Current Affairs 5 April 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 5 April 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.

Our Current Affairs January 2022 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2022 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.

Read Current Affairs in CareersCloud APP, Course Name –  Learn Current Affairs – Free Course – Click Here to Download the APP
We are Hiring – Subject Matter Expert | CA Video Creator | Content Developers(Pondicherry)

Click here for Current Affairs 3 & 4 April 2022

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

I&B Ministry Announces Merger of Film Media Units with NFDC

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has transferred the mandate for the production of documentaries and short films, the organization of film festivals and the preservation of films to the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) working under the ministry.
This resulted in the merger of the four film media units, including the Films Division, the Directorate of Film Festivals, the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) and the Children’s Film Society of India under the NFDC.

• This step is a move towards reducing the overlap of various activities and ensuring better utilization of public resources by bringing all these activities under a single management.

The Central Government has also designated Rs. 1304.52 crore till 2026 for film production and preservation, film festivals, and providing financial incentives for audio-visual productions with foreign countries, which will be managed by the NFDC through its Film Facilitation Office.
Key Points:
i.The ownership of the assets available with these units will remain with the Central government. 
ii.The Films Division, established in 1948, was the first state film production and distribution unit to produce documentaries and news magazines for publicity of government programmes and cinematic representation of Indian history.

• Its mandate has been completely transferred to the NFDC with effect from April 1, 2022. The Production Vertical for the Production of Documentaries in the NFDC will be named “Films Division.”

iii. The Directorate of Film Festivals was set up by the Centre to organize national and international film festivals and the National Film Awards.

• Some of the major upcoming film festivals to be organized by the NFDC are the Mumbai International Film Festival, the International Film Festival of India at Goa, and the Children’s Film Festival.

iv.Children’s Film Society India was entrusted with the production of children’s films and television programmes in Indian languages under the central government.
v.The National Film Archive of India was established as a media unit to acquire and preserve cinema and to classify, document, and undertake research related to films.
vi.National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) is the central agency for film financing, production, and distribution under MIB. It already has the mandate of producing feature films. 
Note: 

• Expert Committees on Rationalization of Film Media Units and Review of Autonomous Bodies was headed by former I&B Secretary Bimal Julka.

• In December 2020, the ministry under former I & B Minister Prakash Javadekar announced that the four public entities would be merged with NFDC, a “loss-making” public sector undertaking.

Highlights of Nepalese PM Sher Bahadur Deuba visit to India 

i.On the invitation of Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi, the PM Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba, accompanied by a high-level delegation (4 Cabinet ministers) and his spouse Dr Arzu Deuba was on a 3-day visit to India on April 1-3, 2022. 
ii.This was PM Sher Bahadur Deuba’s first visit after becoming PM in July 2021. However this is his fifth visit to India as PM, with the last visit being in August 2017. The previous three visits took place in 2004, 2002 and 1996.
iii.Besides official engagements in New Delhi, he visited Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (UP), and offered prayers at the Kal Bhairav and Kashi Vishwanath temples.
iv.Both PMs jointly launched and operationalized 34.9 km long (∼22-mile) cross border rail link from Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal at the Hyderabad House, New Delhi. They also jointly flagged off the inaugural run of the cross-border passenger train services between Jaynagar and Kurtha.
About Nepal:
Capital– Kathmandu
Currency– Nepalese rupee
>> Read Full News

Tata Power commissioned 300 MW Solar Plant in  Gujarat- India’s largest single-axis tracker systemTata Power Renewables Energy Limited(TPREL) has commissioned a 300 MegaWatt (MW) solar plant in Dholera, Gujarat with the country’s largest single-axis solar tracker system.

• The project will generate 774 Million Units (MUs) of Renewable energy annually. 
• Along with this, it will reduce approximately 7,04,340 Metric Ton per year of carbon emission. 
• With this the installation entails 8,73,012 numbers of Monocrystalline Photovoltaic (PV) Modules.

i.The total area used for the Solar plant installation is 1320 Acre divided into six different plots of 220 acres each.
ii.With the addition of 300 MW, the renewables capacity in operation for Tata Power will now be 3,400 MW with 2,468 MW of Solar and 932 MW of Wind energy.
iii.The Tata Power’s total Renewable capacity is 5,020 MW including 1,620 MW of Renewable projects under various stages of implementation.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

BEZA signs deal with Adani group for Indian Economic Zone in Chattogram, Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) signed a non-binding agreement called term-sheet with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ Ltd.,) in Mumbai,Maharashtra to establish an Indian Economic Zone under the government-to- government (G2G) engagement in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) in Mirsarai of Chattogram, Bangladesh. 
i.The Indian Economic Zone will provide a range of facilities for Indian investors in Bangladesh. 
ii.The agreement was the follow up of June 2015 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an Indian economic zone. 
iii.The Indian Economic Zone is being built on 857 acres of land with an estimated cost of Taka 964 crore supported by an Indian Line of Credit worth USD 115 million. 
iv.The project involves land development, construction of connecting roads, security system, water supply, telecommunication, and water treatment plant facilities for the Indian companies investing in Bangladesh. 
v.Among the Government to Government economic zones being set up in Bangladesh, the Indian Economic Zone is going to be the second largest one after the Japanese Economic Zone.
About Bangladesh:
Capital – Dhaka
Currency – Bangladeshi taka
President – Abdul Hamid
Prime minister –Sheikh Hasina Wazed
About Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited of India(APSEZ Ltd):
Managing Director – Rajesh Adani
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Karan Adani 

BANKING & FINANCE

SBI Signs MoU with The BSF to Provide Curated Benefits

The State Bank of India (SBI) and the Border Security Force (BSF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide special benefits to serving and retired BSF personnel, as well as family pensioners, through the Central Armed Police Salary Package (CAPSP) Scheme.
This partnership intends to benefit and provide financial security for BSF personnel and their families by providing a variety of specialized benefits through CAPSP, which ensures that they and their family have easy access to banking services.
Features of the MoU:
i.The MoU ensures extensive benefits for the security forces, including complimentary Personal and Air Accidental Insurance (Death) Cover, additional cover in case of on-duty death, and Permanent Total Disability/Partial Disability Cover.
ii.The MoU will support child education and the marriage of girl children of deceased BSF personnel.
iii. Retired personnel will be eligible for complimentary Personal Accidental (Death) Insurance, irrespective of age, whereas family pensioners will be eligible for a bouquet of benefits.
iv.SBI will offer a zero-balance savings bank account with a host of complimentary benefits and a waiver of service charges to the BSF personnel considering their selfless services rendered to nation building.
v.It will also provide attractive interest rates and concessions on processing charges for serving personnel on home, car, education, and Xpress Credit personal loans.

Aegon Life and Ahalia Finforex Partners to Offer Insurance Cover to Unserved Segment

Aegon Life Insurance Company(Aegon Life), a digital life insurance company and Ahalia Finforex, a Kerala-based diversified financial services firm has partnered to provide life insurance access to unorganized and unserved segments residing in tier 2, tier 3, and tier 4 towns.

• This is in line with the efforts of Ahalia Finforex to make every household financially secure. 

Key Points:
i.Under this partnership insurance coverage for more than 5 lakh customers of Ahalia Finforex will be provided through the Group Credit Life product. In the event of the borrower’s death, insurance from Aegon Life covers the loan amount.
ii.Ahalia Finforex will support the unserved population in small towns, helping them access insurance cover against the loans, which could burden them in the untimely demise of the borrower.
iii.Group Credit Life Insurance cover is attached to a lending product like a loan.
iv.The product can be purchased offline, via branches of Ahalia Finforex and the customers can get this product with a one-time premium. 
Additional info:
Aegon Life has onboarded partners like Flipkart, Paytm, Mobikwik and others. It plans to onboard 100 distribution partners in 2022.
About Aegon Life Insurance Company:
MD & CEO– Satishwar Balakrishnan
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra 
About Ahalia Finforex:
Ahalia Finforex is a diversified initiative of the Ahalia Group. 
The company holds NBFC (Non-Banking Financial Company) and FFMC (Full-Fledged Money Changer) licenses from the Reserve Bank of India(RBI).
Managing Director– N. Bhuvanendran
Headquarters– Ernakulam, Kerala

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

India’s FY23 GDP Growth Estimated at 7.4%: FICCI Economic Outlook Survey

On April 3, 2022, FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) released its Economic Outlook Survey projecting India’s annual median Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 7.4% in FY23 with a minimum growth estimate of 6% and maximum of 7.8%.

• The risks to growth will remain high amid Russia-Ukraine conflict which results in sharp rise in crude prices. 
• This war is posing a biggest challenge to the global economic recovery.

Key Highlights from Survey:
i.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to start a rate hike cycle in the second half of 2022.
ii.The RBI is expected to continue supporting the ongoing economic recovery by keeping the repo rate unchanged in its April policy review. However, a repo rate hike of 50-75 bps is expected by the end of FY23.
iii.The median growth forecast for agriculture and allied activities projected at 3.3% for 2022-23.
iv.Industry sector is estimated to grow by 5.9% and services sector will grow at 8.5% in FY23.
v.Global inflation is likely to peak out in the first half of 2022 and moderate thereafter.
vi.For India, the estimate for average wholesale price index-based inflation in Q4FY22 has been put at 12.6%.

• CPI (consumer price index) based inflation is projected at 6% in Q4FY22 and 5.5% in Q1FY23; and has a median forecast of 5.3% for FY23, with a minimum and maximum range of 5% and 5.7% respectively.

Click Here for Official Survey
FICCI Economic Outlook Survey: 
It was conducted in March 2022 to ascertain response from economists representing sectors like industry, banking and financial services. The economists were asked for their forecast on key macro-economic variables for 2022-23, Q4 (January- March) of FY22 and Q1 (April-June) of FY23.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS  

Journalist Aarefa Johari wins Chameli Devi Jain Award for 2021

A journalist from Mumbai, Aarefa Johari was awarded with the Chameli Devi Jain Award for an Outstanding Woman Mediaperson 2021. It was announced by the Media Foundation.

• Aarefa Johari  works for ‘Scroll.in’ in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• In 2020, Neetu Singh got this award. She is associated with ‘Goan Connection’ media house.
• Jury –  Nirupama Subramania, Githa Hariharan and Ashutosh

About Chameli Devi Jain Award:
i.It  is the annual prestigious recognition in the field of Journalism for women media persons journalist in India who have reported on themes such as social development, politics, equity, gender justice, health, war and conflict, and consumer values.
ii.Chameli Devi Jain was a freedom fighter and a community reformer. She became the first Jain woman to go to prison during India’s independence struggle.
iii.The award was instituted in 1980 by Verghese and the family of Chameli Devi.
Instituted-1981 

64th Annual GRAMMY Awards(2022): Jon Batiste and Olivia Rodrigo Wins Top Honours

The 64th Annual Grammy Awards(Grammy 2022) was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the 1st time a Grammy Awards ceremony was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America(USA)
The 64th GRAMMY Awards recognize recordings released between 1st September 2020 and 30th September 2021.

• The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy or National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, since 1957 honour musical artists, compositions and albums.

Highlights of Grammy 2022:
i.Jon Batiste(Jonathan Michael Batiste), an American singer, songwriter, and musician has won 5 Grammys which include, Album Of The Year for his Long Play(LP) We Are; Best American Roots Performance for Cry; Best American Roots Song for Cry; Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media for Soul and Best Music Video for Freedom. 
ii.Olivia Rodrigo(19-year-old), an American singer-songwriter has won 3 awards including the Best New Artist and she has also won the Best Pop Vocal Album for “Sour” and Best Pop Solo Performance “Drivers License.” 
>> Read Full News

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Viktor Orban Wins a Fourth Consecutive Term as Hungary’s Prime MinisterViktor Orban was re-elected Prime Minister of Hungary for the fourth time in a row, in the General Election of 2022. His nationalist ruling Fidesz party has defeated the opposition, the United for Hungary party (a six-party opposition bloc), led by Peter Marki-Zay.

• The victory in the General Election of 2022 will be Fidesz’s fourth successive win since 2010.
• Viktor Orban led Fidesz party has won the general elections for the fifth term.
• According to the National Election Office of Hungary, Fidesz would have 135 seats in the 199-member parliament, a two-thirds majority, and the opposition alliance would have 56 seats with ~35% of the votes counted.

Note: Hungarian Parliament – Hungarian National Assembly (Országgyűlés)
About Viktor Orban:
i.Viktor Orban is the leader of the Fidesz party and the incumbent Prime Minister of Hungary.
ii.Fidesz had its first victory in the 1998 elections, with Orban becoming the youngest Prime Minister in Europe at the time.
iii. After a short pause in 2010, the party regained power in 2010, with Viktor at the forefront, and has retained it for three consecutive terms (almost 12 years) until 2022, making him the EU’s longest-serving leader.
About Hungary:
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe bordering Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. It has been a member of the European Union (EU) since 2004.
President –  Janos Ader (He will be succeeded by Katalin Novák on 10 May 2022)
Prime Minister –  Viktor Orban (Head of Government)
Capital – Budapest
Currency – Forint (HUF) (HUF – Hungarian Forint)

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS     

HDFC Ltd to merge with HDFC Bank by FY24

The board of directors of the Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) Limited at its meeting held has approved the amalgamation of HDFC Investments Limited and HDFC Holdings Limited with HDFC Ltd, and HDFC Ltd with HDFC Bank.
Subsequently, HDFC will merge with its banking arm, resulting in all the group companies becoming direct subsidiaries of HDFC Bank. Besides the bank, HDFC is the holding company for HDFC Life, HDFC General Insurance, HDFC Mutual Fund, HDFC Credila and HDFC Venture Capital. This amalgamation deal valued at $40 billion.
Note- HDFC Investments Limited and HDFC Holdings Limited are the wholly acquired subsidiaries of HDFC Bank Limited.
Highlights:
i.Shareholders of HDFC Ltd as on the record date will receive 42 shares of HDFC Bank (each of face value of ₹1), for 25 shares held in HDFC Ltd (each of face value of ₹2). The equity share(s) held by HDFC Ltd in HDFC Bank will be extinguished as per the scheme.
ii.After the merging, the HDFC Bank will be 100 percent owned by public shareholders and existing shareholders of HDFC Ltd will own 41 per cent of HDFC Bank through the transformational merger. 
iii.The merger will enable HDFC Bank to build its housing loan portfolio and increase its customer base. The merger is expected to be completed by FY(Financial Year)-24. 
About HDFC Bank:
CEO & MD- Sashidhar Jagdishan 
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Founded- 1994

Axis Bank to Acquire CitiBank’s India Consumer Business for $1.6 bn
Citibank signed a deal with Axis Bank to sell its entire consumer bank business including credit cards, savings accounts,retail consumer accounts,consumer loans and wealth management for $1.6 billion. However the deal excludes Citibank’s institutional client businesses in India.

• This is one of the  biggest deals in the banking space since the acquisition of ING Vysya Bank by Kotak Mahindra Bank in 2014 for Rs 15,000 crore.

Key points:
i.Axis Bank will offer 3,600 employees of Citi’s consumer banking business a remuneration that is at par or higher than their current packages.The deal will enable the Axis Bank to gain more capital and customer support across India.

About Axis Bank:
MD & CEO- Amitabh Chaudhry
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment- 1993 (Commenced Operation-1994)
Tagline – Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi
>> Read Full News

Canara Bank, SBI, PNB & Union Bank Reduced their Stake in IDRCL to 5% 

State Bank of India(SBI), Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank(PNB) and Union Bank of India (Union Bank), four Public Sector Banks of India have reduced their stake in India Debt Resolution Company Ltd (IDRCL) to 5% each. 

• With the current round of preferential allotment by IDRCL, the equity stake of Canara Bank has been reduced to 5% from its previous holding of 14.90%.
• PNB has reduced its stake from 11.8% to 5% while Union Bank has reduced its stake from 12.30% to 5 %.SBI has reduced its stake from 12.30% to 5%.
• Note – Public sector banks will hold 51 per cent stake in National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL) and 49 per cent in the debt management company IDRCL.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Union Minister Anurag Thakur launches New Rare Chemical Reference Materials to strengthen Anti-Doping Testing

On April 3, 2022, the Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) launched indigenously developed six new and rare Reference Materials (RMs) which are the purest form of chemical required globally for anti-doping analysis in all WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) accredited Laboratories. 

• The launch was made during the 15th Governing Body Meeting of National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), in the presence of Sports Secretary Sujata Chaturvedi and other senior officials of the Sports Ministry.

Developers of RM:
New Delhi (Delhi)-based NDTL in association with the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)-Guwahati (Assam) and the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research)-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir) has indigenously developed six new and rare Reference Materials (RMs). 
Key Points:
i.These RMs will strengthen the anti-doping testing.
ii.With this, NDTL is listed in one of the few labs in the world where such RMs have been developed.
iii.Out of the six RMs launched, three each were synthesized in collaboration with NIPER-Guwahati and CSIR-IIIM, Jammu. 
iv.RMs are on the lines of MoYAS’ commitment towards promotion and effective implementation of anti-doping programmes in India with an objective of fair play in sports.
Background:
The research for these RMs initiated in 2021 after NDTL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with their above mentioned associates to indigenously synthesise and develop 20  RMs of prohibited substances, in a phased manner, over a period of 2-3 years.  The Government of India (GoI) also provided active support and funding to the R&D (Research & Development) activities for the same.

Meenakshi Lekhi Unveiled ‘Temple 360’ Portal to Offer e-darshan at Pilgrimage Centres 

Meenakshi Lekhi, Union Minister of State(MoS) for Culture, launched the website ‘Temple 360’ during the event organized by the Ministry of Culture in New Delhi under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Temple 360 is a digital platform that will enable people to visit or do darshan of famous temples from any location. This will allow people to participate in e-Darshan, e-Prashad, and e-Aarti and keep people connected. 

• At present the portal live streams the rituals from four temples: Somnath (Gujarat), Kashi Vishwanath (Uttar Pradesh(UP)), Trimbakeshwar and Ghrishneshwar (Maharashtra). 
• The portal will also feature live streams from 12 Jyotirlinga and 4 Dhams: Dwarka (Gujarat), Badrinath (Uttarakhand), Puri (Odisha) and Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu(TN)).

SPORTS

Australian Women’s Cricket Team Were Crowned As The Champions Of 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket

The twelfth edition of the ICC (International Cricket Council) Women’s Cricket World Cup was held in New Zealand from March to April 2022. In which the Australian women’s cricket team were crowned as the champions of the 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket by defeating England women’s cricket team in the finals by 71 runs in Hagley Oval, Christchurch, New Zealand. 

• The Australian women’s team was awarded 1.32 million United States Dollar (USD) and the Runner-up team (England women’s team) won USD 600,000.  

Performer Of The Tournament:
i.Alyssa Healy (Australia) has been named as the ‘Player of the Tournament’ for scoring 509 runs in 9 matches, she is the first player to score 500-plus runs in a single edition of the Women’s One-Day International (ODI) World Cup.
Records By Indian women’s cricket team: 
i.Jhulan Goswami (Bowler) of India became the highest wicket-taker in the World Cup Tournament bagging overall of 43 wickets.Indian bowler Jhulan Goswami achieved this with 40 wickets in 31 matches, beating Australia’s Lyn Fullston’s 39 wickets in Women World cup tournaments.
ii.Indian women’s team ODI skipper Mithali Raj broke the record for most matches captained (24 matches) in the ICC Women’s World Cup.
About ICC (International Cricket Council):
Chairman – Greg Barclay
Establishment – 1909
Headquarters – Dubai, United Arab Emirates 
>> Read Full News

Adidas Unveiled ‘Al Rihla’ The Official Ball For 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup

Adidas, one of the top sports brands, unveiled the official ball ‘Al Rihla’ for the 2022 FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Qatar World cup matches. Al Rihla means “the journey” in Arabic, and it was inspired by the architecture, iconic boats, and the flag of Qatar. With the environment at its heart, it is the first World Cup ball made using only water-based inks and glues. It is the 14th successive ball that Adidas has created for the FIFA World Cup. Al Rihla is made of polyurethane (PU) skin featuring micro and macro textures and a new 20-piece panel shape enhances aerodynamics to improve the accuracy and field play. 

• Being the first World Cup ball in the 92-year history, Al Rihla contributes 1% of the funds to the Common Goal movement.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

A Book titled Decoding Indian Babudom by Ashwini Shrivastava Launched

A new book titled ‘’Decoding Indian Babudom’’ authored by Ashwini Shrivastava and published by Vitasta Publishing Private Limited launched. 

• This is a first-of-its-kind book by a journalist covering the bureaucratic system of India.

About the book:
i.It highlights India’s administrative system and functioning of governance from a common man’s point of view. 
ii.The author recommended “15 Sutras” to achieve good and effective governance that can bring in investment by boosting businessmen’s confidence in the administration.
iii.The book mentioned the causes of the rampant organized corruption in some property registry offices, civic authorities among other departments, the visible red tape, ineffectiveness of the administration in ensuring ease of accessing governance etc.
Popular books about Indian Bureaucracy:

• “Rethinking Good Governance: Holding to Account India’s Public Institutions” by Vinod Rai 
• “Indian Administration Structure, Performance and Reform” by Rumki Basu
• “The Honest Always Stand Alone by” C.G.Somiah.
• “The Burden of Democracy” by Pratap Bhanu Mehta 

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 2022 – April 4The United Nations(UN)’s International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is annually observed across the globe on 4th April to create awareness about landmines and work toward their eradication.
The day is annually observed by the United Nations Mine Action Service(UNMAS).
The UNMAS marks the 2022 International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action day under the theme “Safe Ground, Safe Steps, Safe Home”.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/60/97 on 8th December 2005 and proclaimed the 4th April of every year as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. 
ii.The first-ever International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action was observed on 4th April 2006. 
About United Nations Mine Action Service(UNMAS):
Acting Director– Ilene Cohn
Headquarters– New York, United States of America(USA)
Established in 1997
>> Read Full News

Indian Army Celebrates 258th Raising Day of Army Medical Corps – 3 April 2022

On 3rd April 2022, The Indian Army celebrated the 258th Raising Day of the Army Medical Corps(AMC) to celebrate the founding of AMC and to pay tribute to the medical personnel who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Background:
i.The Indian Medical Service (IMS) dates back to 1612 but not until 1764, the Surgeons were made into the regular establishment of the armies of the East India Company. 
ii.The Bengal Medical Service was formed in 1764, the Madras Medical Service in 1767 and the Bombay Medical Service in 1779 for the 3 Presidency Armies of Bengal, Madras and Bombay respectively. 

• Army Medical Corps(AMC) came into existence as the Indian Army Medical Corps (IAMC) on 3rd April 1943 by the amalgamation of the Indian Medical Service(IMS), the Indian Medical Department(IMD) and the Indian Hospital Corps. 
• The IAMC was re-designated as Army Medical Corps(AMC) with effect from 26th January 1950.

Role of AMC:
i.AMC provides both peacetime and combat health care to the defence forces, medical services to UN peacekeeping forces in foreign missions and during disaster management to civil authorities. 
ii.The AMC also provides medical services to army personnel along with their families. It also extends services to civilians during disasters and natural calamities.
Events: 
i.Vice Admiral Rajat Datta, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services and Lieutenant General Daljit Singh, Director General of Medical Services (Army) along with Directors General of Medical Services of (Navy) & (Air) laid wreaths at the National War Memorial, New Delhi, Delhi. 
ii.On 3rd April 2022, the Indian Army launched a motorcycle expedition (From the National War Memorial, New Delhi to Lucknow) to appreciate and motivate the doctors and paramedics, the frontline heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic.
About Army Medical Corps:
Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services- Vice Admiral Rajat Datta
Director General Medical Services(DGMS)(Army)–  Lieutenant General Daljit Singh
Motto– “Sarve Santu Niramaya” (meaning “Let all be free from disease and disability”)
Established in 1943

STATE NEWS

Assam Cabinet approves MoU with French agency for biodiversity conservation

On April 2, 2022 The Assam Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the environment and forest department of the State and Agence Francaise de Development (French Development Agency), a French funding agency, to foster bilateral dialogue in the field of environment. 

• The MoU will enhance cooperation between the forest department and international stakeholders of Africa, Asia and France regarding biodiversity conservation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Other cabinet Approvals:
i.The Assam cabinet also approved the modified guidelines for issuance of caste certificates by simplifying the eligibility for getting such documents for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, other backward classes and more other backward classes.

• According to the guidelines, no National Register of Citizens (NRC) document would be required for the application for a caste certificate. 
• No inquiry would be required if the authorities are satisfied with the certificate of the applicant’s father. If any inquiry is required, it will be limited to caste status only and will be completed within 45 days.

ii.The cabinet also approved raising Rs 170.15 crore as loan assistance from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for 15 projects of the Public Works Department (Roads). The projects include 12 embankment cum roads and three rural bridges. 

iii.The Cabinet also decided to set up 13 Adarsha Vidyalayas to increase coverage of schools and 97 model schools to improve education in tea garden areas.
About National Registry of Citizens (NRC):
i.The NRC is an official record of those who are legal Indian citizens. It includes demographic information about all those individuals who qualify as citizens of India as per the Citizenship Act, 1955.NRC was prepared under a directive from the Ministry of Home affairs (MHA).
ii.Its purpose is to document all the legal citizens of India so that the illegal immigrants can be identified and deported.Such a database has only been maintained for the state of Assam.
iii.The exercise was a culmination of the Assam Accord of 1985 signed between the Centre and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) for detection, disenfranchisement and deportation of foreigners.
iv.According to the Citizenship Rules, 2003, the central government can issue an order to prepare the National Population Register (NPR) and create the NRC based on the data gathered in it.
About Assam:
Capital – Dispur
Chief minister – Himanta Biswa Sarma
Governor – Jagdish Mukhi

*******

List of Less Important News – Click Here

*****Click Here View – AC Excluded News*****

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)