Current Affairs-MAY 2022

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Banking & Finance

1.  Union Bank becomes first public sector bank to go live on Account Aggregator framework

Union Bank of India became the first public sector bank to go live on the Account Aggregator (AA) ecosystem.

Touted as the UPI moment for lending, the AA framework ensures swift data sharing with the consent of the user and eliminates the need for physical documents.

2.  Neobank Open Becomes 100th Unicorn Of India, Raises $50 Mn From IIFL

Bengaluru-based neobanking startup Open becomes the country’s 100th unicorn after raising $50 Mn from IIFL.

Open operates a neobank that offers small and medium-sized businesses as well as enterprises nearly all the features of the bank with additional tools to better serve the customers’ needs.

Anish Achuthan, co-founder and chief executive of Open.

3.  ICICI Bank launches India’s ‘open-for-all’ digital ecosystem for MSMEs

ICICI Bank has launched a digital service for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that customers of other banks can use as well.

MSMEs, who are customers of other banks, can avail of a host of services by logging in as a ‘Guest’ in the app.

4.  HDFC ERGO launches an innovative motor insurance policy under the ‘Sandbox’ program of IRDAI

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, a leading private sector general insurance company, announced the launch of its ‘Pay as you Drive’ program; an insurance solution that offers distance-based insurance to.

This policy will be best suited for those customers who prefer to drive less or have multiple cars with some of those driven less than the others.

5.  RBI hikes repo rate for first time in 2 years; lending rate up by 40 bps, CRR hiked by 50 bps

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announced hike in benchmark interest rates by 40 basis points to 4.40 percent.

The MPC voted unanimously to increase the policy repo rate by 40 bps to 4.40 per cent with immediate effect. The standing deposit facility rate now stands at 4.15 per cent, while the marginal standing facility rate and bank rate stand at 4.65 percent.

The MPC also hiked CRR (cash reserve ratio) by 50 basis points to 4.5 per cent.

6.  Canara Bank ties up with ASAP to launch skill loans

Canara Bank has launched ‘skill loans’ in association with the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP). Loans ranging from ‘5,000 to ‘1.5 L can be availed of by students pursuing skill training programmes offered by ASAP Kerala or any other Central/State government-recognised agencies that conduct National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) or NSDC courses. NSDC: National Skill Development Corporation.

7.  Under Project WAVE, Indian Bank has launched a pre-approved personal loan.

The public sector bank, The Indian Bank has presented a pre-approved personal loan product under Project WAVE.

The Chennai-based bank announced the World of Advance Virtual Experience, WAVE digital transformation project in January 2022 to introduce its first digital product, the Pre-Approved Personal Loan, which intends to give consumers with rapid loan disbursements.

8.  RBI okays merger between Equitas Holding and Equitas Bank

The RBI has cleared the Equitas Holdings and Equitas SFB merger, Equitas Small Finance Bank said in an exchange filing.

The scheme of amalgamation between Equitas Holdings Limited (EHL), Equitas SFB Limited (ESFB), and their respective shareholders had been submitted to the Stock Exchanges and the RBI for their approval/ no-objection confirmation on March 2.

9.  Indian Bank unveils digital broking solution

Public sector Indian Bank has unveiled digital broking solution — E-Broking — allowing customers to open a demat and trading account facility, in line with the digitalisation mission of the bank.

The launch of digital broking solution ‘E-Broking’ was a strategic step towards complete digitalisation of its offerings to customers.

10.  Cyclone Asani raging in Bay of Bengal expected to weaken without landfall

Asani, the severe cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal, packing gale force winds up to 120 km per hour, was moving towards coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha at a speed of 25 km per hour, but expected to weaken gradually over the next two days.

The name ‘Asani’ was given by Sri Lanka. Asani or ‘wrath’ in Sinhalese will be the first cyclonic storm of the season.

11.  ICICI Bank ties up with Santander for India-UK business ease

ICICI Bank, announced a tie-up with Santander bank in Britain in a pact aimed at facilitating the banking requirements of corporates operating across both countries.

UK is the sixth-largest investor in India’s economy, with cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows of USD 31.7 billion and contributing 6 per cent to India’s total FDI inflows.

12.  HDFC Bank launches 30 minute ‘Xpress Car Loan’

Private sector lender HDFC Bank has launched a 30-minute ‘Xpress Car Loans’ for its existing customers as well as new customers. Buyers can apply for up to Rs 20 lakh and the loan amount will be credited to the dealers’ accounts within 30-minute.

The Xpress Loans facility is currently available for four-wheelers and will be soon rolled out to two-wheelers as well.

13.  RBI restricts withdrawals from Shankarrao Pujari Nutan Nagari Sahakari Bank

The RBI imposed several restrictions on Shankarrao Pujari Nutan Nagari Sahakari Bank Limited, Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur, including on withdrawals, in view of the lender’s worsening financial position. The restrictions will remain in force for a period of six months from the close of business on May 13, 2022 and are subject to review.

Shankarrao Pujari Nutan Nagari Sahakari Bank HQ: Maharashtra

14.  RBI imposes Rs 59 lakh penalty on KEB Hana Bank

RBI said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 59 lakh on KEB Hana Bank for non-compliance with the certain norms related to ‘interest rate on deposits’.

The Korean bank has been penalised for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI on “Reserve Bank of India (Interest Rate on Deposits) Directions, 2016”.

KEB Hana Bank HQ: Seoul

15.  Union Bank launches Trade-Nxt platform for cross border trade transaction

UBI has launched a digital solution, ‘Trade nxt’ to ease all cross-border export-import transactions for corporates and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The online platform provides seamless entry and processing of letters of credit (LC), bank guarantees, export and import bills, disbursement of export credit, outward & inward remittances etc. CMD of UBI: Rajkiran Rai G.

16.  Banks can continue providing credit to NBFCs for on-lending to priority sectors: RBI

RBI permitted banks, including small finance banks, to continue providing credit facility to NBFCs for the purpose of on-lending to certain priority sectors. The facility of lending by commercial banks to NBFCs and lending by Small Finance Banks (SFBs) to NBFC-MFIs, for the purpose of on-lending to certain priority sectors, was available till 31 March, 2022. All scheduled commercial banks are mandated to set aside 40% of their ANDC as PSL.

17.  20% of NPAs set for bad bank resolved

About 20% of the non-performing assets (NPAs) of banks that were to be transferred to National Asset Reconstruction Co. Ltd (NARCL) in two tranches has been resolved. Almost ‘40,000 crore of bad loans have been resolved since the announcement was first made, and by the time the NARCL starts operating more NPAs may get resolved. Setting up of NARCL was announced in February 2021.

18.  SpiceJet, Axis Bank launch co-branded credit card

SpiceJet has partnered with Axis Bank for launching co-branded credit card. The card is powered by Visa. It comes in two variants ‘ SpiceJet Axis Bank Voyage and Voyage Black.

The card is aimed at facilitating a superlative travel experience for flyers through SpiceClub, the first frequent flyer program by a low cost carrier in the country.

19.  India remains world’s top remittance recipient

India has once emerged as the largest remittance receiving country in 2021 while Mexico pushed China to the thirds slot, according to the World Bank.

India received remittances worth over $89 billion in 2021 which was a healthy 8 per cent higher than the

$82.73 billion in 2020.

20.  RBI releases report on Currency & Finance for the year 2021-22

The Reserve Bank of India has released the Report on Currency and Finance (RCF) for the year 2021 -22. The theme of the Report is ‘Revive and Reconstruct’ in the context of nurturing a durable recovery post- COVID and raising trend growth in the medium-term. The Report reflects the views of the contributors and not of the Reserve Bank.

21.  Sebi imposes penalty of Rs 1 cr on IIFL for misusing client securities

Capital markets regulator Sebi imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore on India Infoline Ltd (IIFL) for misutilisation of client securities. The amount has to be paid by IIFL within 45 days. The order came after Sebi conducted multiple inspections of the books of accounts of IIFL, now known as IIFL Securities, for the period April 2011 to January 2017.

22.  IDBI Bank to sell 25% stake in Ageas Federal Life Insurance for Rs 580 cr

IDBI Bank has entered into a share purchase agreement with Ageas Insurance International, wherein the bank is looking to sell its remaining stake of 25 percent in private sector life insurer Ageas Federal Life Insurance for Rs 580 crore, making Ageas one of the few foreign insurers to raise its stake in its Indian insurance joint venture to 74 percent. As of March 31, LIC-controlled IDBI Bank holds 25% stake in the AFLI.

23.  Paytm forms general insurance JV; to invest Rs 950 cr in 10 years

Digital financial services firm One97 Communications, which operates under the Paytm brand said it has formed a joint venture general insurance company in which it has committed to invest Rs 950 crore over a period of 10 years. The proposal to set up a joint venture firm Paytm General Insurance Limited (PGIL) was approved by the board on May 20.

24.  SEBI Withdraws Permanent Recognition Granted To ICEX

Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India has withdrawn the recognition granted to the Indian Commodity Exchange Ltd.

Consequent to the withdrawal, ICEX has been directed to transfer the money available in the Investor Protection Fund and Investor Services Fund of ICEX to SEBI’s Investor Protection and Education Fund.

25.  RBI Sets Stage For Card-Less Cash Withdrawals Across All ATMs

“All banks, ATM networks and WLAOs may provide the option of ICCW at their ATMs. NPCI has been advised to facilitate Unified Payments Interface (UPI) integration with all banks and ATM networks,”

Customers will be able to authorise transactions at ATMs through UPI, while the settlement of these transactions at the back-end will happen through the National Financial Switch.

26.  RBI issues norms for import of gold by qualified jewellers

The RBI came up with norms for facilitating physical import of gold through India International Bullion Exchange IFSC (IIBX)/similar authorised exchange by Qualified Jewellers in India.

The RBI issued the guidelines in order to enable resident Qualified Jewellers to import gold through IIBX or any other exchange approved by IFSCA & the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

27.  SBI introduces Xpress Credit on YONO

State Bank of India (SBI) has launched personal loan product ‘Xpress Credit’ for salaried customers on its YONO digital banking platform.

Eligible customers will now be able to avail personal loans (Real Time Xpress Credit/RTXC) up to ’35 lakh via YONO, without any paperwork, the country’s largest bank.

28.  Japan’s MUFG Bank gets nod to set up branch at GIFT City

MUFG Bank has obtained necessary approvals from the International Financial Services Centre Authority in India and the Financial Services Agency in Japan, to open a branch at Gujarat International Financial Tech City (GIFT City).

GIFT City provides an opportunity to book India-linked offshore business on the shores of India thereby expanding business.

MUFG had opened its first branch in Mumbai in 1953. Tapan Ray, MD & Group CEO GIFT City.

29.  RBI Reduces Net-Worth Requirement For Non-Bank Bharat Bill Payment Units To Rs 25 Crore From Rs 100 Crore

RBI eased norms for non-bank entities to set up Bharat Bill Payment operating units (BBPOUs) by reducing the net-worth requirement to Rs 25 crore, with a view to encourage more players in the segment.

This circular is issued under Section 10 (2) read with Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007), and shall come into effect immediately.

30.  FinMin comes out with new guarantee policy

Replacing a 12-year-old policy, the Finance Ministry has come out with a new Government Guarantee Policy (GGP), which aims to include all the changes in General Financial Rules (GFR) and financial policies.Such a policy is required as the volume of sovereign guarantees undertaken during a financial year is limited as per the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act.

31.  RBI imposes Rs 45 lakh penalty on MUFG Bank

It was found that the bank failed to put in place Straight Through Processing (STP) between Core Banking System(CBS)/accounting system and SWIFT messaging system for transactions creating non-funded exposure/exposure with financial implications, within the time limit of April 30, 2018, according to a RBI release. MUFG Bank, Ltd. is the largest bank in Japan. Headquarters: Chiyoda City, Tokyo, Japan.

32.  HDFC Money, a robo-advisory platform for all MF investments launched

HDFC Securities has launched HDFC Money, a robo-advisory platform for all mutual fund investments. HDFC Money is a 100 per cent digital platform that doesn’t involve opening or having a Demat Account. Robo-advisory analysis the input and places recommendation of the schemes must suitable as per the risk profile and time horizon.

33.  India Post Payments Bank introduces Aadhaar Enabled Payment System issuer charges

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) account holders availing Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) transactions will now have to incur charges for using the services. Aadhaar Enabled Payment System is a payment service that allows a bank customer to use Aadhaar as identity to access an Aadhaar enabled bank account. J Venkatramu- MD & CEO of IPPB HQ- New Delhi

34.  NBFC Northern Arc Capital ties up with Indian Bank

Northern Arc Capital, a non-banking finance company (NBFC) focussed on under-served households and businesses, has entered into a strategic partnership with Indian Bank.

The partnership would enable the two financial institutions to collaborate, co-operate, co-lend loans, and widen their respective markets and customer base.

35.  Fintech startup Mahagram partners with IndusInd Bank to nurture digital payments in rural India

A rural fintech company Mahagram partners with IndusInd Bank, with an aim to create a new-generation Indian bank to digitize the country’s payment ecosystem and provide a wider horizon to transact especially for its customers in rural India.

Mahagram was launched with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

36.  IMF increases weight of US dollars and Chinese yuan in the SDR Basket

The IMF has increased the weighting of the United States dollar & the Chinese yuan during its review of the currencies that make up the valuation of its Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket.

This was disclosed in a post on its website titled, ‘IMF Executive Board Concludes Quinquennial SDR Valuation Review and Determines New Currency Weights for SDR Valuation basket. The US dollar’s weighting increased from 41.73% to 43.38%.

Economy

1.  India among worst-hit in pandemic, economy will recover in 13 years: RBI

RBI in its latest report on Currency and Finance 2021-22 titled ‘Revive & Construct’ said India was one of the worst-hit nations during the Covid-19 pandemic and that it will take upto 13 years for India to fully recover from the scars of Covid-19 pandemic.

2.  RBI surplus transfer to government sharply down at ‘30,307 crore

The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Board approved a sharply lower surplus transfer of ‘30,307 crores to the government for the accounting year 2021-22, the lowest in 10 years. This is in sharp contrast to the surplus transfer of ‘99,122 crore for nine months ended March 31, 2021 (July 2020-March 2021). In FY21, the RBI had transitioned to the April-March accounting year from July-June earli

3.  Latest SEBI Circular Introduces A New Passive ELSS Scheme category

The securities market regulator, SEBI came out with a circular on May 23 on ‘Development of Passive Funds’ covering a gamut of issues related to ETFs (exchange traded funds) and index funds. Notably, the circular has introduced a new category of mutual fund schemes ‘ Passive ELSS (equity linked savings scheme).

4.  Moody’s cuts CY22 India GDP growth forecast to 8.8% amid rising inflation

Moody’s Investors Service has lowered its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for India to 8.8 per cent for calendar year 2022 (CY22) from its March estimate of 9.1 per cent, holding that rising inflation and interest rates will temper the economic growth momentum.Moody’s expects India’s retail inflation to increase to 6.8 per cent in 2022 from 5.7 per cent in 2022

5.  Growth of shadow banks poses threat to financial stability: RBI report

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has red-flagged non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) in its annual report, observing that balance sheets of shadow banks expanded even as the asset quality deteriorated. Moreover, the regulator said some of these entities pose potential threat to financial stability as their size increased due to higher risk appetite.

6.  India’s GDP growth likely to be 8.2-8.5% in FY22: SBI Report

SBI’s research report Ecowrap, in its latest edition has projected India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at 8.2 to 8.5 per cent for FY22. For Q4FY22, the SBI research report expects growth of 2.7 per cent. SBI Nowcasting model with an unchanged quarterly numbers pegs the growth rate of Q4 GDP at ‘ 40 lakh crore, which is lower by ‘ 1 lakh crore from the CSO projection

7.  Saudi Aramco overtakes Apple as world’s most valuable company

Saudi Aramco has overtaken Apple as the world’s most valuable company after higher oil prices pushed shares of the world’s biggest crude exporter to record levels, while a broader tech stock sell-off weighs on the iPhone maker.

The Saudi Arabian oil company’s market capitalization was $2.426 trillion, exceeding Apple’s $2.415 trillion by just over $10 billion.

National

1.  International Semiconductor Consortium (ISMC)announces plan to set up India’s first semiconductor fabrication unit

ISMC has announced its plan to set up India’s first semiconductor fabrication unit. The international semiconductor consortium will invest $3 billion in India’s southern Karnataka state to set up a chip-making plant.

It comes after union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Modi government expects to grant approvals to electronic chip makers in the next 6 to 8 months.

2.  National Museum of Indian Cinema to host film festival on Satyajit Ray’s birth anniversary

On the 101st birth anniversary of Satyajit Ray, the National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai under the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry will host a three-day film festival at various venues across India to screen films made by the legendary filmmaker.

Born on May 2, Ray is regarded as one of the finest filmmakers India has ever seen.

3.  India’s Pharma exports grow by 103% since 2013-14

India’s pharma exports witnessed a growth of 103 per cent since 2013-14 from Rs 90,415 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1,83,422 crore in 2021-22.

The exports achieved in 2021-22 is the Pharma Sector’ best export performance ever. It is a remarkable growth with exports growing by almost USD 10 billion in 8 years.

4.  India’s Services exports set a new record of USD 254.4 Billion in FY 2021-2022

India’s Services exports set a new record of USD 254.4 Billion in the financial year 2021-2022. The new record achieved in 2021-22 beats the previous high of USD 213.2 Billion in 2019-20.

Also, Services exports hit an all-time monthly high of USD 26.9 Billion in March 2022.

5.  Country’s first ‘Flow Chemistry Technology Hub’ set up in Hyderabad

A Flow Chemistry Technology Hub (FCT Hub) has been set up at Dr Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences (DRILS).

The hub was formally inaugurated by Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Departments, Govt of Telangana.

6.  India’s ‘first’ tribal health observatory to come up in Odisha

Odisha is set to come up with India’s “only” observatory that will establish a repository on the health of the tribal population in the state.

A memorandum of understanding was inked in this regard between the ST and SC Development Department and the RMRC, a regional centre of the Indian Council of Medical Research.

7.  Three-day Utkarsh Mahotsav organized by Central Sanskrit University begins in New Delhi

A three-day Utkarsh Mahotsav is being organized by Central Sanskrit University in New Delhi.

The objective behind organising the Utkarsh Mahotsav is to promote Sanskrit language across the country and beyond.

The focus of the Mahotsav is – the New Educational Era – Moving Towards a Global Orientation of Sanskrit Studies.

8.  India embarks on the World’s largest film restoration project under National Film Heritage Mission

Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Shri. Anurag Singh Thakur has announced that the World’s largest film restoration project under National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) with a budget of Rs. 363 crores is awarded on 4th May 2022 by the Ministry.

The restoration project now awarded is set to commence in full swing at National Film Archive of India (NFAI).

9.  Ministry of Tourism under its “Incredible India” brand line participates at the Arabian Travel Market, Dubai -2022

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India under its”Incredible India” brand line is participating in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Dubai -2022 being held from 9th-12th May, 2022 showcasing India’s rich &

diversified tourism potential and providing a platform to the tourism stakeholders to showcase the various tourism destinations and products including Niche products.

10.  Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog launches the AIM-PRIME Playbook to help academicians launch deep-tech spin-offs

The AIM-PRIME Playbook was launched at the Dr. Ambedkar International Center, New Delhi.

The AIM PRIME (Program for Researchers in Innovation, Market Readiness and Entrepreneurship) program was aimed at promoting early-stage science-based, deep technology ideas to market through training and guidance over a period of 12 months using a blended learning curriculum.

11.  India’s first Centre of Excellence for Khadi to open in Delhi

Union Minister for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Narayan Rane, will inaugurate the Centre for Excellence for Khadi in New Delhi.

The aim of building this centre, an idea conceived by the MSME Ministry is to empower Khadi institutions.

This centre will act as a hub for experimentation, innovation, and design for the Khadi Village and Industries Commission.

12.  Border Roads Organisation Completes 102 Infrastructure Projects In FY22

In 2021-22, 102 infrastructure projects, including 87 bridges and 15 roads, were completed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the most in a single year.

These projects include the construction of the world’s longest highway tunnel, above 10,000 feet, named Atal Tunnel at Rohtang and the world’s highest motorable road over Umling La in Eastern Ladakh.

13.  Lokpal to get permanent office at World Trade Centre in Delhi, office space bought for ‘ 254 cr.

Four years after the country’s first anti-corruption ombudsman to investigate complaints against public functionaries, including the Prime Minister, was appointed and almost a decade after the Act was passed by Parliament, the Lokpal of India will finally move into a swanky office at World Trade Centre in south Delhi’s Nauroji Nagar.

14.  Vietnam opens world’s longest glass-bottomed bridge to attract tourists

Vietnam has just launched its latest tourist attraction for tourists with a fondness for heights. As per the reports, the Asian country has opened a glass-bottomed bridge suspended 150 m (490 feet) above a lush jungle

As per the company, it’s the world’s longest glass-bottomed bridge, which surpasses a 526 m structure in Guangdong, China. Vietnam Capital: Hanoi; Currency: Vietnamese dong.

15.  WEF to focus on emerging technologies to help small, marginal farmers

The World Economic Forum (WEF), in partnership with the Government’s think-tank Niti Aayog, is focusing on putting emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and drones, to better use to ensure they benefit farmers, particularly small and marginal.

16.  NITI Aayog launches experience studio to foster innovation and adoption of drones for public services

To promote a collaborative ecosystem aimed at fostering innovation and adoption of drones for public services, an experience studio on drones was launched by civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia at NITI Aayog. NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson Suman Bery and CEO Amitabh Kant were also present in the inaugural event.

17.  Amit Shah inaugurates ‘National Cyber Forensic Laboratory’ at CFSL campus in Hyderabad

Amit Shah inaugurated the ‘National Cyber Forensic Laboratory’ (NCFL) at Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) campus in Hyderabad. The NCFL will speed up the process for disposal of cybercrime cases in the country. Cybercrime is one of the biggest challenges to the 21st century world. This will help in increasing the conviction rate of cyber crimes.

18.  UPI hits record high in April with 5.58 bn transactions worth Rs 9.83 trn

India’s flagship digital payments platform ‘ Unified Payments Interface (UPI) ‘ saw its highest ever number of transactions in April 2022 at 5.58 billon, amounting to Rs 9.83 trillion.

However, year-on-year (YoY), the volume of transactions jumped 111 per cent and value of transactions increased by almost 100 per cent.

19.  5000-year-old jewellery factory found in Haryana’s Indus Valley site Rakhi Garhi

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which has been working in Rakhi Garhi in Haryana for the last 32 years, made one of its biggest discoveries yet with the excavation of a 5000 year old jewellery making factory.

Rakhi Garhi is a village and one of the oldest archaeological sites belonging to the Indus Valley Civilisation in Hisar district of Haryana.

20.  Ferdinand Marcos Jr triumphs in Philippines presidential election

Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of the late dictator, has won a landslide presidential election victory, signalling an extraordinary rehabilitation for one of the country’s most notorious political families.

Marcos Jr had almost 30 million votes. Philippines Capital City: Manila; Currency: Philippine peso.

21.  Home Minister Flags Off Boat Ambulance to Serve Inaccessible Areas of Sunderbans

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was on a two-day visit to West Bengal, flagged off a boat ambulance and six floating border outposts at Hingalganj in North 24 Parganas district.

In January, the BSF launched a boat ambulance service for the people of the erstwhile ‘cut-off’ area in Malkangiri in Odisha. The 24X7 ambulance service facilitates emergency medical service.

22.  PM Modi inaugurates India’s First 5G Test Bed worth around Rs 220 cr

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s First 5G testbed to enable startups and industry players to test and validate their products locally and reduce dependence on foreign facilities.

Moreover, he addressed a programme marking the silver jubilee celebrations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). PD Vaghela- TRAI chief.

23.  Adani Group becomes India’s 2nd largest cement maker with $10.5 billion acquisition of Ambuja-ACC

Billionaire Gautam Adani has clinched a $10.5 billion deal that grants his conglomerate a 63.19 per cent stake in Swiss cement major Holcim Ltd’s India operations, Ambuja Cements Ltd and its subsidiary ACC.

With this, the Adani Group became the second largest cement producer in the country after the Aditya Birla Group owned UltraTech Cement.

24.  WCR develops battery-operated dual-mode locomotive ‘Navdoot’; Running at Jabalpur, Mudwara, and other stations on trial basis

After e-bikes, e-cars, and e-bus in the country, now the dream of e-train is also going to come true. West Central Railway has developed a battery-operated dual-mode locomotive named Navdoot. This engine runs on both modes i.e. battery and electricity. Currently, it is being used during shunting of trains at Jabalpur, Mudwara, and other stations on a trial basis.

25.  Amritsar-Jamnagar Greenfield corridor to be completed by September 2023

Amritsar-Jamnagar Greenfield corridor, one of the most important Greenfield corridors being developed by NHAI, is being constructed in a full capacity.

The complete corridor is targeted to be completed by September 2023.

26.  Cabinet approves amendments to National Policy on Biofuels to make India energy independent by 2047

Union Cabinet has approved the Amendments to the National Policy on Biofuels -2018.

The amendments are intended to allow more feedstocks for the production of biofuels, advance the ethanol blending target of 20 percent blending of ethanol in petrol and promote the production of biofuels in the country.

27.  BRO conducts final break through blast of Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh

Border Road Organisation (BRO) conducted final ‘break through blast’ to mark the successful completion of excavation work of the Nechiphu Tunnel, in Arunachal Pradesh. The Nechiphu Tunnel, at an altitude of 5,700 feet, is a unique 500-meter-long ‘D-shaped, Single Tube Double Lane Tunnel’ on the Balipara- Charduar-Tawang (BCT) Road in West Kameng District.

28.  13th Annual Day commemoration of the Competition Commission of India

Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 13th Annual Day commemoration of the Competition Commission of India as Chief Guest in New Delhi and inaugurated the regional office at Kolkata and launched an upgraded website of CCI. she also released CCI’s Competition Advocacy Booklets translated into Kannada and Malayalam.

29.  Ministry of Culture to commemorate the 250th Birth Anniversary of Raja Ram Mohan Roy from 22nd May 2022 to 22nd May 2023

Under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), the Ministry of Culture is commemorating the 250th Birth Anniversary of Shri Raja Ram Mohan Roy from 22nd May 2022 to 22nd May 2023. The inaugural ceremony will take place at Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation, Salt Lake, Kolkata, and at Science City Auditorium, Kolkata.

30.  SAIL Celebrates Fifty years of Incorporation with a Special Logo

Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), the maharatna steelmaking public sector unit, is celebrating the company’s fifty years of incorporation this year in 2022. SAIL’s legacy of fifty years is being celebrated with the launch of a new commemorative logo and will be followed by several events to be held all across the company throughout the year. SAIL was incorporated on 24th January, 1973.

31.  WEF forms Indian CEOs’ alliance to supercharge race to net-zero

World Economic Forum (WEF) announced a new ‘Alliance of CEO Climate Action Leaders India’ that will work towards fast-tracking decarbonisation pathways along India’s net-zero journey. The Alliance will serve as a high-level platform to support business leaders in planning and implementing plans and programmes to achieve climate targets, including net-zero economic growth The Alliance is a collaboration between Kearney and Observer Research Foundation.

32.  MeitY holds brainstorming session on Digital India BHASHINI with Researchers, Start-ups

The Ministry of Electronics and IT conducted a brainstorming session with Researchers and Start-ups. The session was aimed to shape strategy for Digital India BHASHINI, which is India’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) led language translation platform. The government wants to integrate start-ups in innovation, development and consumption of technology. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MoS, MEITY.

33.  BSNL to migrate 30,000 wifi hotspots to PM-WANI framework by June: DoT official

BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd) will migrate 30,000 of its wifi hotspots to the PM-WANI framework by June, adding Railways too has an ambitious blueprint for all its future hotspots to be under the framework.

The public Wi-Fi Access Network Interface, known as PM-WANI, hold the promise of unleashing a massive wifi revolution in the country.

34.  ONGC becomes the first gas producer to trade on Indian Gas Exchange

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has become the first gas producer to trade domestic gas on the Indian Gas Exchange, trading unspecified volumes from its eastern offshore KG-DWN-98/2 block.

ONGC has become the first exploration and production (E&P) company in India to trade domestic gas on Indian Gas Exchange. The gas traded is from ONGC Krishna Godavari 98/2 block.

35.  India gets highest ever FDI of 83.57 billion dollars in the last financial year

India has emerged as a preferred investment destination which is evident from the fact that India has recorded highest ever annual Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow of 83.57 billion US dollars in the last fiscal year.

India has received over 301 billion US dollars in the last four fiscal years.

36.  PM Modi to inaugurate India’s biggest Drone Festival-Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 in New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s biggest drone festival and interact with kisan drone pilots as well as witness open-air drone demonstrations.

‘Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022’ is a two-day event and being held on May 27 & 28.

Modi will inaugurate India’s biggest Drone Festival ‘ ‘Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022’ ‘ on May 27 at 10 am at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

37. Coal Ministry to Organize National Mineral Congress & Coal Gasification Plant Visit in Bhubaneshwar

Ministry of Coal will be organizing National Mineral Congress and field visit of Coal Gasification Plant of JSPL at Angul, Bhubaneshwar on 27th and 28th May 2022.

Anil Kumar Jain who is also Chairman of Indian National Committee of World Mining Congress (INC WMC) will be inaugurating the Congress.

38. Govt brings import of paper under compulsory registration from Oct 1

In a bid to protect the domestic paper industry, the commerce and industry ministry has decided to make registration compulsory for importing major paper products such as newsprint, handmade paper, envelopes, among others.

All imports arriving on or after October 1 will be governed by the Paper Import Monitoring policy.

39. Delhi Customs launches Project ‘NIGAH’ at ICD Garhi Harsaru, Gurugram

Chief Commissioner, Delhi Customs Zone, Shri Surjit Bhujabal inaugurated project ‘NIGAH’ at ICD Garhi Harsaru, Gurugram.

Project NIGAH is an initiative to track container by using ICTM (ICD Container Tracking Module) which will help in better visibility of the container movement inside the ICD.

40. Government of India has set a target to achieve 100 Million Tonnes Coal Gasification by 2030

The Ministry has prepared a National Mission document to achieve 100 MT Coal Gasification by 2030. Coal gasification is future. It is considered as cleaner option compared to burning of coal. Gasification facilitates utilization of the chemical properties of coal. Accordingly, India’s hydrogen demand is likely to increase to

11.7 million tonnes by 2030 from 6.7 million ton. The Ministry of Coal organized the National Mineral Congress in Bhubaneswar

41. PM to inaugurate World’s first Nano Urea (Liquid) Plant in Gujarat

PM will inaugurate World’s first Nano Urea (Liquid) Plant constructed at Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO) at Kalol. The Nano Urea (Liquid) Plant has been built at the cost of around 175 crore rupees in an effort to further provide farmers the means to boost productivity and help increase their income. The Plant will produce about 1.5 lakh bottles of 500 ml

International

1.  India Approves Opening of New Diplomatic Mission in Lithuania

The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to open a new Indian mission in Lithuania in 2022 in a bid to deepen political relations and strategic cooperation and enable growth of bilateral trade with the Baltic country.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accorded approval to the opening of a new Indian mission in Lithuania in 2022. Lithuania’s Capital: Vilnius; Currency: Euro.

2.  PM Modi hails ties with Canada at unveiling of Sardar Patel statue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the unveiling of a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – the first in North America – in Canada as ‘a marker for relations between the two countries’.

The bronze statue was unveiled at a programme at the Sanatan Mandir Cultural Center in the town of Markham in the Greater Toronto Area with messages from the PMs of India and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; Capital:- Ottawa; Currency: Canadian dollar.

3.  Nepal’s Kami Rita Sherpa climbs Mount Everest for 26th time to set new world record

Nepal’s legendary climber Kami Rita Sherpa has climbed the Mt Everest, the tallest peak in the world for the 26th time to set a new world record. Leading an 11-member rope fixing team, Kami Rita & his team reached the summit, breaking his own previous world record.

He first climbed the Everest in May 1994.

4.  Russia launches a secret military spacecraft into orbit around Earth

The Russian space agency has conducted a satellite launch from the Plesetsk cosmodrome using the brand new Angara-1.2 light launch vehicle.

According to multiple media reports, the launch that took place from north-western Russia’s Arkhangelsk Oblast region was to deliver a secret military satellite to use against Ukraine.

5.  UAE President, HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, passed away

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over the passing away of United Arab Emirates President, HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed and said that he was a great statesman and visionary leader under whom India-UAE relations prospered. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince: Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed

6.  SJVN to develop hydel 490 MW Arun-4 power project worth Rs 4,900 crore in Nepal

State-owned SJVN Ltd will develop another hydro power project Arun-4 worth Rs 4,900 crore in Nepal.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of the 490 MW Arun-4 hydro electric project in Nepal has been signed in Lumbini, Nepal in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba. Sh N L Sharma, CMD, SJVN Ltd.

7.  India contributed USD 800,000 to promote Hindi at UN

India has contributed USD 800,000 to the United Nations as part of the initiative to enhance public outreach of the organisation in Hindi.

Country’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, R Ravindra handed over a cheque for the UN project launched by India in 2018 to disseminate information about the UN to the Hindi-speaking population across the world.

8.  Belgium becomes first country to make quarantine compulsory for monkey pox patients

Belgium has become the first country to make a 21-day quarantine compulsory for monkeypox patients. Monkeypox is a disease in the same family as smallpox but is less deadly than smallpox, with a four- percent mortality rate.

9.  UAE becomes first Gulf state to record case of monkeypox

The United Arab Emirates has become the first Gulf state to record a case of monkeypox.

Outbreaks of the virus have been found in Europe, Australia and America.The symptoms often include a fever and rash – but the infection is usually mild.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in small pox

10.  Pope Francis elevates archbishops of Hyderabad and Goa to cardinal rank

Pope Francis has announced that he will create 21 new Cardinals, including two from India at a Consistory on, 27 August, 2022.

The two Cardinals from India are Archbishop Filipe Neri Antnio Sebastio di Rosrio Ferro, Archbishop of Goa and Damo and -Archbishop Anthony Poola, Archbishop of Hyderabad.

11.  Kuwait to build world’s largest petroleum research centre

Kuwait plans to start building the world’s largest petroleum research centre by the end of the year. The centre, to be built in al-Ahmadi, south of Kuwait City, will have 28 laboratories.

It will seek to develop improved production and refining techniques that can be used by the industry for different applications including the extraction of heavy crude & non associated gas The project had stalled because of budget pressure, estimating its cost at $ 120 million.

12. India’UAE Start-Up Bridge launched in Mumbai as part of CEPA

India and UAE has launched Start-Up Bridge whereby Indian startups will benefit from UAE investments while UAE will benefit from India’s experience.

Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and the UAE Minister of Economy Abdullah Al-Mari has launched the ‘India-UAE Start-Up Bridge’ at the India-UAE Economic Partnership organised by CII. UAE ‘s Capital: Abu Dhabi; Currency: dirham.

Sports

1.  PV Sindhu falls to Akane Yamaguchi in BAC semi-finals, settles for bronze medal

India’s PV Sindhu settled for a bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships semi-finals, going down in a 3-setter to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. Sindhu had won the first set 21-13 before losing the second and third 21-19 and 21-16 respectively.

It is the second medal that Sindhu has won at the Asian Championships. She had last won a BAC medal at the 2014 Gimcheon edition.

2.  Brazil ready to host Deaflympics for first time

Brazil is ready to host the Deaflympics for the first time in the competition’s 98-year history, with Caxias do Sul set to welcome the world’s best athletes with hearing impairments over the next two weeks.

The 24th edition of the Deaflympics had initially been scheduled to take place from December 5 to 21 in 2021, but was postponed due to COVID-19 complications.

3.  Real Madrid clinch record-extending 35th Spanish League title

Real Madrid clinched a record-extending 35th Spanish league title after its reserve squad comfortably defeated Espanyol 4-0.

Rodrygo scored twice and Marco Asensio and substitute Karim Benzema added a goal each to give Madrid its second league title in three seasons, and third in six years.

4.  Jain University clinches Khelo India University Games crown

Jain University emerged as the overall champion of the Khelo India University Games.

The host claimed 20 gold, seven silver and five bronze medals to take top honours. Lovely Professional University (17 gold, 15 silver, 19 bronze) and defending champion Panjab University (15 gold, 9 silver, 24 bronze) finished second and third respectively.

5.  ITTF World Rankings: Manika Batra climbs 10 places to achieve career-best ranking of 38 in women’s singles

India paddler Manika Batra has achieved a career-best ranking of 38 in women’s singles after she climbed 10 places in the latest ITTF Table Tennis World Rankings. The Olympian was ranked 48th in women’s singles last week.

Batra broke into the top 50 earlier this year and rose to 46th in March, her previous career-best standing, before dropping down to 48.

6.  12th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2022 to begin in Goa

In Hockey, a total of 29 teams will fight it out to lift the trophy at the 12th Hockey India Sub Junior Men National Championship 2022 which starts in Goa.

Eight days of pool matches will be followed by Quarter-Finals on May 12, the Semi-Finals on May 14, and the Medal matches are scheduled for May 15. The participating teams are divided into eight pools.

7.  Santosh Trophy: Kerala beat West Bengal in penalty shootout to lift title for seventh time

In Football, Hosts Kerala beat West Bengal 5-4 in a penalty shootout at the Payyanad Stadium in Malappuram to win the Santosh Trophy National Tournament for the seventh time.

The teams were level 1-1 after extra time in a pulsating encounter. Two terrific headers from Dilip Orwan of West Bengal and Kerala’s Muhammed Safnad in extra-time took the game to penalties. This is the first win for Kerala on home soil since 1993.

8.  Stadium to be built in Neeraj Chopra’s native village in Haryana

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that a stadium will be built in Olympic gold- medallist Neeraj Chopra’s native village Khandra in Panipat.

The cost of the stadium will be Rs.10 crore.

In 2021, Chopra (Javelin thrower) became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the Olympic track and field.

9.  Olympic finalist thrower Kamalpreet tests positive for Ben Johnson drug

Discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur, who became an overnight star after finishing sixth at the Tokyo Olympics and the only Indian woman to break the 65 metres barrier, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for Stanozolol, a banned anabolic steroid, the Athletics Integrity Unit.

10.  Dhanush Srikanth wins gold, Shourya Saini bags bronze at Deaflympics

Dhanush Srikanth struck gold in the men’s 10m air rifle competition on day three of the ongoing 24th Deaflympics at Caxias do Sul, Brazil, ensuring a golden start to India’s campaign at the Games.

Shourya Saini put the icing on India’s cake with a bronze, finishing behind Korea’s Kim Woo Rim in the eight-man final.

11.  Italian Cup 2022: Inter Milan Beat Juventus 4-2 On Extra Time To Lift Title

Inter Milan defeated Juventus 4-2 after extra time in the Italian Cup final. Ivan Perisic scored twice in extra time after Hakan alhanoglu had converted a controversial late penalty. Nicol Barella scored the other goal for Inter.

The Italian Cup final soccer match between Juventus and Inter Milan was held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.

12.  Thomas And Uber Cup 2022: India Men Stun Malaysia To Enter Semis, Assure Of At Least Bronze Medal

The Indian men’s badminton team scripted a memorable 3-2 win over Malaysia to enter the semifinals of Thomas Cup for the first time in 43 years but the women’s side bowed out after losing 0-3 to Thailand in the Uber Cup in Bangkok, Thailand

India is thus assured of at least a bronze at the Thomas Cup. The country has not won a medal at the event since 1979.

13.  Badminton: Team India creates history, wins Thomas Cup by beating 14-time champions Indonesia

The Indian men’s badminton team created history with Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth and the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeating Indonesia 3-0 to win their first-ever Thomas Cup gold.

In the 73-year history of the tournament, only 5 nations have won the prestigious tournament and India are one among them.

14.  Italian Open: Novak Djokovic wins his first title of the year and sixth in Rome

World number one Novak Djokovic boosted his preparations for next week’s French Open by winning his first title of the year at the Italian Open in Rome.

Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-0 7-6 (7-5) to take the clay-court title.

Djokovic will be one of the favourites as he chases a record-equalling 21st Grand Slam at the French Open.

15.  Deaflympics 2021: Golfer Diksha Dagar wins gold for India

Indian golfer Diksha Dagar has added another gold medal to the Indian tally after a stellar victory in the women’s golf event at the ongoing Deaflympics.

Diksha was phenomenal throughout the entire event as she battled hard against several top golfers including previous edition medal winners.

16.  Archery Asia Cup Stage 2: Indians reigns supreme with eight gold, four silver and two bronze

The Indian junior archers capped a stunning show by winning eight gold, four silver and two bronze medals to top the medals tally at the Asia Cup Stage 2.

India bagged five gold, four silver and one bronze that included a rare clean sweep in the compound men’s individual section of three gold and one bronze.

17.  8 Gold, 1 silver, 7 bronze: The complete list of Indian medal winners from the 2021 Deaflympics

A total of 16 medals were won over the fortnight-long quadrennial event, including eight gold, one silver and seven bronze. The medals came from five of the 11 sports.

India finished in 9th position on the medal table.

The games were held Caxias do Sul, in southern Brazil.

Ukraine topped the medal rankings followed by USA & Iran respectively in 2nd & 3rd place. India’s largest contingent ever at a Deaflympics- 65.

18.  Foundation stone laid for SAI National Centre of Excellence in North Bengal’s Coochbehar district

Foundation stone laid for SAI National Centre of Excellence in North Bengal’s Coochbehar district. An MoU was also signed between SAI and the Ministry of Railways on the occasion. The National Centre of Excellence will provide aspiring athletes of Coochbehar with excellent sporting facilities, besides providing top-class coaching facilities covering 12 sports disciplines.

19.  Indian men’s compound team win successive World Cup gold medals

Indian compound archers performed well to pick up three more medals in the Archery World Cup Stage -2 in Gwangju, Korea. The men’s team clinched the second successive gold medal this year, while the mixed team collected the bronze medal. Mohan Bhardwaj secured his maiden World Cup medal as he finished with a silver in the men’s individual competition.

20.  Odisha beat Karnataka 2-0 in the final to win the 12th Hockey India Senior Women’s National Championship title for the 1st time

Odisha women’s team has won its first-ever gold in Senior Nationals as they blanked Karnataka 2-0 in the final of the 12th Hockey India Senior Women’s National Championship.

Earlier, Hockey Jharkhand defeated Hockey Haryana 3-2 in the third-fourth place match. The 12th Hockey India Senior Women’s National Championship was held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

21.  Superbet Poland tourney: Indian GM Viswanathan Anand wins Rapid event with a round to spare

Viswanathan Anand made his comeback to elite competitions memorable by winning the rapid section of the Grand Chess Tour Superbet chess tournament at Warsaw, Poland.

In fact, Anand ensured the title with a round to spare after his nearest challenger Richard Rapport lost to Wesley So in the eighth and penultimate round. Anand scored 14 points from a maximum of 18 after nine rounds.

22.  Haryana beat Jharkhand 2-0 to win Hockey India Sub-Junior Women’s National Championship in Imphal

Haryana registered a 2-0 win over Jharkhand to win the title of the 12th Hockey India Sub-Junior Women National Championship hosted by Manipur Hockey under the aegis of Hockey India here at Hockey Stadium, Khuman Lampak.

Riya (13th) and Sejal (39th) scored a goal each to help Hockey Haryana successfully defend the title.

23.  Manchester City crowned 2021/22 Premier League champions

In Football, Manchester City has been crowned 2021/22 Premier League champions their fourth title success in the last five seasons.

Manchester City’s dramatic 3-2 win over Aston Villa in the final game of the season sealed the title and saw them finish one point ahead of second-place Liverpool at the end of a grueling battle for supremacy.

24.  Justin Thomas wins playoff to claim second PGA Championship

With help from Mito Pereira’s heartbreaking debacle on the 72nd hole, Thomas won the PGA Championship and his second Wanamaker Trophy in a three-hole aggregate playoff against Will Zalatoris, who was seeking his first PGA Tour title.

25.  PBKS’ Shikhar Dhawan becomes first player to hit 700 fours in IPL’s history

Punjab Kings opening batter Shikhar Dhawan has become the first player to hit 700 fours in the history of the IPL.

Dhawan reached this feat during the last league stage match of IPL 2022, between PBKS and Sunrisers Hyderabad, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

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 fours, respectively.

26.  Adani Group acquires new franchise team in UAE’s T20 League

Adani Sportsline, a part of the diversified Adani Group, has entered into franchise cricket by acquiring a franchise in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s flagship T20 league.

Adani Group also attempted buying the 2022’s Indian Premier League (IPL) team in October 2021. UAE’s T20 League is an annual event licensed by Emirates Cricket Board.

27. Supernovas win 3rd Women’s T20 Challenge title

West Indian all-rounder Deandra Dottin starred with both bat and ball as she powered Supernovas to an unprecedented third Women’s T20 Challenge title triumph with a four-run win over Velocity in a thrilling final. Supernovas had won the first two editions of the tournament in 2018 and 2019 before losing to Trailblazers in the final in 2020. The Women’s T20 Challenge is an Indian womens cricket 20-20 tournament organised by BCCI

28. India’s chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa finishes second in Chessable Masters tournament

Indian chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa lost the finals of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Chessable Masters tournament to China’s Ding Liren. World number two Ding Liren took home $25,000 in prize money. Praggnanandhaa won $15,000 for finishing second. He had beaten world number one Magnus Carlsen in the preliminary stage.

29. Gujarat Titans wins IPL 2022 title with seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) came to an end on Sunday after Gujarat Titans (GT) registered a 7-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Ahmedabad to clinch their maiden title.

The winning team Gujarat Titans got ’20 crore as they were the champions.

30. Union Minister Anurag Thakur inaugurates Takshashila Sports Complex at Viman Nagar in Pune

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Thakur inaugurated the Takshashila Sports Complex built by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) at Viman Nagar.

The Minister recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s words, “Kheloge toh khiloge! and said ‘sports teaches perseverance, instils self confidence and develops leadership qualities. Under the TOPS, GOI takes full responsibility for foreign training of elite athletes.

31. Verstappen wins Spanish Grand Prix

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix in a Red Bull one-two to take over at the top from Ferrari’s luckless Charles Leclerc, who retired with an engine failure while leading.

Sergio Perez took second for a Red Bull 1-2 at the Montmelo circuit. Britain’s George Russell came third and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was fourth.

Agreements & MoUs

1.  BHEL, GE Power Conversion signs MOU for development of Integrated Electric Propulsion Systems for Indian Navy

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and GE Power Conversion for the development of Integrated Electric Propulsion Systems for the Indian Navy.MoU between BHEL and GE Power Conversion has provided a boost to the indigenous capability in the field of advanced technology for Integrated Full Electric Propulsion System.

2.  Railway Ministry signs MoU with Centre for Development of Telematics to modernize Telecommunication in Railways

Ministry of Railways has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) to establish a robust collaborative working partnership for coordination and resource sharing with respect to provision of Telecommunication facilities in the delivery and implementation of C- DOT’s Telecom Solutions and services in Railways.

3.  India’s first bridgital autism support network set up

The Tata Power Community Development Trust (TPCDT) has partnered with the Center for Autism and other Disabilities Rehabilitation Research and Education (CADRRE) to launch ‘Pay Autention – A different mind is a gifted mind’, India’s first bridgital autism support network.

World Autism Awareness Day Observed on 2nd April 2022. CADRRE honorary director G. Vijaya Raghavan.

4.  Union Cabinet Approves Signing Of Pact Between India And Chile In Disability Sector

The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of a pact between India and Chile for cooperation in the disability sector.

The Memorandum of Understanding will encourage cooperation between the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and the Government of Chile through joint initiatives in the disabilities sector. Chile’s Capital: Santiago; Currency: Chilean peso

5.  OIL signs MoU for Carbon sequestration, restoration of degraded forest land in Digboi

Oil India Limited signed an MoU with Digboi Forest Division, Assam Forest Department on 29th April 2022 for a project on Carbon Sequestration and Restoration of Degraded Forest Land in Upper Dihing Reserved Forest (west block) under Digboi Forest Division. The initiative has been undertaken under OIL’s CSR project Vasundhara.

6.  ONGC inks MoU with Norway’s Equinor to collaborate on E&P, clean energy

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Equinor ASA, the Norwegian state-owned multinational energy company. The MoU was inked in New Delhi for collaboration and partnership in areas of upstream Exploration & Production, midstream, downstream & Clean energy options, including Carbon Capture Utilization & Sequestration. Norway Capital: Oslo; Currency: Norwegian krone

7.  Fintech start-up FidyPay partners Yes Bank to drive financial inclusion

Fitech start-up FidyPay has partnered with Yes Bank to extend the digital facilitation to a wide array of businesses, comprising fintechs, SMEs, and start-ups.

As part of the association, FidyPay will be enabling a seamless connected banking experience to Yes Bank’s customers, the company said in a release.

8.  IIT Bombay Ties Up With India Meteorological Department For Developing User-Friendly Weather Forecasting App

India Meteorological Department has signed an agreement with IIT Bombay to work together for developing climate solutions for the stakeholders at village, city, and district levels through user-friendly weather forecasting applications.

IIT Bombay has also set up the first-ever chair professorship in climate studies.

9.  Exim Bank enters into an agreement with the SBM (Mauritius) to provide an additional LoC of USD 190 million

Exim Bank has entered into an agreement with the SBM (Mauritius) Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (SBMIDCL) to provide a supported Line of Credit of USD 190m.

The agreement has been entered for the purpose of financing its participation through Redeemable Preference Shares in public sector entities for implementing the ongoing Metro Express & infrastructure Projects.

10.  E-Commerce Marketplace ‘ Etsy Inks Pact With NEHHDC To Support Northeast-Based Weavers & Traditional Artisans

Etsy, the global marketplace for unique and creative goods, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC) to promote small sellers, weavers, and craftsmen by providing market access and enablement support.

11.  To Curb Child Trafficking, Railway Protection Force Joins Hands With Association For Voluntary Action

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has joined hands with the Association for Voluntary Action (AVA) to prevent human trafficking, especially child trafficking, and create awareness against it in the country.

The Railways is the lifeline of the nation as it is the primary transporter of the country and, therefore, a major route for human traffickers for transportation.

12.  India, Madagascar sign MoU to explore co-production of TV programmes

India and Madagascar signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Antananarivo between the public broadcaster of the two countries to explore the co-production of programmes and training, exchange of personnel.

The MoU mandates collaboration between India’s Prasar Bharati and Madagascar’s ORTM (Office de la Radio et de la Television).

13.  Swedish automaker Scania join hands with Wipro for digital transformation

Going forward, Wipro will deliver streamlined support with increased automation and enhanced user experience through personalized services underpinned by real-time analytics to create a future-ready workplace for all Scania employees. This journey will be powered using Wipro’s Live Workspace solution for managed services.

14.  Collaboration between MoRD and Amazon for online marketing of SHG products through MoU Signing and Exchange

An MoU between Ministry of Rural Development and Amazon Seller Services Private Limited (Amazon) was signed at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi in presence of Shri Giriraj Singh – Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department and Shri Nagandra Nath Sinha, Secretary- Rural Development.

15.  Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship partners with Indian School of Business to further built capacity of officers

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) recently partnered with the Indian School of Business (ISB) to conduct capacity-building programs for MSDE officials. A total of 120 officers (30 per batch) across divisions under MSDE would be undergoing a comprehensive five-day-long residential training across ISB Hyderabad and Mohali campuses.

16.  NSE Academy collaborates with HDFC MF for financial awareness programme

NSE Academy Ltd (NAL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) has signed an agreement with HDFC Asset Management Company Ltd (HDFC AMC) to launch a first-of-its-kind programme, ‘Invest-verse: An Introduction to the World of Investing’. The programme will be offered to college students across India. This initiative is expected to be rolled out May-June.

17.  India, Jamaica sign MoU for cooperation in diplomatic training

India and Jamaica signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in diplomatic training in Kingston city.

It was inked in presence of President Ram Nath Kovind and his Jamaican counterpart Andrew Holness. Jamaica:- a Caribbean island nation. Jamaica capital:- Kingston; Currency: Jamaican dollar.

18.  GeM, CSC and India Posts Signs MoU

Government eMarketplace [GeM], CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd. (CSC-SPV), and the Department of Posts inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the advocacy, outreach, mobilization, and capacity-building of last-mile Govt buyers, sellers and service providers in public procurement.

19.  C-DOT And Vodafone Idea Limited Sign MoU For Cooperation In Area Of IoT/M2M.

Centre for Development of Telematics(C-DOT), the premier R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India and Vodafone Idea Limited, one of the major telecom operators of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the occasion of ‘World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (May 17)’.

20.  Ministry of Heavy Industries signs MoU with NRDC for enhancement of Capital Goods Scheme

Ministry of Heavy Industries has signed an MoU with National Research Development Corporation for undertaking various activities for smooth implementation of the Scheme for enhancement of competitiveness in the Indian capital goods sector.

The vision of this MoU is to make India a global hub for the manufacturing of capital goods. Union minister of Heavy Industries:- Mahendra Nath Pandey

21.  CCI approves OFB Tech’s acquisition of majority stake in SMW Ispat

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved acquisition of majority stake in SMW Ispat Private Limited by OFB Tech Private Limited.

The proposed combination envisages acquisition of majority stake in SMW Ispat Private Limited (SMW Ispat) by OFB Tech Private Limited (OFB Tech),

22.  CCI approves acquisition by Sanoti Properties LLP of shareholding in Magma HDI General Insurance Company Limited

The CCI approves acquisition by Sanoti Properties LLP (Sanoti/Acquirer) of shareholding in Magma HDI General Insurance Company Limited (Magma HDI/Target) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.

Sanoti is engaged in the business of development of commercial and residential real estate projects.

23.  GeM inks MoU with Self Employed Women’s Association

Government eMarketplace (GeM) and Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the advocacy, outreach, mobilisation and capacity-building of last-mile women-led micro and small enterprises and women entrepreneurs.

The MoU was signed by CEO of GeM P. K. Singh and Vice-President of SEWA Rehana Riyawala in New Delhi.

24.  Saudi Tourism signs MoU with EaseMyTrip, to jointly collaborate on key tourism initiatives

The Saudi Tourism Authority and EaseMyTrip have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost inbound tourism to Saudi Arabia by leveraging the company’s travel network. Through this MoU, EaseMyTrip and Saudi Arabia Tourism will explore opportunities to jointly collaborate on key initiatives and undertake various activities.

25.  RBL Bank Collaborates With Amazon Pay To Offer UPI Payment Services

RBL Bank, Amazon Pay and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced a collaboration to offer UPI payments. The Bank has partnered with Amazon Pay to offer peer-to-peer and peer-to-merchant transactions. With this integration, Amazon Pay will issue NPCI’s allocated UPI ID with the handle @ra pl, to RBL Bank.

26.  India, Singapore agree to share more information and best practices to counter terrorism

India and Singapore has strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms including cross border terrorism. Both the countries stressed the need to enhance international cooperation to combat terrorism in a comprehensive manner. India and Singapore held the 4th meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Combating Terrorism and Transnational Crime in Singapore.

27.  DIPR & NFDC ink Memorandum of Understanding for J&K’s First National Film Festival

J&K’s Department of Information and Public Relations has inked a MoU with the National Film Development Corporation Limited for the upcoming 1st National Film Festival of J&K.

The purpose of the festival is to highlight and promote the creative ecosystem of the UT, besides branding J&K as the most preferred destination for filmmakers from the country and abroad.

28.  St Vincent and India to sign MOU on Health and Medicine

The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will sign two Memoranda of Understanding ‘ MOU with the Government of India.

According to the Agency for Public Information ‘ API, the first memorandum of understanding between both countries will be on automatic exchange of information and assistance in collection of taxes. The other MOU will be on Health and Medicine.

29.  HDFC Bank partners with B2B pharma marketplace Retailio to launch co-branded credit cards

India’s largest private sector bank, HDFC Bank partnered with Retailio announced the launch of a new range of co-branded credit cards primarily targeted at chemists and pharmacies in the merchant segment. Retailio is the country’s largest B2B pharma marketplace.

The partnership is likely to cover over 1.4 lakh merchants in the first phase of its roll-out.

30.  Investment Incentive Agreement between the Government of India and the Government of United States of America

The Government of India and the Government of the USA have signed an Investment Incentive Agreement (IIA) in Tokyo, Japan. This IIA supersedes the Investment Incentive Agreement signed between India and the USA in the year 1997. The Agreement is the legal requirement for DFC, a development finance agency of the USA, to continue providing investment support in India.

31.  Tata Power, Tata Motors Collaborate To Develop A 7mwp solar rooftop project

Tata Power and Tata Motors announced collaborating on a project to develop a 7 MWp solar rooftop project at Tata Motors’ plant in Chikhali, Pune, making the unit home to India’s largest on-site solar project. This is the third phase of a joint MWp on-site solar project developed by the two companies. A 10 MWp has been previously installed. The two companies have also inked a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the project.

32.  NICSI signs MoU with Delhi School of Management for R&D management and Consultancy in e-Governance

National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated (NICSI), a Government of India Enterprise under the National Informatics Centre,

Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), and Delhi School of Management (DSM), Delhi Technological University (DTU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

33.  Tata Tech ink ties with Assam Govt to transform polytechnics, ITIs into centres of excellence

Global engineering and product development digital services firm Tata Technologies Ltd on has entered into a collaboration with the Assam government to transform 34 state polytechnics and 43 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into futuristic Centres of Excellence (CoEs) entailing an investment of about Rs 2,390 crore.

34.  India, UAE sign MoU to establish framework to facilitate & enhance bilateral cooperation on climate action

The agreement was signed between Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav and UAE Climate Envoy and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Dr Sultan Al Jaber. The basic objective of this MoU is to establish a framework to facilitate and enhance bilateral cooperation on climate action, and also contributes towards implementing the Paris Agreement

35.  RailTel, Esri India enter into MoU for cloud-based geographic information system

State-owned and telecom infrastructure provider RailTel Corporation of India Ltd has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with geographic information system software and solutions provider Esri India to address the requirement of users in the government sector.

36.  PAISALO and UCO Bank to Enable AGRI and Allied AGRI with Small Ticket Size Income Generation Loans

UCO Bank has signed a co-lending agreement with NBFC Paisalo Digital Limited for agriculture business to capitalize on the huge Rs 8 lakh crore market of small-ticket loans for the 365 million underbanked and under-serviced population.

The tie-up will give a boost to the agriculture advance of the bank.

37.  EAM Jaishankar signs MoU with Hungarian FM on International Solar Alliance

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on International Solar Alliance (ISA) with the Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in New Delhi.

Schemes

1.  PMJJBY, PMSBY And Atal Pension Yojana (APY) Complete 7 Years Of Providing Social Security Net

As we celebrate the 7th anniversaries of three social security (Jan Suraksha) schemes, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY), let us focus on how these schemes have provided affordable insurance and security to people (Jan Suraksha), their achievements and salient features.

2.  Madhya Pradesh govt launches second phase of Ladli Laxmi scheme to make girls self-reliant

In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched Ladli Laxmi schme-2.0 during a state-level function at Lal Parade Ground in Bhopal.

The Chief Minister also dedicated the Ladli e-Samvad app to establish a continuous dialogue with Ladlis.

3.  Pilot project for Skilling tribal youth launched from Bhopal, MP

Minister of State, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched Pilot Project for Skilling Tribal Youth – Rural Tribal Technical Training at the Centre for Research and Industrial Staff Performance CRISP, Bhopal. The pilot project envisages training for 250 beneficiaries of 17 clusters of 17 districts of 6 states.

Name of the Rural Tribal Technical Training Program: Grameen Udhyami Project.

4.  Over nine crore fifty lakh rural households provided with tap water connections in country: Govt

The country has achieved the milestone of fifty per cent rural households having access to tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The Ministry of Jal Shakti said that more than nine crore fifty lakh rural households now have access to tap water connections within their premises.

5.  PM Sh Mod Unveils PM CARES for Children Scheme: Rs 4K a Month for Basic Needs, Free Treatment for Kids Who Lost Parents to Covid

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released the benefits of PM CARES for Children scheme for children who lost their parents due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

PM Modi has promised Rs 4,000 a month for basic needs, financial support for schooling, scholarship for higher education, and free treatment upto Rs 5 lakh.

Appointments & Resignations

1.  JioSaavn Hires Former Amazon Music Head Sahas Malhotra as CEO

Music application firm JioSaavn has appointed previous Amazon Music director and entertainment industry veteran Sahas Malhotra as its new CEO. Malhotra has prior worked with Sony Music India and Tips Industries. At Tips Industries, Sahas was driving the business at Tips Music and marketing for Tips Film production. Established in 2007 as Saavn, JioSaavn is audio streaming service for South Asian music

2.  Senior IFS officer Vinay Mohan Kwatra assumes charge as India’s new Foreign Secretary

Senior IFS officer Vinay Mohan Kwatra assumed charge as India’s new Foreign Secretary. He succeeded incumbent Harsh Vardhan Shringla. A 1988 batch IFS officer, Mr. Kwatra was earlier serving as India’s Ambassador to Nepal.

3.  NRAI Appoints Joydeep Karmakar As National Chief Rifle Coach

Joydeep Karmakar, a decade after he missed a bronze by a whisker at the 2012 London Olympics, is back with the Indian team as the chief national rifle coach till June 2025, a tenure that will include the 2024 Paris Olympics.

He was appointed by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

4.  Indian-origin Nand Mulchandani appointed 1st-ever chief tech officer of CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the first line of defense for the United States, announced the appointment of Nand Mulchandani as its first-ever Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Before joining the intelligence agency, Mulchandani served as the CTO and acting director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Centre under the US Department of Defence. CIA Director- William J. Burns.

5.  Retired IAS officer, ex- petroleum secretary Tarun Kapoor appointed as advisor to PM Modi

The Centre appointed retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and former Petroleum Secretary Tarun Kapoor as an advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the Prime Minister’s Office.

The ACC appointment of Kapoor, superannuated as the secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on November 30, 2022.

6.  Andy Jassy To Officially Become Next Amazon CEO On July 5th

Amazon’s 27th birthday ‘ Andy Jassy will become the new Chief Executive Officer of the company. The news came as Jeff Bezos revealed he will be formally stepping down as CEO to transition to executive chairman of Amazon’s board.

Jassy had previously worked as CEO of Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud computing service that helps power sites like Netflix and Spotify.

7.  Venkataramani Sumantran appointed chairman of InterGlobe Aviation’s Board of Directors

Venkataramani Sumantran has been Appointed as the chairman of the Board of Directors of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of India’s largest airline IndiGo. Sumantran succeeds Meleveetil Damodaran.

He is currently the Chairman & Managing Director of Celeris Technologies, a strategic advisory firm engaged in the domains of automotive, mobility, digital transformation.

8.  IBM Chairman Arvind Krishna elected to Board of Directors of Federal Reserve Bank of New York

IBM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Arvind Krishna has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 requires each of the Reserve Banks to operate under the supervision of a board of directors. Each Reserve Bank has nine directors.

9.  Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor Takes Charge as DG (Inspection and Safety)

Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor took charge as Director General (Inspection and Safety) [DG(I&S)] of Indian Air Force at New Delhi.

The Air Marshal is a graduate of National Defence Academy and was commissioned in the Flying branch of IAF in December 1985 as a Transport Pilot.

10.  Alkesh Kumar Sharma assumes charge as new Secretary for Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology

Alkesh Kumar Sharma assumed charge as Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).

He is an Indian Administrative Services Officer of 1990 batch, from Kerala cadre.

He earlier served as Additional Secretary and Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat. Minister of Railways, & MeitY:- Ashwini Vaishnaw.

11.  Sudarshan Venu appointed Managing Director of TVS Motor

Sudarshan Venu has been appointed as the new Managing Director of the TVS Motor Company.

He is the son of Venu Srinivasan, who has now become the Chairman Emeritus. Prior to this, Sudarshan was the Joint Managing Director of the company.

TVS has also announced the appointment of Prof. Sir Ralf Speth as the Chairman of the company.

12.  Pushp Kumar Joshi appointed HPCL Chairman and Managing Director

Pushp Kumar Joshi, who recently took over as the interim chairman and managing director of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), has been appointed on the Board of the nation’s third-largest oil refining and fuel marketing company.

He was picked by Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) to succeed Mukesh Kumar Surana.

13.  Capt Rajesh Unni takes over as Vice-Chair at Maritime Anti-Corruption Network

Captain Rajesh Unni, Founder and CEO of Synergy Group, one of the world’s leading ship managers and one of India’s largest maritime enterprises, believes shipping is becoming a more transparent industry, but more can and should be done to tackle corruption. Maritime Anti-Corruption Network’s headquarters:- Denmark.

14.  Yoon Suk-Yeol Sworn In As South Korean President

Yoon Suk-yeol was sworn in as South Korean president in a huge ceremony at Seoul’s National Assembly, taking office at a time of high tensions with the nuclear-armed North.

15.  City Union Bank gets M Narayanan as part-time chairman

M. Narayanan has assumed charge as part time chairman of City Union Bank Ltd. for a period of 2 years. The bank announced his appointment after accepting the recommendations of the RBI.

16.  Hungary elects Katalin Novak as first female President of the country

In Hungary, Katalin Novak has taken over as the first female President of the country. Her predecessor, Janos Ader, greeted the new president at the entrance to the Sandor Palace, the residence of the Hungarian president.

Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Its capital, Budapest, is bisected by the Danube River. Its Currency is Hungarian forint.

17.  India elected as Chair of the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) for 2022-24

India has been unanimously elected as the new Chair of the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) for 2022-2024 at the recently held meeting of the Executive board and General Assembly at Manila, Philippines on May 7, 2022.

Commission on Elections, Manila was the current chair of AAEA.

18.  American Express appoints Manoj Adlakha as SVP and International head, customer marketing and Sanjay Khanna as interim CEO

American Express has appointed Manoj Adlakha as SVP and International head of customer marketing. Sanjay Khanna who is currently the chief operating officer, American Express Banking Corp., (AEBC) India, will take over as the interim CEO. The appointment will come into effect on May 14, 2022.

19.  Rajiv Kumar appointed as next Chief Election Commissioner, to take charge on May 15

The Union Ministry of Law and Justice announced Rajiv Kumar, the current Election Commissioner, will take over as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) from May 15. Kumar will take charge from CEC Sushil Chandra, who is due to retire.

In pursuance of clause (2) of Article 324 of the Constitution, the President made the appointment. He will assume charge as the 25th Chief Election Commissioner.

20.  Campbell Wilson appointed CEO and MD of Air India

Campbell Wilson has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Managing Director (MD) of Air India, Tata Sons announced. Wilson was previously the CEO of Scoot, a Singaporean low-cost airline and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines.

N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Air India.

21.  Aruna Singh takes additional charge as CMD of RailTel

RailTel Corporation of India Limited, an Indian public sector enterprise focusing on providing broadband and VPN services, announced the appointment of Aruna Singh as Chairman cum Managing Director of the company, with effect from May 11, 2022.

22.  Ravinder Singh Dhillon appointed CMD of REC Ltd

REC Limited, (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited) a Navratna company under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power, announced it has named Ravinder Singh Dhillon as Chairman and Managing Director of the company, with effect from May 10, 2022.

23.  IDBI Bank appoints TN Manoharan as part-time Chairman

The Board of Directors of the Bank has approved the appointment of Shri T. N. Manoharan, Independent Director as Part-time Chairman (PTC) of IDBI Bank, for a period of 3 years with effect from May 09, 2022.

24.  Ranil Wickremesinghe Appointed Sri Lanka PM for the 5th Time

Ranil Wickremesinghe took oath as Sri Lanka’s new prime minister marking the fifth time the 73-year-old became PM of the country.

This comes after former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from the post on 9 May amid the worst economic crisis facing the country since 1948.

Srilanka President- Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

25.  Power Ministry additional secy Vivek Kumar Dewangan appointed CMD of REC

The Government of India appointed Vivek Kumar Dewangan, Additional Secretary in the Union Power Ministry, as the chairman and managing director of power sector lender REC Ltd, formerly known as Rural Electrification Corporation.

REC Limited is a public infrastructure finance company in the power sector; it is a PSU that finances and promotes power projects across India.

26.  Nidhi Chibber appointed CBSE chairperson

Nidhi Chibber has been appointed as the chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE).

She has been appointed as chairperson of the CBSE in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary to the government of India, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry.

27.  RBI appoints Sitikantha Pattanaik, Rajiv Ranjan as executive directors

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Rajiv Ranjan as Executive Director (ED) with effect from May 1. Prior to the appointment, Dr. Ranjan was serving as Adviser-in-Charge of Monetary Policy Department and Secretary to the Monetary Policy Committee.

The RBI has also announced the appointment of Sitikantha Pattanaik as the new Executive Director.

28.  Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan appointed President of UAE

The Supreme Council of the Union elected Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, as President of the UAE.

The Council held a meeting at the Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi, headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

29.  Manik Saha appointed Tripura chief minister after Biplab Deb resigns

With Biplab Kumar Deb resigning as the chief minister of Tripura, Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Manik Saha will replace him for the post.

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav and party general secretary Vinod Tawde were in Agartala as central observers.

Tripura State Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya.

30.  Larsen & Toubro re-appoints S N Subrahmanyan as MD & CEO

Larsen & Toubro announced the re-appointment of S. N. Subrahmanyan as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, with effect from July 1, 2022.

He led L& T’s foray into the realm of executing developmental projects starting with the extremely successful HITEC City project in Hyderabad and the Bangalore International Airport.

31.  Gram Unnati appoints India’s former Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora as Chairman

India’s 1st full-stack agricultural value chain services announced the appointment of Sunil Arora, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, as its board’s new Chairman (Non-Executive).

He has served as Secretary to two key ministries-The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the then newly set up Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Aneesh Jain, CEO and Founder, Gram Unnati

32.  BSE Ebix Appoints Sachin Seth as CEO & Managing Director

BSE Ebix Insurance Broking Private Limited (BSE Ebix), a joint venture of BSE and Ebix Singapore Pte Ltd., announced today that Sachin Seth has been appointed as CEO and MD of BSE Ebix.

EbixCash, a subsidiary of Ebix, Inc. is in the process of seeking IRDA approval to transfer its share ownership in BSE EBIX from its parent Ebix Singapore Pte Ltd. to EbixCash Limited.

33.  B Govindarajan appointed as CEO of Royal Enfield

Eicher Motors has appointed B Govindarajan as the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Enfield. He will also serve as the Wholetime Director of the Board of Eicher Motors Limited.

Govindarajan played a key role in the development of the Himalayan, Continental GT 650 and Interceptor INT 650 and the recent J-platform based Meteor and Classic 350 models.

34.  Elisabeth Borne appointed as new France Prime Minister following Jean Castex’s resignation

Elisabeth Borne was appointed France’s new Prime Minister to become the second woman to hold the post in the country.

Borne is the second woman to hold the position after Edith Cresson, who was Prime Minister in 1991-1992 under Socialist President Francois Mitterrand.

She has served as Labor Minister in Macrons previous government since 2020. France President – Emmanuel Macron.

35.  Bajaj Finserv’s Sanjiv Bajaj takes over as CII president

Sanjiv Bajaj, chairman and managing director of Bajaj Finserv Limited, has assumed office as the president of CII for 2022-23.Hero MotoCorp Ltd Chairman and CEO Pawan Munjal is the CII President-Designate for 2022-23, whereas TVS Supply Chain Solutions Executive Vice Chairman R Dinesh takes over as CII Vice President.

36.  Siemens India appoints SAP Labs India MD Sindhu Gangadharan to its board

Siemens India has appointed Sindhu Gangadharan, senior vice-president and MD, SAP Labs India, and head, SAP User Enablement, to its board of directors as an independent director. Gangadharan also serves on the board of organisations like US-based Qualtrics, Titan Company and EverLoop by SAP. She became the first woman to lead SAP Labs India.

37.  Naveen Srivastava appointed as next Ambassador of India to Nepal

India announced the appointment of Naveen Srivastava, currently additional secretary in the external affairs ministry, as the next ambassador to Nepal.

Srivastava will succeed Vinay Kwatra, who became foreign secretary this month, as the envoy to Kathmandu.

38.  BSE appoints Ex RBI Deputy Guv SS Mundra as Chairman

BSE Limited announced that it has approved the appointment of SS Mundra, Public Interest Director as the Chairman of the board of directors of the company. Mundra will replace Justice Vikramajit Sen who is the current chairman.

Mundra was appointed as Public Interest Director at BSE in January 2018. He retired as Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India on 30th July 2017. Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan is the MD & CEO of BSE.

39.  IndiGo appoints Pieter Elbers as CEO; Ronojoy Dutta to retire on Sept 30

The Board of Directors of InterGlobe Aviation Limited appointed Pieter Elbers as Chief Executive Officer. He will join IndiGo on or before 1 Oct 2022. He succeeds Ronojoy Dutta who has decided to retire on 30 September 2022.

Elbers has served as the President and CEO of KLM Royal Dutch since 2014 and is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Air France-KLM Group. Rahul Bhatia, Managing Director of IndiGo.

40.  Anil Baijal, Delhi L-G, submits resignation to President Sh. Kovind

Delhi lieutenant governor (L-G) Anil Baijal resigned citing personal reasons, he has submitted the resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind. Baijal, who took over office on December 31, 2016, after the sudden resignation of Najeeb Jung, has served a long tenure of more than five years and four months.

Baijal was appointed the home secretary in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

41.  UCO Bank appoints Sujoy Dutta as CFO

UCO Bank has designated Sujoy Dutta as the new chief financial officer with immediate effect.

Dutta holds a bachelor diploma in commerce from Calcutta College and he’s a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of India (ICAI).

42.  Sudhakar T N assumes Charge of Chairman & Managing Director, GSL

Shri Sudhakar T N takes over additional charge as Chairman & Managing Director of Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) on demitting of office of the CMD, GSL by Cmde B B Nagpal, NM, IN, (Retd).

43.  Kuldeep Singh recommended as CMD of HIL (India) Limited

Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) recommended Mr. Kuldeep Singh for the Chairman and Managing Director of HIL (India) Limited. Currently, he is serving as the Senior General Manager, National Seeds Corporation (NSC).

44.  PN Vasudevan resigns as MD & CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank

P N Vasudevan has resigned as the managing director and chief executive officer Equitas Small Finance Bank.

Vasudevan, notably, is the founder of Equitas and has been associated with its journey as a micro finance institution dating back to 2007. The entity was converted into a bank, under his leadership, in 2016.

45.  Vijay Shekhar Sharma re-appointed as MD & CEO of Paytm till Dec 2027

Vijay Shekhar Sharma has been re-appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Paytm a tenure of 5 years. His tenure will be from December 19, 2022, to December 18, 2027.

Madhur Deora, the Chief Financial Officer of the company, has been appointed as an Additional Director

w.e.f. May 20, 2022 for a period of five years.

46.  IFS Vivek Kumar appointed as new PS to Prime Minister Narendra Modi

IFS Vivek Kumar was appointed as Private Secretary (PS) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Vivek Kumar is currently the director of the Prime Minister’s Office (PM0). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) presided by PM Modi approved Vivek Kumar’s appointment.

He will replace Sanjeev Kumar Singla in the capacity of PM Modi’s PS. Sanjeev Kumar Singla is set to take over as India’s Ambassador to Israel.

47.  PM congratulates H. E. Anthony Albanese for the victory of the Australian Labor Party, and his election as PM

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated H. E. Anthony Albanese on the victory of the Australian Labor Party, and his election as the Prime Minister. Anthony Albanese hasled his Labor Party to victoryin the national election in Australia, ending nine years of conservative rule.

48.  Infosys reappoints Salil Parekh as CEO and MD for the next 5 years

IT company Infosys has reappointed Salil Parekh as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the firm, effective from July 1, 2022, for a period of five years till March 31, 2027, subject to the approval of shareholders. Parekh, 57, has been the CEO & MD of Infosys since January 2018 and has successfully led Infosys over the last 4 years.

49.  Vinai Kumar Saxena Appointed As Delhi’s New Lieutenant Governor

Vinai Kumar Saxena will be the new lieutenant governor of Delhi, President Ram Nath Kovind’s office announced.Anil Baijal, the Union territory’s twenty-first LG, resigned on May 18 citing ‘personal reasons.’

Saxena is the current chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, an organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

50.  JSW One Platforms appoints Gaurav Sachdeva as CEO

JSW One Platforms, an e-commerce venture by JSW Group, has appointed Gaurav Sachdeva as CEO. Sachdeva transitioned from his role at JSW Ventures where he led venture capital investments for the fund. In his new role, his aim is to create a platform that will ease buying and selling of steel and other products for manufacturing and construction MSMEs in the country.

51.  Supreme Court appoints 3 member Committee of Administrators to manage affairs of All India Football Federation

The Supreme Court has appointed a three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) headed by former apex court judge AR Dave to manage the affairs of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and adoption of its constitution in line with the National Sports Code and model guidelines. other Members:- Dr SY Qureshi, Bhaskar Ganguly .

52.  Nobel winner Jose Ramos-Horta sworn in as East Timor president

Former independence fighter and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta was sworn in as president of East Timor ahead of celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of independence for Asia’s youngest country.

Xanana Gusmao returns as East Timor PM in coalition government.

Ramos-Horta, who was prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and president from 2007 to 2012. East Timor:- Capital: Dili; Currency:- US Dollar

53.  Narinder Batra Steps Down as Indian Olympic Association President

Narinder Batra will step down as the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) at the end of his term to focus more on his job as the head of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

The 65-year-old Batra took charge of the IOA for the first time in 2017 and was eligible to contest for reelection.

54.  Geetanjali Shree’s Novel ‘Tomb of Sand’ wins International Booker prize; becomes first novel translated from Hindi to win award

Hindi author Geetanjali Shree’s novel Ret Samadhi, Tomb of Sand has won the International Booker prize, becoming the first novel translated from Hindi to do so.

Geetanjali Shree is not only the award’s first Hindi winner, but also it is for the first time a book originally written in any Indian language has won the booker prize.

55.  Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty Appointed Acting Chairperson Of Lokpal

President Ram Nath Kovind appointed Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty as Acting Chairperson, Lokpal.
Justice Mohanty has been authorised by the President to act as Chairperson, Lokpal, in the vacancy caused due to completion of the tenure of Justice Pinaki Chandra Bose, Chairperson, Lokpal.

56. World Health Assembly re-elects Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to second term as WHO
Director-General

WHO Member States re-elected Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to serve a second five-year term as
Director-General of the world’s leading public health agency. Dr Tedros was first elected in 2017. His re-
election was confirmed during the 75th World Health Assembly in Geneva.Dr Tedros served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia from 2012’2016 and as Minister of Health Headquarter of World Health
Organisation (WHO) is located at Geneva

57. Tokyo Bronze Medallist Lovlina Borgohain elected as IBA’s Athletes’ Committee Chairperson

International Boxing Association (IBA) in May 2022 announced that Indian boxer and Tokyo Olympics
Bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain has received the highest number of votes during the election held at
the 2022 Women’s World Championships and thus has been elected as the chair and a voting member on the Board of Directors for the IBA’s Athletes’ Committee. Indian boxer Shiva Thapa has also been elected as a member of the IBA Athletes Committee.

58. Gopal Vittal reappointed as Airtel MD & CEO for 5 years

Bharti Airtel has announced the reappointment of Gopal Vittal as its Managing Director & CEO for another five years till January 31, 2028.
Bharti Airtel posted consolidated net profit at Rs 2,007.8 crore in the March quarter, up 141 per cent
sequentially and 164 per cent on year.

59. Centre appoints DFS Joint Secretary Pankaj Sharma as PFRDA part-time member

The Centre has appointed Pankaj Sharma, Joint Secretary in Department of Financial Services (DFS) as
part-time member of the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA).
In the PFRDA Board, Pankaj Sharma has come in the place of erstwhile DFS Additional Secretary Vandita
Kaul.
PFRDA has a Chairman besides three whole-time members and three part-time members. In 2021-22,
Pension AUM grew at a rate of 27.43 per cent at 7.37 lakh crore