Current Affairs 10 March 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs  10 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

AIM: NITI Aayog Partners with Snap Inc to Drive AR Skilling amongst Indian Youth

On 8th March 2022, during International Women’s Day National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog’s, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), partnered with Snap Inc. to drive Augmented Reality (AR) skilling among the Indian youth along with the launch of a nationwide Lensathon (AR making hackathon), throughout the month of March.

• The hackathon will be focused on increasing participation of girls and young women over 13 interested in AR.
• Snap Inc also announced its partnership with the Atal Incubation Centers (AICs) to support the Indian start-up ecosystem with AR advertising bootcamps, Ad credits and other opportunities.

Key Highlights:
i.Over a two-year timeframe, Snap Inc is expected to train over 12,000 teachers affiliated with the Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) on AR, that could reach up to millions of students affiliated with ATL’s network of schools.

• Snap Inc. is a global camera company that plays a transformative role in the experience of how people see the world around them.

ii.As a part of the Lensathon, Snap will be hosting special workshops for participants at the age of 13 years aimed to introduce young women in India to AR and skills that will be necessary to navigate the digital economy of the future.

• Workshops will be hosted by Women Lens Creators, at 16 all-women and 5 co-ed educational institutes across India

What is Augmented Reality (AR)?
AR is an enhanced version of the real physical world that is achieved through the use of digital visual elements, sound, or other senses delivered via digital technology.
About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):
AIM was launched to promote innovation and entrepreneurship through digital platforms under the aegis of NITI Aayog.
Mission Director – Dr Chintan Vaishnav
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

India – Singapore MoU on cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the fields of Science, Technology and Innovation was signed between the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and Ministry of Trade & Industry, Government of Singapore.

• The MoU was signed during the inaugural event of India – Singapore Technology Summit 2022.
  
• The MoU was signed by Dr. S Chandrasekhar, Secretary, DST, and by Dr. Lee Chuan Teck, Permanent Secretary, MTI

This MoU will also encourage, develop and facilitate cooperation between India and Singapore in other fields like Agriculture, Food Science & Technology, Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering, Green Economy, Energy, Water, Climate & Natural Resources, Data Science, Emerging Technologies, Advanced Materials, And Health & Biotechnology.
Features of the MoU:
i.To share experiences on the national research, development, and innovation policies and programmes of each country.
ii.To exchange and share scientific and technological information by organising Partnership Development Activities (PDA), workshops, scientific seminars, and conferences.
iii. To conduct conferences that deals with various fields such as issues of common interest, joint research and development (R&D) projects, including industrial R&D to advance technology development for commercial outcomes.
iv.This Memorandum will remain in effect for a period of 5 years and will be automatically extended for a successive period of 5 years.
v.As a follow up to the MoU, an implementation agreement was also signed between the Sanjeev K Varshney, Adviser & Head of International Cooperation, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India & Edwin Chow, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Singapore (ESG).
About Ministry of Science & Technology (MoS&T):
Minister of State (Independent Charge) –  Dr. Jitendra Singh, (Udhampur constituency, J&K)
Departments under MoS&T – Department of Science & Technology; Department of Biotechnology

Tripartite MoU signed between Ministry of Ayush, CSIR, and ICAR for Collaboration in Research & Development

Ministry of Ayush has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for Inter-Ministerial co-operation for the promotion, and facilitation of research and development and to draw synergies  to the medicinal plants and traditional agricultural practices of India.

• It will also focus on the  ‘Ayurved Aahar’ initiative of the Ministry of Ayush and the International Year of Millets in 2023.

Signatories: 
The agreement  was signed by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of  Ministry of Ayush, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Director General of  ICAR and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), and Dr. Shekhar C. Mande, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR.
Highlights: 
i.It aims to provide impetus to the national goals on food & agriculture and to focus on specific joint activities by the three Parties.
ii.The organizations will work in the different areas  of agriculture including horti-floriculture, utilizing  traditional food knowledge etc. and focus will be on ensuring food security and enhancing the livelihoods of the farmers.
iii.A Joint Working Group (JWG) will be formed involving officers from the Ministry of Ayush, ICAR, and CSIR for effective implementation of the MoU. 

• The  JWG will meet at least twice a year to follow up on the execution of MoU and suggest necessary measures for its development.

About The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH): 
Union Minister- Sarbananda Sonowal 
Minister of State- Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai

India’s First 100 % Women-Owned Industrial Park Inaugurated in Hyderabad

On 9th March 2022 India’s first 100 percent women-owned ‘FLO (FICCI Ladies Organisation) Industrial Park (FIP)’ in Hyderabad, Telangana powered by Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) Ladies Organisation (FLO) in partnership with Telangana government was inaugurated with the commencement of operations by 25 women-owned and operated units represent 16 diverse Green Category Industries at the Park.

• It is the flagship project at a national level with participation open to Chapter Members, and the national members of FLO.
• Objective – To propagate and encourage sustainable development and growth

About FIP:
i.FIP in Hyderabad, Telangana is around 50 acres and was established by FLO in association with Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) with an investment of Rs.250 crore. The FIP began operations with 25 Green Projects in Hyderabad.
ii.The FIP includes amenities from the electronic sector to packaging, medical services, wellness, engineering and food processing to demonstrate the power of women entrepreneurs.

• The park will also offer a home environment for women entrepreneurs including crèches and playschools.

Key Points:
i.During the inauguration ceremony of the industrial park, Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries & Commerce, and Information Technology of Telangana K T Rama Rao has also promised another 100 acres for the expansion of the FLO women industrial park and offered an additional 10 percent subsidy for women entrepreneurs.

• This paves way for female entrepreneurs to run and operate their business from this park.

About FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO):
Establishment – 1983 (a division of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and industry (FICCI))
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
President – Ujjwala Singhania

Centre Constitutes National Dam Safety Authority for dam-related safety, disasters, resolve inter-state issues

National Dam Safety Authority, has been constituted that seeks to maintain standards related to dam safety, prevent dam-related disasters and resolve inter-state issues related to dams.

• The Centre also constituted a 22-member National Committee on Dam Safety which is headed by the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC)(Present Chairman – R.K. Sinha) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

About National Dam Safety Authority:
i.The Dam Safety Act has been passed by the Parliament in December 2021 which states that National Dam Safety Authority will work closely with state-level dam safety organisations and owners of dams for standardising safety-related data and practices.
ii.Under the Act, the National Dam Safety Authority has been constituted on 18th February, 2022 which will be headed by a chairman and assisted by 5 members to lead its 5 wings – policy and research, technical, regulation, disaster & resilience and administration & finance.
iii.The Authority will be headquartered in the National Capital Region (NCR), Delhi and will be supported by 4 regional offices.
Functions:
i.The authority resolves any issue between the State Dam Safety Organisations of states or between a State Dam Safety Organisation and any owner of a specified dam in that state.
ii.The Dam Safety Act also provides an institutional architecture for dam safety in India.
Note – According to the National Register of Large Dams, there are 5,264 completed large dams in the country, while 437 were under construction.
About Ministry of Jal Shakthi:
Union Minister – Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Constituency – Jodhpur, Rajasthan)
Minister of state – Prahlad Singh Patel (Constituency – Damoh, Madhya Pradesh) ; Bishweswar Tudu (Constituency – Mayurbhanj, Odisha)

Bihar’s Bodh Gaya to get India’s Largest Buddha Statue in Sleeping Posture

India’s largest reclining statue of Lord Buddha is being constructed in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. The 100 feet long and 30 feet high statue depicts Lord Buddha in a sleeping posture. The statue is being built by Buddha International Welfare Mission. 

• The sculptors from Kolkata are building the statue with fibreglass. 
• The construction of the statue was started in 2019 and it will be open for devotees from February 2023.

Bodh Gaya is an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhism and is visited by devotees from all over the world.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI issues Guidelines for Extended Interest Equalisation Scheme for Export Credit

On March 8, 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued modified norms on ‘Interest Equalisation Scheme (IES) on Pre and Post Shipment Rupee Export Credit-Extension’ after the extension of the scheme till March 31, 2024 by the Central Government w.e.f. October 1, 2021.

• The extended scheme will not be applicable to the ones availing benefit under any Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme of the Central Government.

Key Modifications:
i.The telecom instrument sector having six HS (Harmonised System) lines will not be included, except for MSME (Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) manufacturer exporters.
ii.Revised interest equalisation rates under the scheme will now be 3% for MSME manufacturer exporters exporting under any HS lines and 2% for manufacturer exporters and merchant exporters exporting under 410 HS lines (after excluding 6 HS lines of the telecom sector).
iii.To ensure transparency, banks while issuing approval to the exporter will furnish the prevailing interest rate. The interest subvention is being provided and the net rate being charged to each exporter. 
iv.From October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, banks will identify the eligible exporters as per the scheme, credit their accounts with the eligible amount of interest equalisation and submit a sector-wise consolidated reimbursement claim to the RBI by April 30, 2022.
v.With effect from April 1, 2022, banks will reduce the interest rate charged to the eligible exporters as per the guidelines and submit the claims in original within 15 days from the end of the respective month, with the bank’s seal, and signed by the authorised person, in the prescribed format.
What is Interest Equalisation Scheme (IES)?
Implemented on April 1, 2015, IES (earlier called Interest Subvention Scheme) provides pre and post-shipment export credit to exporters in rupees. Exporters were facing increasing credit costs in their export cycles due to the stagnation of global demand and extended credit periods. Now this scheme enables exporters to correct their pricing and improve the competitiveness of their products.

• Under the IES, the government identifies eligible exporters and passes on the interest equalisation amount they are entitled to directly to them.
• It was originally implemented for five years.

SEBI raises Public Debt Investment limit via UPI to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 2 Lakh

On March 9, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) increased the limit for investment through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) mechanism to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 2 Lakh for the investors applying in public issues of debt securities, which will open on or after May 1, 2022.

• The move comes following NPCI’s (National Payments Corporation of India) decision in December 2021, to enhance the per transaction limit in UPI from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for UPI-based Application Supported by Blocked Amount (ASBA) Initial Public Offer (IPO).

Key Points:
i.The new guidelines enables the investor to utilize the UPI mechanism to block the funds for application value up to Rs 5 lakh per application.

• Investors can also block their limit on App-based/ web interface applications with UPI mode.

ii.The increased limit will be applicable on issue and listing of Non-convertible Securities, Securitised Debt Instruments, Security Receipts, Municipal Debt Securities and Commercial Paper.
iii.A Sponsor Bank of a respective issue registered with SEBI will modify the said changes.

• A sponsor bank or a banker is appointed by the Issuer to act as a conduit between the stock exchanges and the NPCI to push the mandate collect requests or payment instructions of the investors into the UPI.

iv.UPI is an instant payment system developed by NPCI.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairperson– Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

Zeta partner Mastercard to Power Next-Gen Credit Processing for Banks, Fintechs

Zeta, a banking tech unicorn and provider of next-gen credit card processing to banks and fintechs, and Mastercard announced a 5-year global partnership. In addition, MasterCard has invested $30 million in the banking tech unicorn Zeta, along with other investors, at a valuation of $1.5 billion. This funding is a follow-on round to the company’s Series C funding led by Tokyo, Japan based SoftBank in May 2021. 

• As part of the agreement, the firms will jointly launch credit cards with issuers worldwide on Zeta’s modern, cloud-native, and fully API (Application Programming Interface)-ready credit processing stack. 

Key Points:
i.With Mastercard’s support and the integration of its capabilities in digital issuance, fraud and risk, loyalty solutions and more, Zeta aims to make the credit card processing industry at par with new systems and standards for banks and fintechs.
ii.This partnership will fast forward the card  launches, provide flexibility in design, along with highly customizable card programs.
iii.The two companies’ collaboration began in 2018 in Asia Pacific when Zeta joined Start Path, Mastercard’s global start-up engagement program.

• It also recently joined the Mastercard Developers Partner Network — Engage.
• Through Engage, Zeta will gain access to the Mastercard network to pre-integrate or bundle products and services, including Mastercard’s Digital 2 First and Fintech Express programs.

About Zeta:
Co-founder & CEO– Bhavin Turakhia
Co-Founder– Ramki Gaddipati
Headquarter– Bengaluru, Karnataka

ToneTag Partners with NSDL to Introduce VoiceSe UPI Digital Payment Solutions for Feature Phones

ToneTag, a sound-based proximity communication and payments service provider in partnership with NSDL Payments Bank and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has recently introduced its VoiceSe UPI digital payments for feature phone users.

• ToneTag has launched its Interactive voice response (IVR) 6366 200 200 (toll-free number) to bridge the gap in accessibility of digital payments, especially in rural India and without internet connectivity

Key highlights:
i.Users can call a toll-free number 6366 200 200 where an IVR guides the desired financial transaction with UPI PIN without internet connectivity or a smartphone for any digital payments.
ii.This payment service will not only allow fund transfer but also helps in utility bills, balance enquiry, recharging their DTH, pre-paid mobile network service, or FASTag – by the power of their voice.
Note – The announcement comes in-line with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBIs) UPI 123Pay facility that enables UPI payments for feature phone users.
About ToneTag:
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Founder & CEO – Kumar Abhishek
About NSDL Payments Bank:
Establishment – October 2018
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director (MD) & CEO – Abhijit Kamalapurkar

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance & Bharat Co-operative Bank (Mumbai) signs a Bancassurance Agreement

Aim combining synergies to enhance the reach of life insurance products
Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI), the life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), and Bharat Co-operative Bank (Mumbai) Ltd. signed a bancassurance partnership agreement.
i.The  agreement will provide life  insurance support to more than 5 lakh customers of the bank. 
Under  the partnership,  ABSLI can  directly reach out to  customers through Bharat Co-operative Bank’s (Mumbai) 103 branches and fulfill their life insurance and investment planning needs. 

• It will provide benefits to customers across the urban and semi-urban areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat.

About Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI):
MD and CEO-Kamlesh Rao
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
About  Bharat Co-operative Bank (Mumbai) Ltd. :
MD&CEO – Vidyanand S. Karkera
Founded- 21st August 1978

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Adani Solar & SPI Jointly Promotes Solar Rooftop Panels in Rural Areas

Adani Solar and Smart Power India (SPI), the Indian subsidiary of Rockefeller Foundation, have signed a non-financial and non-commercial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for equitable access to last-mile electricity and to encourage energy transition in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.

• Aim – To promote the usage of solar rooftop panels and achieve 5 MegaWatt (MW) of solar deployment through Adani Solar’s channel partners.
• The initial phase would start with around 5 channel partners in UP followed by deployment in other given states.

About the MoU:
i.The objective of the MoU is to support inclusive economic growth and build resilient communities.
ii.This also helps in developing an ecosystem to scale and replicate sustainable businesses which provides renewable energy for productive use and expand the economic activity to underserved, rural areas in India.
About rooftop solar (RTS):
i.As per a National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog report, rooftop solar (RTS) power is a clean source of energy that reduces transmission and distribution losses as the solar generation and distribution are co-located.
ii.It also offers options to large consumers such as the commercial and industrial (C&I) to optimise costs, from high tariffs for cross-subsidization
About Smart Power India (SPI):
Smart Power India, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Rockefeller Foundation.
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Jaideep Mukherji

Hero MotoCorp launched New Brand Vida for Electric Mobility; To Launch 1st Electric Scooter 

Hero MotoCorp Limited has launched its new Electric Vehicle(EV) brand for electric mobility, Vida, Powered by Hero at a one-of-its-kind Carbon Neutral event at the exclusive Clarence Island in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

• The new brand logo and the ‘sunrise’ visual identity of Vida were also unveiled during the event. 
• Vida means life, and the brand’s sole purpose is to create a positive impact on the world
• The production of the new Vida model will be done at Hero MotoCorp’s ‘Green’ manufacturing facility in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.
• The first e-scooter of Hero MotoCorp will be launched in July 2022.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS     

Minister of Labour & Employment Presents VRP, NSA and NSA( Mines) awards

The Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, presented Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar (VRP), National Safety Awards (NSA) for the performance year 2018, and National Safety Awards (Mines) for the contest years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. 
About the awards:
i.National Safety Awards (Mines)  –
It aims to promote a competitive spirit amongst mine operators. It operated by the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), Dhanbad since 1983.
ii.Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar (VRP)-
It is awarded in recognition of outstanding suggestions given by a worker or group of workers in the industrial undertakings where “Suggestion Schemes” are in operation. 
About Ministry of Labour & Employment ( MoL & E ): 
Union Minister- Bhupender Yadav ( Rajya Sabha Rajasthan )
Minister of State- Rameswar Teli ( Constituency Dibrugarh , Assam )
>> Read Full News   

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Petascale Supercomputer ‘PARAM Ganga’ established at IIT Roorkee under National Supercomputing Mission

i.On March 7, 2022, a Made in India Petascale Supercomputer ‘PARAM Ganga’ with a supercomputing capacity of 1.66 Petaflops (Peta Floating-Point Operations Per Second) has been installed at IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Roorkee, Uttarakhand.
ii.This national Supercomputing Facility was inaugurated by B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Roorkee.
iii.PARAM Ganga designed and commissioned by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under Phase 2 of the build approach of National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).
iv.NSM is a joint initiative by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and is implemented by C-DAC and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru (Karnataka).
About Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC):
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Director General– Col. AK Nath
Headquarter- Pune, Maharashtra
>> Read Full News

Iran launched ‘Noor 2’,Second Military Satellite into Orbit

On 8 March 2022, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran successfully put a second military Noor 2 satellite or “light” in Persian Into orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometres (311 miles).
The announcement came as talks held in Vienna to revive an agreement restraining Iran’s nuclear program have reached a critical stage.
Highlights:
i.Noor 2 has a three-stage Qased, or “Messenger”, carrier, launched  from the Shahroud space port of Iran. The same type of rockets, which use a combination of liquid and solid fuels, carried the first military satellite.
ii.The first military satellite was  launched by the Islamic Republic in April 2020. It  is placed at an orbit of 425km (265 miles) above the earth’s surface.
Others satellites launched by Iran:
i.Rasad-1 is an imaging satellite, it was  built and launched successfully by Iran. The satellite was sent into the 260 kilometres orbit by a Safir rocket launcher in 2011.
ii.In 2020, Iran  launched Zafar 1 communication satellite  through a Simorgh rocket from Imam Khomeini Space Center.
About Iran:
Capital-Tehran
President- Ebrahim Raisi
Currency-Iranian rial

SPORTS

FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021: Chelsea won the Championship for the 1st Time

Chelsea Football Club (Chelsea FC) of United Kingdom (UK) won the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup, an international club football tournament hosted by United Arab Emirates (UAE).Chelsea FC defeated Brazilian club Palmeiras in the finals. This is Chelsea FC’s first FIFA Club World Cup title.

The 18th edition of the Club World Cup took place at 2 venues in Abu Dhabi, UAE and was held from 3rd to 12th February 2022.The event was presented by Alibaba Cloud.

• Award Winners: Thiago Silva (Brazil) won the Adidas Golden Ball Award; Eduardo Pereira Rodrigues (Commonly Known as Dudu) (Brazil) won the Adidas Silver Ball Award; Danilo (Palmeiras) won the Adidas Bronze Ball Award; Thiago Silva won the Alibaba Cloud Award; Chelsea FC won the FIFA Fair Play Award
• The Club World Cup, introduced in 2000, is an annual FIFA (International Federation of Association Football – French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association) competition to officially determine the world champions at the club level.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Dr Jitendra Singh Releases Booklet ‘WISE-KIRAN: At a Glance’ on “75 Success Stories” from Women Scientists Scheme of DST 

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, released the Booklet on ‘WISE-KIRAN: At a Glance’ featuring the success stories of 75 women scientists in the Intellectual Property Rights (Women Scientist Scheme-C (WOS-C) programme).

• The book was released at the event on “Women Empowerment through Science and Technology” organised by the Department Of Science & Technology (DST), under the Ministry of Science and Technology. 

Programmes under WISE- KIRAN:
i.Dr Jitendra Singh announced three important programmes under the Women in Science & Engineering (WISE)- KIRAN (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing) Scheme. 
ii.The 3 new Programmes under WISE-KIRAN Scheme are, 

• Industrial Research Fellowship for Women- This will provide an opportunity for young women researchers to work in the industry for short and long duration.

• Senior Women Scientists Fellowship programme- This will provide dignity to senior women scientists who are performing well in research but are not in regular employment due to various circumstances. Age group of 45-60 years, who have completed at least 2 independent research projects are eligible.
• Overseas Fellowship for Women– This will provide exposure to research scholars and young women scientists to upgrade their skills in various countries.The programme will serve Ph. D scholars of age group 21-35 years and young faculty of age group 27-45 years through its two components viz. Women Overseas Student Internship and Women Overseas Fellowship respectively.

Other launches and Releases:
i.Dr Jitendra Singh also launched a short film on Women Empowerment Atlas; Women Empowerment Atlas of India: Science & Technology Perspective; Film on various programmes under WISE-KIRAN Scheme. 
ii.He also launched a brief report on the study of Women Technology Parks (WTPs) for the integrated development of rural women.

Veteran Cricket Administrator Ratnakar Shetty Releases His AutobiographyRatnakar Shetty, a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) veteran and one of India’s long served cricket administrators has released a book titled “On Board: Test. Trial. Triumph. My years in BCCI “.

• The book is an autobiography, narrating his experience as an administrator in Board of Control for Cricket in India.
• The book was released by Sharad Pawar, former President of BCCI and International Cricket Council(ICC) alongside former Indian Cricket Team Captain Dilip Vengsarkar. 

About Ratnakar Shetty:
i.He was a Chemistry Professor by profession and began his journey as a cricket administrator in 1975 as the staff-in-charge of cricket at Mumbai’s Wilson College.
ii.After joining the Bombay Cricket Association’s tournament committee, Shetty eventually became a manager of Indian cricket teams.
iii. Later he became a BCCI chief administrative officer before retiring as its General Manager.
About Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
President – Sourav Ganguly
Founded – 1928
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra

English Translation of Usha Uthup’s Biography Titled ‘The Queen of Indian Pop’ Released

“The Queen of Indian Pop: The Authorised Biography of Usha Uthup”, the English translation of the biography of pop icon Padma Shri Usha Uthup was released. The book was originally written by Vikas Kumar Jha in Hindi titled “Ullas Ki Naav”. the book was translated by Sristhi Jha, daughter of Vikas Kumar Jha. 

• The book was published by Penguin eBury Press of Penguin Random House India (PRHI).
• The book explores Usha Uthup’s sense of freedom, her struggles, and her constructive and creative attitude towards work and life.

About Author & Translator:
Vikas Kumar Jha: 
Vikas Kumar Jha served as the bureau chief of Outlook Hindi (2002-2004) and the Bihar state head of News Express Channel (2013-2014).
Other books: McCluskieganj: The Story of the Only Anglo-Indian Village; Gayasur Sandhan; Varshavan Ki Roopkatha. 
Srishti Jha:
Srishti Jha, an independent journalist, writer and translator, served as a principal correspondent, India Today.
About Usha Uthup:
i.Usha Uthup is a renowned Indian pop, Jazz & playback singer.
ii.She is well known for her works like “Hari Om Hari”, “Rambha Ho”.
iii.She has sung in several languages including, Bengali, Hindi, English, German, Italian and Sinhalese. 
Awards: The government of India honoured her with Padma Shri in 2011. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

 CISF 53rd Raising Day Ceremony was conducted on 6th March 2022

Every year Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), one of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in India will observe its Raising Day on March 10. This year 2022 CISF conducted its 53rd Raising Day ceremony on 6th March 2022 and the reason was unknown. The Raising Day is annually observed to commemorate the service and commitment of the CISF personnel towards protecting the major installations and integrity of India.

Note: 52nd CISF Raising Day was celebrated on 10th March 2021. 

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the CISF’s 53rd Raising Day celebration event held at Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP). He also inspected the 53rd Raising Day Parade.
• He also awarded the President’s police medals for meritorious service. He also released the Force’s magazine ‘Sentinel’-2022.
• CISF is playing a major role in the development of India, by being at the forefront of security at the space and atomic energy centres, ports, airports and Metro rails.

History of CISF:
i.Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was established under the Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968 (50 of 1968).
ii.After the approval of the President, the bill became an act on 2 December 1968 and came into force on 10 March 1969. 
Significance: 
i.It is one of the 6 paramilitary forces in India and it also has a fire wing for fire accidents.
ii.It guards sensitive government buildings, provides consultancy services on security and fire protection to government organisations as well as private industries.
iii.It also has a Special Security Group (SSG) wing which provides security to many of the protectees classified under Z Plus, Z, X, Y categories.
iv.CISF is taking efforts to increase the ratio of women personnel in CISF, which is currently 94:6 to 80:20. 
About Central Industrial Security Force (CISF):
CISF functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
Director-General– Sheel Vardhan Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

STATE NEWS

Karnataka Govt. Introduces W@W Programme to Integrate Women into Workforce

The Government of Karnataka launched Women@Work (W@W) Programme, as an attempt to create an equitable, inclusive and equal world for women in workplaces at an even organized jointly by the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), KTECH and the Karnataka Skill Development Corporation.

• The programme was launched by Dr. C. N. Ashwathnarayan, Karnataka’s Minister of Higher Education; Minister of Electronics, Information & Biotechnology and S&T; Minister of Skill Development – marking International Women’s Day celebrations.

Highlights of the programme:
W@W Programme aims at bridging the skill development gap for women by facilitating them to actively participate and join the workforce through industry upskilling & reskilling programme, mentorship, institutional and organizational networking.
i.W@W programme intends to provide 5 lakh job opportunities to women with necessary employable skill within 2026.
ii.Under this programme, free certificate courses will be conducted for women to train them in technical aspects in various disciplines.
iii. This programme targets the women workforce strength to be 50%, from its present strength of about 35% of the workforce.
Notable Dignitaries at the event:

• Ashwin D Gowda, MD, Karnataka State Skills Development Corporation
• B V Naidu, Chairman, KDEM
• Sanjeev Gupta, CEO, KDEM
• Ramkumar Narayanan, MD, VMware

About Karnataka:
Chief Minister – Basavaraj Bommai
Governor – Thawar Chand Gehlot
Tourism Tagline – One State. Many Worlds.

Haryana’s Chief Minister Khattar Presented Rs 1.77 Lakh Crore Budget For The FY 2022-23

The Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar presented the budget of Rs 1,77,255.99 crore for the Financial Year (FY) 2022-23. The budget focuses on agriculture, rural development, women empowerment, health and education by increasing allocation.
i.The Budget comprises Rs 61,057.36 crore as capital expenditure and Rs 1,16,198.36 crore as revenue expenditure.
Implementation Of Awards:
i.A new award will be started in the name of late Darshan Lal Jain, environmentalist of Haryana. The ‘Darshan Lal Jain Environment Award’.
ii.Khattar also announced the ‘Sushma Swaraj Award’ for women.
Implementations Of The Schemes:
i.Matrushakti Udyamita Scheme to provide support to women entrepreneurs with the help of verified data of ‘Parivar Pehchan Patra’.
ii.Through the Sahbhagita scheme, the government is providing affordable houses in Faridabad, Gurugram and Panchkula in 2022-23 for the women who face insecurities.
iii.The state government plans to establish and support 10,000 self-help groups (SHGs) in 2022-23.
iv.The government proposed to identify ‘hot spots’ prone to air pollution in every district and make necessary interventions to convert them into ‘green spots’.
About Haryana:
Governor – Shri Bandaru Dattatraya
National Parks – Sultanpur National Park, Kalesar National Park
Festivals – Lohri, Basant Panchami
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