Current Affairs 19 October 2022

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

PM inaugurates PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022 at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New DelhiOn October 17, 2022, the Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi inaugurated PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022 at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi, Delhi. It saw the participation of more than 13,500 farmers and around 1500 Agri Startups from India, and the launch/release/inauguration of the following initiatives:
i.The PM released 12^th instalment amount of Rs. 16,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).  So far, eligible farmer families have received benefits worth more than Rs. 2 lakh crore under PM-KISAN.
ii.The PM also inaugurated 600 Pradan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PM-KSK) under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers (MoC&F). This scheme will convert the retail fertilizer shops in India into PM-KSK in a phased manner.
iii.The PM also launched Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana – One Nation One Fertilizer scheme by MoC&F to brand all subsidized fertilizers as One nation, one fertilizer under the name Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Januvarak Pariyojna, and will have a common bag design.
iv.The PM launched ‘Indian Edge’, an e-magazine on fertilizer.
About Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI):
It is commonly known as the Pusa Institute.
Director– Ashok Kumar Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

Madhya Pradesh Wildlife Board Approves New Tiger ReserveThe Madhya Pradesh (MP) Wildlife Board approved a new reserve for the tigers of Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) named ‘Durgavati Tiger Reserve’, which spans 2,339 square kilometres (sq. km) across the districts of Narisinghpur, Damoh, and Sagar in MP.

• The proposal to notify 1,414 sq. km as the core area and 925 sq. km as a buffer in the new tiger reserve was approved at the Board meeting, which was presided over by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of MP.

It should be emphasised that the Ken-Betwa River Interlinking (KBRIL) Project will result in the submergence of one-fourth of PTR.
i.The proposal will be submitted to NTCA seeking final approval.
ii.A green corridor connecting PTR and Durgavati will be established, for the natural movement of the tiger (Panthera tigris) to the new reserve.
About National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):
Chairperson – Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change
>> Read Full News

 MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar unveils First SemiconIndia FutureDesign Roadshow in Gujarat  Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State (MoS), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has officially launched the ‘first’ SemiconIndia FutureDesign roadshow in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

• At the ceremony, the Minister also unveiled the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)- tested and qualified NavIC Receiver Chipsets, which are ready for commercial deployment. [NavIC stands for Navigation with Indian Constellation].

First SemiconIndia FutureDesign Roadshow – 2022
The SemiconIndia FutureDesign Roadshows under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), seeks to encourage Startups in the Semiconductor Design and Innovation space by providing incentives worth Rs. 100 crore per device at the design stage.
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is in charge of implementing the DLI Scheme as the nodal agency.
Under the aegis of the MeitY, the Government of India (GoI) announced the ISM in December 2021 with an incentive outlay of Rs 76,000 crore
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY):
Union Minister – Ashwini Vaishnaw (Rajya Sabha – Odisha)
>> Read Full News

PFRDA Agencies Become Partner Entities with DigiLocker to Offer Subscriber-Centric Online Services

The Central Record Keeping Agencies (CRAs) of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) have been designated as Digi Locker Partner Organizations to provide subscriber-focused online services.
Key Points:
i.PFRDA is providing ‘2’ additional features to DigiLocker to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence Day and Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM). They are:

• Account opening using Driving License (DL) through Digi Locker
• Updation of existing address using DL through Digi Locker

ii.Prospective subscribers opening accounts with Protean CRA and existing subscribers updating their addresses can use this feature.
Digi Locker
i.DigiLocker is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) as part of the ‘Digital India’ programme.

• DigiLocker intends to provide citizens with “Digital Empowerment” by enabling access to authentic digital documents in a citizen’s digital document wallet.

ii.The DigiLocker gives Citizens a private, shareable digital space with a consent framework and makes all documents/certificates easily accessible in digital form.
iii.Digi Locker has nearly 13 crore registered users and has issued 5.60 billion documents in a number of sectors, including Central/ State Governments, Banking & Insurance, Education, Health etc.

Kati Bihu being observed across Assam – 18th October 2022 Kati Bihu, also known as Kongali, is an auspicious harvest festival and is annually observed across the state of Assam with joy and happiness. This year, the festival falls on 18th October 2022.
The celebration is marked annually on the 1st day of the Kati month in the Assamese calendar and usually falls during mid-October.

• In 2021, Kati Bihu was observed on October 19.
• In 2023, Kati Bihu will be observed on October 18.

Key Highlights:
i. Kati Bihu is an observation of service, penance, and hope for a better future. This festival marks the relocation of the rice crop and the beginning of the fresh harvest season.
ii. To celebrate the festival, the people of Assam will light up the lamps outside their homes as well as in paddy fields in the evening praying for a better crop in the next season.
iii. Kati Bihu is one of the three major festivals of the Assamese people. The other 2 Bihu festivals are Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu (January 13th or 14th) and Rongali or Bohag Bihu (April 14th or 15th).
About Assam:
Chief Minister- Himanta Biswa Sarma
Governor- Jagdish Mukhi
Capital- Dispur
Dance- Bihu; Jhumur Dance; Bagurumba

Government forms benches at 3 DRTs to resolve cases above Rs 100 crore

The government has formed exclusive benches to resolve cases above Rs 100 crore at Debts Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) in Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi, agreeing to a long-standing demand by banks to get more focus on high-value cases.

• In a Gazette notification issued this October, the government notified that DRT court No 1 in Chennai, DRT court No 3 in Delhi, and DRT court No 1 in Mumbai will focus only on cases where the accumulated debt is Rs 100 crore and above.
• According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, DRTs had Rs 2.25 lakh crore of debt pending under litigation in March 2021, higher than the Rs 1.35 lakh crore pending in NCLTs across India in that period.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

NATO begins nuclear exercises amid Russia war tensions

On October 17, 2022 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) began its long-planned annual nuclear exercises in northwestern Europe as tensions simmer over military action in Ukraine.
i.Fourteen of NATO’s 30 member countries are participating in the exercises, and around 60 aircraft including fighter jets and surveillance and refuelling planes will take part in the event.
ii.The bulk of the war games will be held at least 1,000 kilometres from Russia’s borders.
iii.US long-range B-52 bombers will also take part in the maneuvers, dubbed Steadfast Noon, which will run until October 30, 2022.

BANKING & FINANCE

Karnataka Bank Launches a Term Deposit Scheme: ‘KBL Centenary Deposit Scheme’Karnataka Bank Limited(KBL) has launched ‘KBL Centenary Deposit Scheme’, a unique term deposit scheme with higher rate of interest, effective from 17th October 2022.

• The deposit scheme was launched as a part of the Centenary year (2023-2024) observance of the Karnataka Bank.
• With this launch, Karnataka Bank is now listed among the banks offering high rates of interest for term deposits.
• The ‘KBL Centenary Deposit Scheme’ will be offered for a period of 555 days with an interest rate of 7.20 percent for general customers and 7.60 percent for senior citizens on domestic deposit and NRE deposits.

About Karnataka Bank Limited:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Mahabaleshwara M.S
Establishment – 1924
Headquarters – Mangaluru, Karnataka

LIC Launches Dhan Varsha Life Insurance PlanThe Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched ‘Dhan Varsha’, a non-linked, non-participating, individual, savings, single premium life insurance plan that provides both protection and savings.

• Dhan Varsha (Plan No. 866) is a closed-ended plan that will be available for sale until the end of the current fiscal year, March 31, 2023.

The plan provides financial assistance to the family in the event of the untimely death of the life assured during the policy term, as well as a guaranteed lump sum payment amount for the remaining assured life.
Key Points:
i.Depending on the total non-medical limit, age, and chosen sum assured, the plan will be offered for both non-medical and medical schemes.
ii.The Plan can be purchased Offline through agent /other intermediaries including Point of Sales Persons-Life Insurance (POSP-LI) and Common Public Service Centers (CPSC-SPV). It can also be purchased online directly through the www.licindia.in website.
iii.If the life assured survives the designated date of maturity, both the “Basic Sum Assured” and accrued Guaranteed Additions will be paid.

• In the event of death, the guaranteed additions will be paid for the policy year in which the death occured.
• The policy holder can choose the term either for 10 years or 15 years. The minimum age at entry for the 10-year term is 8 years and 3 years for the 15-year policy term.
• The maximum age at entry varies from 35  to 60 years depending on the term and option of Sum Assured on Death chosen.
• The minimum Basic Sum Assured is Rs.125000/- and there is no limit for the maximum Basic Sum Assured.
• Two optional riders are available under this plan i.e. (1) LIC’s Accidental Death and Disability Benefit Rider and (2) LIC’s New Term Assurance Rider.

About Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC):
Chairperson– Mangalam Ramasubramanian Kumar
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in – 1956

MMFSL Partners with IPPB to Enhance Credit Access to Customers

On 18th October 2022, Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Limited (MMFSL), a part of the Mahindra Group, announced a strategic partnership with India Post Payments Bank Limited (IPPB) to enhance its credit access to a larger customer base
About the partnership:
i.Through this partnership, IPPB will provide lead referral services to MMFSL for passenger vehicles, 3-wheeler, tractor, and commercial vehicle loan categories.

• It will also provide cash Equated Monthly Income (EMI) deposit facility to existing MMFSL customers at post offices.

ii.This pilot scheme will be initially launched in IPPB branches of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

• With the launch of cash management services, MMFSL customers will now be able to deposit EMI payment at post offices.

About India Post Payments Bank Limited (IPPB):
IPPB is owned by the government of India through the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication.
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – J Venkatramu
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment – 2018

SBI General Insurance & Gupshup Launches Insurance Buying Facility via WhatsApp

SBI General Insurance partnered with Gupshup, a leader in conversational engagement to enhance its insurance buying option on WhatsApp.

• The partnership not only supports users in buying a new insurance policy but can also renew an existing one, intimate claims and other insurance options within WhatsApp.

Key highlights:
i.SBI General Insurance customers across India can buy insurance from SBI General by sending a ‘Hi’ to http://wa.me/919136233331/ on whatsapp.

• The chat bot of Gupshup will guide the customer’s for enabling such insurance services  through a secure buying process within he WhatsApp chat thread.

ii.Through a 2-way conversation, the chatbots enable easy and end-to-end discovery of insurance policy on the WhatsApp platform, right from exploring the policy features to accessing the required documents.
Note – SBI General Insurance 1st launched its WhatsApp chatbot in 2020 for buying its health insurance policy on WhatsApp.
About SBI General Insurance:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Kishore Kumar Poludasu
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment – 2009

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

India may overtake Germany, Japan too to become world’s 3rd Largest Economy

As per the International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Economic Outlook database, India may overtake Germany and Japan to become the third-biggest economy in the world by FY28 i.e. in the next 5-years.The top two economies will continue to be the United States (US) and China.

• By 2026-27, India’s economy is projected to be USD 4.94 trillion. Then in FY28, it will hit USD 5.36-trillion mark, higher than Japan’s at USD 5.17 trillion, and will become the third-largest economy.
• India’s GDP growth in Q1 FY23 was 13.5 per cent.

Key Points:
i.The reasons behind India’s rapid progress include expected economic expansion at good pace, rupee’s depreciated less than many currencies against the dollar.
ii.Also, India’s inflation is high, but is not skyrocketing, its current account deficit high but expected to moderate
iii.As per the another report by Capital Economics, India can become the 3rd largest economy by 2030 Trailing US and China.
iv.According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) data, India’s GDP per person stands at USD 2,520.
v.The developed economies are effected by pandemic war-triggered inflation.

Note – A new recommendation was emphasized on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) as a better way to measure the size of an economy. PPP takes into account the cost of living in a country while converting a currency into dollars.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS      

 Sri Lankan Writer Shehan Karunatilaka won Booker Prize 2022 

Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka has been honoured with the Booker Prize 2022 for his 2nd novel titled “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida”. The novel, Published by Sort of Books, is about the murder of a war photographer, Maali Almeida, during the civil war of Sri Lanka.

• He becomes the 2nd Sri Lankan author to win the Booker Prize, after Michael Ondaatje who won for ‘The English Patient’ in 1992.
• The winner of the Booker Prize was announced by Neil MacGregor, Chair of the 2022 judges, in a ceremony held at the Roundhouse, London, The United Kingdom(UK) on 17th October 2022.
• The trophy was presented to Karunatilaka by Camilla, the Queen Consort of the UK.
• South African Damon Galgut has won the 2021 Booker Prize.

Note:In 2022, the original 1969 Booker prize trophy was reinstated in memory of its creator, the children’s author and illustrator Jan Pieńkowski, who died in February.
About Shehan Karunatilaka
i.Shehan Karunatilaka has won the Commonwealth Book Prize 2012 , the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, and the Gratiaen Prize for his first novel titled “Chinaman: The Legend Of Pradeep Mathew”.
ii.His debut novel was also shortlisted for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize.
iii.He has published 2 novels, and 3 children’s book and has also written features on sport, music and travel for The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Wisden, Conde Nast and National Geographic.
About Booker Prize:
i.The Booker Prize, annually awarded by the Booker Prize Foundation is a world’s leading literary award for a single work of fiction. The award was founded in 1969.
ii.The winner of The Booker Prize receives 50,000 pounds with 2,500 pounds awarded to each of the other shortlisted authors.

66th Ballon d’Or: Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema won the Ballon d’Or 2022; Alexia Putellas wins Women’s Ballon d’Or 2022 Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, a professional French footballer, has won the Men’s Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball Award) 2022 and becomes the 5th Frenchman to win the prize. Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas, a Spanish professional footballer, has won the Women’s Ballon d’Or award or Ballon d’Or Féminin Award for the 2nd time.

• The  66th edition of the Ballon d’Or Ceremony (2022) was held on 17th October 2022 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.
• Karim Benzema becomes only the 2nd player aside from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award since 2008.

The Ballon d’Or is annually presented by the the French magazine ‘France Football’, since 1956.  
>> Read Full News

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS   

D Y Chandrachud appointed as 50th Chief Justice of IndiaOn 17th October 2022, Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, a Judge on the Supreme Court of India, has been appointed as the 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI) with effect from 9th November 2022.
He will succeed the current CJI Justice Uday Umesh Lalit (49th CJI) who retires on 8th November 2022 (at the age of 65), after a brief tenure of 74 days.
D Y Chandrachud is the seniormost judge of the Supreme court of India after CJI UU Lalit.

• D Y Chandrachud will have a tenure of 2 years as CJI and is due to retire on 10th November 2024.
• The Chief justice of India is appointed by the President of India under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India.

About D Y Chandrachud:
i. D Y Chandrachud is the son of the longest-serving Justice YV Chandrachud (1978-1985) the 16th Chief Justice of India.
ii. He obtained a Master of Legislative Laws (LLM) degree and a Doctorate in Juridical Sciences (SJD) from Harvard Law School, USA.
iii. He practised law at the Supreme Court of India and the Bombay High Court and was designated as a Senior Advocate by the Bombay High Court in June 1998.
He served as the Additional Solicitor General of India from 1998 to 2000.
iv. From 2000 to 2013, he served as a Judge of the Bombay High Court. He also served as the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court.
v. He was appointed as the Judge of the Supreme Court of India in 2016

Adani Group appoints Arun Bansal as CEO of Adani Airport Holdings LimitedThe Adani Group has appointed Ericsson veteran Arun Bansal, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Adani Airport Holdings Limited, a branch of Adani Enterprises Ltd.

• He spent 25 years at Ericsson, the Swedish telecom network company, and was most recently its president for Europe and Latin America.
• Arun Bansal replaces Malay Mahadevia, who is currently a full-time director at Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd and has until now been in charge of the CEO of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd.

Key Points: 
i. For more than a year, the Adani Group has been shuffling the top management of its airport business.
ii. In April 2022, the Adani Group appointed Harshad Jain, former CEO of HT Media Ltd-owned Next Media Works, as the CEO of Adani Airports’ non-aeronautical segment, replacing Ben Zandi.
About Arun Bansal:
i. Arun Bansal holds an Engineering Degree in Electronics and Telecommunications and a Post Graduate Diploma in International Marketing.
ii. He is the Senior Vice President and Head of the Market Area of Europe & Latin America for Ericsson, the largest market area spanning over 110 countries.

• He is responsible for implementing Ericsson’s strategic direction and bringing a leading portfolio to customers with simplicity and speed.

iii. He has served as Senior Vice President of the Business Unit Radio, overseeing all sales of products and solutions as well as Research and Development (R&D) of the largest business area in the company.
iv. He also served in various leadership positions in Southeast Asia & Oceania and India, where he was instrumental in expanding Ericsson’s operations in the region and establishing the world’s 1st Managed Capacity operation with the operator Bharti in India.
About Adani Airports Holdings Limited:
Adani Airports Holdings Limited, the new business incubated within the group’s flagship company Adani Enterprises Ltd.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Arun Bansal
Establishment- 2019
6 Adani Airports in- Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram       

Ex-Infosys President Ravi Kumar to Join Cognizant as President of Cognizant AmericasCognizant Technology Solutions Corporation(Cognizant) has announced that Former Infosys president Ravi Kumar S will join the company as President of Cognizant Americas on 16th January 2023. He will be reporting directly to Brian Humphries, CEO of Cognizant.

• He succeeds Dharmendra Kumar (DK) Sinha, who retired from Cognizant in 2021.  Currently, DK Sinha is serving as the President of the Public cloud business unit in Rackspace Technology.

Key highlights:
i.Ravi Kumar S will be based in New York and will join the Cognizant’s executive committee
ii.Surya Gummadi, will continue to be the interim president of Cognizant Americas until Ravi Kumar takes over the office. Surya Gummadi will later take over the USD 5 billion Health Sciences Business of Cognizant.
iii.Ravi Kumar has around 20 years of experience in consulting and industry sales and has also served as Chairman of the Board of Infosys Business Process Management.

• He served as the President of Infosys from 2016 to 2022(7 years).

Responsibilities:
i.Cognizant Americas accounts for more than 70 percent of Cognizant’s total annual revenues and as a president, Ravi Kumar will be responsible for the strategic direction and operational performance of businesses in the United States (US), Latin America, and Canada.
ii.His responsibility also includes Cognizant Americas industry teams, the Americas Consulting organisation and the global Large Deals Team.
Other Appointment:
Cognizant has also announced the appointment of Prasad Sankaran, senior vice president and leader in the Enterprise Technology global practice of  Bain & Company, as the head of Software and Platform Engineering (SPE) services with effect from 1st November 2022.
About Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation(Cognizant) :
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Brian Humphries
Headquarters – New Jersey, United States of America (USA)

Roger Binny Elected as the 36th President of BCCI, to Replace Sourav GangulyOn 18th October 2022 former Indian cricketer and a member in 1983 World Cup winning team Roger Binny was named as the 36th president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

• His appointment was announced at the 91st BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai, Maharashtra and he replaces the former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly.
• He is the first World Cup champion to be appointed as the BCCI President.
• The post is rotated zone-wise across India and a person can hold the post of BCCI president for a maximum of three years.
• Since the formation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 1928, a total of 38 people (interim president were appointed in 2013 and 2014),including Binny, have held the president post on the cricket board.

Key highlights:
i.Roger Binny (67-years-old), was elected unopposed as he was the only candidate to have filed nomination for the BCCI president’s post.

• The other office bearers who were elected unopposed included treasurer Ashish Shelar, vice-president Rajeev Shukla and joint secretary Devjit Saikia.

ii.The newly elected office bearers of the BCCI are Roger Binny , the President; Rajeev Shukla, Vice President; Jay Shah, Secretary; Devajit Saikia, Joint Secretary; Ashish Shelar, Treasurer.

• MKJ Majumdar was elected in the BCCI Apex Council as the representative of the General Body and Outgoing treasurer Arun Dhumal was elected as the new IPL chairman, replacing Brijesh Patel.

Note – The BCCI General Body also approved the inaugural Women’s IPL with 5 teams, which will be held in March 2023.
About Roger Binny:
i.Roger Binny was born on 19th July 1955 and was the 1st Anglo-Indian Scottish origin to play cricket for India.
ii.He has played 27 Test matches and bagged 47 wickets between 1979 and 1987 and had played 72 One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1980 and 1987. He has also claimed 18 wickets in the 1983 World Cup.
iii.He was the President of Karnataka State Cricket Association (2019) and has also served as the member of the senior selection committee when Sandeep Patil was the chairman.
About Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment – 1928

Sweden’s Parliament Elected Ulf Kristersson as New Prime MinisterThe Parliament of Sweden(Riksdag) has elected Ulf Kristersson, leader of the conservative Moderate Party, as the new Prime Minister(PM) of Sweden. He has replaced Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson, who was the first female PM of Sweden.

• He is set to announce the list of ministers following a meeting with the King Carl XVI Gustaf, marking his formal ascension.

Parliamentary elections:
i.The Parliamentary elections of Sweden were held on 11th September 2022 and PM Magdalena Andersson (Social Democratic Party) formally requested to resign as Prime Minister on 15th September 2022 .
ii.The 3 party coalition of Ulf Kristersson, with the Christian Democrats and the Liberalsfell short of winning a majority. However in Sweden, the PM can govern as long as there is no parliamentary majority against them.
About Ulf Kristersson: 
i.Ulf Kristersson was born in southern Swedish city of Lund, Sweden in 1963.
ii.He started his political carrer at an young age and in 1988 he was elected National Chairman of the Moderate Party Youth Organisation.
iii.In 1991 he was elected as the Member of Parliament (Stockholm) and held his potion till 2000.
iv.He has also served as the Minister of Social Security from 2010 to 2014.
v.He has been serving as the leader of the  Moderate Party since 2017 after Anna Kinberg Batra resigned from the position.
About Sweden
1st Female Prime Minister – Magdalena Andersson
Currency – Swedish Krona
Capital – Stockholm

GSK India appoints Bhushan Akshikar as new Managing Director

The Board of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (GSK India) has appointed Bhushan Akshikar as Managing Director (MD) for a period of four years effective from December 1, 2022.
i.He will succeed Sridhar Venkatesh, who will assume a new senior role with the GSK Group on November 30.
ii.Akshikar with over 26 years of experience within the pharmaceutical industry, joined GSK India in September 2011 to lead the speciality and commercial excellence business units. In 2014, he was appointed Head of the Mass Markets business.
iii.He was subsequently elevated as the MD of the publicly listed entity of GSK in Nigeria, Africa in end of 2016.

Credit platform Yubi appoints Atanu Chakraborty as Chairman

Atanu Chakraborty has been appointed as the independent chairman of Yubi (formerly CredAvenue), a platform which powers the discovery, execution and fulfilment of credit.
Atanu Chakraborty, who is a former Economic Affairs Secretary, is also currently the Chairmanof the Board of HDFC Bank.
Since its establishment, Yubi has been working towards providing various stakeholders in the Indian financial system with credible and efficient digital infrastructure.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yubi- Gaurav Kumar.

JPMorgan names Navin Wadhwani as Head of its Indian Investment Banking Business

On 17th October 2022, JPMorgan Chase & Co., an American multinational investment bank and financial services named Navin Wadhwani, former Reliance Industries executive, as the head of its Indian investment banking business.
He has headed M&A for oil-to-retail conglomerate Reliance for the past 10 years and was previously a senior managing director at Rothschild & Co India.

• JPMorgan Chase & Co has also appointed Kaustubh Kulkarni as senior country officer for India with effect from 1st November 2022. He succeeds Madhav Kalyan, who will now head the U.S. banking giant’s Asia Pacific Payments.
• Vineet Mishra will become the head of Investment Banking for Southeast Asia.
• The current head of JPM corporate banking in India, PD Singh has been named temporary Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JP Morgan Chase Bank India with effect from 1st November 2022.

ENVIRONMENT

Serbian scientists named new species of Beetle after Novak Djokovic Serbian scientists have named a new species of beetle after the tennis player Novak Djokovic, a Serbian tennis player due to its speed, strength, flexibility, durability and ability to survive in a difficult environment.It is named Duvalius Dokovici.

• The new species of beetle belongs to the Duvalius genus that is present in Europe. It was discovered several years ago in an underground pit in western Serbia.
• The insect is a specialised underground Coleoptera beetle, a predator which lost its eyes living deep underground.

A New Genus, 2 species of Semi-terrestrial freshwater crabs spotted in the Western Ghats in Kerala
Researchers at the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala have recognized a new genus, 2 new species of semi-terrestrial freshwater crabs from separate places in the southern arm of the Western Ghats in Kerala.
The new species have been named Pavizham gavi and Rajathelphusa brunnea by Smrithy Raj and A. Biju Kumar.

• It was published in the journal Zoological Studies.

>> Read Full News

BOOKS & AUTHORS

IRS officer Sahil Seth launches his book ‘A confused mind story’

Sahil Seth, Indian Revenue Service (IRS) Joint Commissioner GST, Custom & Narcotics and youth influencer, launched his book titled ‘A confused Mind story’ and Union Health Minister Mansukh L. Mandaviya received the first copy of the book.
i.The book was published by Blue Rose publication house, one of the top fiction, non-fiction, and poetry book publishers in India.
ii.The book is based on the contrast between the spiritual and material world. The book depicts the answers behind the confusion of the common man in day-to-day life and explains the rationale behind the meaning of life and belief system.

STATE NEWS

Assam Government Signs 7MoU & MoA with Industrial Partners for State’s Development
On 17th October 2022, Assam government signed seven Memoranda of Understanding and Agreement (MoU, MoA) with various industry players for the development of Assam.

• This is in line with the efforts of the Assam government to draw a roadmap for a broad based development of Assam.
• The MoUs and MoAs were signed in the presence of Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati, Assam.

About the MoU & MoA:
i.On behalf of the Assam government, Assam Skill Development Mission (ASDM) signed MoU with Microsoft, Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) and HealthCare Sector Skill Council (HSSC) and an agreement with Google India Private Limited.
ii.The directorate of employment and craftsmen training signed an MoU with Info Edge, India (also known as Naukri.com).
iii.The Assam Tourism Development Corporation signed an MoU with the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship, Government of India (GoI), TATA Strive Skill Development Initiatives of Tata community Initiative Trust and the Indian Hotels Company.
iv.The Assam Power Distribution Company (APDCL) also signed an agreement with Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam’s Green Energy for the generation of 1000 MW solar power.
Details about the agreement:
i.Microsoft – Under the MoU, Microsoft, will pave the way for capacity building of the youth in Assam Skill Development Centres and also provides intervention for under-served youth to ensure their active participation in the workforce through their modules of MDSP (Microsoft Diversity Skilling Programme).
ii.Google – The objective of the MoU with Google India Private Limited is to support the Assam Government in skilling youth with job-ready digital and business skills by providing Google Career Certificate Course.
iii.L&T- Through this agreement, L&T will offer knowledge and support for establishing training setup and also execute green field projects under construction.
iv.HSSC – The objective of the MoU signed with HSSC is to mobilise the unemployed youth of Assam for skill training and also placement will be provided for industrial jobs within 1 month of training completion.
v.APDCL – The MoU between APDCL and SJVNL Green Energy Limited (SGEL) would aim at development of renewable power projects, especially solar power with 1000 MW installed capacity.

• In addition, the Assam cabinet has also approved Assam Renewable Energy Policy 2022 to boost the development of renewable power for green energy transition.

vi.Tourism – The MoU signed by Assam Tourism Development Corporation will support in setting up hospitality skill centres of excellence for the training of the youth of Assam.
vii.Naukri.com – The Directorate of Employment and Craftsmen Training’s MoU with Naukri.com will provide a platform for youth of Assam to showcase their profile to attract prospective employers.
About Assam:
Governor – Jagdish Mukhi
Chief Minister – Himanta Biswa Sarma
National Parks – Manas National Park, Nameri National Park
Wildlife Sanctuaries – Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary

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