’s World • Odisha women’s team has won its first-ever gold in
Boxing Championships was kick-started in Istanbul, Senior Nationals as they defeat Karnataka 2-0 in the
Turkey. In this event, more than 400 boxers from a final of the 12th Hockey India Senior Women’s
record 93 countries are set to take part in this year’s
National Championship.
event, which also marks the 20th anniversary of the
• Indian GM Praggnanandhaa posted his second win
prestigious event.
over world champion Magnus Carlsen in 3 months
• Indian archers wrapped up a highly successful Asia
when he stunned the Norwegian at the Chessable
Cup 2022 Stage-2 campaign in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
Masters online rapid chess tournament.
with a total of 14 medals – eight golds, four silvers
• Formula One world champion, Max Verstappen won
and two bronze.
the Spanish Grand Prix in a Red Bull to take over at
• Indian pistol pairs Esha Singh and Saurabh
the top from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who retired
Chaudhary clinched the mixed team pistol gold at the
with an engine failure while leading at Circuit de
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)
Barcelona-Catalunya.
Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany. Esha and
• Manchester City has won 2021/22 Premier League
Saurabh came through after topping a 38-field
qualification round of 60 shots with scores of 578 champions their fourth title success. Manchester
and 575 respectively. City won over Aston Villa in the final game of the
• Inter Milan defeated Juventus 4-2 after extra time in season. In Manchester City’s 38 league matches this
the Italian Cup final. Ivan Perisic scored twice in season, they have won 29, drawn six, and lost three,
extra time after Hakan Çalhanoglu had converted a scoring 99 goals in the process.
controversial late penalty. • Hockey team of Haryana won the Hockey India sub-
• After a thrilling final at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, junior women’s national championship 2022 in
Thailand, Korea stunned defending champions China Imphal, defeating Hockey team of Jharkhand 2-0 in
to capture their second Uber Cup title. Korea fought the final. Uttar Pradesh Hockey team defeated
back from behind twice to deny China a record- Madhya Pradesh Hockey team 3-0 to finish on the
extending 16th title in the famous team tournament third place in the Hockey India sub-junior women’s
in a tie that lasted close to 90 minutes apiece. national championship 2022 in Imphal.

• Punjab Kings opening batter Shikhar Dhawan has • The Red Bull racing driver Sergio Pérez (Mexican)
become the first player to hit 700 fours in the history has won the Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix (GP) De
of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhawan Monaco 2022 with 25 points, held at Circuit de
reached this feat during the last league stage match of Monaco, Monaco, Europe. The event took place
IPL 2022, between PBKS and Sunrisers Hyderabad, between May 27 to May 29 2022.
here at the Wankhede Stadium. The batter has now a
total of 701 IPL fours to his name. He is followed by
David Warner and Virat Kohli, with 577 and 576 Summits And Conferences
fours, respectively. PBKS ended their IPL 2022
campaign with a total of 14 points while SRH finished • The Semicon India Conference-2022 will be
with 12 points. inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The Supreme Court today appointed a three-member Bengaluru will host this three-day conference.
Committee of Administrators (CoA) to oversee the According to a Ministry of Electronics and
affairs of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Information Technology (MeitY) statement, the
and the adoption of its constitution in accordance three-day conference is being held to advance Prime
with the National Sports Code and model guidelines, Minister Narendra Modi’s objective of making India
led by former apex court judge AR Dave. a leader in electronics manufacturing,
• Narinder Batra has resigned from his position as
semiconductor design, production, and
president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
innovation.
Mr Batra also indicated that he will not run for
president of the IOA again. He is also the International • Union Minister for MSME Narayan Rane and Minister
Hockey Federation’s president (FIH). of State for MSME Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma
• International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) along with other State Ministers and senior officials
Junior World Cup 2022 was held at Suhl in inaugurated the ‘Enterprise India National Coir
Germany. The Indian contingent was led by ace Conclave 2022’ being organised under the “Azadi ka
shooters Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary. At the Amrit Mahotsav” at Coimbatore.
ISSF Junior World Cup 2022, the Indian junior • Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the
shooting team came in first position overall. They won inaugural session of Jain International Trade
33 medals in total, including 13 gold, 15 silver, and Organisation’s ‘JITO Connect 2022. Jain International
5 bronze. With four gold medals, Italy came in
Trade Organisation (JITO) is a global organisation
second place.
connecting Jains worldwide. JITO Connect is an
• Supernovas won the Women's T20 Challenge 2022
with a four-run victory over Velocity in the title clash. endeavour to help business and industry by providing
West Indies T20 specialist Deandra Dottin shined an avenue for mutual networking and personal
with both bat and ball as she powered Supernovas to interactions.
a record third Women’s T20 Challenge title • Prime Minister Narendra Modi used video
triumph with a four-run victory over Velocity. The conferencing to address the Utkarsh Samaroh in
Women's T20 Challenge is an Indian women's cricket Bharuch, Gujarat. The event commemorates the
20-20 tournament organised by BCCI. district’s 100 percent saturation of four main state
government initiatives that will help give prompt
financial support to individuals in need. Shri
Bhupendrabhai Patel, Gujarat’s Chief Minister, was
among those in attendance.
• The 15th session of the Conference of the Parties
(COP15) of the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is being held from
9th May to 20th May 2022. COP 15 is taking place in
Abidjan, a city in Cote d’Ivoire. Union Minister for
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender
Yadav represented India at COP 15 summit.
Theme of COP 15: Life. Legacy: From scarcity to
prosperity.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has participated in • Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for
the Second Global COVID-19 Virtual Summit on the Education and Skill Development, launched the North
invitation of the President of the USA, Joseph R. East Research Conclave (NERC) 2022 at IIT
Biden. The summit was co-hosted by the United Guwahati. In his remarks, Shri Pradhan stated that
States, Belize, Germany, Indonesia, and Senegal. the conclave will enhance the ties between industry,
academics, and policymakers, as well as re-energize
Theme of the summit: Preventing Pandemic Fatigue
the research, start-up, and entrepreneurial
and Prioritizing Preparedness.
ecosystems in the resource-rich Northeastern Region
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a reform of states and the country.
the UN health authority and a review of its vaccine • The Quad or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is
approval processes a week after the government a group made of four nations, India, Japan, the US,
challenged the WHO’s numbers for mortality during and Australia. It is a strategic forum that features
the Covid outbreak. Mr. Modi also called for the semi-regular summits, information exchange, and
World Trade Organization to be more flexible on the military drills. The key focus of the summit is the
issue of patent waivers, where a joint India-South development of the Indo-Pacific region highlighting
Africa proposal made in 2020 has yet to be adopted, the threats like terrorism, disinformation, and
speaking at the second global Covid summit, which territorial disputes. The Quad is going to discuss the
was virtually addressed by US President Joseph issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic and
development of the Indo-Pacific economically and
Biden and a number of other leaders including from
threats rising across the Indo-Pacific region. This
the African Union, European Union, Canada, Germany,
year Quad leader summit is held on the 24th of
South Africa, Japan, and South Korea. May 2022, in Tokyo.
• The Indian team, led by Union Minister for • Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for Culture
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri and External Affairs, attended the 7th BRICS Culture
Bhupender Yadav, arrived in Abidjan, Cote D Ministers’ Meeting via video conference, which was
Ivoire, for the UN Convention on Combating hosted by the People’s Republic of China and attended
Desertification’s 15th Conference of Parties by all BRICS Member Nations. Under the subject
(UNCCD COP15). The fourteenth session of the Establishing a Cultural Partnership Featuring
Conference of Parties to the United Nations Inclusiveness and Mutual Learning among BRICS,
Convention to Combat Desertification was held in a discussion was conducted to promote and expand
New Delhi, and India is the current president of the cultural activities among the BRICS countries.
• At the Legislative Assembly complex, President Ram
organisation.
Nath Kovind will kick off the two-day National
• Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and
Women Legislators’ Conference-2022, which is
Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public expected to draw a large number of female
Distribution, and Textiles, presided over the National parliamentarians and legislators from throughout the
Startup Advisory Council’s (NSAC) 4th meeting in country. The first-ever such event, hosted by the state
New Delhi. The Minister told the audience that the Assembly, is part of the nation-wide celebrations
government would continue to promote the scheduled under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav‘
development of the startup ecosystem. He praised honouring India’s 75th anniversary of independence.
NSAC members’ efforts and encouraged them to According to Assembly sources, the two-day
concentrate on tier 2 and tier 3 locations, where VC conference will focus on modern issues such as
financing is scarce. women’s rights, gender equality, and enough female
• Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs and representation in decision-making bodies.
• 3rd Global Organic Expo 2022 is poised to be a
India’s Governor for the New Development Bank
major platform for Organic Producers, Aggregators,
(NDB), Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 7th
Processors, Value Chain Integrators, and the Industry
Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of NDB Partners by offering Global level conference, with an
through video conference in New Delhi. The meeting apt theme “Profitability for Humanity”. More than
was also attended by Governors/Alternate Governors 200 organic products and service companies
of Brazil, China, Russia, South Africa and the newly participated in the previous events. It offers a great
joined members Bangladesh and United Arab opportunity for showcasing the work in the field of
Emirates (UAE). organics to the world.

Awards & Recognition • Anna Qabale Duba, a Kenyan nurse stationed at the
Marsabit County Referral Hospital, won the
• Doordarshan has won ENBA Award 2021 for the inaugural Aster Guardian Global Nursing Award for
endorsing education and campaigning against
best in-depth Hindi series for its TV series based on
outdated cultural practices like Female Genital
pet care ‘Best Friend Forever’ at the 14th edition of Mutilation (FGM) in her community. Duba, who took
the Exchange4media News Broadcasting Awards home USD 250,000 (approx. Ksh.29 million) in
(ENBA). The show is aired every Sunday at 7 pm and prize money, was feted by Emirates CEO Sheikh
is also available on the YouTube channel of DD Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum at an award ceremony
National. held in Dubai, which commemorated the International
• Guruswamy Krishnamoorthy, CEO of Penlon, a Nurses Day.
• Cameroon Activist, Cécile Ndjebet has won the 2022
world-class British medical technology firm, is likely
Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award in
to receive The Most Excellent Order of the British recognition of her outstanding contribution to
Empire (Civil Division) Award 2022 – Honorary preserving forests and improving the lives of people
Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) who depend on them. This award celebrates Cécile
recognition from the Queen at Buckingham Palace, Ndjebet’s energy and dedication over three decades to
London, UK. promoting women’s rights to land and forests. She has
actively shown that women’s participation in forest
• The fifth Romain Rolland Book Prize – Romain
governance and preservation is fundamental to
Rolland Book Prize 2022 has been awarded to the achieving sustainable forest management.
Bengali translation of the French novel “Meursault, • Chairman of the Piramal Group, Ajay Piramal has
contre- enquête” (The Meursault Investigation). received an honorary Commander of the Order of
The award ceremony was organized by the French the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty The Queen.
Institute in India. Meursault, contre-enquête is the He received the award for services to the UK-India
debut novel of Algerian writer and journalist Kamel trade relationship as India Co-Chair of the UK-India
CEO Forum. As co-chair of the India-UK CEO forum
Daoud.
since 2016, the endeavour has been to help
• West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee strengthen the strong bilateral relations between the
received the Bangla Academy Award for her two countries through greater economic cooperation.
“relentless literary pursuit”. The award, introduced • Author and journalist, Wesley Morgan has won the
this year by Sahitya Academy, was presented to William E. Colby Award 2022 for his military and
Banerjee for her book “Kabita Bitan”, which pays intelligence writing. He was cited for his book “The
Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in
tribute to the best writers of West Bengal. Mamata
Afghanistan’s Pech Valley.” The Colby Award, a
Banerjee’s ‘Kabita Bitan’ was launched at the 2020 $5,000 prize named for the former ambassador and
Kolkata Book Fair. The book contains 946 poems CIA director William E. Colby, is given for “a major
written by the TMC supremo. contribution to the understanding of military history,
• Indian Architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi was intelligence operations or international affairs.” The
bestowed with the prestigious Royal Gold Medal Colby Award is presented by Norwich University in
2022. Royal Gold Medal, one of the world’s highest Northfield, Vermont. The Colby award was
established in 1999.
honours for architecture, by the Royal Institute of
British Architects (RIBA), London, United
Kingdom (UK). The Royal Gold Medal is approved
personally by Queen Elizabeth II of the UK and the
award is given to a person or group of people who
have had a significant influence either directly or
indirectly on the advancement of architecture.
• Frank Wilczek, the Nobel Prize-winning theoretical
physicist and author renowned for his boundary-
pushing investigations into the fundamental laws of
nature, was honoured with this year’s prestigious
Templeton Prize awarded to individuals whose life’s
work embodies a fusion of science and spirituality.

• An innovator from Rajasthan who has developed the • Bollywood actor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been
technology of saving energy in boilers by recycling honoured with an international award for his
steam, Subhash Ola has won the 1st prize for the contribution to cinema. At the prestigious French
Amazon Smbhav Entrepreneurship Challenge Riviera Film Festival, Emmy award-winning
2022 and his enterprise “Geniusenergy Critical American actor Vincent De Paul bestowed the
Innovation Private Limited” has won the Start-up honour to Siddiqui. This is not the first time that
of the Year award. Nawazuddin has brought accolades back home.
• Anjali Pandey, Engines and Components Business Previously, the actor was chosen as one of the
Unit Leader at Cummins India has been awarded the delegates to receive awards on behalf of the nation at
Committed Leader Award at CII EXCON 2022 in the Cannes Film Festival.
Bengaluru for her efforts to create a more diverse, • Filmmaker Shaunak Sen's documentary All That
equitable, and inclusive workplace. Cummins views Breathes, India's only entry at Cannes Film Festival
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) as a 2022, has won the 2022 L'Oeil d'Or, the festival's top
competitive advantage and hence it’s a business prize for documentaries. "L'Oeil d'Or goes to a film
imperative. that, in a world of destruction, reminds us that every
• An innovator from Rajasthan who has developed the life matters, and every small action matters. The
technology of saving energy in boilers by recycling award includes a cash prize of 5,000 euros ( ₹4.16
steam, Subhash Ola has won the 1st prize for the lakh approximately).
Amazon Smbhav Entrepreneurship Challenge • The 17th edition of the Mumbai International Film
2022 and his enterprise “Geniusenergy Critical Festival of India (MIFF 2022) confers Dr V.
Innovation Private Limited” has won the Start-up Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award on noted
of the Year award. author and documentary filmmaker Shri Sanjit
• India’s one million all-women Accredited Social Narwekar to commemorate his exquisitely deep,
Health Activists (ASHA) workers, were honoured remarkably diverse and inspiring body of work.
with the World Health Organisation (WHO) • Radio Jockey Umar Nisar (RJ Umar) from South
Director-General’s Global Health Leaders Award Kashmir, has been awarded the ’01 Best Content
2022 for their “crucial role” in providing direct access Award’ and the Immunization Champion award by
to healthcare facilities in rural areas and their United Nations International Children’s
indefatigable efforts to rein in the coronavirus Emergency Fund (UNICEF) at the annual
pandemic in the country. Radio4Child 2022 Awards in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Kishore Jayaraman, President, India and South
Asia for Rolls-Royce, has received an honorary
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by
Important Days
Her Majesty The Queen, British Deputy High • International Labour Day is observed globally on
Commission. Jayaraman is a board member of the 1st May every year. It is also known as International
U.K.-India Business Council, which supports U.K. Worker’s Day and May Day. The day is celebrated to
businesses set up in India. He has also been spread awareness about Labour’s rights and mark
instrumental in promoting bilateral ties by setting up their achievements. The day aims to pay tribute to
a strategic ecosystem for boosting manufacturing in workers’ sacrifices in achieving economic and social
India enabled by U.K.’s technology. rights all over the world.
• A Gopalakrishnan, Director of the ICAR-Central • World Tuna Day is observed globally on 2nd May
Marine Fisheries Research Institute has won the every year. This day is established by the United
VASVIK (Vividhlaxi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Nations (UN) to raise awareness about the
Kendra) Industrial Research Award for the year importance of tuna fish. Tuna is a significant source of
2020 in the category of Agricultural Sciences and food for humans as the fish has several rich qualities
Technology. The award, which carries a cash prize of such as Omega 3, Vitamin B12, proteins and other
Rs 1.51 lakh and citation, is in recognition of his minerals.
significant contribution towards the research works • World Laughter Day is celebrated on the first
related to fish genetics. The research works related to Sunday of every May to remind people to laugh and
fish genetics which is relevant for conserving many make those around them laugh. This year the day is
commercially important and endangered species. celebrated on 1st May.
• World Press Freedom Day is observed globally on • World Athletics Day is celebrated every year
3rd May every year. It is also known as World Press globally on the 7th of May to raise awareness about
Day. The day also pays tribute to journalists who have the importance of fitness and encourage them to play
lost their lives. This year’s World Press Freedom Day sports, especially athletics. The basic objective of
theme “Journalism under digital siege,”. World Athletics Day is to boost the participation of
• World Asthma Day is observed every year on the youths in athletics. The World Athletics Day gave a
first Tuesday of May to spread awareness and care chance to schools, colleges and various other
about asthma in the world. This year it falls on 3rd of institutions to promote their children’s interests in
May 2022. An annual event is organised by the Global various other sports from running to shot put and
Initiative for Asthma. This year the theme is ‘Closing various other sports which require stamina.
Gaps in Asthma Care’.
• World Athletics Day is celebrated every year
• International Firefighter’s Day is observed every
globally on the 7th of May to raise awareness about
year on May 4th to pay respect to those firefighting
the importance of fitness and encourage them to play
experts who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
sports, especially athletics.
The main aim of this day is to recognise and honour
• Every year during May 8-9, the United Nations
professional firefighters across the world. They keep
marks the Time of Remembrance and
the community and the environment safe by
sacrificing their lives for the riskiest jobs. reconciliation for those who lost their lives during
• The date of 5 May was officially established in 2009 the Second World War. The day pays tribute to all
by the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries the victims of the Second World War. This year is the
(CPLP) – an intergovernmental organization that has 77th Anniversary of World War II.
been in official partnership with UNESCO since 2000, • World Red Cross Day is observed globally on 8th
and which brings together peoples with the May every year. The day aims to broaden the public’s
Portuguese language as one of the foundations of understanding of the International Red Cross and
their specific identity – to celebrate the Portuguese Red Crescent Movement. Red Crescent Societies are
language and Lusophone cultures. In 2019, the 40th affiliated and work in cooperation with the World Red
session of UNESCO’s General Conference decided to Cross to assist in the activities of the movement.
proclaim 5 May of each year as “World Portuguese National Red Crescent societies and Red Cross
Language Day”. Societies are found in almost every nation worldwide.
• Coal Miners Day is observed on 4th May every year • World Thalassemia Day is celebrated on May 8
to honour the coal miners. The day is celebrated to every year to commemorate Thalassemia victims and
highlight the contributions of coal miners in meeting to encourage those who struggle to live with the
our energy demands. Below, we share a bit of the disease. The theme for this year’s World Thalassemia
history of coal mining, the current energy scenario, day is ‘Be Aware.Share.Care: Working with the
and the role of coal miners in India. global community as one to improve thalassemia
• ‘International No Diet Day 2022’ is celebrated all knowledge.’
over the world on 6 May. On this day, people are • The United Nations observed 10th May 2022, the
made aware of body acceptance, leaving aside second International Day of Argania. This
behaviour like body shaming, which includes people celebration crowns the efforts of the Kingdom of
of all shapes and sizes. Forgetting problems like
Morocco in promoting the Argan tree as an intangible
obesity, increasing weight, weakness, and belly fat,
cultural heritage of humanity and an ancestral source
people express their love towards themselves on this
of resilient and sustainable development. The day will
day.
be celebrated this year under the theme “The Argan
• World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) is annually
tree, symbol of resilience”.
observed across the globe on the 5th of May to
• National Technology Day is observed every year on
maintain global promotion, visibility, and
11th May across the country. National Technology
sustainability of hand hygiene in health care. This
year, WHO is marking the day with the theme – Unite Day has significant historical importance in India. The
for safety: clean your hands, with a focus on theme for National Technology Day 2022 is
encouraging people to clean their hands at the right “Integrated Approach in Science and technology
times with the right products that will help lead to for sustainable future”. The theme was launched by
high quality safer care everywhere. Union Minister Jitendra Singh.

• The United Nations designated 12 May the • The World Telecommunication and Information
International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) to raise Society Day (WTISD) is observed each year on 17th
global awareness on how protecting plant health can May to increase awareness of the benefits and
help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity opportunities that the Internet and other
and the environment, and boost economic information and communication technologies
development. The United Nations declared 2020 as (ICT) provide to nations, societies, and economies. It
the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH). also hopes to raise awareness about how to close the
• May 12 is observed as International Nurses’ Day digital divide.
across the world to honour the services of nurses. It is • World Hypertension Day is observed every year on
the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the 17th May, to raise awareness and encourage
English social reformer, statistician and founder of hypertension prevention, detection, and treatment.
modern nursing. She was also known as Lady with The major risk factor for cardiovascular disease is
the Lamp. She was the founder of modern nursing high blood pressure and hypertension is known as the
and was a British social reformer and statistician. The “Silent Killer”.
theme for this year’s Nurses’ Day is “Nurses: A Voice • International Museum Day (IMD) is celebrated
to Lead – Invest in Nursing and respect rights to every year on 18 May. This day is observed to
highlight the importance of museums in any culture.
secure global health”.
Museums are an important means of cultural
• World Migratory Bird Day is marked twice a year
exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of
since its inauguration in 2006. International
mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among
Migratory Bird Day will be celebrated on 14 May and
peoples.
8 October 2022. The theme for World Migratory Bird
• World AIDS Vaccine Day is also known as HIV
Day 2022 is light pollution. As artificial lighting has
Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD) is annually
been increasing globally by at least 2 per cent per
observed across the globe on the 18th of May to
annum, this has had an adverse impact on many birds.
create awareness and provide information about
• The International Day of Living Together in Peace
Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a
is held on 16th May every year. The day is celebrated
chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused
on the 16th of May throughout the world and with its by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and its
annual observance, it aims to urge people to live immunisation.
together in a united and peaceful way. Individuals can • World Bee Day is observed worldwide on May 20.
attain this by listening to each other and respecting World Bee Day is to acknowledge the role of bees and
one another despite their differences. other pollinators in the ecosystem. This year Food
• The International Day of Light is celebrated on 16 and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will celebrate
May each year, the anniversary of the first successful World Bee Day through a virtual event, under the
operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and theme ‘Bee Engaged: Celebrating the diversity of
engineer, Theodore Maiman. bees and beekeeping systems’.
• This year Vesak Day or Buddha Purnima has • Every year on the third Friday of May, people across
celebrated on 16 May 2022. “Vesak”, the Day of the the globe observe National Endangered Species Day.
Full Moon in the month of May, is the most sacred day This year the day is celebrated on May 20. This year,
to millions of Buddhists around the world. It was on it marks the 16th National Endangered Species
the Day of Vesak two and a half millennia ago, in the Day. National Endangered Species Day is celebrated
year 623 B.C., that the Gautama Buddha was born. It with the main emphasis on conserving our planet
was also on the Day of Vesak that the Buddha attained Earth’s flora and fauna. The National Endangered
enlightenment, and it was on the Day of Vesak that the Species Day theme 2022 is “Recovering key species
Buddha in his eightieth year passed away. for ecosystem restoration”. Every year the
• National Dengue Day is observed on the 16th of awareness campaign takes place around a theme.
May every year in India. National Dengue day was an • On May 17, the International Day Against
initiative of the Ministry of health and family Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia is
welfare to make people aware of dengue and its commemorated, with the goal of coordinating
prevention measures. It also has the people to know international events to raise awareness of LGBT
how to prepare and control dengue before the rights violations and inspire interest in LGBT rights
transmission season begins. work around the world.

• The International Tea Day is observed on May 21 • Commonwealth Day is traditionally commemorated
every year. The day is known to create awareness on the second Monday of March in most of the 54
about safe working conditions for the tea workers, countries of the Commonwealth, with the British
fair trade and a sustainable environment to improve queen delivering a speech on the radio. However,
the production of tea. The Day will promote and foster India and a few other countries celebrate it on May
collective actions to implement activities in favour of 24. The theme for Commonwealth Day 2022 is
the sustainable production and consumption of tea ‘Delivering a Common Future’ – which highlights
and raise awareness of its importance in fighting how the fifty-four member countries in the
hunger and poverty. Commonwealth family are ‘innovating, connecting
• The UN General Assembly, in its resolution, declared and transforming’ to help attain goals like fighting
May 21 to be the World Day for Cultural Diversity climate change, promoting good governance, and
for Dialogue and Development. The day aims to improving trade.
celebrate the richness of the world’s cultures and • World Turtle Day is observed on May 23 every year
highlight the significance of its diversity as an agent of by American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit
inclusion and positive change for achieving peace and organization. The day is celebrated to raise awareness
sustainable development. among people to protect turtles and tortoises and
• Anti-Terrorism Day is observed every year on 21 their disappearing habitats around the world. This
May, on the death anniversary of former Prime year’s theme for World Turtle Day is “Shellebrate”.
Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He was assassinated on May The theme asks “everyone to Love and Save
21, 1991, by the LTTE terrorists while campaigning Turtles”.
for the Congress Party at Sriperumbudur in Tamil • United Nations is observing “International Week of
Nadu. Rajiv Gandhi became India's youngest PM when Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing
he was sworn in at 40. He took over as the sixth PM of Territories” from May 25 to 31. On December 06,
the country after Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1999, the UN General Assembly called for the annual
1984. He served from 1984 to 1989. observance of the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples
• World Metrology Day(WMD) is annually observed of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
across the globe on 20th May to create awareness • World Thyroid Day is observed on May 25 to
about the Metrology, the science of measurement and promote awareness and understanding of thyroid
its application. The theme for World Metrology Day diseases, their symptoms, prevention, and treatments.
2022 is Metrology in the Digital Era. This theme was The day came into existence in 2008 on a proposal by
chosen because digital technology is revolutionizing the European Thyroid Association (ETA). There’s
our community, and is one of the most exciting trends no separate theme for World Thyroid Day this year.
in society today. However, for Thyroid Awareness Week observed
• United Nations (UN) International Day to End between May 22 and 28, Thyroid Federation
Obstetric Fistula is marked on 23rd May since 2013 international has announced the theme, “It’s not you.
to promote action towards treating and preventing It’s your thyroid.”
obstetric fistula, a condition that affects many girls • International Missing Children’s Day is an
and women during childbirth in developing countries. awareness event that is observed every year on 25th
In 2003 the United Nations Population Fund of May. The aims of the day are to place a spotlight on
(UNFPA) and its partners launched the global the issue of child abduction, educate parents on
Campaign to End Fistula, a collaborative initiative to safeguarding measures to protect their children and
prevent fistula and restore the health of those affected also honour those who have never been found and
by the condition. The day was officially recognised in celebrate those who have.
2012. • International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed
• International Day for Biological Diversity or globally on 29th May. The theme for this year’s Day is
World Biodiversity Day is observed on 22nd May “People. Peace. Progress. The Power of
every year to increase awareness and understanding Partnerships.”
of the issues of biodiversity. Biodiversity is essential • World Vape Day is observed on 30th May across the
for sustaining the balance of the planet. It is the globe to create awareness about the alternatives to
cornerstone of ecosystem services, which are harmful tobacco products and highlights the relative
completely tied to human well-being. The theme in safety of e-cigarettes and their potential as harm
2022 is “Building a shared future for all life”. reduction and smoking cessation tools.

• World No Tobacco Day is observed on 31st May • The Indian Navy plans to purchase a specialised earth
globally. This yearly celebration aims to raise imaging satellite Geo Imaging Satellite-2 (GISAT-2),
awareness amid the global citizens about not only the this fiscal year as part of its modernisation and
dangers of using tobacco but also the business network-centric combat and communications
practices of tobacco companies. The theme for 2022 is
programme. The satellite, if operational, is likely to
Tobacco: Threat to our environment.
improve the navy’s operating capabilities in the
Indian Ocean region, which is strategically and
Defence Current Affairs geopolitically crucial, especially given China’s growing
• Red Shield Division of the Indian Army under the influence.
aegis of Spear Corps entered into a tripartite • At the Coast Guard Air Enclave at Nedumbassery in
agreement with the State Bank of India Foundation Kochi, the Coast Guard commissioned its second Air
(SBIF) and the National Integrity and Educational Squadron, 845 Squadron . The new Air Squadron was
Development Organization (NIEDO) to establish commissioned by Coast Guard Director General V S
‘Red Shield Centre for Excellence and Wellness’ in Pathania and is equipped with Advanced Mark III
Manipur’s Bishnupur district. The project ‘Manipur (ALH Mark III) helicopters produced in-house.
Super 50’ is expected to be fully functional for the
• Defence minister Rajnath Singh has launched two
first batch of 50 students by the first week of July
made-in-India warships INS ‘Surat’ and ‘Udaygiri’ at
2022.
the Mazagon Docks in Mumbai. This is the first time
• The second sea trials of India’s first indigenous
aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant began, ahead of her that the two indigenously built warships have been
anticipated induction into the Indian Navy in August launched together, the Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders
next year. In August, the 40,000-tonne aircraft Ltd (MDL). Both warships have been designed in-
carrier, India’s largest and most sophisticated house by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND) and
warship, successfully conducted a five-day maiden built at MDL, Mumbai.
sea cruise. • The HANSA-NG 2 seater flying trainer aircraft,
• Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor has assumed the designed and developed by CSIR-NAL, passed an in-
appointment of Director General (Inspection and flight engine relight test at DRDO‘s Aeronautical Test
Safety) of Indian Air Force at Air HQ New Delhi. The
Range (ATR) facility in Challakere. Wg Cdr K V
Air Marshal is a graduate of the National Defence
Prakash and Wg Cdr NDS Reddy, Test Pilots from
Academy and was commissioned in the Flying branch
of IAF in December 1985 as a Transport Pilot. the Indian Air Force’s Aircraft and Systems Testing
• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was founded Establishment (ASTE), conducted a flight test at an
on 7th May 1960 as a leading road construction altitude of 7000-8000 feet with a speed range of 60 to
agency under the Ministry of Defence with Shramena 70 knots (IAF).
Sarvam Sadhyam (everything is achievable through • The fourth edition of the Indian Navy-Bangladesh
hard work) as its motto. On 7 May 2022 BRO Navy Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) commenced.
celebrated its 62nd Raising Day (foundation day). The patrolling drill commenced in the northern Bay
of Bengal and would continue between May 22 and
23. Both units will undertake joint patrolling along
International Maritime Boundary Line. The last IN-BN
CORPAT was conducted in October 2020.
• The Army Training Command and Gandhinagar-
based Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) inked a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a
Wargame Research and Development Centre in
New Delhi. The project, dubbed ‘WARDEC’ as a
prototype, will be India’s first simulation-based
training centre, which will use artificial intelligence
(AI) to create virtual reality wargames.

• The third edition of Indian Navy (IN) – Bangladesh Science and Technology
Navy (BN) Bilateral Exercise ‘Bongosagar’
commenced at Port Mongla, Bangladesh on 24 May • The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay)
2022. The Harbour Phase of the exercise begins from has partnered with the Ministry of Earth Sciences’
24-25 May which will be followed by a Sea Phase in India Meteorological Department (IMD) to develop
the Northern Bay of Bengal from 26-27 May. Indian climate solutions for stakeholders at the village, city,
Naval Ships Kora, an indigenously built Guided and district levels. The partnership will aid the
institute in the development of sensors and drone-
Missile Corvette, and Sumedha, an indigenously
based smart monitoring systems, climate-smart
built Offshore Patrol Vessel are participating in the
agriculture technology for water and food security,
Exercise. Bangladesh Navy is being represented by
intelligent and automated early warning systems,
BNS Abu Ubaidah and Ali Haider, both Guided
climate and health, smart power grid management,
Missile Frigates.
wind energy forecasting, and heat wave forecasting.
• Haryana’s Captain Abhilasha Barak has become the • The Indian Space Research Organisation will send
first woman officer to join the Army Aviation Corps a spacecraft to orbit Venus to study what lies below
as a combat aviator after successfully completing its surface, the space body’s Chairperson S Somnath
her training. She was awarded the coveted wings announced. ISRO is expecting to launch the mission by
along with 36 other army pilots by the DG and Colonel December 2024 with an orbital manoeuvre planned
Commandant of Army Aviation in Nashik. She has for a year after that. The orbital manoeuvre is the use
been assigned to the second flight of the 2072 Army of propulsion systems to change the orbit of a
Aviation Squadron. She was commissioned into the spacecraft. It enables a spacecraft to enter a planet’s
Indian Army from the Officers Training Academy, orbit.
Chennai in 2018. • The Ministry of Skill Development and
• Nirdeshak, the second of the four Survey Vessels Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signs an MoU
(Large) (SVL) projects being built by Garden Reach (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Indian
Space Research Organisation with the goal of
Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in collaboration
upskilling the technical workforce at the Department
with L&T shipbuilding for the Indian Navy was
of Space of ISRO. Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary
launched, at Kattupalli, Chennai. The ship has taken
MSDE, and Shri S. Somanath, Secretary Department
its name from erstwhile Nirdeshak which was also an
of Space/ Chairman ISRO, signed the MoU.
Indian Naval Survey ship and was decommissioned
• Bengaluru-based Bellatrix Aerospace has
after 32 years of glorious service in December successfully tested an environmentally friendly
2014. satellite propulsion system that offers a 20 percent
• Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved increase in fuel efficiency over hydrazine-dependent
the proposal for the creation of a new Defence fuel systems. Bellatrix’s recent testing of its green
Estates Circle exclusively for Uttarakhand. In view propulsion system also signals a turning point in the
of the difficulties faced in managing large tracts of company’s quest to develop a space taxi for satellites.
defence land in the state and the demand of • The World Economic Forum (WEF), in collaboration
cantonment residents in Uttrakhand, the MoD will with the government’s research institute Niti Aayog,
establish an independent office of Defence Estates at is focusing on how to better employ emerging
Dehradun and a sub-office at Ranikhet. technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the
• INS Gomati was decommissioned at the Naval Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and drones to
Dockyard under the command of Captain Sudip aid farmers, especially small and marginal farmers.
Malik. INS Gomati derives her name from the vibrant • Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has
successfully completed the static test of human-rated
river Gomti and was commissioned on 16 April 1988
solid rocket booster (HS200) at Satish Dhawan
by then Defence Minister, KC Pant, at Mazgaon Dock
Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota,Andhra Pradesh for
Ltd, Bombay.
its Gaganyaan programme.

• At Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in • A supercomputer named Param Porul was
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, the Indian Space inaugurated at NIT Tiruchirappalli under National
Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully Supercomputing Mission (NSM). The NSM is a joint
completed the static test of a human-rated solid initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and
rocket booster (HS200) for the Gaganyaan
Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department
programme. According to the Bengaluru-based space
of Science and Technology (DST). Param Porul
agency, the HS200 is the human-rated version of the
S200 rocket booster of the satellite launch vehicle supercomputing facility is established under phase
GSLV Mk III, also known as LVM3. two of the national supercomputing mission to
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India’s first facilitate computational research.
5G testbed, allowing startups and industry players to • India will introduce a newly approved “made in
test and certify their technologies domestically and India” TB infection skin test called ‘c-TB’, said Health
lessen reliance on foreign facilities. The testbed was Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. This cost-effective
built at a cost of approximately Rs 220 crore. The tool will be of immense benefit to other high burden
Prime Minister said the 5G testbed is a significant step countries as well. A new initiative, “Adopt people
toward self-reliance in the direction of critical and
with TB” will be launched this year, based on Indian
modern technologies while speaking at the Telecom
values of collectivism, which will call upon corporates,
Regulatory Authority of India’s silver jubilee
celebrations. industries, organisations, political parties and
• Private sector rocket maker Skyroot Aerospace individuals to come forward and adopt TB-infected
Private Ltd successfully tested its Kalam-100 rocket people and families and provide them with nutritional
that will power the Vikram-1 rocket's third and social support.
stage/engine. The company announced the
completion of the milestone of full duration test-firing
of its Vikram-1 rocket stage. The third stage, named
Books & Authors
Kalam-100 after former President APJ Abdul Kalam,
• “Leaders, Politicians, Citizens: Fifty Figures Who
was fired for a duration of 108 seconds.
Influenced India’s Politics” authored by author-
• Chinese scientists have proposed a space project to
survey the sky through a space-borne telescope to journalist Rasheed Kidwai compiles stories of 50
hunt for habitable Earth-like planets outside the solar personalities who influenced India’s political
system, about 32 light-years from Earth. The project, landscape. The book is published by Hachette India.
named Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey (CHES) The foreword of the book is written by Shashi
would be the first space mission specially designed to Tharoor, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha). The 50
search for habitable terrestrial planets around nearby personalities featured in the book include Teji
Sun-like stars. Bachchan, Phoolan Devi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi,
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh unveiled the Jayalalithaa, APJ Abdul Kalam, and Karunanidhi
Single National Portal for Biotech Researchers and
among others.
Start-ups. All those seeking regulatory permission for
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has released a book
biological research and development activity in the
country will use BioRRAP. According to the Minister, titled ‘INDO-PAK WAR 1971- Reminiscences of Air
biotechnology has quickly become a viable academic Warriors’ at the 37th Air Chief Marshal PC Lal
and career option for Indian youth. The country Memorial Lecture organised by the Air Force
currently has over 2,700 biotech start-ups and over Association in New Delhi, Delhi. The book was edited
2,500 biotech enterprises in operation. by Air Marshal Jagjeet Singh and Group Captain
• Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Shailendra Mohan. The book features 50 Swarnim
Electronics and Information Technology, Skill articles written by veterans narrating their
Development & Entrepreneurship, was present experiences in detail.
during a brainstorming session organised by MeiTY
• Vice President (VP) of India, M Venkaiah Naidu,
on Mission Digital India BHASHINI – the National
released a book titled “The Struggle for Police
Language Translation Mission (NLTM). According to
him, Startups are an essential component of our Reforms in India: Ruler’s Police to People’s Police”
digital ecosystem, and Mission Digital India Bhashini authored by a former IPS officer, Prakash Singh in
will support them in developing India-specific and New Delhi. The book is published by Rupa
Indian Languages enabled IT solutions. Publications India Pvt Ltd.

• Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has released the Miscellaneous Current Affairs
book “Modi@20 Dreams Meet Delivery” in New
Delhi. The book presents different facets of the • ‘Miyan Ka Bada’ railway station in the Balotra area
distinct thought process, the pioneering, pro-active of Rajasthan’s Barmer district was renamed “Mahesh
approach and the quintessential, transformational Nagar Halt.” Since Independence, the people of Mian
leadership style that Narendrabhai Modi has come Ka Bada in Rajasthan have demanded that the
to be so closely identified with. village’s name be changed, claiming that the village’s
• Bestselling author Preeti Shenoy is set to publish a original name was Mahesh Ro Bado.
new novel titled “A Place Called Home”, a story set in • On Satyajit Ray’s 101st birthday, the Union
a coffee estate in Sakleshpur, Karnataka with a Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s National
strong female protagonist at its core. The new novel is Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai will conduct a
about secrets, family, and finding yourself. The book three-day film festival at various locations across
published by HarperCollins Publishers India is set to India to screen films by the iconic filmmaker. It will
be released in June 2022. also show movies about Satyajit Ray.
• Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State(MoS), • Railway Protection Force (RPF) has recently started
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions “Operation Satark”. Focused effort under “Operation
released the e-book ‘Civil List – 2022 of IAS officers’ Satark” was launched from 5th April to 30th April
at North Block, Secretariat Building, New Delhi. This is 2022 wherein 26 cases of transportation of illegal
an effort by the Department of Personnel & Training tobacco products were detected with seizure of
(DoPT) as a part of the Digital India initiative of the tobacco products worth more than Rs 44 Lakhs and
Government of India. arrest of 14 persons involved.
• A new book titled “Listen to Your Heart: The • The RailTel Corporation of India Ltd had designed
London Adventure” authored by Ruskin Bond, was and established a “Health Cloud” at Visakhapatnam
published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI) premises of Andhra Pradesh Med Tech Zone
on Ruskin Bond’s 88th birthday (19th May 2022). (AMTZ). The Andhra Pradesh Med Tech Zone (AMTZ)
Ruskin Bond, India’s famous Children’s book author, is the world’s first integrated medical device
was born in Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) and grew up manufacturing hub. The “Health Cloud” at AMTZ has
in Jamnagar (Gujarat), Dehradun (Uttarakhand), New been inaugurated by Louise Agersnap, Head of WHO
Delhi and Shimla (Himachal Pradesh). Innovation Hub, WHO-Geneva.
• The National Capital Region Transport
• Former RBI governor Bimal Jalan writes a new book
Corporation (NCRTC) will be receiving India's first
titled ‘The India Story’. The book focuses on India’s
semi-high speed train set for Regional Rapid Transit
economic history and aims to provide lessons for the
System (RRTS) at Alstom's Savli plan in Gujarat.
future of India’s political economy. He traces India’s
• Nepal’s legendary climber Kami Rita Sherpa has
economic policies from 1991 to 2019 to offer insights
climbed Mt Everest, the tallest peak in the world for
on learning from the past, before moving ‘Beyond the
the 26th time to set a new world record. Leading an
Metrics of Economy’ to talk about the role of
11-member rope fixing team, Kami Rita & his team
governance in implementing these policies. He also
reached the summit, breaking his own previous world
authored the books ‘India Then and Now’, ‘India
record.
Ahead’.
• Priyanka Mohite from Maharashtra’s Satara
district has become the first Indian woman to climb
five peaks above 8000 metres. Priyanka achieved the
milestone after climbing Mount Kanchenjunga. The
30-year-old climbed the third highest peak on Earth
on May 5 at around 4:42 pm. Priyanka works for a
pharmaceutical research company in Bengaluru.
• The Indian Railway Catering and Ticketing
Corporation (IRCTC) will launch its maiden Bharat
Gaurav Tourist train, with a stop in Nepal’s Janakpur.
This train will go around the Ramayana Circuit, which
has been identified under the Swadesh Darshan
scheme and includes major locations related with
Lord Shri Rama’s life, such as the Ram Janaki temple
in Janakpur, Nepal.
• Asani cyclone is formed over the Southeastern part • West Central Railway has developed a battery-
of the Bay of Bengal. It is an intensified cyclone storm operated dual-mode locomotive named Navdoot.
that is likely to hit Orissa and Andhra Pradesh as per This engine runs on both modes i.e. battery and
the Indian meteorological department (IMD). The electricity. Currently, it is being used during the
cyclone has been named Asani, which in Sri Lankan shunting of trains at Jabalpur, Mudwara, and other
local language, Sinhalese means “wrath”. stations on a trial basis. This Dual Mode Locomotive
has also received the Best Innovation Award from
• The Ministry of Tourism, GoI, is going to participate in
the Railway Board. Railways will save 1000 litres of
the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Dubai -2022, as
diesel every day with this new locomotive. After
part of its Incredible India brand line, displaying
clearing all the trials, it will be used more widely.
India’s rich and diverse tourism potential and
• Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Anil Baijal has submitted
providing a platform for tourism stakeholders to his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind citing
demonstrate various tourism destinations and personal reasons. He was appointed the national
products, including niche products. It also aims to capital’s LG in December 2016 after the sudden
market India as a “Must See, Must Visit” tourist resignation of Najeeb Jung. He had earlier served as
destination. DDA vice-chairperson and Union Home Secretary
• India’s first EV charging station powered by bio-gas during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
was inaugurated in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This • The wax museum Madame Tussauds is returning to
station be will expected to generate 220 units of India. The museum will be located in a Noida mall. 50
electricity from food waste collected from its nearby Indian and international luminaries from sports,
areas, mostly from bulk generators like hotels and entertainment, history, and music will be featured at
offices. This energy plant will be utilized to power the new venue. Madame Tussauds India will let
street lights and also to charge electric vehicles. It was visitors to get up up and personal with celebrities as
inaugurated by Maharashtra Environment Minister well as some of their most iconic moments.
• On 21st May 1991, former prime minister Rajiv
Aaditya Uddhav Thackeray.
Gandhi was assassinated in Tamil Nadu at a poll
• Food-delivery app available online Swiggy has agreed
rally by a woman suicide bomber identified as Dhanu.
to buy restaurant technology and dining out platform
14 others including Rajiv Gandhi were killed
Dineout from Times Internet in a formal deal. Swiggy
according to the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination
said in a statement that Dineout will continue to investigation. Rajiv Gandhi was campaigning for the
operate as an independent app following the upcoming elections with G.K Moonpanar in India’s
acquisition. Southern states.
• A British climber Kenton Cool has scaled the world’s • A little 10-year-old champion skater from Worli,
highest mountain for the 16th time becoming the Rhythm Mamania, has become one of the youngest
first foreign climber to make the most Mt Everest Indian mountaineers to summit the Everest Base
summits. Kenton also holds a record of the first Camp (EBC) in the Himalayan ranges in Nepal. She
British mountaineer who climbed Mt Nuptse, Mt has joined young Indian climbers to climb the base
Everest and Mt Lhotse in a season in 2013. Last year, camp. Rhythm has achieved a rare feat by completing
Kenton had made it to the top of Mt Lhotse in less the climb to the base camp at an altitude of 5,364
than 29 hours after scaling the world’s highest peak. meters in 11 days.
Previously, American climber Dave Hahn has climbed • The Union Ministry of Ayush has confirmed the
Mt Everest 15 times. observance of the 8th International Day of Yoga
• On the invitation of Nepal’s Prime Minister, Shri Sher (IDY) at Mysuru city, which is known as the cultural
capital and major historic destination of Karnataka
Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister Shri Narendra
state on June 21. The Ministry of Ayush has written to
Modi conducted an official visit to Lumbini, Nepal,
the Chief Secretary of Karnataka P. Ravikumar
coinciding with the auspicious event of Vaishakha
regarding the matter and directed him to issue
Buddha Purnima. This was Shri Narendra Modi’s
necessary directions to all the concerned to make
fifth visit to Nepal as Prime Minister, and his first to arrangements for the successful organisation of the
Lumbini. main event of IDY-2022.
• Delhi Government has undertaken a unique Obituaries
initiative of using robots for extinguishing fires in the
city. Initially, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) • Tony Brooks, a British racing driver who won six
Government inducted two robots into Delhi’s
Formula One Grand Prix in the 1950s and was
firefighting fleet that will be able to douse fires in
narrow streets, warehouses, basements, stairs, forests nicknamed the “Racing Dentist”, has passed away. He
and enter places like oil and chemical tankers and was born in the United Kingdom in 1932. Tony retired
factories. from the sport at the age of just 29 after driving for
• Chief Commissioner, Delhi Customs Zone, Surjit four teams – BRM, Vanwall, Ferrari, and Cooper.
Bhujabal inaugurated project ‘NIGAH’ at ICD Garhi • The eminent Odia litterateur Rajat Kumar Kar
Harsaru, Gurugram. ICTM (ICD Container Tracking passed away due to heart-related ailments. He
Module) has been developed in collaboration with the
received Padma Shri in 2021 for literature and
Custodian M/s. GRFL. A live demo of the project was
given to all the participants. Project NIGAH is an education. He was known for his commentary during
initiative to track container by using ICTM (ICD the annual Ratha Jatra (Jagannath culture) on TV
Container Tracking Module) which will help in better and radio.
visibility of the container movement inside the ICD. It • Indian music composer and santoor player, Pandit
will help Customs to expedite long standing Shivkumar Sharma passed away at the age of 84. He
containers and monitor timely clearances, thereby had been suffering from kidney-related issues for the
enhancing Ease of Doing Business along with ensuring
last six months and was on dialysis. He passed away
lead preventive checks.
• A new species of old world monkey, "The Sela due to cardiac arrest.
Macaque" was geographically separated from the • Russian chess grandmaster, Yuri Averbakh who was
Arunachal Macaque by the Sela, an eastern Himalayan among the world’s best players for a decade, trained
pass located at an altitude of 13,700 feet. Sela world champions and was the last surviving
macaque ( Macaca selai), the new-to-science participant in one of the greatest competitions in
primate was identified and analysed by a team of history, has died in Moscow at 100.
experts from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
• Veteran Himachal Pradesh Congress leader and
and the University of Calcutta. Their study has been
published in the latest edition of Molecular former Union minister, Pandit Sukh Ram has passed
Phylogenetics and Evolution. away at 94. He was the Union Minister of State,
• The 17th edition of the Mumbai International Film Communications (Independent Charge) from 1993 to
Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction, and 1996 and a member of Lok Sabha from the Mandi
Animation films (MIFF-2022) began with a colourful constituency (Himachal Pradesh).
opening ceremony at the Nehru Centre, Worli in • Leonid Kravchuk, a former communist who helped
Mumbai, Maharashtra. In commemoration of
sign the Soviet Union’s death warrant and then served
Bangladesh’s 50 years of Independence, the country
as the first president of independent Ukraine,
has been chosen as the ‘Country of Focus this year. A
special package of 11 films from Bangladesh including passed away at the age of 88. Kravchuk was known as
the critically acclaimed film ‘Hasina- A Daughter’s the “wily fox” as he rose through the ranks of
Tale’ will be presented at MIFF 2022. Ukraine’s Communist Party and take over as head of
the parliament in 1990.
• Padma Shri Dr Rama Kant Shukla, a profound
Sanskrit and Hindi Scholar, has passed away in
Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh(UP). He was born in Khurja
city in Bulandshahr district, UP.
• Former Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds has
been killed in a car crash. The 46-year-old, who
played 26 Tests and 198 one-day internationals for
Australia from 1998 to 2009, was involved in a
single-car accident outside Townsville in Queensland
state. Symonds was also a top-rate fielder and was a
key part of Australia’s back-to-back 50-over World
Cups triumphs in 2003 and 2007.

• Veteran Communist leader and three-time Member of • Federal Reserve Bank of New York Headquarters:
Parliament, Shivaji Patnaik passed away at the age of New York, USA.
93. Shivaji Patnaik is lauded as the founder of CPI • Minister of Electronics and Information Technology :
(Marxist) in Odisha. He was born on August 10, Rajeev Chandrasekhar
1930, the veteran leader had joined the State • World Athletics Headquarters: Monaco;
student’s movement at the age of 17 when he was • World Athletics Founded: 17 July 1912, Stockholm,
studying in Ravenshaw College. Sweden.
• Bujar Nishani, a former Albanian President had • Railway Protection Force Founded: 27 July 1872;
died at 55 due to a health problem. President Bujar • Railway Protection Force Headquarters: New Delhi,
Nishani born on 29 September 1966 in Durrës, India;
Albania, was well known for his centre-right political • World Athletics Headquarters: Monaco;
affiliation with the leftist coalition. • World Athletics Founded: 17 July 1912, Stockholm,
Sweden.
Static Takeaways • Border Roads Organisation Headquarters: New Delhi;
• Border Roads Organisation Founded: 7 May 1960.
• Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways: • International Committee of the Red Cross
Sarbananda Sonowal Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland;
• Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare: Dr. • International Committee of the Red Cross Founded:
Bharati Pravin Pawar 17 February 1863, Geneva, Switzerland;
• Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment: Shri • Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium
Virendra Kumar Enterprises: Narayan Rane
• Mo School’ Abhiyan chairman: Smt. Sushmita Bagchi • Minister of State for MSME: Bhanu Pratap Singh
• Poland Capital: Warsaw; Verma
• Poland Currency: Polish złoty; • Minister of State for Textiles: Darshana Vikram
• Poland President: Andrzej Duda. Jardosh
• External Affairs Minister: S Jaishankar • Hong Kong Currency: Hong Kong dollar;
• Headquarters of FAO: Rome, Lazio • Hong Kong Continent: Asia.
• Director-General of FAO: Qu Dongyu • South Korea Capital: Seoul;
• Parent organization of FAO: United Nations Economic • South Korea Currency: South Korean won.
and Social Council • Vietnam Capital City: Hanoi;
• Minister of Railways: Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw • Vietnam Currency: Vietnamese dong;
• Additional Member, Telecom and Railway Board: • Vietnam Prime Minister: Phạm Minh Chính.
Aruna Singh • Union Minister of State for New and Renewable
• ICICI Bank Headquarters: Vadodara; Energy: Shri Bhagwant Khuba
• ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khayal Apka. • Philippines Capital City: Manila; Currency: Philippine
• Union Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai; peso.
• Union Bank of India Founded: 11 November 1919, • Union Minister of Agriculture: Narendra Singh Tomar
Mumbai. • Union Minister of Agriculture for State: Shri Kailash
• Canara Bank Establishment: 1 July 1906; Chaudhary
• Canara Bank Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka; • Indian Bank Establishment: August 15, 1907;
• Canara Bank Tagline: Together we can. • Indian Bank Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu;
• Amazon.com Inc Founded: 5 July 1994. • Indian Bank Tagline: Taking Banking Technology To
• Amazon.com Inc Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, The Common Man.
United States. • HDFC Bank Ltd Establishment: 1994;
• Central Board of Direct Taxes Formation: 1964; • HDFC Bank Ltd Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra;
• Central Board of Direct Taxes Headquarters: New • HDFC Bank Ltd Tagline: We Understand Your World.
Delhi. • Non-Executive (part-time) Chairman of ICICI Bank:
• Central Intelligence Agency Founded: 26 July 1947; Mr. Girish Chandra Chaturvedi
• Central Intelligence Agency Headquarters: Langley, • Chief Executive Officer of Santander UK: Mike Regnier
McLean, Virginia, United States; • Adani Group Founded: 1988;
• Federal Reserve Bank of New York Established: 1913; • Adani Group Headquarters: Ahmedabad, Gujarat;

• Larsen & Toubro Infotech Limited Founded: 23 • France Capital: Paris;
December 1996; • France President: Emmanuel Macron.
• Larsen & Toubro Infotech Limited Headquarters: • Minister of State for External Affairs, GoI: Shri V
Mumbai; Muraleedharan
• Reliance Industries Ltd Founded: 8 May 1973, • Secretary General of the United Nations: Antonio
Maharashtra; Guterres
• Reliance Industries Ltd Headquarters: Mumbai. • US Secretary of State: Antony Blinken
• NPCI Founded: 2008; • World Bank Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United
• NPCI Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; States.
• Saudi Aramco Founded: 1933; • World Bank Formation: July 1944.
• Saudi Aramco Headquarters: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; • PNB MetLife Established: 2001;
• Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & • PNB MetLife Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra;
Information Technology: Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw • RBI Deputy Governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael
• Election Commission of India Formed:25 January Debabrata Patra, M Rajeshwar Rao, T Rabi Sankar.
1950; • Royal Enfield Headquarters: Chennai;
• Election Commission of India Headquarters: New • Royal Enfield Founded: 1955;
Delhi. • Royal Enfield Parent organization: Eicher Motors.
• Minister of Defence: Shri Rajnath Singh • Bharti Airtel Founded: 7 July 1995, India.
• International Boxing Association (IBA) was formed in • IndiGo Founded: 2006;
1946; • IndiGo Headquarters: Gurugram.
• Headquarters of IBA: Lausanne, Switzerland; • Kenya Capital: Nairobi;
• Ukraine Capital: Kyiv; • Kenya Currency: Shilling;
• Ukraine Currency: Ukrainian hryvnia; • Kenya President: Uhuru Kenyatta.
• Ukraine President: Volodymyr Zelenskyy; • US President: Joe Biden
• Ukraine Prime minister: Denys Shmyhal. • Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate
• SEBI Founded: 12 April 1992; Change: Shri Bhupender Yadav
• SEBI Headquarters: Mumbai;
• Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer
• Union Minister of State for Home Affairs: Ajay Kumar
Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles:
Mishra.
Shri Piyush Goyal
• ISSF Founded: 1907;
• Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters:
• ISSF Headquarters: Munich, Germany;
Rome, Italy;
• Confederation of Indian Industry Founded: 1895;
• Food and Agriculture Organization Founded: 16
• Confederation of Indian Industry Headquarters: New
October 1945.
Delhi, India;
• Minister of Railways, Communications and
• Confederation of Indian Industry Motto: Charting
Electronics & Information Technology, GoI: Ashwini
Change Enabling Development.
Vaishnaw.
• Union Bank of India Merged Banks: Andhra Bank, and
• Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs: Sh. Hardeep
Corporation Bank;
Singh Puri.
• Union Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai,
• China Capital: Beijing;
Maharashtra.
• China Currency: Renminbi;
• Minster of Home Affairs: Amit Shah
• China President: Xi Jinping.
• Minister of State in Ministry of Home affairs: Ajay
• International Organization of Legal Metrology
Kumar Mishra
• UAE Capital: Abu Dhabi; Headquarters: Paris, France.
• UAE Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham; • International Organization of Legal Metrology
• UAE Prime minister: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Founded: 1955.
Maktoum. • International Olympic Committee Headquarters:
• Federal Republic of Somalia Capital: Mogadishu; Lausanne, Switzerland;
• Federal Republic of Somalia Currency: Somali Shilling • International Olympic Committee Founded: 23 June
(SOS); 1894, Paris, France.
• Federal Republic of Somalia Prime Minister: • Australia Capital: Canberra;
Mohammed Hussein Roble. • Australia Currency: Australian dollar.

• East Timor Capital: Dili; • Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs: Smt.
• East Timor Currency: United States Dollar. Meenakshi Lekhi
• Belgium Capital: Brussels; • Parliamentary Affairs Minister: K Radhakrishnan
• Belgium Currency: Euro; • Lok Sabha Speaker: Om Birla
• Prime Minister of Belgium: Alexander De Croo. • Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker: Ritu Khanduri
• World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters: • Gujarat Assembly Speaker: Nimaben Acharya
Geneva, Switzerland • World Economic Forum (WEF) Headquarters:
• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland;
headquarters: New York, United States
• World Economic Forum (WEF) was Established:
• Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and
1971.
Chemicals and Fertilizers: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
• United Nations Population Fund Headquarters: New
• King of Jordan: Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein
• Secretary of State for Energy: R Meenakshi Sundaram York, United States;
• State Bank of India Founded: 1 July 1955; • United Nations Population Fund Founded: 1969.
• State Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai; • HDFC Securities CEO: Dhiraj Relli (May 2015–);
• IndusInd Bank Founded: 1994; • HDFC Securities Headquarters: Mumbai;
• IndusInd Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; • HDFC Securities Founded: 2000.
• IndusInd Bank Tagline: We Make You Feel Richer. • Federation of Indian Export Organisations Founded:
• Jet Airways Founded: 1 April 1992, Mumbai; 1965;
• Jet Airways Headquarters: Mumbai. • Federation of Indian Export Organisations
• Paytm Founded: August 2010; Headquarters: New Delhi;
• Paytm Headquarters: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. • Hindustan Zinc Limited Headquarters: Udaipur,
• Infosys Founded: 2 July 1981, Pune; Rajasthan.
• Infosys Headquarters: Bengaluru; • India Post Payments Bank Founded: September 1,
• JSW group Founded: 1982; 2018, under the Department of Posts, Ministry of
• JSW group headquarters location: Mumbai. Communication;
• World Health Organization Headquarters: Geneva, • India Post Payments Bank Headquarters: New Delhi,
Switzerland;
Delhi;
• World Health Organization Founded: 7 April 1948.
• India Post Payments Bank Tag line: Aapka Bank,
• WTO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland;
Aapke Dwaar.
• WTO Purpose: Reduction of tariffs and other barriers
• LIC Headquarters: Mumbai;
to trade;
• WTO Founded: 1 January 1995. • LIC Founded: 1 September 1956.
• Union Education and Skill Development Minister: Shri • Albania Capital: Tirana;
Dharmendra Pradhan • Albania Currency: Albanian lek;
• Minister of State for Education: Shri Rajkumar Ranjan • Albania President: Ilir Rexhep Meta;
Singh • Albania Prime Minister: Edi Rama.
Heads of various organizations in News in month of May 2022

Sr No Head of Organization Name of Person
1 Executive Director and Chairman of the C-DOT Board Rajkumar Upadhyay
2 ICICI Bank MD & CEO Sandeep Bakhshi
3 ICICI Bank Chairperson Girish Chandra Chaturvedi
4 Union Bank of India CEO Rajkiran Rai G
5 Indian Bank’s managing director and CEO S L Jain
6 Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HDFC Life Vibha Padalkar
7 Co-founder and chief executive of Open Anish Achuthan
8 RBI 25th Governor Shaktikanta Das
9 Canara Bank CEO & MD Lingam Venkat Prabhakar
10 Chief investment officer, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd Sampath Reddy

11 Co-founder and chief operating officer of Zopper Mayank Gupta
12 Central Intelligence Agency Founder Harry S. Truman
13 Central Intelligence Agency Director William J. Burns
14 Central Intelligence Agency Deputy Director David S. Cohen
15 Federal Reserve Bank of New York President & CEO John C. Williams
16 Railway Protection Force Director-General Sanjay Chandar
17 Border Roads Organisation Director-General Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhary
18 International Committee of the Red Cross Founder Henry Dunant
19 International Committee of the Red Cross President Peter Maurer
20 CEO – Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana Ritesh Chauhan
21 Indian Bank MD & CEO Shanti Lal Jain
22 HDFC Bank Ltd MD & CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan
23 ICICI Bank’s Head of the International Banking Group Sriram H Iyer
25 Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani
26 Adani Group Managing Director Rajesh Adani
27 Larsen & Toubro Infotech Limited CEO Sanjay Jalona
28 Reliance Industries Ltd CEO Mukesh Ambani
29 Reliance Industries Ltd Founder Dhirubhai Ambani
30 NPCI MD & CEO Dilip Asbe
31 Saudi Aramco CEO Amin H. Nasser
32 Bharti AXA General Insurance Company Limited CEO Sanjeev Srinivasan
33 Indian Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar
34 Coast Guard Director General V S Pathania
35 The Indian Chief of the Air Staff Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari
36 President of International Boxing Association Umar Nazarovich Kremlev
37 SEBI Agency Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch
38 International Shooting Sport Federation President Vladimir Lisin
39 Confederation of Indian Industry Director-General Chandrajit Banerjee
40 Union Bank of India Managing Director & CEO Rajkiran Rai G
41 World Bank President David Malpass
42 PNB MetLife Chairman Kishore Ponnavolu
43 PNB MetLife MD & CEO Ashish Kumar Srivastava
44 Bharti Airtel Founder Sunil Bharti Mittal
45 Managing Director of IndiGo Rahul Bhatia
46 WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus
47 Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General QU Dongyu
48 Swiggy’s cofounder and CEO Sriharsha Majety
49 Cofounder and CEO of Dineout Ankit Mehrotra
50 ISRO Chairman and Secretary of the Department of Space S Somanath
51 Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) S Unnikrishnan Nair
52 International Olympic Committee Director-General Christophe De Kepper
53 BPCL’s chief general manager Shelly Abraham
54 State Bank of India Chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara
55 IndusInd Bank MD & CEO Sumant Kathpalia
56 Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor
57 Jet Airways Founder Naresh Goyal
58 Infosys Founders N.r. Narayana Murthy and Nandan Nilekani
59 JSW group Founder Sajjan Jindal
60 National Federation of India Women general secretary Annie Raja
61 World Economic Forum (WEF) Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab
62 Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramana
63 United Nations Population Fund Head Natalia Kanem
64 Federation of Indian Export Organisations President Dr A Sakthivel
65 Federation of Indian Export Organisations Director General & CEO Dr. Ajay Sahai
66 Hindustan Zinc Limited Chairman Kiran Agarwal
67 India Post Payments Bank MD & CEO J Venkatramu
68 LIC Chairperson M R Kumar
List of Indian Banks Headquarters and Taglines – Public Sector banks

Key person
Bank Name Headquarters Tagline
(MD&CEO)
Indian Bank Your own bank, Banking That’s twice as
Chennai Shanti Lal Jain
(Allahabad Bank) good
Bank of Baroda
Vadodara India’s International Bank Sanjiv Chadha
( Dena Bank & Vijaya Bank)
Atanu Kumar
Bank of India Mumbai Relationship beyond banking
Das
Bank of Maharashtra Pune One Family One Bank A.S Rajeev
Central to you since 1911, Build a better life
Central Bank of India Mumbai M. V. Rao
around us
Canara Bank ( Syndicate Bank) Bengaluru Together we can L V Prabhakar
Partha Pratim
Indian Overseas Bank Chennai Good People to grow with
Sengupta
Punjab & Sind Bank New Delhi Where service is a way of life S Krishnan
Punjab National Bank (United
Atul Kumar
Bank of India & Oriental Bank of New Delhi The Name You Can Bank Upon
Goel
Commerce)
With You all the way, Pure Banking Nothing
Dinesh Kumar
State Bank of India Mumbai Else, The Nation Ban on us, The Banker to
Khara
Every Indian
Soma Sankara
UCO Bank Kolkatta Honours Your Trust
Prasad
Union Bank of India Mumbai Good People to Bank with Rajkiran Rai G

The Monthly Hindu Review | Current Affairs | June 2022

Contents
The Most Important Current Affairs June 2022 ............................................................................................ 3
Banking and Financial Current Affairs .......................................................................................................... 9
Important Days .................................................................................................................................................. 34
Books & Authors ............................................................................................................................................... 39
Obituaries ........................................................................................................................................................... 41
Important Superlatives of India ..................................................................................................................... 46

The Most Important Current Affairs June 2022
GoI launched Agnipath military recruitment Eknath Shinde to take oath as Chief Minister of
scheme Maharashtra
The Indian government has introduced the Agnipath
Eknath Shinde, a rebel Shiv Sena MLA, will be sworn in
Military recruitment scheme, a 4-year tenure scheme
for the defense troops. The scheme will facilitate the as the new chief minister of Maharashtra. The dissident
induction of more troops for shorter-term tenures. The Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde and the BJP will
scheme has been planned and is being implemented by form Maharashtra’s new government after nearly ten
the Department of Military Affairs. days of intense power struggles. The Maha Vikas Aghadi
Here are the key details of the scheme: government’s authority in the state came to an end the
• ‘Agnipath’ is a short-term service youth recruitment day after Uddhav Thackeray resigned as chief minister.
scheme for the armed forces that operates across The Shinde camp announced that talks with the BJP have
India. Agniveers will be the name given to those
begun and that they will form the government.
chosen for the scheme, and they will serve in a variety
of terrain such as deserts, mountains, land, sea, and KEY POINTS:
air. • When announcing Shinde’s candidacy, Fadnavis
• Approximately 45,000 people between the ages of
stated that the BJP, the Eknath Shinde group, and 16
17.5 and 21 will be inducted into the service for a
four-year period under the scheme. The recruitment independents/smaller parties had all written letters
process will begin in the next 90 days, with the first of support to the governor. Shinde will take his oath
batch expected to be completed by July 2023. in Raj Bhawan.
• In a one-time waiver, the Central government has • Devendra Fadnavis takes oath as deputy Chief
increased the upper age limit for the Agnipath scheme
Minister of Maharashtra
from 21 to 23 years (First Batch only).
• The selection will be made using a centralised online • Uddhav Thackeray resigned as chief minister of
method. Agniveers will be required to have the same Maharashtra due to a mutiny within his own Shiv
educational requirements as normal officers in the Sena party and the realisation that he would not be
armed forces. able to demonstrate his government’s majority in the
• Women will be inducted in the ‘Agnipath’ scheme House.
as well.
• His resignation came after the Supreme Court
• After four years, Agniveers would be given the option
to voluntarily apply for registration in the permanent declined to impose a stay on a floor test that the
cadre. These applications will be evaluated based on Governor had ordered.
merit and service performance. It’s possible that up to • JP Nadda said that there will be a strong government
25 per cent of submissions will be accepted. in this state thanks to Amit Shah’s support, which will
• Agniveers will be hired for four years under the result in rapid state development. The 50 MLAs have
‘Agnipath’ scheme and will get intensive military
training. They will be given a monthly wage of ₹ battled alongside me and given me this position of
30,000 to ₹ 40,000 per month, plus allowances. trust. I reassure them that I won’t subject them to the
same treatment they previously received.
Monthly wages:
Agniveer GOI
Customized In
contribution contribution
Year salary hand
to the to the
package Salary
corpus Corpus fund
1st Year 30000 21000 9000 9000
2nd
33000 23100 9900 9900
Year
3rd Year 36500 25580 10950 10950
4th Year 40000 28000 12000 12000
Total contribution to Seva Nidhi
5.02 Lakh 5.02 Lakh
by Agniveers and GOI
Rs 11.71 Lakh as Seva Nidhi
Package (Including, interest
accumulated on the above
Exit After 4 years
amount as per the applicable
interest rates would also be
paid. )

• He added that they shall put in nonstop effort to move The third phase of final evaluation was held on May 26-
this State toward development. Finding a diamond 27, 2022 in Bengaluru wherein 24 finalist teams
like Devendra Fadnavis is challenging. Even though he presented their solutions for the problem statements to
is not a member of the cabinet, they will always value the jury of external experts who evaluated and selected
his advice and suggestions. the winners and runners-up based on parameters like
• BJP now has close to 120 members. Fadnavis could innovation, technology, demonstration, user experience,
have easily assumed the position of CM. He was kind security, ease of implementation.
and offered Balasaheb’s shivsainik this position. The results of the Hackathon are as follows:
About the Maharashtra Uddhav Crisis:
S.
• Following allegations of cross-voting in the Legislative Problem Statement Results
No
Council elections, the crisis started on June 21.
Innovative, easy-touse, non-
• Following that, Uddhav Thackeray convened a hasty Tone Tag (Brand
mobile digital payment
meeting of Shiv Sena MLAs. Eknath Shinde, the of Naffa
1 solutions for converting small-
leader of the Sena, and 11 other MLAs were not Innovations Pvt.
ticket cash transactions to
identifiable. Ltd.) (INDIA)
digital mode.
• The missing Sena leaders were discovered camped
Alternate authentication napID Cybersec
out in opulent hotels in Surat, Guwahati, and finally 2
mechanism for digital payments Pvt. Ltd.(INDIA)
Goa before returning to Mumbai. This was followed
Tone Tag (Brand
by a week of resort politics. Context based retail payments
of Naffa
3 to remove the physical act of
About Eknath Shinde: Innovations Pvt.
payment
• Eknath Shinde is an Indian politician who was born Ltd.) (INDIA)
on February 9th, 1964. Social Media Analysis and
• He served as the government of Maharashtra’s Monitoring tool for detection of TrustCheckr
4
Cabinet Minister for Public Works and Urban digital payment fraud and (INDIA)
Development. disruption
• He now represents Thane, Maharashtra’s Kopri-
Additional Info:
Pachpakhadi constituency in the legislative assembly.
These innovative products are expected to bring
• Before he precipitated a serious political crisis,
additional benefits in the payments ecosystem viz.
Eknath Sambhaji Shinde served as the PWD Cabinet
inclusion of the underprivileged through non-mobile
Minister for the Maharashtra State Government payment solutions and prevention of digital payment
(MSRDC, Public Undertaking) and is currently a Shiv frauds through smart-secure alternate authentication
Sena member of the Maharashtra Legislative methods as well as timely analysis of social media posts.
Assembly from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi (Vidhan Sabha
constituency).
RBI Monetary Policy: RBI raises repo rate by 50
• There are 288 members of the Maharashtra
Legislative Assembly. bps to 4.90%
• He was re-elected to the Maharashtra Legislative The six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) led
Assembly for a total of four terms in 2004, 2009, by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das voted unanimously to
2014, and 2019. raise repo rate by 50 basis points to 4.90 percent. The
Monetary Policy Committee has raised the repo rate in
RBI announces results of 1st Global Hackathon order to tackle elevated inflation. Standing Deposit
“HARBINGER 2021” Facility and Marginal Standing Facility rates also raised by
50 basis points. Standing Deposit Facility rate now 4.65
The Reserve Bank of India had launched its first global percent, and Marginal Standing Facility rate now 5.15
hackathon – “HARBINGER 2021 – Innovation for percent.
Transformation” with the theme ‘Smarter Digital
Payments’ which was communicated. The hackathon Consequently, the various rates are as under:
received encouraging response with 363 proposals • Policy Repo Rate: 4.90%
submitted by teams from within India and from 22 other • Standing Deposit Facility (SDF): 4.65%
countries including the USA, UK, Sweden, Singapore, • Marginal Standing Facility Rate: 5.15%
Philippines, and Israel. The Hackathon ran in three • Bank Rate: 5.15%
phases with shortlisting of proposals in the first phase, • Fixed Reverse Repo Rate: 3.35%
solution development in the second phase followed by the • CRR: 4.50%
final evaluation in the third phase. • SLR: 18.00%

All members of the Monetary Policy Committee: List of the winners of IIFA 2022:
• Dr. Shashanka Bhide, • Best Actor (Male): Vicky Kaushal (Sardar Udham)
• Dr. Ashima Goyal, • Best Actor (Female): Kriti Sanon (Mimi)
• Prof. Jayanth R. Varma, • Best Director: Vishnuvaradhan (Shershaah)
• Dr. Rajiv Ranjan,
• Best Film: Shershaah
• Dr. Michael Debabrata Patra and
• Best Playback Singer Female: Asees Kaur for
• Shri Shaktikanta Das
‘Raataan Lambiyan’, (Shershaah)
Key points: • Best Playback Singer Male: Jubin Nautiyal for song
• E-mandate on cards for recurring payments, limit
‘Raataan Lambiyan’, (Shershaah)
upped from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000.
• Best Lyrics: Kausar Munir for ‘Lehra Do’, 83
• RBI allows linking of credit cards to UPI platform.
• Limits on individual home loans given by urban and • Best Music Direction: A R Rahman for Atrangi Re
rural co-operative banks are being revised upwards and Jasleen Royal, Javed-Mohsin, Vikram Montrose, B
more than 100 percent taking into account the rise in Praak, Jaani for Shershaah
housing prices over the last decade. • Best Male Debut: Ahan Shetty (Tadap)
• Rural co-operative banks can now extend finance to • Best Female Debut: Sharvari Wagh (Bunty Aur Babli
commercial real estate, or loans for residential 2)
housing projects, within the limit of 5% of their total • Best Story Adapted: Kabir Khan, Sanjay Puran Singh
assets.
Chauhan for 83
• Urban cooperative banks will now begin doorstep
• Best Original Story: Ludo by Anurag Basu
banking services to customers.
• India’s exports have performed exceptionally well. As • Best Supporting Actor Female: Sai Tamhankar
on June 3, 2022, India’s forex reserves stood at (Mimi)
$601.1 bn. • Best Supporting Actor Male: Pankaj Tripathi (Ludo)
RBI revises inflation projection:

• RBI revises inflation projection for FY23 to 6.7 % QS World University Rankings 2023 released
from 5.7% earlier
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), London-based global
• For April-June 2022 revised to 7.5% from 6.3%
higher education has released the 19th edition of the
• For July-September 2022 revised to 7.4% from 5.8%
• For October-December 2022 revised to 6.2% from world’s most consulted international university ranking.
5.4% The QS World University Rankings 2023 ranks the top
• For January-March 2023 revised to 5.8% from 5.1% 900 universities based on 8 key ranking indicators. This is
the largest ever ranking with 1,418 institutions across one
Real GDP forecast:
hundred locations up from 1300 in the previous year.
• Real GDP forecast for FY23 retained at 7.2%
• Q1 (April-June) 2022 GDP growth forecast at 16.2% Key points:
• Q2 (July-September) 2022 GDP growth forecast at • The ranking was topped by the United States(US)’s
6.2%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Q3 (October-December) 2022 GDP growth forecast at
followed by the University of Cambridge in the United
4.1%
• Q4 (January-March ’23) GDP growth forecast at 4.0% Kingdom(UK) and Stanford University(US).
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru,
IIFA awards 2022: Announced Check the Karnataka, ranked 155 gaining 31 places since 2022
complete list of winners ranking and emerged as the fastest rising South Asian
university among the top 200 universities.
The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA)
• 41 Indian varsities have be
held in Abu Dhabi. This year the IIFA 2022 Awards was
• en found place in the rankings. Among QS World
hosted by Salman Khan, Maniesh Paul and Riteish
Deshmukh. Sidharth Malhotra’s Shershaah dominated University Rankings top 200 varsities, The Indian
the awards this year, with the film winning in as many as Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru (155th) topped
five categories. Sardar Udham, Mimi and Ludo won in two among Indian universities, followed by IIT Bombay
categories each. (172nd) and IIT Delhi (174th).

QS World University Rankings 2023: Globally Title Winner Runner up
Ivan Dodig
Overall Marcelo Arévalo ( El
Rank University Men’s (Croatian),
Score Salvador), Jean-Julien
doubles Austin Krajicek
Massachusetts Institute of Rojer (Netherlands)
(US)
1 Technology (MIT) Cambridge, 100
Caroline Garcia (French), Jessica Pegula
United States Women’s
Kristina Mladenovic (US), Coco Gauff
University of Cambridge doubles
2 98.8 (French) (US)
Cambridge, United Kingdom
Joran Vliegen
Stanford University Stanford, Ena Shibahara (JAPAN),
3 98.5 Mixed (Belgium),
United States Wesley Koolh of
doubles Ulrikke Eikeri
(Netherlands)
QS World University Rankings 2023: List of top (Norway)
universities in India:
IMD’s World Competitiveness Index 2022:
National Global rank
Name of universirty India ranked 37th
rank /bracket
1 IISc Bangalore 155 India has seen the sharpest growth among the Asian
2 IIT Bombay 172 economies, with a six-position jump from 43rd to 37th
3 IIT Delhi 174 rank on the annual World Competitiveness Index 2022.
4 IIT Madras 250 The Index has been compiled by the Institute for
5 IIT Kanpur 264 Management Development (IMD). Meanwhile, the top-
6 IIT Kharagpur 270 performing Asian economies are Singapore (3rd), Hong
7 IIT Roorkee 369 Kong (5th), Taiwan (7th), China (17th) and Australia
8 IIT Guwahati 384 (19th).
9 IIT Indore 396 India is also a driving force in the global movement to
10 University of Delhi 521-30 fight climate change and Mr. Modi’s pledge of net-zero by
2070 at the COP26 summit in November 2021, sits in
harmony with its strength in environment-related
French Open Tennis Grand Slam 2022
technologies in the ranking. The top five attractive factors
The 2022 French Open was a Grand Slam tennis of India’s economy for business are – a skilled workforce,
tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was held at cost competitiveness, dynamism of the economy, high
the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, from 22 May educational level and open and positive attitudes.
to 5 June 2022, comprising singles, doubles and mixed
World Competitiveness Index 2022: Globally
doubles play. Iga Świątek won the women’s singles event,
• Denmark has moved to the top of the 63-nation list
capturing her second French Open crown, and Rafael
from the third position last year, while Switzerland
Nadal won the men’s singles event, capturing his record-
slipped from the top ranking to the second position
extending 14th French Open title.
and Singapore regained the third spot from fifth, a
In Grand Slam there are 5 categories global study showed.
• Men’s Singles • Others in the top 10 include Sweden at the fourth
• Women’s singles position, followed by Hong Kong SAR (5th), the
• Men’s Doubles Netherlands (6th), Taiwan (7th), Finland (8th),
• Women’s doubles Norway (9th) and the USA (10th).
• Mixed doubles About the World Competitiveness Index 2022:
List of Winners French Open 2022: IMD business school in Switzerland and Singapore
released the 2022 World Competitiveness Ranking. Its
Title Winner Runner up think-tank, IMD World Competitiveness Center, ranks 63
Men’s Casper Ruud economies and assesses the extent to which a country
Rafael Nadal (Spain)
Singles (Norwegian) promotes the prosperity of its people by measuring
Women’s economic well-being via hard data and survey responses
Iga Świątek (Poland) Coco Gauff (US)
Singles from executives.

Angelo Mathews and Tuba Hassan crowned ICC Key points:
Players of the Month for May • Sanghasena is the founder of the Mahabodhi
International Meditation Centre in Leh, and a social
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced
and spiritual worker. Earlier, the Gandhi Peace
that Sri Lanka’s batting star Angelo Mathews and
Foundation conferred him with the World Peace
Pakistan’s debutante spin sensation Tuba Hassan have
Award in 2004.
been voted the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the
• Rojo trained at Kaivalyadhama School in Lonavla,
Month for May 2022. Fans can continue to vote every
month for their favourite male and female cricketers which was founded by Swami Kuvalayananda. Upon
across all formats of international cricket as part of the his return to Brazil, he acted as the main promoter of
ICC Player of the Month initiative by registering at yoga in the country, emphasising on the scientific
www.icc-cricket.com/awards. teachings of Swami Kuvalayananda.
• Similarly, the British Wheel of Yoga in the United
Why this award is given to Angelo Mathews?
Kingdom was founded by Wilfred Clark in 1965. He
Mathews was selected the stand-out male player after practiced yoga during his army service in the First
piling on runs over the course of his side’s impressive ICC World War. Later, he started teaching yoga and
World Test Championship series victory against eventually opened up the Wheel. The organisation is
Bangladesh. Mathews becomes the first Sri Lankan player now committed to promoting a better understanding
to be named the Player of the Month since its inception in of yoga through education and training programs.
January 2021, scooping the award ahead of fellow
nominees Asitha Fernando (Sri Lanka), and Mushfiqur About the award:
Rahim (Bangladesh). Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced these awards
on the second International Yoga Day to felicitate
Why this award is given to Tuba Hassan?
On the other hand, Hassan was awarded the to honour individuals and organisations who have made a
after enjoying significant success with the ball during her significant impact on society for a sustained time period
debut international series. The 21-year-old leg spinner through the promotion and development of yoga. The
was instrumental in restricting scores set by opponents awards for the Outstanding Contribution towards the
Sri Lanka in the three-game T20I series in Pakistan, Development and Promotion of Yogawas announced by
where she captured the Player of the Series award, taking the Prime Minister of India on the occasion of the 2nd
five wickets at an average of 8.8 and an economy rate of International Day of Yoga celebrations at Chandigarh
3.66. In securing this month’s award, Hassan overcomes on 21st June, 2016.
fellow nominees in compatriot Bismah Maroof, and The selection of the awardees was made after a two-stage
Jersey’s Trinity Smith. Tuba is the first female player from process that reviewed the contributions made by
Pakistan to win in the award. institutions and individuals that were shortlisted. The
selections were done under four categories –
Prime Minister’s award for outstanding international individual, international organisation,
contribution for promotion of Yoga announced national individual and national organisation.
On the occasion of International Yoga Day, the AYUSH
ministry has announced to give the ‘Prime Minister’s
Award for Outstanding Contribution towards the
Development and Promotion of Yoga’ for 2022 to two
individuals and two organisations in recognition of their
contributions in the space.
Award winners:
Two individuals Bhikkhu Sanghasena from Ladakh,
Marcus Vinicius Rojo Rodrigues from Brazil and two
organisations, “The Divine Life Society” from
Uttarakhand and the British Wheel of Yoga from United
Kingdom have been chosen for award. They will also
receive ₹25 lakh as cash prize, a trophy and a certificate.

International Day of Yoga 2022 Global Liveability Index 2022 released
International Day of Yoga is celebrated world wide on The annual ranking of the world's most liveable cities has
21st June since 2015. This year, the 8th edition of the just been released by the Economist Intelligence Unit
(EIU), and 2022's Global Liveability Index shows some
International Day of Yoga will be observed. Yoga is an
marked differences from the previous year. The EIU,
ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that
which is a sister organization to The Economist, ranked
originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit 173 cities around the world on a variety of factors,
and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of including health care, crime rates, political stability,
body and consciousness. Today it is practised in various infrastructure and access to green space.
forms around the world and continues to grow in 2022's Global Liveability Index: The top 10
popularity. 1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
India is celebrating Yoga Day:
3. Zurich, Switzerland
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Mysuru Palace
4. Calgary, Canada
Ground where he performing Yoga, along with others on 5. Vancouver, Canada
the eighth International Yoga Day. India is celebrating 6. Geneva, Switzerland
Yoga Day in the physical mode after a gap of two years 7. Frankfurt, Germany
owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Modi is joined by 8. Toronto, Canada
15,000 participants in the event. 9. Amsterdam, Netherlands
10. Osaka, Japan and Melbourne, Australia (tie)
International Yoga Day 2022: Theme
10 LEAST LIVEABLE CITIES AROUND THE WORLD IN
International Yoga Day 2022 will be celebrated on 21
2022:
June 2022 with the theme ‘Yoga for Humanity’ across • Tehran, Iran
the world with great enthusiasm. As the pandemic COVID- • Douala, Cameroon
19 continued this year also, yoga is helping people to stay • Harare, Zimbabwe
energetic and have strong immune system. • Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Port Moresby, PNG
What is Yoga and why do we celebrate it? • Karachi, Pakistan
Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice • Algiers, Algeria
that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from • Tripoli, Libya
Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the • Lagos, Nigeria
union of body and consciousness. The International Day • Damascus, Syria
of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many Key points:
benefits of practicing yoga. • Hong Kong had the dubious honor of coming in first
The significance of Yoga Day can be seen in the light of place, with New York City, Geneva, London and
spreading awareness on the issue of mental and physical Tokyo rounding out the top five in Liveability versus
well-being. The International day of yoga also aims to cost of living.
• The cities in India have fared poorly in the list of the
inculcate a habit of meditation for the peace of mind and
world's most liveable cities. India's national capital
the self-awareness which is necessary to survive in a
New Delhi has been ranked 112th in the list of most
stress-free environment. liveable cities. While India's financial capital Mumbai
International Yoga Day: History is ranked at 117th position.
• The Pakistani city of Karachi and Bangladesh
The United Nations General Assembly had declared June
capital Dhaka are among the least liveable cities in the
21 as the International Day of Yoga in 2014 at the
world.
initiative of India with the support of 177 countries. The • Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, has not made it to the list
idea of International Day of Yoga was first proposed by after Russia invaded the country in February 2022.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech While, the ranking of Russian cities like Moscow and
at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 27th St Petersburg also fell over 'censorship' and western
September 2014. sanctions on the country.

National MSME Award 2022 Banking and Financial Current Affairs
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) • Public sector banks (PSBs) more than quadrupled
Department, Government of Odisha has been awarded their net profit in the fiscal year 2021-2022. During
first prize in the category “National MSME Award 2022 the financial year 2021-22, the aggregate profit of 12
to States/UTs for outstanding contribution in the state-owned banks was Rs 66,539 crore, up 110
promotion and Development of MSME Sector” by percent from Rs 31,816 crore in the previous year.
virtue of various developmental initiatives taken up for For the first time in years, all 12 state-owned banks
the development of MSMEs. Bihar and Haryana were made a profit. This was also a significant
second and third respectively. improvement over FY18, when just two of the 21
PSBs declared a profit.
Other awardees: • NBFC giant, HDFC has announced the collaboration
• Kalahandi has been awarded third prize in the with global information technology services and
category “National MSME Award 2022 to consulting firm, Accenture to digitally transform its
Aspirational districts for outstanding contribution lending business. The tie-up will revamp HDFC’s
in the promotion and Development of MSME customer experience and business processes to
Sector” as the sectoral development was in the line of provide greater operational agility and efficiency, and
award parameters, according to an official statement drive business growth.
issued by the state government. • The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC),
• Similarly, Sumeet Mohanty M/s Saferisk Insurance India’s largest insurer, has launched “Bima Ratna” – a
Brokers Private Limited, Bhubaneswar has been non-linked, non-participating, individual, savings life
awarded first prize in the category “Award for insurance plan. The new plan, which is aimed at the
Service Entrepreneurship – Service Small domestic market, provides both protection and
Enterprise (Overall)”. savings.
• In addition, Sibabrata Rout M/s Amarnath Pest • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in light of the
Management Technology, Cuttack has also been growing involvement of non-banking financial
companies (NBFCs) in the financial system, has
awarded third prize in the category “Award for
issued a set of standards for provisioning for standard
Service Entrepreneurship – Service Micro
assets by large NBFCs. The RBI published a
Enterprise (Overall)”.
framework for NBFC scale-based regulation in
About the awards: October of last year. NBFCs have a four-layer
Awards to States and UTs and Aspirational Districts for regulatory structure based on their size, activity, and
their contribution to the MSME, parameters like sector- perceived riskiness.
specific policies & their performance, the efficacy of • The Payments Infrastructure Development Fund
Facilitation Council, Grievance redressal, Y-o-Y growth of (PIDF) scheme had deployed more than 4.11 lakh
MSME budget, growth of MSME credit, implementation of PoS, mobile PoS, and other physical devices across
the cluster approach, Udyam Registration, skill the country as of April 30, 2022, according to the RBI.
The scheme also had deployed 1,14,05,116 digital
development programs, and awareness conducted, etc.
devices, including interoperable QR code-based
were taken into account.
payments such as UPI QR and Bharat QR.
• According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data,
India’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves increased by
USD 3.854 billion to USD 601.363 billion, owing to a
substantial growth in the country’s foreign currency
assets.
• Suryoday Small Finance Bank, one of India’s
premier small finance banks, has established a
cooperation with Mobisafar to provide banking
services across India through all of Mobisafar’s
franchises and Business Correspondent network. The
cooperation aims to increase financial inclusion by
providing vital banking services to underbanked
customers digitally, even in the most distant corners
of the country.

• The Reserve Bank of India has cancelled the licence • Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
of "The Mudhol Co-operative Bank Limited, Limited, India (HSBC India) has announced USD
Bagalkot (Karnataka)", thus restricting it from 250 million in lending support for high-growth,
repayment of deposits and acceptance of fresh funds. technology-led start-ups in India, which has the
The bank does not have adequate capital and earning world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem. HSBC will
prospects, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said while administer the lending via its commercial banking
announcing the cancellation of licence. division. It has also not mentioned any specific
• ICICI Bank has announced that it has partnered with timeframe for disbursal of the amount.
digital EMI/pay-later platform ZestMoney, to expand • Electric two-wheeler manufacturer Ather Energy has
its ‘Cardless EMI’ facility for purchases on retail and partnered State Bank of India to provide customers
e-commerce platforms. The partnership enhances with vehicle financing. As part of the association
affordability of customers of the Bank who can use Ather Energy customers will get instant loans at
pre-approved cardless credit to instantly buy interest rates as low as 9.55 percent per annum.
products/ services using ZestMoney and take care of • Canara HSBC OBC Life has renamed itself as Canara
the cost into Equated Monthly Installments (EMIs). HSBC Life following its third partner Punjab
• Fino Payments Bank Limited has partnered with Go National Bank’s (PNB’s) decision to exit. PNB had
Digit General Insurance Limited, one of India’s acquired a stake in the company following the
fastest growing general insurers, to provide small and amalgamation of Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC).
medium business owners with shop insurance Currently, Canara Bank holds 51% in the
coverage. Fino Payments Bank serves as a corporate insurance arm, HSBC holds 26% and PNB 23%.
representative for Go Digit. • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has raised the
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) limit
increased the existing limits on individual housing from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 per transaction for e-
loans provided by cooperative banks, taking into mandates on cards, Prepaid Payment Instruments
account the rise in housing prices since the limits (PPIs) and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for
were last revised and considering customers’ needs recurring transactions. It implies, additional
authentication will not be need for payment of Rs
for larger loans. (Click here to read the article)
15,000 per transaction.
• Payment solution provider, OmniCard has
• The Reserve Bank’s Payments Vision 2025 plan,
announced that it became the 1st RBI licensed PPI
which wants to triple the volume of digital payments,
(prepaid payment instrument) to launch cash
is progressive, according to industry players, and
withdrawal using a RuPay-powered card from any
intends to build India as a worldwide payments
ATMs across the country. The move came in after RBI
powerhouse. In light of rising geopolitical threats, the
permitted the non-bank licensed entities to enable
RBI released its Payments Vision 2025 document,
cash withdrawals from the digital wallets.
which discusses ring-fencing domestic payment
• Indian Bank launched its KCC Digital Renewal
networks, as well as the necessity to enforce domestic
scheme, enabling eligible customers to renew their
processing of payment transactions.
Kisan Credit Card accounts via digital modes. The
• Equitas Small Finance Bank is set to launch kids’
initiative is part of the bank’s digital transformation
savings account called ENJOI, on Father’s Day. The
under project ‘WAVE’ – World of Advanced Virtual
SFB announced that this account introduces “young
Experience.
kids” to the financial world, encouraging them to
• Private sector lender, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank develop an early habit of saving. It added that an
has received capital markets regulator Securities and ENJOI account will also help the kids to take their first
Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) to launch and step towards a new age and technology-oriented
raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO). banking experience.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) relaxed the • The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has
limitations placed on Mastercard Asia/Pacific Pte declared the IT resources of ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank
Ltd on onboarding new domestic clients. For non- and UPI managing entity NPCI as ‘critical information
compliance with RBI standards for data storage in infrastructure’, implying any harm to them can have
India, Mastercard has been barred from onboarding an impact on national security and any unauthorised
new domestic users (debit, credit, or prepaid) onto its person accessing these resources may be jailed for up
card network as of July 22, 2021. to 10 years.
• Millath Co-operative Bank Ltd., Davangere, • The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has
Karnataka, had its licence suspended by the Reserve introduced Dhan Sanchay, a non-linked, non-
Bank of India (RBI), resulting in a capital shortage. participating individual savings life insurance plan
As a result, the bank’s banking operations will come that offers both protection and savings. This plan
to an end at the end of the day. According to a press provides financial support to the family if the life
release from the RBI, the Registrar of Cooperative
assured dies prematurely during the policy’s term.
Societies in Karnataka has also been asked to issue an
• DBS Bank India Ltd. announced that it has purchased
order winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator.
a 9.9% share in Svakarma Finance, a non-deposit
• Bengaluru-based neobanking platform Freo has
launched its digital savings account ‘Freo Save’ in taking, non-banking finance company that provides
partnership with Equitas Small Finance Bank. With micro businesses with relevant financial solutions
this launch, it has become the first consumer neobank through a combination of direct lending and co-
in the country to provide full-stack neo-banking lending. DBS Bank India‘s extended franchise plan
products, including smart savings account, credit and envisions considerable development in SME and
payments products, cards and wealth-growth consumer companies across over 300 sites and 500
products. branches.
• South Indian Bank has launched a new portal called • Funds parked by Indian individuals and firms in
‘SIB TF Online’ for its corporate EXIM customers. Swiss banks, including through India-based branches
The portal facilitates a platform for trade-related
and other financial institutions, jumped to a 14-year-
payments to foreign entities remotely. The customer
high of 3.83 billion Swiss francs (over Rs 30,500
can initiate the payment request over SIB TF Online
crore) in 2021, according to annual data from
after uploading the relevant supporting documents
for the transaction. Switzerland’s central bank. The rise in aggregate
• Karnataka Bank has launched online savings bank funds of Indian clients with Swiss banks, from 2.55
(SB) account opening facility through ‘Video-based billion Swiss francs (Rs 20,700 crore) at the end of
Customer Identification Process (V-CIP)’. The 2020, marks the second consecutive year of increase.
facility enabled in the corporate website of the bank, • The Reserve Bank of India has given the State Bank
empowers prospective customers to open an SB of India preliminary approval for its proposed
account through online process and complete KYC operations support subsidiary, which aims to reduce
(know your customer) verification through a video the cost-to-income ratio. Before introducing the new
call at their place of convenience. subsidiary across India, the bank will soon begin a
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the pilot programme in a select areas. Dinesh Kumar
deadline for implementing a number of the master
Khara, the chairman of SBI, said that a subsidiary for
directives it issued on the issuance of debit cards and
operations assistance is being established. It aims to
credit cards. by three months, from July 1, 2022 to
allay the worry over the cost to income ratio. They
October 1, 2022. The following Master Direction
provisions will now go into effect on October 1, 2022 already have RBI‘s in-principle permission, and we’ll
the central bank announced in a circular. This be starting a trial programme soon.
decision was made after taking into account various • One of the top NBFCs, Mufin Finance, has received
comments from industry stakeholders. preliminary authorisation from the RBI to issue semi-
• In order to improve the quality of life for seniors, the closed prepaid payment instruments. Digital banks,
State Bank of India (SBI) and the Department of fintech companies, and major consumer-facing
Pension & Pensioners Welfare (DoPPW) of the applications are able to introduce features like digital
Centre will work together to develop an integrated payment solutions for lending thanks to a semi-closed
pension platform. SBI field employees were given PPI licence. Following well-known companies like
sessions on pension policy reforms and digitization
Bajaj Finserve, Manapurram, and Paul Merchants,
relating the disbursement of pensions to central
Mufin Finance is the fourth NBFC to get a similar
government pensioners at a two-day banker’s
licence from the RBI.
awareness event in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Economy Current Affairs • The World Bank has slashed its growth forecast for
India for the current financial year to 7.5 percent, a
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development hefty 1.2 percentage points down from its
Authority of India (IRDAI) has formed various previous forecast of 8.7 percent.
committees through the General Insurance Council
• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
(GIC) to suggest reforms in several areas of general,
Development (OECD) has forecast India’s GDP
reinsurance, and life insurance, including regulation,
growth at 6.9 per cent for FY23. This is 120 basis
product, and distribution, among others, in order to
points lower than the 8.1 per cent projection made in
overhaul the industry.
December. The lowest by a major bank or institution,
• The United States overtook China to become India’s
saying the country had been adversely affected by
top trading partner in 2021-22, reflecting strong
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
economic ties between the two countries. According
to commerce ministry data, in 2021-22, bilateral • The Crypto Rupee Index has been launched by
trade between the US and India stood at US$ 119.42 CoinSwitch (CRE8). According to the crypto
billion as against US$ 80.51 billion in 2020-21. exchange, it is India’s first benchmark index for
During 2021-22, India’s two-way commerce with measuring the performance of the Indian Rupee-
China aggregated at $115.42 billion as compared to based crypto sector. CRE8 monitors the performance
$86.4 billion in 2020-21, the data showed. of eight crypto assets that account for more than 85%
• GST revenue for May stood at nearly Rs 1.41 lakh of the entire market capitalization of crypto assets
crore, a 44 per cent increase over the same month traded in Indian Rupee.
last year, the Finance Ministry. The Goods and • Fitch Ratings upgraded India‘s outlook from
Services Tax (GST) revenues came in lower than the Negative to Stable, noting diminishing downside
record high collection in April at Rs 1.68 lakh crore. risks to medium-term growth as a result of the
In March GST revenues were at Rs 1.42 lakh crore, country’s strong economic recovery and the easing of
while in February it was Rs 1.33 lakh crore. financial sector problems. However, due to the impact
• India’s economic growth fell to 4.1 percent in of inflation on development momentum, the global
January-March 2021-22, a four-quarter low, reflecting rating firm has decreased its GDP growth prediction
the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic’s Omicron wave for 2022-23 from 8.5 percent expected in March to
on the manufacturing sector and contact-intensive 7.8 percent.
services. The National Statistical Office reduced its • From FY19 through FY22, Enhanced Access and
year-on-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth Service Excellence-EASE evolved over four year
forecast for the full fiscal year 2021-22 to 8.7%, down editions, catalysing improvements in a variety of
from 8.9% anticipated in February. In the years 2020-
areas in Public Sector Banks. The EASENext
21, the economy shrank by 6.6 percent.
program’s EASE 5.0 ‘Common reforms agenda’ was
• The Central government has handed Rs 86,912 crore
designed for Public Sector Banks and was introduced
to state governments, the SGST (State Goods and
by Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala
Services Tax), fully compensating them for the
Sitharaman through video conference in New Delhi.
Goods and Services Tax (GST). Despite only having
roughly Rs 25,000 crore in the GST compensation
pool, the Centre made the whole amount. The
remaining funds were paid from the Centre’s own
funds while the cess was being collected.
• The government has approved 8.1 per cent rate of
interest on employees’ provident fund (EPF)
deposits for 2021-22, an over four-decade low for
about five crore subscribers of retirement fund body
Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
Earlier in March this year, EPFO had decided to lower
the interest on provident fund deposits for 2021-22 to
8.1 per cent from 8.5 per cent provided in 2020-
21.

• According to data released by the Ministry of Business Current Affairs
Statistics and Programme Implementation, India’s
headline retail inflation rate eased to 7.04 percent • HPCL and BOB co-branded contactless RuPay
in May from April’s near-eight-year high of 7.79 Credit Card has been launched by BOB Financial and
percent thanks to a favourable base effect. The fall in Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) in collaboration with
inflation in May is unlikely to do much to slow down National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The
the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) rate hike cycle. The card has a number of advantages, including incentives
Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation was
for utility, supermarket, and department shop
7.79 per cent in April. In May 2021, the retail
inflation stood at 6.3 per cent. purchases.
• Wholesale price inflation spiked to 15.88% in May, • Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML),
the highest since September 1991 as a surge in price a subsidiary of Tata Motors Ltd, and Ford India
pressure in food and fuel overwhelmed a moderation Private Limited (FIPL) have signed a Memorandum
in the dominant manufactured product segment. In of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of
April, the WPI inflation was recorded at 15.08%. Gujarat (GoG) for the potential acquisition of FIPL’s
• Trade data released by the Ministry of Commerce Sanand vehicle manufacturing facility.
and Industry showed that India’s May trade deficit • Tata Projects will build the national capital region’s
widened to $24.29 billion from $6.53 billion a year
new airport at Jewar, after outbidding the Shapoorji
ago.
Pallonji Group and Larsen & Toubro for the
• The US Federal Reserve increased its main interest
rate by three-quarters of a percent, the largest contract. While the deal size has not been disclosed,
increase in almost three decades, and signalled that sources pegged it at over Rs 6,000 crore. Tata
more large rate increases are on the way, boosting the Projects, the infrastructure and construction arm of
likelihood of another recession. The Fed’s decision, the Tata group, will construct the terminal, runway,
announced following its most recent policy meeting, airside infrastructure, roads, utilities, landside
would boost its benchmark short-term rate to a range facilities and other ancillary buildings at the Noida
of 1.5 percent to 1.75 percent, affecting many International Airport.
consumer and commercial loans. (Click here to read
• Stashfin is a neo banking platform which introduces
the article)
#LiveBoundless – a credit line card especially for
• The 47th meeting of the GST Council will be held on
June 28 and 29, 2022 in Srinagar. The GST Council women. This card aims at giving women greater
is chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. financial freedom. It also offers cashback rewards,
This is the second time that the GST Council meeting welcome credits, Free ATM Withdrawals and deals.
is being held in Srinagar. Before the launch of the • The digital payment markets in India are expected
Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1, 2017, the to increase triple from the current three trillion
14th meeting of the Coun cil was held on May 18 and dollars to ten trillion dollars in the coming four
19 in the city. years, which is by 2026. This was confirmed by the
• Fitch Ratings upgraded nine Indian institutions, report issued by PhonePe after the collaboration
including SBI, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank, from
with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the report
negative to stable. Bank of Baroda (BOB), Bank of
was titled ‘Digital Payments in India: A $10 trillion
Baroda (New Zealand) Ltd, Bank of India, Canara
Bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB), and Union opportunity. The report highlights the growth of
Bank of India are among the other institutions to get India’s digital payments in the last five years.
a upgrade. Fitch Ratings has upgraded 9 India-based • Former Indian cricket team captain, MS Dhoni has
banks’ Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) to invested an undisclosed sum in Chennai-based
Stable from Negative, while upholding their IDRs. Garuda Aerospace, India’s leading drone-as-a-
• According to official figures, the number of service (DaaS) provider. He will also be the face and
subscribers to PFRDA‘s two flagship pension schemes brand ambassador of the company.
increased by more than 24% year on year to 5.32
• Bajaj Finance Limited, the lending arm of Bajaj
crore as of May 31, 2022. According to the Pension
Finserv Limited, a global financial services
Fund Regulatory and Development Authority
(PFRDA), the number of subscribers in various NPS conglomerate, has launched Har Time EMI On Time,
plans climbed to 531.73 lakh by the end of May 2022, a digital campaign to raise awareness about the
up from 428.56 lakh in May 2021, a year-on-year rise importance and advantages of good financial habits
of 24.07 percent. for a secure financial future.

• Whatsapp launched SMBSaathi Utsav initiative • Acemoney has launched UPI 123Pay payment and
which aims to support small businesses by helping wearable ATM cards. The UPI 123Pay payment
them to adopt digital mediums like Whatsapp allows people to carry out cashless transactions
Business App. Utsav has started the initiative with a without smartphones or internet connections using
pilot in Jaipur’s Johri Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar feature phones. The wearable ATM cards are gadgets
where over 500 small businesses are being trained. designed as key chains and rings that enable people to
The initiative was launched in the collaboration with carry out cashless transactions without ATM cards
Josh Talks. The SMBSaathi Utsav is the second and phones.
phase of the SMBSaathi campaign. • Zomato (Online food delivery platform) has
• Chinese technology conglomerate Tencent has announced the acquisition of Blink Commerce
bought stake worth USD 264 million (about Rs (Blinkit), earlier known as Grofers India. The
2,060 crore) in Flipkart from its co-founder Binny company’s Board of Directors approved a proposal to
Bansal through its European subsidiary, according to acquire cash-strapped quick commerce company
official documents. Singapore-headquartered e- Blinkit for Rs 4,447 crore. Last year, Zomato
commerce firm Flipkart has operations in India only. extended USD 50 million loans to Grofers India
Bansal holds around 1.84 per cent stake in Flipkart
Private Limited.
after selling part of his stake to Tencent Cloud
• Acemoney has launched UPI 123Pay payment and
Europe BV.
wearable ATM cards. The UPI 123Pay payment
• As it approaches three years of operation, XPay.Life,
allows people to carry out cashless transactions
which claims to be India’s first blockchain-enabled
without smartphones or internet connections using
transaction framework, has launched its UPI services
feature phones. The wearable ATM cards are gadgets
aimed at rural India. XPay.Life claimed it is
designed as key chains and rings that enable people to
collaborating closely with regional rural banks and
carry out cashless transactions without ATM cards
district co-operative banks to assist them bank more
efficiently and provide full financial inclusion for the and phones.
rural population with minimal disturbance. XPay.Life
is a fintech startup. International Current Affairs
• Financial wellness platform, CASHe has launched an
• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has
industry-first credit line service using its AI-powered
unveiled new legislation that would implement “some
chat capability on WhatsApp to provide customers
of the harshest gun control measures” in decades,
with a fast, seamless and convenient way to access
including a “freeze” on the country’s handgun
instant credit line by merely typing their name. The
firm offers an instant credit limit without the need for purchases and sales. Trudeau cited a succession of
any documents, app downloads or filling up tedious mass shootings in Canada over the years, as well as
application forms. recent assaults in the United States, as part of his
• Adani Transmission Limited’s, $700 million government’s motivation to propose Bill C-21
revolving facility has been tagged as a ‘green loan’ by during a press conference in Ottawa.
Sustainalytics. This assures the green loan • The COVAX facility, which is a worldwide effort co-led
framework for the revolving facility. Sustainalytics by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness
had issued the independent SPO on the alignment of Innovation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World
the reviewed framework with the current market Health Organization, with UNICEF as a key delivery
standards and the extent to which the eligible project partner, has received approximately 190 million
categories are credible and impactful. doses of COVID 19 vaccines. COVAX is responsible for
• Tata Power Solar Systems, a wholly-owned more than 62 percent of the doses delivered to
subsidiary of Tata Power, has accomplished a Bangladesh.
remarkable feat by commissioning India's largest • Instagram has launched an ‘alert’ feature to help
floating solar power project in Kayamkulam, find missing children. The photo-sharing app has
Kerala. On a 350-acre water body, backwaters area, partnered with various organisations globally to set
having an installed capacity of 101.6 Megawatt Peak. up the feature. The feature will display details about
Tata Power Solar successfully built a scaffolding missing children on users’ Instagram feed if they are
platform on the water body to make the entire solar in a specific area where an active search is taking
plant float on water. place.
• The United Nations has changed the Republic of • Members of the European Parliament have voted to
Turkey’s country name at the organisation from ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035.
“Turkey” to “Türkiye”, following a request from The move aims to step up the fight against climate
Ankara for the change. UN spokesman Stephane change through the faster development of electric
Dujarric had been received from the Turkish foreign vehicles. The voting was held on an amendment that
minister Mevlut Cavusoglu addressed to Secretary- would have allowed some auto emissions from new
vehicles after 2035, which was rejected by Members
General Antonio Guterres, requesting the use of
of Parliament.
“Türkiye” instead of “Turkey” for all affairs.
• China has released a new geological map of the
• U.S.-led naval exercise in the Baltic Sea, more than moon, which it says is the most detailed to date,
7,000 sailors, airmen, and marines from 16 nations, registering even finer details of the lunar surface
including two aspiring NATO members, Finland and than mapped by the US in 2020. The new map, which
Sweden, began a nearly two-week. BALTOPS, an has details of craters and structures not charted
annual naval exercise that began in 1972, is not before, will assist in further research of the moon.
performed in response to any specific danger. The top • Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Switzerland
US military officer stated in Sweden, the host of the Elected to Serve as NonPermanent Members on
BALTOPS 22 exercise, that it was especially vital for United Nations Security Council.
NATO to express support to the governments in • Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II overtook Thailand’s King
Helsinki and Stockholm, ahead of the naval practice, to become the world’s second-longest reigning
which comprised 45 vessels and 75 aircraft. monarch in history, after France’s Louis XIV.
Crowned in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II became the
• Albania’s parliament has elected a top military
longest-serving British monarch in September 2015,
official, General Major Bajram Begaj as its new surpassing her great-great grandmother Queen
president after no candidates were nominated in Victoria. Now she has overtaken Thailand’s King
three rounds of voting. The outgoing President Ilir Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years and
Meta signed the decree on Begaj’s dismissal as Chief 126 days between 1927 and 2016, to set another
of General Staff of the AAF. record.
• United Nations has planned to provide humanitarian • The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has
assistance of around $48 million over a four-month adopted an India-sponsored resolution on
period to Sri Lanka. New Delhi’s financial assistance multilingualism that mentions the Hindi language
worth over $3 billion since January to provide for the first time. The resolution passed encourages
essential items, including food, fuel, cooking gas and the UN to continue disseminating important
medicines. Sri Lanka needs $6 billion to keep the communications and messages in official as well as in
non-official languages, including in Hindi language.
country afloat for the next six months, adding that $5
The resolution also mentions Bangla and Urdu for
billion is required to ensure day-to-day living and
the first time.
another $1 billion to strengthen the Sri Lankan rupee. • Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India’s
• The China Manned Space Agency announced that second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq as refiners
three astronauts have been dispatched on a six-month snap up Russian crude available at a deep discount
mission to complete work on the country’s permanent following the war in Ukraine.
orbiting space station. The Shenzhou-14 crew will • US president Joe Biden is expected to name Arati
stay aboard the Tiangong station for six months, Prabhakar as the head of the White House Office of
overseeing the integration of two laboratory modules Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). She will
into the main Tianhe living room, which was launched succeed Eric Lander who left the role nine months
in April 2021. after his appointment after he admitted to bullying his
• New York state legislature is a world first, to pass staff and creating a hostile work environment during
his tenure.
the law for Digital Electronics. The “right to repair”
• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products
bill enacted by the requiring digital electronics
Export Development Authority (APEDA) has
makers to make parts, tools, information, and
organized an eight-day long mango festival in
software available to customers and independent Bahrain to boost the export of Mangoes. 34 varieties
repair businesses. After government pressure to of mangoes from eastern states of West Bengal,
safeguard customers’ rights to repair and refurbish Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, are
their purchased products, the “Fair Repair Act” was being displayed at eight different locations of
enacted. Bahrain’s Al Jazira group supermarket.

• Radha Iyengar Plumb, an Indian-American, is • In Sri Lanka, the government has amended the
currently the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of minimum age limit for women leaving for foreign
Defense. US President Joe Biden has nominated employment as domestic aides to 21 years of age.
Radha Iyengar Plumb to a top Pentagon position. The decision was announced at the weekly Cabinet
• Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida will attend meeting. However, the minimum age limit for Saudi
this month’s NATO summit in Madrid, becoming the Arab has been set at 25 years, and 23 years for the
country’s first leader to join a top meeting of the other countries in the Middle East. The minimum
transatlantic alliance. The June 28-30 gathering is age limit announced as 21 for the rest of the Middle
seen as a crunch moment for the 30 North Atlantic East countries other than Saudi Arabia.
Treaty Organization allies, four months into Russia’s • South Korea launched its first satellite successfully
war in Ukraine. using a homegrown rocket, boosting the nation’s
• Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has expanding aerospace ambitions and proving it has the
appointed a former chairman of the Jubbaland state necessary technologies to build larger missiles and
election commission, Hamza Abdi Barre as the launch spy satellites in the midst of tensions with
Prime Minister. The 48-year-old Hamza Abdi Barre rival North Korea. The Science Ministry reported
from the semi-autonomous state of Jubaland replaced that the three-stage Nuri rocket successfully launched
Mohamed Hussein Roble. a working “performance verification” satellite to a
• China launched its third aircraft carrier, the country’s target altitude of 435 miles from South Korea’s
most modern and first “completely domestically space launch facility on a southern island.
made” naval warship, as an aggressive Beijing pushed • Three new remote sensing satellites were
to expand its navy’s range in the key Indo-Pacific successfully launched by China from the Xichang
area. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, Satellite Launch Centre in the Sichuan Province in
the Fujian is China’s first domestically designed and southwest China. The satellites were launched by a
built catapult aircraft carrier. Long March-2D carrier rocket at 10:22 a.m. (local
• Pakistan will continue to be on the “Grey List” of time) as part of the Yaogan-35 family and
countries under increased monitoring of the successfully entered the intended orbit.
Financial Action Task Force (FATF), from the global • The Commonwealth of Nations now has 56 member
money-laundering and terror-financing watchdog. nations after the admission of Togo and Gabon. The
Pakistan has been on the grey list of the Paris-based two historically French-speaking nations were
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) since June 2018 formally admitted to the union at the
for failing to check money laundering, leading to Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting,
terror financing, and was given a plan of action to which was presided over by Rwandan President Paul
complete it by October 2019. Kagame in Kigali, the country’s capital.
• Colombia’s presidency has been won by Gustavo • Iran has submitted an application to become a
Petro, a former rebel warrior who has pledged member in the group of emerging economies known
significant social and economic transformation. Petro as the BRICS. Iran's membership in the BRICS group,
will become Colombia’s first left-wing president if he which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and
wins the presidential runoff election. South Africa, "would result in added values for both
• Khuvsul Lake National Park of Mangolia has been sides," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserve Argentina had also applied to join the group.
of UNESCO. The decision was made during the 34th Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez, currently
session of the International Co-ordinating Council in Europe, has in recent days reiterated his desire for
of the Man and the Biosphere Programme taking Argentina to join BRICS.
place in Paris, France. • The United Kingdom government has announced a
• The US prioritises its bilateral relationship with New partnership with leading businesses in India to offer
Delhi and views India as a “very crucial” strategic ally 75 fully funded scholarships for Indian students to
in the strategically significant Indo-Pacific region, study in the UK from September, in celebration of the
according to the White House, which also noted that 75th anniversary of India’s independence.
each country must make its own choices about Additionally, the British Council in India is offering
Russia. Because Russia began a “special military around 18 scholarships for women in science,
operation” in the neighbouring Ukraine, the US-led technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
Western nations have imposed punishing sanctions covering over 12,000 courses across more than
on it. 150 UK universities.

National Current Affairs • Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag
Thakur has launched a nationwide ‘Fit India
• The government intends to launch Jan Samarth, a Freedom Rider Cycle rally’ on World Bicycle Day.
unified platform for the delivery of multiple initiatives Thakur said that by riding a bicycle we can
administered by several ministries and departments, accomplish the goal of the Fit India Movement, the
in order to make life easier for the average man. The Khelo India movement, the Clean India movement &
new portal will initially enrol 15 credit-linked Healthy India movement. Fit India Movement, Khelo
government initiatives, as part of the Narendra Modi India movement, Clean India movement & Healthy
government’s objective of minimum government India movement all can be accomplished by riding a
maximal governance. bicycle. It’ll also cut down the pollution level.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that • National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
India has become one of the world’s fastest growing Development (NABARD), Chairman Dr GR Chintala
economies. He was addressing at an occasion where has launched “My Pad My Right programme”, in
he announced the PM-CARES for Children Scheme’s Leh. The programme launched by Nabard’s
benefits. In the midst of the pandemic’s negative
NabFoundation with machinery and materials of a
mood, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that
cost of Seven and half Lakh rupees.
India relied on its strength.
• President Ram Nath Kovind has paid tributes to Sant
• Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Lieutenant Governor,
Kabir and inaugurated Sant Kabir Academy and
Manoj Sinha and Union minister Jitendra Singh
Research Centre and Swadesh Darshan Yojana at
inaugurated the north India’s first Industrial
Kabir Chaura Dham, Maghar, Uttar Pradesh.
Biotech Park constructed at Ghatti near Kathua.
• At Raxaul in Bihar, the union minister for health
The Industrial Biotech Park at Kathua will transform
the economy and enable scientists to tackle the and family welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers
challenges of climate change. The enabling Mr. Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated the
infrastructure will fuel a new wave of innovation and National Food Laboratory of FSSAI. Under the
impact various sectors, from health and agriculture to bilateral agreement between Indo-Nepal, this
cosmetics and materials. laboratory was established to reduce the time of
• National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) testing of food samples imported from Nepal to
has launched an online portal to simplify the process Raxaul.
of recognition of teacher education programs in • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a
higher education institutions. The portal launched special series of coins that are also ‘visually impaired
to streamline the process seeks to help right from the friendly’. The coins of Re 1, Rs 2, 5, 10 and 20
time of inviting application for courses till the stage of denominations will have the Azadi Ka Amrit
issue of recognition orders including the inspection of Mahotsav (AKAM) design. They are not
institutions. The applications for the recently commemorative coins and will be part of circulation.
launched four-year integrated teacher education These new series of coins will remind people of the
programmes (ITEP) applications will be processed goal of amrit kal and motivate people to work
on this portal. towards the development of the country.
• ‘Yoga for Humanity’ has been chosen as the theme • Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Amit Shah
of the eighth International Day of Yoga to be has inaugurated the newly built National Tribal
organised in India and across the globe on June 21. Research Institute (NTRI) in New Delhi. This
The theme has been selected after much deliberation institute is to promote and preserve the tribal
and consultation and it appropriately portrays how heritage and culture and the nerve centre of tribal
yoga served humanity in alleviating suffering during research issues and matters in academic, executive
the peak of the pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra and legislative fields. It is being established at a cost
Modi announced the theme in his “Maan Ki Baat’ of 10 crore rupees.
broadcast. • Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
• Shri Ram Nath Kovind, India’s President, today said that the era of incremental change is over and
inaugurated the 59th Maha Adhiveshan of the Akhil urged higher educational institutions to focus on
Bhartiya Ayurved Mahasammelan in Ujjain, exponential development in order to develop future-
Madhya Pradesh. Ayurveda means Science of Life in ready workers. India has demonstrated its technical
Sanskrit. The term ‘pathy’ is used to describe a variety capability in many programmes such as UPI, Direct
of medical systems around the world. It refers to the Benefit Transfer, and Aadhar, and that we must
method of treating an illness once it has manifested. build on this strength and create a future-ready
However, in Ayurveda, disease prevention is workforce to accept the changes resulting from
prioritised alongside healing. Industrial Revolution 4.0.
• The ‘Ayurveda Aahar’ logo was launched by Health • Rajesh Exports, a gold retailer based in Bangalore,
Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, on the occasion of has announced plans to invest $3 billion to build
World Food Safety Day. As per FSSAI, the design of India’s first display manufacturing plant. This is a
Ayurveda Aahar logo is such that it contains initial major revolutionary investment as Display
letters of words Ayurveda and Aahar in English and manufacturing Industry has traditionally been
Devanagari. In this logo, Hindi letter Aa, and English absent from India’s diverse electronics manufacturing
letter ‘A’ have been merged in a way that they appear industry. As the world steadily recovers from the chip
shortage, countries all around the world are enacting
to be single form.
measures to stimulate domestic semiconductor
• Michigan, USA-based IT Services & IT Consulting
manufacturing investment.
company Information Data Systems (IDS) has
• The first train to be operated between Coimbatore
unveiled the Bharat Blockchain Network (BBN) and Shirdi by a private operator, under the ‘Bharat
(Academic Blockchain Consortium) & Polyversity Gaurav’ scheme of the Indian Railways, was flagged
(Educational Metaverse). Union Minister off. Ministry of Tourism has informed that the first
Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE), ever Bharat Gaurav Train has been flagged off on
Government of India (GoI) launched the initiatives in Coimbatore north to Sainagar Shirdi route. The train
the presence of officials from the All India Council for will cover several historical destinations on the route
Technical Education (AICTE) at an event held at the while giving the passengers an insight into the
AICTE Auditorium in New Delhi. cultural heritage of the country.
• The Indian National Center for Space Promotion • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated Jal
and Authorization (IN-SPACe) was established in Bhushan Building at Raj Bhawan in Mumbai.
Ahmedabad by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Amit Maharashtra Chief Minister Udhav Thackeray, Dy CM
Shah, the Union Home Minister, was also present at Ajit Pawar, Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray
the ceremony. After inaugurating the Indian National and the State Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari were
Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN- also present on the occasion. The PM also inaugurated
an underground ‘Gallery of Revolutionaries’
SPACe) in Ahmedabad, Prime Minister Narendra
museum dedicated to the luminaries of the
Modi reviewed its headquarters.
freedom struggle, at the Raj Bhavan.
• Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman has
• Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has
inaugurated the National Museum of Customs and
inaugurated National Yoga Olympiad 2022 and quiz
GST “Dharohar” in Goa as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit competition in New Delhi. The National Yoga
Mahotsav Iconic week of the Ministry of Finance, Olympiad is being organised jointly by the Ministry
being celebrated from June 6 to 12. The two-storey of Education and the National Council of
‘Blue building’, which was earlier known as Educational Research and Training.
Alfandega, during the period of Portuguese rule in • Yoga Mahotsav was organised by the Ministry of
Goa, has been standing on the banks of the Mandovi Culture in partnership with the Archaeological
River in Panaji for more than 400 years. Survey of India (ASI) at Purana Qila in the national
• To encourage openness and public partnership, the capital. The event was held as part of the celebrations
Union Government has developed the Rashtriya for the International Day of Yoga 2022.
Puruskar Portal, which invites nominations for
numerous awards given by various Ministries,
Departments, and Agencies. The Portal intends to
make it easier for public to propose people and
organisations for various prizes given out by the
Indian government.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated
Jagatguru Sreesant Tukaram Maharaj Shila
Mandir at Dehu Village near Pune, dedicated to the
17th-century seer. Sant Tukaram was a Warkari saint
and poet, famously known for Abhanga devotional
poetry and community-oriented worship through
spiritual songs known as Kirtans. He lived in Dehu.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the • Jyotirgamaya, a festival celebrating the brilliance of
Centre for Brain Research and lay the foundation underappreciated performers, was launched in New
stone for Bagchi Parthasarathy Multispeciality Delhi by Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy.
Hospital at IISc Bengaluru. The Bagchi Sangeet Natak Akademi organised this festival as part
Parthasarathy Multispeciality Hospital, with its of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and on the occasion of
eighty-two beds, will be built on the campus of IISc World Music Day to highlight the talent of rare
Bengaluru, assisting in the integration of science, musical instruments from all across the country,
including street performers and train entertainers.
engineering, and medicine at the prominent institute.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Jammu and
• Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh
Kashmir, officially opened the Seismology
Puri has launched an innovative project National Observatory in the Dandayal neighbourhood of the
Initiative for Promoting Upskilling of Nirman Udhampur district. The Ministry of Earth Sciences
workers (NIPUN) in New Delhi. NIPUN is an spent 20 lakh rupees to establish the third such
initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Center in J&K.
under its flagship scheme of the Deendayal Antyodaya • First Bharat Gaurav tourist train connecting places
Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission DAY- associated with the Ramayana Circuit in India and
NULM to train over one lakh construction workers, Nepal was flagged off from the Safdarjung Railway
through fresh skilling and upskilling programmes and Station in New Delhi. The Bharat Gaurav train
provides them with work opportunities in foreign carrying 500 tourists from India will arrive at the
countries also. Janakpur Dham railway station in Nepal.
• The country’s first-ever, ‘Balika Panchayat’, has • Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and
started in five villages of Gujarat’s Kutch district. Industry, inaugurated a “Mango Festival” in
The initiative aims to promote the social and political Brussels, Belgium to raise awareness among
Europeans and establish a market for Indian mangoes
development of the girls and ensure their active
in Europe. India is a big supplier of mangoes to the
participation in politics. The Panchayat has started in
rest of the globe, but most of the mangoes end up in
Kunaria, Maska, Motagua, and Vadsar villages of the Middle East rather than Europe.
the Kutch district. • To bring all matters relating to narcotics under one
• ‘Single-Use Plastic’ use to be outflow from July 1st, department, the government is reportedly
2022 by the Union government. Single-use plastics, considering moving the administration of the Narcotic
particularly those made of polystyrene and expanded Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and the
polystyrene, will be illegal to produce, import, stock, Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and
distribute, sell, and use starting on July 1, 2022, Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988 from the finance
nationwide. A national task group has also been ministry to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
established by the Environment Ministry to make • Union minister for Road Transport and Highways,
coordinated efforts in this area. Nitin Gadkari has approved the Draft GSR
• The new office complex for the Ministry of Notification to introduce Bharat NCAP (New Car
Commerce and Industry, “Vanijya Bhawan,” and Assessment Program), wherein automobiles in India
shall be accorded Star Ratings based upon their
the “National Import-Export Record for Yearly
performance in Crash Tests.
Analysis of Trade” (NIRYAT) portal, which will
• Following a 12-day exhibition at the Batsagaan
provide data on India’s international trade, will both
Temple on the grounds of Gandan Monastery,
be officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Mongolia, in honour of Mongolian Buddha Purnima,
Narendra Modi. The department of commerce and the four Holy Relics of the Lord Buddha returned to
the department for the promotion of industry and India. The sacred relics were presented to Union
internal trade will both use the facility, which will Minister Shri Arjun Meghwal in Ghaziabad. Due to
serve as an integrated and contemporary office high demand from the Mongolian people, the
complex. presentation of the holy relics had to be extended by a
• Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has unveiled its few days.
patented indigenous solar cook top, “Surya Nutan”, • During his visit to Nagaland, the Union Minister for
developed by the oil refiner’s Faridabad R&D centre. Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh
Surya Nutan will aid in reducing India’s CO 2 Tomar, officially inaugurated the Dimapur Honey
emissions drastically and keep our citizens insulated Testing Laboratory. The honey testing facility will
from the vagaries of the high international fossil fuel support beekeepers and producers in testing their
produced honey.
prices.
States Current Affairs • The Punjab government has decided to abolish the
physical stamp papers in an attempt to bring
• Uttarakhand government has announced the efficiency and check the pilferage of State revenue.
formation of a 5-member drafting committee to Punjab Revenue Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa
implement the much-debated Uniform Civil Code launched the ‘e-stamp facility’ here. Following this,
(UCC) in the state. The retired Supreme Court judge stamp paper of any denomination can now be
Ranjana Desai, who currently heads the Delimitation obtained via ‘e-stamp’, which includes computerised
Commission of India is the Head of the committee. print-out from any stamp vendor or from banks
Other members of the committee are: Delhi High authorised by the State government.
Court judge Pramod Kohli, ex-state chief secretaries • The Tamil Nadu government signed a
Shatrughan Singh, Manu Gaud and Surekha Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India
Dangwal. Post Payments Bank (IPPB) for obtaining life
• A survey by the Geological Survey of India has certificate from pensioners through doorstep services
stated that a gold reserve of around 222.88 million of the Postal Department. IPPB would transfer it to
tonnes including 27.6 tonnes of mineral-rich ore are the doorstep services at a cost of Rs 70 per digital
present in the Jamui district of Bihar. The Nitish life certificate. Almost most than 7.15 lakh State
Kumar government in Bihar has now decided to give government pensioners/ family pensioners submit
permission for the exploration of what is being called their life certificate during July, August and
as India’s largest gold reserve. September every year.
• Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has • The Meghalaya government key initiative of e-
launched a new health and wellness app AAYU to proposal system, part of Meghalaya Enterprise
address and help heal chronic diseases and lifestyle Architect has won a coveted UN Award- World
Summit on the Information Society Forum (WSIS)
disorders through yoga. Swami Vivekananda Yoga
prize at Geneva in Switzerland. Secretary General of
Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA) collaborated
ITU, Houlin Zhao presented the winner award to Chief
to develop the App with RESET TECH, an AI-driven
Minister Conrad K Sangma in the WSIS Forum Prizes
integrated health-tech platform that aims to deal with
2022, held at Geneva, Switzerland. Post this there was
chronic diseases and lifestyle conditions through yoga
voting to select the best 90 projects which were
and meditation.
invited in Geneva, Switzerland for the final award.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen
• In Rajasthan, a Special Health Care Abhiyan ‘Anchal’
Jharkhand for the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD)
has been launched in the Karauli district for
Award-2022, in recognition of the state’s efforts to pregnant women. More than 13 thousand women
reduce tobacco usage. The award will be presented to have benefited from this Abhiyan. During the
the State Tobacco Control Cell of the Health campaign, 13,144 pregnant women were tested for
Department in New Delhi in honour of World No their hemoglobin levels, out of which 11,202 were
Tobacco Day. The coveted award, which honoured the found to be anemic. These women were advised to
State Government’s achievements in reducing tobacco take the right medicine and necessary nutritious diet.
usage, was given by the National Tobacco Control They were also advised to keep themselves stress-
Program in Jharkhand. free.
• Gujarat’s Climate Change Department has signed a • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin flagged off the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to join the luxury cruise liner “Empress” from Chennai port.
worldwide ‘Save Soil’ initiative. Sadhguru, the The eleven-storey tourist vessel can accommodate up
Founder and Spiritual Leader of Isha Outreach, and to two thousand passengers and about 800 crew
Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel members.
signed a Memorandum of Understanding in • Rajasthan Chief Minister(CM) Ashok Gehlot has
Ahmedabad. announced that the state government is set to
• Telangana, India’s 28th state, was founded on 2nd introduce the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to the
June 2014. Telangana celebrates its Formation Day to State’s sportspersons. He made the announcement
mark the people’s contribution to forming a separate while addressing the inauguration and player award
state outside of Andhra Pradesh. Telangana’s 30 ceremony at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur,
districts honour this day by hoisting the national flag. Rajasthan.

• Chief Minister P.S. Golay, during the World • The Himachal Pradesh government gave nod to a
Environment Day celebrations, declared Blue Duke drone policy as it seeks to enable the use of drones
as the State Butterfly of Sikkim. The announcement and similar technology for different public services in
was made at Saramsa Garden near Ranipool during the hill state. The ‘Himachal Pradesh Drone Policy
the event organized by the Forest department. Blue 2022’ was approved by the chief minister Jai Ram
Duke, a native butterfly species of Sikkim, edged past Thakur. The policy envisions creating a holistic drone
another contender Krishna Peacock to be announced ecosystem built upon the foundation of Governance
and Reforms Using Drones (GARUD).
as the State Butterfly of Sikkim.
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy
Reddy has launched YSR Yantra Seva Scheme and
launched the ‘14400’ app. This app has been
flagged off the distribution of tractors and combine
developed by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). This harvesters at Chuttugunta Centre in Guntur, Andhra
app is customized for the people to register Pradesh. Chief Minister YS Jagan Reddy flagged off the
corruption-related complaints against the officials in state-level mega distribution of tractors and combine
the state. This app also aims to ensure fool-proof harvesters under YSR Yantra Seva Pathakam in
evidence to present before the court. A complaint can Guntur.
be filed through a toll-free number 14400. • Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan has
• The Tamil Nadu government recently launched inaugurated a cancer diagnostics and research centre
Naan Mudhalvan (I am the first). Under this here, which is slated to be the country’s first oncology
programme, Tamil Nadu government has now laboratory for comprehensive cancer diagnostic
launched Nalaya Thiran (Tomorrow’s ability). In services. Karkinos Healthcare’s advanced centre
this programme, 50,000 college students will train for cancer diagnostics and research will serve as a
with the knowledge in computer science, electronics central lab for analysing specimens at molecular and
and IT domains, skilling them on problem solving genomic levels to aid in personalised targeted
therapy, predicting possible response to treatment
using technologies. The Tamil Nadu government has
and evaluate response by liquid biopsy.
created the Nalaya Thiran program to help the
• The Karnataka government has launched ‘The
industry get skilled students.
Farmer Registration & Unified Beneficiary
• The chief minister (CM) of Goa, Pramod Sawant has Information System’ or FRUITS software for
launched a ‘Beach Vigil App’, a collaboration Aadhar-based, single-window registration for the
between Information Technology (IT) sector and schemes. FRUITS software will facilitate single
tourism sector that aims to benefit tourists and the registration using an Aadhar card and Karnataka’s
institutions working in the beach tourism sector in a Bhoomi digitized land record system for
holistic management of beaches. authenticating ownership.
• Sital Sasthi is a sacred Hindu festival is being • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin launched the
celebrated in Odisha. This week-long special festival Ennum Ezhuthum scheme to bridge the learning gap
highlights the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess that was caused due to the COVID pandemic among
Parvati. According to the Hindu calendar, Sital Sasthi students aged below eight. The scheme aims to
is observed on the sixth day of the Jyestha month ensure foundational literacy and numeracy by 2025.
during the Shukla Paksha. It was launched at an event in Azhinjivakkam
• The Baikho festival is celebrated in the state of panchayat union middle school, Tiruvallur.
Assam, which is called as gateway to northeast India. • Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport
(CSMIA), Mumbai has become India’s 1st airport to
It is celebrated by Rabha tribes of India. The Baikho
launch a one-of-its-kind Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
festival is celebrated annually. It is celebrated to bring
& Solar PV hybrid (Solar Mill) to explore the
in auspicious harvest season and to fill it with possibility of utilization of wind energy at the airport.
abundant crops and good health. With this, Mumbai will become the first city in India to
• M.K. Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, establish a one-of-its-kind hybrid power project at its
unveiled the logo and mascot for the 44th Chess airport.
Olympiad, which will take place in Mamallapuram • Unmesh, a three-day international literary festival,
next month. Between July 28 and August 10, opened at Gaiety Theater in Dublin. The event will
approximately 2,000 players from over 180 countries bring together approximately 425 writers, poets,
will compete in the international event. Mr. Stalin translators, critics, and notable figures from 15
also unveiled a countdown clock for the Olympiad at nations, representing over 60 languages. Union
the Greater Chennai Corporation’s headquarters, Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghawal
Ripon Buildings. gave the festival its official start.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the • The people of Goa has celebrated the Sao Joao
renovated Shree Kalika Mata temple at Pavagadh festival, the feast of St John the Baptist with
Hill in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district. At the temple, he traditional enthusiasm after a two-year coronavirus-
also conducted Puja with customary customs. A induced gap. The festival is dedicated to Saint John the
‘Dhwaja’ was raised at full mast atop the shrine by Mr. Baptist, who baptised Lord Jesus on the river of
Modi. Jordan and is celebrated at the onset of monsoon.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a statue of • Kerala state government has issued orders
Dr B R Ambedkar, the author of the Indian regarding the implementation of a medical insurance
Constitution, at the inauguration of new campus of Dr "MEDISEP" scheme for government employees and
B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE) pensioners and the deduction of premium from the
University. He also showcased 150 ‘Technology salary of June 2022 and pension of July 2022.
Hubs’ at the ceremony, which were created by MEDISEP scheme is applicable to government
revamping Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) employees, pensioners/family pensioners and their
around Karnataka. eligible family members and employees and
• Tamil Nadu replaced Bihar and West Bengal to pensioners of universities that receive grant in aid
become the largest state in terms of outstanding from the state government and the local self-
portfolio of microfinance loans. According to MFIN government institutions.
Micrometer Q4 FY21-22, a quarterly report published • Devotees were finally permitted to take part in the
by Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN), the annual Ambubachi Mela at Assam’s renowned
gross loan portfolio (GLP) of Tamil Nadu as of March Kamakhya Temple after a two-year absence. The
31, 2022 stood at ₹36,806 crore. It was followed by head priest of Maa Kamakhya Devalaya, or “Bor
Bihar (₹35,941 crore) and West Bengal (₹34,016 Doloi,” Kabinath Sarma, explained that the
crore). “Pravritti” was used to symbolically close the temple
• Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti, doors for four days as part of the rites. The door will
Bishweswar Tudu inaugurated the 20th Folk Fair be unlocked or Nivriti in the morning of the first day.
(National tribal/folk song & dance festival) and • The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying
13th Krishi Fair 2022 at Saradhabali in Puri, (DAHD) will be launched the One Health pilot in
Odisha. The two fairs which aimed at preserving Bengaluru, Karnataka. The programme is aimed at
tribal culture and promoting innovation in agriculture bringing stakeholders from animal, human and
respectively will continue for five days and conclude environment health on a common platform to address
on 24th June. challenges. DAHD in collaboration with the Bill &
• Assam has become the 36th State to implement the Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and The
One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme. With Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as
this, the ONORC plan is successfully implemented in implementation partner is implementing the One-
all 36 states, and Union Territories, making food Health Framework undertaking project in the states
security portable throughout the country. of Karnataka and Uttarakhand, the Ministry of
• In order to advance rain-fed agriculture in the steep Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
areas of Uttarakhand, the World Bank has approved
a project costing Rs. 1,000 crore. The watershed
department will carry out the Uttarakhand Climate
Responsive Rain-fed Farming Project.
• In Gujarat, the Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has
launched the 17th ‘Shala Praveshotsav’, the drive to
enrol students in primary schools in the state. The
three-day enrollment drive begins from Memadpur
primary school in Vadgam taluka of Banaskantha
district. Chief Minister Patel said that the dropout
rate of students’ reduced drastically following the
mass enrolment drives of the children. He said that
the drop out rate has been reduced to just 3.07
percent from 37.22 percent in 2002.

• Uddhav Thackeray has resigned as the Chief • In March 2019, PM KUSUM Yojana or Pradhan
minister of Maharashtra. This comes immediately Mantri Kisan Urja Surakshaevam Utthaan
after the Supreme Court refused to stay Maharashtra Mahabhiyan Yojana was launched by the
Governor’s direction to the Uddhav Thackeray-led government of India. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja
Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to take a Surakshaevam Utthaan Mahabhiyan Yojana supports
floor test in the Assembly. Mr. Eknath Shinde had the farmers financially to install solar irrigation
revolted against the Sena chief with 39 MLAs and had pumps for cultivation. Farmers will get a 60% subsidy
been stationed in Guwahati since June 22. (Click to set up tubewells and pump sets individually. In this
here to read the article) article, we will highlight the objectives, features,
Eligibility, and benefits of the PM KUSUM Yojana.
Schemes/Committees • Union Minister of social Justice and empowerment Dr.
Virendra Kumar has launched the Scheme
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development
“SHRESHTA”-Scheme for residential education for
Authority of India (IRDAI) has formed various
students in High school in Targeted Areas. The
committees through the General Insurance Council
Scheme for Residential Education for Students in
(GIC) to suggest reforms in several areas of general,
Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) has been formulated
reinsurance, and life insurance, including regulation,
with the objective to provide quality education and
product, and distribution, among others, in order to
opportunities for even the poorest. Scheme for
overhaul the industry.
Residential Education for Students in High Schools
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute the
in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) provides for high
11th instalment of cash benefits totaling Rs 21,000
quality education for meritorious but poor SC
crore to more than 10 million farmers in Shimla,
Himachal Pradesh, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan students in CBSE-affiliated reputed residential
Samman Nidhi (PM-Kishan)initiative. Modi will schools across the country.
meet with beneficiaries of 16 schemes and • SEBI, the market regulator, has revamped its mutual
programmes conducted by nine central ministries via fund advisory committee. According to the latest
video conferencing as part of a nationwide event update with the Securities and Exchange Board of
called Garib Kalyan Sammelan, according to a India (Sebi), the 25-member advisory council will be
statement from the agriculture ministry. chaired by Usha Thorat, a former Deputy Governor of
• The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Previously, the
Programme (PMEGP) has been extended for another panel consisted of 24 people.
five years, until FY26. According to a statement from • Har Ghar Dastak 2.0 is relaunched by the
the union ministry of micro, small and medium government of India to facilitate the vaccination
enterprises, the PMEGP has been authorised for process in all the states of India and the union
continuance throughout the 15th Finance territories from 1st June to 31st July 2022. The
Commission Cycle for five years, from 2021-22 to states and union territories are advised to take the
2025-26, with an outlay of Rs 13,554.42 crore. campaign seriously this time to make people aware
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released the and make India fully vaccinated. The campaign’s main
benefits of the PM CARES for Children scheme for aim is to immunize people by taking the vaccine and
children who lost their parents due to the Covid-19 enjoying the benefits. (Click here to read the article)
pandemic. PM Modi has promised Rs 4,000 a month • This year, 2022 marks the fifth anniversary of the
for basic needs, financial support for schooling, Central Government’s dream initiative, Ude Desh ka
scholarship for higher education, and free treatment Aam Naagrik (UDAN). The effort began slowly but
up to Rs 5 lakh. grew in popularity as newer airlines, such as Star Air,
• Jan Aushadhi stores surpassed Rs 100 crore for the began to explore this vast untapped market.
first time. More than 1,600 generic pharmaceuticals, According to analysts, UDAN is a gamechanger in the
250 surgical equipment, nutraceuticals, Ayush aviation business since it allows the average person to
products, and Suvidha Sanitary pads are available in commute between smaller cities in minutes rather
Jan Aushadhi locations. The Pradhan Mantri than hours and at a reasonable cost. Over 415 UDAN
Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is routes connect 66 underserved/unserved airports,
implemented by the Pharmaceuticals & Medical including heliports and water aerodromes, benefiting
Devices Bureau of India (PMBI). over 92 lakh people.
• Union Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw has • The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial
launched “StartUps for Railways”, an important Development Authority (UPEIDA) has inked MoUs
initiative in the field of innovation. Aiming at bringing with the State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda
about innovative solutions to problems like rail (BOB), Punjab National Bank (PNB), and Small
fracture, reduction of time between two trains and Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).
• The BRICS Partnership on New Industrial
other passenger related issues. The innovation policy
Revolution (PartNIR) Innovation Center and the
is expected to bring about scale and efficiency in the
BRICS New Growth Bank (NDB) signed a
field of operation, maintenance and infrastructure memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance
creation through participation of very large and bilateral cooperation and boost BRICS countries’
untapped startup ecosystem. common development. The name BRICS stands for
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, a
Agreement/Memorandum of group of emerging markets. It is home to more than
40% of the worldwide population and a quarter of the
Understanding (MoU) global economy.
• HDFC Bank, a private sector bank, has inked an
• Israel has inked its first free trade agreement with an
agreement with 100X.VC, a premier early-stage
Arab country, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
venture capital firm, to support start-ups. The bank
The agreement was signed in Dubai by Israel’s will extend its full array of specialised services and
Economy and Industry Minister Orna Barbivay and facilities targeted for start-ups, known as Smart-Up, to
the UAE’s Economy Minister Abdalla Bin Touq Al all enterprises linked with 100X.VC under the terms
Marri. According to an official statement released by of the deal. In addition, the bank will issue further
Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry, the credit lines and assess investment potential in these
comprehensive, significant, and ground-breaking businesses.
agreement is expected to increase bilateral trade in • LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network,
goods and services, increase Israeli exports to the will invest USD 5,00,000 (Rs 3.88 crore) in
United Arab Emirates, and provide customs partnership with United Nation’s Women to advance
women’s economic empowerment. The project will
exemption on 96% of trade between the countries:
launch a pilot in Maharashtra to cultivate the digital,
food, agriculture, cosmetics, medical equipment,
soft and employability skills of 2,000 women and
medication, and more. present them with a range of career-building
• State-owned and telecom infrastructure provider opportunities through job fairs, mentoring sessions
RailTel Corporation of India Ltd has entered into a and peer-to-peer networks.
Memorandum of Understanding with geographic • Union Communication Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
information system software and solutions provider said that UPI and Rupay card services will be
Esri India to address the requirement of users in the available in France soon, giving a huge boost to the
government sector. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Rupay cards.
• Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with Muthoot The overseas branch of India’s National Payments
Corporation (NPCI) has inked a Memorandum of
Finance to offer gold loans through Airtel Thanks
Understanding (MoU) with France’s Lyra Network for
app. There will be no-processing charge on the loan.
the acceptance of UPI and Rupay in the country.
Muthoot Finance will provide up to 75 per cent of the
• Zomato and Jio-bp have entered into an agreement
pledged gold value as a loan. The loan facility will also to support Zomato’s commitment towards “The
be available at the 5 lakh banking points for Airtel Climate Group’s EV100 initiative of 100 per cent
Payments Bank. EV fleet by 2030.” The collaboration is poised to
• India and Canada have signed a memorandum of accelerate EV adoption in the rapidly growing Indian
understanding to strengthen bilateral collaboration delivery and transportation segment.
on climate change, environmental preservation, • Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company
and conservation. On the sidelines of the Limited (Kotak General Insurance) announced that
Stockholm+50 summit, Union Environment Minister it has partnered with PhonePe Insurance Broking
Services Pvt. Ltd (PhonePe), a digital payments
Bhupender Yadav and his Canadian colleague Steven
platform, to offer motor insurance to PhonePe’s 380
Guilbeault signed a Memorandum of Understanding
million users, placing a significant bet on the digital
(MoU). distribution and direct-to-customer space.
• The National Payments Corporation of India’s • Senior IPS officer, Zulfiquar Hasan has been
(NPCI) flagship product, RuPay, and CARD91, a appointed as the new Director-General of the
worldwide payment infrastructure powering B2B Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The
payments, have established a strategic agreement official order stated that Zulfiquar Hasan has been
(NPCI). Through this collaboration, CARD91 will appointed “for a tenure up to his superannuation on
develop a card management system that will enable 31.10.2024”.
businesses to introduce a range of co-branded card • Punjab & Sind Bank Limited, an Indian nationalised
products and to keep track of a real-time dashboard bank, announced that its MD & CEO, S Krishnan to
to produce insights. As a result, CARD91 will be able retire from the role, with effect from May 31, 2022.
to increase its market share in the Indian payments • Ashwani Bhatia has taken charge as a whole-time
industry. member (WTM) at the market regulator Securities
• The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). Bhatia was
Stock Exchange (NSE) have approved the merger of previously the managing director of the state-owned
multiplex chain PVR and Inox Leisure. According to State Bank of India (SBI).
their separate exchange filings, PVR and Inox • Javier Olivan, the current chief growth officer at
Leisure received observation letters from the BSE on Meta Platforms, will take over as the company’s chief
June 20 and 21 with “no unfavourable observations” operating officer after Sheryl Sandberg stepped down
and “no objection,” respectively.
from the post. Olivan has been with Meta, formerly
• Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed a known as Facebook, for several years, contributing to
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Defense
its explosive expansion. Olivan will be responsible for
Initiatives (DI), Belarus, and Defense Initiatives
the advertising and business products while
Aero Pvt Ltd, India (a subsidiary of DI Belarus).
continuing to head infrastructure and corporate
The MoU is signed to build cooperation amongst the
development.
three companies for the supply of Airborne Defense
• The government has appointed A Manimekhalai as
Suite (ADS) for Indian Air Force’s helicopters.
managing director of Union Bank of India. Canara
Bank executive director Manimekhalai replaced
Appointments/Resignations (National & Rajkiran Rai G, who retired on May 31 after a five-
International) year stint. With her assuming the charge,
Manimekhalai becomes the first woman managing
• President Ram Nath Kovind has given justice Pradip
director of Union Bank of India.
Kumar Mohanty the additional charge of Lokpal
• The government has appointed Swarup Kumar Saha
chairperson after justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose
as head of Punjab & Sind Bank. Saha, who is the
completed his term as the Lokpal chief.
executive director of Punjab National Bank (PNB),
• Leading UK-based academic, Dr Swati Dhingra has
replaced S Krishnan, who also superannuated on
been named as the first Indian-origin woman to be
May 31.
appointed as an external member of the Bank of
• The International Aluminium Institute (IAI), the
England’s interest rate-setting committee. Dhingra
will replace current external member, Michael only body representing the global primary aluminium
Saunders, who has been on the MPC since August industry, has announced the appointment of Satish
2016. Pai as its new Chair.
• Former State Bank of India executive Natarajan • Alok Kumar Choudhary has took charge as the new
Sundar joined National Assets Reconstruction Managing Director (MD) of State Bank of India
Company Ltd (NARCL) as Managing Director and (SBI). His appointment comes in the wake of the
CEO on May 30. superannuation of Ashwani Bhatia as Managing
• Senior scientist Rajesh Gera has been appointed as Director on May 31, 2022. Choudhary was previously
the Director-General, National Informatics Centre Deputy Managing Director (Finance) at the bank. As
(NIC), a Personnel Ministry order issued. He is the new MD, he will be handling retail business and
currently Deputy Director-General in the NIC. operations.
• A 1988-batch Indian Police Service officer S L • Ramkrishna Mukkavilli becomes the first Indian
Thaosen has been appointed as the new Director- to recognized by United Nations Global Compact
General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). as Global SDG Pioneer.

• International Monetary Fund, Managing Director • The government has appointed industrialists Anand
Kristalina Georgieva has announced the Mahindra, Pankaj R Patel and Venu Srinivasan,
appointment of Indian national Krishna Srinivasan and former IIM (Ahmedabad) professor Ravindra H
as director of the Asia and Pacific Department Dholakia as non-official directors on the central
board of the Reserve Bank. The nominations have
(APD) from June 22.
been made for four years by the Appointments
• Music Maestro, AR Rahman has been appointed as
Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
ambassador of The Season of Culture, which marks • Former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana
the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. It Prakash Desai is believed to have been chosen as the
was officially launched, by Britain’s Deputy High next head of the Press Council of India (PCI). Justice
Commissioner to India Jan Thomson and Director Desai recently served as the chairman of the
(India) of the British Council Barbara Wickham. Delimitation Commission on Jammu and Kashmir,
• Mayank Kumar Agrawal, director general of which was established to redesign the Union
Doordarshan and Doordarshan News, has been Territory’s assembly constituencies.
assigned additional responsibility as Prasar Bharati’s • Former Karnataka High Court judge, Bhimanagouda
Sanganagouda Patil was sworn in as the Lokayukta
chief executive officer. Agrawal succeeds Shashi
of Karnataka. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot
Shekhar Vempati, who served as CEO of the state
administered the oath of office to Justice Patil.
broadcaster for five years. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Leader
• N J Ojha has been appointed as ombudsman for a of Opposition Siddaramaiah, ministers in the State
two-year term under the Mahatma Gandhi National Government and legislators attended the programme,
Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Ojha has the and greeted Justice Patil.
power to investigate allegations by MGNREGA staff, • Industry body Cellular Operators’ Association of
consider them, award awards within 30 days of India (COAI) named Pramod K Mittal, President of
receipt of the complaint. Reliance Jio Infocomm, as the new Chairperson of
the association for 2022-23. Mittal was previously
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has
the Vice-Chairperson of the COAI, whose members
appointed senior Indian diplomat Amandeep Singh
include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea
Gill as his envoy on technology to coordinate (VIL).
programmes for international digital cooperation. • According to a Verizon news release,
The UN describing him as a "thought leader on Sowmyanarayan Sampath, an Indian American, will
digital technology" who has a solid understanding of be the new CEO of Verizon Business. Sampath
how to leverage the digital transformation joined Verizon in 2014 and will continue in his
responsibly and inclusively for progress on the present role as Chief Revenue Officer for Verizon
Sustainable Development Goals. Business until June 30.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed R • The appointment of new chief justices to five high
courts has been approved by the government. The
Subramaniakumar as the MD & CEO of RBL Bank.
appointment for Uttarakhand, Telangana, Himachal
He has been appointed at RBL for three years from Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gauhati has been announced
the date of taking charge. He is a former managing by the Ministry of Law and Justice. (Click here to read
director and chief executive director of state-run the article)
Indian Overseas Bank. He was appointed the • Senior Diplomat Ruchira Kamboj, currently Indian
administrator of Dewan Housing Finance Co Ltd ambassador to Bhutan, has been appointed as the
after the mortgage financier’s board was superseded. next Permanent Representative of India to the
• Ambassador Rabab Fatima, Permanent United Nations at New York.
Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations • Former Australia cricketer, Lisa Sthalekar has
has been appointed as the Under Secretary General become the first female president of the
Federation of International Cricketers’
of the United Nations. Secretary General Antonio
Association (FICA), the sport’s international player’s
Guterres has announced the appointment of association.
Ambassador Fatima. She succeeds Courtenay • P Udayakumar, Director (Plng and Mktg), NSIC, took
Rattray of Jamaica who was appointed as the Chef de additional responsibility as CMD NSIC with effect
Cabinet. from 20 June 2022.

• Shanghai-headquartered New Development Bank • Mukesh Ambani’s eldest son Akash Ambani will
(NDB) of the BRICS countries has appointed former take over as chairman of Jio Infocomm’s board, the
bureaucrat Dr D J Pandian as the Director-General digital division of Reliance industries, in what is
of its India Regional Office in Gujarat viewed as the 65-year-old billionaire’s succession
International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), the planning. Mukesh Ambani has resigned as the
bank announced. company director effective from 27 June.
• Entrepreneur Ranjit Bajaj has been named chairman
of advisory committee to assist the Supreme Court- Ranks and Reports
appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) • The Reserve Bank of India’s Banknote Survey of
which is running the day-to-day affairs of All India Consumers’ findings revealed that, among banknotes,
Football Federation (AIFF). Rs100 was the most preferred while Rs 2,000 was
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) the least preferred denomination. The survey, that
appointed former Punjab Director General of Police was published in the Reserve Bank of India Annual
(DGP), Dinkar Gupta as the Director General of the Report this year said that Rs 100 notes were most
National Investigation Agency (NIA). preferred among Indians, while Rs 2000 notes were
the least preferred. The RBI survey also found out that
• S.S. Mundra, a public interest director to lead the
the total number of Rs 2000 notes comprised only
world’s largest stock exchange, according to the BSE. 214 crores or 1.6 per cent of the total currency notes
Justice Vikramajit Sen will be replaced by Mr. in circulation.
Mundra. • Forbes magazine has released the 7th edition of the
• Anil Khanna has been appointed the acting Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List 2022, featuring 10
President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA). categories each honouring 30 individuals under the
The Delhi High Court has ordered that Narinder age of 30. The list was edited by Rana Wehbe
Dhruv Batra cannot continue as the President of the Watson. The honourees on the list represent 22
IOA and appointed Anil Khanna as acting president. countries and territories across the Asia-Pacific
• Former Drinking and water Sanitation Secretary, region. India tops the list in terms of the number of
Parameswaren Iyer has been appointed as the new entries with 61, followed by Singapore (34), Japan
(33), Australia (32), Indonesia (30) and China
Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog for 2 years. He
(28).
will succeed Amitabh Kant.
• Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings
• The Central government has appointed senior IPS 2022 was released by the Times Higher Education
officer Tapan Kumar Deka as Director of (THE). The Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Intelligence Bureau. Deka will succeed incumbent Banglore continued to be the best institute of the
Intelligence Bureau Director Arvind Kumar, whose country. It ranked at 42nd place. India was the third
tenure ends on June 30. most-represented country, behind Japan and
• Samant Kumar Goel's contract as secretary of the mainland China with 71 institutions. 17 Indian
intelligence agency's Research and Analysis Wing universities topped the list under top 200. (Click here
(RAW) was extended by the Centre on June 24 by to read the article)
another year. • Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman and
Managing Director, Mukesh Ambani has regained the
• IRS officer Nitin Gupta has been appointed as the
position of India as well as Asia’s richest man,
new Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)
replacing Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani.
chairman. Gupta, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) Tesla CEO Elon Musk remains the world’s richest
officer of the 1986 batch of the Income Tax cadre, is person with a net fortune of $227 billion.
serving as the Member (investigation) in the Board • TCS has maintained its tenth place among the top
and is scheduled to retire in September next year. worldwide BPM (business process management)
• The chief govt of India Resurgence Asset suppliers in 2021, according to Everest Group. The
Reconstruction Firm (IRARC), Avinash Kulkarni, has ranking is based on a combination of revenue (TCS
been chosen to head the India Debt Decision Firm has more than $3 billion in revenue) and revenue
(IDRCL). growth (14-16 percent over 2020). ADP,
• The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Teleperformance, Accenture, Concentrix, and Sitel
believes that substantial progress has been made in Group were the top five BPM companies in terms of
sales. The top five fastest-growing corporations year
enhancing the culture and leadership of the sport.
over year were Tech Mahindra, Telus
Mohammed Jalood has been elected as the International, Majorel, Teleperformance, and
organization’s president. Comdata.
• In the 2022 Environment Performance Index (EPI), • According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey
an analysis by Yale and Columbia University (PLFS) annual report for July 2020-June 2021, the all-
researchers that gives a data-driven evaluation of the India female labour force participation rate (LFPR)
situation of sustainability around the world, India
in ordinary status grew 2.3 percent to 25.1 percent in
came in last out of 180 countries. Climate change,
environmental public health, and biodiversity are 2021, up from 22.8 percent the previous year. (Click
among the 40 performance factors used by the EPI to here to read the article)
rank 180 nations. (Click here to read the article) • As per Kantar Brandz, 2022 ‘Most Valuable Global
• On the occasion of World Food Safety Day, Union Brands report’, 4 Indian companies namely, Tata
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya released the Consultancy Service (TCS), HDFC Bank, Infosys
4th State Food Safety Index. The Food Safety and
and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) were featured
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) compiled the
report to assess states’ performance across five food among the top 100 global biggest brands. Apple
safety categories. (Click here to read the article) retains its 1st position to become the first trillion-
• Recently, Forbes Real Time Billionaires List was dollar brand with a brand value of USD 947.1 billion
declared. It featured the list of the richest person followed by Google, Amazon and Microsoft. (Click
around the world. The chairman and managing here to read the article)
director of Reliance Industries Ltd, Mukesh Ambani
• India ranked third globally for total renewable
and the chairperson of Adani Group, Gautam Adani
are also in the list of top 10 richest persons in the power capacity additions in 2021 with 15.4 GW,
world. In the “Bloomberg Billionaires Index”, Mukesh behind only China (136 GW) and the US (43 GW).
Ambani is in eighth spot, and Gautam Adani is in ninth According to a report, despite the Covid-19
position. Elon Musk topped both the lists. pandemic’s promise of a global green recovery, this
• According to the United Nations Conference on historic opportunity has been lost. (Click here to read
Trade and Development (UNCTAD), India jumped
the article)
one position to 7th among the top recipients of
foreign direct investment (FDI) in the last calendar • The Global Skills Report (GSR) 2022 by Coursera
year (2021) despite FDI inflows into the country states that India’s proficiency in data science has
declining. While the United States ($367 billion) reduced from 38% in 2021 to 26% in 2022, leading to
remained the top recipient of FDI, China ($181 a 12-rank drop. In terms of overall skills proficiency,
billion) and Hong Kong ($141 billion) also retained India has slipped 4 places to be ranked 68th globally
second and third position, respectively. Among the
and 19th in Asia. (Click here to read the article)
top 10 host economies for FDI, only India saw a
decline in its FDI inflows. • The Speedtest Global Index released by network
• The National e-governance service delivery intelligence and connectivity insights provider Ookla
assessment (NeSDA) report 2021 was published showed that India recorded 14.28 Mbps median
recently. The report was released on June 13, 2022. mobile download speeds in the month of May, slightly
NeSDA helps the respective governments improve better than 14.19 Mbps in April 2022. With this, the
their delivery of citizen centric services and shares
country is now three notches up in its global ranking
best practices across the country for all States, UTs
and Central Ministries to emulate. DARPG embarked and is at 115th position. (Click here to read the
on the second edition of NeSDA study in January article)
2021. (Click here to read the article). • According to World Gold Council Report, India has
• Providing a boost for Kerala’s start-up ecosystem, emerged as the 4th largest recycler in the world and
the State has been ranked first in Asia in Affordable country has recycled 75 tonnes in 2021. According
Talent in Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER).
to the WGC report titled ‘Gold refining and
The State has also been ranked fourth in global
ranking in the GSER, drawn up jointly by policy recycling’, China topped the global gold recycling
advisory and research organisation Startup Genome chart as it recycled 168 tonnes of the yellow metal,
and Global Entrepreneurship Network. In the first followed by Italy in the second position with 80
GSER published in 2020, Kerala was ranked 5th in tonnes and the US in the third rank with 78 tonnes in
Asia and 20th in the world. (Click here to read the 2021. (Click here to read the article)
article)
Sports Current Affairs • India beat Poland 6-4 in final to clinch the inaugural
FIH Hockey 5s championship in Lausanne in
• Supernovas won the Women’s T20 Challenge 2022 Switzerland.
with a four-run victory over Velocity in the title clash. • Indian women’s cricket team captain, Mithali Raj (39
West Indies T20 specialist Deandra Dottin shined years old), hailing from Jodhpur, Rajasthan,
with both bat and ball as she powered Supernovas to announced her retirement from all forms of
a record third Women’s T20 Challenge title
International cricket. Previously in September 2019,
triumph with a four-run victory over Velocity. The
she retired from twenty 20 International (T20Is) but
Women’s T20 Challenge is an Indian women’s cricket
continued to play One Day Internationals(ODIs) and
20-20 tournament organised by BCCI.
Test cricket.
• In Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan, India earned its first ever
• Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has crossed the 200
medal at the IBSA Judo Grand Prix. The Indian Blind
million followers mark on the social media site
and Para Judo Association’s Judoka Kapil Parmar
deserves heartfelt praising for bringing medals to the Instagram. With this, he became the first Indian to
country. It’s worth noting that 18 of the 21 countries have 200 million followers on Instagram. Kohli is also
that competed won medals. Several countries, the third most followed sportsperson on Instagram.
including Iraq, Switzerland, and India, earned their Portugal football star Cristiano Ronaldo tops the
first medals in the IBSA Grand Prix as a result of these. chart with 451 million followers, ahead of Argentina
• The Red Bull racing driver Sergio Pérez (Mexican) football captain and FC Barcelona legend Lionel
has won the Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix (GP) De Messi with 334 million followers.
Monaco 2022 with 25 points, held at Circuit de • Avani Lekhara, the Tokyo Paralympics winner,
Monaco, Monaco, Europe. The event took place won gold in the Para Shooting World Cup in
between May 27 to May 29 2022. With this victory, Chateauroux, France, with a world record score of
Sergio Pérez becomes the first Mexican to win the 250.6 in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1.
Monaco Grand Prix, and the first North American to • Young Indian Grandmaster, R. Praggnanandhaa
win it since Gilles Villeneuve in 1981. emerged winner in the Norway Chess Group A open
• The government wants to have international level chess tournament here with 7.5 points from nine
grounds and venues for all sports for the Olympics in rounds.
Ahmedabad with the Sardar Patel Sports Complex, • Rahul Srivatshav P of Telangana has become India’s
Narendra Modi Stadium, Naranpura Sports 74th Grandmaster, achieving the title after breaking
Complex, and three more sports complexes. Amit the 2500 (Elo points) barrier in live FIDE ratings
Shah, the Union Minister of Home Affairs and during the 9th Cattolica Chess Festival 2022 in Italy.
Cooperation, laid the foundation stone for an • Hosts Haryana won the Khelo India Youth Games
Olympic-level sports complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, (KIYG) 2021 title with 52 gold medals on the final
on Sunday (29 May) at a cost of Rs 632 crore. day. Haryana also won 39 silver and 46 bronze
• India defeated Japan 1-0 to win bronze at the Men’s medals, taking their overall medal tally to 137 medals
Hockey Asia Cup 2022 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Japan – the highest cumulative haul by any state. The late
had seven penalty corners while India had just two
surge helped Haryana leapfrog the 2020 champions
but India led the circle penetration stats 11-10. India
Maharashtra on the KIYG medals table.
were down to 10 men in the last minute of the match
• Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Azerbaijan
but they managed to hold on and win their second
Formula One Grand Prix 2022 (his fifth victory of
bronze medal at the Asia Cup.
the season). In the process, Verstappen became the
• Sakshi Malik, Rio Olympics Bronze medallist won her
most successful driver in the Red Bull of all time. Red
first international gold medal at the Bolat
Turlykhanov Cup in almost five years. She showed a Bull’s Sergio Perez came second and Mercedes’
very impressive performance this year in Bolat George Russell came at the third spot.
Turlykhanov Cup. • The 2022 Indonesia Masters badminton
• The Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya M. tournament (officially known as the Daihatsu
Scindia launched the National Air Sport policy Indonesia Masters) took place at the Istora Gelora
2022 (NASP 2022). The vision of NASP 2022 is to Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia. Olympic champions
make India one of the top sports nations by 2023. Viktor Axelsen and Chen Yufei clinched the
The policy ensures to provide safe, affordable, respective men’s and women’s singles titles at the
accessible, enjoyable, and sustainable air sports in BWF Indonesia Masters 2022. (Click here to read
India. the article)
• At the IWF Youth World Championships in Leon, • Red Bull’s Max Verstappen narrowly claimed his
Mexico, Indian weightlifter Saanapathi Gurunaidu sixth victory of the Formula 1 season after
won gold in the men’s 55 kilogramme category event. withstanding pressure from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in
On the first day of the IWF competition, two other the closing stages of the Canadian Grand Prix.
additional Indian weightlifters, Vijay Prajapati and • Indian Men’s football team captain, Sunil Chhetri
Akansha Kishor Vyavhare also won medals, they scored his 84th International goal against Hong
won the silver medals. Kong during the Asian Football Confederation
• India’s ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra set a new (AFC) Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers and equalled the
national record as he threw 89.30 metres at the record of Real Madrid and Hungarian Football Legend
Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland. Chopra’s earlier Ferenc Puskás. (Click here to read the article)
national record was 88.07m which he had set in • Indian women’s Wrestling team has won five
Patiala in March last year. He had won the Tokyo medals to claim Under-17 Asian Championship title
Olympics gold with a throw of 87.58m on August 7, with a total of eight gold at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
2021. Neeraj Chopra is India’s first ever Olympic gold India lifted the title with a total of 235 points from
medallist in athletics and only the second individual eight golds, one silver and one bronze. Japan had to
gold medallist at Olympics. Chopra’s 89.30m effort be content with the runners-up trophy with 143
will take him to fifth spot in the world season leaders’ points and Mongolia finished third with 138 points.
list. • Skalzang Rigzin, the first mountaineer from India to
• India’s Nitin Menon has retained his place in the ICC ascend Mount Annapurna‘s top without the aid of
Elite Panel and is set to make his maiden appearance oxygen was welcomed by Leh with open arms. After
as a neutral umpire in Sri Lanka later this month. A successfully summiting Annapurna and Lhotse in
BCCI official told PTI that Menon has got a one-year Nepal, he was welcomed by other mountaineers at the
extension from the International Cricket Council. The Leh Airport. With 16 days of gap between climb of Mt
38-year-old from Indore remains the only Indian in Annapurna on April 28 and Mt Lhotse on May 14,
the 11-member Elite Panel of Umpires. Skalzang Rigzin has set a record to conquer two
• Neeraj Chopra will be leading a 37-member Indian summits without oxygen supplements.
athletics team at the upcoming Commonwealth • Rumeli Dhar, the India seam-bowling allrounder, has
Games, the Athletics Federation of India announced. announced her retirement from international
The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist will be the flag cricket, at the age of 38. Dhar played her last
bearer in Birmingham as star sprinters like Hima Das international match in the tri-nation women’s T20I
and Dutee Chand booked their berth for the Games series between India, Australia and England, at
that will be held from July 28 – August 8. Brabourne in 2018.
• Matches for the 2026 World Cup will be held in 11 • The Indian football team reaped a good harvest of
US cities as well as three host sites in Mexico and two its impressive Asian Cup qualification campaign as it
in Canada, soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, gained two places to jump to 104th in the latest FIFA
announced. The 16 host cities will be: Atlanta, world rankings released. Brazil remained on top,
Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, three months after taking the top spot from Belgium
Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New (2nd).
York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, • Madhya Pradesh wrote history as they won their
Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver. maiden Ranji Trophy title, beating tournament
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the heavyweights Mumbai by 6 wickets in the final at
historic torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi. This year, for • Indian women’s discus thrower, Navjeet Dhillon won
the very first time, International Chess Federation, the gold medal at the Qosanov Memorial 2022
FIDE, has instituted the Chess Olympiad Torch, a part athletics meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
of the Olympic tradition. India is the first country to • Ace sprinter Sekar Dhanalakshmi ran her personal
have the Chess Olympiad Torch Relay. best time to win 200m gold at the Qosanov
• Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra clinched his first Memorial Athletics. Dhanalakshmi ran a creditable
top podium finish of the season by winning the javelin sub-23 second, clocking 22.89s to better her earlier
throw event at the Kuortane Games in Finland, personal best of 23.14s she had come up last year.
beating reigning world champion Anderson Peters Dhanalakshmi is only the third Indian woman to run
of Grenada. The 24-year-old Chopra’s opening throw sub-23s after national record holder Saraswati Saha
of 86.69m turned out to be the winning distance. (22.82s) and Hima Das (22.88s).

• Olympic gold medallist, Sydney McLaughlin broke • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the
her own women's 400 metres hurdles world record ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement’, a
at the U.S. championships in Eugene, Oregon, winning global initiative, and asserted that its vision is to live a
the final in 51.41 seconds. Sydney previously set the lifestyle that is in tune with our planet and does not
record with a 51.90-seconds performance at the U.S. harm it. The launch initiated ‘LiFE Global Call for
Olympic trials a year ago, only to shatter that figure in Papers’ inviting ideas and suggestions from
Tokyo, collecting gold in 51.46. academics, universities and research institutions etc
• Novak Djokovic became the first player in history to to influence and persuade individuals, communities
win 80 matches in all four Grand Slams when he and organisations across the world to adopt an
defeated Kwon Soon-woo 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Centre environment-conscious lifestyle.
Court his 80th win in Wimbledon. By virtue of his • Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India is the
victory, the former world no.1 tennis players has land of Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi, who
created history winning his 80th match at the exemplified what it means to live for others. While
Wimbledon. The six-time champion has became the electronically addressing the Rotary International
first male player in the Open Era to win 80 or more World Convention, the Prime Minister made the
match at all four grand slams.
comment. The Rotarians have been described as a
• Tokyo Olympian Deepak Punia won a bronze medal true mix of people “”Every Rotary gathering of this
after defeating Maksat Satybaldy (Kyrgyzstan) in
scale is like a mini-global assembly.”
the 86kg freestyle weight category at the U23 Asian
• The Secretariat of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for
wrestling championships 2022 in Bishkek,
Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Kyrgyzstan.
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in Dhaka celebrated the
25th Anniversary of the regional organisation on
Summits And Conferences BIMSTEC Day. The evolution of BIMSTEC over the
• The Border Coordination Conference between last 25 years from the signing of the Bangkok
India and Bangladesh was opened at Sylhet by Declaration on June 6 in 1996, and highlighted
Inspector General BSF-Regional Commander BGB. milestones such as the establishment of the
According to a Border Guards Bangladesh official Secretariat in Dhaka in 2014 and the signature of the
press release, the four-day seminar will end on June 2. BIMSTEC Charter during the Fifth Summit in Colombo
(BGB). The Indian team arrived in Bangladesh via the on March 30, 2022.
Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Dawki, Meghalaya, • The 12th World Trade Organization’s (WTO)
where they were greeted by top BGB personnel. Ministerial Conference (MC12) opened at WTO
• The Permanent Indus Commission conference, headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. During the
which is held yearly under the Indus Waters Treaty four-day meeting, members of the trade organization
(IWT) 1960, began with India and Pakistan. The will hold discussions on such issues as TRIPS (Trade-
Indus discussions have survived the tie-freeze since Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights)
both countries regard it as a requirement of the IWT. waiver for COVID-19 vaccines, pandemic response,
According to the ministry of external affairs, the two fishery subsidies, agriculture, food security, as well as
sides are expected to meet at least once a year, the WTO’s reform and its future work priorities.
alternately in India and Pakistan, under the terms of
the treaty.
• Gujarat will host the two-day National Education
Ministers’ Conference. The meeting will be attended
by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,
as well as other union ministers and state and union
territory education ministers. Deliberations on how to
boost the country’s education ecosystem are likely to
take place during this conference. It will concentrate
on the implementation of the National Education
Policy 2020, school skilling, and digital projects such
as the National Digital Education Architecture and the
National Educational Technology Forum, among
others.

• First-ever India-European Union (EU) Security and • Union Minister of State for M/o Food Processing
Defence Consultations held in Brussels, Belgium. Industries, Prahlad Singh Patel has inaugurated the
The consultations were held in accordance with the National Conference on Millets. The theme of the
decision taken at India-EU Summit in July 2020. conference is ‘The Future Super Food for India’ in
Consultations were co-chaired by Joint secretary of New Delhi, organised by industry body ASSOCHAM
Ministry of Defence Somnath Ghosh and Joint
with the support of M/o Food Processing Industries.
Secretary (Europe West) of Ministry of External
The conference has been organised to discuss
Affairs (MEA) Sandeep Chakravorty from India and
Director Security and Defence Policy, from European opportunities and challenges in ensuring food and
Union. nutritional security.
• The Eighth Global Conference of Young • At the G7 meeting in Germany, United States and
Parliamentarians has been started in Sharm El other major nations came to an agreement at their
Sheikh, Egypt to address climate change. The two- summit’s conclusion to concentrate on China‘s
day conference is being jointly organized by the growing threats, despite the fact that the three-day G7
House of Representatives and the Inter- meeting’s most pressing issue was Russia’s conflict
Parliamentary Union (IPU). in Ukraine. In a communique, the Group of Seven
• In New Delhi, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari kicks off countries articulated a strategy for challenging
the Industrial Decarbonization Summit 2022. Beijing regarding its economic policies and human
Inaugurating the Industrial Decarbonization
rights violations. (Click here to read the article)
Summit 2022 (IDS-2022) – Road Map for Carbon
Neutrality by 2070, he stated that developing
alternative fuels is critical to overcoming electricity Awards & Recognition
shortages. He believes that taking a one-sided,
idiosyncratic attitude to these issues is harmful to the • Filmmaker Shaunak Sen’s documentary All That
country. Breathes, India’s only entry at Cannes Film Festival
• At Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital, the 2022, has won the 2022 L’Oeil d’Or, the festival’s top
Ministry of Home Affairs will organise a National prize for documentaries. “L’Oeil d’Or goes to a film
Conference on Cyber Safety and National Security that, in a world of destruction, reminds us that every
(Cyber Apradh Se Azadi, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav). life matters, and every small action matters. The
Union Minister Amit Shah will be the conference’s award includes a cash prize of 5,000 euros ( ₹4.16
Chief Guest, according to the Ministry of Home lakh approximately).
Affairs. The seminar is part of the country’s efforts to • The 17th edition of the Mumbai International Film
raise public awareness about cybercrime prevention.
Festival of India (MIFF 2022) confers Dr V.
• Jammu and Kashmir will host the 2023 meetings of
Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award on noted
the G20, an influential group of the world’s major
economies. J&K government has set up a five-member author and documentary filmmaker Shri Sanjit
high-level committee for overall coordination of G20 Narwekar to commemorate his exquisitely deep,
meetings to be held in the Union Territory. According remarkably diverse and inspiring body of work. Union
to the Ministry of External Affairs, India will hold the Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs,
G-20 presidency from December 1, 2022, and convene Food & Public Distribution and Textiles Piyush Goyal
the first G20 leaders’ summit in 2023. presented the award to Sanjit Narwekar along with a
• Europe’s biggest startup conference, “Vivatech 2020” cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs (Rs 1 million), Golden
has recognized India as the “country of the year.” It Conch and a citation.
is a tremendous honour for India to be named • Radio Jockey Umar Nisar (RJ Umar) from South
“country of the year” in Vivatech 2020. This is due to Kashmir, has been awarded the ’01 Best Content
the contribution of the Indian startups to the world.
Award’ and the Immunization Champion award by
This is the recognition of Indian startups.
United Nations International Children’s
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a virtual
summit of the five-nation grouping sponsored by Emergency Fund (UNICEF) at the annual
China that the consequences of the Covid epidemic on Radio4Child 2022 Awards in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
the global economy are still apparent and that The award was presented by multi-Grammy Award-
cooperation among the BRICS countries can be a winning music composer, environmentalist, and
beneficial part of its recovery. The BRICS member UNICEF celebrity supporter Ricky Kej, OIC UNICEF,
nations, according to the prime minister, share a UP Dr Zafrin Chowdhury, chief of communications
similar approach to managing the world economy. and advocacy and partnerships, UNICEF India.
• Former West Indies captain, Daren Sammy has been • Recently, UNESCO recognized the use of information
conferred with the Sitara-i-Pakistan Award for and communication technology (ICT), under a
Services to Pakistan during a ceremony. The 38- comprehensive initiative called PM eVIDYA by the
year-old all-rounder was being recognized for his role department of school education, Ministry of
in helping bring international cricket back to Education. The schooling models saw a paradigm shift
Pakistan. during the unprecedented times of Covid-19. The
• Director of Ruchi Foodline, Eastern India’s leading technological interventions aided in building crisis-
food brand and Odisha’s No.1 spices company, resilient learning systems. (Click here to read the
Rashmi Sahoo has been presented the Times article)
Business Award 2022. She was given the award by • US-Canadian author, film-maker and Zen Buddhist
renowned Bollywood actor and social activist Sonu priest, Ruth Ozeki has won the Women’s Prize for
Sood. The award was given in the category of Eastern Fiction this year for her novel ‘The Book of Form
India’s Leading READY -TO-EAT brand.
and Emptiness”. Ozeki’s fourth novel, ‘The Book of
• The Dutch documentary film “Turn Your Body to the
Form and Emptiness’ tells the story of a thirteen-year-
Sun”, which tells the incredible story of a Soviet
old boy who, after the tragic death of his father, starts
Prisoner of War, has won the prestigious Golden
to hear the voices of objects speaking to him. She was
Conch award for the Best Documentary Film at
announced as the winner of the £30,000 prize at a
MIFF 2022. (Click here to read the article)
ceremony in London, beating nominees including Elif
• Indian Railways is observing World Environment
Shafak, Meg Mason and Louise Erdrich.
Day on 5th June, 2022 in an appropriate and
befitting manner keeping in line with the theme of • Mo Bus, Odisha-based public transport service has
this year’s World Environment Day. In a gala been honored with a prestigious United Nations
ceremony, on 1st June 2022, in Berlin, Indian award, for their role and efforts in helping the world
Railways have been awarded by the UIC recover better from Covid19. The public transport
International Sustainable Railway Awards (ISRA) service has been recognised for its role in
in the category of “Best use of Zero-Carbon “promoting gender-responsive public services to
Technology” for feeding Solar Energy directly to 25 achieve the SDGs (Sustainable Development
KV AC Traction System. Goals)”, the UN said.
• The World Health Organisation has awarded the • Former Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna,
Resource Centre for Tobacco Control (e-RCTC) of Infosys founder and IT industry veteran N R
the Department of Community Medicine and School of Narayana Murthy, and former badminton player
Public Health at the Postgraduate Institute of Prakash Padukone, have been selected for the
Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in ‘Kempegowda International Award’, which has
Chandigarh with the Regional Director Special been instituted beginning this year.
Recognition Award. The Resource Centre for Tobacco • Indian tennis great, Vijay Amritraj has been named
Control provides information related to tobacco the 2021 recipient of the Golden Achievement
control in India, including circulars and orders, Award by the International Tennis Hall of Fame
policies and legislations, multidisciplinary and International Tennis Federation. In
publications. recognition of his outstanding impact on tennis as a
• Industrialist and philanthropist, Ratan Tata was player, promoter, and humanitarian, Amritraj was
presented with Honorary Doctor of Literature by honoured in London.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had called for entries
Bhavan Mumbai. The Honorary doctorate was for the programme mentioned in the caption. The
presented to Mr. Ratan at the First Special
decision was made to jointly reward Professor Renu
Convocation of the HSNC University. The Governor
Jatana, a former dean of Mohanlal Sukhadia
said the honour for Ratan Tata is in effect the honour
University in Udaipur, Rajasthan, and Dr. Sagar
of the entire Tata family and Tata Group.
Sanwariya, an assistant professor at Government
• Qatar’s Hamad International Airport has been
Girl’s College in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, under this
named the World’s Best Airport for the second year
programme for their book Vittiye Prabhand. An
running. The announcement took place at the Skytrax
Award scheme for writing books originally in
2022 World Airport Awards, held at Passenger
Terminal EXPO in Paris, France. (Click here to read Hindi on Economics/Banking/Financial issues was
the article) been introduced by the Reserve Bank of India.

• The winner of the longest-running Indian beauty • The UN Russian Language Day is observed annually
pageant outside of India, Miss India Worldwide on 06 June. It is one of the six official languages used
2022, was announced as British biomedical student by the United Nations throughout the Organization.
Khushi Patel. Shrutika Mane was named the second The day was established by the United Nations
runner up, and Vaidehi Dongre from the US was Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
named the first runner up. The top 12 competitors at (UNESCO) in 2010.
the pageant were the champions of other • International Day for the Fight against Illegal,
international competitions. Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is organized
• The winners of the 21st edition of the Transilvania every year on 5th June. The day is the opportunity to
International Film Festival were applauded at the draw attention to the threats posed by IUU fishing
Awards Ceremony, organised in the Unirii Square in activities to the sustainable use of fisheries resources
Cluj-Napoca. Utama, the debut film of director as well as to ongoing efforts to fight these activities.
Alejandro Loayza Grisi, was chosen as this year's big • World Food Safety Day is celebrated globally on
winner and awarded the 10,000 euro Transylvania June 7 every year as per the World Health
Trophy. Organization (WHO). World Food Safety Day aims to
• The Delhi-based leading Drone enterprise platform transform food systems to deliver better health
company IG Drones has been felicitated with the sustainably and prevent foodborne diseases. This
“Best Drone Organization – Start-up Category” by year, the theme is ‘Safer food, better health’. WHO
Airwards. IG Drones has been selected for the award also launched a campaign to inspire global
for its approach of helping local communities and participation.
giving access to technology to various stakeholders • The World Oceans Day is celebrated on June 8 every
during natural disasters and calamities. year across the globe. The day is commemorated to
remind people of the importance of the oceans and
Important Days the major role they play in everyday life.
“Revitalization: collective action for the ocean” is
• Every year Global Day of Parents is observed on the the theme for World Oceans Day 2022, a year framed
1st of June globally. The Global Day of Parents is an by the UN Decade of Ocean Science and the
annual event that celebrates the importance of celebration of the United Nations Ocean Conference,
parents in children’s lives. The theme for Global two years after being cancelled because of the
Parent Day 2022 is ‘Family Awareness’, awareness pandemic.
internationally. Being conscious of one’s own and • World Accreditation Day (WAD) is celebrated on
one’s family’s emotional and physical well-being June 9 every year. WAD has been established by the
might be critical. joint efforts of the International Accreditation
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory
United Nations adopted June 1 as World Milk Day. Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). This year the
The day is marked to recognise milk as global food theme for World Accreditation Day 2022 is
and to celebrate the dairy industry. The day is “Accreditation: Sustainability in Economic Growth
intended to provide an opportunity to bring attention and the Environment.”
to activities that are connected with the dairy sector. • World Brain Tumour Day is observed every year on
The day has been observed on June 1 each year since 8 June with an aim to create awareness about brain
2001. tumours. It is a mass or growth of abnormal cells in
• World Bicycle Day is marked on 3rd June every year your brain. There are two types of brain tumors,
to recognise bicycling as a way to get a sustainable noncancerous (benign), and cancerous
form of travelling that also ensures one’s physical well (malignant). In 2022, the theme of World Tumor Day
being. The day celebrates the tradition of cycling and is ‘Together We Are Stronger’.
its significant role in keeping our health fit. Cycling is • 12 June marks the World Day Against Child Labour
a multidimensional exercise with numerous health under the theme “Universal Social Protection to
benefits. End Child Labour.” 2022 Theme: “Universal Social
• Every year on June 4th, the United Nations (UN) Protection to End Child Labour”.
observes the International Day of Innocent • International Albinism Awareness Day is observed
Children Victims of Aggression to raise awareness by the United Nations on June 13 every year. The day
of the children who have been victims of physical, represents the importance and celebration of human
mental, and emotional abuse around the world. On rights of people with albinism. The theme for
this day, the United Nations reaffirms its commitment International Albinism Awareness Day 2022 is
to preserve children’s rights. “United in making our voice heard”.

• World Blood Donor Day is observed globally on 14 • Every year, the world observes Sustainable
June every year. The day is celebrated to promote Gastronomy Day on 18 June. The objective of this
awareness about the need for blood donation and day is to recognise the practices associated with
thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life- sustainable food consumption, especially with the art
saving gifts of blood. The Theme for World Blood of collecting and preparing the food we eat. To make
Donor Day 2022 is “Donating blood is an act of this day a memorable one, the organisations work in
solidarity. Join the effort and save lives”. collaboration with global and regional bodies to
• National Commission for Protection of Child observe the day.
Rights (NCPCR) is celebrating Elimination of Child • International Picnic Day is celebrated annually on
Labour Week in the honour of World Day Against 18 June. On this day, people spend time with their
Child Labour. It is being celebrated in 75 places as
loved ones and go for picnics to get a break from their
part of the “75th anniversary celebrations of India’s
monotonous everyday routine. A picnic is a very good
independence – “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” in
way to not only spend some quality time but also
different districts starting from 12th June to 20th
explore new feast spots.
June, 2022 as a significance to pay attention to the
• The International Day for the Elimination of
problem of child labour and to find ways to eradicate
it. Sexual Violence in Conflict is an international event
• World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is conducted by the United Nations (UN) on June 19
annually observed on 15 June. The day aims to draw each year. The theme for this year’s observance of
attention to the impact of elder abuse. It also International Day for the Elimination of Sexual
highlights how the abuse is perpetuated and what can Violence in Conflict is ‘Prevention as Protection:
be done to combat it. This year theme of World Elder Enhancing structural and operational prevention
Abuse Awareness Day 2022 “Combatting Elder of conflict-related sexual violence.’
Abuse”. • World Refugee Day is celebrated every year on 20
• On 15th June, Global Wind Day is celebrated across June. World Refugee Day was designated as an
the world, annually and it is marked as a day of International Day by the UN (United Nations). While
discovering the possibilities of wind power. Global the theme of World Refugee Day 2022 has not been
Wind Day 2022 is based on the theme is celebrate to rolled out, last year it was “Together we heal, learn
enjoy the benefits of Wind energy and providing and shine.”
education to the individuals about the power and • International Day of the Celebration of the
potential of wind energy to change the world. Solstice is observed globally on 21st June. This day
• The International Day of Family Remittances bring awareness about solstices and equinoxes and
(IDFR) was adopted by the United Nations General their significance for several religions and ethnic
Assembly and is observed on 16 June. This year, the cultures. The Summer Solstice is the day of the year
United Nations is continuing last year’s theme for when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. It
International Day of Family Remittances: recovery happens on June 21st this year.
and resilience through digital and financial
• World Music Day is celebrated every year on June
inclusion.
21. The day gives respect to the art form of music that
• The World Day to Combat Desertification and
binds people across culture, region, language and
Drought is observed on 17 June each year to
religion. The theme for World Music Day 2022 is
promote public awareness of international efforts to
“Music on the intersections”.
combat desertification. The theme of 2022
Desertification and Drought Day “Rising up from • International Olympic Day is celebrated on June
drought together”. The global observance of the 23rd across the globe. The day is primarily celebrated
event will take place in Madrid, Spain, the United to commemorate the birth of modern Olympic games.
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification This year, the theme for the International Olympic
(UNCCD) has announced. Day is “Together For A Peaceful World.”
• International Day for Countering Hate Speech falls • With the aim to appreciate the value of public
on June 18. According to the UN, hate speech is any institutions and public servants, June 23 is observed
kind of speech or writing that attacks or discriminates as United Nations Public Service Day. The theme for
against a person or a group based on religion, this year’s event is “Building back better from
ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, gender, or COVID-19: Enhancing innovative partnerships to
any other identity factor. meet the Sustainable Development Goals.”

• International Widows’ Day is observed across the • World Asteroid Day (also known as International
world on 23 June. The day aims to gather support for Asteroid Day) is an annual UN-sanctioned global
widows and to spread awareness about their awareness campaign event observed on June 30,
situation. The theme for last year’s International which is the anniversary of the Siberian Tunguska
Widows’ Day was “Invisible Women, Invisible event of 1908. To provide knowledge to the general
Problems”. This year’s theme is – “Sustainable public about the importance of asteroids in history,
Solutions for Widows Financial Independence”. and the role they play in our solar system today. The
• The “Day of the Seafarer” is celebrated annually on
theme of Asteroid Day 2022 is “small is beautiful.”
June 25 to honour the vital contribution that seafarers
make to global trade and the economy, frequently at
considerable personal sacrifice to themselves and Defence Current Affairs
their families.
• INS Gomati was decommissioned at the Naval
• International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Dockyard under the command of Captain Sudip
Trafficking, also known as World Drug Day, is
conducted by the United Nations. It is observed on Malik. INS Gomati derives her name from the vibrant
June 26 annually. “Addressing drug challenges in river Gomti and was commissioned on 16 April 1988
health and humanitarian crises” is the theme for by then Defence Minister, KC Pant, at Mazgaon Dock
2022’s celebration of the International Day against Ltd, Bombay.
Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. • The Defence Ministry has signed a contract with the
• The United Nations General Assembly on defence public sector undertaking Bharat Dynamics
December 12, 1997, adopted a resolution to proclaim Limited (BDL) for the supply of the indigenously
June 26 as the International Day in Support of developed Astra Mk-I Beyond Visual Range (BVR)
Victims of Torture. air to air missiles and associated equipment for the
• Recognising the potential of the MSME and their role Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Navy at a cost of Rs
in strengthening economies, June 27 is celebrated as 2,971 Crore.
the Micro-Small and Medium-sized Enterprises • A heritage centre to showcase the role of the Indian
Day. Air Force in various wars and its overall functioning
• The National Insurance Awareness Day is observed will come up at Chandigarh. The ‘IAF Heritage
on 28 June. The main objective of the day is to make
Centre’ will be set up jointly by the force and the
people aware about the several benefits of investing
Chandigarh administration. An MoU between the
in an insurance plan or policy.
Union Territory of Chandigarh and the IAF for setting
• International Day of the Tropics is observed
globally on 29 June. The International Day of the up of the centre was inked. The ceremony was
Tropics celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the attended by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit
tropics while highlighting unique challenges and and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.
opportunities nations of the Tropics face. • India-Bangladesh bilateral defence cooperation, a
• National Statistics Day is observed in India on June joint military training exercise Ex SAMPRITI-X is
29 each year. The day aims to raise public awareness being conducted at Jashore Military Station in
of the value of statistics in everyday life as well as in Bangladesh from 05 June to 16 June 2022. The aim of
the planning and development process. The the exercise is to strengthen interoperability between
celebrated statistician, Professor Prasanta Chandra the two armies and to understand each other’s
Mahalanobis, is recognised on National Statistics Day tactical drills and operational techniques.
for his contributions to economic planning and • India has successfully executed a nuclear- capable
statistics. Additionally, the Indian Statistical Agni-4 ballistic missile from APJ Abdul Kalam
Institute's founder, Professor PC Mahalanobis,
Island in Odisha. The missile has the range of around
celebrates his birthday on 29 June. The theme of
4,000 kilometres. Earlier, India successfully test-
National Statistics Day 2022 is 'Data for Sustainable
fired an extended range version of the BrahMos
Development'.
• June 30 is observed as the International Day of supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi fighter jet.
Parliamentarism every year to commemorate the • Indian Army participates in a multinational exercise
date on which the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) “Ex Khaan Quest 2022” where 16 other countries
was founded. In 2022, the Inter-Parliamentary Union also took part in Mongolia. President of Mongolia,
(IPU) and its Member Parliaments will mark the Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh inaugurated the Exercise as
International Day of Parliamentarism under the the host. Indian Army is represented by a contingent
theme of public engagement. from the LADAKH SCOUTS.

• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by • The Border Roads Organization will build 75
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the outlets along various route segments in 12 states and
procurement of military equipment and platform union territories under the name “BRO Cafes,” as
was approved. The equipment and platforms are permitted by the Ministry of Defense. These are
worth Rs 76,390 crores from domestic industries. designed to offer fundamental comforts and amenities
This decision was taken to emphasize the to visitors, increase economic activity in border
governmental program Aatmanirbhar Bharat regions, and create jobs for the local population.
Campaign, which implies India will depend less on • Pay Roll Automation for Disbursement of Monthly
foreign supplies and decrease spending on Allowances (PADMA), an automated Pay &
Allowances module for the Indian Coast Guard was
international trading.
inaugurated by Shri Rajnish Kumar, Controller
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh authorized an
General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), Ministry of
increase in financing for MSMEs and startups under
Defence. The CGDA emphasized that the Government
the Ministry of Defence’s Technology Development has campaigned for Digital India to ensure dedicated
Fund (TDF) plan. The initiative, which encourages the services and reduce manual intervention at every
development of indigenous components, products, level & to promote E-Governance in a big way.
systems, and technologies, will now have a maximum
project value of Rs 50 crore, up from Rs 10 crore
Science and Technology
previously.
• The 38th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol • Adani Green subsidiary Adani Hybrid Energy
(IND-INDO CORPAT) between the Indian Navy Jaisalmer One Limited has commissioned a 390 MW
Units of Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) and wind-solar hybrid power facility in Jaisalmer,
Indonesian Navy is being conducted from June 13 to contributing significantly to India’s green energy
24 2022 in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca. effort. The plant will be India’s first hybrid wind-
The 38th CORPAT is the first post pandemic solar power producing facility. The hybrid power
plant, which combines solar and wind generating,
Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between the two
unlocks the full potential of renewable energy by
countries.
eliminating generation intermittency and providing a
• The Indian government has introduced the
more stable option to meet rising power demand.
Agnipath Military recruitment scheme, a 4-year
• Param Ananta, is a state of the art supercomputer at
tenure scheme for the defense troops. The scheme IIT Gandhinagar dedicated to the nation under the
will facilitate the induction of more troops for National Supercomputing Mission (NSM). It is a
shorter-term tenures. The scheme has been planned joint initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and
and is being implemented by the Department of Information Technology (MeitY) and the
Military Affairs. (Click here to read the article) Department of Science and Technology (DST), which
• India has test-launched Short-Range Ballistic Missile, was commissioned. This indigenous software stack is
Prithvi-II from an integrated test range in Chandipur, developed by C-DAC and is a Make in India initiative.
Odisha. This missile system is capable of striking • According to the 59th edition of the Top500 list of
targets with a very high degree of precision. It is an the world’s most powerful supercomputers
indigenously developed, surface-to-surface missile. It unveiled by Germany, ORNL’s Supercomputer
is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines. Its Frontier from the US, a supercomputer built using
range is 350 km and can carry one-ton payload. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) architecture and
• In the Indian Coast Guard, a new air squadron known equipped with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
as 840 Squadron was established in Chennai, with an processors, outperformed Japan’s Supercomputer
Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mark-III aircraft Fugaku to become the world’s fastest supercomputer.
as its first aircraft. • Dr S Somanath, the chairman of the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO), inaugurated
• Shanan Dhaka, daughter of Sundana village of
ANANTH Technologies’ spacecraft manufacturing unit
Rohtak, has secured the first rank in the examination
at Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board
for admission to the country’s first women’s NDA
(KIADB) Aerospace Park. The new state-of-the-art
batch. Shanan has secured 10th position in Boys’ spacecraft manufacturing facility can conduct
examination and first position in Girls’ examination assembly integration and testing of four large
across the country. spacecraft simultaneously.
• The first liquid mirror telescope in the country • Google announced a startup accelerator program for
and the largest in Asia – was commissioned atop women founders. The program will help them
Devasthal, a hill in Uttarakhand. This will now keep address challenges such as fundraising and hiring.
a watch on the overhead sky to identify transient or Google for Startups Accelerator India – Women
variable objects such as supernovae, gravitational Founders will run from Jul-2022 to Sep-2022. The
lenses, space debris, and asteroids.
program is part of a larger effort by Google towards
• Kiya.ai, a digital solutions provider serving financial
improving the representation of women across
institutions and governments globally, announced the
different sections of India’s digitally-trained
launch of India’s first-ever banking metaverse
“Kiyaverse”. In the first phase, Kiyaverse will allow workforce — be it entrepreneurship, professionals
banks to extend their own metaverse for clients, looking to upskill or young graduates seeking a
partners, and employees, through services that will headstart on their career.
include Relationship Manager & Peer Avatars and • Union Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Robo-advisors. announced at the Viva Technology 2022 event that
• The transfer of ten in-orbit communication India will have full-fledged 5G services by March
satellites to public sector business NSIL, which is 2023. Vaishnaw told that the 5G spectrum auction
under the administrative jurisdiction of the will be concluded by the end of July, adding that
Department of Space, has been authorized by the Telecom is the key source of digital consumption, and
Union Cabinet. The cabinet also authorized it is very vital to introduce trusted solutions in
expanding NewSpace India Limited’s (NSIL)
telecom.
permitted share capital from Rs 1,000 crore to Rs
• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras
7,500 crore. NSIL was required under the space
sector reforms to conduct end-to-end commercial has developed a robot that can clean septic tanks
space operations and to operate as a full-fledged without the need for humans. Ten units are expected
satellite operator. to be distributed across Tamil Nadu under the name
• India will attain the unique distinction of launching “HomoSEP,” and researchers are in contact with
the first Human Space Mission ‘Gaganyaan’ as well sanitation workers to determine where they will be
as the first Human Ocean Mission in 2023, placed.
according to Space and Earth Sciences Minister Dr • NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) launched GSAT-24,
Jitendra Singh. Testing for both the Space and Ocean following the space reforms leasing the entire
manned missions have evolved to an advanced stage, satellite’s capacity to Direct-to-Home (DTH) service
and that the remarkable accomplishment would be provider Tata Play. This was the company’s first
performed in the second half of 2023, while speaking
“demand-driven” communication satellite mission.
at the World Oceans Day festivities in New Delhi.
The satellite, developed by the Indian Space
• NASA is set to launch a mission called “DAVINCI
Research Organization for NSIL, was successfully
Mission”. DAVINCI stands for “Deep Atmosphere
Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry and launched into geostationary orbit from Kourou in
Imaging Mission”. The mission will fly by Venus and French Guiana by the Ariane 5 rocket (South
explore its harsh atmosphere in 2029. It will be the America).
first mission to study Venus by means of both flybys • Two communication satellites from Malaysia and
and descent. Spacecraft is likely to explore layered India will be launched into geostationary orbit by the
Venusian atmosphere. It will reach Venusian surface European space agency Arianespace. The Ariane-5
by June 2031. The mission would capture data about rocket will launch the two satellites, which together
Venus, that scientists are trying to measure since weigh more than 10,000 kilograms, from the
early 1980s. spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
• Microsoft has announced the retirement of 27-year-
• US-based technology major Oracle Cloud
old Internet Explorer (IE) as the firm’s oldest
Infrastructure (OCI), Oracle’s cloud services
browser will be completely phased out from June 15.
platform, has introduced the ‘OCI dedicated region’
Microsoft released the first version of Internet
Explorer in 1995 as an add-on package for Windows for the Indian market. It will enable customers to
95, the antediluvian era of web surfing dominated by leverage public cloud services on their premises while
the first widely popular browser, Netscape Navigator. meeting strict latency, data residency, and data
(Click here to read the article) sovereignty requirements.

• Garuda Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., an integrated drone • The biography of billionaire industrialist, Gautam
manufacturer and drone-as-a-service (DAAS) Adani, titled “Gautam Adani: The Man Who
provider based in India, would invest Rs 115 crore in Changed India” will hit the stands in October,
the construction of a production facility in Malaysia. announced Penguin Random House (PRHI). The book
The decision is made to establish a drone written by journalist-author RN Bhaskar, claims to
manufacturing plant in Malaysia, with a daily bring to light, for the first time, the unknown aspects
of one of the richest men in the world.
production capacity of around 50 drones. The
• Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal khattar on the
components would be imported from India and other
eve of 8th International Yoga Day released a book
nations.
titled Ashtang Yoga authored by Dr Sonu Phogat.
• The Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Manohar Lal khattar said that every person should
Centre (IN-SPACe) has started authorising Indian have a resolution for Yoga and he has to connect
private firms, marking the beginning of private space himself with the resolution.
sector launches in India. Dhruva Space Pvt. Ltd., • A new biography of one of India’s most firebrand
Hyderabad and Digantara research & technologies union leaders and former Central minister George
Pvt. Ltd. Bengaluru, were authorised by IN-SPACe on Fernandes will trace his journey from the streets of
June 24 to launch their payloads. Bombay to the corridors of power in Delhi,
• The NASA researchers successfully launched announced the Penguin Random House India
CAPSTONE spacecraft to the moon from New (PRHI). “The Life and Times of George Fernandes”,
Zealand. The launch took place on Rocket Lab’s written by Rahul Ramagundam, will be released
Electron rocket. Mission CAPSTONE stands for under Penguin’s ‘Allen Lane’ imprint on July 25.
Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System
Technology Operations and Navigation Miscellaneous Current Affairs
Experiment. • The 17th edition of the Mumbai International Film
Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction, and
Books & Authors Animation films (MIFF-2022) began with a colourful
opening ceremony at the Nehru Centre, Worli in
• India’s leading sports and Management institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra. MIFF 2022 has got an
the International Institute of Sports & overwhelming response from filmmakers across the
Management (IISM) in Mumbai, Maharashtra, world, receiving a whopping eight hundred 8 film
launched India’s first-ever book on Sports Marketing entries from 30 countries.
titled “Business of Sports: The Winning Formula • Sachin Tendulkar will continue as United Nations
for Success” authored by noted Sports author Vinit Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ‘Goodwill Ambassador’
Karnik. for a record 20th year, working for the welfare of
underprivileged children. The iconic cricketer has
• Union Education and Skill Development &
been associated with UNICEF for a long for various
Entrepreneurship Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan
causes. In his almost two-decade-long partnership
along with Union Minister for Information & with UNICEF, he has been vital in furthering the
Broadcasting and Sports Anurag Thakur released campaigns, especially the ones aimed at providing a
books ‘Loktantra ke Swar’ and ‘The Republican better future for underprivileged children.
Ethic, having selected speeches of the President of • Harini Logan was eliminated from the Scripps
India Ram Nath Kovind. This is the fourth volume of National Spelling Bee once, then reinstated. She
the series featuring the fourth year of the presidency missed four words in a gruelling standoff against
of Ram Nath Kovind. The compilation includes Vikram Raju, including one that would have given
speeches on a wide range of subjects. E-books were her the title. In the first-ever lightning-round
also released on the occasion. tiebreaker, Harini finally claimed the trophy.
• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi released Ram • Following the Central government’s guideline
Bahadur Rai’s book ‘Bhartiya Samvidhan: Ankahi advising against the usage of the word ‘Harijan’, the
Kahani’. Prime Minister noted Shri Ram Bahadur Delhi government is set to replace the word ‘Harijan’
Rai’s life-long quest for searching for new ideas and from names of colonies & streets and name them after
Babasaheb Ambedkar instead. In this vein, Social
desire to bring something new before the society. He
Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam has tabled a
expressed the hope that the book that was released
proposal to rename all streets and colonies under
today will present the Constitution in a Delhi Government titled as ‘Harijan’ after Dr
comprehensive manner. Ambedkar.
• The Arignar Anna Zoological Park is one such park • Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar has
that is worried about the increasing pollution near the launched the country's first homegrown COVID-19
park which is threatening the animals. The officials vaccine "Anocovax" for animals, developed by
of the Arignar Anna Zoological Park have Haryana-based ICAR-National Research Centre on
introduced a new method to keep a check on the Equines (NRC). Anocovax is an inactivated SARS-
littering of plastic bottles and pollution inside the CoV-2 Delta (COVID-19) vaccine for animals. The
park. immunity induced by Anocovax neutralises both Delta
• mRube, the electronic trading platform promoted by and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Rubber Board will go live from June 8. The • The Indian government has finalized deals with
Ahmedabad-based i-Sourcing Technologies is the South Africa and Namibia to get the planet’s fastest
technology partner. mRube follows a simple one-time animals, cheetahs that became extinct in India and
registration. KN Raghavan, Executive Director will will be released into the wild at Kuno Palpur,
launch the beta version of the electronic platform at a Madhya Pradesh, by the end of 2022. Initially, a
function in the presence of the Rubber Producer Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed
Society and other industry representatives. for 10 years, which can be extended for another five
• For wildlife observers and experts, the fishing cat years. There will be 12 cheetahs from South Africa
census in Chilika has some hopeful news. In Chilika, and 8 from Namibia and more will be followed in
the total number of feline species was discovered to
subsequent years.
be 176, with a range of 131-237 individuals. This
• Bhogeshwara, reportedly the elephant with the
was the first time a population estimate of the fishing
longest tusks in Asia, died of natural causes at the
cat was undertaken outside of a protected area
age of 60. The wild elephant, also known as Mr
network anywhere in the globe. The Chilika
Kabini, was found dead in the Gundre range of
Development Authority (CDA) collaborated with
Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve. According to
The Fishing Cat Project to undertake the estimating
forest department officials, Bhogeshwar’s tusks were
study (TFCP).
2.54 meters and 2.34 meters long. Known for its
• Maruti Suzuki India has installed a 20 MW solar
gentle temperament, the elephant frequented the
carport at its Manesar, Haryana, site. The project is
Kabini backwaters for the last three decades.
projected to provide the organisation with 28,000
MWh of electricity per year. According to the firm, the • The ultra luxury Sir M Visvesvaraya Railway
energy generated by this initiative will be similar to Terminal in Karnataka’s capital city Bengaluru was
the energy required to create nearly 67,000 cars made operational. The Ernakulam Tri-Weekly Express
every year. This is Asia’s largest solar carport, chugged trough the station to mark this special
according to the business. occasion. According to the railway officials, the air-
• Creating a history of sorts, Shreyas G. Hosur, became conditioned SMV Railway Terminal is a Rs 314 crore
the first officer from the Indian Railways to complete project. It has solar rooftop panels and rainwater
the gruelling ‘Ironman’ Triathlon, considered to be harvesting mechanism.
the toughest single-day sports event in the world.
This event includes 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km of
cycling and 42.2 km of running. He completed the
event in 13 hours and 26 minutes in Hamburg,
Germany.
• Union Minister Nitin Gadkari revealed that NHAI had
set a new Guinness World Record by building 75
kilometres of bituminous concrete in a single lane on
NH53 in 105 hours and 33 minutes. Gadkari
commended NHAI and Raj Path Infracon Pvt Ltd
engineers, contractors, consultants, and workers for
the project’s efficient execution, which contributed to
the world record’s successful completion.

• To supplement oxygen supply capacities, the Delhi • India is proposing a number of policies to encourage
Government, in collaboration with the United the establishment of carbon capture facilities by high
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India, carbon emission industries like steel, cement, and
has built an oxygen producing facility at G. B. Pant thermal plants. Production-linked incentive
Hospital in New Delhi. programmes, viability gap funding, or carbon credits
could all be used to offer incentives. The government
• In Leh, Ladakh, Amara Raja Power Systems will
might issue carbon credits that can be exchanged on
build the country’s first green hydrogen fueling
carbon exchanges or a PLI programme that would tie
station for the National Thermal Power incentives to how much carbon is gathered and used.
Corporation (NTPC). According to the Amara Raja • Delhi Airport or Indira Gandhi International
company, the pilot project would create a minimum of Airport has become the first airport in the country
80 kg of 99.97 percent pure hydrogen each day, which to run entirely on hydro and solar power from this
will be compressed, stored, and delivered. The month in a major step toward achieving the ambitious
contract has been awarded to NTPC, which expects to goal of becoming a Net Zero Carbon Emission
operate five hydrogen fuel cell buses in the region. Airport by 2030.
• Singer Justin Bieber has revealed he is suffering from • In a Caribbean mangrove swamp, researchers found
a health condition called Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, the largest bacterium known to science. While the
which has caused full facial paralysis on one side of majority of bacteria are tiny, this one is so large that it
his face. A viral infection, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is can be seen with the unaided eye. It is by far the
largest bacterium known to date, according to Jean-
caused by varicella-zoster virus and affects facial
Marie Volland, a marine biologist at the Lawrence
nerve near the ear. Three different neurological
Berkeley National Laboratory and a co-author of a
syndromes carry the name of Ramsay Hunt syndrome. paper reporting the finding in the journal Science. The
• The world's largest living plant has been identified thin white thread is about the size of a human eyelash.
in the shallow waters off the coast of Western
Australia. The sprawling seagrass, a marine Obituaries
flowering plant known as Posidonia australis,
stretches for more than 112 miles (180 kilometers) in • 29-year old Punjabi singer, Sidhu Moose Wala was
Shark Bay, a wilderness area protected as a World shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jawaharke
village of Mansa district, Punjab. The incident
Heritage site.
happened a day after the Punjab Police ordered the
• Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji has dropped the trailer of
withdrawal of security of his security along with more
“Shabaash Mithu”, a Taapsee Pannu-starrer biopic than 420 people, including former MLAs, Jathedars of
on former India women’s cricket team captain two Takhts, heads of Deras, and police officers.
Mithali Raj. The film is set to hit theatres on July 15. • Bujar Nishani, a former Albanian President had
The film has been written by Priyan Aven who makes died at 55 due to a health problem. President Bujar
her debut as a screenplay writer with Shabaash Nishani born on 29 September 1966 in Durrës,
Mithu. Albania, was well known for his centre-right political
• The enormous stingray Moul Thun snagged on the affiliation with the leftist coalition.
end of line by a fisherman was larger than any fish • Noted Bollywood singer KK (Krishnakumar
ever seen, the hunter was aware. The 42-year-old Kunnath) who mesmerized music lovers for over
fisherman from Kaoh Preah, an isolated island in the three decades is no more. The 53-year-old singer died
Mekong River, in northern Cambodia, didn’t realise in Kolkata after a live performance. KK was regarded
as one of the top singers of Bollywood. KK sang in
was that the ray would eventually be designated the
Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam,
largest documented freshwater fish in the world.
Marathi and Assamese.
• The 26th Sindhu Darshan Yatra will start in Leh • National Panthers Party Chief Professor, Bhim Singh
with the reception of the yatris, according to passed away at his residence in Jammu after a
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, RSS Senior Leader prolonged illness. He was 80. Singh was the founder
Indresh Kumar. After Ladakh became a Union and Chief Patron of the Jammu and Kashmir
Territory, yatris from all over the nation would see National Panthers Party (JKNPP), a political
the rapid development there, according to the RSS organisation which seeks “ultimate revolution”, based
Senior Leader Indresh Kumar. in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

• Santoor maestro and Padma Shri awardee, Bhajan • In Kerala, noted lyricist, author and journalist,
Sopori has passed away at the age of 73. The santoor Chowalloor Krishnankutty passed away at a private
player was born in Sopore in Kashmir Valley in Medical College Hospital in Thrissur. He was 86. A
1948 and belonged to the Sufiana Gharana of former Staff Artist with AIR, Krishnankutty penned
Indian classical music. He was the great-grandson of over 3000 devotional songs and authored more than
Pandit Shankar Pandit, who had developed the style 200 books. He retired as an Assistant Editor with the
popularly known as the ‘Sufi Baaj’ (style), based on Malayala Manorama daily.
Sufiana Qalam and Hindustani Classical music. • Renowned business tycoon Pallonji Mistry has
• Freedom fighter Anjalai Ponnusamy, who fought for passed away at the age of 93. He was the Chairman of
India’s independence from colonial Britain, died, aged the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, one of the largest
102. At the age of 21, Anjalai joined the Rani of Jhansi business firms in India. He was honoured with the
Regiment – the women’s regiment of the Indian Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contribution in the
National Army – in the hopes of discarding the yoke of field of industry and trade.
British colonialism from the Indian people. • Indian hockey stalwart and member of the gold medal
• Nobuyuki Idei, who led Japan’s Sony from 1998 winning 1975 World Cup team, Varinder Singh
passed away. He was 75. Singh was part of the gold
through 2005, steering its growth in the digital and
medal-winning Indian team at the 1975 men’s
entertainment businesses, has died. He was 84.
Hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
During his seven years as CEO from 1998, Mr Idei
made an immense contribution to Sony’s evolution as
a global company. Tokyo-based Sony is among Japan’s Static Takeaways
stellar brands, having brought the world the Walkman • National Council for Teacher Education Founded:
portable music player. 1995, India;
• Long distance great Hari Chand, a two-time • National Council for Teacher Education Headquarters:
Olympian and a double Asian Games gold medallist, New Delhi.
passed away in Jalandhar. He was 69. Chand won the • India Post Payments Bank Headquarters location:
5000 and 10,000m gold at the 1978 Bangkok Asiad New Delhi;
and also the 10,000m title at the 1975 Asian • India Post Payments Bank Founded: 1 September
Championships in Seoul. 2018.
• Renowned Urdu scholar, linguist, theorist, literary • Canadian Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau
critic, and former Chairperson of Sahitya Akademi • Canada capital is Ottawa, while its largest city is
Professor, Gopi Chand Narang has passed away at Toronto.
91. He was a Professor Emeritus at the University of • EPFO Founded: 4 March 1952, New Delhi;
Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia. He has been • EPFO Headquarters: New Delhi.
honoured with the Padma Bhushan (2004) and • LIC Headquarters: Mumbai;
Sahitya Akademi Awards (1995). He incorporated a • LIC Founded: 1 September 1956.
range of modern theoretical frameworks, including • Tata Motors Ltd Headquarters: Mumbai;
stylistics, structuralism, post-structuralism, and • Tata Motors Ltd Founded: 1945, Mumbai.
Sanskrit poetics. • National Informatics Centre (NIC) Headquarters: New
• Veteran photojournalist, R. Raveendran passed away Delhi;
at the age of 69. He was the recipient of numerous • National Informatics Centre (NIC) Founded: 1976.
photography awards and is known for his iconic • Sashastra Seema Bal Founded: 1963;
photo of Rajiv Goswami setting himself on fire • Sashastra Seema Bal Headquarters: New Delhi.
during the Mandal agitation in the Capital. He has • Bureau of Civil Aviation Security Founded: January
worked in AFP and ANI. 1978.
• Dr V Krishnamurthy, former chairman of public • Punjab & Sind Bank Limited Headquarters: New
sector undertakings such as Bharat Heavy Delhi;
Electricals Limited (BHEL), Steel Authority of • Punjab & Sind Bank Limited Founded: 24 June 1908.
India (SAIL) and Maruti Udyog (now Maruti • SEBI Founded: 12 April 1992;
Suzuki), passed away. He is widely regarded as the • SEBI Headquarters: Mumbai;
‘Father of Public Sector Undertakings’ and a mentor to • Meta Founded: February 2004, Cambridge,
prominent figures in business. Massachusetts, United States.
• Indian Airforce founded: 08th October 1932; • IMF Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States;
• Indian Airforce Headquarters: New Delhi; • IMF Member Countries: 190;
• ISRO Founded: 15 August 1969; • British Council Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi.
• ISRO Headquarters: Bengaluru; • Indian Army Founded: 1 April 1895;
• Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters: • Indian Army Headquarters: New Delhi;
Rome, Lazio; • Indian Army Motto: Service Before Self.
• Food and Agriculture Organization Founded: 16 • Kiya.ai HQ: Mumbai.
October 1945; • Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters:
• The parent organization of FAO: United Nations Rome, Italy.
Economic and Social Council. • Food and Agriculture Organization Established: 16
• Albania Capital: Tirana; October 1945.
• Albania Currency: Albanian lek; • International Accreditation Forum Founded: 28
• Albania President: Ilir Rexhep Meta; January 1993;
• Albania Prime Minister: Edi Rama. • International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
• UNICEF Headquarters: New York, New York, United Founded: October 1977.
States; • Headquarters of International Labour Organization:
• UNICEF Founded: 11 December 1946. Geneva, Switzerland;
• NABARD Formation: July 12, 1982; • International Labour Organization Founded: 1919.
• All India Council for Technical Education Founded:
• NABARD Headquarters: Mumbai;
November 1945;
• Albania Capital: Tirana;
• All India Council for Technical Education
• Albania Currency: Albanian lek;
Headquarters: New Delhi;
• Albania Prime Minister: Edi Rama.
• DICGC Headquarters: Mumbai;
• Sri Lanka Capital: Jayawardenepura Kotte;
• DICGC Founded: 15 July 1978.
• Sri Lanka Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee;
• ZestMoney Established: 2015;
• Sri Lanka Prime Minister: Ranil Wickremesinghe;
• ZestMoney Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Sri Lanka President: Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
• China Capital: Beijing;
• European Parliament Headquarters: Strasbourg,
• China Currency: Renminbi;
France;
• China President: Xi Jinping.
• European Parliament Founded: 19 March 1958.
• Defence Minister of India: Shri Rajnath Singh
• Airtel Payments Bank Founded: January 2017; • United Kingdom Capital: London
• Airtel Payments Bank Headquarters: New Delhi; • United Kingdom Prime minister: Boris Johnson
• World Bank Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United • United Kingdom Currency: Pound sterling
States; • The United Nations General Assembly Headquarters:
• World Bank Formation: July 1944; New York, United States.
• Secretary, Department of Financial Services: Sanjay • APEDA Formation: 1986;
Malhotra • APEDA Headquarters: New Delhi;
• Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala • LinkedIn Corporation Founded: 5th May 2003;
Sitharaman • LinkedIn Corporation Headquarters: California,
• WhatsApp Founded: 2009; United States (US);
• WhatsApp Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, • Fino Payments Bank Founded: 4 April 2017;
United States; • Fino Payments Bank Headquarters: Juinagar, Navi
• WhatsApp Acquisition date: 19 February 2014; Mumbai;
• WhatsApp Parent organization: Facebook. • Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
• Union Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai; OmniCard: Sanjeev Pandey.
• Union Bank of India Founded: 11 November 1919. • Indian Bank Founded: 15 August 1907;
• Punjab & Sind Bank Headquarters: New Delhi; • Indian Bank Headquarters: Chennai;
• Punjab & Sind Bank Founded: 24 June 1908. • Indian Bank Tagline: Taking Banking Technology To
• State Bank of India Founded: 1 July 1955; The Common Man.
• State Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai; • Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Headquarters:
• IMF Formation: 27 December 1945; Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India;

• Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Founded: 11 May 1921. • Somalia Capital: Mogadishu;
• HSBC India Founded: 1853; • Somalia Currency: Somali Shilling;
• HSBC India Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; • Somalia President: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
• Ather Energy Owner: Hero MotoCorp; • Headquarters of Zomato: Gurugram, Haryana.
• Ather Energy Headquarters location: Bengaluru; • Australia Prime minister: Anthony Albanese;
• Tencent Founded: 11 November 1998; • Australia Capital: Canberra;
• Tencent Headquarters: Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; • Australia Currency: Australian dollar.
• Adani Transmission Limited Founded: 9 December • Indian Oil Corporation Headquarters: New Delhi;
2013; • Indian Oil Corporation Founded: 30 June 1959.
• Adani Transmission Limited Headquarters: • Home Minister of India: Amit Shah
Ahmedabad. • FATF Headquarters: Paris, France;
• Cellular Operators’ Association of India Founded: • FATF Purpose: Combat money laundering and
1995; terrorism financing;
• Cellular Operators’ Association of India Headquarters: • FATF Founded: 1989.
New Delhi; • UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945;
• European Union Founded: 1 November 1993, • UNESCO Headquarters: Paris, France;
Maastricht, Netherlands; • UNESCO Members: 193 countries;
• European Union Headquarters: Brussels; • Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Founded: 2016;
• President of the European Union Commission: Ursula • Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Headquarters:
von der Leyen; Chennai, Tamil Nadu;
• Egypt Capital: Cairo; • Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Tagline: It’s Fun
• Egypt Currency: Egyptian pound; Banking.
• Egypt President: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi; • South Indian Bank Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala;
• Egypt Prime Minister: Moustafa Madbouly. • South Indian Bank Founded: 29 January 1929.
• ICC Founded: 15 June 1909; • Karnataka Bank Headquarters: Mangaluru;
• ICC Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates. • Karnataka Bank Founded: 18 February 1924.
• Google Founded: 4 September 1998; • New Development Bank Headquarters location:
• Google Headquarters: Mountain View, California, Shanghai, China;
United States. • New Development Bank Founder: BRICS;
• National Commission for Protection of Child Rights • New Development Bank Founded: 15 July 2014.
(NCPCR) Founded: March 2007; • All India Football Federation Headquarters location:
• National Commission for Protection of Child Rights New Delhi;
(NCPCR) Headquarters: New Delhi, India. • All India Football Federation Founded: 23 June 1937;
• NATO Formation: 4 April 1949; • All India Football Federation FIFA affiliation: 1948.
• NATO Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium; • National Investigation Agency Headquarters: New
• NATO Total Member: 30; Delhi;
• NATO Last member of NATO: North Macedonia. • National Investigation Agency Founded: 31 December
2008.
• Commander of the Eastern Coast Guard Region:
Inspector General AP Badola
• Swiss National Bank Head Offices: Berne, Zurich;
• Swiss National Bank Founded: 1854.
• President of China: Xi Jinping
• President of Russia: Vladimir Putin
• President of Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro
• President of South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa
• FIFA Founded: 21 May 1904;
• FIFA Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.
• Oracle Founded: 16 June 1977;
• Oracle Headquarters: Austin, Texas, US;

• Oracle CEO: Safra Ada Catz. Sr
Head of Organization Name of Person
• International Olympic Committee Headquarters: No
Lausanne, Switzerland; 15 NABARD Chairman Govinda Rajulu Chintala
• International Olympic Committee Founded: 23 June Chairman of Cabinet
1894, Paris, France; Committee on Prime Minister Narendra
16
• South Korea President: Yoon Suk Yeol Economic Affairs Modi
• South Korea National Flower: Mugunghwa (Rose of (CCEA)
Sharon). Airtel Payments Bank
• Central Board of Direct Taxes Founded: 1963; 17 Managing Director & Anubrata Biswas
• Central Board of Direct Taxes Headquarters: New CEO
Delhi; Governor of Reserve
18 Shri Shaktikanta Das
• Central Board of Direct Taxes Minister responsible: Bank of India
Ministry of Finance. 19 World Bank President David Malpass
• International Tennis Federation Headquarters: 20 WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart
London, United Kingdom;
21 WhatsApp Founders Jan Koum, Brian Acton
• International Tennis Federation Founded: 1 March
State Bank of India
1913; 22 Dinesh Kumar Khara
Chairman
• Bharat Electronics Limited Founded: 1954;
• Bharat Electronics Limited Headquarters: Bengaluru; 23 IMF MD Kristalina Georgieva
• Tata Power Solar Systems Headquarters: Mumbai; British Council
25 Barbara Wickham
• Tata Power Solar Systems Founded: 1989. Director
Indian Army Chief of
Heads of various organizations in News in month of 26 Manoj Pande
the Army Staff
June 2022 27 Kiya ai MD and CEO Rajesh Mirjankar
Sr Central Horticulture
Head of Organization Name of Person 28 Prabhat Kumar
No Commissioner
National Council for President of
1 Teacher Education Shri Santosh Sarangi 29 International Labour Guy Ryder
Chairperson Organization
India Post Payments All India Council for
2 J Venkatramu
Bank CEO 30 Technical Education Anil Sahasrabudhe
3 LIC Chairperson M R Kumar Chairperson
Tata Motors Ltd ZestMoney CEO & Co-
4 J R D Tata 31 Lizzie Chapman
Founder Founder
The Governor of the 32 DICGC Chairperson Michael Patra
5 Andrew Bailey
Bank of England The United Nations
Punjab & Sind Bank 33 General Assembly Abdulla Shahid
6 Vir Singh
Limited Founder President
7 SEBI Agency executive Madhabi Puri Buch 34 APEDA Chairman M Angamuthu
8 Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Bank of Baroda (BOB)
35 Hasmukh Adhia
Indian Airforce Chief Chairman
9 Vivek Ram Chaudhari Punjab National bank
of Air Staff 36 Atul Kumar Goel
10 MD and CEO of AGEL Vneet S Jaain (PNB) Chairman
LinkedIn Corporation
11 ISRO Chairman S Somanath 37 Ryan Roslansky
CEO
Food and Agriculture Fino Payments Bank
12 Organization Director- Qu Dongyu 38 Rishi Gupta
MD & CEO
General
39 Indian Bank CEO Shri Shanti Lal Jain
13 UNICEF Head Catherine M Russell
Tamilnad Mercantile
14 UNICEF President Tore Hattrem 40 K V Rama Moorthy
Bank CEO

Sr Sr
Head of Organization Name of Person Head of Organization Name of Person
No No
41 HSBC India CEO Hitendra Dave Swiss National Bank
Ather Energy 68 Chairman of the Thomas J Jordan
42 Tarun Mehta, Swapnil Jain Governing Board
Founders
Tencent Chairman, Larry Ellison, Bob Miner,
43 Pony Ma 69 Oracle Founder
CEO Ed Oates
44 Tencent President Martin Lau International Olympic
70 Thomas Bach
Committee President
Adani Transmission
45 Anil Kumar Sardana International Olympic
Limited CEO
71 Committee Director Christophe De Kepper
Adani Transmission
46 Gautam Adani General
Limited Founder
Bharat Electronics
Cellular Operators’
72 Limited Executive Vinay Kumar Katyal
47 Association of India Dr S P Kochhar
Director
Director-General
Garuda Aerospace’s
President of the 73 Agnishwar Jayaprakash
founder and CEO
48 European Union Roberta Metsola
Parliament Founder and CTO of
74 Shanmugam S Thanggavilo
HiiLSE Drones
President of the
49 Charles Michel Central Board of
European Council 75 Nitin Gupta
Direct Taxes Chairman
50 ICC Chairman Greg Barclay
International Tennis
51 ICC CEO Geoff Allardice 76 David Haggerty
Federation President
52 Google CEO Sundar Pichai Bharat Electronics
National Commission 77 Limited Chairman & Anandi Ramalingam
for Protection of Child Managing Director
53 Priyank Kanoongo
Rights (NCPCR)
Chairman Important Superlatives of India
NATO Secretary • Largest Museum : India Museum at Kolkata
54 Jens Stoltenberg
General • Longest Dam : Hirakud Dam (Orrisa)
55 CEO of Zomato Deepinder Goyal • Highest Dam : Tehri Dam ( 260 meters , 850 ft )
Indian Oil Corporation • Highest Tower : Kutab Minar at Delhi (88.4 meters
56 Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
Chairperson high)
Finance Minister of • Largest Desert : Thar (Rajasthan)
57 Nirmala Sitharaman
India • Largest District : Kutch district
58 FATF President Marcus Pleyer • Fastest Train : Shatabadi Express running between
59 UNESCO Head Audrey Azoulay New Delhi and Bhopal
60 Yes Bank Founder Rana Kapoor • State with longest coastline : Gujarat
• State with longest coastline of South India : Andhra
61 Yes Bank Chairman Sunil Mehta
Pradesh
62 Yes Bank MD and CEO Prashant Kumar • Longest Electric Railway Line : From Delhi to Kolkata
Equitas Small Finance Vasudevan Pathangi via Patna
63
Bank Ltd MD & CEO Narasimhan • Longest Railway Route : From Assam to Kanyakumari
South Indian Bank • Longest Railway Platform : Kharagpur (W. Bengal)
64 Murali Ramakrishnan
CEO • Highest Railway Station : Ghum (W. Bengal
65 Karnataka Bank CEO Mahabaleshwara M S • Longest Platform : Kharagpur (West Bengal) 833
New Development meters
66 Marcos Prado Troyjo
Bank President • Longest Tunnel : Jawahar tunnel (Jammu & Kashmir)
National Investigation • Longest Highway : NH-44 (NH-7) which turns from
67 Radha Vinod Raju
Agency Founder Varanasi to Kanyakumari

• Smallest State (Population) : Sikkim • Largest Populated City : Mumbai
• Smallest State (Area) : Goa • Largest State(Area) : Rajasthan
• Largest State (Area) : Rajasthan • Largest State(Population) : Uttar Pradesh
• Largest State (Population) : Uttar Pradesh • Highest Rainfall : Cherrapunhi (426 inches per
• Densest Populated State : West Bengal annum)
• Largest Cave : Amarnath (J&K) • Highest Waterfall : Nohkalikai Falls (335 meters, 1100
• Largest Cave Temple : Kailash Temple, Ellora ft high) in Shora
(Maharastra) • State wise largest area under forest : Madhya Pradesh
• Largest Animal Fair : Sonepur (Bihar)
• Largest Delta : Sunderbans Delta
• Largest Auditorium : Sri Shanmukhanand Hall
• Largest River without Delta : Narmada and Tapti
(Mumbai)
• Longest Cantilever Span bridge : Howrah Bridge
• Biggest Hotel : Oberai-Sheraton (Mumbai)
• Longest River Bridge : Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Patna
• Largest Port : Mumbai
• Biggest Cave temple : Ellora
• Largest Gurudwara : Golden Temple, Amritsar
• Deepest River Valley : Bhagirathi & Alaknanda • Longest Road : Grand Trunk Road
• Largest Church : Saint Cathedral (Goa) • Highest Road : Road at Khardungla,(in Leh-Manali
• Oldest Church : St. Thomas Church at Palayar, Trichur Sector)
(Kerala) • Biggest Mosque : Jama Masjid at Delhi
• Longest River : Ganga (2640 km long) • Highest Gateway : Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri
• Longest Beach : Marina Beach, Chennai (53.6 meters high)
• Highest Battle Field : Siachin Glacier • Tallest Statue : Statue of Gomateshwar (17 meters
• Highest Airport : Leh (Laddakh) high In Karnataka
• Biggest Stadium : Yuva Bharti (Salt Lake) Stadium, • Largest Public Sector Bank : State Bank of India
Kolkata • Longest Canal : Indira Gandhi Canal or Rajasthan
• Largest River Island : Majuli (Brahmaputra River, Canal (Rajasthan)
Asom) • Largest Dome : Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur
• Largest Planetarium : Birla Planetarium (Kolkata) • Largest Zoo : Zoological Garden at Alipur (Kolkata)
• Sambhar lake : Largest inland salt lake
• Highest Award in India : Bharat Ratna
• Highest Gallantry Award : Param Vir Chakra
• Longest River in India : The Ganges
• Longest Tributary river of India : Yamuna
• Largest Lake : Wular Lake, Kashmir
• Largest Lake (Saline Water) : Chilka Lake, Orrisa
• Largest Man-Made Lake : Govind Vallabh Pant Sagar
(Rihand Dam)
• Largest Fresh Water Lake : Kolleru Lake (Andhra
Pradesh)
• Highest Lake : Devtal Lake, Gadhwal (Uttarakhand)
• Highest Peak : Karkoram-2 of K-2(8,611 meters)
• Highest Peak in the world : Mount Everest in Nepal

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List of Important Articles of the

Constitution of India - GK Notes PDF!

Parts of the Constitution and What They Deal with

I The Union and its territory 1-4

III Fundamental Rights 12-35

Directive Principles of State

IV- A Fundamental Duties 51-A

The Executive 52-78

V Legislative Powers of the

The Union Judiciary 124-147

Comptroller and Auditor-

The State Legislature 168-212

Legislative Powers of the

The High Courts in the States 214-231

Subordinate Courts 233-237

VIII The Union Territories 239-242

IX The Panchayats 243 to 243-0

The Scheduled and Tribal

RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNION

Administrative Relations 256-263

Property, Contracts, Rights,

Right to Property 300-A

Trade, Commerce and

SERVICES UNDER THE UNION AND

Public Service Commissions 315-323

XV Elections 324 to 329

Special Provisions Relating to

Language of the Union 343-344

Regional Languages 345- 347

Languages of the Supreme

Special Directives 350- 351

XVIII Emergency Provisions 352-360

XIX Miscellaneous 361-367

XX Amendment of the Constitution 368

Temporary, Transitional and

Short Title, Commencement,

Some Important Articles of the Constitution of India

ARTICLE DEALS WITH

1 Name and Territory of Union

Laws inconsistent with or in

Equality before Law (popularly

Prohibition of Discrimination (on

Equality in case of Public

Protection of Certain Rights to

19a Freedom of Speech & Expression

19b Right to Peaceful Assembly

19c Freedom of Association

19e Freedom of Settlement & Residence

(Omitted as a fundamental right –

Freedom to Practice any Profession,

21 Right to Life and Personal Liberty

21A Right to Education

Prohibition of Human Trafficking

24 Prohibition of Child Labor

Freedom to Practice & Propagate

29 Protection of Interests of Minorities

Remedies for enforcement of

44 Uniform Civil Code

50 Separation of Judiciary from

Promotion of International Peace

51A Fundamental Duties

Powers of President to Grant

78 Duties of Prime Minister

Sessions of Parliament, Prorogation