CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS 13th April 2022
CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS
13th April 2022
National News
Guidelines to pursue 2 full-time degrees at
the same time released by UGC
The University Grants Commission has released the guidelines for
students who want to pursue two full-time UG or PG academic programmes
simultaneously. The guidelines state that the students can pursue the two
programmes in physical mode if their classes don't overlap or they can pursue
one of them in online or open and distance learning mode.
UN-FAO: Mumbai and Hyderabad recognised as ‘2021 Tree City of the
World’
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Arbor Day
Foundation have jointly recognised Mumbai and Hyderabad as the ‘2021 Tree City
of the World. The two Indian cities have won the recognition for their
“commitment to growing and maintaining urban trees and greenery in building
healthy, resilient and happy cities”. The
United Nations’ ‘Tree City of the World’ programme provides direction,
assistance, and worldwide recognition for communities’ dedication to its urban
forest, and provides a framework for a healthy, sustainable urban forestry. It must be noted that Hyderabad has been
recognised for a second consecutive year. In 2021, Hyderabad was the only city
in India to be recognised as a ‘ 2020 Tree City of the World’. Apart from
Hyderabad and Mumbai 136 other cities from 21 countries have been recognised in
the third edition of the Tree City of the World list.
Commerce Ministry: Number of patent filings rises to 66,440 in FY22
As per the data by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the number of
domestic patent filings at the Indian patent office exceeded that of
international filings for the first time in the last 11 years. During the January-March quarter of 2022, a
total of 19796 patent applications were filed, which included 10,706 patents
filed by Indian applicants and 9,090 by non-Indian applicants. The number of patent filings increased from
42,763 in 2014-15 to 66,440 in 2021-22, more than a 50% increase in a span of 7
years. India granted 30,074 patents in
2021-22 as compared to 5,978 in 2014-15, an increase of nearly five times. Reduction in the time of patent examination
from 72 months in Dec 2016 to 5-23 months at present for different
technological areas.
Amrit Samagam inaugurated by Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah
Shri Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation, launched the
Amrit Samagam, a summit of the country's tourism and cultural ministers, in New
Delhi. The Ministry of Culture is hosting a two-day conference, as part of the
Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The goal of
this conference is to discuss how far the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav has
progressed so far, as well as to gather best practices and ideas for methods to
be used for the remainder of the celebration, particularly for impending
critical initiatives. Union Minister for
Tourism, Culture, and DONER Shri G. Kishan Reddy launched the Utsav Portal
website during the conference, a digital initiative launched by the Ministry of
Tourism to showcase all events, festivals, and live darshans across India in
order to promote different regions of the country as popular tourist
destinations worldwide.
International News
Ecuador became 1st country to give legal rights to wild animals
Ecuador, a South American Country, became the first country in the world to
give legal rights to wild animals. The highest court in the country has ruled
in favour of the case that focused on a woolly monkey named
"Estrellita" who was taken from her home to a zoo, where she passed
just a week later. The court decided to
rule in favour of Estrellita and said that her rights had been violated by the
government. However, they added that the animal’s rights were also violated by
the owner when she removed her from her natural habitat at a young age. The
Court has finally stated that animals are subject to rights protected by the
rights of nature.
Appointments News
Harsh Vardhan Shringla named India’s G20 chief coordinator
Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla will take over next month as G20 chief
coordinator, the government officially announced. The appointment is
significant as India will assume the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022, from
Indonesia, and will convene the G20 Leaders Summit for the first time in India
in 2023. Shringla will retire on 30th
April 2022, handing over charge to foreign secretary-designate V M Kwatra, who
is currently India’s ambassador to Nepal. The G20 sherpa will remain
to be Piyush Goyal, the Indian Commerce Minister. G20 Bali Summit 2022 is the 17th meeting of
the G20 Heads of State and Government Summit which is scheduled to take place
in Bali, Indonesia from November 15-16, 2022 under the Presidency of Indonesia
with the overall theme of “Recover Together Recover Stronger”.
Banking, Business and Economy News
India’s gold imports increased by 33.34% to Rs 46.14 billion in 2021-22
According to the official data, the import of gold in India has been rose by
33.34% to Rs 46.14 billion on account of higher demand in 2021-22. The import
of gold in 2020-21 was about Rs 34.62 billion.
The increase in gold imports has contributed to the widening of the
trade deficit to $192.41 billion, against $102.62 billion in 2020-21. India is
the world’s second-biggest gold consumer after China. The imports are largely driven by the
jewellery industry. The export of gems and jewellery grew by about 50% to about
$39 billion during 2021-22.
Import of cotton fully exempted from customs
duties till September 30
The government has exempted all cotton imports from customs duties from
April 14 to September 30, 2022. Currently, cotton imports attract 5% Basic
Customs Duty (BCD) and 5% Agriculture Infrastructure Development Cess (AIDC).
"This exemption shall benefit the textile chain - yarn, fabric, garments,
and provide relief to consumers," the Finance Ministry said.
Infosys has a three-phase plan for
employees' return to offices: CFO
Infosys CFO Nilanjan Roy explained employees' three-phased return to
work plan, saying, "In the first phase, we're encouraging people in their
home locations...in the DCs (Development Centres) where they are...to come at
least twice a week." He said, "Phase two is encouraging people
outside DC towns to make preparations for return." He called "looking
at hybrid work" the third phase.
Andhra govt's diversion of disaster funds
'serious' matter: SC
short by Nakul
Ahuja / 10:04 pm on 13 Apr 2022,Wednesday
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that the Andhra Pradesh government's
decision of diverting ₹1100 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)
to finance the state's subsidy scheme for farmers was a "serious"
matter. "The money meant for disaster relief cannot be used for any other
purpose," a bench of Justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna remarked.
India's trade deficit rises 35.7% YoY to
$18.51 billion in March 2022
India's merchandise trade deficit in March 2022 rose 35.7% YoY from
$13.64 billion to $18.51 billion. While merchandise exports rose 19.76% to
$42.22 billion, its imports rose 24.21% to $60.74 billion, data released by the
government showed. The overall trade deficit widened to $9.91 billion in March,
up 93.93% YoY from $5.11 billion in March 2021.
Infosys reports ₹32,276 cr revenue in Q4,
net profit at ₹5,686 cr
Infosys reported a 22.67% YoY rise in revenue from operations from
₹26,311 crore to ₹32,276 crore and a 12.01% rise in net profit to ₹5,686 crore
in Q4 FY22. Profit in Q3 FY22 was ₹5,809 crore and revenue was ₹31,867 crore.
Infosys' financial services segment witnessed the highest revenue in Q4 at
₹10,096 crore, up 16.35% from ₹8,677 crore.
Google to invest $9.5 billion in US offices,
data centres in 2022
Google has announced that it will invest $9.5 billion in US offices and
data centres over 2022, up from $7 billion last year. It's expected to create
12,000 new jobs by 2022-end. Google will open a new office in Atlanta. "It
might seem counterintuitive to step up our investment in physical offices even
as we embrace more flexibility," Google said.
Infosys' employee attrition rate rises to
27.7% in Q4
Infosys announced on Wednesday that its employee attrition rate
continued to rise during the January-March 2022 quarter, reaching 27.7%. The
attrition rate in Q3 FY22 was 25.5% and in Q4 FY21 was 10.9%. Infosys' employee
count increased 20.95% YoY from 2,59,619 to 3,14,015 in Q4 FY22, with a
majority of them being software professionals.
Infosys hired 85,000 freshers last year, to
add over 50,000 freshers this year
Infosys CFO Nilanjan Roy said, "In the last year (FY22) we hired
85,000 freshers, both globally and in India." He added, "We are
planning to do (hire) upwards of 50,000 freshers at least this year
(FY23)...and we will see how that plays out...but that's just initial." He
also said, "The good news is...we've mastered the art of off-campus
recruitment."
World Bank slashes India's FY23 GDP forecast
from 8.7% to 8%
The World Bank cut its FY23 GDP growth forecast for India from 8.7% to
8%. "High oil and food prices caused by the war in Ukraine will have a
strong negative impact on people's real incomes," said World Bank South
Asia VP Hartwig Schafer. World Bank has also slashed the growth forecast for
South Asia, excluding Afghanistan, to 6.6%.
Bank of Maharashtra to divest 4% Stake in ISARC
Bank of Maharashtra announced that it will sell its entire 4% ownership in
India SME Asset Reconstruction Company for almost Rs 4 crore. According to a
regulatory statement, the Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has entered a share
purchase agreement for the sale of the entire equity position of 4% in India
SME Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (ISARC).
The bank's 4% stake, which translates to 40,00,000 equity shares, would
be sold for Rs 9.80 per share for Rs 3.92 crore in cash. The sale of ISARC's interest is subject to
RBI approval for a change in ISARC's sponsor shareholder. By the end of
December 2022, the transaction should be closed. ISARC's overall revenue for the fiscal year
ended March 2021 was Rs 11.09 crore, with a net profit of Rs 0.36 crore. In FY20, it lost Rs 8.39 crore, and in FY19,
it lost Rs 9.21 crore. ISARC is the
country's first Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC), with a large number of
public sector banks and undertakings supporting it. It focuses on MSME NPA
resolution. SIDBI, Bank of Baroda,
Punjab National Bank, and SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd are among the sponsors of
the ARC. On the BSE, the stock of BoM
finished at Rs 18.80 per share, up 0.27 percent from its previous closing of Rs
18.75.
ADB to approve $2 million loan to support urban development in Nagaland
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed an
agreement to provide a $2 million project readiness financing (PRF) loan to
Nagaland for the design of climate-resilient urban infrastructure,
strengthening institutional capacity, and improving municipal resource
mobilisation. By establishing an
urban sector plan, conducting feasibility studies, and comprehensive
engineering designs of chosen subprojects, the ADB financing will ensure high
project readiness. The PRF loan will be
used to help construct climate-resilient water supply, sanitation, solid waste
management, and urban highways in Nagaland's 16 districts headquarter towns, as
well as better access for the poor and vulnerable.
Awards News
Champion of Change Award 2021 in Madhya Pradesh announced
Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan have reached the program of Champions of Change Madhya Pradesh 2021
organized by ‘Interactive Forum on Indian Economy’(IFIE) at Kushabhau Thackeray
auditorium in Bhopal. The organization
recognizes them for the great work done by individuals and organizations
towards promoting the values of courage, community service and inclusive social
development.
Celebrities including the Chief Minister will be honoured in the program. Here
are the names of the awardees:
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan;
Former
Governor of UP and Mizoram Dr Aziz Qureshi;
Music
performer Padma Vibhushan Teejan Bai;
Mayor
of Indore Malini Laxmansingh Gaur;
Rajya
Sabha MP Syed Zafar Islam;
Indian
actress Divyanka Tripathi;
Indian
film actor and lyricist Piyush Mishra;
BJP
leader Vikram Verma, Banwari Lal Chouksey, Dr Bhagirath Prasad, Kalapini
Komakali, Sudhir Bhai Goyal, Girish Agarwal, Dilip Suryavanshi, Abhijeet
Sukhdane, Aarya Chavda, Rohit Singh Tomar, Megha Parmar, Vikas Bhaduaria,
Priyanka Dwivedi.
CEO
of FidyPay Manan Dixit, Mayur Sethi, Renu Sharma, Dr Prakash Jain and Rajneet Jain.
PM Narendra Modi to be honoured with 1st Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be honoured with the inaugural Lata Deenanath
Mangeshkar Award which is instituted in the memory of the veteran singer of
Lata Mangeskar. PM Modi will receive the
award for selfless service to the nation and society. The award ceremony will
be held on April 24 which marks the 80th death anniversary of Master Deenanath
Mangeshkar (singing legend’s father). Among
the other awardees will be singer Rahul Despande, who will receive the Master
Deenanath Award besides three other special awardees including veteran actress
Asha Parekh, actor Jackie Shroff and the Mumbai Dabbawalas, represented by
Nutan Tiffin Suppliers.
Science and Technology News
NASA released the Data on India’s Space Debris
According to the most recent report of NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office's
Orbital Debris Quarterly News, there are 25,182 pieces of space debris larger
than 10 cm in lower earth orbits near 2,000 kilometres of the planet's surface. India is responsible for only 114 space
debris items, whereas the United States has 5,126 space debris objects in
Earth's orbit and China has 3,854 space debris objects in Earth's orbit,
including spent rocket bodies. Almost
all of the debris is in low Earth orbit, within 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles)
of the Earth's surface, while some debris can be found 35,786 kilometres
(22,236 miles) above the Equator in geostationary orbit. Experts believe that all space debris is the
product of humans shooting items into space. Debris or satellites left at
higher altitudes of 36,000 kilometres, where communications and weather
satellites are frequently put in geostationary orbits, can circle Earth for
hundreds or even thousands of years.
Sports News
Which 7 batters have scored 10,000 runs in
T20 cricket?
MI captain Rohit Sharma today became the seventh batter to reach 10,000
runs in T20 cricket. He is the second Indian after Virat Kohli to achieve the
feat. Chris Gayle has scored the most runs (14,562) in T20 cricket. Gayle is
followed by Shoaib Malik (11,698), Kieron Pollard (11,474), Aaron Finch
(10,499), Kohli (10,379) and David Warner (10,373).
18-year-old Baby AB smashes biggest six of
IPL 2022
MI's 18-year-old batter Dewald Brevis, who is known as Baby AB, smashed
a 112-metre maximum to record the biggest six of IPL 2022 so far. He hit the
six on the bowling of PBKS leg-spinner Rahul Chahar. It was the last of his
four consecutive sixes during MI's ninth over. Brevis slammed a total of five
sixes in his knock.
1st Khelo India National Ranking Women Archery Tournament held in
Jamshedpur
The first Khelo India National Ranking Women Archery will be held in Tata
Archery Academy, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has
approved Rs 75 Lakh to host the Khelo India National Ranking Women Archery
Tournament over six phases. The
tournament will be conducted as per the World Archery Rules, held in the
senior, Junior, and Cadet Categories across the Recurve and Compound events.
The Archery Association of India (AAI), in collaboration with the Jharkhand
Archery Association and TATA Steel, is organizing the tournament.
Important Days
38th Siachen Day celebrates on 13 April 2022
Indian Army marks Siachen Day on April 13 every year. The day is observed to
commemorate the courage of the Indian Army under "Operation
Meghdoot". The Day also honours Siachen Warriors serving their motherland
successfully from the enemy. Every year
this day is observed to pay solemn tributes to the soldiers who laid down their
lives to capture the icy heights of Siachen 38 years ago. The day commemorates
the courage and fortitude displayed by Indian Army troops in securing the
highest and coldest battlefield in the world.
The Siachen Glacier is the highest battleground on earth, where India
and Pakistan have fought intermittently since 1984. Both countries maintain a
permanent military presence in the region at a height of over 6,000 metres
(20,000 ft). More than 2,000 soldiers people have died in this inhospitable
terrain, mostly due to weather extremes and the natural hazards of mountain
warfare.
International Turban Day celebrates on April 13
International Turban Day is celebrated every year on April 13 since 2004 to
bring awareness of the strict requirement on Sikhs to put the turban as a
mandatory part of their religion. The
2022 Turban Day marks the 553rd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and the
festival of Baisakhi. The turban, also known as “dastar” or “pagri” or “pag”
refers to the garment worn by both men and some women to cover their heads.
Since 2004, on Turban Day, Sikhs worldwide organise various events to give
information about the turban to the general community in their locality. Turbans of every hue are represented at these
events and posters highlighting information about Sikhi are also displayed and
handed out. Turban tying sessions are arranged so that youngsters and others
get a chance to wear a turban for the first time and have their photos taken.
Miscellaneous News
Airports Council International: Top 10 busiest airports in the world for
2021
The Airports Council International (ACI) released the list of the top 10
busiest airports worldwide for 2021. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
Airport (ATL) has topped the list with 75.7 million passengers. Dallas/Fort
Worth International Airport (DFW) 62.5 million passengers) is second, followed
by Denver International Airport (DEN, 58.8 million passengers) at the third
spot. Among the top 10 airports for passenger
traffic, 8 are in the United States with the two remaining in China. The airports are ranked based on the
preliminary compilation of 2021 global data from airports around the world
including passenger traffic, cargo volumes, and aircraft movements.
Top 10 busiest airports in the world for 2021:
|
Ranks |
Airport |
PASSENGERS* |
|
1 |
Atlanta |
75,704,760 |
|
2 |
Dallas Fort Worth |
62,465,756 |
|
3 |
Denver |
58,828,552 |
|
4 |
Chicago O’Hare |
54,020,339 |
|
5 |
Los Angeles |
48,007,284 |
|
6 |
Charlotte |
43,302,230 |
|
7 |
Orlando International |
40,351,068 |
|
8 |
Guangzhou |
40,259,401 |
|
9 |
Chengdu |
40,117,496 |
|
10 |
Las Vegas |
39,754,366 |
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