Current Affairs 19 March 2022

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

CSL and DCI Signed An Agreement To Build India’s First Make in India Dredger 

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) signed an agreement with ​Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCI) to build India’s first Make in India dredger in collaboration with the Industriële Handels Combinatie (IHC) Holland. The construction of the dredger costs around Rs 920 crore and will be delivered in 34 months.
i.The initiative to build the indegenous dredger is to promote ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant).
ii.IHC Holland is a Dutch firm, which provides basic design and technical assistance for a dredger.
Objective:
The objective of the dredger is to fulfil the Maritime India Vision 2030, with well-equipped dredgers for operation of ports to bring down the logistic cost of the cargo.
Note:
Dredging – Dredging is the process of desilting river bodies, or removal of soil, mud, and dirt at the shores or the bottom.
About The Dredger:
A dredger is a boat which is fitted with a special machine that is used to increase the size of harbours, rivers, and canals.
i.The 127-metre-long, 28-metre-wide vessel (dredger) is based on the ‘Beagle’ platform of IHC.
ii.The ‘first beagle’ series is a 12 Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD) with a capacity of 12,000 cubic metre.
iii.As all the TSHD dredgers were owned and operated by DCI from foreign countries. CSL takes a step forward to build India’s largest dredger within the country.
iv.The construction of the vessel leads to a port development initiative of the government of India.
Additional Information: 
Dredge Brahmaputra vessel
The DCI Dredge Brahmaputra vessel, is used for desilting water bodies at a large scale and will be instrumental in facilitating the smooth mobility of both freight and passenger vessels.
About Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCI)
MD & CEO of DCI – Dr G.Y.V Victor
Headquarters of DCI: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Major shares of DCI Visakhapatnam dredging company are held by the association of four major port authorities,

• Visakhapatnam Port
• Paradip Port
• Jawaharlal Nehru Port 
• Deendayal Port

About Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL)
Chairman & MD of CSL – Madhu Nair
Headquarters of CSL: Kochi, Kerala

Telangana Becomes First State in India to Implement Crop Diversification Index

Telangana turned out to be the first state in India to adopt the Crop Diversification Index (CDI) by way of recording their crop diversification pattern in the form of an index.
According to the CDI, Telangana grows 77 varieties of crops, out of which only 10 crops (mostly grains) are chosen for crop diversification.

• The districts of Nirmal, Vikarabad, and Sangareddy emerge as the most diverse, ranking in the top 3 in the state.
• The least diversified districts (bottom 3) in the state in terms of crop diversification would be Peddapalli, Karimnagar, and Suryapet, where paddy is the most cultivated crop, showing a decrease in the cropping areas of maize and an increase in the cropping areas of cotton.

About Crop Diversification Index (CDI):
i.All the areas under the 77 different crops, which include food, non-food, and cash crops, as well as the areas under floriculture practices, have been considered to calculate the index.
ii.The index has a starting value of ONE representing the percentage of total cultivated area devoted to a single crop.
iii. Many districts in the state have index values ranging from 0 to 5, and the higher the value, the greater the agricultural diversification.
iv.The index would serve as the baseline for future crop diversification in the state. 
v. Next to paddy and maize, which are the traditionally grown crops in the state, pulses were the most preferred crops by the farmers.
About Telangana:
Governor – Tamilisai Soundararajan 
Forts – Golkonda Fort, Warangal Fort, Gadwal Fort

Visakhapatnam Railway Station Becomes 1st Station in East Coast to Implement ‘One Station, One Product’

Visakhapatnam Railway Station, Andhra Pradesh(AP) is set to implement the ‘One Station, One Product’ concept of the Government of India on a pilot basis for 15 days. This will become the first railway station in the East Coast railway to implement ‘One Station, One Product’. 
Background:
The Railway Board of the Indian Railways has identified one station in every zone for implementing the pilot project for a period of 15 days. 
One Station One product:
i.‘One station One product’ concept, based on the successful ‘One District, One Product’ scheme, was announced by the government of India while presenting the budget for 2022-23. 
ii.Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to popularise the ‘One Station One Product’ concept for the Railways to support the local businesses and supply chains using Railways. 
Key Points:
i.The Etikoppaka toys and handicraft products (Lacquer ware Toys) traditionally known as Etikoppaka Bommalu, from the Etikoppaka village will be sold at the Visakhapatnam Railway Station.
ii.The Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Etikoppaka toys is given to Andhra Pradesh in the year 2017 by the Geographical Indication Registry under the Department of Industry Promotion and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Additional info:
i.Tirupati Railway Station will be the first station under the purview of South Central Railway to implement the ‘One Station, One Product’ concept. 
ii.The artisans involved in Kalamkari textiles and arts, and woodcraft, which are considered local to Tirupati were invited to sell their products in the station. 

Annual Reports Of PLFS Records India’s Urban Unemployment Rate To 12.6% In April-June 2021

As per the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), India’s urban unemployment rate (persons of age 15 years and above) has jumped to 12.6% in April-June quarter of 2021, when compared to 9.3% in the January-March 2021.
i.The present quarterly bulletin is the eleventh in the series for the quarter April- June 2021.
ii.NSO launched PLFS in April 2017
Objectives Of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)
i.To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the ‘Current Weekly Status’ (CWS). 
ii.To estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both ‘Usual Status’ and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.
Unemployment Rate (UR):
UR is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force.
First-Stage Sampling Units (FSUs)
i.At the all-India level, in the urban areas, a total number of 5,619 First-Stage Sampling Units (FSUs) have been surveyed during the quarter April – June 2021. 
Reason For The Hike In Unemployment Rate:
i.Covid-19, nationwide lockdown in 2020 (first wave) played a major role in the increase of UR as most of the people never left home to work.
ii.Comparison of UR percentage in CWS in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above for April-June 2020 and April-June 2021

• UR percentage for April-June 2020 was 20.8%
• UR percentage for April-June 2021 was 12.6%

iii.urban females stood more in UR when compared to male in 2020 and 2021.
iv.Comparison of UR percentage for male and female in April-June 2020 and April-June 2021:

• UR percentage of male and female for April-June 2020 was 20.7% and 21.1% respectively.
• UR percentage of male and female for April-June 2021 was 12.2% and 14.3% respectively.

Indian Unemployment Rate In 2022:
January 2022 – 6.57%
February 2022 – 8.10%
i.Increase in the UR in February 2022 when compared to January 2022.
ii.Rajasthan stands 1st at UR report in February 2022, with the unemployment percent of 32.3%.
About National Statistical Office (NSO)
Chairman –  Bimal Kumar Roy
Ministry – Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation 

West Bengal Celebrates ‘Dol Utsav’ Welcoming Spring Season On 18 March 2022, West Bengal celebrated the ‘Dol Utsav’ or ‘Dol Jatra’, the festival of colors, marking the onset of spring season.

• The festival is dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radha and celebrated on the full moon day. 
• It also marks the last festival of the year as per the Bengali calendar. 

Key Points: 
i.The majestic festival is celebrated by throwing ‘gulaal’ or ‘aabir’ on others and by singing and dancing in cultural programs. 
ii.In Eastern region of  India, the festival of spring is celebrated as Dol Jatra, Dol Purnima, Dol Utsav and Basanta Utsav.
Popular spring festival of India:

• Rongali Bihu – the spring festival of Assam,It signifies the onset of the Assamese New Year.
• Sarhul – the spring festival of Jharkhand

MCL Becomes India’s Largest Coal Producing Company

Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), has become India’s largest coal-producing company by producing more than 157 million tonnes of coal in the financial year 2021-22.  On 12th March 2022, MCL has produced 7.62 lakh tonnes of dry fuel, the highest production in a day during the current financial year (2021-22). 

• MCL has despatched more than 166 MT dry fuel to the consumers, registering 22% growth over the previous financial year (2020-21) and it has also removed 195 Million cubic meters(MCuM) of overburden registering 19% growth over the last financial year (2020-21). 

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

UNGA Proclaims 15th March of Every Year as ‘International Day to Combat Islamophobia’

On 15th March 2022, The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/76/254 and proclaimed the 15th March of every year as the ‘International Day to Combat Islamophobia’. 

• The resolution also urges all countries to organise and support “high-visibility events” to increase awareness about Islamophobia.
• Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims.

About the Resolution:
i.The resolution was introduced by the Pakistan envoy, Munir Akram (Pakistan’s ambassador), on behalf of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) under the agenda item Culture of peace. 
ii.The resolution, introduced by the OIC, was co-sponsored by Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
Why March 15?
15th March marks the day when a gunman entered two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 51 people and injuring 40 others on 15th March 2019. 

BANKING & FINANCE

NPCI to launch ‘On-Device Wallet-UPI Lite for Small Value Transactions’ in Offline Modei.The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will launch On-Device Wallet i.e. ‘UPI Lite’ for UPI users which will enable small value transactions in an offline mode. UPI stands for (Unified Payments Interface).
ii.This functionality enables transactions without additional factor authentication (AFA) or a UPI PIN (Personal Identification Number).
iii.Designed by NPCI, it will be launched as a pilot with multiple banks and app providers in the next 10 days.
iv.In this, the Upper Limit of payment transaction is Rs 200.
About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
CEO & MD– Dilip Asbe
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Products– RuPay, Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), National Automated Clearing House (NACH), Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB) System, Aadhaar enabled Payment System (AePS), National Financial Switch (NFS), UPI, Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), and National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC)
>> Read Full News

SBI to Grant USD 1 Billion Credit Line to Sri Lanka to Recover from Economic CrisisIn light of the country’s deteriorating economic circumstances, India announced a USD 1 billion Line of Credit (LOC) to Sri Lanka as part of its financial assistance to deal with its economic crisis.

• An agreement extending the LOC was signed between SBI and Government of Sri Lanka for the procurement of food, medicine, and other essential items.
• Previously, the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) had extended an LOC of USD 500 million to Sri Lanka, which is in the midst of a financial crisis, to finance the purchase of petroleum goods.

Background:

Hambantota Port Development Project was a combined initiative of the previous government of Sri Lanka led by Mahinda Rajapaksa and China, which eventually turned out to be a failure and Sri Lanka struggled to make payments on the debt and under heavy pressure and after months of negotiations with the Chinese, Sri Lanka handed over the port and 15,000 acres of land around it for 99 years to China.

Highlights:
i.The timely help of India to Sri Lanka also laid foundations for improving relationships with its immediate neighbours within the SAARC community.
ii.In addition to the USD 1 billion LOC, India has also offered a series of economic package announcements like a currency swap arrangement of USD 400 million and a debt deferral of USD 515 million for two months to Sri Lanka to wipe away its immediate problems.

Note: Sri Lanka has invited the Indian Prime Minister to the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit, which is to be held in Colombo (Sri Lanka), to engage in substantive bilateral talks.
About Sri Lanka:
President – Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Administrative Capital – Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte
Commercial Capital – Colombo
Official Languages – Sinhala, Tamil and English

BPCL Launches Voice-Based LPG Booking, 1st To Offer Digital Payment to Non-Internet Users

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has partnered with UltraCash Technologies Private Limited to become the first Indian company to offer digital payment to non-internet users for its BharatGas consumers to book their LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) cylinders.

• This facility will enable its customers who do not have smartphones or the internet to book their cylinders and make the payment through “UPI 123PAY”. Around 4 crore consumers of BharatGas in rural India will benefit from this feature.
• It allows customers to use feature phones for almost all transactions except scanning and paying, and it doesn’t need an internet connection for transactions. Customers have to link their bank accounts with feature phones to use this facility.

How It Works:
i.The tie-up of BPCL’s BharatGas with UltraCash Technologies Pvt. Ltd.’s UltraCash enables consumers to call a common number, 080 4516 3554, from a non-internet phone. 
ii.UltraCash is a mobile payment application developed by UltraCash Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and is also authorized by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI).
iii. With the Indian government encouraging the use of LPG through programmes like the Ujjwala Yojana, this facility will aid in the penetration of rural markets.

About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL):
A Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Indian Government, holding Maharatna status, BPCL is the second-largest Indian oil marketing company and one of India’s leading integrated energy corporations, engaged in crude oil refining and petroleum product marketing.
Chairman & Managing Director – Arun Kumar Singh
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

SEBI amends Rules for Category III Alternative Investment Funds

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has amended the rules regarding investment aspects of Category III of alternative investment funds (AIFs). The new norms will be called as ‘SEBI’s AIF Regulations, 2022’ w.e.f. March 16, 2022.

• Category III AIFs* trade with a view to make short term returns. These are open ended, and no specific incentives are given by the government or any other Regulator. These include hedge funds, PIPE (private investment in public equity) Funds, etc.

What are the amendments?
i.Category III AIFs cannot invest more than 10% of the investable funds in an investee company, directly or through investment in units of other AIFs.
ii.The large value funds for accredited investors of Category III AIFs can invest up to 20% of the investable funds in an investee company, directly or through investment in units of other AIFs.

• This investment limit can be calculated of either the investable funds or the net asset value of the scheme.

iii.For investment in listed equity of an investee company, Category III AIFs may calculate the investment limit of 10% of either the investable funds or the net asset value of the scheme.
What are AIFs?
AIFs are defined in Regulation 2(1) (b) of SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012. These are privately pooled investment vehicles which collect funds from investors whether Indian or foreign for investing these funds in India.
These are of 3 types:
Category I: Mainly invests in start- ups, SME’s (Small and Medium Enterprises) or any other sector which Govt. considers economically and socially viable.
Category II: These include AIFs  such as private equity funds or debt funds for which no specific incentives or concessions are given by the government or any other Regulator
Category III : Mentioned above*
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Establishment – 1992
Chairperson – Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

Kotak Mahindra Bank becomes 1st Indian Bank to sign MoU with Business France

On 16 March, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd (KMBL) signed a  memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Business France, a French National agency involved in exports and international investments in France, to provide support to companies in the Indo-French corridor.

• The KMBL became the first Indian bank to sign a MoU with Business France. 
• The agreement ceremony held in France was chaired by Eric Fajole, Regional Director, French Embassy in India and Sudha Balakrishnan, Business Head, MNC Banking Group, Kotak Mahindra Bank. 

Key Points: 
i.The MoU will promote business and start-up ecosystems in India and France.
ii.It will also identify the business and investment opportunities in both the countries.
ii.KMBL will be amongst Business France’s privileged Indian banking partners for French companies.
iii.Business France will accompany KMBL’s  Indian clients in their entry in France to boost investment.
iv.This tie-up will also boost relationships between India and France by interconnecting the ecosystems of both countries and increase business opportunities.
v.The MoU collaborates for knowledge roundtables organised by Business France and also provides sector expertise through speaker representation  and/or knowledge publications such as whitepapers, presentations etc.
About Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL):
CEO– Uday Kotak
Established: 2003
Headquarters-Mumbai, Maharashtra

USAID & Mastercard Partners to Promote Digital Empowerment of Women under Project Kirana

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Mastercard have partnered  to promote digital empowerment of women in India through ‘Project Kirana’, a digital financial literacy programme for women entrepreneurs in India.
Objective:
To increase the revenue of the women-owned-and-operated kirana shops and also expand their financial inclusion and enable them to adopt digital tools like digital payments etc.
About Project Kirana:
i.Project Kirana is a two year programme implemented by DAI and ACCESS Development Services started in November 2020.
ii.It is working in some selected cities like Kanpur, Lucknow and Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh. 
iii.It provides assistance to women to prepare basic business management skills such as sales, accounting, budget management, and insurance to become successful kirana entrepreneurs.

• It witnessed the participation of more than 2,100 women in the project. 

Key points: 
i.USAID and Mastercard will support women participants to build financial and digital literacy skills.
ii.The customized training on business and financial management,and leadership development will be provided to the beneficiaries.
iii.Mastercard and USAID will also address the gender gaps that limit the ability for women-owned businesses to flourish.
About United States Agency for International Development (USAID):
Established- 3 November 1961 
Founder- John F. Kennedy
Headquarters- Washington, DC, United States
Administrator– Samantha Power
About Mastercard:
CEO- Michael Miebach 
Headquarters- New York, United States
Founded- 1966 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS   

RBI approved Extension of Rajeev Ahuja as RBL Bank’s Interim CEO & MD for 3 Months 

On  March 17, 2022, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the extension of Rajeev Ahuja‘s term as interim Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RBL Bank for another three months w.e.f from 25 March, 2022 or till the appointment of a regular MD & CEO, whichever is earlier.
Key Points:
i.Rajeev Ahuja was previously appointed as an interim MD & CEO of the bank for a period of three months w.e.f from 25th December 2021, after the previous MD & CEO, Vishwavir Ahuja.
ii.Vishwavir Ahuja went on leave on the next day of RBI’s appointment of one of its chief general managers, Yogesh K Dayal as an additional director for two years w.e.f 24 December 2021(2021-2023).
iii.A search committee has been set up by the RBI to identify candidates for the post of MD and CEO from within and outside the RBL bank. 
About RBL Bank:
Headquarters-Mumbai, Maharashtra
Founded- 1943
Tagline – ‘‘Apno Ka Bank’’         

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA Rolls Out Integrated SLS Rocket & Orion spacecraft of Artemis-1 Moon Mission for the 1st Time

On 17th March 2022, for the first time, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) rolled out the integrated Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft (crew capsule) of Artemis 1, the first mission of NASA’s Artemis Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, United States of America (USA). 

• The SLS rocket and Orion capsule were hauled out from the KSC Vehicle Assembly Building to Pad 39B on NASA’s giant crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2). 

Key Points:
i.Once the SLS-Orion ship is secured at the pad, it will be prepared for a critical pre-flight test called ‘wet dress rehearsal’, which will begin on 3rd April 2022. 
ii.The uncrewed Artemis 1, which is expected to launch in May or June 2022.If the Artemis plan successfully continues,then the Artemis 2 mission will follow in 2024, sending astronauts around the moon and back.
iii.Mission Artemis 3 will put astronauts down on the moon, near the lunar south pole, with the aid of SpaceX’s Starship vehicle and is targeted for 2025 or 2026.
Artemis Program: The Artemis Program, named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, will land the first woman and the first person of colour on the moon. 
Apollo Program: The Apollo program was the third US human spaceflight program carried out by NASA. It landed the first human on the moon and sent six manned missions to the moon from 1969 to 1972.

ICGS Saksham – Fifth of The Series of OPV Commissioned in GoaAs a significant step toward strengthening India’s maritime security, the Defence Secretary of India Dr Ajay Kumar has commissioned Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Saksham, the fifth in the series of 105-metre Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) class, at Goa.

• Goa Shipyard Limited designed and built the 105-meter OPV, which is equipped with advanced technology, navigation and communication systems, sensors, and machinery.
• The ship will be based in Kochi once it joins the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) force. Ship will be used extensively for surveillance in Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and other missions mandated by the Coast Guard charter.

Highlights:
i.The ship is equipped with an Integrated Bridge System (IBS), Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), Power Management System (PMS) and High Power External fire-fighting (EFF) system.
ii.The ship will be equipped with a twin-engine helicopter and four high-speed boats, including two inflatable boats, for boarding, search and rescue, law enforcement, and maritime patrol. 
iii. The ship can displace approximately 2,350 tonnes (gross registered tonnage) and is propelled by two 9,100 KW diesel engines to attain a maximum speed of 26 knots and also has an endurance of 6,000 nautical miles at an economical speed.
iv.The introduction of this vessel will give a boost to the marine defence of our extensive Western coastal shoreline.
Note:
i.The Indigenous Offshore Patrol Vessel Project was launched by the Prime Minister of India in 2016 under which five Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) were planned to be launched.
ii.The first four of the five ICGS which have already been commissioned in 2020 are ICGS Sachet (1st); ICGS Sujeet (2nd); ICGS Sarthak (3rd); and ICGS Sajag (4th) in 2021.

OBITUARY

Rupiah Banda Former President of Zambia Passed Away Rupiah Bwezani Banda (Rupiah Banda), the former President of the Republic of Zambia (Zambia) has passed away at the age of 85 at his residence in Lusaka, Zambia. He was born on 19th February 1937 in Gwanda, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). 
About Rupiah Banda:
i.Rupiah Banda, a member of the United National Independence Party (UNIP), has served as the fourth president of Zambia from 2008 to 2011.
ii.He has also served as acting president in mid-2008 during the presidency of Levy Patrick Mwanawasa (3rd President of Zambia). 
iii.He served as the Vice President of Zambia from 2006 to 2008.
About Republic of Zambia:
On 24 October 1964, Zambia became independent of the United Kingdom(UK) and then Prime Minister(PM) Kenneth Kaunda became the inaugural president of the Republic of Zambia. 
President– Hakainde Hichilema 
Capital– Lusaka
Currency– Zambian Kwacha

BOOKS & AUTHORS

“Wrist Assured: An Autobiography” by Former Indian Cricket Captain Gundappa Vishwanath; co-authored by journalist R Kaushik

Former Indian cricket captain Gundappa Ranganatha Vishwanath (Gundappa Vishwanath or G.R. Vishwanath) has penned his autobiography titled “Wrist Assured: An Autobiography”, co-authored by senior journalist R Kaushik. The book traces the cricketing journey of Gundappa Vishwanath who played Test Cricket for India between 1969 and 1986, making 91 appearances and score more than 6000 runs. 

• The book is published by Rupa Publication India Pvt. Ltd. 
• Former Indian cricketers Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar released the book at the ceremony held on the first day of the 2nd day/night Test between India and Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, Karnataka. 
• Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI)’s President Sourav Ganguly was also present during the release.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Global Recycling Day 2022- March 18

Global Recycling Day is annually observed across the globe on 18th March to help recognise, and celebrate, the importance of recycling in securing the future of our planet.
Global Recycling Day is a day of action aimed at a global approach towards recycling and calling on world leaders, international businesses, communities and individuals to make seven clear commitments in their approach to recycling.

• The theme of event for Global Recycling Day 2022 will focus on the ‘Recycling Fraternity’.

Background:
i.The Global Recycling Day is an initiative of the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), the global federation of the recycling industry, which focus on the sustainable and inclusive development of recycling. 
ii.The first ever Global Recycling Day was observed on 18th March 2018, which also marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of BIR. 
About Bureau of International Recycling (BIR):
President– Tom Bird
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
Founded in 1948
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog Presented State Budget for FY 2022-23i.On March 16, 2022, the Assam’s first women Finance Minister Ajanta Neog presented Assam’s Rs 600.36 crore deficit budget for 2022-23 at the Assam Legislative Assembly.
ii.It is proposed to build 500 km of all-weather roads over river embankments with an approximate outlay of Rs 1107.78 crore.
iii.The budget has proposed to levy Green Tax on the use of old vehicles.
iv.The budget relaxed tax on green leaves of tea for a period of 3 years from 1st January 2022 besides extension of incentives for the production of orthodox varieties of tea is extended by a year.
v.Reduction of 1 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for aircraft.
About Assam:
Governor – Jagdish Mukhi
Dam– Karbi Langpi Dam, Umrong Dam
Forts – Badarpur Fort, Cachari Fort
>> Read Full News

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