Current Affairs 31 March 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs  31 March 2022, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2022 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Assam and Meghalaya signed a pact to resolve 5 decade old border dispute in six places

On March 29, 2022, the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah had signed a pact to resolve the protracted border dispute in six out of twelve places along the 884.9 Kilometre border between the two states.
Key Points
i.The day is called as ‘Historic day’ as it resolves five-decade old border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya, since the demarcation of Meghalaya from Assam in 1972 also Meghalaya has issues with the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971.
ii.The First Phase of settlement covers 36 villages situated in six places (Hahim, Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pilingkata, Ratacherra) out of twelve covering an area of 36.79 square kilometres.
iii.The Joint ministerial level regional committees formed by both the states proposed five mutually agreed principles to resolve the dispute – historical perspective, ethnicity of local population, contiguity with boundary, people’s will and administrative convenience.
iv.According to which a joint final set of recommendations were made – out of 36.79 square kilometres of disputed area taken up for settlement, Assam will get full control of 18.51 square kilometres and Meghalaya would get 18.28 square kilometres. 
v.The next step will involve delineation and demarcation of the boundary by Survey of India in the presence of representatives from both governments. It will then proceed for Parliamentary approval.
About Assam:
i.Assam shares a 2743 kilometre boundary with Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and West Bengal. 
ii.Assam has border disputes with Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
Capital – Dispur
Governor – Jagadish Mukhi
Chief minister – Himanta Biswa Sarma (Constituency – Jalukbari)
About Meghalaya:
Capital – Shillong
Governor – Satya Pal Malik
Chief minister – Conrad Sangma (Constituency – South Tura)

MoD & BEL Signs Contracts Worth Rs 3,102 Crore For Procurement of Advanced Electronic Warfare suite & IEWR

On March 29, 2022, Ministry of Defence (MoD) Signed a Contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) Bengaluru, Karnataka and BEL Hyderabad, Telangana for supply of Advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) suite for Fighter aircraft & for Instrumented Electronic Warfare Range (IEWR) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) respectively with a total outlay of Rs.3,102 Crore.

MoD & BEL Bengaluru:

i.MoD and BEL, Bengaluru, Karnataka signed a Contract worth Rs.1993 Crore for supply of Advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) suite for Fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force.

ii.The EW suite has been indigenously designed & developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

iii.Benefit: The supply of advanced EW systems will significantly enhance the battle-survivability of IAF fighter aircraft while undertaking operational missions against adversaries’ ground-based as well as airborne fire control and surveillance radars.

MoD & BEL Hyderabad:

i.A contract has been signed between the MoD and BEL, Hyderabad, Telangana for the development of an Instrumented Electronic Warfare Range (IEWR) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a cost of ~Rs 1,109 crore.

ii.IEWR will be used to test and evaluate airborne electronic warfare (EW) equipment and validate their deployment in an operational scenario.

iii.The contract is a significant step towards enhancing the capabilities of the IAF to prepare for future warfare and also caters towards the initiatives of Atmanirbhar Bharat. 

Indian Navy Commissions Second P-8I squadron INAS 316 ‘Condors’ at INS Hansa, Goa

i.On March 29, 2022, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar commissioned second P-8I aircraft squadron of four aircraft named ‘Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 316’ at the INS (Indian Naval Ship) Hansa Naval air base in Goa.
ii.INAS 316 has been christened ‘The Condors’, one of the world’s largest flying birds with a large wingspan. It will operate four P-8I aircraft procured as part of the optional clause in 2016 in a deal worth over $1 bn.
iii.The new air squadron will be commanded by Cdr Amit Mohapatra, an accomplished Boeing P-8I pilot.
About Indian Navy:
Founded- 26 January 1950
Headquarters-New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

India TB cases up 19%: India TB Report 2022; Delhi Tops in TB Prevalence: National TB Prevalence Survey in India 2019-2021

According to the India TB Report 2022 – Coming Together to End TB Altogether, India has recorded a 19% increase in Tuberculosis(TB) cases in 2021 over 2020 & as per ‘National TB Prevalence Survey in India 2019-2021’ Report, Delhi has topped the TB Prevalence in India(among the population aged above 15 years and among all age groups) with 534 cases per 1 lakh population and 747 per 1 Lakh population (highest in India) respectively.  

i.The report was released by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya during the “STEP Up to End TB 2022” Summit organised on the occasion of World TB Day 2022. 
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW):
Union Minister– Mansukh Mandaviya (Rajya Sabha- Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS)– Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar (Dindori, Maharashtra)
>> Read Full News

President of India Ram Nath Kovind Launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain Campaign 2022; Presented 3rd NWA 2020

On 29th March 2022, Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, launched the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign – 2022 during the event organised by the National Water Mission, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. 
For the year 2022, The Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain Campaign 2022 will focus on springshed development, catchment area augmentation, and gender mainstreaming. 

• President Ram Nath Kovind also felicitated the1st Prize winners of the 3rd National Water Awards(NWA) 2020. 
• 7th edition of India’s International Water Resources Event India Water Week(IWW) -2022 planned to be organized from 1-5 November, 2022 at India Expo Centre, Grater Noida, Uttar Pradesh(UP).
• The theme of the 7th India Water Week (IWW)-2022 is “Water Security for Sustainable Development with Equity”.

Key People: 
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State(MoS) for Jal Shakti and Bishweswar Tudu MoS of Jal Shakti participated in the event. 

• Union Minister for Jal Shakti felicitated the 2nd & 3rd Prize winners of 3rd NWA 2020. 

Background:
i.On the occasion of World Water Day 2021(March 22), Prime Minister(PM) of India, Narendra Modi, launched the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain’ (JSA: CTR) campaign, which was taken up in all districts in rural and urban areas of India during the pre-monsoon and monsoon period (i.e., from March 2021 up to 30th November 2021).
ii.The theme of JSA: CTR was “Catch the rain, Where it Falls When it Falls” 
Efforts of GoI towards conservation of Water:
i.The government of India (GoI) has taken several initiatives to reduce the effects of climate change and ensure water security through efficient use of water, conservation of water sources, minimizing pollution and ensuring sanitation. 
ii.In 2019, GoI launched the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan” to make water everyone’s business and to make the Jal Andolan a Jan Andolan-a mass movement and the “Jal Jeevan Mission” with the aim of providing “Functional Household Tap Connections” (FHTC) to every rural household in the country by 2024.
3rd National Water Awards 2020:
i.In January 2022, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Announced the winners of the 3rd NWA 2020. 
ii.Uttar Pradesh (UP) has been awarded first prize in the Best State category, followed by Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu (TN).
Click here to know more 
About Ministry of Jal Shakti:
Union Minister– Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Constituency – Jodhpur, Rajasthan)
Minister of State– Prahlad Singh Patel (Constituency – Damoh, Madhya Pradesh), Bishweswar Tudu (Constituency – Mayurbhanj, Odisha)

India and Australia inks MoU for joint exploration of Lithium and Cobalt mineral resourcesThe Government of India and Australia has committed to invest USD 6 million jointly to explore Lithium and Cobalt mines in Australia in the next six months.
Key Points:
i.Last year 2021, a Government to Government (G2G) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Government of India and the Government of Australia through Ministry of Mines and Critical Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO) respectively for co-operation in the field of mining and processing of Critical and Strategic Minerals.
ii.Following which a detailed collaborative framework has been signed between Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) and Australia’s Critical Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO) for carrying out a joint due diligence of select greenfield and brownfield projects, identifying lithium and cobalt mineral assets for investment and acquisition of the assets in Australia.
iii.Engagements are also underway with other source countries (primarily Latin-American countries) such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile etc., which are endowed with lithium and cobalt in hard rock formations and in brine.
iv.The MoU includes building an Australia-India partnership in the critical mineral ecosystem; development of a robust and commercially-viable critical mineral supply chain to support sustainable production; and ensure reliable supplies of the materials needed to fuel sectors such as transport, energy, telecommunications, medicine, aviation and defence.
About Lithium policy in India:
i.Lithium is a key component in the battery used in Electric Vehicles (EV). 
ii.India, through the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, is offering Rs 18,100 crore incentives for companies to build battery cells locally for Electric Vehicles (EV).
iii.China and Hong Kong are the biggest lithium battery suppliers to India.
About Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL)
i.KABIL is a joint venture company set up with the participation of three Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) namely, National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and Mineral Exploration Company Limited (MECL).
ii.The objective is to ensure a consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals to the Indian domestic market and ensuring mineral security of the Nation by Import substitution.
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Critical Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO)
i.CMFO is the Australian Government’s central coordination point to help grow the critical minerals sector. It comes under the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER), Government of Australia. 

SpiceJet, Boeing, CSIR-IIP Partners for Eco-friendly Aviation Fuel

SpiceJet, Boeing and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) are working together to explore opportunities for the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in the Indian aviation industry.

• The coordination is part of their commitment to support reducing carbon emissions to achieve environmental goals.
• They will work to leverage SAF supply from CSIR-IIP and its production partners and licensees to help SpiceJet decarbonise its fleet.

SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 65% over the life-cycle of fuel with the potential to reach 100% in the future.
In 2021, Boeing had committed to delivering commercial aeroplanes, capable and certified to fly on 100% SAF by 2030.

BANKING & FINANCE

Central Bank of India  Ties up with Kwik.ID to ​Digitize Customer OnboardingCentral Bank of India (CBI) partnered with  Kwik.ID to implement digital Know Your Customer (KYC), video KYC and eKYC for its network across India. 
Objective:
To bring seamless onboarding and provide efficient digital facilities to the customers across India.  
Highlights:
i.The partnership will support the implementation of its digital transformation agenda and also help in digital finance initiatives. 
ii.Kwik.ID is India’s fastest and first ever AI-based fully compliant Video KYC solution and a flagship product by Think360.ai. It  has the target to digitize 10 million customers’ onboarding annually and streamline their end-to-end processes. 

• Earlier, it collaborated with Bank of Baroda, RBL Bank, Bajaj Finserv and Spice Money, among others.

What is the Know Your Customer (KYC) process in banks?
It is the process of verifying the identity of customer. The objective of KYC guidelines is to prevent banks from being used by criminal elements for money laundering activities.
About Central Bank of India (CBI):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Founded-1911
MD & CEO- M. V. Rao 

HDFC ERGO Launches VAULT, an Industry’s First Digitally-enabled Rewards based Program

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company launched its  VAULT program. It is India’s first industry based  digital customer engagement and rewards program.

• This program is an experiment to test a new idea under the Regulatory Sandbox of IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India )
• The testing period will be till 14th May 2022 and further continuance of the product beyond the testing period will be subject to IRDAI approval.

What is the VAULT program?
i.It is a customer engagement-based membership program. 
ii.Under the program, eligible customers will be incentivized by way of reward points on meeting the specified criteria or actions

• Various criteria  such as staying insured under the policy for more than two years, holding two active HDFC ERGO retail policies etc.

iii.The  reward points will be equivalent to cash and can be redeemed against wellness offers such as  pharmacy vouchers, doctor consultations, etc.

• No new customers will be enrolled after 14th May 2022. More points can be earned and redeemed by enrolled customers up to14th May 2023.

iv.Maximum customer enrolments under this program will be 10,000. This reward program will cover Optima Restore health insurance customers.
About Regulatory Sandbox:
It is  created by the IRDAI that  allows the insurance company to conduct field tests to collect evidence on the benefits and risks of new products and services.

Google Pay & Pine Labs collaborates to launch Tap to Pay for UPIGoogle Pay, payment platform of Google, has partnered with Pine Labs to launch Tap to Pay for UPI (Unified Payments Interface) – a functionality that aims to bring the seamless convenience of Tap to Pay to UPI.

• With this new feature, users can just tap their phones on the Point of Sales (POS) terminal and authenticate transactions on their phones using their UPI PIN. 

Pine Labs is a merchant commerce platform that offers merchants payment solutions, and the Tap to Pay for UPI feature will only be available when transacting with a merchant that uses a Pine Labs Android POS terminal.
Key Points:
i.Reliance Retail was the first to test this new feature, and it is now available at other significant retailers such as Future Retail and Starbucks.
ii.Until now, the Tap to Pay facility was only available for cards. With the invention of Tap to Pay for UPI, users can authenticate payments from their phone using their UPI PIN, making the process virtually instantaneous as compared to scanning a QR code or entering the UPI-linked mobile number.
About Pine Labs:
Pine Labs offers a merchant platform that includes technology and financial solutions for merchants.
CEO – Amrish Rau
Headquarters – Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Founded – 1998

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

ICRA cuts India’s FY23 GDP growth forecast to 7.2%

On March 29, 2022, the rating agency ICRA Limited (formerly Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited) reduced its forecast of the year-on-year (YoY) growth of the India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP at constant 2011-12 prices) by 0.8% in FY23 to 7.2% from 8%. The K-shaped recovery is likely to continue.

• The GDP expansion in FY22 is projected at 8.5% which is lower than the National Statistical Office’s (NSO’s) second advance estimate of 8.9%.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expects FY23 GDP growth rate at 7.8%.

Key Points:
i.The decrease in GDP is due to the elevated commodity prices and also fresh supply chain issues arising from the Ukraine-Russia war. This will constrain the demand revival in FY23.
ii.Real GDP growth is likely to moderate to 3-4% in Q4FY22 from 5.4% in Q3FY22.
iii.ICRA expects gradual rise in capacity utilization to ~74-75% in Q3FY23 from ~71-72% in Q4FY22.
What is K- Shaped recovery?
A K-shaped recovery is when different communities experience different rates of recovery after a recession. It is named so because, when plotted on a graph, the performance of different parts of the economy diverges like the arms of the letter “K.”
India’s economic recovery is two-speed, also called K-shaped by many economists.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS    

Central Bank of Chile Governor Mario Marcel won Governor of the year Award 2022: 9th Central Banking Awards 2022 Mario Marcel Cullell (Mario Marcel), the Governor of  Banco Central de Chile(BCCh – Central Bank of Chile) has won the Governor of the year Award 2022 at the 9th edition of the Central Banking Awards 2022. The award recognises all-around achievements in the job.

• The annual Central Banking Awards 2022 is made up of 17 central bank categories and 14 partner and service provider categories.

About Mario Marcel:
i.Mario Marcel served as the Governor of the BCCh from 2016 to January 2022. 
ii.He resigned his post as governor in January 2022, and become finance minister under the new administration of Gabriel Boric, President of Chile. 
iii.He has also served as a consultant for international organizations and governments of different countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Vietnam
iv.He has also served as a researcher for the Corporation for Latin American Studies (Cieplan).
Central Banking Awards:
The inaugural Central Banking Awards were presented in 2014. 
The annual award recognises 

• Extraordinary examples of public service
• Pioneering activities in the central banking community
• Best practice in policy, governance, economics, digitalisation, infrastructure and management
• Innovative and best practice in the provision of operational, technological, financial and advisory services

Central Banking Publications:
Central Banking is firmly established as the industry’s leading information resource. It is a financial publisher owned by Infopro Digital specialising in public policy and financial markets.
Editor-in-chief– Christopher Jeffery
About Banco Central de Chile (Central Bank of Chile):
Governor– Rosanna Costa (first female governor)
Headquarters– Santiago, Chile
Founded in August 1925 

Chief of the Army Staff presents ‘President’s Colours’ to two battalions of Dogra regiment

On March 24, 2022 General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of the Army staff presented the prestigious ‘President’s Colours’ also known as ‘Nishaan’ to two battalions of the Dogra Regiments namely 20 DOGRA and 21 DOGRA during a colour presentation parade held at the Dogra Regiment Centre, Faizabad Uttar Pradesh.
General Nirmal Chander Vij (retd) former Chief of the Army Staff & Honorary Colonel of The Dogra Regiment was also attended the Colour Presentation Parade.
About Dogra Regiment:
i.The Dogra Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. 
ii.The regiment traces its roots directly from the 17th Dogra Regiment of the British Indian Army. 
Regimental Centre – Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh
Nickname – Gentlemen Warriors
Mascot – Tiger
About President’s Colours:
i.The President’s Colour Award is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon any military unit of India. 
ii.It is also known as ′Nishaan′ which is an emblem that will be worn by all unit officers on the left-hand sleeve of their uniform.
iii.The presentation of the award or standards by the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of India (President of India) is an acknowledgement of the unit’s meritorious service. 
iv.The ‘Standards’ are awarded to Heavy Cavalry and the ‘Guidons’ are awarded to Light Cavalry.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS       

NATO Extends Jens Stoltenberg’s term as Secretary-General until 2023The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) extended the term of its  Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg by one year until 30 September, 2023.
Highlight:
i.After the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium the United States of America (USA) President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders decided to extend the tenure of Jens Stoltenberg.
ii.Jens Stoltenberg, a former Prime Minister of Norway, took the office of Secretary General in October 2014. In September 2021, his term was set to end. 
What is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?
It  is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty ,also called the Washington Treaty in 1949, by the US, Canada, and other Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.

• In 2020, North Macedonia joined NATO.
• India is not a member of NATO.

Members- 30 states (as of 2022).
Founded-4 April 1949
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium.

Vishwas Patel Has Been Re-elected As the Chairman Of Payments Council of India

Vishwas Patel has been re-elected as the Chairman of Payments Council of India (PCI) for the second time in 2022, previously he was elected as a Chairman of PCI in the year 2018. In 2013, he served as Co-Chairman of PCI. PCI is a payments ecosystem industry body, and is a part of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). PCI aims to promote cashless transaction society and visions to grow digital payment in India.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Re-elected as President of BAI 

Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister(CM) of Assam was re-elected as the President of the Badminton Association of India(BAI) for a period of 4 years from 2022 to 2026 during the General Body Meeting held Guwahati, Assam.
He has been serving as the President of BAI since 2017 and he is also the Vice President of Badminton Asia and a member of the Executive Council of Badminton World Federation(BWF). 

• Former junior national coach Sanjay Mishra was elected as the new general secretary and Arun Hanumandas Lakhani, President of Maharashtra Badminton Association was elected as the new treasurer.
• Incumbent General Secretary Ajay Kumar Singhania will be one of the Vice Presidents of the new council. 

List of new office-bearers   

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS     

Central Govt to sell 1.5% Stake in ONGC to raise ~Rs 3,000crThe Central Government is selling its 1.5% stake in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) through an Offer for Sale (OFS) to raise worth ~Rs 3,000 crore. It is being sold at a 7% discounted floor price of Rs 159/share. The 1.5% equity stake sale also includes a 0.75% greenshoe option.

• The OFS is open on March 30-31, 2022.
• The Central Government owns a 60.41% stake in ONGC.
• Note-India is the world’s 3rd largest oil importer and consumer, after the United States (US) and China.

What is the offer?
The Central Government  as a promoter is selling up to 94,352,094 equity shares of ONGC (representing 0.75% of the total paid-up equity share capital of the company) with a face value of Rs 5 each on March 30, 2022 (to non-retail investors) and on March 31, 2022 (to retail investors) with an option to additionally sell (greenshoe option) 94,352,094 equity shares in case of oversubscription
What is Offer for Sale – OFS?
An Offer for Sale is a simpler method whereby promoters in public companies can sell their shares and reduce their holdings in a transparent manner through the bidding platform for the Exchange.
Who can buy shares in this OFS?
i.In the OFS, a minimum of 25% of the shares are reserved for mutual funds and insurance companies.
ii.10% of the shares earmarked for retail investors i.e. individual investors who bid for not more than 2 lakh shares.
iii.ONGC employees can apply for equity shares worth up to Rs 5 lakh each. 
About Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD- Additional Charge)– Dr. Alka Mittal (1st woman CMD of ONGC)
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

IDBI Bank to Sell 25% Stake in Ageas Federal Life Insurance Company

Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI Bank) announced to  offload its 25% stake in Ageas Federal Life Insurance Company (AFLI) to Ageas Insurance International NV.

• The board of directors of the IDBI Bank approved to sell its 200 million equity shares in AFLI to Ageas pursuant to exercise of Call Option by Ageas.

Highlights:
i.In December 2020, IDBI Bank also  sold a 23% stake in an insurance joint venture (JV) to Ageas Insurance International  for Rs 507.10 crore, following this the insurer’s name was changed from IDBI Federal Life Insurance to Ageas Federal Life Insurance company limited.

• This raised Ageas stake to 49% in the insurance company.

ii.The approval was also given for divestment of the bank’s stake up to 11.10% of paid-up share capital of the National Securities Depository (NSD) through market-driven process.
About Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI):
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
CEO & MD– Rakesh Sharma
Tagline– Bank Aisa Dost Jaisa   

SPORTS

India Wins 3rd Edition Of The SAFF U-18 Women’s Championship 2022 In Jharkhand

India wins 3rd edition of South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under – 18 (U-18) Women’s Championship 2022 by defeating Bangladesh women’s football U-18 team, which took place in JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.
i.India lost to Bangladesh in the final match for (0-1).
ii.Because India and Bangladesh topped the table with 9 points respectively, the Winner was decided by the superior goal difference in which India scored +11 goals and Bangladesh scored +3 goals.
iii.Thomas Dennerby is the coach of Indian Women’s football U-18 team.
About South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-18 Championship 2022:
i.The three-nation tournament consists of India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
ii.India wins the tournament in 2022 for the first time.
iii.Lynda kom Serato representing India, was adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and the highest goal scorer, scoring 5 goals. 
iv.Bangladesh team was honoured for Fair Play.
South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-18 Championship
President – Kazi MD. Salahuddin
Established – 1997 
Headquarters – Dhaka, Bangladesh
Champions of 2018 and 2021 – Bangladesh 

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of the Unborn Child 2022 – March 25

International Day of the Unborn Child is annually observed across the globe on 25th March to remember the millions of unborn children whose lives have been ended by the violence of abortion.

• El Salvador was the first to celebrate such a day in 1993, naming it the “Day of the Right to be Born”.
• However, it was in 1999, that the President of Argentina declared March 25th the “Day of the Unborn Child,” instigating the first official celebration of the weakest and most vulnerable human beings.
• Saint Pope John Paul II fully supported the initiative and encouraged the spread of the celebration throughout the world.
• The government of India legalised abortion with ‘Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (1971), creating a framework meant to protect women from the grave risks of unsafe abortion.

STATE NEWS

Maharashtra Launches Scheme to Offer Personal Loans for Prisoners

The Maharashtra government has introduced a scheme that allows prisoners to obtain personal loans from banks of up to Rs. 50,000 to help their families improve their living conditions and meet expenses related to their legal matters. It will be a first of its kind initiative in our country.

• The Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank would provide loans up to 50,000 under the scheme at a 7% interest rate. The scheme would be implemented in Yerawada Central Jail in Pune, Maharashtra, on a pilot basis.

The decision was taken in a meeting presided over by Dilip Walse Patil, Home Minister of Maharashtra and a Government Resolution (GR) was also issued.
Highlights:
i.It is the first innovative scheme in India that offers prisoners a loan based on the income earned while working in a prison. It needs no guarantor and will be disbursed on a personal bond.
ii.This type of loan is called a “khavti” loan, and benefits approximately 1,055 prisoners.
iii. The loan facility will be determined by the bank based on the prisoner’s loan limit, duration of punishment, the possibility of relief, the prisoner’s age, the estimated annual working day, and the minimum daily income.
iv.The lending bank will be fully responsible for ensuring that the loan amount is used to serve the needs of the family concerned or to pay the fees of their lawyers or for other legal matters.
v.In addition, 1% of the amount collected by the bank from loan repayment will be donated to the Prisoners’ Welfare Fund on an annual basis.
About Maharashtra:
Chief Minister – Uddhav Thackeray
Governor – Bhagat Singh Koshyari
Festivals – Gudhi Padwa (Harvest Festival of Maharashtra); Narali Pournima (marks the end of the monsoon)

Tamil Nadu to Get Rs. 3,500 Crores Investment from UAE Based Lulu GroupThe Tamil Nadu government has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the LuLu Group of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Abu Dhabi to implement three major projects worth Rs. 3,500 crores in Tamil Nadu.

• The investment is to set up shopping malls, hypermarkets and a food-logistic park in Tamil Nadu. 
• Tamil Nadu signed various MoUs with investors to attract ₹6,100 crore investment during the five-day visit to the UAE.

The MoU was signed by Pooja Kulkarni, Managing Director and CEO of Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance & Export Promotion Bureau and Ashraf Ali MA, Executive Director of Lulu Group in the presence of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin and Lulu Group Chairman & Managing Director MA Yusuff Ali.
Highlights:
i.According to the MoU, the first shopping mall will be opened in Chennai by 2024, and the first hypermarket will be opened in the Laxmi Mills compound in Coimbatore by the end of 2022.
ii.Two malls worth a total investment of Rs. 2,500 crores and a food processing project worth Rs. 1,000 crores are to be implemented.
iii. Lulu Group will also set up food processing and logistics centres for procuring and processing agricultural-produce for exports to middle eastern countries.
iv.Lulu group will also explore investment opportunities in tier two cities of Tamil Nadu such as Coimbatore, Salem, Madurai, Trichy and aims to provide more than 15,000 direct and indirect job opportunities to the youth of Tamil Nadu in the next 3 years.
v.The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu invited Mubadala Investment Company (UAE) to work with the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Fund Management Corporation and come up with proposals towards implementing green energy, road infrastructure, industrial parks, and data centres.

• He has also invited companies in the UAE to invest in food processing, food parks, cold-storage facilities, cargo and related services and other sectors in Tamil Nadu.

Investments by Lulu Group in India:
i.In India, Lulu Group already has four operational shopping malls in Kochi, Thrissur, Trivandrum and Bengaluru.
ii.It has announced an investment of Rs. 2,000 crores near Ahmedabad (Gujarat) to set up a modern shopping mall.
iii. It will also invest Rs. 400 crores to set up a food park in Kerala.

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