Current Affairs 18 March 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs  18 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

Indian Railways prepared National Rail Plan (NRP) for India– 2030i.For the development of a futuristic railway system by 2030, the Indian Railways has come up with ‘National Rail Plan (NRP) for India-2030’. The information for the same was provided by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Railways in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.
ii.Its objective is to formulate strategies based on both operational capacities and commercial policy initiatives to increase modal share of the Railways in freight to 45%.
iii.Vision 2024: It is a of NRP, Vision 2024 has been launched funder which implementation of certain critical projects by 2024 will be accelerated which include 58 Supercritical Projects of a total length of 3,750 km costing Rs 39,663 Crore; and 68 Critical Projects of a total length of 6913 km costing Rs 75,736 crore.
About Indian Railways:
It was nationalized in 1951
Chairman and CEO of Railway Board- V K Tripathi
Union Minister– Ashwini Vaishnaw (Rajya Sabha Odisha)
Ministers of State– Danve Raosaheb Dadarao (Constituency- Jalna, Maharashtra), Darshana Vikram Jardosh (Constituency- Surat, Gujarat)
>> Read Full News

Toyota Mirai: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launches India’s 1st Green Hydrogen-based FCEV in New Delhi

On March 16, 2022, the world’s most advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) powered by Hydrogen, Toyota Mirai, was launched in India by the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in New Delhi, Delhi. It runs on fully hydrogen generated electricity.

• This launch is a pilot project taking place in Delhi by Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd (TKM) and International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT) to study and evaluate this FCEV on Indian roads and climatic conditions. 
• This is also a first of its kind project in India aiming to create a Green Hydrogen based ecosystem by raising awareness about the utility of Green Hydrogen and FCEV technology.

About Toyota Mirai:
Powered by a hydrogen fuel cell battery pack, it is capable of providing a range up to 650 km in a single charge, with a refuelling time of five minutes. The powertrain breaks the hydrogen into water and oxygen to generate energy from it. In Japanese, the word ‘Mirai’ means ‘future’. 

• Toyota Mirai was launched in 2014 and was one of the world’s first hydrogen fuel EV.
• Now, this new launch in India is second generation (introduced globally in 2020), with a 30% increase in range, better handling and sharper styling. Its iteration will be built in TKM’s plant in Karnataka.

Key Points:
i.The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) will be supplying Hydrogen for this vehicle.
ii.The launch of the EV, and adoption of green hydrogen technology will cater to India’s initiative of becoming ‘Energy Self-reliant’ by 2047 as it will promote clean energy, affordable energy and environmental protection by reducing dependence on fossil fuels. 

• FCEV is one of the best Zero Emission solutions. 
• It is completely environment friendly with no tailpipe emissions other than water.

iii.Green Hydrogen can be generated from renewable energy and abundantly available biomass.
Other Participants:
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG); Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh, Ministry of Power (MoP); Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey,  Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI); Masakazu Yoshimura, Managing Director, TKM, among others.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Deloitte’s Global Powers of Retailing 2022: Reliance Retail Ranked 56th & Walmart Inc Tops the List

According to the global consulting firm Deloitte’s report titled “Global Powers of Retailing 2022: Resilience Despite Challenges”, Reliance Retail Limited(RRL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited(RIL) has ranked 56th on the list of Top 250 global retailers. 
Walmart Inc., an American multinational retail corporation, tops the list, followed by Amazon, Inc., Costco Wholesale Corporation, Schwarz Group, and The Home Depot, Inc.

• Reliance Retail was the second-fastest-growing retailer, posting a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) growth in retail revenue of 49.4% in FY2015- FY2020. 

About Reliance Retail Limited(RRL):
Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, is the holding company of Reliance Retail Limited(RRL). 
Incepted in 2006
>> Read Full News

ILO and ICAO Signs New Agreement to Strengthen Aviation Industry

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have signed a new agreement to boost decent work and reinforce a humanistic-based revival from the COVID-19 pandemic in the aviation industry.

• The agreement was signed by Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization, and Salvatore Sciacchitano, President of the ICAO Council. It has a five-year duration and is renewable.

Background:
This agreement will renew the 1953 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning the possible establishment of a joint aviation commission and acts as a follow-up to the request made by ILO constituents during the 2013 Global Dialogue Forum on the Effects of the Global Economic Crisis on the Civil Aviation Industry to refurbish cooperation between the two agencies.
Significance:
i.The renewed collaboration between the ILO and the ICAO focusses to guarantee a safe, strong, inclusive and sustainable COVID-19 recovery in the aviation industry.
ii.Given the serious challenges posed by the pandemic to workers and their rights in the aviation industry, this agreement will be a timely step toward establishing a socially sustainable recovery and decent work in the industry.
iii. The agreement complies with the ICAO Assembly’s Resolutions on the United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and gender equality and commits to collaborating with the UN system to enhance aviation’s contributions to sustainable development, forming a steadfast leadership and committing to advancing women’s rights. 
NOTE: An ILO Technical meeting on a green, sustainable and inclusive economic recovery for the civil aviation sector is scheduled to take place between 2022 – 2023.
About International Labour Organization (ILO):
ILO is the only tripartite United Nations agency that brings together governments, employers, and workers from 187 member countries.
India is a founder member of the International Labour Organization.
ILO Director-General – Guy Ryder
Establishment – 1919
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland.
About International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO):
A United Nations (UN) specialized agency established in the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention – 1944) to achieve long-term growth of the global civil aviation system.
Establishment – 1947
Member States – 193
President – Salvatore Sciacchitano
Headquarters –  Montreal, Canada.

BANKING & FINANCE

SGX selected TCS to power NSE IFSC-SGX Connect in GIFT City 

On March 16, 2022, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd’s (TCS) BaNCS, a financial solution, grabbed a 5-year contract from Singapore Exchange (SGX) to power the NSE IFSC-SGX Connect (Gift Connect) in special economic zone Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).

• NSE IFSC, an acronym for National Stock Exchange International Financial Service Centre, is a fully owned subsidiary of NSE.

What is NSE IFSC-SGX Connect (GIFT Connect)?
It aims to bring together the trading of Nifty products in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on behalf of its members in Singapore and globally.

• It allows the SGX members to place orders on NSE IFSC through the TCS BaNCS dealing terminal.
• NSE IFSC-SGX Phase 1 will be operationalized in April 2022. The full program will go live in about 3-4 months.

What will TCS BaNCS offer in contract?
i.TCS BaNCS will facilitate Nifty trading between India and Singapore along with offering end-to-end solutions regarding trading, clearing, settlement and risk management operations.
ii.It will also offer a risk management module, which SGX and SGX brokers can use to define risk rules and profiles, monitor and control trading activities.
iii.There will also be a learning and settlement module to interact with the clearing arms of NSE IFSC and SGX for position and limits management.
Point to be noted:
SGX has set up SGX India Connect IFSC Private Limited, a special purpose vehicle at GIFT City to enable international access to Indian capital markets and create a larger liquidity pool of international and domestic participants. 
About National Stock Exchange (NSE):
Establishment– 1992
Managing Director & CEO– Vikram Limaye
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

SBI to set up Innovation, Incubation and Acceleration Centre at Hyderabad, Telangana

The State Bank of India (SBI) will set up an Innovation, Incubation and Acceleration Centre (IIAC) at Hyderabad, Telangana which will be operational in six to nine months of on-boarding a consultant. 

• This Centre will be the bank’s in-house capability to enhance its current performance and drive higher top-line growth through innovation.

Features of IIAC:
i.It will help the bank to develop a set of technologies, knowledge, and skills for the introduction of new products and services.
ii.It will act as a central body to govern and drive fin-tech partnerships and implement change across the bank.
iii.It will explore emerging innovations, market shifts or technologies that could impact the bank’s status quo; pursue large-scale initiatives, will redefine the existing business or create a new business unit or division for the bank; and transfer innovation from prototype to project/product that can be monetised by the bank.
About State Bank of India (SBI):
Chairman – Dinesh Kumar Khara
Establishment – 1st July 1955
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

Mahila Money, Visa and Transcorp Jointly Launch Prepaid Card for Women Entrepreneurs

The digital payments networks Mahila Money, Visa and Transcorp Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) have partnered in launching Mahila Money Prepaid Card, an exclusive product to help women entrepreneurs use digital payments more effectively.
Significance: The prepaid card is designed in such a way that it caters to the needs of digital entrepreneurs, small business owners, and women. It serves those community members who prefer a bank account with combined features of flexibility, safety, and convenience.
Salient features and benefits of the Mahila Money Prepaid Card:
i.The card makes it simple for women entrepreneurs to accept payments for their enterprises digitally and helps them enhance their working capital as loans can be transferred directly into the card.
ii.The Mahila Money ecosystem of partners provides offers to its users with incentives, rewards, and cashback.
iii. Women entrepreneurs can use this card for their business digital transactions, even if they do not actively operate their bank accounts.
NOTE:
i.Despite the fact that 80.7% of women in rural areas and 81% in urban areas have bank accounts, the latest survey by the All-India Debt and Investment Survey (AIDIS) indicates that 55% of women still don’t actively use their bank accounts.
ii.Visa has been supporting women entrepreneurs through the iFundWomen.
About Transcorp International Limited:
It is a 27-year-old RBI (Reserve Bank of India) regulated entity and is also India’s first non-bank entity to offer co-branded prepaid cards on the Visa network and holds a Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) license issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Managing Director – Mr. Gopal Sharma
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Established – 1994
About Mahila Money:
Mahila Money is a full-stack financial products and services platform for women in India, offering loans, community, and learning resources to women.
Founder – Sairee Chahal
Established – 2020

IIT-M Incubation Cell & RBI Innovation Hub Inks MoU On Fintech StartupsIndia’s prominent deep-tech startup hub pioneered by Indian Institute of Technology Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC) and RBI Innovation Hub (RBIH), a wholly owned subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to contribute and work together in developing the necessary ecosystem to support and scale FinTech (Financial Technology) Startups in India.
Aim: To empower the startup ecosystem in India, which makes a significant contribution to the economic prosperity of the nation with swift improvement and hence deploy technological innovations to transform India’s FinTech outlook.
Highlights:
i.This strategic collaboration enables the two organizations to provide incubation support, nurture early-stage startups with innovative and disruptive solutions and accelerate their scale-up journey.
ii.The IITMIC incubates selected startups which are considered timely for co-incubation by RBIH to receive strategic and operational guidance, training, and mentoring sessions. The RBI leadership also provides them with domain experts, market access, and connects them to a larger ecosystem of startups, vendors, investors, and other key resources.
iii. IITM Incubation Cell and RBIH may also indulge in projects including policy whitepapers, research papers under this partnership.
About Indian Institute of Technology Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC):
A not-for-profit umbrella body for nurturing and overseeing innovation and entrepreneurship at IIT Madras.
Chairman – Dr. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Professor of Electrical Engineering & Director of IIT Madras
Establishment – 2013
Situated – Chennai, Tamil Nadu
About RBI Innovation Hub (RBIH):
A wholly owned subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set up to promote and facilitate an environment that accelerates innovation across the financial sector.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Rajesh Bansal
Establishment – 2020
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka

Smart Guaranteed Pension Plan Launched by Max Life InsuranceThe Max Life Insurance Company Limited has announced the launch of the “Max Life Smart Guaranteed Pension Plan”, a non-linked, non-participating single premium individual or group general annuity plan, guaranteeing a regular income and ensuring the future financial security of the annuitant.
Highlights:
i.Corporates and public-sector enterprises can purchase this plan directly as a group annuity product to meet the retirement needs of their employees.
It offers attractive annuity rates and unique benefits, which enable National Pension System (NPS) subscribers to be eligible buyers of this product.
iii. Additionally, the product will be available through the direct channel of the company to direct customers in the business-to-consumer (B2C) segment.
iv.It ensures lifelong financial protection through an additional income stream by integrating financial protection, assured pension, and reliability into a single solution, allowing customers to realize their life goals post-retirement.
v.Its key features include Guaranteed Annuity, Death Benefit, Surrender Option, Top-up Option, Advance Annuity Option and Tax benefits.
About Max Life Insurance Company Limited:
i.A life insurance company in India engaged in securing the financial future of its customers.
ii.It is a Joint Venture (JV) of Max Financial Services Limited and Axis Bank Limited.
iii. It was recently authorized by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) to set up a subsidiary for Pension Fund Management.
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer – Prashant Tripathy
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS     

2022 M3M Hurun Global Rich List: Mukesh Ambani Claims ‘Richest Indian & Asian’ title; Tesla’s Elon Musk tops the Billionaires List

On 17th March 2022, Hurun India released a report titled “2022 M3M Hurun Global Rich List”, a ranking of United States(US) dollar billionaires in the world. According to the report, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman & Managing Director(CMD) of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has emerged as the Richest Indian and Richest Asian & ranked 9th globally.
Mukesh Ambani is the only India to feature in the world’s top 10 billionaires list. 

• Elon Musk co-founder and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Tesla has topped the Billionaires list as the World’s richest person for the 2nd consecutive year with USD 205 billion(bn).  

About Hurun India:
5 core pillars of Hurun India: Wealth Creation, Value Creation, Sustainability and Philanthrophy, Art, and Lifestyle and Luxury.
MD– Anas Rahman Junaid 
Launched in 2012
>> Read Full News 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS    

Banks Board Bureau Recommended Names for Chief’s of Union Bank, IOB, PSB & SBI 

The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) has recommended the names for the position of managing director (MD) and chief executive officers (CEO) at Public sector undertakings Banks(PSU Banks): the Union Bank of India(UBI), Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Punjab and Sind Bank (PSB) and State Bank of India(SBI). 

The final appointment will be notified by the Government of India based on these recommendations. 

• A Manimekhalai, Executive Director of the Canara Bank, has been recommended for the post of MD & CEO of UBI. 
• Ajay Kumar Srivastava, Executive Director of IOB has been recommended for the post of MD & CEO of IOB. 
• Swaroop Kumar Saha,  Executive Director of Punjab National Bank(PNB) has been recommended for the position of MD & CEO of  the PSB. 
• BBB has also shortlisted Alok Kumar Choudhary, the Deputy Managing Director(Finance) of SBI, for the post of  Managing Director at SBI.

>> Read Full News 

Suchitra K  Ella Became the Chairperson of CII Southern Region for 2022-23 The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-southern region appointed Suchitra K Ella as its Chairperson for the year 2022-23.

• CII also appointed  Kamal Bali as its deputy Chairman.

About Suchitra K Ella:
i.She is a co-founder and joint Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Ltd.
ii.Prior to this appointment, she was serving as deputy Chairperson of CII for the year 2021-22 and she was the past chairperson of CII Andhra Pradesh in 2012-13.
iii.She was also founding chairperson of the CII Indian Women Network (southern region) in 2015-18.
About Kamal Bali:
i.He is the President  and Managing Director of Volvo Group India. 
ii.He also  served CII-Karnataka as chairman in 2017-18 and was the chairman of the sub-committee (manufacturing) of CII (southern region) during 2020-21.
About Confederation of Indian Industry (CII):
The CII is a non-profit and non-governmental organization. It was created to achieve a sustainable growth of Industries in India.
President– T V Narendran
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Founded-1895 

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS     

Torrent Power Signs Agreement  to Acquire 51% Stake in Power Distribution Utility of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu

Torrent Power Limited signed a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) and Share Holders Agreement (SHA) with Administrator of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Holding Entity) and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and special purpose vehicle (SPV) Daman and Diu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd to acquire 51 % equity of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd.
Highlights: 
i.The agreement is a part of the Central government, to privatize the power distribution companies in the Union Territory (UT).
ii.The SPV will have various responsibilities including distribution and retail supply of electricity and it also holds distribution license in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (DNH & DD).
Portfolio & Power Distribution:
i.With the addition of DNH & DD, Torrent will distribute nearly 24 billion units of electricity per annum to over 3.85 million customers and cater to a peak demand of over 5,000 MW.
ii.Torrent Power already has stakes in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra along with the latest addition of DNH & DD
About Torrent Power Limited:
Headquarters- Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Founded- 1996
Chairman-Samir Mehta 

Mahindra & Mahindra hikes stake in Carnot Technologies to 52.69%

Mahindra & Mahindra Limited (M&M) is set to increase its stake in Carnot Technologies Private Limited(Carnot) to 52.69% with an investment of around Rs 14 crore. At present M&M holds 15.60% of equity share capital of Carnot, which provides products and services related to internet connected devices for monitoring performance of vehicles. 

• M&M will make a primary infusion of ~ Rs 2.5 crore for subscription of 1,613 Series C CCCPS (cumulative compulsorily convertible preference shares) of Carnot of Rs 100 each at a premium of Rs 15,391.65 per CCCPS.
•  Further it will have a secondary purchase for ~RS 11.5 crore of 7,423 equity shares of Rs 10 each at a premium of Rs 15,481.65 per equity share. 
• The transaction is expected to be completed by around 31st March 2022, following which the Carnot will become a subsidiary of M&M.

SPORTS

Cricket: Overview Of Sri Lanka Tour Of India – 2022

Sri Lankan cricket team toured India for 3 Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) and 2 Test Internationals (including 1 pink ball test match) from 24 February 2022 to 16 March 2022. Under Rohit Sharma captaincy team India Whitewashed Sri Lanka in both the formats with the lead of 3-0 in T20I series and 2-0 in tests series. 
Player of The Series:
T20I

• Shreyas Iyer adjudged as the Player of the Series for his consecutive Half-Centuries in all the 3 T20I, scoring 204 overall runs.

Test

• Rishabh Pant was adjudged as the Test Player of the Series. Scoring 185 runs in 3 innings.

Records By Indian Cricket Team:
i.India maintained their undefeated record in home day/night pink-ball Test matches.
ii.Bengaluru, M Chinnaswamy Stadium hosted the pink-ball Test for the first time ever.
iii.India equalled the Afghanistan and Romania world record of 12 consecutive T20I wins in a row.
World Test Ranking:
All Rounders – 

• 1st Rank – Jason Holder (West Indies)
• 2nd Rank – Ravindra Jadeja (India)
• 3 rd Rank – Ravichandran Ashwin (India)

Bowlers –

• 1st Rank – Pat Cummins (Australia)
• 2nd Rank – Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
• 3rd Rank – Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
• 4th Rank – Jasprit Bumrah (India)

>> Read Full News

Tata Communications Announced The Multi-Year Strategic Collaboration With Formula 1 

Tata Communications has announced its multi-year strategic collaboration as the official broadcast connectivity provider for Formula 1 (F1) racing. Tata Communications will provide global end-to-end network services of videos to the viewers of F1 sporting events.
i.The company will transfer over 100 video feeds and over 250 audio channels and will be transmitted between the Grand Prix venue and F1’s Media and Technology Centre in the United Kingdom (UK) every race weekend in under 200 milliseconds.
ii. The network service enables F1 to broadcast in more than 180 territories globally.
Role Of Tata Communications In Formula 1 (F1):
i.Tata Communications has reduced the F1’s travelling freight by 34 percent.
ii.Tata Communications connectivity continues to support F1’s drive for agility and sustainability with remote production introduced in 2020 and aims to create Net-Zero Carbon by 2030.
iii.Tata Communications develops digital-first model and entertainment services for immersive experiences. 
iv.The company also expanded its bandwidth capacity or media backbone to 100 Gigabits (G), driving innovations in video, remote production,etc.
Note:
Previously, F1 and Tata Communications maintained their partnership for eight years which later ended in 2020.
About Formula 1 And Tata Communications:
President & CEO of Formula 1 – Stefano Domenicali
Tata Communications MD and CEO – Amur S Lakshminarayanan

OBITUARY

US Astrophysicist Eugene Parker Passed Away at 94

On 15th March 2022, American Astrophysicist Eugene Newman Parker (Eugene Parker), who contributed to the solar physics, has passed away at the age of 94 at a retirement community in Chicago, Illinois, United States of America(USA). He was born on 10th June 1927 in Houghton, Michigan, USA. 
About Eugene Parker:
i.Eugene Parker witnessed the launch of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Parker Solar Probe in 2018, the first NASA Mission named after a living person, and became the first person to witness the launch of a spacecraft named after them. 
ii.He is a visionary in the field of heliophysics, which focuses on the study of the sun and other stars & he is well known for this theory on the existence of solar wind, a supersonic flow of particles off the sun’s surface.
iii.He virtually created the field of heliophysics in the 1950s. 

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Manjeet Mann’s children’s book ‘The Crossing’ Shortlisted for  Yoto Carnegie Medal 2022

The Indian origin author Manjeet Mann’s book titled ‘The Crossing’  was shortlisted for the United Kingdom’s (UK) Yoto Carnegie Medal 2022.
Highlights  of the book:
i.‘The Crossing’  is a children’s book, which is a story of  a little girl’s friendship with an Eritrean refugee.
ii.The book also won the 2022 Costa Children’s Book Award.
iii.The book was published by Penguin UK in 2021.
About Yoto Carnegie Medal 2022:
i.The Medal recognises outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for children and young people.

• It is the longest running and best-loved children’s book awards of the UK.
• The Yoto Carnegie Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people.

The other seven books on the 2022 shortlist include:

• ‘October, October’ by Katya Balen, ‘Guard Your Heart’ by Sue Divin, ‘When the Sky Falls’ by Phil Earle, ‘Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town’ by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, ‘Tsunami Girl’ by Julian Sedgwick, ‘Cane Warriors’ by Alex Wheatle, ‘Punching the Air’ by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam.

About  Manjeet Mann:
i.She is an Indian origin author, actress, playwright and screenwriter. 
ii.Popular books of the author:Debut Novel- ‘Run, Rebel’ was also shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal earlier, ‘Small’s Big Dream’

Padma Awardee Dr Tehemton Erach Udwadia’s New Book Titled “More than Just Surgery: Life Lessons Beyond the OT”

Padma Awardee Dr Tehemton Erach Udwadia has authored a new book titled “More than Just Surgery: Life Lessons Beyond the OT”, a personal account of people, incidents, mentors, failures and absurdities against the backdrop of surgery.
The book is published by Penguin eBury Press, imprint of Penguin Random House India(PRHI). 

• The book maps the journey of Dr Tehemton Erach Udwadia from his student years through residency, research, surgical practice and surgical teaching as a means of sharing the lessons he learnt. 
• The book also includes the historical accounts through the eyes of someone who lived through this. 

About Dr Tehemton Erach Udwadia:
i.Dr Tehemton Erach Udwadia, who hails from Mumbai, is a general and gastrointestinal surgeon.
ii.He was the first surgeon in India to introduce laparoscopy in surgery in 1972 and he was the first to perform laparoscopic surgery in the developing world in 1990.
iii.He is widely known as the ‘Father of laparoscopy in India’. 
Awards & honours:
i.In 2000, the Medical Council of India honoured him with the Dr. B. C. Roy Award, the highest Indian award in the medical category. 
ii.The government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2006 for Medicine and Padma Bhushan in 2017 for Medicine.
iii.He also received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Queen Elizabeth II in 2006. 
Books & Papers: He has published around 90 articles in peer reviewed journals and authored 2 books: Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy and Laparoscopic Surgery in Developing Countries.

STATE NEWS

JSW Cement signs MoU with PRESPL to use Agri-Waste as Biomass Energy

JSW Cement signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Punjab Renewable Energy Systems Private Limited(PRESPL) for the sustainable usage of agricultural waste as biomass energy in its cement manufacturing operations. 

• PRESPL is India’s largest biomass aggregation and densification company. 

What is in the MoU?
i.The PRESPL  will facilitate the services of building a supply chain of agricultural waste that would be utilized as biomass energy in the clinkerization and grinding process of JSW Cement.
ii.JSW Cement will use agri-waste as fuel. It will reduce dependency on coal and cut its carbon emissions.

•  It will also improve the ambient air quality of the local environment and help in increasing farmers income.

Goals of JSW Cement:
i.It has committed to ‘Climate Ambition 2050’ to deliver carbon neutral concrete by 2050 under membership of Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA).
ii.It is also planning to reduce its carbon emissions intensity by almost half in 11 years (from FY2015 to FY 2026). 
Note-  India’s  goal to reduce the emissions intensity of its economy by 45% cut in its emissions intensity from the 2005 level by 2030
About JSW Cement:
Managing Director- Parth Jindal
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

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